Under the New Moon

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter 6

The Halogens

I sat on the roof

And kicked off the moss,

Well a few of the verses

Well they got me quite cross,

But the sun's been quite kind

While I wrote this song,

It's for people like you that

Keep it turned on...

It was the day of the big show and Harry, Draco, Ron, Blaise and Viktor were all crowded into a corner of the busy dressing room backstage.

"Parkinson really meant business when she suggested a show," Ron said with a blank look. Apparently he was still in shock after seeing one of the Weird Sisters backstage. They weren't performing, but they had agreed to stop by for the promotional campaign Pansy was orchestrating.

Blaise was sitting on a stool and smoking a magical cigarette that left no smell or aftertaste. "Of course she did," he said. "She was the mastermind behind all of Draco's great tricks."

Draco, who was still having his hair done squirmed away and fixed Blaise with a look of indignation through the mirror. "She was not!" he protested. "I came up with all the ideas, she just made sure they became popular around the school. She is nothing but a - a glorified publicist."

"Sure, little one," Blaise said with a lazy grin.

"I hate you," said Draco and crossed his arms.

Harry snorted and exhaled smoke through his nose. Blaise had offered everyone cigarettes to calm their nerves before the show but only Harry had accepted.

"Like the Weasley is Our King song?" Harry asked. "Or your brilliant Potter stinks badges?"

Draco lifted his nose in the air and allowed the witch in front of him to resume her work. "Like I was going to consort with Hufflepuffs," he said with dignity, looking at Harry through the mirror. "But someone had to get them to wear the badges."

Harry chuckled silently and took another drag. He stared at Draco from under the strands of hair that fell into his eyes.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Would you please stop that? It's distracting."

Harry lifted his hands and gestured around in mock defense, smoke sliding out between amused lips. "What?" he challenged.

Draco returned to ignoring them and Blaise laughed in appreciation.

Harry grinned at him. "What can I say?" he said quietly to Blaise who looked very entertained.

"Are ve done yet?" said an agitated Viktor who strode into their corner of the room, stepping around a harp-playing Hufflepuff.

"Just Malfoy left," said Ron, tugging at his shirt. Viktor slapped his hand away.

"Don't do that," he said sharply.

Ron looked embarrassed.

"If you do not like all the skin showing, Veecly, you may add a coat. Here." Viktor thrust a leather jacket at him. "But do not do it up," he warned.

Ron pulled on the jacket over his army-green tank top. The effect with his red hair was striking, but he didn't notice.

All the boys were wearing clothes that Viktor had chosen especially for them. "To fit your English bodies," he had said with some disdain.

Blaise was wearing a silk shirt of deep red that was open with nothing under it. He also wore black jeans and several silver chains around his neck.

Harry was wearing a black t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and dark purple trousers with half a dozen buckles running down each leg. Around his neck was a thick leather collar with dull spikes coming out of it. His eyes were lined with dark black kohl which he had protested to at first, but when Draco had entered the room seconds after the make up was complete, he had stopped dead, made an undignified squeaking noise and started choking. Blaise had burst into laughter and Harry decided to keep the look.

Draco was dressed entirely in white: white trousers, white tank top, and a knee length white coat over top of it.

Viktor was dressed in a sharp black suit with a white shirt underneath. He claimed Understated Elegance was "vhat the ladies like me in."

"Ok, boys," Viktor said. "Come closer. Ve vill talk now."

Draco hopped off the chair and joined the rest of the group, casting a surreptitious look at Harry's trousers.

Viktor took a deep breath. "I trust you all had enough sleep yesterday?" he asked.

They nodded in unison.

"And you remember your lines?"

More nods.

"Then my vork here is done," he said sagely. "May the grace of Carter be vith you."

There was a pause.

"Who?" asked Ron.

"Von of the boy bands," Viktor said with an impatient wave of his hand. "It is a saying in my circle of artists."

Ron took a small step back.

"Carter!" Viktor insisted. "You know."

"I-" said Ron.

Harry looked at Draco and took advantage of this argument to gently lean against Draco until he had backed them down the wall towards a screen that gave them some brief privacy.

"You look great," he said to Draco.

Draco leaned his head in Harry's shoulder. "I can't believe we're doing this," he replied. "And our name! We can't go out with that."

