Almost forgetting how to write on my own.
Nov. 8th, 2003 01:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusI now know what happens to those who do collaborations. You become so dependent on the others to fire up your story, you forget you can do this on your own. Connie, I now understand.
The distant noise of Club Wyvern had shut behind them, thanks to the magic of cheap silencing charms and several blocks of a quiet walk. Their footsteps clicked and crunched, slightly out of step. Percy was taller than Harry, which seemed improbable since Harry was 'The Boy Who Lived', but there it was.
The Wyvern was one of Percy's favourites. He hoped Harry had enjoyed himself. He'd seemed to. But he was here, and hadn't gone home with one of the many possibilities of the evening. Percy hadn't either, but he was his host and certainly it wasn't proper for him to disappear with a wave: 'see you tomorrow - hopefully very late.' So he had danced in the noisy, crowded club, enjoyed the floor show, laughing at Harry's bright fascinated eyes, then teased and flirted a great deal with pretty much everyone at the bar; but otherwise kept an eye on his guest.
Harry had done the same.
They walked wordlessly towards Harry's flat. They could have apparated, but didn't, instead prolonging the evening through some unspoken agreement.
The streets were quiet and empty, a yellow lamplight sheen on cobbles slicked by fog, mist and the slow crawl of dawn over the horizon. Percy was tensely aware of Harry's breathing, slow and deep, and how Harry's hands were shoved into his pockets, bulging them out at the sides. Something else was also bulging, but they both pretended to ignore that even as they sneaked furtive glances. By the look of things, Harry really ought to have found someone this evening. Which was the whole point, wasn't it? To get Harry's mind off his ex-boyfriend and current troubles?
Percy wasn't in any better state, but he was in no mood to go back to the club, which had been his original plan.
Harry kicked a pebble, skillfully ricocheting it off a wall, a trash bin, and then back to the wall with a clatter. Percy didn't participate though he admired the skill; he always looked silly when he missed, so tactfully avoided the risk. Harry's hair was shiney-black in this light. Percy had never noticed that before.
And then they were there. At Harry's flat.
It was an... an awfully short walk, wasn't it? Percy felt somewhat distressed by that fact, and slowed as they approached those last few steps. Though it was too late. They hadn't even spoken, their entire walk.
Percy cleared his throat.
"Well, now. That was a pleasant evening." His voice seemed uncouth and loud, echoing in the alley beside the tall townhouse that held Harry's flat. The building had three stories that Muggles could see, though Harry was on a bespelled fifth floor. "Nice to get one dance in without finding ourselves on the front page of The Daily Prophet."
That had been in the men's room, when they were both buzzed and more or less alone. Harry had been joking around.
"Well, uh, yeah. It was nice." Harry's breath caught like smoke in the gentle morning wind. He looked up at his flat, (or where it was since it was invisible from this angle), as if it were a very long way away.
They were silent a moment.
"Yes," Percy said, just to fill the space.
"Yeah," Harry added, which for some reason made both of them snicker and stare down at the cobblestones. Percy hoped they wouldn't wake Harry's landlady who was a squib and for all those wizard tenants on those extra floors, did not like wizard-kind at all. Successful squibs were almost always like that.
Percy sighed. The breath was misty-golden from the streetlamps.
"Well. I must be going," he said reluctantly as he turned.
"Percy -"
Harry's eyes were as shiney as his hair, as Percy expected a thank-you-it-was-a-great-night.
"Doyouwanttocmup?"
Percy blinked. "I - I'm sorry?" But he had understood, he just didn't believe....
Harry licked his lips, and looked about nervously. "Do you want to come up? For a little bit?"
It was a long moment between one heart beat and the next.
"Yes," Percy finally breathed. "I would like that."
The distant noise of Club Wyvern had shut behind them, thanks to the magic of cheap silencing charms and several blocks of a quiet walk. Their footsteps clicked and crunched, slightly out of step. Percy was taller than Harry, which seemed improbable since Harry was 'The Boy Who Lived', but there it was.
The Wyvern was one of Percy's favourites. He hoped Harry had enjoyed himself. He'd seemed to. But he was here, and hadn't gone home with one of the many possibilities of the evening. Percy hadn't either, but he was his host and certainly it wasn't proper for him to disappear with a wave: 'see you tomorrow - hopefully very late.' So he had danced in the noisy, crowded club, enjoyed the floor show, laughing at Harry's bright fascinated eyes, then teased and flirted a great deal with pretty much everyone at the bar; but otherwise kept an eye on his guest.
Harry had done the same.
They walked wordlessly towards Harry's flat. They could have apparated, but didn't, instead prolonging the evening through some unspoken agreement.
The streets were quiet and empty, a yellow lamplight sheen on cobbles slicked by fog, mist and the slow crawl of dawn over the horizon. Percy was tensely aware of Harry's breathing, slow and deep, and how Harry's hands were shoved into his pockets, bulging them out at the sides. Something else was also bulging, but they both pretended to ignore that even as they sneaked furtive glances. By the look of things, Harry really ought to have found someone this evening. Which was the whole point, wasn't it? To get Harry's mind off his ex-boyfriend and current troubles?
Percy wasn't in any better state, but he was in no mood to go back to the club, which had been his original plan.
Harry kicked a pebble, skillfully ricocheting it off a wall, a trash bin, and then back to the wall with a clatter. Percy didn't participate though he admired the skill; he always looked silly when he missed, so tactfully avoided the risk. Harry's hair was shiney-black in this light. Percy had never noticed that before.
And then they were there. At Harry's flat.
It was an... an awfully short walk, wasn't it? Percy felt somewhat distressed by that fact, and slowed as they approached those last few steps. Though it was too late. They hadn't even spoken, their entire walk.
Percy cleared his throat.
"Well, now. That was a pleasant evening." His voice seemed uncouth and loud, echoing in the alley beside the tall townhouse that held Harry's flat. The building had three stories that Muggles could see, though Harry was on a bespelled fifth floor. "Nice to get one dance in without finding ourselves on the front page of The Daily Prophet."
That had been in the men's room, when they were both buzzed and more or less alone. Harry had been joking around.
"Well, uh, yeah. It was nice." Harry's breath caught like smoke in the gentle morning wind. He looked up at his flat, (or where it was since it was invisible from this angle), as if it were a very long way away.
They were silent a moment.
"Yes," Percy said, just to fill the space.
"Yeah," Harry added, which for some reason made both of them snicker and stare down at the cobblestones. Percy hoped they wouldn't wake Harry's landlady who was a squib and for all those wizard tenants on those extra floors, did not like wizard-kind at all. Successful squibs were almost always like that.
Percy sighed. The breath was misty-golden from the streetlamps.
"Well. I must be going," he said reluctantly as he turned.
"Percy -"
Harry's eyes were as shiney as his hair, as Percy expected a thank-you-it-was-a-great-night.
"Doyouwanttocmup?"
Percy blinked. "I - I'm sorry?" But he had understood, he just didn't believe....
Harry licked his lips, and looked about nervously. "Do you want to come up? For a little bit?"
It was a long moment between one heart beat and the next.
"Yes," Percy finally breathed. "I would like that."
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Date: 2003-11-08 03:03 pm (UTC)Very lovely, thanks for sharing!
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Date: 2003-11-09 07:22 pm (UTC)*Icarus beams*