Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or Harry Potter.
Genre(s): Drama, Fantasy, Romance, etc.
Pairing(s): It will develop…
Summary: After being fired from his position as manager for the immensely popular band Wizardly Wheezes after declining the sexual proposition by the son of the Pureblood Record Company's owner. Harrison James Potter is left unemployed, betrayed, and blacklisted from every record label in association with PBR, he almost gives up hope. Enter Rufus Shinra, who gives him a clear cut deal: Jump off of the roof and end it all or work for ShinRa and bring their company to the top of the charts.
A/N: Yep, like many of my fics this one was just randomly inspired and I honestly have no idea where it came from. Hopefully you all will enjoy this. I'm currently toting around this story in a notebook, and will be working on it constantly. I've already got the title and an idea on what is going to be happening in the next chapter. Also, people I have no idea how things actually go on in a music business, and I am too lazy to actually go look it up. So for this I am using my right to make shit up and go along with it. XD So, that's all I got to say at the moment…enjoy! 8D
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Chapter 1: It Knocks You Down
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Staring in disbelief at the woman who was giving him a mock apologetic look, the green-eyed man currently burning holes into her face, grit his teeth. Tightening the grip he had on the notebook in his hand, he narrowed his eyes and placed his free hand into the desk.
"What do you mean I don't have an appointment?"
Just five minutes ago this woman seemed ecstatic that he was here, and had assured him that the owner of the company, Susan Bones, would be seeing him shortly. The woman shrugged her shoulders, and began typing on the keyboard in such a nonchalant way that only seemed to piss him off even more.
"I'm sorry sir, but you have not made an appointment and won't be able to see Mrs. Bones until you do."
Resisting the immense urge to slap the woman, something he found himself very close to doing at the moment, he sucked it up and brought up a hand to massage his temples.
"Then if that is the case, when is the closest available time that I could meet with Mrs. Bones about her job offer?"
Glancing down at her ghastly done nails, the woman typed away on her keyboard with the other hand and then looked at the screen. Making a small sad smile form on her face, she shook her head.
"It seems that her next open date would be two months from now, would you like me to schedule you in Mr. Potter?"
Clenching his fists, he narrowed his eyes on the woman making her stiffen at the obvious rage in his very green eyes and his movements. She almost jumped when he suddenly turned his back to her and strode out of the room without a backward glance. It was only moments later when the woman relaxed, and shut down her computer. Getting up from her seat, she moved towards her boss's office that was right behind her and rapped her knuckles on the door.
"He's left now Mrs. Bones."
For a moment not a sound left the room, but then the door slowly inched open, and a reasonably pretty woman known as Susan Bones, the owner of Bones Entertainment was revealed. Curly blonde hair sat on top of her head in messy disarray as if she had been running her fingers through them in distress. The woman's normally vibrant chocolate eyes were dulled with sadness, fear, and guilt.
"So he really left?"
Nodding the young woman motioned for her boss to take a seat in the comfortable chairs in the break room as she made coffee. After making it the way that the blonde liked, the brunette walked back over to Susan and handed her the cup. Accepting it with a shaky smile, the woman took a sip and tried to force her muscles to relax. Taking a seat next to her, the other young woman decided to ask the question that he had been on her mind.
"Mam…why exactly did you decide to turn away that man?"
She said nothing, and the young secretary felt compelled to continue questioning.
"After all you must know who he is right? With him working for this company, our groups would surely rise to the top of the charts!"
Susan fiddled with her cup as she closed her eyes, and she mumbled something incoherent.
Blinking the young woman stared over at her Boss curiously.
"What was that Mrs. Bones?"
The brown-eyed woman sighed and looked at the younger girl with a grim expression, "Yes I know that but that Pro doesn't outweigh the Cons that will undoubtedly occur if we actually hire him."
Confusion was still clear on the younger woman's face, and Susan knew that she would have to elaborate.
"While once before I would've hired that man even if it cost an arm and a leg to do so, but we can't risk it now."
Clenching her hands around the mug, she bit her lip.
"Now I wouldn't touch Harrison James Potter with a 12 foot pole, especially since Pureblood Records have blacklisted him."
The silence that filled that room could've been cut with a knife.
Throwing the notebook filled with lyrics he had painstakingly written, the young man known as Harrison James Potter snarled in rage. For the 100th time in a month, he had been turned away from another recording company! Each time in a variety of ways, but most by his appointment suddenly not existing, even when they personally called him to make it!
Clenching his fists in his hair as he practically threw himself into the ratty little apartment he had been forced to move into after being thrown out of his comfy penthouse. Narrowed green eyes peered from beneath messy black bangs.
