I'm With You
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. and J. K. Rowling have the happy privilege of owning Harry Potter and all characters involved. I do not. J. K., Please forgive me for all the horrid things I do to your charries, I'm sorry, please don't sue me. Avril Levigne wrote "I'm with you" - the song I'm using- not me. I give her and J. K. full credit.
A/N: this is my first songfic (well, the first chapter is a songfic at least. I may tie in a few more songs later on.) I am a dialogue whore. It is slash. Bear with me. On with the show-
I'm standing on a bridge
I'm waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound
Draco sat on the bench in the center of the Golden Gate Bridge, tears streaming openly down his face in the cold darkness. His cashmere shirt and silken slacks from the restaurant were soaked from the misting rain. The Hogwarts fieldtrip had seemed so fun back in the dorms- going around the world to visit places one might have to visit in a career in the wizarding world, what could go wrong? The ash-blonde boy winced as Pansy's words rang clear in his mind.
"HOW DARE YOU? YOU LEAD US ON THIS ENTIRE TIME- MAKING ME THINK YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME AND MAKING EVERYBODY ELSE THINK YOU HATED POTTER AND HIS LITTLE FRIENDS, AND THEN I READ YOUR DIARY BECAUSE I WONDERED HOW YOU LIKED THE NIGHT TONIGHT AND IT SAYS THAT YOU HATE MY BITCHY GUTS AND THAT YOU THINK POTTER SMILED AT YOU!" Pansy through the papers in Draco's face with a disgusted look.
"Pansy- It's not what you think. I just-"
"Shut up Draco! I'm owling your father immediately. I hope your happy." Draco's face turned white and then contorted with rage.
"HOW DARE YOU! COWARD! TO BRING MY FATHER INTO THIS MATTER! WE'RE THROUGH, PANSY! NEVER AGAIN!" With that he had stormed out of the hotel room, leaving a smug Pansy writing a letter to his abusive father stating the recent events.
Draco shook his head back into reality as he saw a cloaked figure with ruffled black hair run past him quickly. Had that been- there was no way...
Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Wont somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are but I...
I'm with you.
Harry ran. He ran and ran and ran and ran until he couldn't run any longer without killing himself, and found himself on the Golden Gate Bridge, looking out over the beautiful lights of San Francisco in the dark of this cold winters's night. It was misting a very cold rain, but Harry couldn't help but marvel at the sparkling beauty of the city... Memories flooded him as he stared at the thousands of specks of light, knowing that thousands of people were under those lights, warm, talking lightly, with no worries and no negative emotions.
Hermione gasped as she read the letter Harry had been about to send Sirius- a letter asking for advice.
"Harry... Why didn't you tell us sooner? Oh Harry..."
"Because I knew you'd react negatively."
Ron had to put in his two cents. "You- Harry! All these years, and you just now tell us that you're g-"
"Ron-"
"You- I- Er- this is a bit discomforting, if you catch my drift."
That had pushed it to far. "Why? Because you think I find you attractive? I don't Ron! I don't look at you that way! I-"
Hermione interrupted him. "Harry, we didn't mean to offend-"
"Well you did! For your information, Ron, I have a crush on a guy, and it's not you. It's not even a Gryffindor for God's sake! So stop going spastic- it doesn't affect you at all."
"Harry, I don't mind it, really, but it's just- why didn't you tell me- us- sooner?"
"Because you wouldn't have befriended me quite as quickly as you did."
Hermione spoke again. "Harry, it's quite alright with me that you're gay. It's just-" Here she sighed. "Just a bit of a shock, that's all."
"I need a bit of fresh air and some time alone if you'll excuse me."
Both Ron and Hermione nodded understandingly. "Of course."
Harry walked out the door and took the elevator down to the first floor, walked out the door, and began to run.
Now he was here. He was alone. Nobody was going to come after him, and he knew it. Harry wiped the mixture of tears and freezing rain off his glasses with a tap of his wand, and then he noticed a blonde figure standing on the opposite side of the bridge, watching him. The boy was in a cashmere shirt and slacks- clothes Harry recognized almost immediately.
"No... nononononononono..." That was the very last person he need to see right now! He quickly turned on his heel and walked away, towards the restaurant that all of the sixth years had had to critique earlier that night. He walked into the bustling cafe, glancing around desperately, wanting company, wanting to seek refuge in discussion.
