thank you, vic and ck for betaing!

prompts at the bottom

466 words by google docs

Albus has been standing in line for the past three hours—or, more realistically, fifteen minutes, but it doesn't matter. He just wants to go home, and it's a huge relief when he finally gets to step up to the counter.

"I'd like to make a deposit," he says, handing over his most recent paychecks. The lady behind the counter—Luna, her tag says—takes it from him and he's about to give her his information when somebody screams.

"Everybody down!" somebody shouts. "This is a bank robbery!"

It takes Albus a few seconds for the words to register in his brain, but once they do, he slowly turns around. He's facing someone wearing a ski mask who's marching towards him. There's wisps of blond hair sticking out the bottom of the mask, and there's a fierce determination visible in the robber's grey eyes. There's also something familiar about them. Albus is about to bend on his knees when the person wraps an arm around his neck and forces him down.

He feels something metal pressed against his head.

Albus can hear the robber tell Luna, "Give me ten thousands pounds, now, and he'll live."

Albus doesn't know what's happening, fearfully keeping his head pointed at the ground, but he doesn't die, so he supposes that Luna hands over the money.

The arm around Albus' neck lurches upwards, forcing Albus to stand up.

"Come with me," the masked figure growls, squeezing his arm even tighter around Albus. He's starting to lose his breath. Slowly, his eyelids grow heavier, until everything goes black.

…

Albus wakes up in an ordinary dining room. Scorpius Malfoy sits sipping a coffee and reading a newspaper. Except he hasn't seen Scorpius since they graduated Hogwarts.

"Scorp?" he asks quietly, rubbing his eyes. Maybe the bank was just a weird dream. He should probably leave as soon as possible to deposit his checks, then—the bank closes at three o'clock.

"Wow, Al," Scorpius says, giving Albus a winning grin. Albus hates that grin. "We've sure gone on very different paths since Hogwarts. You work at a Muggle place?" he asks.

"You rob banks? Albus counters, raising a single eyebrow.

"I probably make way more money than you," Scorpius says, raising his cup.

"True," Albus says. "So, why did you capture me?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Catch up," Scorpius says, before letting out a laugh at something in the news. His laugh hits and tickles Albus' ears. It's pleasant.

"And you needed to wear a mask and rob a bank to do it?"

Scorpius laughs, causing Albus to crack a smile. "Well, you know me," he says, waving a hand, "I'm super dramatic."

"That you are," Albus says, grinning widely. "So you wanted to catch up?" Scorpius nods, looking happy. "Maybe we can get coffee."

for:

meet cutes [day 19 - you hold me hostage while robbing a bank]

assignment 3 [herbology, task 1 - someone who wears a disguise]