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Who knows how long Draco had been staring at the computer screen, at the blinking cursor on top of an empty page. He had a thought but then it was gone, a perfect sentence, no, deleted. Unoriginal, expected, bland. What the hell did this professor want? Not everyone can pull a story out of mid air like some sort of wizard, like perfect Potter. That had to be it. Harry Potter is a wizard. No other way. “Uh!” Draco slammed the laptop shut and spun around from his desk. Food. That's what he needed. Maybe some cereal. He HAD to at least have cereal. Nothing. The pantry was empty. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Pansy!” No answer. Of course that was just like his roommate. Invite a bunch of people over to get high and let him face the consequences of their munchies. She was at a rave tonight. Which she had asked Draco to attend but he said no. He needed to be better than Harry Potter.
Draco grabbed his sweater and wallet from off the couch and put his shoes on. Maybe a two am trip to the grocery store is just what he needed. What's the saying? Inspiration strikes when you’re least expecting. He closed the apartment door and headed out of the dormitory.
__________________________
Just a twenty minute walk. Draco thought to himself. And then it began to downpour. “Oh for fucks sake.” He pulled up the back of his jacket to cover his hair (which had been dry-shampooed for the third day in a row but still was perfectly styled thank you very much) and looked around. There were cabs of course or he could take an uber but he doubted there was enough money in his wallet for anything more than the box of variety donuts he was planning to buy. Yes, Draco was going to buy donuts, because quite frankly he thought that he deserved a little indulgence about now. It had been dry all week, he shouldn’t of had to worry about bringing an umbrella. The closest refuge was a popular coffee shop on the other side of the road. He waited for the light to change and crossed over.
“Here you go, Hermione.” Hermione Granger, triple major and probably more if there were enough hours in the day. And the voice who had said her name sounded awfully like, Draco saw a tuft of brown hair and the edge of round glasses, well of course it would be.
“Thanks. Goodnight, Harry.”
“You too.” Hermione walked passed Draco, opening the umbrella she had somehow known to bring before exiting the shop. Harry grabbed the mug on the counter and took a sip, turning away from the door. They were the only two people in the place. Eventually he would look back and see him standing there. Okay calm yourself Draco just walk forward and- Harry reached for a pitcher on a shelf and his sweater pushed up. Hip bone. Draco swallowed. Shit. Oh well.
“I’ll take a large. Black.”
“Yeah sure.” Harry turned to see the customer at the counter. “Oh hey,” he walked up.
“Hello.”
“Sure you don’t want anything it in it, Malfoy?”
“No,” Draco peered over at Harry’s drink before taking out his wallet. “I want coffee not a melted hershey's bar.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
“I rather not.”
“Okay then.” He grabbed a large coffee cup and filled it. “Dollar seventy five.”
Draco handed him two singles, “Keep the change.”
“Thank you darling.”
“Yeah, umm, okay.” He sat at the table farthest away from the counter.
By the time Draco was done with his coffee the rain had slowed down to barely a drizzle. He put his phone in his pocket, left the cup on the table, and got up to go. “Have a nice night, Malfoy.” I’m too tired for this.
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Outside Draco ran back to the dormitory to avoid any sudden after-showers that may occur. It was almost three am and class was at ten. He had been awake for almost twenty four hours and the short story was due tomorrow. He already had asked for an extension, Umbridge would definitely not give him another one. Five pages in seven hours. Great.
Draco climbed the stairs up to his floor and walked down the hallway to his and Pansy’s place. No erotic noises coming from inside, if they were being quiet and he walked in, well that wasn’t his fault. He reached into his back pocket for the keys. Nothing. Other side, front ones, jacket. Nothing. Great. “Pansy! Pansy!” He knocked on the door. “Pansy!” It appeared she was still out. Fantastic. Draco sat down and slumped against the wall. Who needs to pass their class anyway?
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“Draco?” Harry looked down at him, shining a phone screen’s light in his face. The hallway lights were dark till eight.
“Get that out of my eyes,” Draco reached to push the phone away. He had fallen asleep, hadn’t he.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting in line for tickets being sold near the pamphlet stand. What do you think?”
“...”
“I left my keys inside.”
“Sleep in my place.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” Because I need to get my laptop so I can write a story that’ll trump anything you’ve ever written but I’ve got less than six hours and stop looking me like that, that angle is doing you too many favors. Draco shut up. “Suit yourself.” Harry walked a door over and went to unlock his own room.
“Potter wait.”
He turned back, “Yes?”
“I’m coming.”
“I’ll get you a blanket you can lay on the couch.”
“No thank you.”
“Are you sure? The heaters going to shut off soon.”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay do you want anything else?”
“A pencil and paper would be preferable.”
“Right there,” Harry pointed to a notepad and pencil on the coffee table. “What for?”
“If you must know, Umbridge’s assignment.”
“The short story one?” he removed his jacket and hung it over the top of a coat stand.
“No the feature film one. Yes, Potter. What other assignment from her have we gotten recently?”
“That was due a week ago.” Draco began to write something but crossed it out. Stupid.
“I’m aware.”
“Did she give you an extension?”
“Yes.”
“How’d you score that? She must like you.”
“Doubt it.”
“Come on she never cuts me any slack.”
“You are the highest scoring student in the class.” Harry sat down next to him and tucked his feet under under the sofa cushion.
“What? No. You’re the highest scoring student.”
“Where’d you hear that from?”
“Umbridge.”
“Please.”
“Don’t believe me if you want but it's true. How far along are you?”
“... I haven’t started.”
“No way.”
“Shut up.”
“You always have the best ideas. How haven’t you got anything.”
“Honestly where do you hear these things from?”
“Humble. I like it.” Draco cleared his throat. “Dude the professor gave me one of your pieces as an example.”
“Really? I mean- no that doesn't matter. This thing is due this morning and I don’t even know what to write.”
“Do you want me to make you another coffee?”
Please. “That would be nice.”
“And I’ll help you come up with something to write about.”
"That's not necessary.”
“Don’t worry, it's not every day I’ve got a pretty boy desperate and sitting in my living room. Plus I feel like I’m in some indie movie right now.” He lowered his voice, “Just hope no one dies before the sex scene.”
“What was that last part?”
“Nothing.”
“Fine just hurry up. I’d like at least an hour of sleep.”