I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know?
Cuz nothing's going right
and everything's a mess
and no one likes to be alone.
Draco watched quietly as Harry ran to the other side of the bridge, stopped, seemed to think for a minute, noticed him, then pointedly turned on his heel and walked away. Draco followed, thinking, "I have nothing better to do..." As he trotted after the Gryffindor, he shivered. He felt a sudden pang, realizing that, while Harry probably had people worried about him if not following him, he himself had nobody... He felt an involuntary tear run down his face, and he literally shook himself. "Get a hold of yourself, man!" he whispered aloud.
Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Harry sighed violently in frustration. Throwing himself into a booth nearby, he decided to watch the people while he figured out what to do. An odd predicament you've tossed yourself into, Potter, he thought to himself. He saw a boy about his own age throw the doors open and stared for a moment before his half-responsive brain recognized the figure with a jolt. Malfoy! He stood involuntarily and faced the Slytherin, then felt a pang in his chest when he saw the tears on his face. Had he caused that? Guilt overtook his heart, and he walked up to his old enemy.
"What's wrong?"
"What?"
"You're crying."
"Why do you care?"
"I'm just curious. I haven't had the best day in the world either..."
"I just- I- God, Potter, you had to ask that didn't you..."
Harry cocked his head in confusion. "If I tell you first will you tell me? Let's go sit down, shall we? I mean, I don't have anything better to do, and I really doubt I'll see anybody else here, so even if we are sworn enemies, let's talk..." He chuckled to himself at that, knowing it sounded retarded.
"Sure, why not..." They sat in the booth Harry had been sitting in, and a waitress walked over to them, smiling, to take their order. They both took a cup of tea, and then they sat looking at each other. "So," Draco began. "Why did your day suck?"
"Put frankly, my friends found out I was gay and my owl bit my finger."
"Wow. That was- abrupt." Draco chuckled to himself. "Well, then, I'll be frank with you too. I just realized that nobody cares for me, Pansy is a bitch, Pansy found out that I hate her, Pansy found out that I, too, am gay, and she is writing my abusive father a letter about my recent behavior." Harry blinked.
"Woah. My day rocks compared to yours... You're father's abusive?"
The blonde shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah."
"How bad, if it's not all that rude to ask.. Maybe I can help..."
"Why would you help me?"
"Because I just realized you're human."
Draco snorted. "That's nice."
"It's true." Harry smiled at him. "So about my question..."
Draco took his shirt in his hand and pulled it over one shoulder to reveal bruises covering it. Harry winced, and Draco continued to talk as though he hadn't noticed. "He beats me when I disobey him, he beats my mother when he's drunk... He broke my collarbone last time."
"Oh my God, Draco I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. You just called me Draco."
"That is your name isn't it?"
"Yes, but you have never called me that before."
"Well, you call me Harry, and then we'll be square." He giggled. "Come one, let's go to my hotel. We'll talk to Ron and Hermione and see what they come up with as a solution to this problem. 'Mione's bound to come up with something."
"Alright
Harry." Harry smiled at him. "I just realized something- I don't really know who you are."
"What?"
"I don't really know who you are. I know what you are, but I don't know you at all."
"I don't know you either. Let's change that, shall we? You actually seem nice right now... Why so different?"
"Because my father was making me be mean... Long story. I don't feel that I'm up to giving it."
"Ok. Come on, but I've got to warn you. Ron will freak out and Hermione will chitter a lot, so give me a chance to calm them down before you say anything at all."
"Ok." To Draco's surprise, Harry took his hand and led him out of the cafe.
Won't you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I- I'm with you.
Harry had been exactly right. The raven haired Gryffindor had to disarm Ron (and tie him up for a moment) and sit Hermione on the bed and speak slow, comforting words to her to shut her up. After a moment Ron calmed down and Hermione shut up, so Harry untied Ron and spoke.
"Are you guys ready to hear me now?"
"As ready as we'll ever be, mate. Why did you bring him here?"
"That is what I'm about to tell you. Draco and I had a talk down on the Golden Gate Br-"
"Draco?"
"Would you shut up for a second?"