'All of this is that bastard's fault!'
It was something that he could no longer delude himself into thinking otherwise anymore. After the first few rejects despite the good he could do to all the recording companies he applied to work at, he knew. Not many recording companies held such sway over the others in the city, and Pureblood Records was one of them.
Gritting his teeth, he plopped himself own on the worn leather couch he had thankfully been able to salvage. Not that it was saying much, as most of it had actually been destroyed before his very eyes.
Running a hand through his shaggy hair, the young man of 20 years was completely tired. A month and few days has passed since everything that he had known and worked for were torn out from under his feet.
And it was all because he refused to bend over backwards for his boss's son who was taking control of the company while he was on an overseas business trip in Wutai.
The other young man had made it clear what he wanted from day one, and Harry had made it clear that it just wasn't going to happen. Folding his arm across his eyes, he reached over towards the bottle of Fire whiskey and a glass, which has become his only friends and companions nowadays.
As his former friends having abandoned him in order to save their own asses couldn't be counted among them.
The Weasleys were a major example.
Ron Weasley and his brothers made up the popular band known as Wizardly Wheezes, and were currently at the top of the charts. When he had arrived to find them practicing under the eye of Theodore Nott, a fellow manager, it had been an unpleasant experience to say the least. The friendship and familial affection that had grown between them had seemed to disappear, and it only really hit home when his girlfriend for the last five years – Ron's little sister Ginny, walked in on the arm of the man whose goal seemed to be to make Harry's life a living hell.
Draco Lucius Malfoy.
Tossing back a shot, he scrunched up his face as he felt the liquid leave a burning trail down his throat. He had long since acquired a resistance to the pain, and so no tears fell from his eyes. Pouring himself another shot, he allowed his thoughts to wonder about. Leaving Pureblood Records with former bridges burned to cinders, he had believed that he would be able to easily get a job at another company.
Wrong, everyone of them suddenly didn't want him anymore.
They all seemed to be avoiding him like the plague actually.
Even his old childhood friend, Susan Bones, has been added to the list of former friends, and those to get back at once he gets himself out of this situation.
'That is if you can get yourself out of this mess Potter', the snide voice of his old music teacher, Severus Snape, echoed in his subconscious.
Helplessness filled him at the moment, and he was even more determined to get himself into a drunken stupor that not even the sight of a Bahamut, which was a dragon-like creature in one of those shows he had noticed children were into these days, was about to blast him into nothingness could shake him out of.
Without any further thought, he tossed back the bottle.
Harrison knew that when he snaps out of this that he was going to be mortified by his behavior, but due to how good felt, something that he realized he hadn't felt in a while, he hadn't cared very much. The scorned manager and song writer laughed hysterically while he danced around on the roof of his apartment building. Gulping down a bit more Fire whiskey, with a new bottle as the other one was finished off some hours ago, he swayed to the tunes of The Marauders.
Swaying his hips drunkenly and dancing off beat due to his obvious intoxication, Harry sang the lyrics he had recently written during one of his bouts of inspiration.
"One night and one more time, thanks for the memories even though they weren't so great – he tastes like you only sweeter~."
Giggling like a Loon at the hidden meaning that Harry was sure that a certain ferret-faced prick would get if it was ever sung by a group, which at the moment was looking pretty unlikely. The drunken young man never noticed the door to the roof open, and three figures stepping through, witnessing his vulnerable state. Swallowing the last bit of Fire whiskey, he threw the bottle against the roof as the song ended, causing the sound of breaking glass to echo before the roof was left in silence.
"One night and one more time, one night and one more time…"
Stumbling over towards the edge of the roof, dazed green eyes stared down at the concrete at the bottom with contemplative eyes.
Would it matter to anyone if he died?
If he just took a swan dive off of this roof?
Pulling himself up onto the ledge, he swayed a little and almost fell over the edge but was able to catch his balance with a drunken giggle. The wind whipped his messy hair around as well as the black slacks and white button-up shirt that he hadn't bothered changing out of after the failed meeting.
What did it matter to change his clothes or even clean theme if he didn't have anywhere important to wear them to?
Spreading his arms out as if he were a plane, he giggled while he closed his eyes. Harry could remember the days his father would hold him over his own head of messy black hair as if he were an airplane himself. He could see his mother watching them with warm eyes and a loving smile.
A lone tear slipped down his cheek.
If he took one step, it would all be over.
Maybe he would be able to relive those days…
This feeling only grew stronger by the second, and he slowly lifted a foot towards the literal side when a voice shattered through his muffled logical thoughts.
