Chronicles of The Boy Who Lived

The Artist Formerly Known as Draco

*******

Chanel stared disbelievingly at the huge image projected onto the stage screen as the crew set up for the concert. Without realizing it, she had bitten through her lip and a thick drop of crimson spilled onto her collar. She cursed under her breath, and swiped a finger irritably at the small cut.

It was those damned eyes. They were following her.

**

Tori sat in her dressing room, staring at, but not seeing, her reflection in the mirror as her fingers tapped absently on the vanity. The knock on the door brought her back to reality and she got up to answer the door.

She blinked slowly, unsure of whether to smile. "...Hi."

Harry's smile seemed different as well. "Hey. Um, we're supposed to go meet Chanel."

The scene from last night was racing through her head, but if he wasn't going to bring it up... "Okay. Now?" she asked, stepping towards the door and him.

"Er, no. Five minutes."

Tori stopped short, her heart beating faster. "Oh. Okay," she said, turning back to face him, forcing herself to keep eye contact. "And, uh, you're..."

"I--I wanted to, er, apologize for last night," he stammered, trying to say it quickly.

She blinked, then tried to conceal the disappointed look before he saw it as her face drained of color. "Oh."

Embarrassed, Harry looked down, not sure how to start or what to say first. "I shouldn't have--done what I did, er, like that. I--I was upset."

"Oh...okay," Now she felt even worse, and turned her gaze over her shoulder, trying to collect her thoughts.

He looked up to see her staring at the wall, and he realized how she had taken it. Well, he supposed he hadn't said it right--when did he ever? He thought he'd apologize first--it wasn't what he'd meant to do--and then try to explain...well, somehow try to explain how he wanted to, but not like that. "Tori, I meant--"

"No, don't worry about it," she replied shakily, wanting to run out of the room. "No problem."

Now Harry knew he shouldn't have said that first; she was getting the wrong idea. How was he supposed to know which to say first? "Wait, T--"

He was interrupted by a strong voice. "Pardon, Herr, da manager she is looking for you. And you, miss."

Both turned to realize that the door had been left open. Tori quickly followed Olaf. Shaking his head at himself, Harry shoved his hands in his pockets and left.

***

Chanel turned, glaring irritably at Tori, who finally joined her backstage, followed by Harry a minute later. "He's on his last song of the set," she muttered, glancing at the stage monitor.

Onstage, Draco fanned his free hand over the rabid fangirls clawing over each other in the front row seats. The stadium immediately fell quiet, as tranquil as a calm sea. Chanel noticed that his usual self-indulgent smirk was absent.

"As I'm sure you all know, the next song is number three on the German charts--" He was interrupted by wild shrieks as the crowd eagerly anticipated the song. Draco continued, unfazed, "But I'm not going to sing it tonight."

Chanel frowned.

"Instead, I'm going to do this one," Draco said, stepping back and settling himself on a stool as Crabbe broke into a shimmering crescendo of cymbals. Draco's voice was deep and sulky as he began:

"Damn U...
You're so fine...
Seems to happen to me
Each and everytime...
We make love...
I can't hold back...
It's like having a hundred
Million little
Heart attacks...
Damn U...
Baby, you're so fine..."

Harry glanced over to see Chanel staring onstage, and he looked back at Draco, his jaw clenching. Tori looked between the three of them, and grabbed Harry's arm. "Harry," she said suddenly.

He looked at her, then at her hand on his arm. "What is it?" he asked, incensed.

Tori dropped her hand quickly, cursing herself after what he'd just told her. "Uh," she said, looking around, "that stagehand is trying to get your attention."

Harry turned around to see a person frantically waving back by the speakers; Tori could only hope he was gesturing to Harry. Scowling, he abruptly strode away. Tori watched him go before stepping closer to Chanel. "Another song for you?" she whispered loudly, over the song.

Chanel was making quick work of a fingernail. "No," she said, shaking her head resolutely. "Can't be."

"Damn this...
Kooky love affair...
All I ever want to do
Is play in your hair...
Two people...
Crazy in love...
Into one another like
A hand in glove...
Damn this...
Kooky love affair..."