Harry shrugged. "The Herm-one-ninnies? I kind of like it. It's postmodern."

Draco pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "You would." Merlin, Harry looked good in black.

Harry laughed softly and leaned in to kiss him. Draco's hands slid up his shoulders to grip them as he kissed back. Then Harry pushed his body against Draco's and Draco broke off with a gasp.

"What-" he started.

Harry grinned impishly. "Is there a problem?" he asked, and rubbed softly against him again.

Draco shut his eyes and breathed in through his nose. "No," he said with a sigh. Harry had never tried to take things past heavy kissing and Draco was not about to complain about this new activity of his.

Harry held his hips and rocked against him again. "Like that?" he murmured into Draco's ear.

"Harry," Draco whispered. He pulled Harry's head down and shoved his tongue into his mouth. Harry responded, moving one hand away from Draco's waist and into his hair. Harry pulled tightly as he kissed Draco hungrily, moving against him as he did so.

"Draco Malfoy!" called a female voice from somewhere else in the room.

The boys broke off and looked at each other. Draco let out a shaky laugh and stepped away.

"Pansy?" he called.

"Yes. Are you still changing? Hurry up, I need to talk!"

Draco straightened his clothing and looked pointedly at Harry's crotch and then up at him. "You might want to do something about that," he said pragmatically.

Harry grinned and put a hand on Draco's waist again. "You could do something about that."

Draco's breathing hitched. Harry had never been this - openly sexual around him before and he loathed all the gods that cursed him with this timing. Then again, this could be why Harry was doing this now. The thought made Draco frown.

"We can't now," he said.

"Later, then," Harry challenged.

Draco looked at him. Harry was smirking suggestively, but he thought he saw some uncertainty in his eyes, asking.

Draco smiled in a way he hoped wasn't too eager. "Ok, Potter, if there's time. Merlin knows all the adoring fans will be wanting my autograph later."

For some reason, Harry laughed and the uncertainty in his eyes resolved itself into confidence. Draco knew he was being too obvious.

"I'll hold you to that," Harry told him and kissed him gently before letting go of him.

Draco left, trying to walk straight.

"Draco, I need you to gather your group," Pansy said when he found her.

"That's it?" he asked with some annoyance. "You couldn't have asked Viktor?"

Pansy stared at him. "You weren't changing at all," she said and suddenly looked down at Draco's crotch. Draco scowled and turned away. "At least you took care of it," she said simply.

"Do you have anything else to add?" he asked.

"No. Go, go," she said, turning to a group of house elves wearing cone shaped plastic robes who were trying to get her attention.

***

Sirius was walking with Lupin down the stairs to the performance when they ran into Snape.

They didn't literally run into him, but as they reached the bottom of the stairs Snape walked out of the door to his living quarters. They stopped suddenly, as if they had just run into him, though they did not, because Snape's facial muscles were arranged so strangely Sirius and Lupin could no longer keep moving forward.

Snape looked over at them. His face rearranged itself into a sneer.

"Were you smiling, Snape?" asked Sirius, unable to stop himself.

Lupin tried to nudge him imperceptibly and missed.

"I don't see how it is any of your concern, Black-" He stopped. "Good evening," he said, and began to walk away.

Sirius felt the beginnings of intense confusion. He hated the feeling; somehow it always left him feeling slightly hung over.

Lupin exhaled a sigh of relief beside him and Snape paused.

"Is something the matter, Lupin?" Snape asked casually turning back to look at them.

"No," he replied, sounding wary.

"That's good, because I wouldn't want anything to have inconvenienced you."

Sirius glared at Snape. "Is there something you want to say?" he asked coldly.

"Well, since you asked," said Snape. "Black, I am prepared to put up with you because you have forgiven Narcissa for her miscommunication with the house elf in 1996 and the thing with the werewolf was so long ago that I have mercifully nearly considered forgetting once accidentally."

Sirius stared. "Er-"

"I'm not finished," Snape cut in. He turned his black glittering gaze towards Lupin. "You," he said with great distaste, "I will not pretend to like because my opinion of you suffers more and more each time I am unfortunate enough to pass you in the hall. It seems that dining in my quarters is not sufficient to avoid you, but worry not: I have been promised a job at Beauxbatons when the current Potions Master retires in two years."

