Boys on the Radio

Chapter Two

When you're beautiful and dying,

All the world that you've denied.

When the water is too deep,

You can close your eyes and really sleep tonight.

**

The next day at breakfast when Professor McGonagall was passing out their course schedules, Harry realized they would be having their least favorite class today: Double Potions with the Slytherins. Secretly, nonetheless Harry really wanted to see Malfoy, perhaps even to speak to him somehow. Maybe things could still turn out well?

They had it first hour though, so there wasn't much time to think of anything clever, unfortunately. Ron and Hermione followed beside him as usual, but Harry almost didn't speak to them at all. He wasn't sure exactly why, but he almost felt mad at them. They expected him to just get over huge things that affected him worse than anyone else, which made Harry wonder if they actually thought it was easy being him. Needlessly said, either way it was a little disappointing that it was Ginny, not them, who clearly understood how he was feeling (at least a bit anyway). No one else he spoke to so far had been able to tell "Perfect Harry Potter" was on extended vacation. His own best friends were still trying to find what was wrong with him, after all...

"Harry, are you sure you're just fine?" Hermione asked, sounding worried.

"You seem a bit off, mate, you do," Ron said mildly. Luckily Ron never nagged nearly as much as Hermione, though.

"Of course I'm fine," Harry responded briskly, out of forced habit now.

In any case, as Harry entered Double Potions with Ron and Hermione, he saw every seat on the classroom's 'Slytherin side' was filled except Malfoy's. Stung by his own sigh and sudden stomach-flip, Harry shrugged off what he guiltily dreaded was disappointment as the three of them took their normal seats. Feeling utter embarrassment for his unacceptable feelings, Harry quietly just got a quill and parchment out and ready while waiting for Snape, looking dead-forward inconspicuously. Although this helped Harry distract from his regretful desire to see his worst enemy, it stopped him from noticing when Draco Malfoy irritably took the last seat right behind him.

"SILENCE!" bellowed Snape, his voice even more agitated than usual. Once again he had been denied the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, which was being taken up by the real Mad-Eye Moody now.

Nonetheless, Malfoy and Harry didn't have any interaction until something happened midway into Snape's seemingly unending lecture.

A fourth year came in unannounced to Snape's utmost annoyance. Looking fearful for her own life, the timid girl stumbled on her words. "Um, please Sir, Professor Moody asks if he could have two students help get a few things moved for him. Says he'd appreciate it very much, Sir."

"Ah," Snape replied with false politeness, half-mumbling something about 'slave duty' and 'not my problem' under his breath. "Potter, Malfoy, go. And hurry up."

Harry left with Malfoy feeling a bit uncomfortable yet a bit, well, excited. At the same time, Harry didn't know what the bloody hell to say.

"He's just right out the dungeons," the girl squeaked fast, and then sped off.

"Wonder what he'll have us do," Harry said casually, trying to make conversation.

"Something mad, knowing him ... Err, anyway Potter, Look." Malfoy seemed less of a prick now, diplomatic-sounding. Huffing out a sigh of patience, Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks, and Harry, unaware, did as well. Malfoy surveyed Harry upward and downward for a suspicious moment, narrowing his eyes accusingly here and there, but then finally unfolded his arms from his chest and addressed Harry eye-to-eye. "We have had some correspondence, and it worked out that we got along. So it isn't exactly necessary for us to continue going out of our separate ways to torment each other-- only because that makes life more difficult, I reckon." Malfoy had turned pink as ever and was no longer looking at Harry directly in the eye.

Harry was shocked but recovered fast, saying tightly, "I agree."

"However, that so does not mean we are public associates. This understanding must remain a secret, Potter, as I will not be publicly embarrassed!" Malfoy's face was stern, his jaw set, and his eyes wide and open.

"All right, Draco," agreed Harry, who was now smiling. "So, are you ready to talk about it?"

"I think so," Draco said carefully.

They met Mad-Eye Moody, who had them go to the third floor and retrieve a few boxes from a closet.

"My father wants me to be a Death Eater," Draco explained darkly. "I don't want to. Not because I'm afraid, but I don't want to end up in Azkaban."

