-*-
Harry was standing outside the local pub, definitely stalling. He would be a right arse if he turned around and left, but he was debating it. He hadn’t gotten a single moment of peace since the end of the war, and a blind date just kind of seemed like asking for trouble. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Fleur, he just didn’t know if he could trust her friends.
What if he entered and was immediately swarmed. No one would want to deal with that just for a date. And Fleur had said they didn’t know who they were meeting either, what if they freaked out. He really didn’t feel like dealing with that tonight. Honestly if it hadn’t been Fleur’s suggestion, he never would have agreed to this.
Fleur wouldn’t set him up with a crazed fan, (or her sister, *cough* Ron *cough) right? They were friends, but he had complained quite a lot to her, she might have gotten sick of it, or thought he was overreacting. Maybe she would, just to prove him wrong.
He still cringed thinking about how his best friend and Mrs Weasley still insisted on him and Ginny dating. But Fleur wouldn’t do that. Gabrielle had been very open about her crush on him, and Fleur had never once suggested he take her up on her (many, many) offers. Greeted she was one of the first people he came out to, and she had been very supportive, even if she didn’t really understand.
He took a deep breath, if he waited any longer, they would think he had stood them up.
”right” he sighed, and finally reached for the door.
He could hear people muttering about him the second he entered, and he was already starting to regret showing up. Taking deep breaths, he looked around, trying to ignore the stares and mutterings. Then he heard a familiar voice through the crowd
”Harry?” and a more quiet ”for fuck sake Fleur”
His eyes met the shockingly blue (seriously had they always been that blue) eyes of Charlie Weasley, and now he definitely regret showing up. Charlie was expecting a date maybe even a quick shag, and he was faced with his youngest brother’s best friend.
Maybe it wasn’t meant as a date after all. She had made it seem like it, but things often got lost in translation. Maybe she just thought he needed a different perspective.
Harry had moved to the bar without really noticing, and was now standing right by Charlie.
”I eh, I should probably ” he said, trying very hard to avoid Charlie’s eyes. The redhead was staring at him in a really weird way, like harry suddenly looked like an entirely different person, or he had never seen him before.
”No, stay,” he said, and Harry jumped slightly, forgetting that he was avoiding eye contact in his surprise. And those damned blue eyes. They were nothing like Ron’s.
”I mean, i would like to hear what Fleur told you about me” he chuckled when harry didn’t immediately respond. ”you’d think she was trying to set me up with the saviour the way she went on about you”
Harry cringed at the nickname, and his eyes away from Charlie’s. It wouldn’t do any good getting lost in his honestly gorgeous eyes when he was clearly joking with his baby brother’s little friend. It was definitely meant as a date then. Of course, Fleur never doubted her own ability to give advice, it was one of the reasons he liked talking to her.
”right” he said, ”the saviour, at your service” he made a tired salute and turned to leave. But Charlie grabbed his arm. Not forcibly, but just enough to stop him leaving. He turned around again, and moved to sit down. Mostly so Charlie would let go. The second he grabbed him, something dropped in Harry’s stomach, and he would do nearly anything to make the unfamiliar feeling go away. Even if it meant having an awkward conversation with his friend brother, and avoiding eye contact for a while.
“I’m sorry, Harry” Charlie said, very softly, too softly, not like talking to your little brothers friend at all “I shouldn’t have called you that”
Harry faked a smile, he really didn’t want to talk to Charlie about this, he barely even knew him
“I’m used to it” he shrugged. But Charlie just shook his head. He must have sensed Harry’s will to leave the topic alone though, ‘cause he didn’t bring it up again.
They sat in awkward silence for a moment, he could feel Charlie staring at him even though he avoided looking at him, and he tried really hard to ignore the hot knotted feeling in his stomach, and will his blush down. A lot of people were still staring at him, so he had to make appearances after all. Wouldn’t do to turn into a stuttering fool, or a blushing teen after all.
And that would be entirely inappropriate after all. It’s Charlie, Ron’s brother. Harry would never forgive Fleur for this, it was already shaping up to be an embarrassment.
“Really thought, I’m curious, how did she describe me for you to be so disappointed” it was barely a whisper, and Harry wasn’t sure he was meant to hear it. But he tentatively turned his head, just slightly so he could look at the side of Charlie’s face. Not quite meeting his eyes, he didn’t think that would be a good idea.
