Boys on the Radio

Chapter Twenty

Crash and burn --

All the stars explode tonight.

How'd you get so desperate?

How'd you stay alive?

**

Harry let out a small shriek and jumped out of the shower in panic. He ran back to the bedroom, put on his clothes quicker than he could have ever remembered doing so before, and then ran speeding out of the room. He wanted to run out of the Burrow screaming. He couldn't believe no one had found them sleeping together! He nearly ran into Ron and then let out a real shriek.

"Harry, what the hell is wrong with you?" Ron said impatiently, startled, looking at him in a disapproving way and as though Harry was crazy.

"Long night ..." Harry began, knowing the truth was the last thing he would tell him. Ron peered at him closely and Harry was shaking a bit. He just knew Ron knew what would happen. He was going to slaughter him and bury his body in the lake...

"Haha, you fell asleep in the bathroom, didn't you? I was wondering where you were when I woke up!" Ron was laughing innocently now and Harry had to look away from him, only stealing glances surreptitiously when he could. After waiting a moment for Harry to answer Ron, sounding slightly uncomfortable, asked awkwardly, "Are you hung over, mate?"

"Uh, yeah," Harry said a bit too quickly, hating himself for lying to his best friend. "I reckon I like pot much better, mate."

Ron grinned at Harry. "Never tried it...When did you?" Ron asked him, wondering how his best friend had tried something like that without him knowing.

Harry looked at Ron and blinked.

"Oh," Ron said darkly in a voice suddenly hollowed, looking away from Harry, and then abruptly went to the kitchen. "Have some breakfast."

And there was quite a bit of a bitter tone for the rest of breakfast, unsurprisingly.

**

Draco awoke still high as a kite. It hadn't taken much to find pot in the village. He knew he shouldn't be doing drugs, but it was just pot of course...Nothing too serious, right? But he smoked so much he had literally passed out on the floor right by the bed in the guestroom. He prayed to God Jill didn't know he had been getting high because he would have been in so much trouble. He still felt high, yes...But he could conduct himself much better high than many other people, like, per say, Harry.

No, not him ... He didn't want to think about that fucker. And then all his emotions sunk down, and he began feeling immensely depressed and felt like crying. But then he looked at the comforter on his bed and saw all the shiny colors and burst out laughing all the different colors on it ― blue, red, white ― it was amazing how the colors just mixed and were so shiny and bright! Draco felt positively delighted by this!

After a delayed moment, Draco finally got up, feeling all the weight on his body ... He could truly appreciate every pound on his body. He had to find balance for a second. Then he jumped onto the bed and felt the excitement before hitting the bed hard. It almost hurt a little, but the adrenaline rush was amazing enough that the slight discomfort subsided immediately.

"Wee!" Draco yelped jovially, quite unlike himself, bouncing. Then he heard Jill's voice and screamed.

**

Ginny walked into the kitchen, hair still wet from the shower. She looked pale as ever, and would not look at Harry, who was looking out to the garden through the window. Ron didn't seem to notice this obvious tension, thank God. "Where the hell are Mom and Dad?" demanded Ginny, sounding more upset than she needed to be. "It's Christmas morning!"

Harry had not even wondered about that. In fact, he had almost forgotten it was Christmas morning. "Yeah, did you see them when you woke up, Ron?"

"No! They left a note saying they had urgent Ministry business! And presents, they hid them somehow!" panicked Ron, looking livid and horribly depressed. Ron looked shocked to see Ginny and Harry look at him blankly, obviously not thinking about presents. Before Ron could inquire about this, the phone rang.

Ginny jumped as Ron went to get it. "DON'T TOUCH!" Ginny threatened, thinking it'd be Draco and ran to get the phone, hating herself. She picked it up. "Hello?" And as she answered, Ginny's other older brothers came running down the stairs all excited about the presents that were nowhere to be found.

"Hey!" It was Draco, speaking in a euphoric, slightly slurring voice that sounded distorted and distant. "Giiiiiiiiiiinny, I luuuuuuuufffffffffff you," said Draco's giggling voice.

"Oh my God, are you on drugs?" Ginny asked irritably, frustrated and trying to be quiet, but Harry heard and rushed over.