Harry looked at Draco, who looked sad, yet somehow relieved to get it out. Harry also had to admit Draco looked handsome even when looking as though he needed assistance. But wait, why was he finding a boy, Draco, handsome?

"I figured. We're not going to let that happen," Harry assured, though he wasn't sure how that was going to happen. "You know, I'm really sorry that we spent years hating each other."

And Harry meant it.

"Well thanks. But it was good fun." Draco smirked at him. "And this won't stop me from beating you at Quidditch!"

"Hah! Funny, you've never been able to win yet!" Harry was laughing harder than ever.

"We'll see this season!" Draco dished back, and they laughed together.

It was the first true laugh Harry experienced since the end of last term.

**

Draco didn't understand what he was feeling. When he had seen Harry laugh earlier that day, he had actually found himself being, being...turned on. Was he gay? Was he attracted to Harry? Yes, they were on fine terms now, but still, did Draco feel something more? All he knew was that he wanted to be with Harry again, and soon. So Draco decided to send Harry a letter the next day for him to receive at breakfast.

It's your radio boy. Meet me at the tallest astronomy tower tonight at midnight.

Draco watched Harry read it at breakfast, and Harry gave him a very careful gesture to show he accepted.

**

So, that unexpectedly chilly night, Draco found Harry already there waiting for him. "Harry ..." he began, but then realized he was being strange. "What's up?" he ended lamely.

"Loads of work. Hermione's been helping me a bit. Everyone's so worried about me," Harry said a bit anxiously, reminded of his overwhelming real life.

"I noticed Weasley and Granger follow you like a bloody shadow," Draco said.

"Yeah, I know they care, but well, you know," Harry said. He was obviously finding it hard to express himself.

They talked for a bit about nothing really, just enjoying themselves and mocking Filch and others.

"What's the deal with Granger and Weasley?" asked Draco curiously, boldly not bothering with tact. It had been so obvious they had something going on for a while now.

"Umm ... what do you mean?" Harry sounded uncomfortable.

"Please, Potter, could it be more obvious?" Draco, not at all humored, went right for the point.

"Well, it's always been sort of obvious, hasn't it? Who knows what they'll do about it, though."

Draco believed Harry. It seemed as though his friends were probably hiding a bit about their feelings from him. "And, err, what about you? Any interests, you reckon?" Draco really felt like he was almost giving himself away, though he hoped he wasn't.

"Someone I know I can't have." Oddly, Harry did not look him in the eye.

"Cho?" asked Draco, as he had known Harry felt something for her for a while.

"No. Anyway ..." Harry drifted uncertainly, taken aback.

It was odd for the next few moments, but then they returned to normal when Harry suddenly found himself bursting with an idea. "Let's make this ours," he challenged saying at one point, daring to open his pride to Malfoy's mockery.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked curiously.

"This tower."

"Oh right. Let's just put a sign up then," Draco said sarcastically.

"Nah." Harry seemed to be pretending not to catch Draco's sarcasm, steadfast to advert, "How about, um-- the Boys on the Radio? We could write it on the wall and no one else would know what it meant."

Draco actually liked the idea. It did seem sort of interesting: a mark of the bond between the Boys on the Radio, commemorating how they had started. "All right, Potter, do it then."

Harry took his wand and did a spell and wrote on the wall promptly in sharp bold-red, extra-big underlining capital letters, 'BOYS ON THE RADIO'. It actually looked pretty cool.

"How is it?" Harry asked impatiently, grinning.

"Nice, I like it," Draco said in approval. Draco went over by Harry. "The first real time we met was over the radio."

And Draco realized how odd that must have sounded. And Draco realized just then how close they actually were. Must have been less than a foot they were apart from each other. It was right then that Draco wanted to tell him. He felt something for Harry Potter. What was it? Was it...

"It's getting late," Harry warned. "We had better get back."

Draco snapped into reality. "Right, right," he whispered. "Filch will get us with his mad cat."

**

Last night had been strange for Harry. He had met Draco and quite enjoyed himself. But it was hard being around Draco. He felt some type of strange ... vibration, for lack of better word, when he was around Draco. And the scary part was it was similar to the way it had been when he had discovered Cho. Except that he had moved on from Cho now. What feelings did he have for Draco?

