Seeking Harry Potter

The Ad

AN: It has been so long since I wrote fan fiction D: but lately Drarry has come back to haunt me and I have so many ideas. Here is one of them. Please enjoy it!!!!!! XD

*****

Harry didn't usually pay attention to his name in the paper. It was there often enough that he'd become desensitized. This morning though, flipping idly through the prophet, Harry paused when he saw it.

He'd never seen it in the personals before.

Harry read and then reread the little post crushed into the corner under Men Seeking Men.

SEEKING:
Harry Potter lookalike for discreet hook up.
If interested, contact John Cuttle by owl.

Harry's heart pounded as his eyes continually scanned the brief words.

Outrage flooded him... tinged with interest.

Was this a thing? Did people actually do this? Dress up as him and meet up around town for a shag?

Harry didn't know whether to be disgusted or flattered. Instead of choosing either, he read the ad again.

John Cuttle. He didn't know a John Cuttle. In fact, he doubted that was a real name. John, picked for obvious ambiguity while Cuttle--a name harry had never heard before--was probably used as a means for the owls to identify the man with.

His cheeks grew hot, as Harry read the words again and finally, he pushed the paper away, setting it on the dining room table next to his cold tea. But his name still glared up at him in bold dark letters; Seeking Harry Potter.

He had stopped reading the papers ages ago for this very reason. He hated seeing his name in print and even more so, the unflattering pictures that often went with it.

But this was different.

It made Harry uncomfortable in a way that he had never experienced before. It filled him with a grim curiosity and more than that, it intrigued him.

Harry wanted to know who wrote the ad.

Probably some lonely old man with a weird Harry Potter fetish. Lord knew he'd met enough people with an unnatural desire for him--no, not him--but for his name, the idea of him and what he'd done and what he represented to them. That was the very reason he would never go for anyone like that.

They had an image in mind and call it selfish but Harry didn't think he could handle having someone disappointed by the real him. Especially if he turned out to like the person. Once was enough for an experience like that, thank you very much.

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and took a sip of his tea, grimacing at the temperature. He thought absently about heating it up again but his eyes fell on the ad once more and with trembling fingers, Harry reached for the paper again, searching the words as though some hidden meaning was about to pop out at him from them.

He stood up suddenly, tea and every other plan he'd had for the day forgotten. He made it all the way to the owlery on Diagon Alley before starting to second guess himself.

The witch at the front always let him use the owls for free and he remembered that only when he saw her face brighten upon his entry.

He really should get a new owl. Enough time had passed... Harry's stomach squirmed at the idea of replacing Hedwig and he sighed and walked into the back.

The letter he wrote was brief and vague.

What do you want with Harry Potter?

In retrospect, it probably didn't even warrant a response, but Mr. Cuttle sent one back anyway.

What part of discreet hook up do you not understand?

The small tawny owl hooted for a treat from Harry's bedroom window, and Harry fished one out for her.

It had only been an hour tops, so the other man must not be far, Harry realized. Chewing the skin on his thumb Harry wondered whether he should reply. The guy seemed like he had a wand up his ass considering, but then again, Harry had sent a ridiculous question.

Maybe Mr. Cuttle thought Harry was wasting his time or maybe even a fan out to stop the other man from tarnishing his good name?

Harry snorted at the thought and considered his words carefully.

People think I'm Harry Potter every day.

He sat on the edge of his bed, foot tapping, the whole time he waited for a response. He briefly wondered why he was doing this? Why bother? And why was it making him so damn nervous? But then the answer came to him so swiftly he couldn't even deny it.

This man wanted a Harry Potter look alike. If Harry went... he would never know it was him.

He could do... well a lot of things he would never normally do. Hell, even this was something he would never do. But if he was pretending to be someone else, pretending to be Harry Potter, then for once he could let loose and just do whatever came naturally.

Harry took a deep breath at the realization. He was careful and always aware of what people thought of him, what he represented to them. He held himself to such strict standards that only now was he realizing how stifled he felt.

The owl arrived in Harry's window, startling him from his thoughts. That was much quicker the second time around.

He stood up and took the parchment, fingers trembling, and unfolded the small paper.

Are you interested?

And now that everything was on the table, Harry didn't know. He pushed to his feet, pacing the room, paper clutched in his hand.

Only when the owl hopped toward the window edge did harry come to a decision.

"Wait!" he said. "One more!"

The owl hooted disapprovingly as Harry flipped the elegant handwriting over to the blank side.

What do you want to do, exactly?

He wrote and then as an after thought added;

Who are you? What do you look like?

The owl returned half an hour later with a floo address and another simple note that managed to address  all of his questions without giving him any answers.

You can decide if you like what I have to offer in person tonight.