Chronicles of The Boy Who Lived

*******

Her brain suddenly registered daylight as Chanel blinked behind her owlish glasses, slowly bringing everything into focus. And he was the first thing she saw, his billboard looming over the fine tangle of Plymouth's urban sprawl.

She must have been sitting in her bedroom window since Tori left the evening before; a pen and paper with nothing on it were still lying limp in her lap.

Chanel climbed down from the high, splintery sill and gave her legs a ruthless stretching. She peeked out into the empty living room, listening for other signs of life, but both Tori and Harry seemed to be gone. She hunted around the flat for empty boxes and freed up a couple of laundry baskets, then went about the business of carefully packing them with flowers.

The taxi driver very kindly did not ask questions, nor did Sharon when she rang Chanel up into the suite, watching the room slowly swell with bouquet upon bouquet of hyacinths. Sharon quietly looked over her moon-shaped glasses at the flowers, making her face very plain. But her teeth steadily worried her lower lip as if suddenly she pictured herself caught in a desperate, unavoidable train wreck.

A hot shower and several hours of sleep later, Chanel carefully applied a thin coat of mascara to her pitifully short lashes. She blinked back the slippery contacts, swiping away a clump of goop before it had the chance to smudge. Her eyes landed on the concert passes stuck to the vanity mirror of her dressing room. She hated herself for talking Tori into what could only promise to be another strange misadventure involving Draco.

She hated herself even more for getting pretty -- for him.

Defiantly, Chanel went back to glaring at herself in the mirror, not realizing her teeth were kneading the fresh coat of blackberry lipstick from her lips.

A beautiful train wreck indeed.

***

Just as Chanel expected, Harry was too preoccupied with all things technical to say but a precious few words before rushing off to re-inspect their instruments. Normally she would have grumbled over his anal retentiveness, but at that moment it was a relief. When Harry slowed down long enough to become suspicious, he asked questions -- cartloads -- and he was damned near unshakable until he got explanations he found satisfactory.

Not that Tori couldn't give Harry a run for his Galleons -- Chanel had heard Tori quizzing him that night ad nauseum about all things magic until she'd run out of steam. And it wasn't that Tori hadn't attempted to sort some things out through her once. But Chanel had a gift for adopting a rather stony expression on cue. This was the best kind of deterrence against the curious Muggle.

And she found herself using it again as Tori gave her a tiny frown of confusion over her shoulder. "Your last encounter with him didn't seem to go too well...and you want to go again?"

Chanel clasped two small gold hoops in her ears, glancing briefly at the other woman's reflection. "It's something you said the other day, about ignoring him. I think it would just make things worse if I did. Ready?"

"I guess..." Tori agreed, however reluctantly. "This will make for two interesting concerts tonight."

Chanel snatched the passes from the mirror and whirled around to hand one to Tori, moving towards the door. "I didn't notice until now, but...these are front row, dead center." She hiked a brow sharply.

Tori rolled her eyes as she stepped out. "He must want to make sure we see him."

Chanel shut the door, quickly setting the pace down the long winding hall, skirting the thick crush of people jammed behind the gate of the main entrance. Most watched them flit by with stunned bewilderment and a few screeched and hollered after them, waving notebooks and magazines. Wow. How the hell did we become "somebodies" overnight? she mused, though she already knew the answer.

They flashed their passes to two armed security guards and a set of heavy metal doors snapped open in front of them. They were suddenly whisked down the empty front center aisle under the cover of the murky pre-show lighting, immediately sinking into the plush seats and looking around in awe. The windows of the box seats glittered in the darkness.

"This is crazy. I've never seen a turn-out like this before," Chanel murmured, craning her neck to view the slowly-filling stadium.

"I thought I had just gotten over that...but you're right, this is huge..." Tori suddenly took a sweeping, anxious look of their area. "Are we going to be safe in the front? Will we be in one piece when it's our turn?"

Chanel snorted softly, grabbing two programs from a nearby vendor.

A warm-up band took the stage, launching into a pounding medley of classics from Queen while people began filing into seats. "Angus Angst," Chanel muttered, reading the program. "Never heard of them."

