#c:dirkcressed

Henry knocked, then immediately sauntered into the room and threw himself sideways into the nearest chair, his legs hanging off an armrest, ankles crossed. Dirk Cresswell had come recommended, as a good place to start if he was trying to finally get a handle on his “money situation” (his manager’s words, his his). Spending three years hopping around the world, living out of a rucksack and eating like a raccoon, meant that he hadn’t really spent much of the money he’d been earning, both wizard and muggle. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to live in his sister’s spare bedroom forever. 

“So, Dirk, you do...” he pulled off his sunglasses, finally looking at the man behind the desk, and wiggled his fingers in his direction. “Money stuff?”

Henry ran a nervous hand through his hair, forced himself to even his breathing and quiet the butterflies- moths, Sybill’s voice chimed in in the back of his head- in his stomach. 

He didn’t really date. Not with any longevity to it. It had been so long since he’d had an official first date, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d made it to a second. But lunch with Dirk last week had been so delightful that the warm glow from his company had lasted for days after. Even when he’d politely refused Henry’s invitation to come home with him, Henry’s attraction wasn’t dimmed. He could respect people’s boundaries, could perhaps respect that Dirk was playing hard to get. It didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep trying, though. 

He was just finishing laying out the giant blanket and picnic basket beneath the tree he’d chosen when he spotted Dirk a bit of the way off, heading toward him on the cobbled path. He was, of course, perfectly on time. 

Henry had planned to let Dirk come to him, perhaps lounge alluringly on the blanket with a glass of butterbeer waiting, but he found he couldn’t bring himself to wait. He took off toward Dirk, meeting him halfway down the path, grabbing one of his hands and pressing a kiss on each of his cheeks. When he pulled back he could feel his face burning and flushed. 

“Hey,” he said breathlessly. “I was- I was planning to be a bit more dignified with the- the greeting. But. Couldn’t help myself, I guess. Has it really only been a week? I- I’m rambling. How are you doing?”

He ran another hand through his hair, looking away, glancing back when he couldn’t help himself. Time had clearly done nothing to cool the spark he felt around Dirk.