The wind is icy, the sun non-existent, and Arthur is frozen to the bone. It’s just another February day - and yet it isn’t.
It’s freaking Valentine’s Day, and for the first time in his life, Arthur has a Valentine. And what’s worse, his Valentine happens to have terrible enough taste to make Arthur meet him at Madam Puddifoot’s.
So Arthur, amidst N.E.W.T. studying and banging his head against various castle walls in frustration, has decided to brave the cold in what can only be called his first date. Like, ever. And with a boy he only knows from his tendency to explode cauldrons in the Hufflepuff/Slytherin Potions class too, no less.
Sometimes Arthur questions his own taste in guys. Not that there’s been a lot of them, but Arthur seems to have a type: reckless and rakishly handsome.
He’d never quite forgotten the adrenaline rush from his first kiss in third year, when Nikolas Ashby stole his wand and refused to give it back for anything less than a kiss. It had been awkward and over very soon, and Ashby had transferred to Durmstrang a year later, but at least it was memorable. Not unlike Arthur’s Valentine this year.
The boy in question doesn’t seem to feel the cold, grinning as he is at Arthur, coat open at the neck and Slytherin scarf haphazardly thrown across his shoulders.
“There you are, pet.” Eames kisses Arthur chastely on the cheek, beaming at him with his crooked teeth and his eyes shining merrily. “Find it alright?”
Arthur raises an eyebrow at the café’s ostentatious logo, with enchanted roses twining themselves around the letters and the candy hearts floating around them, squealing out their messages. “Kind of hard to miss.”
Eames chuckles. “Right then. Shall we?”
The two of them walk through the slim doorway, brushing shoulders, and the moment is immediately ruined by them being showered with pink confetti by the cherub above the door.
Eames, if that’s even possible, only grins harder, and Arthur decides that that in itself is worth it.
“I’ve always thought pink was my color,” he deadpans, much to Eames’ delight.
“Brings out your cheekbones, eh?” Eames pulls out a chair for him, dead center in the middle of the café, surrounded by kissing couples.
Arthur eyes them briefly, and is almost glad for the squeaking candy hearts that permeate the café’s atmosphere, which is certainly better than some unsavory slurping sounds from necking couples.
“So, ah, do you, come here often?”
Eames cocks his head, squinting a little bit. “Not your taste in locale?”
Arthur snorts. “My current modus operandi is spending my waking hours in the library studying for the N.E.W.T.s, so at this point I appreciate anything out of Madam Pince’s territory.”
“Right. N.E.W.T.s. Difficult shit, but sometimes you just need a bit of distraction,” Eames says.
“So you …had this in mind? If you wanted to get into my pants, all you had to do was ask.”
Eames sputters a little. “Did I now? Well color me surprised. You always seem so dedicated to your studies, didn’t know you had play in you instead of just work.”
Arthur bristles a bit. “There’s nothing wrong with dedication.”
Eames chuckles. “Of course not. But for today I figured we have some fun.”
“By snogging in Puddifoot’s?” Arthur fixes Eames with a quizzical gaze.
“Nah. Much too mundane. In fact, I’d say we’ve spent enough time in here, don’t you?” Eames gets up, despite the fact that they haven’t even ordered anything.
Arthur decides to take it all in stride. “Alright then.”
“And in about fifteen seconds, this lot will have a bit of a surprise.” Eames grins maniacally.
Exiting Puddifoot’s, Arthur entertains a playful smile. “So I cursed all the candy hearts to start exploding, what did you do?”
Eames’ mouth gapes wide open. “Goddamnit. You out-pranked me! I only hid a couple of Engorgio-ed frogs in the bathroom before you got here.”
On cue, horrified shrieks emit from inside the café, along with sounds of explosion. Arthur and Eames high-five before running off down High Street, away from the scene of the crime.
And if they kiss in the alley outside Honeyduke’s afterwards, well, Arthur isn’t one to kiss and tell.