Boys on the Radio

Chapter Three

You know what to do,

Oh baby, fly away --

**

In the short few hours that Draco did get to sleep that tonight, his dreams were about nothing but Harry of course. Draco could not stop thinking about everything that had happened with Harry last night - well, the parts he could remember, that is. They both had gotten very, very drunk after all. But, Draco did TOTALLY remember them kissing, and that it'd been a very mutually driven thing. With vividness in fact, Draco truly remembered the kiss being ecstasy, like no pleasure he'd ever experienced before...

The fact that Draco now knew Harry somehow, someway wanted him as well was of course the most exciting thing. Draco wasn't even sure how the kiss had been initiated but it honestly didn't matter. What mattered was Harry Potter wanted him... And he wanted Harry Potter. All day, all Draco could think about was meeting Harry again.

That thought certainly helped him get through the day as he suffered from a very bad hangover all day. He had Transfiguration, Charms, and Arithmancy that day and it was hell getting through it. When dinnertime finally arrived, Draco didn't even go down to eat. He went straight to the Slytherin dungeons and took a nap.

When he awoke, it was past eleven, and he would be meeting Harry soon. "Just in time," Draco whispered to himself. Draco wondered for a moment what he would do with Harry tonight. He certainly wanted to take Harry on another adventure outside of Hogwarts, but where, Draco was not totally sure yet. Wherever it was, he wanted it to be fun for Harry...

An idea struck Draco that was so brilliant and so obvious he nearly laughed out loud.

**

Harry, equipped with his Invisibility Cloak, headed to the Astronomy Tower. He was quite nervous. After what had happened the night before, Harry expected it would be weird being around Draco. But regardless, he knew Draco wanted him too, and that made him most excited. Harry would love to kiss Draco again, maybe more...

As Harry entered, Draco was already there, leaning against the wall with their signature name on it. "Hey, Harry." He gave Harry a rare smile - rare in Draco Malfoy's world since it was authentic.

"Hi." Harry knew he probably looked very nervous. "What are we going to do tonight?"

"I have something really fun planned," Draco promised, his smile widening. "But is there anything you want to do?"

Harry did not immediately answer, nervous. His heart was racing faster than ever -- what he truly would like to do with Draco would be much too crude to say aloud. Harry smiled to himself, conceding to say, "I think I'll trust you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Good, hope you feel comfortable on a Shooting Star!" Draco looked absolutely delighted now as he showed Harry the two broomsticks that he'd hidden behind his back in the shadowy dark.

"Wha-what? Where are we going?" Harry was beyond surprise. So they were flying somewhere and Harry was expected to fly on something that was so slow it would make it across Hogwarts in a few hours?

"You'll see ... But no worries, you'll like it," Draco said enticingly. "Trust me," he added in a quieter, more serious voice, resolutely looking straight at Harry.

Harry nodded acceptingly, but then quizzically asked, "But why these brooms?"

"Well, the place we're going to is a little ... Err... shady. So I didn't want our brooms stolen or anything. I think you'd rather see the school brooms being stolen, right?" Draco smirked at Harry.

Had Draco Malfoy just thought of someone other than himself?

"Good idea," Harry agreed finally, breathless. The words he intended to say somehow did not come out.

Draco looked over at Harry. Harry looked absolutely graceful in the air. Even flying a virtually pointless Shooting Star, Harry looked as elegant as ever. Draco watched him very carefully. He was leading the way and he kept looking over to Harry to make sure the other boy was following, even though he knew he was.

Draco was taking Harry to a bar in his town for wizards. He was obviously well known there, and throughout the year he often went there for a drink. The barman never told his father, luckily, but since Lucius owned so many of the wizarding franchises in town, Draco got drinks for free anyway.

"Harry, I'm going to start descending now!" Draco forewarned, trying to sound as clear as possible. Harry nodded affirmatively. Nodding back, Draco flew closer to Harry's side and lent him one additional instruction. "Whatever you do, follow my lead." Smiling, Harry again nodded -- a slower, firmer one this time -- and they began descending into Draco's hometown. Draco was flying in a very specific fashion to avoid Muggles, as his hometown still contained Muggle portions. But since Muggles made up only a few zones on the map and could see nothing of the other nine-tenths of wizarding populous, Draco didn't have too much difficulty navigating. The only thing Draco was really worried about was that he would somehow run into his father while in the company of who was supposed to be their worst enemy. Draco kept thinking reassuringly to himself, Thank bloody God for Harry's Invisibility cloak...