"WHAT?" Harry demanded. Ron, Charlie, Bill, and the twins were chatting animatedly and were not noticing them. "Is it fucking Draco?"

Harry did not care about the embarrassment if Draco was back on drugs. He could NOT be back on drugs ... He just couldn't believe it. How could anyone be so selfish? Harry grabbed the phone out of Ginny's hand. Startled, Ginny froze and looked completely vulnerable and without a guard. "Are you on drugs, Draco?" Harry asked quietly.

Draco didn't immediately respond, but Harry could hear him sounding distressed. "Just pot," said Draco at last, apparently calming himself. "Besides, you're not my boyfriend anymore."

Harry was slightly relieved but he hanged up. He looked at Ginny. "We're going over there," he said firmly, forgetting all about their one-night stand for now.

"All right," Ginny said cooperatively, effortlessly conceding with a sigh.

**

Draco was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with his arms and legs spread out, letting the high go down. Relaxed, he was starting to feel a familiar mellow feeling, like a great day at the park as a child and coming home. Jill had come in to ask him to get ready, and he told her fine, not looking conspicuous. They would be going to a brunch with her church friends and opening some presents when they got home.

But Draco was quite shocked when two people walked in his room without knocking. And it was not Jill, nor was it her parents. In walked two of the most unlikely people: Ginny and Harry, looking stern and paternal. Draco almost laughed. It wasn't as though he was necessarily unhappy to see them. But it was more a laugh of surprise.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing here?" Draco burst out; he was trying to sound upset that Harry was there. "I don't recall inviting you."

"Oh, shut up, Draco. We're the ones who'll do the talking ... What the hell do you think you're doing on drugs, mate? You just got out of rehab!" Ginny yelled at him, sounding mad. Harry just stood there looking livid.

"So fucking selfish, Draco," Harry finally pouted through gritted teeth, fuming, although sadness still tore him apart nonetheless. "...Can't even love his own self."

"IT WAS JUST POT, DAMN IT!" Draco protested indignantly.

"Today," Harry said. "Tomorrow it'll be ecstasy again."

"Why do you care? We broke up, Harry, thanks to you," Draco retorted cruelly.

"Why do you think I care?" Harry asked quietly.

"Because you're a right idiot," Draco said, but was looking away.

"Yeah, I am," said Harry, but he wasn't looking at Draco...He was looking at Ginny. He looked miserable.

**

Harry understood the hypocrisy of his actions, but after the brunch that Ginny and Harry went to with Draco, the three of them went for a walk in the village and in a quarry off to the side, the three of them smoked the remainder of the pot Draco had. Harry's defense was he and Ginny had needed it after the stress of last night. Draco, though, had no excuse...

Harry felt he could say almost anything with no shame...Except, of course, about last night. He knew better, still. Harry grabbed Draco's arms and started telling him how much he loved him. "I love you, Draco! Why are you so mean to me all the time now?" Harry begged, stressing his words. Draco looked at Harry for a moment in total seriousness and then burst out laughing.

Ginny looked at Draco and started laughing too, though she probably hadn't heard what was going on. Then Harry looked at both of them and started laughing too. Harry lied back on the grass and smiled at the sky.

"I want a boyfriend," Ginny began saying. "Fuck and run, fuck and run, even when I was twelve ..."

"Twelve?" Draco looked at her, totally in utmost shock, not even blinking for a few moments. "You had sex at twelve?"

"Oh my God, I can't believe you just asked me that! God you're so mean!" Ginny said, sounding emotionally scarred. Draco looked at her, went red, and started laughing. "It's not fu―" but then Ginny started laughing too.

Harry was singing a Muggle tune. Ginny was looking at Draco's beautiful body and went and grabbed him by the collar and pulled him nose to nose with her. Harry didn't notice. Ginny looked like she wanted nothing but Draco.

"Ginny, love, you scared me!" Draco said, sounding exasperated by such a sudden touch.

"I want to fuck you until your dick is blue," Ginny seduced him, and took her tongue and licked Draco's forehead.

Draco started laughing. "Haha, puppy!" he said at first, but as she started loosening his button, he realized what she said. "No ... Stop, Ginny, seriously ..." He said, more alarmed now ... It wasn't quite like being drunk.