“handsome” Harry started, already feeling the blush creeping back from where he had forced it down earlier “kind” he paused,
“someone who wouldn’t care about who I am, or what I’ve done” at this point he noticed he had moved so their eyes met, and he whipped his head around to avoid getting lost in the deep pools of blue. If he didn’t leave soon, he would be thoroughly fucked, like fourth year all over again, except without the crazy evil people trying to kill him to distract him from his stupid embarrassing crush on his friend’ brothers. “she also said you were basically married to your job, and could use the distraction” Harry tried for a joking tone on the last part, but it must have fallen flat, ‘cause Charlie didn’t respond.
He couldn’t see Charlie’s expression. He wasn’t sure he wanted to anyways. It was bad enough he had lost control of his blushing. If he met Charlie’s eyes now, and saw the pity or disgust that must surely be there, he didn’t think he would ever recover.
“Well I don’t know about handsome” Charlie laughed, “but she’s definitely right about my job”
Harry tried to laugh along, but it felt forced. And he could still feel the eyes of half the pub on him. He was beginning to feel very hot, and not in a good way. And the pub suddenly felt way too crowded.
“I never really liked going out” he said, and it probably sounded very pathetic. Harry mentally kicked himself for changing the topic to something so stupid, and then again when he pondered what Charlie might think of him now.
He was his little brother’s friend, not the saviour. And he probably seemed weak, and pathetic, being uncomfortable in a pub, and not able to meet the eyes of a casual acquaintance.
Suddenly, or it seemed very sudden to Harry who was already on edge, Charlie got up from his seat.
“I need some air” he said, a bit louder than strictly necessary “would you mind?”
Harry had already expected that. He was nothing like all the things Fleur had probably said about him, and probably nothing like what Charlie had expected. So it really didn’t come as a surprise that he’d want to leave.
“Oh, not at all, you go on, I was thinking of heading home anyways, long day at work you know.” He mustered his best fake smile, and forced himself to meet Charlie’s eyes to make it believable.
That was a mistake
Charlie let out an exasperated sigh before slumping his arm over Harry’s shoulder and, surprisingly gently, lugged him off his stool
“Don’t be ridiculous Harry, it’s far more enjoyable smoking with company” he was still speaking a bit too loudly, and Harry was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with his ears when he was suddenly, but probably again not as sudden as it felt, pulled towards the door.
Once they were outside, Charlie drew back, and got quiet again, and Harry felt the silence suffocating.
“you know, I don’t really smoke” he said, and he felt very small and stupid.
Charlie chuckled, and Harry felt his cheeks flush further. It really shouldn’t be possible
“Yeah, me neither”
They walked together in silence for a while. Nothing really felt right to talk about, until Harry Recognized that they were no longer in wizarding London.
“Fleur said you were a shy, kind of awkward person” Charlie, again, was the one to break the silence.
“She said you were one of the nicest people she knew though, and that you were loyal above everything.”
Harry was sure he was staring now, but he really didn’t care.
“She said you would drop everything to help a friend, even if you had the world on your shoulders. That you underestimated yourself, and that you were thoroughly hopeless when it came to dating”
At some point they must have stopped walking, because Harry’s eyes were stuck in a swirling pool of blue.
Charlie had stopped chuckling as he spoke, and Harry felt the change both unnerving and exciting.
“She said I might not understand why she set us up, but that I should really give it a shot, and that, once I got over my expectations, I would find a gorgeous, kind soul, who would balance me out, and force me to take breaks from the dragons”
Harry was unable to answer, but he didn’t have to
“I was expecting one of her French friends you know, and I really wasn’t looking forward to it. But-“ There was a long pause, that probably wasn’t that long before he continued,
“I wasn’t really surprised, for some reason” he chuckled again, and usually Harry would be annoyed when people laughed at seemingly nothing, but it just fit with Charlie.
“When I saw it was you, I- it just made sense, what she had said. I-“
He took a deep breath, and Harry caught himself studying the way the muscles in his throat moved
“I was glad, when I saw it was you, I know you think of me as Ron’s brother, and that’s probably really weird, and I’m sorry i-
Harry kissed him.
In an unusual act of recklessness and unthinking, he grabbed hold of Charlie’s lapels, and leaned in to kiss him.
It was careful, and mostly innocent, but it was the most reckless thing he had done since tha war. And it was thrilling.
He had half a mind to pull back, but Charlie started responding, deepening the kiss, and making it far less innocent. Harry was completely lost.
Maybe he would forgive Fleur after all.