"We're going to land just behind that abandoned building, Harry, right ahead!" directed Draco, checking back on Harry. They were about fifteen feet above the ground now. Once Draco gracefully touched the ground and mounted off smoothly, he looked over and watched as Harry, who delightfully looked as though flying the skies had been enough of a treat, made an aerodynamically flawless landing. Draco felt almost mundane at being kicked dust in his own town, and by none other than Harry Potter ironically, a feeling that was so revoltingly not 'Malfoy' it had him incessantly shaking his head. But finally, once freed of such inferior self-sentiments, in a raspy voice Draco officially named their arrived destination aloud before Harry had time to bewilder him for too long. "Welcome to my town, Harry. Onrodaville."

"I reckon it is a bit bloody larger than any town I've ever seen," Harry disbelieved, looking around with amazement at the wide radius of crowdedness in different directions.

"To us it is," Draco amused, chuckling a bit at Harry's utterly bamboozled disposition. "A lot of this town belongs to my father, the wizarding sections. The actual Muggle portion is not that big, really, but we share the town's name since the wizarding portions came long afterwards."

"Oh. Well I reckon it's pretty obvious why I thought the 'town' label was a little, um, modest...So anyway, where to, Mr. Malfoy?" Harry inquired, smiling. He sounded very curious about the city.

"First of all, ground rules -- MAJOR ground rules: This is a risk, but ... Look, no matter what just keep your hood up unless I've said otherwise. If all else fails you stay hidden, no exceptions, you hear, Potter?! Now, we're going to stay under your Invisibility Cloak as long as possible. If anyone asks who you are, you are a good Slytherin friend. Which reminds me - get rid of that Gryffindor tie of yours. And if we're inside and my father is there put the cloak on IMMEDIATELY. Simple enough, right Potter? I did give you a dumbed-down Gryffindor version -- oh the saint in me! Now ..." His demanding tone and Gryffindor scoff was a stark reminder of the old Malfoy that Harry knew and resented, yet seeing the blustery irony of it now made him smile at a bad time. Draco narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows, eagle-eye with paranoia, and rebutted patronizingly, "Something funny?"

Harry was half between a chuckle and a heart-race, and motioned it wise to comply fast. "No, nothing at all. Got it, Draco, I'm fine."

An awkward silence passed while Draco gazed at Harry with a perspicuous look of distrust animating his face. Though Harry humored it, to his misfortune it was literally impossible, all the same, to ignore that Draco's reminiscing attitude had nonetheless been a major turn-on!

**

Harry and Draco left the useless Shooting Stars behind the abandoned office building. They put the Invisibility Cloak over themselves, and once again, Draco led the way: as they strolled up from the shady backstreet where they'd left their brooms behind, it took only but a minute or two before Harry knew they were reemerging among the wizarding kind: crowding the mayhem of the street everywhere were partying socialites and their festivities, which left a trail of empty Firewhisky and drunks in cloaks everywhere. Overall, though, definitely the most flashy-looking event that passed Harry's eyes was a nightclub where wizards and witches not much older than them waited for entry, chattering loudly and inciting slight pandemonium in their disorganized lining-up.

"Are we going to a nightclub!" guessed Harry anxiously.

"Uh no, not yet anyway. We're going to have a few drinks at a place that's friendly with me," Draco explained briefly. His tone was harmless but he was still intentionally brushing Harry off from the details.

It was beginning to feel a bit awkward. They were once again in the position they had been in before when they had kissed. Draco was finding it hard to concentrate on finding their destination when he could feel Harry breathing on him. They were so close. The things he would like to do...

"We're here, Harry," Draco confirmed as they finally arrived at a shady-looking bar that resembled the Hog's Head. The sign read 'Woeful Wizards' Getaway', which Draco always thought had been an odd name for the bar. But no matter, it didn't matter. "Take off the cloak now, but keep that hood up."

Harry entered the bar on Draco's side. He wasn't frightened at all, but he knew he should keep to Draco in such unfamiliar surroundings. After all, in the few years since Hagrid brought him his Hogwarts letter on his eleventh birthday, Harry had certainly never experienced this aspect of the wizarding world: tonight's surreal glimpsing into "Onrodaville", Harry realized at random, was his first sight of the "rougher" edges hidden within, ironically, an already hidden society of wizards and witches; fathoming everything, Harry deducted that while this type of environment was hardly the insidious rank of Knockturn Alley, it sure didn't resemble the accepted convention of Diagon Alley, either. Luckily this epiphany gladdened Harry despite the embarrassing disbelief that came with it, the sudden shame in his small-minded view of the wizarding world, which until now was one sheer concept: "Voldemort ('evil') vs. the wizarding world ('good')." At least now Harry noted that "gray" existed in-between the "black-and-white" of the wizarding world, too...

Oh, the many reasons Harry enjoyed being with Draco...

Harry desperately hoped for another kiss from Draco. He had been thinking of nothing but that since they got together. Draco seemed to be trying to impress him, though. And Harry did hope they would have as much fun as they did at the Hog's Head. Harry trusted Draco for that.

