Fic: The Perfect Gift - Part 2
Dec. 27th, 2016 10:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneTitle: The Perfect Gift - Part 2
Author:alisanne
Rating: PG
Word count: 1110
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy (eventually).
Challenge: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dracoharry100/![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
dracoharry100's Christmas prompts # #7 - 12: Christmas shopping nightmare, First Christmas after the war, What to buy for the wizard who has everything?, Ice skating, Secret Santa with embarrassing/hilarious results. Elf costume.
This is part 2 of my H/D Gift Series (LJ/IJ/DW).
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):sevfan and emynn.
Authors Notes: Malfoy takes Harry somewhere unexpected.
Back to Part 1 (LJ/IJ/DW)
~
The Perfect Gift - Part 2
~
Harry locates Ron in the romance section, and in his hands are two books featuring blokes with long hair, wide shoulders, and impossibly small waists embracing birds with heaving bosoms and flowing outfits. He has a puzzled look on his face as he looks back and forth between them. “Er, you are still shopping for Hermione, right?” Harry asks.
Ron winces, dropping the books. “I picked a serious book for her, and now I’m thinking I should throw in another book for enjoyment.” He blinks when he looks past Harry and sees Malfoy standing a respectable distance away. “Wait, is that Malfoy? What’s he doing here?”
“He’s going to help me shop for Hermione.”
Ron raises an eyebrow.
Harry shrugs. “Luna’s idea,” he says. “Don’t ask me to explain. Apparently Malfoy’s some sort of expert shopper.”
“Uh huh.” Ron shakes his head. “Well, good luck with that, mate.”
“Hey, I have no idea what to get her, so what can it hurt, right?”
“Right.” Ron hums. “And getting to spend time with the bloke you used to follow around for months on end because he was ‘up to something’ has nothing to do with it?”
“He was up to something at the time!” Harry looks away from Ron’s suddenly speculative gaze. “Anyway, I’m off.”
“With Malfoy.”
“Yep.”
“All right, but that sounds like a Christmas shopping nightmare to me, mate.” Ron sighs. “And just…be careful, all right? Don’t make me have to avenge you or anything.”
Harry laughs. “I think I’m safe. He works in the Ministry now, remember?”
“Yeah? So did Umbridge.”
Harry grimaces. “Point. Anyway, I’ll be fine. And if he tries to get me to buy anything dodgy I’ll dump him and give Hermione something from Grimmauld Place’s attic.”
Ron makes a face. “As long as it’s not a dead elf head.” He blinks. “Hey, although one of those monstrosities would probably work for the office Secret Santa.”
“Ew. I don’t dislike anyone enough to do that to them.” Shuddering, Harry turns away. “See you later.”
“Yeah, okay.” Ron returns to looking at the romance books.
Harry grins. “And I’d pick that one,” he says, pointing to a book with a red-haired bloke. “‘Love’s Savage Embrace’.”
“Yeah?” Ron frowns. “Why?”
“The bloke on the cover reminds me of you.” And, dancing out of the way of Ron’s hex, Harry leaves.
Malfoy falls into step beside him. “Right, Potter. So what’s the budget for this project?”
“Budget? I hadn’t really thought about it.” Harry bites his lip. “I mean, I don’t want to spend more than Ron, but I also don’t like the idea of being cheap either.”
Malfoy nodded. “If Weasley’s getting her books, we should be safe spending in the fifty to sixty Galleon range. Is that acceptable?”
Harry nods. “Yeah, that works.”
Malfoy purses his lips in thought. “Excellent, I can work with that. One other question. What’s her favourite colour?”
“Periwinkle blue.”
Malfoy stares at him. “I’m surprised you actually know that. Well done.”
“Thanks.” Harry shoves his hands in his pockets and wordlessly casts as a Warming Charm as they walk outside. “She is my best friend.”
“Right.” Malfoy stops for a moment, his eyes scanning the street. He nods to himself. “Okay. This way,” he says, starting off.
Harry follows, but quickly falls behind. He’s about Malfoy’s height, maybe slightly shorter, but somehow Malfoy manages to glide through the crowd like a cat, never bumping into anyone. Harry, on the other hand, has to keep saying, “Excuse me,” and “Pardon me,” as he tries to keep up, and he seems to bump into everyone.
Soon, Malfoy’s in the distance, and Harry, feeling like he’s swimming upstream, struggles to follow. All he sees of Malfoy is his backside, which isn’t a bad view if Harry’s honest with himself.
Finally he reaches the end of Diagon Alley where the crowd is thinner. “There you are,” says Malfoy, leaning against a wall, waiting. “What kept you?”
“Sorry,” Harry pants. “How’d you do that?”
Malfoy raises an eyebrow. “Do what?”
