By Night, By Day, Not a Modern Fairytale

Hmmm...AU HP...

This will get interesting.

I own nothing.

Uozumi

PREMISE

AU. Set modern times. Ron and Draco are the British princes (Draco first in line). Ron gets away with going out at nights and eventually meets up with Hermione. Jealous, Draco tries to take her. NOT a Herm must choose or a Cinderella fic

By Night, By Day: Not a Modern Fairytale

Chapter One: The Prince Arrives

The lights were reverberating with the beat around the room. The dance floor was large and the walls were either wood or plaster, a staircase leading up to a balcony area where many couples were happily snogging in the dark. The dress was somewhat casual to somewhat formal and most people wore black. Some wore leather and a lot of girls left nothing to the imagination, but there were a few who looked like they were normal people amongst what looked like a mass of crazies.

Entering, two young men paid the cover charge, then stepped into the fray, both looking for where to go first without getting lost and separated in the hyperactive crowd. It was an all ages club with music, dancing, and food, which the pair frequented it every Friday night.

"Oi...it's crowded tonight," the redhead of the pair griped as he shoved his way over to the other side of the room to get drinks.

"Yeah," his dark haired friend nodded as they arrived at the modest bar, grabbing a stools where they always sat, glad that they weren't taken, which might have been the case with the oddly large crowd. Soon the woman behind the bar came over, carrying each a coke in a very tall glass.

"Good evening, glad to see you back."

"Well, you know, family holidays," the redhead winked.

The woman giggled, then smiled, "Well, if you two want refills or something other than that, just let me know."

After she had left them to drink their cokes in silence, the dark haired one turned to his friend, "She knows we only come here for a coke, listen to the band, and then leave." Glancing around, he made a face, "This one isn't that good tonight, but they brought probably two or so schools with them."

"I guess..." the redhead surveyed the crowd. "Why do we even come here anymore? Shouldn't it be harder? I think it's getting easier and easier! At this rate, it'll be The Prince and the Pauper with me playing both roles!"

"It already is and don't say things like that!" his friend chided, then spoke in a very urgent whisper, "You can't blow this, Ron, otherwise you'll never get out of there - ever." Then the boy leaned back in his seat, "Besides, be glad that you are the younger one, you can do this; your brother can't."

Ron eyed him, and then finally smiled, "You're right! I think I'll rub it in his face when I get home. Thanks, Harry," and he promptly ordered up a refill for the both of them.

"Why did you do that?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Usually we have a drink, then go."

"I feel like staying out a bit later, it'll make him madder," Ron smirked as Harry sighed.

"But, what about your father? Won't he get mad?"

"Dad? No, never. I don't think he even knows I do this actually," Ron accepted his second coke happily.

Harry blinked at the cavalier attitude towards the subject. "Don't you care that -"

"No, not really. I grew up like this, Harry, you didn't. Your parents are normal people and mine are for the normal people. There's a difference."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"You - You suppose?! Harry, your parents are a teacher and a banker, my parents are -" Ron paused, then dropped his voice so that not even the woman behind the counter could hear, " - mine are the Queen and the King," and he sat back up, speaking normally again, "so see? There is a difference."

"All right, can't argue with that," Harry nodded as he drank a bit of his first coke, not relishing the fact that the ice in his second was melting fast. After a bit, he looked to Ron and inquired, "How do you get away with this again?"

"I go to your school, that's how," the prince smiled. "It's really easy. I'm second in line, no one cares about me, which is why I can do somewhat normal things. I mean everyone at school knows me as 'that bloke with the rich parents that take holidays a lot.' I've got it made. The papers don't latch onto me, so hardly anyone who doesn't care doesn't know me for me."

"You're going to jinx yourself if you keep saying that."

"It's true though. Taking my mother's maiden name was a good idea. Everyone knows me as Ron Weasley, not Ronald," he paused, glancing around as though just saying the name would bring a gaggle of fangirls swooping down on him, "Ronald Malfoy."

"Well if we keep saying it, someone will pick it up, so let's just finish our cokes, and take you to the drop off," Harry started in on his second glass. "I hope they don't get worried when we're late."

"Oh. Yeah. Them," Ron eyed his glass thoughtfully, and then set it down, "I suppose we should go then. I don't want them coming in here after me. That's my biggest fear. If they did that, then people would know there's something more to me getting picked up in a limo a few blocks from school."

"So we aren't staying later?" Harry watched the boy, knowing that sometimes his friend had a way of deciding one thing, taking it back, and then following through with it anyway.

"No, Harry, we aren't," and the sixteen-year-old paid for their drinks then started out across the crowd, Harry scrambling to follow, having not expected that response.

As he walked, Ron glanced at his watch then panicked. It was past ten thirty! He had promised to be at the car by ten! They would come for him! There probably were coming for him right at that moment! He couldn't have his cover blown! He would never be able to go anywhere ever again - !

That was when he felt flat on his face. He had run through the tables unlike Harry who had skirted them so that he could catch up to Ron at the door. Instantly Harry froze and Ron became aware that something white was flying all about him and he heard a groan and an "Oh dear!"

Getting onto his knees, Ron picked up one of the white things, finding it to be a simple card with words printed upon it in black ink. Stuffing it into his pocket for further inspection later, he went to get up when someone grasped his arm.

"You're going to help."

Looking over his shoulder at the command, Ron stared into two fiery caramel-coloured eyes, then rose, shaking the girl's hand from his sleeve. "I have to be somewhere; I can't pick up your cards."

"You knocked them over! Me too!" she thrust an accusing finger at her overturned chair and then indicated all of the white cards that surrounded them. "It's the least you can do!"

"I have places to be."

"Oh I'm sure," the girl spat. "Probably people to do too then!"

"What I do is not your business!"

"Whatever," the girl began gathering the cards all together. "I'll just pick these up myself and -"

"All right then," Ron interrupted, then slipped through the staring crowd and out the door with Harry no one offering to help the girl pick up her business cards.

To be continued...