There were several wizards around. There was not a single female. The room was not very big, but as Harry saw, there were two double doors that led to a much bigger room. There were just a few tables with men who looked very drunk. On the front counter stood a very large man, who smiled at Draco at his entrance.

"Mister Malfoy! I had a feeling I'd be seeing you soon!" The man seemed pleasant enough. "But you have a friend with you?"

"Err, yes, yes I do. This is a good mate of mine called ..." Draco started awkwardly, his poker face uncharacteristically only half as brilliant as usual for some reason.

"Merlin's beard, is that--"

"No," Harry said immediately, grinning innocuously. "Get that a lot, though."

Draco let out a bitter laugh. "This is John ... John Smith," Draco said, a bit too quickly, but the barman didn't seem to notice.

"What can I get you, Mister Malfoy and Mister Smith?" the barman asked pleasantly, still smiling. Harry had a feeling Draco was a good tipper.

"Two Dragon Vodkas please," Draco said promptly.

"You got it, mates!" The barman turned around to the row of different bottled drinks side-by-side, took two long silver glasses from underneath the counter, grabbed a dark-green bottle off the stand (which, Harry noticed, coincidentally had the insignia of a Hungarian Horntail on the front), and poured them their drinks. He handed one to each of them, grinning, and said, "Enjoy the show, fellas! Let me know if you need anything, good man." He was winking at Draco specifically as the end-note, probably having inferred that he would indeed be tipping tonight since it was he who'd ordered the drinks.

"A show, you said? What show, exactly?" Harry asked prudently, unsurprisingly thrown off yet again by Draco, who was too busy being shown a glow-in-the-dark trick by the friendly barman. According to the little riffraff Harry, annoyed, bothered listening to, his understanding was that the show, whatever and wherever it was at, was charmed to make a wicked configuration of some awfully "shaggable" naked woman if all the guests' wands glowed in the dark simultaneously.

Draco must not have heard Harry's question, affective to the suspicion written all over Harry's demeanor. In fact, Malfoy (as Harry referred to Draco in a frustrated thought to himself) looked gleeful as he trustingly left the barman an early hefty tip for the useful demonstration, yet still ignored answering Harry's important question. Helpful several moments later however, Draco pointed in the right direction and Harry turned around with him, their drinks held up. (After all, entertainment would only provoke the two young men to drink more, and they both knew that too.)

"Come on, Harry!" Draco insisted devilishly, and Harry couldn't help but grin broadly. What did Draco Malfoy have planned?

Draco grabbed his arm, led him through adjacent double doors in a hurried fashion, exasperated to be on time to whatever he was getting them into. Regardless, now Harry, clueless but riveted, was actually joining Draco in pleasantly laughing.

Once they made it past a dimly-lit hallway of loos and pay phones, what Harry saw gave him a shock: they weren't just underage at a bar -- they were underage in a strip bar! This room was much, much bigger and fittingly accommodated many more small tables, but in spite, tonight the crowd was so amazingly large that there still was not suffice seating for the countless drunken men about. Everyone was much too busy goggling toward the large, strobe-lighted stage, where currently beautiful women were dancing and throwing off more and more pieces of clothing. Draco looked over at Harry, slightly worried about first impressions, and luckily was quite reassured by those beautiful, mesmerized green eyes and his jaw-dropped goggling. Harry was grinning so widely as he watched the curvy, twenty-something blond throw off her top, in fact, that his cheekbones would hurt in the morning. He didn't even notice Draco's rather audible mocking laughing.

Harry thought of something odd for a moment. He had feelings for Draco, yet somehow, he still absolutely lusted for the women on stage. How was that possible? Harry had never been attracted to males before, and really, Draco still was the only one. Was this normal? Was this okay? Was there something wrong with him? Was he truly bisexual, gay or straight?

As a woman pulled off the rest of her clothing and began stroking her genitals, Harry put the thought out of his mind. He would enjoy the show. He looked at Draco, who didn't seem to be blinking as much as normal people as they took a seat.

"A toast to beautiful women, mate!" Harry sung enthusiastically, as they raised their glasses to each other. Harry took the first sip. Once again, the drink was bitter, but somehow, not as bitter as the drink he had had the night before. Harry assumed he was more used to alcohol now. And once again, the more he drank, the better the taste became.

The women on the stage began fondling with each other. Invigorated, Harry threw a Galleon onto the stage. He was beginning to feel aroused in every way, physically and mentally, and he sincerely hoped Draco didn't notice his uncontrollable foaming at mouth. The embarrassment would be too much. But Harry looked over at Draco ... Harry wasn't the only one hiding something.

Harry laughed. He honestly couldn't remember enjoying himself this much in a long time. For once, Voldemort meant nothing. It honestly was the last thing on Harry's mind. It was all Ron and Hermione talked about these days, and he could care less. He was allowed to enjoy life. And Draco was the first person to show him how.