The expression on Lupin's face wasn't instantly recognisable. "You're trying to find a new job to avoid me?" he asked softly.

"Certainly," replied Snape, eyes harder than they had been a minute ago. "I despise you. I detest seeing you each day. I loathe the reminder you give me about the damage you have inflicted upon me."

Snape began walking closer and waved his wand at his face.

"Even after I was assured that the entire Order knew whose side I was fighting for, I was brutally attacked by one of the good guys."

His face began changing again; parts of it seemed to disappear, streaks of ugly red scar ran down his face and neck, what looked like a black haze hung around his cheekbones and forehead.

"The healers did a very good job," he said in a level voice, still walking. "I was told that such an operation was not previously possible."

Sirius took an involuntary step back.

"But the magic could not be removed, merely stopped. Your burning spell was so complete that any attempts to restore the flesh were thwarted. They built it back with magical matter so well that it is unnoticeable even to the touch."

Snape stopped directly in front of them. His black eyes were all that remained of the face that had been there an instant ago.

"But Lupin," he hissed softly. "Nothing can undo this. Each time you cast a spell I can feel it. And I was put on trial for Dumbledore's murder when your own war crimes were ignored entirely."

He waved his wand again and his new face was back, eyes blacker than nothingness. "So forgive me ... if I can't seem to forgive you."

And he swept off on a flurry of black robes.

Sirius was stunned and he turned to Lupin. "I didn't know-" He paused at the expression on his friend's face.

Lupin backed up slowly and sat down on the stairs. After a minute, Sirius went to sit with him.

Eventually Lupin said quietly: "I had no idea."

Sirius turned to look at him. He had never seen Remus look quite so small. "You couldn't have known."

"But I did." He looked up at Sirius with glassy golden eyes. "I read the notice earlier that day. It was sent to everyone in the Order. It's just that I've been thinking of him as an enemy for so long, and with everything in the final battle, and he was coming towards you..."

Sirius gently put a hand on his back, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I know you invited her at Christmas. Andromeda didn't come because of me," he continued in that same dead voice. "I know she hates me because of Nym-" he stopped with a hitch in his chest.

"There was nothing you could do, Remus," Sirius said, suspecting his words were useless here. "She was no where near us in the final battle. And Andromeda can't possibly have expected..." He trailed off. Lupin wasn't listening.

"I've never been good at happiness, Sirius," Lupin said softly. "And I've caused less than I've known. What does that say about me? Are some people immune?"

Sirius breathed out a shaky laugh. "Remus... I'm the last person to ask about happiness, but ... I know a thing or two about love."

Lupin's expression shifted ever so slightly. He looked like he might be listening now.

"If you want to talk about what you've caused, look at it this way: Snape... ok, that was bad, I'm not going to lie to you, but no - Remus, look at me. Tonks wasn't your fault!" Sirius yelled, not sure why he was getting so upset. Moony kept looking like that and Sirius thought he could feel his friend's pain as if it were his own. He doesn't know, Sirius thought. He doesn't know how much he means to me.

"When I was stuck in the darkness for all that time, I didn't really know what was going on, but I had strange memories of my life up until then and I remembered you. I remembered you," he repeated. He looked into Lupin's face, still bearing that indecipherable expression.

"I thought - maybe that I shouldn't go where the darkness was pulling me. If you were still out there, maybe I should wait. Just - I don't know... I mean... What I know is... Oh, Merlin, Remus, I'd be so lost without you." His last words rushed out carelessly, but as he said them he knew somehow that they were the right ones.

Lupin's wrinkles deepened on his forehead as he looked at him.

"That was beyond incoherent," Sirius said, "I know, but-"

Lupin leaned in suddenly and kissed him.

Sirius's eyes widened in surprised and he saw Lupin's eyes shut tightly as he kissed him. He felt Lupin's hands gripping his arms like they wanted to crush him. The moment seemed to hold very still and Sirius didn't know how to react.

Then the kiss was over and Lupin leaned his forward and rested his forehead against Sirius's chest. Sirius's lips were still slightly parted and he could taste his friend on his lips.

Lupin still gripped Sirius's arms and he made a strange sound. It took Sirius a moment to realise it was a sob. Lupin sobbed again into his chest.