Violins suddenly swelled from the shadows of the darkened stage near the back. As it gradually lightened to reveal a full orchestra, the fans became near frenzied.

Chanel's breath caught in her throat as Draco rose from his stool and walked towards the side of the stage in a slow, trance-like way.

"Like animals...
Just born to breed...
Come...to...think about ya
Baby, you're my only need...
I'm on...fire...
Till you...come and put me out...
All I'm trying to say is that
My psychedelic shouts --
When you damn me...
Damn U...

When I'm in your arms
It's all that I can do...
When we're making love...
I can't hold back...
It's like having a hundred
Million little heart attacks...

Damn U...
Baby, you're...so...fine...

Damn U...
Baby, you're...so...

Fine..."

Tori's eyes widened as she realized that Draco was walking toward their side of the stage. "Chan...?"

Draco stopped abruptly and lifted his hand as he gazed toward the rafters. The women were now slinging various undergarments onstage as a deafening high-pitched squeal erupted from the masses.

Oblivious to this, Draco murmured, "Damn U."

The house lights suddenly went black for effect, leaving the crowd wild and shrieking. With an interesting German accent, the emcee announced the end of the Draco Rockstar portion. The lights came back up, revealing a local group onstage to entertain the audience, marking fifteen minutes until they had to be on.

Chanel broke from her trance, and noticed that Tori was staring at her. Keeping her eyes stubbornly on the monitor, she remarked, "Hm. These kids aren't bad."

"Uh, yeah, Chan, they're great," Tori answered, caught off guard. "Come on, we've got five to get ready."

"I've already got my drums prepped," Chanel said, reaching down and slipping a pair of drumsticks from her boot. "Damn, I love these things. So versatile," she quipped, tossing Tori a playful smile. "Go on, get outta here. I'm cool till we go on."

"Okay," Tori said, incredulous at being dismissed. She walked over to her keyboards, muttering, "Song's not about her. Please."

Over by the lighting panel, Chanel was making sure that the proper spotlights were programmed. Satisfied, she backed away, turned, and nearly collided with Draco.

"Sweet," Draco said solemnly, his face slightly flushed.

Chanel stiffened. "Draco."

His eyes dropped deftly to take her in from head to toe. "Nice boots."

She shifted, making a noncommittal noise.

A crewman with a ladder suddenly yelled, "Behind you!" Chanel quickly stepped forward to avoid being beheaded; Draco caught her to his chest.

Chanel coughed apologetically, attempting to move away when the path had cleared, but Draco held on firmly. "Yet another time I've come to save the day," he quipped, a small grin playing on his lips.

She suddenly felt very warm from being so close, and realized that half the stage crew was watching. "Let go," she hissed softly.

His eyes turned cold. "As you wish."

Unprepared for the abrupt release, she nearly stumbled, watching as Draco turned on his heel and walked away.

***

"One minute!"

Chanel settled into place, lightly tapping the snare. Tori flipped through her music, even though it was already in the right spot; she was apprehensive about that from the last concert. Barely thirty seconds later, lights flooded the stage and a wave of screams engulfed the stage. Chanel and Tori began the intro to 4 Privet Drive as Harry addressed the crowd.

In the twenty seconds between that song's end and Erised, Chanel flexed the muscles of her sore arm, wincing quietly. The movement of her arm caught Tori's attention, who briefly glanced over at her. Then she turned her glance back to Harry, starting the harmony for Erised.

During Snitch, the last song, Chanel cursed as she realized that she had thrown her beat off. She was awarded by a backwards glance from Harry as they finished. The fans screamed as the three bowed and the curtain closed.

Chanel let out a breath of relief and stretched on her stool. Tori shut down the keyboards and moved quickly to the drum set. "Chan--" she started softly, but was interrupted.

"What's wrong, Chanel?" came Harry's voice, as he stopped next to Tori, a curious look on his face.

"Everything's cool. Just having an off night," Chanel turned to look at Tori. "Yes?"

Seeing as Harry beat her to the punch, Tori hesitated. "Er, nothing. I thought maybe we could go out and have a drink."

"Sure. Why not?" Chanel shrugged. "HP? Coming?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," he said, not really sounding sure. "I just want to check in with the crew about the speakers. I'll meet you guys there."