“Get through the crowd like that.”
Malfoy smirks. “Natural talent. Now come on, we have a bit of a walk.”
“Then why don’t we Apparate?” Harry asks.
“Because Muggles tend to get upset when people appear out of thin air.”
“Muggles?” Harry blinks. “We’re going to a Muggle shop?”
“No. We’re going to a wizarding shop in Muggle London.”
“Oh,” Harry says, trying to think of a polite way to explore that further.
Malfoy snorts. “I can hear you thinking all the way over here, Potter. Just ask.”
“I never thought you’d be one to go to Muggle shops, that’s all,” says Harry.
Malfoy exhales. “I might not be but for the war. That first Christmas after the war, no one wanted to sell to a Malfoy, so I had to find alternate places to buy gifts.” They turned a corner and were in a busy shopping district. “But, as it turns out, Muggles are quite inventive.”
Harry smiles. “Yeah, they are.” He clears his throat. “So, how’d you become a shopping expert, anyway?”
Malfoy snorts. “You’ve seen my parents. What do you get for the witch and wizard who have everything? I’ve had to get pretty…inventive over the years.”
They pass several high-end shops, all of which have glittering displays in their windows. They then walk past a park with a frozen pond. There are skaters and Harry wishes they could slow a bit so he could get a better look at them, but Malfoy seems to be on a mission. Harry starts to drop back to study the skaters. It looks fun and he sighs. He’s never been skating.
“Come on, Potter,” Malfoy says once he notices Harry’s not keeping up. “The shop we’re going to isn’t open that late.”
“Right, sorry,” says Harry, hurrying his steps.. He carefully keep himself from ogling Malfoy’s arse again. “What kind of shop is this?”
“A magical one.”
“Yes, but—”
“Sh, we’re here.” Malfoy comes to a stop in front of a red door. He raps sharply three times.
A tiny hole opens in the door. “Wot?” someone asks.
Malfoy leans close. “We need to see the big guy.”
“Who’s we?”
In reply, Malfoy raises his wand.
A moment later the door opens and Malfoy walks in. Harry, on alert, follows.
“Welcome, wizards,” says a voice from the vicinity of Harry’s feet.
It’s dark, and it takes a moment for Harry’s eyes to adjust, but when he can see, he gapes. It’s an elf in a Christmas elf costume. “This way,” the elf says, gesturing. “Follow me.”
~
Part 3 (LJ/IJ/DW)
Author:
alisanneRating: PG
Word count: 1110
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy (eventually).
Challenge: Written for
dracoharry100/dracoharry100's Christmas prompts # #7 - 12: Christmas shopping nightmare, First Christmas after the war, What to buy for the wizard who has everything?, Ice skating, Secret Santa with embarrassing/hilarious results. Elf costume. This is part 2 of my H/D Gift Series (LJ/IJ/DW).
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):
sevfan and emynn.Authors Notes: Malfoy takes Harry somewhere unexpected.
Back to Part 1 (LJ/IJ/DW)
~
The Perfect Gift - Part 2
~
Harry locates Ron in the romance section, and in his hands are two books featuring blokes with long hair, wide shoulders, and impossibly small waists embracing birds with heaving bosoms and flowing outfits. He has a puzzled look on his face as he looks back and forth between them. “Er, you are still shopping for Hermione, right?” Harry asks.
Ron winces, dropping the books. “I picked a serious book for her, and now I’m thinking I should throw in another book for enjoyment.” He blinks when he looks past Harry and sees Malfoy standing a respectable distance away. “Wait, is that Malfoy? What’s he doing here?”
“He’s going to help me shop for Hermione.”
Ron raises an eyebrow.
Harry shrugs. “Luna’s idea,” he says. “Don’t ask me to explain. Apparently Malfoy’s some sort of expert shopper.”
“Uh huh.” Ron shakes his head. “Well, good luck with that, mate.”
“Hey, I have no idea what to get her, so what can it hurt, right?”
“Right.” Ron hums. “And getting to spend time with the bloke you used to follow around for months on end because he was ‘up to something’ has nothing to do with it?”
“He was up to something at the time!” Harry looks away from Ron’s suddenly speculative gaze. “Anyway, I’m off.”
“With Malfoy.”
“Yep.”
“All right, but that sounds like a Christmas shopping nightmare to me, mate.” Ron sighs. “And just…be careful, all right? Don’t make me have to avenge you or anything.”
Harry laughs. “I think I’m safe. He works in the Ministry now, remember?”
“Yeah? So did Umbridge.”
Harry grimaces. “Point. Anyway, I’ll be fine. And if he tries to get me to buy anything dodgy I’ll dump him and give Hermione something from Grimmauld Place’s attic.”