The band wrapped up their performance to a modest amount of applause as the lead singer bellowed into the whining microphone, "THANK YOU, ENGLAND!!" before scuttling off stage as the houselights dropped. A low, deafening roar suddenly rolled beneath their feet, trembling through their bodies like an earthquake.

Chanel threw a slightly startled glance at Tori. Even in the gloom, she could make out the other woman's pale face.

"Yeah, next time I'll watch from backstage," Tori quipped thinly, shuddering at the wave of noise.

"DRACO. DRACO. DRACO. DRACO."

A deep hypnotic chant pulsed through the electric air, pushing Chanel's own heartbeat into a strange flux. An interminable amount of time passed and the stage remained suspicious empty. The steady, pounding call continued without breaking, growing louder and more thunderous.

Suddenly, a beam of brilliant green light shot high into the rafters and other eerie slivers appeared from all over the arena, meeting at a single point. A huge, glowing skull throbbed at the juncture of the lasers, a snake writhing from its mouth.

Chanel slumped back into her seat, completely awestruck. "It's -- the Dark Mark," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

A loud, cracking explosion rocked the stage and everyone snapped their heads forward to catch a lone figure sauntering through a thick plume of smoke. The gleam of black boots and leather set off the sweep of stunning platinum hair and pale, luminous skin. A sleek silver guitar was slung casually over his left shoulder, jutting sharply against his hip with every step.

Chanel quickly averted her eyes as Draco strolled forward, a tiny smirk playing on his lips, his cool silvery gaze indifferent yet puncturing.

He lifted a hand and waved it slowly over the air, the crowd immediately calming to a whisper soft lull. The random shriek of "I LOVE YOU, DRACO!!!" suddenly rung out from the upper deck. His brow jutted archly in her direction and she fell into a complete stupor. With a trained, almost bored patience, he paused in the silence before approaching his microphone.

"Well, hello, hello, hello..." he growled playfully.

The arena exploded in great whoops and screams and again he raised his hand, instantly muting the pandemonium.

"I know what you want -- but I'm not going to give it to you."

A low buzzing murmur of dissension swelled. Chanel darted a quick look at Tori from the corner of of her eye.

Draco continued smoothly, unfazed. "I'd thought I'd start off with something a little...different tonight. This song has not yet been released by Draco Rockstar, so you'll be the first to hear it. Think of it as a gift, if you will."

Draco's lip curled sardonically. "This is to Firewhiskey."

The audience erupted in cheers and bursts of green and silver banners.

The words echoed hollowly in Chanel's mind. Tori's eyes widened, her face blanching under the surging charge of the crowd. "Firewhiskey? Oh, no..."

On either side of him, two platforms rose from below stage, revealing Crabbe behind a drum set and Goyle poised behind a microphone, an electric guitar stiffly in hand. Crabbe immediately launched into an up-tempo rock beat of the early sixties. Draco swung his guitar around and leaned into the microphone, his voice a dulcet, snarling tenor:

'Little wild one...
My little wild one...
Oh, I love my girl fine
When I need a wild time...
Little wild one, I'll come back to you...

All the girls in school
Were never quite as cool as you...
They would all tease and talk
And you were all
"C'mon" and "Let's do"...

With them, I feel like I'm wasting my time
When you make me feel like I'm losing my mind!

Little wild one...
My little wild one...
Oh, I love my girl fine
But when I need a wild time...
Little wild one, I'll come back to you' ...

Chanel's mouth slipped open and she lowered her head, her heart thundering in her chest. Her throat tightened as she swallowed convulsively around a lump that suddenly appeared. She could sense Tori's brow rising without turning to look.

"...I'm guessing he's talking about you," Tori began with a cautious amount of amusement. "You know I don't think---well---but that is...wow..."

She meant to snap a look at Tori, but her eyes caught Draco and he slyly tipped her a wink.

'With them, I feel like I'm wasting my time
But you make me feel like I'm losing my mind!

Little wild one...
My little wild one...
Oh, I love my girl fine
But when I need a wild time --

Little wild one, I'll come back --
Little wild one, I'll come back --
Little wild one, I'll come back...to...you...'