Sirius didn't know much about happiness, but he knew a thing or two about love, and when someone you love is crying on you, the last thing you are supposed to do is ask them awkward questions about their sexual orientation.

So Sirius gently disconnected Lupin's grip on his arms and pulled him closer. Lupin didn't relax, but instead tensed even more and sobbed even harder.

"Shh," Sirius whispered, softly stroking his hair. "Shhh. I've got you. I've got you..."

Lupin clung to the front of his robes and cried for a very long time. No one came down the corridor but Sirius might not have noticed if they had. When Lupin fell asleep, he levitated him to his room and put him in his bed.

There was a moment in which Sirius wondered if he should stay, but the moment didn't last long. He sat down on the chair by the window and watched the grey sunset. He wondered if love was harder than happiness and they were just over-thinking it. But he thought of Remus and James and Harry and decided that love, possibly, was the easiest thing of all.

***

Draco found the other four in the same corner again. Ron was now holding a cigarette and was asking Blaise about the whole thing.

"But what's the point of it?" he pushed.

Blaise looked irritated. "It's just for style," he said.

"Hermione said they can kill you," Ron added, looking at the small stick uncertainly.

"Not the wizarding kind," Blaise told him.

Harry was leaning back on a chair and nodded coolly at Draco when he came near. Draco wished sometimes that they could be together openly, but Harry didn't think Ron was ready for that kind of information yet, and Draco knew the Professor Black scheme wouldn't allow for their relationship to be made public, and so they kept quiet. Pansy, Granger and Blaise knew, but Draco didn't think anyone else did yet.

"How sure are you?" Ron asked again. "Because Hermione-"

"Oh for-" Blaise made a grab for the cigarette from which Ron maneuvered away. "Just don't smoke it if you don't want to."

Ron took another puff. "I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "It's kind of soothing."

Blaise refrained from throttling him.

Draco cleared his throat. "We're on next," he said.

The looks on their faces was almost worth ending Blaise and Ron's argument, in Draco's opinion. All cigarettes were extinguished and people looked around for their magical microphones.

"Today, Herm-one-ninnies!" Viktor said shrilly, which only seemed to compound the panic.

They headed over to the side of the stage where Pansy, resplendent in a pink mini skirt and fitted black jumper as the master of ceremonies, was waiting.

An enthusiastic applause went up as the last performance finished, and Luna Lovegood walked offstage with what looked like an oboe.

"Tough crowd," she said to Harry with a wink. Harry grinned back at her.

"Ok, boys, you know what to do," Pansy said, running her fingers through her hair. "Wait, Draco!" she hissed as she walked away. "What's your name?"

Draco felt the blood rushing into his cheeks and hoped all the powder they had put on him would actually work. "Er," he said.

"Hurry," said Pansy.

Next to him, Ron clapped a sympathetic hand on his shoulder and Draco knew the full extent of the horror of their name.

"The, er ... the Herm-one-ninnies," he managed to say.

Pansy stared at him. "You're kidding," she said eventually.

Draco shook his head.

***

Hermione sat with Ginny in the rows of seats that had been magically assembled in the great hall for Pansy Parkinson's fundraiser for The Three Broomsticks. Personally, Hermione felt it was a worthy cause, but she Ron's behaviour over the last week had worried her; he had started acting erratically saying things like, "Viktor said soup should only be eaten twice a veek - I mean - week," at meals. In contrast, Hermione noticed Harry had become distracted, almost distant, and when asked what he was thinking about, he would offer, "Quidditch?" and wander off to find Malfoy.

Now the curtains closed after Luna's somewhat confusing performance which was nevertheless greeted with enthusiastic applause; since her role in the final battle against the Death Eaters, she had gained more respect. Some people had even commented, upon hearing that she was dating Neville Longbottom, that "she could do better".

Now Pansy was walking across the stage again looking pleased and entitled. Her eye shadow glittered out at the crowd.

"Our next performance," she said, "is a group of five very talented men. Performing Unforgivable Love, please put your hands together for... The Halogens!"

Hermione clapped along with the rest of the audience.

"Is this Ron and Harry's group?" Ginny asked beside her.

The curtain opened, and all Hermione could manage was a gasp.

