The Julie Drabbles

"Narcism Attracts"

It was a normal day, like any other. Except, for some strange odd reason, Draco Mafloy found himself in... Japan. Why? He really had no idea why his father had dragged him on this trip. Business, yes, but why bring Draco along? Sighing in frustration, for the fifth, if not sixth time in the last hour, the boy rested his chin in one cupped palm. While his father was at a meeting, he was left to do as he wished in the strange country. Odd? Most defiantly. Welcome? That was yet to be seen. As it was, he was highly bored. The day, however, was not yet over.
Sighing again, he rose from his seat next to the window. While the view was captivating, he'd grown bored of it already. Not that that was an uncommon occurrence.
Dusting off his pants- while on vacation, he would, on occasion forego robes- he straightened his shirt, a black thing, though thin, for it was uncommonly hot here, in this strange country.
He wandered the streets for a while, utterly bored. Street after street of... people. No magic artifacts or anything. How dull... This Muggle world had nothing fun in it!
After a while, he came upon a shop with a strange sign. "Roses?" he asked, not sure if it was normal, insane, or what. "Trust comes first? Ayame?" he stumbled over the strange name. His curiosity tinged, he decided he might as well explore this odd little shop- it wasn't as if he had anything else to do.
Opening the door to a jingle of small bells, he glanced around the clearly muggle shop. "Crafts?" he inquired of the air. There appeared to be no other customers in the shop, if anyone at all. Peeking around one of the shelves, he found himself face to face with a women with large glasses- they almost looked like Potter's- in a maid outfit.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Boss! Someone's here!"
Another head poked around another self. This one was a girl also, and long silver hair framed her face. "Ah!" she cried. "How wonderful!" If there was one thing he had to say about this new person, it was that she was beautiful. Second, would be she was loud, and far too happy... and had a somewhat deeper voice then he'd expect of such a lovely girl.
However, when she came around the self, she was clearly a he. Draco was sure his jaw was hanging open. Well, it was either male, or a very undeveloped she. Though, what was a guy doing with such long hair, and in a ...dress no less?
"Welcome!" the man- yes, it was male- beamed. "What can I do for you?"
"Why the hell are you wearing a dress?" the young wizard blurted out without meaning to.
The man's eye brow raised slightly. "Well, that's because I am a dress-maker!"
And the shop made sense (at last).
"A dress maker?" For some reason, Draco was having a hard time making sense of this all. Must be the strange surroundings.
"Why yes," the other beamed. "Now what can I do for you? What romance do you wish to explore?"
"WHAT?"
"Well, I don't just sell dressers," the man explained, his smile becoming more knowing. "I sell romance!"
Draco found himself unable to run away. It was almost like a train wreck, you just can't stop it. "Romance," he managed out his dry throat. "Romance," he repeated.
"Of course."
And that was about when his body started working and he managed to leave the shop.
O.o.O.o
Hatori sighed as he attempted- and failed- to do work while Ayame was in the room. The snake could chat any one's ear off, even people who should have by then been used to him. Fat chance. "Aya," the doctor snapped crossly. "Would you stop it? I am trying to think. Akito is doing better, and for once I would like to keep it that way."
"Oh, but Tori-san! You weren't listening! I have to tell you about this boy I meet..."
"Boy?" Hatori sighed, knowing he would get no peace until Ayame had had his say.
"Why yes. He really did have the palest hair... and he wasn't that much of a boy, older than Yuki is anyway... But he wandered into the store today, and seemed quite surprised to find himself there. I wonder if he usually wears black..." And the snake was off in a ramble of half thought out musings. Knowing he would have some peace now, the doctor turned back to the computer and typed at it furiously, hoping to get as much done as possible before Aya came out of his daze.
O.o.O.o
"So," Draco said over his dinner plate. "How much longer to you have to be here?"
"Several days at least," his father replied from across the table.
"And am I to do nothing during that time?"
"You seemed to be able to amuse yourself for today," Lucius commented. "I'm sure you'll think of something to occupy your time."
Staring at his fork, the young wizard tried not to think of the strange shop. Briefly he wondered at the man's name, then decided it really didn't matter. Though, he thought the next second, the sign had said "Ayame." Maybe that was his name.
Not that it mattered since he would never be seeing him again...
Or so he told himself.
However, the next day he found himself in front of the dress shop before most sane people were awake. Well, most sane people on a weekend, let us say. Yet, it appeared to be open... Not sure why he was doing it, Draco Mafloy pushed open the door to a shop he really had not interest in for the second time in two days.
Except... for some insane unbeknownst to him reason, he had an interest in seeing that... person again. Yes... person. Erm... Now what was he going to do now that he'd arrived? For several seconds he just stood there, peering around at the different shelves and the brightly colored fabrics. Before he could talk himself into leaving again, however, Ayame Sohma breezed from the back room humming some tune he'd made up the other day. The snake froze upon seeing the strange boy again- something he'd not expected. Yes, he'd wanted to see the other again, just to understand the mystery behind him, but he didn't think the boy would return.
Yet, he had, he was here again, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
This was going to be fun.
"Hello again," the snake beamed.
"... Hi," Draco barely managed to get out. What? It wasn't his fault the other... was... so... so... handsome. Yes, handsome was a good word. Much better than any other he was about to think up. So, he determined he would stop thinking before they came up... too late.
"Whatever can I help you with today?" Ayame continues to smile cheerfully, only slightly afraid the boy might run off again.
"I..." Draco mentally slapped himself. To think he, the Draco Mafloy would be STAMERING around a man he'd only met once before... it was unthinkable! "I was bored."
Now, that was great. Bored was he? The mental slap turned into a hex.
The Sohma couldn't stop his eyebrows from raising. "Oh?"
"IS your name really Ayame?"
"Why yes, it is," Ayame paused for a second. "And now, what's yours?"
"I am Draco Mafloy, of the old...erm... well-respected family."
"Oh! How wonderful! Must be like the Sohmas!"
"The... Sohmas?"
Briefly a strange look graced Ayame's features, half a frown and half sadness. "We're a very well known and... old family. It much be like you since I've never heard of the Mafloys and you've never heard of the Sohmas."
"Er... right."
"Boss!" the same girl in the maid dress and Harry Pottery glasses came through the door to a jingle of bells. "Sorry I'm late... oh! A customer... Maybe," She offered Draco a smile.
"Ah, Mine. About that order we got a few days ago, would you like to finish the hem on it?"
"Of course Boss!" and with that she skipped off into one of the back rooms, again leaving Draco with the ever smiling Ayame.
Suddenly sighing, as if he didn't get enough sleep, Ayame flipped his long hair with one hand. Hair. Draco found his eyes riveted to the silver locks.
Ayame had really really REALLY pretty hair.
And he did not just think pretty.
He hadn't. Nope. But... it was...
"Is something wrong?" Ayame asked suddenly.
"Why would anything be wrong?"
"You looked like you swallowed a toad."
"Maybe a chocolate one, but those taste good."
"A chocolate toad?"
"Frog."
"..." Ayame grinned. "Right. Chocolate frogs it is."
Before either could really think beyond that, the snake leaned forward slightly and kissed Draco's cheek. "You're very lovely, did you know that?"
Draco nodded mutely, his brain gone straight up to heaven and sitting on a white cloud with a harp halo and robes. Not that a brain could play a harp or anything...
Was it him who turned his head or Ayame?
Oh well, it's not like he was ever going to see the man again...
O.o.O.o
It amazed him to no end how wrong he could be sometimes. HIM! Draco Mafloy! Being wrong...