#hairdye #blushing #cupcakes
prompts: @bumble-beckie
author: @queenofthyme
It was Hermione’s idea. She had a way of making even the most ridiculous plans seem totally achievable. Until it was too late. And that was how Harry found himself in the kitchen with the Hogwarts house-elves baking cupcakes for Draco Malfoy.
“Bloody hell,” Ron said, poking his head into the kitchen. “How many cupcakes are you making?”
Harry’s eyes flickered between the batches of cupcakes baking in six different ovens while he mixed the next round of batter in a heavy glass bowl. “Three hundred and sixteen.”
“Three hundred and– Harry. That’s ridiculous. At least use magic.”
“That would defeat the purpose.”
Ron leaned over the counter and took a swipe of batter from a bowl sitting in the sink. “I thought the purpose was good sportsmanship.”
“The purpose is to outdo Malfoy.”
“I don’t think that’s what Hermione had in– ”
“I know what Hermione had in mind,” Harry interrupted, pouring his batter into the last cupcake tin he could find. He’d have to do some cleaning before he made another batch. “And it’s not going to work. Malfoy might not be a Death Eater anymore but he’s still a Slytherin. He’s still competition.”
“Whatever you say, mate.”
Ron snagged one of the cupcakes cooling on a rack by the door (ignoring Harry’s yell of protest) and snuck out. Harry scanned the kitchen – he had 143 cupcakes cooling and another 72 cooking. There was still plenty of work to do before the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor Quidditch game in three hours.
The eighth years weren’t permitted to form part of the house Quidditch teams so they’d made their own. Headmistress McGonagall had permitted the new division under the condition that the games were played with impeccable sportsmanship. And so an unspoken challenge had arisen of which house could display the greatest sportsmanship. Before every game, the captain of each competing team presented the opposing captain with a gift or gesture to show their appreciation of the other’s house.
Harry had iced and decorated all 316 cupcakes with the Slytherin crest – one for each of the Slytherin team in addition to the crowd in attendance. On a whim, he’d made a custom cupcake for Malfoy to really show him up, but he was starting to regret that decision. He’d already levitated the cupcakes out to the crowds and now he hovered high above the pitch, holding tightly onto the remaining cupcake in one hand, waiting.
There was no way Malfoy could outdo him. Not unless he’d made 316 croquembouches. And Harry didn’t take Malfoy for a baker. Still, he was nervous that Malfoy wasn’t on the pitch yet. The rest of the Slytherin team (including one Ravenclaw beater since Slytherin house were short on numbers) were on their brooms flying around, waving at the crowd, with carefree smiles. Just what was Malfoy planning?
A chorus of gasps echoed across the stadium and Harry swivelled around, searching for the source, searching for Malfoy. Down on the grass, a man with bright red hair had walked out from the Slytherin change rooms in full uniform. He held a broom but he made no move to mount it.
Harry flew into a dive, approaching the ground. Had Malfoy sent someone in his place to play the match? How could that be called a gesture of good sportsmanship? If anything, it was a gesture of cowardice. Harry’s feet hit the ground and he quickly dismounted, walking across the grass to meet the man directly in the centre of the pitch.
Harry dropped the cupcake when he recognised him. “Malfoy?”
Malfoy smirked and ran a hair through his dyed hair. It was Gryffindor red. “I hope that wasn’t meant for me, Potter,” he said, eyeing the cupcake in the grass. “It would hardly be sporting to throw away your gesture.”
Harry glanced at the ruined cupcake briefly before his eyes returned to Malfoy’s hair. “You look like a Weasley.“
Malfoy stopped smirking. “I do not. Take that back.”
“Oh, of course,” Malfoy said, his face softening and the smirk returning. “You’re quite partial to Weasleys, aren’t you? Ginny. Charlie. Or is it just redheads you like? How very Gryffindor of you.”
Harry blushed. “Charlie and I never– ”
“But you’ve thought about it. I’m quite a talented Legilimens, Potter. You have to be careful what you let sit at the surface of your mind.”
Harry quickly pushed back some of the more humiliating thoughts that had started to run through his head at the sight of Malfoy and tried to remember Snape’s Occlumency lessons. “So this is your grand gesture,” he said cooly (or as cooly as he could with his pink face betraying him) “A bit of hair dye.”
Malfoy frowned. “Yes, because your gesture was so impressive. Cupcakes? Really, Potter?”
“I baked them all without magic.”
“What in Merlin’s name did you do that for?”
“And,” Harry continued, seeing Malfoy wasn’t impressed yet, “I iced them all with the Slytherin crest.”
“Yours didn’t have the crest,” Harry said automatically, and then immediately wished he hadn’t.
Malfoy’s eyes glinted. “A special one for me? Now I’m really sad you ruined it,” he said, pulling out his wand.
“I didn’t– it’s not spec– ” Harry tried to say, but it was too late. Malfoy had already levitated the cupcake into his hand.
Malfoy stared at it for a second, his eyes wide. “My, my, Potter. This is a big gesture.”
New heat flooded Harry’s face. He’d made it without thinking – if he’d given any real thought to it, he would never have planned to present Malfoy a cupcake decorated with a green snake coiled around a small red heart. “It’s not– ” he tried to explain– “it doesn’t mean any– ”
“Oh, but it does,” Malfoy disagreed. He smiled brightly as if an idea had just come to him. “Oh, wouldn’t that be sporting?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“We’re supposed to shake hands now before the match starts,” Malfoy said. He took a step closer to Harry.
“Okay…” Harry held out his hand but Malfoy pushed it away.
He leant in closer still and gently removed Harry’s classes. “Why don’t we give it a bit more spirit?” he whispered.
Harry sucked in a surprised breath as he finally realised Malfoy’s intention. “Yes,” he couldn’t help but agree, “that would be very sporting.”
The crowd blew up immediately, cheering as if the snitch had already been caught. Harry had a brief moment of disappointment when he realised Malfoy had almost certainly outdone him. But he couldn’t hold onto the feeling, not with Malfoy’s lips on his.
Malfoy pulled away too soon, a small smirk on his face. “Good luck then, Potter,” he said, carefully returning Harry’s glasses.
Harry nodded, not trusting himself to form the same words in return.
Malfoy mounted his broom and kicked off the ground, gaining height quickly.
“Wait,” Harry’s mouth yelled out without consulting his brain.
Malfoy paused in the air and turned his head to Harry, his face every bit as red as his hair. That’s what gave Harry the courage.
“Loser buys dinner in Hogsmeade,” he yelled.
Malfoy’s bright smile returned. “Game on.”
more like this l @queenofthyme