Chanel drew in a shaky breath. "Tori, I need to go."

Tori eyed Chanel closely. "Alright, let's go...can't have you like this later." She gently took Chanel's arm and they eased their way through the frenzy and out of the arena.

Their heels clacked in the strange emptiness of the hall, the dull roar of music fading further behind them. Chanel quickly pulled up to her dressing room, turning to Tori. "I just need a minute. I'll meet you?"

Tori nodded before heading to her room.

The door clicked softly behind Chanel and she leaned against it, closing her eyes. "Firewhiskey," she muttered, stunned, and then fell silent, her mind whirling in a maddening blur of thought and color.

The Dark Mark.

She instantly felt the quake return to her chest as the image blazed before her again. It was like a teasing, horrible glimpse of the Dark Lord. Terrifying, and yet almost too enthralling to turn away from --

Harry.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, the reverie broken. She twisted the doorknob sharply, swinging out into the hall. As she turned to thrust the key in the lock, the sudden clap of footfalls sounded directly behind her. She whirled around, nearly crying out, her face instantly crumpling in confusion instead.

"Draco?"

His arms were crossed firmly over his leather jacket, eyes glittering. "You never cease to amaze me."

"You shouldn't Apparate on people like that." Chanel squared her shoulders, glancing quickly in both directions down the empty hall. "What are you doing here?"

His expression hardened. "I could ask you the same."

Her eyes flickered. "I'm not the one who supposed to be on stage performing -- now."

"No, you're right. You're the one who's supposed to be watching."

She stared at him incredulously, an unintelligible noise nearly escaping her. Her arms stitched themselves tightly across her chest as she gave her head a helpless toss.

"Chanel Steele, actually at a loss for words?" He clucked his tongue, mocking softly. "Seems I have just the right sort of effect on you."

"Don't flatter yourself," she snapped. "You have a concert to finish -- or are you so 'above it all' that money means nothing to you?"

Draco slowly uncrossed his arms, butting his shoulder against the wall. "Didn't feel like it. Besides, I gave them three great songs." He paused, a strange kind of smile warming his face. "Did you like yours?"

"What does it matter if I --" she stopped abruptly, her mouth tightening. "That's not my song."

"Isn't it?" He hiked his brow gently.

"No," she expelled a long, irritated breath, wishing for a stronger retort.

"Hm. Methinks the witch doth protest too much."

"You've got some nerve --" she hissed.

His hand flashed before her face in a halting motion. She felt her jaws click shut, her tongue suddenly thick along the roof of her mouth. Her throat began expanding with a sharp gasp of air and then froze, as if she were waiting for a sneeze to pass. Only it didn't. She panicked, her eyes widening as she realized it prevented her speaking or breathing -- until she felt the frantic bursts of air from her nose.

Draco moved in closer. "A bit of wandless magic. You like?" he chuckled darkly.

She clenched her fists at her sides, trembling with silent fury.

He continued casually. "Learned it from a book I stole in Knockturn Alley my second year at Hogwarts. Seems rather easy, but it's amazingly hard to master. Quite a few house elves went unconscious before I got it right."

Fear instantly lit her eyes.

"Not to worry, Chanel. None of them actually died."

A short indignant huff escaped her nostrils.

He smiled upon her kindly. "You've returned my flowers. I want to know why." His hand briefly snapped across the air in front of her face as if swatting away a fly.

Her jaw suddenly swung open like an unlatched gate, her muscles feeling slack and slightly numb as she expelled a forceful breath. "I can't be bought. Unlike some witches."

"Care to clarify that? Vagueness really doesn't suit you," he growled.

"Pansy," she said evenly.

"Pansy? Yes, what about her?"

Chanel gave her chin an indignant tilt. "Sharon told me she's staying in the villa with the Veelas. Was she at the concert?"

"Yes." Draco took in a breath sharply. "But what has any of this got to do with her?"

"Everything," she answered calmly, throwing a glance towards Tori's room. "Look, right now's not a good time --"

He quickly closed the space between them, grasping her arm. "Now is the best time."

She swallowed thickly, caught between anger and weakness. "Please -- "

"A word I thought I'd never hear from you," he drawled.

