Apples and Oranges [Drarry] ✔

Chapter 10: Sugar and Spice

"As everyone else, I also expected awkwardness whenever I found myself in new circumstances. Relationship milestones are hard. But we were not in a relationship – not really. And this wasn't a milestone – he'd been at my place before. And adjusting to his presence in my space was as effortless as breathing – he fit there.

It only took a couple of hours before I realised I never wanted him to leave."

– Apples and Oranges by Francis Gallagher

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The lights in the grocery store are bright and glaring as the four of them make their way to the produce aisle. All the aisles besides this one are small, tight and dark – the fruit and veg, though, are a shining beacon.

Neville leads the way – he's the only regular here, after all – and the rest of them follow: Luna, Ron and finally, Harry, carrying the shopping basket and hope that with their help he'd get everything as close to perfect as possible for the tonight's non-date with Draco.

They distribute the flimsy plastic produce bags and get to work. Lemons, limes, passion fruit, strawberries, raspberries, peaches.

"You've got the alcohol, right?" Ron asks Harry across the oranges display.

"Yeah, rum and scotch – Draco's getting vodka I think," Harry says, turning a peach this way and that, trying to determine the ripeness. "I'm thinking daiquiris all around. He didn't mention anything else. I'm definitely not making eggnog though."

"I keep forgetting that book is a Christmas book," Ron mutters and Harry nods quickly.

"Me too."

Neville takes the peach from Harry's hand and puts it into the peach bag. "Is that weird?"

"What?" Harry frowns. "Christmas romcoms?"

Neville rolls his eyes. He ties the peaches bag and adds it to the pile of other fruit bags that are already sorted. "No – you guys doing the whole ten dates thing when he specifically wrote the book as a fantasy about dating you."

"He didn't write it like that," Harry answers quickly. He takes the shopping basket and heads to the register. Luna hooks her arm around his and steers him to the left. He follows her. "It's not like that."

"I don't know..." Neville continues with a shrug. "Don't you think he might see this differently? I mean, I know I haven't seen the guy in years unlike literally all of our friends, but isn't it weird that he just jumped at the opportunity to hang out with you?"

"Are you implying I'm bad company?"

Neville rolls his eyes again and pushes Harry's shoulder. Harry grabs sugar from the shelf and then reroutes back to the cash register. "No, and you know I'm not."

"He's deflecting," Luna says and all of them snort.

"I'm not," Harry says.

"You are," Ron corrects him, helping him unload the fruit. "But to answer your question, Nev, Malfoy for sure wants to get into this one's pants."

"He doesn't," Harry corrects – because Draco has made that abundantly clear – but Luna puts a hand over his mouth. He glares at her. He's not above licking her palm, but he is above licking her palm after they've just been fondling grocery store stuff.

"He does," Ron repeats.

Harry removes Luna's hand gently. "Even if he does, it doesn't really matter. We have a bet going – neither of us is gonna do anything to break it."

"Such a shame though," Ron teases, poking Harry's shoulder while Harry pays for the fruit. "We all know how desperate you are for one of you to cave."

"I'm not desperate!" Harry sing-songs as he rushes out of the store. (Even though he kind of is. And all of them know it. Except for Draco.)