***

The lone spotlight illuminated a dark figure sitting on a stool holding a guitar. The crowd hushed.

The ominous twang of a single string rang out. It was followed by another.

The figure glanced up at the audience and tossed his head. His eyes glittered.

He lowered his eyes and struck four more strings which began to form a semblance of a tune.

"Sometimes..."

Harry's voice rang out, husky, but quivering with emotion.

"I see... That we were never meant to be..."

His guitar continued the melody.

"Sometimes... I know... That my feelings I cannot show..."

A second spotlight appeared, illuminating a figure dressed all in white walking on from the side of the stage. The figure held a microphone and his clear voice rang out.

"But the last time you touched my heart with your magic, I knew that I could never let you go..."

Harry continued the light guitar melody as Draco joined him on stage. There was a whistle from the back of the room.

"There's just one thing... instead of sweet love potions... on me you used the Crucio!"

Suddenly the stage was illuminated with multicoloured flashing lights. Harry jumped off his stool, which Draco vanished with his wand. An expansive set of drums were raised up through the back of the stage with Ron sitting behind them. Blaise and Viktor strode out from either side of the stage and joined Harry and Draco in a line, facing the audience.

Harry's guitar suddenly transformed into an electric guitar and he struck it hard, blasting their music over the crowd. Ron added to the chaos on the drums.

The crowd went wild.

The four boys brought their left feet down and jumped in unison. One arm was used to sweep over the crowd. Girls screamed.

Then they all sang: "You always do this, baby... Curse me from up above... But I want you, oh yeah, and... your un!-for!-givable love!"

The crowd screamed as the boys danced again.

Then Blaise strode front and centre. "Avada Kedavra they say... is the worst of all... but baby, I know I've never felt pain... like the cruelty of your call..."

Viktor sang: "I vonder if you know the effect your magic has... Cause vhen you cast, oh baby, the spells are cast to last..."

Harry laughed wickedly and hit the power chords on the guitar again.

They sang together again with one of them occasionally adding their own personal touch to the song.

"You always do this baby..."

"Alvays..."

"Curse me from up above..."

"Hey!" Blaise exclaimed with a nod to three girls in the front row. They glowed.

"But I want you, oh yeah and..."

Draco hummed into his microphone.

"Your un!-for!-givable love!"

The drums, electric guitar and loud music abruptly stopped, and the lights dimmed to a faint blue.

The boys on stage suddenly looked very serious. The music softened. Harry's guitar was no where to be seen, and they all stopped dancing.

Draco sang softly with one arm stretched out towards the audience. "You use Imperio in speech... so I think of only you..."

Harry continued with his fist clenched by the side of his face. "But your spells have run their course, and I hope Azkaban treats you as well as I do..."

The was a pause. Harry looked at the crowd from under the dark hair that fell into his eyes. The room held it's breath. In that instant, Harry slowly grinned. Then he brought his foot down on the floor, causing his guitar to fly up from under the stage. He caught it and hit the strings again as the music came back with a bang.

"You always do this baby..."

They spun and continued dancing. The intensity of the music grew. Harry and Draco caught each other's eyes and grinned.

"Curse me from up above..."

"Hey!"

"But I want you, oh yeah, and..."

"Uh-huh..."

"Your un!-for!-givable--"

Sparks exploded on stage behind them to the cheers. Ron went wild on the drums.

"You always do this baby!..."

"Ohh!"

"Curse me from up above!..."

"Mmm-hmm!"

"But I want you, oh yeah, and..."

"Your un!-for!-givable--"

"Your un!-for!-givable--"

The music sharpened.

"Your un!-for!-givable love!"

The room exploded with cheering. Girls screamed, and people whistled from every side.

Harry sang softly into the microphone: "Baby, you know you're mine... and I'll forgive you... every... time..." This added to the crowd's enthusiasm.

The boys all grinned out at the audience and took a bow. This only seemed to increase the screams.

Blaise took off his shirt and threw it out to the girls in the front row. One of them swooned.

Draco laughed.

Harry kissed two of his fingers and directed them to the crowd.

They bowed again, and the curtain closed to the roar of the audience.

If I was a sculptor

But then again, no,

Or a man who makes potions in a

Traveling show,

Oh I - know it's not much

But it's the best I can do,

My gift is my song

And this one's for you