"The car'll know where to take you by then," Chanel said as he took off in a different direction.

In the car, Tori settled back and started cautiously. "Okay, that song was clearly for you. What is Draco up to?"

Chanel snorted, shaking her head. "Tori, we've never..." she trailed off, chuckling. "Really."

Tori's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs. "Fine. But why the song--another one? Are you...interested?"

Chanel eyed her closely. "What are you saying, Tori?"

Tori felt uncertain, but pushed ahead despite that. "Is anything going on between the two of you?"

Chanel sighed noisily. "Look, I can't help it if the man wants to write a song...a steamy one, at that. He's Draco Rockstar, an even more inflated ego than Draco Malfoy, if that's possible," she grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Alright," Tori said, conceding. "Interesting, though, how you seem to inspire his songs lately."

"Little Wild One is not my song," Chanel snapped tersely, causing Tori to pull back in surprise. "And neither is--whatever it's called. Alright, so maybe we've --- but no, we've most definitely never 'made love.'"

"Okay," Tori said, looking out the window as the car stopped at a place two spaces down from their hotel. "We're here."

They stepped out and entered the boisterous beer hall, dodging flying elbows and rowdy patrons as they pushed their way to the back. "Wow, Germany is spirited," Chanel commented.

"I'll say," Tori agreed, as a waiter approached their table.

"House draft," Chanel said quickly.

"Uh," Tori stalled, trying to think. "Vodka and OJ."

Their drinks were brought back quickly. "So, how's HP doing?" Chanel said conversationally.

Tori blinked, and took a long pull of her drink. "I--I don't know. Fine? Is something wrong?"

"No," Chanel said, and left it at that; instead, she massaged her arm absently.

Tori bit her lip, worried. She knew that Chanel probably wanted to say something about the whole 'surprise,' and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it. Feeling anxious, she spoke. "Want a shot?"

"Sure," Chanel said, intrigued. "Order up."

Tori went to the bar and ordered two Kamikazes. She brought the glasses back to the table and set one in front of Chanel.

Taking a swig of her brew, Chanel then immediately reached for the shot, slamming it quickly. "Shit!"

Tori followed with her shot, winced, and set the glass on the table. "What?"

Chanel smiled and sipped her beer. "Nothing. Well, we're sure to get sufficiently pissed. I think my thumping headache will distract me from paying attention to anything else that hurts."

Tori relaxed and smiled back. "We have tomorrow to recover."

Their waiter came to the table and set down three shots and a beer. Behind him was Harry, who pulled out a chair. "Thought we should toast to us; we really didn't do anything after our first concert."

Tori took a shot, examining it. "What did you get?"

"Not sure," Harry shrugged. "I just asked the bartender for three shots of something," he frowned, as Chanel moved as if to grab the other two glasses.

"Just kidding, boss," she laughed.

They clinked their glasses and downed the shot. Chanel set hers down and said, "A word to the wise: Never play a Muggle game involving Wizard rules."

In the process of putting her glass down, Tori frowned, confused. "What do you--oh," she cringed.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, noticing the look on Tori's face.

"...Not quite sure what that was," she offered, glancing at Chanel, who stood up.

"Getting another drink. Shall I do another round for everyone?"

"Sure," Tori said quickly, nervous for two different reasons now. "And some water."

Chanel ended up carrying a massive tray of drinks back to the table herself. "I nearly dropped this fucker," she groaned, sitting down and flexing her arm.

"Hurt your arm?" Harry asked, sliding the tray further onto the table.

"Yeah, I kinda got strong-armed," she smiled tightly and grabbed her stein.

"What?" Tori asked, her mouth open, and Harry frowned slightly.

"Here?" he asked.

Chanel laughed. "It's just an expression, you know. When someone's trying to show you they're boss?"

Tori looked sideways at Harry. "Another shot?" she asked, on edge. Harry still didn't know where they had gone the one night, and Chanel was getting perilously close to spilling the beans.

Chanel looked at Tori curiously. "Yeah, sure."

Harry stood. "Your turn to choose, Chanel."

"I'd like some Jack Daniels," she answered quickly.