"Sure." Draco watched all of this play out before his eyes in disbelief. Harry calmly explained everything Draco had told him to his friends in a manner that made them sympathize with him. When he got to the part about Lucius, Harry turned to him. "Take off your shirt, Draco."
"What?"
"Take off your shirt. Show them your bruise." Bewildered, Draco obeyed, pulling the cream colored shirt off to reveal his bruised collarbone and healing bruises on his chest and waist. To his complete bafflement, Hermione gasped and quickly walked over to him, hugging him around the shoulders.
"I didn't know, Draco, I'm sorry..."
"For what!"
"For treating you so badly these past five years."
"Hoooooold on a minute here. I've been an utter jackass to you guys and you're apologizing to me? Gryffindors are weird." Hermione giggled and sat back down on the bed next to Ron.
"Hey, look mate. I'm sorry too. I've almost been worse than Hermione." Ron looked down. "If it's ok with the others, you can stay with us now. Harry can talk to Dumbledore."
"You don't have to apologize, dolt, but you guys really mean I can stay with you?" He cast hopeful eyes around the room, meeting each of the three faces- all of which were nodding. He felt a tear run down his face in relief, and he quickly wiped it away. Hermione suddenly got up, hugged him, and looked him up and down.
"You're soaking wet!" She glanced at Harry. "And so are you! Showers for both of you! Ron, get them clean clothes. Leave Draco's belongings and Dumbledore to me. Showers and bed for you two." She marched out of the room leaving three bewildered boys behind her.
"You better listen to her, mate, or all hell will break loose," commented Ron. With that, they both complied to Hermione's wishes, and Draco changed into some of Harry's robes (Ron's were far to big and long on him). As Harry, who had taken his shower second, was buttoning his shirt, Hermione strode in with several bags of luggage following her in midair and Dumbledore walking uncertainly behind the bags. How Hermione had gotten past Pansy and gotten all of his luggage and then gotten back unscathed, Draco didn't and didn't want to know. However, it was Dumbledore who spoke first.
"Ms. Granger here has explained the situation to me. First off I must express my disgust with Lucius Malfoy at this moment in time. Only a coward hits his child. Now we must get down to this business of Draco moving into your group. I was very reluctant, as you know, to let Ms. Granger stay with you. To let a Slytherin stay with Gryffindors is most odd. Are you completely sure that you wish to do this? You will be going to Paris next, which, as you know already, makes this the last stop that you can change your group around at all. After you are in Paris, you cannot switch. Are you sure?"
"Yes Professor," they all chorused.
He smiled at them. "This is very good to see. Perhaps there is hope for interhouse unity after all. Consider yourself switched, Mr. Malfoy. I will also be taking steps to keep you away from your former family, if it is alright with you."
"Former?"
"Yes, you see, if you were to move out of the house, they would only be your family biologically."
"It's fine with me, Professor."
"Very good. I will see you four next time I see you, then." The headmaster of the world's best magical school smiled warmly at them, and walked out.
"Well, Draco, welcome to out group." Draco smiled at the frizzy haired girl, and she laughed openly. "So Harry, have you had time to consider your- situation?"
"Yeah, I'm just going to play it by ear. Things are a bit confusing right now, so I think it will just work itself out. It had better, because I'm not doing anything about it." The group giggled a bit, but Harry noticed that Draco's laugh was a bit distant, like he felt it but didn't notice it.
"Draco, are you alright?"
"Yeah, but I just realized that confusing has become the noun form of my life."
"You'll get used to it. Welcome to being surrounded by Gryffindors when you're a Slytherin and not knowing what's going to happen next. I go through something almost identical to it everyday, except for the houses part."
"I suppose I probably will." Harry flung an arm companionably around his new friends shoulders.
"You will."
Why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind
Yea yeah yea yea yea yea. Yeah yea yeah yea yea.
Take me by the hand take me somewhere new,
I don't know who you are, but I...
I'm with you.
A/N: R/R please! Chapter two coming very soon! Yes, yes I know- no H/D yet. It will come! I swears upon the... the precious! The next chapters may have a few verses from songs in them, but I believe this one will be the only complete song chapter. Hope you liked it... it was a bit blunt but hey- I've never done a songfic before- and I had to get the plot up... hehe tell me what you thought!