Title: Refuge - How to love a Slytherin in seven days


Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.


24th of June, 2000


There were many things in his daily routine that Harry relied on magic for, but boiling water for his late afternoon tea wasn't one of them. He also had a terrible habit of forgetting the kettle on the stove. The hot kettle would always whistle for several minutes, annoying the few portraits around the house, before Harry would rush into the kitchen to remove it from the stove. He poured the hot water into the cup with loose tea before returning to the sitting room to resume reading his book.

Love Letters: A collection of over two hundred irresistible love letters from over the centuries, historical and fictional, written by poets, princes, tragic, comic, and superbly selected for any literature enthusiast.

Every Sunday, in the late afternoon, Harry would retrieve one of his books of literature from an epic era and read about love adventures and declarations. It was his weekly ritual. Today the routine was simply the same. He would sit on his rocking chair by the fire with tea in one hand and the book in the other for a few hours. The fireplace was charmed to look as though the flames were burning, soaring high, but no heat emitted from them. Then he'd effortlessly fall asleep and take a quick nap. A Floo wake-up call from Hermione would remind him to get ready for their Sunday night dinner at the Burrow. Life was peaceful and Harry was content. Or so he'd convinced himself. This was his refuge.

An abrupt knock on the door chucked out his Sunday afternoon plans. When Harry answered the door, he saw two enthusiastic young men with bright beaming eyes that sort of reminded Harry of Colin Creevey.

"Mr Potter?" the two boys questioned, as if they needed to.

"Yes. Can I help you?"

"I am Mark and this is Jake. We were wondering if we could disturb you for a few moments?" Mark, the taller of the two, with bright brown eyes and olive skin, spoke.

"What is this about?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I think you'd prefer to speak in private," Jake spoke this time. "It's about your poems in the Prophet." The last few words of the sentence were hushed and Harry immediately removed himself from the doorway, allowing the two boys to enter his home.

Mark and Jake followed the long hallway and didn't stop until they had reached Harry's living room. They looked around the house in amazement as any person did when they'd entered the home of the Boy Who Lived for the first time. Harry was never sure what they were amazed by; the house was old and rundown, and in serious need of a fix–up.

"So how can I help you?" Harry asked immediately as they freely sat down on the sofa.

"We wanted to talk to you about the anonymous poems that are submitted to the Prophet by you," Jake answered.

"If they are anonymous, how do you know they are from me?" Harry raised his eyebrow again.

"Several reasons actually, but it would simply be easier if you'd admit to us that they are from you," Mark spoke this time.

"I don't want to waste your time, but I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Mr Potter–"

"Harry. You're making me feel ten years older than I already am," Harry interrupted.

"Alright then, Harry," Jake began, "you let us in your home so you've already confirmed our suspicions that you are, in fact, the writer of said poems. You didn't even ask what poems we are talking about, so you've yet again confirmed. Additionally, Mark here brilliantly had solved the code of your pseudonym, The Golden Seeker, when we suspected it was you, and we just needed proof."

"Anybody could be The Golden Seeker," Harry announced.

"Yes, we know that, but it made perfect sense. Your poem about your legacy, your love, and your longing to be with your family. The fact that your father was a Quidditch player as well and a Gryffindor is what truly established my theory." Mark smiled; Harry could see the pride in his eyes of claiming to have deciphered a code. "And," Mark added, "my aunt is Rita Skeeter, so she technically couldn't tell us who the anonymous authors were, even if she had the ability to find out, so she let us volunteer at the Daily Prophet during the Christmas hols and we found the information we needed."

"You mean stole the information you needed." Both Mark and Jake shrugged at Harry's accusation. "How exactly did you find this supposed information?"

"It wasn't an easy task, I'll tell you that!" Jake replied. "We had to go back and forth in correspondence between the poetry editor and the anonymous writer. There was no valid residential address provided that we could find; it was to an owlery. We went to the owlery where we discovered that the letters were rerouted to the recipients. We used our status as employees of the Prophet to indicate that a letter was sent to a wrong recipient. That's how we discovered that only three wizards used the rerouting service. We also learned how much it costs for this extra service, so not a lot of wizards use it. Out of the three names that popped up, two belonged to wizards that were over the age of seventy–five, and the third was you."

"That doesn't prove anything," Harry replied.

Jake looked at Mark who decided to continue. "Yes, that is true, so we wrote you a letter. We wrote you, Harry Potter, a fan letter and you replied. Consequently, we matched the handwriting between you, Harry Potter, and the author, The Golden Seeker, and it was a perfect match!"

"What letter?"

"Did you ever receive a letter from a Hogwarts student that wanted advice on how to become a Seeker just as good as you?"