Ron makes a face. “As long as it’s not a dead elf head.” He blinks. “Hey, although one of those monstrosities would probably work for the office Secret Santa.”
“Ew. I don’t dislike anyone enough to do that to them.” Shuddering, Harry turns away. “See you later.”
“Yeah, okay.” Ron returns to looking at the romance books.
Harry grins. “And I’d pick that one,” he says, pointing to a book with a red-haired bloke. “‘Love’s Savage Embrace’.”
“Yeah?” Ron frowns. “Why?”
“The bloke on the cover reminds me of you.” And, dancing out of the way of Ron’s hex, Harry leaves.
Malfoy falls into step beside him. “Right, Potter. So what’s the budget for this project?”
“Budget? I hadn’t really thought about it.” Harry bites his lip. “I mean, I don’t want to spend more than Ron, but I also don’t like the idea of being cheap either.”
Malfoy nodded. “If Weasley’s getting her books, we should be safe spending in the fifty to sixty Galleon range. Is that acceptable?”
Harry nods. “Yeah, that works.”
Malfoy purses his lips in thought. “Excellent, I can work with that. One other question. What’s her favourite colour?”
“Periwinkle blue.”
Malfoy stares at him. “I’m surprised you actually know that. Well done.”
“Thanks.” Harry shoves his hands in his pockets and wordlessly casts as a Warming Charm as they walk outside. “She is my best friend.”
“Right.” Malfoy stops for a moment, his eyes scanning the street. He nods to himself. “Okay. This way,” he says, starting off.
Harry follows, but quickly falls behind. He’s about Malfoy’s height, maybe slightly shorter, but somehow Malfoy manages to glide through the crowd like a cat, never bumping into anyone. Harry, on the other hand, has to keep saying, “Excuse me,” and “Pardon me,” as he tries to keep up, and he seems to bump into everyone.
Soon, Malfoy’s in the distance, and Harry, feeling like he’s swimming upstream, struggles to follow. All he sees of Malfoy is his backside, which isn’t a bad view if Harry’s honest with himself.
Finally he reaches the end of Diagon Alley where the crowd is thinner. “There you are,” says Malfoy, leaning against a wall, waiting. “What kept you?”
“Sorry,” Harry pants. “How’d you do that?”
Malfoy raises an eyebrow. “Do what?”
“Get through the crowd like that.”
Malfoy smirks. “Natural talent. Now come on, we have a bit of a walk.”
“Then why don’t we Apparate?” Harry asks.
“Because Muggles tend to get upset when people appear out of thin air.”
“Muggles?” Harry blinks. “We’re going to a Muggle shop?”
“No. We’re going to a wizarding shop in Muggle London.”
“Oh,” Harry says, trying to think of a polite way to explore that further.
Malfoy snorts. “I can hear you thinking all the way over here, Potter. Just ask.”
“I never thought you’d be one to go to Muggle shops, that’s all,” says Harry.
Malfoy exhales. “I might not be but for the war. That first Christmas after the war, no one wanted to sell to a Malfoy, so I had to find alternate places to buy gifts.” They turned a corner and were in a busy shopping district. “But, as it turns out, Muggles are quite inventive.”
Harry smiles. “Yeah, they are.” He clears his throat. “So, how’d you become a shopping expert, anyway?”
Malfoy snorts. “You’ve seen my parents. What do you get for the witch and wizard who have everything? I’ve had to get pretty…inventive over the years.”
They pass several high-end shops, all of which have glittering displays in their windows. They then walk past a park with a frozen pond. There are skaters and Harry wishes they could slow a bit so he could get a better look at them, but Malfoy seems to be on a mission. Harry starts to drop back to study the skaters. It looks fun and he sighs. He’s never been skating.
“Come on, Potter,” Malfoy says once he notices Harry’s not keeping up. “The shop we’re going to isn’t open that late.”
“Right, sorry,” says Harry, hurrying his steps.. He carefully keep himself from ogling Malfoy’s arse again. “What kind of shop is this?”
“A magical one.”
“Yes, but—”
“Sh, we’re here.” Malfoy comes to a stop in front of a red door. He raps sharply three times.
A tiny hole opens in the door. “Wot?” someone asks.
Malfoy leans close. “We need to see the big guy.”
“Who’s we?”
In reply, Malfoy raises his wand.
A moment later the door opens and Malfoy walks in. Harry, on alert, follows.
“Welcome, wizards,” says a voice from the vicinity of Harry’s feet.
It’s dark, and it takes a moment for Harry’s eyes to adjust, but when he can see, he gapes. It’s an elf in a Christmas elf costume. “This way,” the elf says, gesturing. “Follow me.”
~
Part 3 (LJ/IJ/DW)