"-- Let go," she finished, feeling slightly breathless.

His laugh was thick and husky. "I don't think you want me to."

The cool, gentle puff of his breath was on her lips. She shut her eyes, her heart crackling painfully against her ribcage.

Suddenly, the door next to them opened and Tori stepped out, running straight into the two of them. "Oh, damn," she muttered, righting herself quickly.

Chanel's eyes flew open and she blinked against her shifting contacts. Draco snapped his head towards Tori, straightening himself, his fingers uncurling from Chanel's arm.

"Klug," he muttered brusquely. His eyes turned meaningfully on Chanel.

Her shoulders stiffened. "Later."

He considered Chanel for a moment before a slow-burning grin twitched at his mouth. "Later, Sweet." He pushed off, strolling coolly down the hall.

She cleared her throat, feeling a sting in her cheeks as she looked away from Tori's open expression. Tori considered a few different questions before only saying, "Come on, we have to get ready."

***

Tori stood off to the side, backstage, by herself once more. Again, all three had been told they should expect a delay. Harry had gone to recheck the speakers, and Chanel had gone back to her room. But Tori found a spot where she could watch them.

Because there was something she was trying desperately to understand about the Veela's portion of the concert.

She'd heard from Chanel that they only sang one song and it stretched on for hours, while their all-male audience swayed drunkenly like mad zombies.

This concert, the girls came on stage and said nothing. And yet this low, eerie hum rose from the entire crowd. Their eyes were fixed and glazed on the three supernatural beauties, who alternately winked, blinked and blew kisses. One in particular began stroking her impossibly long corn silk hair and a fan near the front began shrieking like a madman.

Tori was horribly disturbed and tried to go back to her dressing room. It was harder than it seemed, as most of the stagehands were stuck like stone in their places and pushing against the dead weight was frighteningly like being caught in a meat locker.

Their portion of the concert took over two hours. Security had been called in to clear away the men, but then the male officers were soon standing around like listless oafs.

Sharon had the brilliant idea to cut off the lights in the arena. The sudden flooding of darkness seemed to snap them out of their daze. They all slowly filed out, like the walking dead, back to their worried families and anxious wives.

***

Tori knocked on Chanel's door two hours later, having been told that the Veelas had finally left the stage and they were due on in ten minutes.

In her hand was the song list, which had her frowning, confused. It read:

4 Privet Drive
Witchy Woman
The Daily Profit
My Creature's Keeper
Do You Believe in Magic
Erised (instrumental)
Tears of the Phoenix
Movable Feast
Seal of Gryffindor (instrumental)
Snitch
**Untitled**

"Hey, what's with Untitled? How come no one told me?" Tori asked as Chanel opened her door.

"Don't worry about it," Chanel said, stepping out of her room.

Tori sighed inwardly, recognizing the shut-up tone. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," Chanel answered after a moment. She coughed and spoke rapidly. "Thanks for going."

"Sure. Glad you're feeling better."

"Sharon asked if I liked 'my song,' Chanel grumbled.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I don't remember my answer, but Sharon wiped the smile off her face and patted my hand."

"Hm."

"Where does he get off telling people that was my song?" Chanel burst out.

Tori stifled a laugh. He probably does get off from that... "Just by saying that would be my guess."

Chanel shook her head tiredly as they approached the stage, where the glare from the lights was practically blinding.

They saw Harry on the other side of the stage, checking the speakers.

"That has got to be the third time he's checked them; he was doing that when we got here." Chanel said.

"Shouldn't we tell him about Goyle?" Tori asked, as he caught sight of them and disappeared backstage.

Chanel fixed her with a look. "Want to tell him how we know?"

"Oh," said Tori knowingly.

***

Five minutes later, they were situated and ready as the curtain rose and the crowd began cheering. Harry quickly apologized to the crowd about the 'delay,' to which Chanel frowned.

Harry glanced back at the girls and nodded, snaring into the dark beat of 4 Privet Drive. The crowd roared suddenly, causing Tori to look up and key off momentarily. She caught Chanel's warning glance and murmured 'Sorry' to no one in particular.