"I thought that letter was written from a first year?"

"Yes, and Hufflepuff," Mark and Jake answered in unison. "We didn't want any suspicions on us so we had a first year write that letter on our behalf," Jake answered the rest.

"And let me guess, you two are – "

"Slytherin," Mark and Jake confirmed.

"Of course. So what do you want from me? Money? You think you can blackmail me because I don't want to associate myself with the poetry I submit to the Prophet? It's true that I don't want anyone to find out that it's me who writes it, but not badly enough that I'll pay a couple of Slytherins for it."

"We don't want your money," Mark answered.

"Far from it," Jake said.

"Then what do you want?"

"Mark and I, and another friend, Sheila, are in a faux Muggle indie rock band. Do you know what that is?" Jake asked.

"It's wizards playing music pretending to be Muggles, using Muggle instruments. It's been all the rage since last year, after the defeat of Voldemort," Harry answered.

"Exactly!" Mark exclaimed. Harry looked confused.

"Let me explain further," Jake said.

"Mark and I have never been very good at anything; we simply get by based on our cleverness and our family influence. However, that's never really helped us with our schooling. We've never been interested in potions, charms, or herbology. We like Transfiguration, but what kind of a career path is that? What we really like is –"

"Music!" Mark chimed in, "Especially Muggle music!" Harry nodded, attempting to understand where the two boys were headed with this story. "We noticed your poetry since last year in the Prophet, but we could never find out who it was, even though we had our suspicions from the start. As we told you, we volunteered at the Prophet so we could find more information, but we couldn't do anything outside of Hogwarts; with magic I mean, because we weren't of age then. We waited until January when we turned seventeen to start–"

"Stalking me," Harry interrupted. Mark and Jake looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"We have been practicing a lot, and we're really good, all we need is a – " Mark paused.

"Songwriter," Jake answered.

"So, you want me to be your songwriter?" Harry asked, looking baffled.

"Not just that, we want you to join the band! Play an instrument," Mark commented.

"I don't play any instruments, Muggle or Wizard!"

"That's not true; we know that you recently answered an interview in the Prophet where you said that you and Ms Hermione Granger have been taking guitar lessons every Thursday at a Muggle music school!" Jake whinged. "And we went to the Centre for Music Studies to enquire and a woman told us all about you two. She said that she was very impressed with your ability to learn the bass so fast, and that you yourself had expressed an interest in perhaps joining a band."

"Yeah, a Muggle band," Harry answered.

"We are a Muggle band!" Both Jake and Mark screamed in unison again. It was something about the way these two boys reacted that reminded Harry of Fred and George, same enthusiasm, same keenness towards getting into trouble, wrong house, but quite similar nonetheless.

Harry rose from the chair he was sitting at across from the boys on the sofa and began pacing back and forth.

"Mr Potter, Harry, we have received 'Acceptable' in most of our NEWTs and 'Poor' in the rest of them. We truly have no career path laid out for us, except for returning to our prospective homes and working in our family businesses." Mark's voice quivered.

"And, from what we've heard, you really aren't doing anything with your life," Jake added and Harry stopped pacing to glare at him. "It's true, and you know it to be true. You write beautifully, and you're taking music lessons, what else is a good selection for you? After the war was over, in one of your last interviews, you had stated that you didn't wish to be an Auror because you didn't want to see the negativity of the world anymore– "

"And you couldn't be a healer because you were rubbish at Potions," Mark added. "You can do anything you want, but what's expected of you is becoming a Healer, or working at the Ministry," Mark paused and both Mark and Jake visibly shuddered at the thought, "or becoming a Hogwarts professor yourself."

"Don't you want to do something that will shock the world? Something that is so fun and brings happiness to other people as well? Don't you want to rise from your shadows and let the world know that you, Harry Potter, have truly won!?" Jake stood up, eye to eye with Harry with his arms open, his body matching the enthusiasm of his words.

"You're quoting from one of my poems," Harry chuckled, "I wrote about longing to rise from the shadows of what's expected of me and– "

"Finding where you truly belong, yes. That's the poem that I wrote into a song and played it for Sheila and she agreed to join the band," Jake confirmed Harry's statement.

"You boys are quite ambitious," Harry said.

"We are Slytherin, nothing if not a bit too ambitious," Jake answered.

"For our own good," Mark added.

Harry was quiet for several minutes as he sat back into his chair and thought. He looked up at Mark and Jake staring at him with hope gleaming through their eyes. "I can't just say yes yet," Harry answered. "Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

"Definitely–" Mark began to speak when Jake elbowed his ribcage.