Harry looked over and looked mad. "Get off him, Ginny!" And Ginny screamed and tried running up the quarry and fell down and started rolling down. All three of them laughed harder than ever.

**

On a lighter note, after the whole pot "incident", Draco decided to spend the rest of Christmas at the Burrow. Jill was fine with this, after she gave out their presents that is, so the three of them returned via Floo Powder to the Burrow soon after. All the Weasleys were waiting anxiously for them upon their arrival. Their anticipation was slightly surprising for the three, especially since even Percy, Arthur and Molly had all been up expecting them at any moment. At first they each suspected they must be in trouble but luckily within mere seconds this fear was relieved.

"Where have you lot been? Presents are waiting!!!" Fred and George said at once, sounding greatly excited.

The welcoming atmosphere was instantly enthusing. The three of them smiled, radiantly too -- a true account would take a while.

"Ginny, how'd you get that bruise on your leg? It looks awful!" Molly said, looking worried.

"It's nothing, Mum," Ginny began automatically, annoyed, but Harry and Draco began laughing, and so did she.

**

Draco and Ginny sat alone in her room later on that day when everyone else was playing Quidditch outside. They had been talking about Harry, and Draco wasn't all too uncomfortable, and admitted it was nice spending Christmas with him. Ginny did not tell him about her and Harry. She felt it was best that way.

"I just keep reliving the siege in my head," Ginny admitted at some point later. "Everyone thought we were going to die."

"But you didn't," Draco said flatly. "You've got to put it behind you somehow."

Ginny understood his sympathy was limited as he had lost a lot more in the siege than anyone else. "I suppose," Ginny said. The siege wasn't really bothering her. It was the fact she had slept with a guy she had crushed on for years, the wonder boy whom she'd only recently been able to build up the mental strength to just speak to like a normal person, too ironically. She had never truly let go of it...And yet, still, Ginny could never, ever truly have him. She swallowed painfully. "Do you ever just hate being alive?"

Draco let Ginny put her head on his shoulder. "Every day, just about."

"What do you think it's going to be like when we all go back to school?" Ginny asked curiously, trying to change the subject after a moment of silence.

"Weird as hell," Draco said plainly. "I shan't run away again, though."

"All right, but promise it to me, okay?" Ginny asked him seriously. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"I promise," Draco said assuredly, and he began stroking her curls affectionately.

**

Dumbledore stopped by for a visit later on that evening. He came to see the whole family, but he paid Ginny, Draco, and Harry a separate personal visit upstairs to speak to them. When he saw them all together, getting along well, he glowed at them. They all blushed in a humiliated fashion.

"Nice to see the three of you all getting on," Dumbledore said. "I see Christmas is treating you well."

The three of them nodded at him. Dumbledore sat down without being asked. "The school year may prove quite difficult, I shall not be dishonest. Security will be much worse now. Aurors will be stationed at Hogwarts the remaining of the year."

Harry took this as no surprise. "Right," he responded. "No surprise."

"But I must ask you three to keep out of trouble...And I believe I'll have to tell Miss Granger and Weasley the exact same thing," Dumbledore said severely, though after he winked at them.

**

"YOU DID WHAT?" boomed Hermione's voice.

Ginny had taken Hermione to her room while everyone else was downstairs the following day when she arrived... And then she told her what happened between her and Harry. "Hermione," she began, but then she became quiet.

"DO YOU REALIZE HOW ANGRY DRACO WILL BE WITH YOU WHEN HE FINDS OUT? I THOUGHT YOU WERE OVER HARRY! AND HE WAS DRUNK! OH MY GOODNESS, GINNY! HONESTLY!" yelled Hermione, but not loud enough for anyone to hear.

Now Ginny wished she hadn't told. But when Hermione noticed Ginny so somber, she calmed down a bit. Ginny did not speak for a bit. But when she did, she was near tears. "It's just ... I had liked him for so long ... I couldn't resist him. That would have been impossible. When he told me he wanted me, it didn't matter that he was drunk, I couldn't throw that away," Ginny said, now truthfully crying. "I've been lying to Draco all day!"

Hermione put her arm around Ginny's shoulder and held her in a motherly fashion. "Well, yes you have been lying to him ... But err, you know ..." Hermione could not really say anything to make Ginny feel better as she really hated what she had done. Hermione felt utterly uncomfortable.