As the crescendo of the first song died away, they immediately picked up on Witchy Woman.

"Raven hair and ruby lips,
Sparks fly from her fingertips
Echoed voices in the night,
She's a restless spirit on an endless flight

Ooh, ooh, witchy woman, see how high she flies
Ooh, ooh, witchy woman, she got the moon in her eye

She held me spellbound in the night,
Dancing shadows and firelight
Crazy laughter in another room,
And she drove herself to madness with a silver spoon

Ooh, ooh, witchy woman, see how high she flies
Ooh, ooh, witchy woman, she got the moon in her eye

Well, I know you want a lover, let me tell you, brother,
She's been sleeping in the devil's bed."

Harry visibly relaxed as the song ended. "Thank you! Our next song goes out to all the Rita Skeeters in the world...Daily Profit." He broke into a wild, angry lick on the guitar.

Chanel raised an eyebrow. We didn't practice it like this... She glanced at Tori, who shrugged, amused.

The head-banging subsided as Harry ended the song with a few wah-wahs on the guitar, before wiping his brow with his sleeve. "Thank you--" he stopped, as five shirts came flying at him from the front row.

Chanel snickered, taking the opportunity to run over to Tori. "I made some changes to the line up," she whispered, handing over the sheet music for the final songs.

"Okay..." Tori glanced at the music. My Creature's Keeper, Do You Believe in Magic, Snitch, Untitled. She quickly rifled through the music, feeling panicky. "Where's the sheet music for Untitled? We didn't practice that! Chan!"

Chanel didn't answer, but scurried back to the drums as a security officer picked up the last of the shirts and hurried off stage.

Harry immediately began the silly intro to My Creature's Keeper.

"Well, he had the heart
Of a giant
The pride and laughter, too..."

Following that song was Do You Believe in Magic. Tori was too busy playing to think any more about the mysterious Untitled. Besides, Chanel would have her head if she keyed off again.

As the crowd sang the last repeat of the chorus, Chanel nodded at Tori, who began the opening to Snitch with a wild flourish, her fingers flying furiously up and down the keyboard, barely giving the crowd a chance to unwind and sit down. They immediately began screaming again, jumping up and down unabashedly as Harry began:

"Snitch!
What I find
I'm keeping
You best be believing..."

As the song faded out, Harry looked back at Chanel, slightly nervous. He was just as in the dark about this sudden change, having read through the song list moments before being ushered on stage. He had held back to ask what it was, but she waved him on ahead of her, telling him not to worry.

"Thank you! Thank you. Um, we've got a...special treat for you to end the show, courtesy of our manager, Anti-Sweet."

Chanel stood up and waved at the crowd. The audience applauded, but the stage lights started to go down, and a silence fell over the crowd.

Harry quickly walked off stage left, but Tori stood there, confused. What the hell was going on?

Chanel grabbed her arm a little roughly and pulled her off to the opposite side of the stage. "Good job."

Before Tori could gather her wits to say anything, an enormous image suddenly appeared, blazing against the background onstage.

The voice of the house emcee boomed: "Ladies and gentlemen, The Boy Who Lived presents to you this special feature...Ms. Mariah Carey!!"

The crowd went absolutely wild as the spotlight found the stage, revealing Madame Butterfly herself. "Thank you! Thank you! No, I love you!"

From backstage, Tori turned to Chanel, confused. "You didn't tell me about this why?"

Chanel didn't answer, but watched as Mariah thanked the band for having her tonight. Mariah turned to look at Harry offstage, who blushed. "Truly, you are an inspiration."

The fans concurred with more screaming, and Mariah laughed. "Tonight, I dedicate this song to you, Harry. So you know that no matter what, through thick and thin, you've got a friend."

The crowd quieted somewhat as her band began playing, and she began to sing:

"If you're lonely and need a friend
And troubles seem like they never end
Just remember to keep the faith
And love will be there to light the way

Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
Love will make it all right

When the shadows are closing in
And your spirit diminishing
Just remember you're not alone
And love will be there to guide you home

If you just believe in me
I will love you endlessly
Take my hand
Take me into your heart
I'll be there forever, baby
I won't let go, I'll never let go!

Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
It's all right, it's all right."

The crowd sang along, waving more than a few lighters, some faces even wet with tears.

Backstage, Tori watched, feeling better. So it was a surprise for Harry, big deal... For a brief moment, she had thought that the 'surprise' had had something to do with herself.

As the song ended and the crowd went wild, roaring and screaming, Mariah breathed, "From, BB."

In all the chaotic cheering, no one in the crowd heard her. But the three people standing just off stage did, and their reactions were mixed.

Next to Tori, Chanel's heart came to a stop with a single solitary thud.

What. The. FUCK.

Her name had completely disappeared from the dedication. Her name, which had been first.

Tori froze, unable to turn and look at Chanel; her face started to burn. That was the reason for the secrecy? Was this her idea of a joke?

On the other side of the stage, Harry's mouth had dropped, and he found that he couldn't will it to close. He had already been planning to tell Chanel off for the surprise guest singing a song to him. But after hearing that...

He had noticed that Tori had been looking at him in a slightly different way lately, to which he assumed that it was because she had caught him looking at her more often than usual. He had never been too skilled at concealing things like that. But she hadn't seemed put off by it, unless he was misconstruing her reaction to his apparently not-so-subtle staring.

His ill-conceived 'plan' had been to wait until after they had been on tour for a bit, give her enough time to adjust...he was strangely hopeful, seeing her reaction thus far, even though he knew that she wasn't being exposed to what he had told her about. He guessed in the back of his mind that if and when the magic popped up, undoubtedly somewhere unexpected, her reaction would change--probably drastically.

Deep down, he knew he was most likely crazy to think that, but perhaps the way she looked at him meant the same thing as him looking at her. He had meant to figure it out, among other things, after she'd had a chance to absorb it all... perhaps if she wasn't still struggling with the magic aspect...maybe, just maybe...

But, this---this was surprising. This had caught him off-guard---way off-guard. Harry wasn't sure what to make of it; it didn't seem like something she'd do, which meant that it was probably Chanel's idea. Even so, it didn't seem like something that Tori would agree to; which meant that she probably had been in the dark just as much as he had been. Did that mean what he thought it meant? What exactly did he think it meant? Was he supposed to do something? What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say?

They were standing there, Tori and Harry, shell-shocked, looking like a couple of starved kittens. Chanel snapped her eyes from both of them, swearing hotly under her breath.

Tori's legs felt like Jell-O. How could Chanel have done this? Oh, God, oh, God, oh God..no...I wasn't going to do this, I wasn't going to do anything about it... She managed to turn to Chanel, her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

The house lights came up as the emcee thanked the audience and bade them good night. They could both see Harry on the other side, transfixed, unmoving, looking across the way at them.

Terribly flustered, Tori turned and started walking. Chanel quickly turned to stomp away and nearly stumbled over some wiring.

Apparently, Harry had had the same idea, as they all arrived at Chanel's dressing room at the same time. Tori stopped, looking anywhere but at Harry. They all stood there, mute, until Chanel pulled her door open and walked in, quickly followed by Tori and then Harry.

"That--that was the--surprise?" Harry managed, as if he'd forgotten how to use his voice.

Chanel caught the brilliant green eyes, waiting, and she strangled something dark and churning that was rising in her throat.

"Yeah. Sure," she muttered tautly, flashing him a tight smile. "Right. So the next stop is Cologne. We leave tomorrow; unless Draco changes anything. Gotta make sure the flat is packed and empty --" Taking a breath, she looked at Harry. "Is that it?" she asked forcefully, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Harry nodded dumbly, to which Chanel said, "Let's go," and practically flew through her door. Tori hurried to follow, but Harry cleared his throat, and she paused, just at the door. Shakily, she turned around. "Yeah?" she said hesitantly, her voice hoarse and cracking.

"Uh, that was...uh, thanks," he said, trying a brief smile, causing Tori to freeze and blink, her stomach pausing mid-churn.

It wasn't my idea, her mind shouted. It really wasn't...

"S--sure," she managed to choke out after a brief pause, meeting his gaze quickly before turning and hurrying after Chanel, unable to say more.