It had been strange. At one point in their meeting they had been very close, and Harry nearly kissed him. He used enough self-control to make a lame excuse to get to bed, where he silently pleasured himself to sweet thoughts of, well ... Draco.

And Harry knew it. He would never admit it. But he cared about Draco in a way he never thought he would. Draco Malfoy...Somehow the only person who understood him. Draco Malfoy ... a god when it came to looks. Draco Malfoy ... how could he have not seen that he was so brilliant all this time?

"Harry Potter!" It was the voice of Professor Flitwick, who had been calling the roll.

Harry looked up. He had been daydreaming terribly. Ron and Hermione were looking at him oddly. Of course, this was normal these days.

"Pay attention," Hermione half-scolded whilst sounding half-concerned, still, almost suspiciously as though trying for once not to be too stern.

**

The Gryffindors and Slytherins had Care of Magical Creatures together again. Draco liked that he'd be able to see Harry, but it put them in a difficult position with their peers around. They would probably be forced to be cruel to each other. They had already agreed not to make their friendship (if that's what they could call it) public.

But at one point, towards the end of their lesson, Harry leaned over to 'pick up his wand' and whispered to Draco, "Again, tonight."

Draco nodded very quickly.

**

The rest of the day went by quite normally. Draco tried to spend as little time as he could with his Slytherin gang, as they were so annoying these days. Crabbe and Goyle were going to become terrible Death Eaters, Draco knew this. And Pansy and Blaze just found it all utterly fascinating. Draco refused to speak to them of all people on the subject.

That night, Draco met Harry again at the same spot. Only this time, Draco honestly hoped that he would be able to make some type of move, and pray Harry agreed with it. Draco honestly hoped Harry felt the way he did. There was no denying it ... he wanted Harry.

"Nice night," Harry said.

"I need some relaxation. Two bloody days in and we have enough homework to take up all term," Draco said truthfully, then turning persuasive. "Want to go to Hogsmeade? I know a place that you'd like."

"Draco, are you insane? We'll be caught!" Harry cried out incredulously.

"Got your cloak?" Draco winked; he was smiling.

**

Harry did not know how Draco and himself had ended up under his Invisibility Cloak headed for Hogsmeade, but it had happened. Harry was a bit anxious, but doubted they were going anywhere that wasn't interesting. This was Draco Malfoy after all.

"Hog's Head is really relaxed about student drinking," Draco said pleasantly, and they approached the entrance. Harry smiled a bit. Hagrid had gotten the dragon Norbert from this place, and said it was a bit shady.

They took off the cloak and entered. There were a couple of shady characters around, but Draco and Harry took their own table. A little lady came about. "What can I get you two?"

"Two glasses of Dragon Wine, please," Draco said. Harry did not speak. He decided Draco probably knew what he was doing in this case. Harry hadn't had much experience drinking before, but somehow Harry realized Draco probably had a lot of experience.

The lady returned a few minutes later with two glasses of a green substance.

"Drink up, Harry. It will ... soothe you; go on, mate, you'll see ..." Draco fashionably sold Harry quickly on by not wasting a hesitant moment himself, animatedly thus sipping his own drink at earnest with an intoxicated-like look. But simultaneously, despite his own self-written-along intentions directed as ever at the forwards, in fact delving right into him equally so was the new unlikely Gryffindor "pal" of his, and at an irrevocable speed, too! And yes, solely Harry Potter anyhow, whom unknowingly possibly also felt served a plate of dispensing diffidence and mishandled distrusts himself as well, compelled straight-off the sparkled fancy somehow just enough to be surreptitiously earning Draco's preciously seldom-spared, and in fact typical innermost withheld gift of displaced emotion: slow albeit the unmerciful will of the Slytherin young lad, nevertheless he figuratively sensed himself acquiescing to the precise submission, thereby, of another fellow's shake of hand, Harry's merely, Harry Potter's, for quiet confirmation of exchanged trust...

