Work Text:
Polaroid
Theo wasn't a proud person. Particularly not since the war stripped his name of any sort of weight or positive connotation. The name Nott was assigned the dark connotation of Death Eater. Theo was the spawn of one of those Death Eaters, and as such was a Death Eater by association. No matter his own opinions.
That was why he was working as a photographer for Witch Weekly. He liked art; had wanted to open his own studio after school. His name had ruined it all, so he went to work for Pansy. She’d assured him this gig would be his big break; someone within the Ministry was willing to do a photoshoot with him for a mundane piece of writing.
He was setting up his kit when he walked into the atrium and settled haphazardly on the edge of the newly-refurbished fountain. Theo looked up to meet luminescent green eyes, his gaze taking in a muscular frame and a shock of unruly black hair before his heart remembered how to beat properly.
“Potter.” Theo said breathlessly. Harry looked at Theo with unassumingly wide eyes.
“Theo… hey. I’m, uh… here for the shoot?” Theo merely shook his head mutely, then collected himself and got to work.
“Stand here, Potter.” He murmured, grasping Harry’s shoulder and positioning him with the fountain as a backdrop. Theo took a step back and examined the shot, then sighed and stepped forward again, running his fingers through Harry’s hair. Harry stiffened for a moment, and Theo swore he saw a blush creeping up the man’s neck.
“That’s better…” Theo said slowly, taking a step back and admiring his handiwork. Harry’s soft hair now had that windswept look that everyone had swooned over at school, as if he’d just vaulted off his broom. Theo bit his lip, trying to rein in his admiration to within professional boundaries, but almost lost his barely-reined control when he watched Harry’s eyes flick down to his lips briefly.
With a cough, Theo took position behind his camera again, snapping a few shots and calling out short instructions for Harry to shift his stance, expression, or position.
“Alright, Potter… and now, smile!” Harry glanced up at Theo, his eyes bewildered.
“You… want me to smile ?” He asked. “Most photographers just want me to look bored, or grumpy.” Theo scoffed at that.
“They’re missing out on one of your best features then.” Harry blushed furiously, but managed a shy smile that Theo caught on film with eagerness. He even snapped a few shots with his personal polaroid for good measure, letting them develop on a bench as he began to disassemble his equipment.
When he found the photos finished, he looked up to see Harry still standing in position by the fountain, watching him work with an inscrutable expression. He met Theo’s gaze and shot him a wry, guilty smile before running a hand through his hair and turning to walk away.
“Harry, wait!” Theo called, jogging to catch up to him. He clutched one of the polaroids in his hand, and when Harry turned Theo shoved the photograph at him. “Thanks for this, see you around?” Harry nodded mutely as Theo made a hasty retreat. When he looked down at the photo, he saw it was a magical polaroid of him smiling shyly at the camera. His fingertips felt a slight indentation on the back of the polaroid, and when he flipped it over he saw a note written in Theo’s elegant cursive.
The Leaky Cauldron
Friday, 7 ‘o clock
-Theodore
Harry stared at the note for a moment before deciding that he would have plans that Friday after all.