Please play with me?

[cleflink]

I've seen this from a couple of people on my f-list and it's been a LONG time since I did a prompt meme, so!

1. Choose ANY story off my Master Fic List.
b. Give me a prompt (word, song lyrics, event, etc).
iii. PROFIT.

Go?

Filled Prompts

Comments

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

Aha, wow, I took forever with this. Apologies for the delay!

Takes place between Harry and Thomas getting Emma's book back and Emma retrieving it from Harry's office, in the original story.

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1/2

For those who haven't had the joy of a similar experience, I can tell you that when you stagger home to a freezing cold apartment after spending several hours hiding from garden gnomes in a closet and then haggling with magical creatures over pizza and bagged potatoes, all you really want to do is pull on your warmest robe and sleep for a week.

I can also tell you that this is absolutely not an option if you own a dog.

Mister and Mouse both rocketed to the door as soon as Thomas and I walked in, because making people trip over you is a universally recognized sign of affection and respect among four-legged species. I left Thomas to deal with Mister while I tried to field forty-plus pounds of excited puppy. Which, in layman's terms, mostly meant me being licked a lot and Mouse being quite delighted by the fact.

"Hello to you too," I told him. Mouse barked, his entire back end wiggling with excitement and I cast one longing look towards my bedroom before reluctantly heading over to collect Mouse's leash.

Thomas looked over. "You going out again?"

I nodded. "S'what I get for thinking I was a big boy who was responsible enough to have a dog."

"I'll come with you."

"Uh…" I blinked at him. "I really hope you mean you're going to walk Mouse for me so I can go to bed."

Upon hearing the word 'walk', Mouse immediately went into paroxysms of delight that nearly resulted in him upsetting one of the candles on the table setting the place on fire. Not an uncommon concern in a wizard's house.

One of these days I was going to learn to think before I talked. And then the world was going to end.

"Nope," Thomas said cheerfully. "Come on," he said then, rising from where he'd been crouched to say hello to Mister. Mister had already wandered off to find something more interesting to do, which didn't involve going outside in sub thermal temperatures.

Clearly Mister was smarter than the rest of us put together.

"I just want the record to note that this is a cruel and unusual punishment," I said, clipping Mouse's leash onto his collar.

Thomas looked amused. "Don't tell me the mighty wizard is afraid of the cold."

"The mighty wizard has a healthy respect for not dying of exposure," I corrected.

"Whatever you say, Harry."

The weather outside was windy and bitter, and my entire body protested the relocation by trying to crawl into itself which, while a pretty cool party trick if you can pull it off without dying, was really not an especial lot of fun for me. I hustled us down the block, feeling my skin pull taut and my eyes water like someone had just kicked me in the junk.

Of course, because the world is a tragic place, I was the only one who appeared at all put out by the miserable conditions. Mouse bounded around with endless, exhausting enthusiasm and Thomas looked like he'd just walked off the catwalk for Calvin Klein's winter lineup, artfully ruffled hair and lightly flushed cheeks included. I mostly looked like a wet, surly bat. It wasn't the most flattering of looks.

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

2/2


"Remind me why you're out here?" I asked Thomas as we trudged through the slush. I'd meant to sound snarky and a little petulant - I was the younger brother, after all - but the way my teeth were chattering meant I barely managed string together a collection of sounds that were even vaguely close to what I'd meant to say. Hell's bells, I hated winter.

Thomas smiled his ridiculously charming smile. "Nothing wrong with a little company," he said easily.

"Oh yes, bonding over hypothermia is such fun. You don't have to use that smile on me, you know," I added. "I'm not about to put you out on the pavement for being inhumane enough to make me walk my own dog."

Thomas shrugged. "Maybe I like smiling at you," he said, and I suspected that he rather wished he had chattering teeth to blame for the way it came out heavy and just a little sad.

Neither of us were really used to this whole brothers thing. Though it seemed like I might not have been the only one who wanted to be.

I sighed. "Okay. But next time we're doing something inside. I am not a fan of freezing to death."

Thomas smiled again, just for me. "I'll make some hot chocolate."

Could have been worse. But I was absolutely making Thomas walk Mouse by himself until the weather got better.