"I was wondering if you would be inclined to answer a question before you decide to go through with this obvious suicide attempt."
Blinking in surprise, Harry glanced over his shoulder and took in the trespassers on the roof that he hadn't noticed till now. Tilting his head to the side he took in their appearances with surprisingly – to the man and his companions, sharp jade green eyes. Immediately his eyes saw blond hair and blue eyes, which caused him to sneer on instinct at the similarities to the one blond he hated more than life itself at the moment.
"What the hell do you want?"
Well, that wasn't how he wanted to respond, but instead of offending the man and his companions – as a small part of him had hoped, the blond male only seemed amused. Like whatever Harry said or did wouldn't and couldn't do anything to him.
It was most likely true due to the quality of his clothes, after all who wore all white but a rich prat in the Slums!
"What I want you ask? I thought it would be obvious that I've personally come to talk to you Harrison James Potter, famed band manager and song writer, who until recently had been wanted by every recording company and music industry."
Harrison's eyebrow twitched at the barb about the avoidance he had been met with by all those places that once begged for him to take a glance at them. But he held his tongue, it was true after all.
What would be the point of him flying off the handle about something that was true?
It would just be a waste of energy.
Sighing, Harrison ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
But just because it was true didn't mean he liked it being robbed in his damn face.
Forcing a smirk onto his face, he was determined to not allow the man to see how upset he was. Though he had a sneaking suspicion that the man could still tell, something that caused him to seethe inwardly. Spreading his arms out to his sides with a humorless grin, he looked at them nonchalantly.
"That's me! The one-time Golden Boy of Music, who has been thrown from the pedestal which the masses had placed him on in the first place."
Losing the grin, he narrowed his eyes and a scowl replaced the grin with a swiftness that seemed to unnerve the two men with the still smirking blond.
"If you have come here to mock me than congratulations on a mission accomplished, now leave so I can wallow in self-pity in peace."
Turning in order to ignore their very existence, he didn't know how to react when the blond's next words reached his ears.
"Mr. Potter, what do you think about coming to work for me at ShinRa Inc.?"
Green eyes grew to the size of small saucers as he snapped his head fast enough to give himself whiplash toward the blond who was still there. Finally taking an actual look at the man, a flush of mortification made its way onto his face as he realized who exactly this man was.
Everyone knew the face of the infamous son of the ShinRa Company's owner. Rufus Shinra was after all a ruthless businessman, and a rising star in the music industry though had been 2nd to PBR due to Harry's talent in making sure PBR's bands topped the charts consistently.
But even then the competition was really close.
"What do I owe the pleasure for this unexpected visit from the notorious Rufus Shinra?"
The man took a step forward from his two bodyguards, Turks, Harrison assumed from their blue suits, and held his hand up in order to keep them back. His pristine white trench coat and clothes seemed to glow under the gentle light of the moon above them. Much to his dismay, Harrison couldn't help but liken him to an angel even though he was aware that this man was most likely more like a devil than anything else.
"I think it is pretty obvious as to what I am here for. Everyone knows that my recording company and PBR have been equals only because of your talent of creating diamonds out of coal."
Bringing up a hand, Rufus flicked away the stray blond locks in his face.
"Now it seems that for whatever reason PBR have discarded you and blacklisted you. Making sure any weak-willed company wouldn't dare pick you up in fear of what the supposed almighty Pure Blood Records will do to them."
He suddenly held out his hand to the apprehensive green-eyed male, and a gasp almost slipped past Harrison's suddenly dry lips at the intensely confident gaze that seemed to be burning themselves into his very soul.
"But their loss is our gain, Join ShinRa, do what you love and help my company get to the top of the mountain by crushing PBR completely and utterly or …"
The black-haired and now sober young man stood completely still. He couldn't say a word, completely captivated by the man's speech.
"…You can just go ahead and jump while letting them win."
Harrison could only place his hand into the larger one of the other.
No, he wouldn't just let that little bastard win!
He would once again do what he loved, all the while showing all of them exactly who they thought they were messing with. If that meant joining ShinRa, then so be it.
Rufus's smirk widened, and he nodded his head with a satisfied glint in his eyes.
"A wise choice…I will make sure that you won't regret this Mr. Potter."
At that moment Harry couldn't help but wonder if he had just made a deal with the devil.
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End of Chapter 1
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So yep, that is the beginning of this long story! LMAO Well I plan to have about 40 chapters, but we will see. I don't want there to be too many and too little. But we'll see how things go when I'm actually writing it down.