Tori started swaying to the music, feeling warm, as Harry left. Chanel fixed her with a look. "What was with that look?"

"You seem to be forgetting that he doesn't know we were out with Draco. Are you going to tell him?"

Chanel ignored the question. "I nearly almost forgot what shitty drumming I did today." She gave her upper arm a brief squeeze. "Thanks, Malfoy," she grumbled.

"Write a song that says Damn Him," Tori offered helpfully, before releasing a deep sigh, resting her chin in her hand. "I haven't botched anything today. On the keyboards, anyways," she said quietly, mostly to herself.

But Chanel heard it, and leaned forward, eyebrow raised. "And just what have you botched?"

Tori swallowed, feeling nervous with Chanel's full attention. "I don't know," Tori started slowly. "I...barely stopped Harry from going after Draco last night. I--I didn't do it right." Well, actually, you did stop him. And how. Though it didn't mean anything.

Chanel considered her words, thinking. "I've botched something, too."

Harry arrived with the shots just then. He handed them out and Tori sniffed hers, making a face. "Whoa, this isn't going to be pretty. Hope you don't mind carrying me back."

She had meant it as a general statement, but Harry turned to her, a comical look on his face. "If I have to," he said, feeling relaxed and somewhat outside his normal self.

"Please, get a room already!" Chanel snorted, and then banged her hand on the table as she started laughing.

There was a pause as Tori swayed and took her shot. Feeling quite feisty and obviously forgetting the conversation in her dressing room, she smiled at Harry. "We don't need a room. How 'bout right here?" she suggested, indicating their table.

Harry hiccupped once. "Works for me."

Chanel's eyes widened as Tori slyly gave her a tipsy grin. "Now I know you're sauced--the both of you."

Then Tori dissolved into furious giggles. "Ha! You've should've seen the look on your face!"

Harry laughed. "She doesn't get surprised like that too often."

"No, Draco does quite well in that department," Chanel mumbled, before slugging her shot.

Feeling dizzy, Tori closed her eyes. Did she just mention Draco? She leaned over until her head was resting on the table.

"All right?" Harry asked, distracted.

"Yeah," came the reply. "I knew that the Jack Daniels wasn't going to agree with me. Think I'm done now."

"I think maybe you should head back, Tori," Chanel snickered. "You're not looking so hot. And how you took that shot of Firewhiskey, I'll never know."

Harry blinked as the word slightly brought him into focus. "I wanted to ask you--"

"Yeah, I didn't like that either, but I did it," Tori lifted her head to stare defiantly at Chanel--both of them. She squinted, trying to decide which Chanel was about to say something about Draco.

Chanel snickered darkly. "I believe it was 'cause of something you didn't want to share. That Draco can be a pretty tricky bastard."

Tori groaned, and lowered her head. "Both of you just spoke."

Harry turned to Chanel. "When were you with Malfoy? Both of you?"

Only hearing his voice, Tori responded, "Wasn't my choice."

"Rat," Chanel growled, as Harry looked at Tori and then back at her. "At least I made sure she didn't kill herself with it."

"Ha!" Tori's head came up, and she glared at Chanel. "Getting drunk was how you made sure?" She slowly turned her head to Harry. "He invited her to dinner...I went...It wasn't that great," she finished, shrugging.

Harry pressed his lips together, trying not to act surprised or look too angry. The alcohol-induced relaxation was now fading fast.

"Didn't mind it so much," Chanel mutterd, gulping down the last of her drink. "There'll be other chances."

Unbelieving, Tori looked at Chanel as Harry leveled a hard stare in her direction. "Other chances? So there was a first?"

"You know Draco. He can be quite persistent," Chanel answered in a semi-loud stage whisper, winking.

Harry opened his mouth to retort when Tori's hand flew out and connected with his knee. "Hey, I need to go," she mumbled to the table, the contents of her stomach swirling. "Can we go?"

There was a pause before Harry answered. "...Sure. You coming?" he asked, standing up and taking hold of Tori's arm, helping her to stand.

"Nope! Round 'em up, boss!" Chanel crowed cheerfully to no one, laughing maniacally to herself as they left.