(See, USUALLY, it was much usually too far and few between any hand-off giveaway for any other special someone else to grasp indeed; this new separability mentally from avowed normative personal tendency long deeply-compartmentalized, instead to pondering an oppositional-deemed, rather daring questionable thought--whether or not there were existent persons actually worthy and allowable to the uptake of his personal-vested trust-- had, most surely, previous presented always far too great a steerable danger for ever suggestion inside of Draco's own already very dark state of mind; no, trusting others, least of all bloody Gryffindors mind you, had been a rule as forbidding as a mortal sin. Appearing bright-as-ever, consequentially this pessimistic sheer disbelief in the fact of potential in other human people was just one among many other equally withered twists of social "nuance" long-now buried in Draco's warped-as-can-be mind.)

Harry took a small sip. Just one sip felt very, very strong. The taste was nothing familiar at all. But taking another, and another, it tasted good. It just took a bit to get used to the strong taste of it. But in the end Harry was enjoying it, and finished his glass at the same time Draco did. Harry felt much more relaxed now.

"I'll take another of that," Harry said bravely. Draco was smiling. The lady returned with two more glasses.

Draco and Harry were laughing wholeheartedly now at things only they could possibly understand. Harry felt much happier than he had in a while. The hell with Voldemort ... The hell with saving the world ... How about saving Harry first?

Harry asked, "So, Draco, tell me, who have you shagged in our year?" There were no limitations at this point as far as he was concerned.

"Another glass, mate, yes, cheers, cheers!! Well, Potter, um, I'm reluctant to give you the honest answer, but hell I've bloody drunk my wits away anyway..." Draco, puffy-eyed and red-cheeked, ran his tongue not without a little slur as he confessed with exaggerated embarrassment, "Err, oh fine-- No one, okay, Potter, satisfied! Yes, that's right, me, Draco Malfoy, has shagged bloody no one yet! Did get close at the Yule Ball with Pansy, but you know how girls are, effing fickle see.... Anyhow, and what number would be your son the scale of Hogwarts action, Potter?"

This time a lady bartender with flaring red hair brought two more glasses.

"Same boat, mate," Harry concurred placidly, gulping down half the glass.

"Granger isn't half ugly anymore," Draco remarked casually. "Those breasts push out to the moon now, don't they Potter?"

"I've always wanted to fly to the moon," Harry said distractedly, not even realizing this until just now. It took him a moment to even realize what he had just said had nothing to do with what Draco said.

"Right, well, I wouldn't mind shagging her. But she has Weasley," Draco thinkingly entertained, then finished his glass.

"Damn, Draco, every girl wants you. And some boys," Harry was staring at Draco strangely now. What was he doing? But Harry didn't seem to be able to stop himself. "You are quite sexy, Draco."

Harry could not believe he had just said that.

"Another glass," Draco said nonetheless. "Well, obviously." Draco was looking carefully at Harry though. He looked shocked, even if he did have a lot to drink.

The lady brought them their next two glasses. Draco feared the bill in the end.

"A toast to the Boys on the Radio!" Harry declared at last, standing up. Draco stood up as well. They made a toast and they both drank the entire glass in one gulp.

"That's enough for now, I think," Draco said. Or at least that's what Harry thought he heard. He felt a bit dizzy yet happy.

When they left, Draco led him back to Hogwarts. "I can find my way from here," Draco said. "Take the cloak, and don't get caught."

"Thanks, Draco. That was really fun, Mate!" Harry cheered. "Tomorrow night, again?"

Harry wanted to do something again, even if it wasn't the Hog's Head.

"Yeah, we'll do something fun," Draco assured, and patted him on the back.

And it was then that Harry looked deeply at Draco. They were very close, as they were still under the cloak. Harry could hear Draco's breathing. Neither of them got out of the cloak or moved at all. They stared at each for a moment. But it was Draco who came closer ... And closer ...

What was going on? Suddenly, Harry could smell Draco's scent. Oh, how intoxicating it was ... And Harry got a bit closer ... Harry could see a very small zit on Draco's forehead ... And their lips locked ...

Harry wasn't sure how it happened. But it felt so right. Harry put his hand on Draco's chin ... The kiss was intoxicating him ... But wasn't he already? It didn't matter ... All that mattered was that they stayed locked together in the passion that Harry had never experienced so deeply with anyone ... And then it ended.

"Harry ... Harry ... Harry ..." That was all Harry could hear Draco passionately say. And the next moment, Draco was out of the cloak and had entered the castle.

**