"I get it, Hermione. I'm a rotten slut," confessed Ginny, self-loathing inflecting her voice, in tears though she wasn't saying that out of self-pity. "Are you going to tell Draco?"

Hermione looked away at this. "No," said Hermione. "Draco's not my friend, you are. But if he is your friend, I think you should tell him."

Ginny said nothing. She knew that would never happen, and absolutely wanted to keep that night a burning secret. Ginny would have to force herself not to act on any actions...It would just never happen again -- Plain and simple. She had learned from it, and it was over. She didn't need to tell Draco, did she?

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" Hermione asked, sounding unhappy.

Ginny still remained quiet as ever. "No," she said. "Sorry, but I'm not going to ruin everything between them that's starting to repair itself..."

But part of it was very selfish, and Ginny (guiltily) knew this.

**

Harry took Draco out to a deserted wood near the Burrow where there was no one. And he had brought Firewhisky along to prove he had gone with Harry to drink, not anything else. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on between them, but Draco wouldn't admit he wanted him back...

Harry sat down against the trunk of a tree, ignoring the moss near his face. Draco sat against the trunk on the tree opposite. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, simply taking in the new atmosphere.

"So how long do you think it'll take before they notice us gone?" asked Draco.

"They probably already have," said Harry, grinning.

"I can hear them screaming Voldemort's come and snatched you up," said Draco, laughing harder.

"Very funny," said Harry, though he was grinning. "Pass me a Firewhisky. Let's get this going."

**

Ron had joined Hermione and Ginny in Ginny's room and they were discussing school and homework. Ginny wouldn't tell her brother any of what had gone on between Harry and her if someone had threatened her with Avada Kedavra.

"Ginny, you shouldn't date," advised a clearly biased Ron condescendingly when the subject had changed to dating. "I mean, really."

"Well thank God I didn't ask for your advice," retorted Ginny. Truthfully, she needed some sort of rebound after all this. "Maybe I'll go out with Draco!"

Now she was just irking her brother. "WHAT? I'm angry enough he's in my house, taking up my best friend!" he exclaimed, letting out the frustration he had been holding in for so long.

"Just kidding!" Ginny teased, and she cried out laughing. So did Hermione a moment later, which cajoled Ginny to run with it. "Maybe you can dump my brother for Draco!"

Ron threw a pillow at Ginny. She was giggling so she hit him with one of her cotton pillows but in the process also hit Hermione. And then Hermione hit Ginny with a pillow. And then Ron hit Ginny. And then Ginny hit Hermione on purpose.

And it was war.

**

Draco swallowed down his fourth Firewhisky and lied down against the hard, earthy ground. He felt dizzy yet happy. He felt a headache coming on but he didn't care. He felt bliss. He felt great and felt no shame.

"You know, the hospital sucked," Draco remarked cynically. Harry was shocked as he had only had two and wasn't quite drunk. Draco had never mentioned the hospital. "It was no fun, buddy."

"I bet," Harry said, barely concealing a chuck, hoping Draco would continue.

"The classes made me feel so stoopid!" Draco said stupidly (ironically), and Harry laughed his head off. Draco attempted to get up, not balancing too well at all. "But that's what they're for!"

Harry hadn't a clue what Draco was talking about. Draco trying to walk towards him tripped and fell on top of Harry. Harry caught him easily. Draco smelled strongly of alcohol which Harry would have no more of. He was scare he'd leak out what he and Ginny had done...

"When you look with your eyes, everything's so nice," said Draco. "And when you look again, it still is!"

"Okay, Draco, buddy," Harry said, laughing. "Kiss me."

And Draco did. He focused on that and not on drinking and it was a simple enough function to know exactly what he was doing. It was more of a wild kiss, though, not the expertise Harry had experienced with Draco on so many times. But Harry would excuse this time because Draco was very drunk.

Draco puts his arms on Harry's chest and began feeling him up. He took Harry's shirt and threw it off. Draco, smiling, took Harry's jeans and kept trying to pull them off. "Stay still," Draco said, and after a moment finally got them off. Harry was nearly naked besides his boxers with snitches on them.

And Draco began sliding those off too, about to bury his head somewhere down, down, down...

**