A/N: Written for the Build a Zoo challenge on HPFC for the tiger enclosure (setting - The Three Broomsticks). Also written for three challenges on the Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments forum. The first is the Leaf Pile challenge for which I used the Green (setting) prompt Hogsmeade. The second was the Back to School event for which I used the object "school tie", and finally, it was written for Slash September using Teddy (Teddy/OMC). Word count: 667
No More Talk of Ruining Things
Teddy tugged at his tie, loosening it around his neck. It definitely hadn't been his intention to wear his school uniform on his first date with Henry. He'd had a whole outfit picked out, one he'd obsessed over for days, but Desiree, their Head Girl, had called a last minute prefect meeting that morning. It had run long, and there Teddy was, anxious and looking the same as always in his school uniform, including a tie that was strangling him no matter how many times he loosened it.
He sure as hell hoped Henry didn't doubt his interest because he hadn't worn something nicer.
His fingers tapped against the table to a tune that he was sure was from a song he couldn't place. He almost got up to order drinks to give himself something to do, but he stopped himself, figuring that was something he should wait to do when Henry arrived. What if he ordered Henry butterbeer, but he didn't like butterbeer? Teddy thought he probably did, but there was no way to be sure without asking him. So he sat at the table and didn't order drinks.
When Henry entered the pub, Teddy was already staring at the door. He noted how flushed Henry's cheeks were from the cold and that it contrasted beautifully with his brown skin. Teddy stood on shaking legs as Henry approached, but he didn't know how to greet him.
They couldn't hug. That was too intimate, but shaking hands was stiff and formal. How did you greet someone on a first date? Teddy had no idea. No one had bothered to teach him those kinds of things.
If Henry noticed his indecision, he didn't say anything about it.
"Sorry I'm a couple minutes late," he said, unwinding his scarf from around his neck. "My friends were being idiots and not letting me leave."
"It's fine," Teddy said with a smile as they both sat at the table.
It was fine, but Teddy made a mental note not to tell Henry about how he'd run the entire way to the pub from the classroom where they'd held the prefect meeting. The last thing he wanted was to appear too enthusiastic.
"Let me get drinks," he declared.
Henry nodded and asked for butterbeer. Teddy cursed himself as he headed for the bar, sure that he should have ordered before Henry arrived. He always could have gone back if Henry had wanted something else.
Having gotten the drinks, he balanced them carefully in his hands, more aware than ever of his clumsiness. He watched the liquid as it sloshed around, doing his best to keep it from spilling. In the process, he didn't notice the stray handbag sticking out from the table next to theirs.
Both butterbeers sloshed over the sides of the glasses and onto the floor. Teddy swore was he stared at the huge, sticky mess he'd made.
Henry was on is feet in less than a second, wand out to siphon up the liquid. Teddy's cheeks flamed in embarrassment as he sat their ruined drinks, each only half full, on the table.
"I'm so sorry."
Henry laughed.
"It's fine," he said. "We can always order more. It's not a big deal."
Teddy took a deep breath and tried to accept Henry's words as the truth.
"I just don't want to ruin anything," he admitted, cheeks on fire. "First I wind up in my uniform because of an unexpected prefect meeting." He tugged at his tie again. "Now I spill our drinks all over the floor."
He looked down at the table, only for Henry to laugh.
"And I was late because of my stupid friends," Henry pointed out. "I was worried I might have ruined it too. How about we consider it even instead?"
He held out his hand, and Teddy took it with a grin, shaking on it.
"Now, no more talk about spilt butterbeer," Henry declared. "Did you listen to the last Harpies game on the wireless?"