"Refills, Gentlemen?" The cordial barman came by and before they had to even answer, exchanged their empty glasses for brand new full ones.

"How'd you like the Dragon's Vodka, John?" Draco humored somewhat rhetorically. They giggled.

"It's good, I liked it," Harry answered dazedly, added as a spacey afterthought, "It's bloody strong though, I reckon..."

"Yeah, we're only having two. We do have to fly back, you know!" Draco interjected with only half a straight face, which they laughed heartily at. Harry hadn't even thought of that really.

"Draco ... Thanks," Harry said plainly, too drunk to express himself as they left the bar an hour later. It wasn't helping that both boys were tripping and stumbling and sluggish as they struggled to stay under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Had the street been just slightly less empty, they would have almost certainly been caught.

"For what, Harry?" Draco whispered a little too loudly, astounded. A sudden rush of Goosebumps and butterflies that had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with Harry ran up Draco's spine. Regardless, they had to be quiet, they were still some villagers walking by, and they mustn't take risks. It'd be just a little awkward if bystanders heard suspicious voices coming from nowhere.

"For teaching me to love myself," Harry whispered back softly, and Draco stopped dead. They simply looked at each blankly for a moment. "For teaching me I have to save myself before I save everyone else."

"Harry ... Harry ... Oh, Harry." Draco looked deeply to his enchanting green eyes. They froze for a moment. Harry almost felt a tear going down his eyes. Everything had happened so quickly...The Goblet of Fire revealed his name...Ron hated him for a bit...He almost couldn't get through the tasks...Cedric died ... Voldemort came back ... but somehow, with and through Draco, he knew everything would be okay.

"Draco, I ... I care about you, you know," Harry managed lamely. (He was drunk beyond belief in his defense, all the same.)

"Come on, Harry," Draco sighed vulnerably, his gentled tone almost unrecognizable. Draco may not have noticed his falter, funnily enough, for his confident walk continued leading them, Harry guessed, to a more secure place. Draco led him to the back of the bar they had been in and threw the cloak off. "Harry ... I care you about you, too. You've made me happier than I've ever been -- really."

"Draco ... I'm sorry we fought for so long. It's my fault really. You tried being nice to me on the train ..." Harry tried desperately, his tone almost urgent-sounding.

"Harry, no! I shouldn't have had a go at Weasley. It doesn't matter anymore. We're together now," Draco admitted maturely, and then he blushed.

Harry only smiled, lost for words. He was captivated by Draco, truly feeling for a moment that he would die if his heartbeat got any faster. He leaned in closer now to Draco and put his arms around him. He did not immediately kiss him. They hugged for a few moments. As Harry slowly released the hug, he leaned forward for the kiss. Draco got there first and kissed Harry. But it wasn't quite romantic. It was almost just...Affection. But Harry liked it that way.

Then suddenly, they heard people coming near. Without speaking, they both threw the cloak over themselves. And to Harry's horror, he recognized the voice: it was Lucius Malfoy!

"...Are you sure, Randall? You saw Draco here? He should be in school! And you say he was with a boy?"

"I couldn't see the boy's face, he had a hood up, but they were both in the bar."

"We will find him, then! When I am done with him, he'll be so sorry! I will not have my son disgrace me like this!" Lucius's anger was clearly beyond the spectrum of infuriation.

Draco was holding Harry. He was shaking. He looked over at Draco. He had never seen him so scared before ... ever. Harry held him tightly, and he closed his eyes in waiting. Lucius Malfoy and the other man walked right by them and looking around, seeing nothing, walked back. They waited for several moments.

"Harry ... Please, you can't let him find me. He'll do the Cruciatus Curse again, Harry. Please, get us out!" Draco sounded more panicked than he even did in their first year in the Forbidden Forest, when they had detention together.

"What ..." Harry was shocked as ever.

"I'll explain later. We have to go!"

Harry did not hesitate. Thinking for a moment of the quickest exit, he and Draco under the cloak followed the back paths to hopefully find the Shooting Stars still there. Several minutes passed by, and at one point, Harry thought he was lost but made a turn, and they were where they began. The Shooting Stars were there.

"Let's go, Harry." Draco's tone was marked by an austere definiteness, a bit calmer now. His voice wasn't demanding precisely, but it was guarded and expectant of compliance. And as they looked up and reassured themselves that the skies were calm, Harry saw something reminiscent of the old Malfoy, the arrogant git whom Harry now couldn't believe ever existed, although Harry knew it was nothing to overthink; Draco's bare instincts, uniquely his and his alone, were just harboring him a self-protective facade -- the false appearance of bravery and confidence despite all-consuming fear -- because it was all Draco knew to depend on when it came to survival...

Ironically, it began to rain hard as Harry gave Draco a final kiss before they departed.

**