"We don't want to distract you from your thought process," Jake answered.

"It's no distraction, follow me to the kitchen. We can talk some more in there." Harry smiled and led the two boys to the kitchen.

Harry poured all three of them a small shot of Firewhisky and noticed that Jake was grinning with delight. "What is it?" Harry asked.

"Well, regardless of what your answer will be now, I am just happy that you didn't completely shoot down the idea and toss us out immediately. It's not a yes yet, but it also wasn't a 'not even over my dead body, no' either."

"I need time to think it over, and I would need more information. Give me a few days and we should talk again," Harry replied. The two boys beamed in delight and the three future bandmates took their first shot of Firewhisky together.

As Harry walked the boys out to the front door, he promised a meeting with them at the Leaky Cauldron on Wednesday evening. When Harry returned to his sitting room, he noticed the Floo light up and Hermione's head floating through. "Harry, are you awake? Harry, where are you?"

"I am here Hermione; I didn't take a nap this afternoon. I just got an interesting proposition, I'll tell you all about it over dinner, see you in a few hours," Harry replied, unable to hide his grin. Even though he'd told the boys that he needed time to think it over, and still wished to discuss it with his friends, Harry was quite certain that he was going to be a bass player in an indie rock faux Muggle band.


0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0


1st of July, 2001

Music News. The Daily Prophet is pleased to bring you a new designated section in our paper titled: 'Contemporary Arts' where we will be discussing the latest trends in the Wizarding world. So, what has occupied our young wizards these days? Why, faux Muggle bands of course!

After the defeat of the Dark Lord, many young wizards 'rebelled' against their pure–blood traditions and incorporated use of Muggle technology in their daily lifestyle. Many students at Hogwarts retreated themselves to Muggle music and hence created the birth of 'faux Muggle bands.' One of the celebrities in the faux Muggle music world is none other than our Saviour himself, Mr Harry James Potter.

Harry Potter, Jacob Weismann, Marcus Belgarde, and Sheila Desai are part of a new Wizarding sensation, indie rock bands that play Muggle style music with Muggle instruments and incorporate no magic in their shows except for occasional theatrics. Lead vocalists and guitarists Jacob Weismann, who prefers to be simply referred to as "Jake," and "Mark" Belgrade formed the band initially during their seventh year at Hogwarts. They recruited their drummer Sheila Desai a few months later, and completed their group by adding the band songwriter and bass player, Harry James Potter. The name of the group is 'Adjusted to Myself.' When asked about the selection of their band name, band leaders Jake and Mark state that the answer is simple: "It's obvious, this is our band, this is our world, and this is our era. I am not going to change myself for you, to fit your needs, I will not adjust myself to the world, I am adjusted to myself." All the band members similar to all the other faux Muggle bands in the
Wizarding world learned the musical instruments on their own accord. No magic was involved in the learning process and it seems that many Muggle teachers were consulted, hired, and paid handsomely for their lessons to these wizarding children.

Whether or not Muggle music training will one day be incorporated in the Wizarding school curriculum still remains to be seen. Many wizarding parents are worried that the Muggle lifestyle has ruined reasoning amongst the youth. Many adolescents are now considering music as a career option and are less worried about their OWLs and NEWTs. Some parents are hopeful that this is 'just a phase' and that eventually the children will find their way back home. It seems that most of the wizarding population that has fused itself in the music industry are of pure–blood families; the second distinguished band after 'Adjusted to Myself' is led by former Death Eater, Draco Malfoy, titled 'The Serpent's Kiss.'

Although it may not be intentional, but it seems that former school rivals Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy yet again find themselves against each other in their vocation. Both band members have refused to comment on the matter and have refused to work together at a show. The Wizarding world is waiting for collaboration and many have insinuated that the reason they hold on to so much animosity is due to their deep rooted attraction towards the other. We all know that love is truly a battlefield.


0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0


Harry read the latest article by the Daily Prophet and scoffed at the comment about him and Malfoy. When the celebrity of their band took off, they had heard that Draco Malfoy had also formed a band and was performing in similar venues as Adjusted to Myself. Harry had heard their music, and in this business, you have to listen to the competition, and vocally he denied that he enjoyed it. However, when he was alone, he often found himself inspired by the lyrics that were hidden behind the heavy metal music. Lyrics supposedly written by Malfoy.

"I am telling you it's a great idea!" Harry heard Sheila exclaim to Jake as she entered the Marauder's Ride, their tour bus.

"And I am telling you Harry will never agree to this. This was one of his very few conditions when he signed on with us. We have a legal wizarding contract; we can't make him do something he's refused to do in writing!"

"What are you arguing about now?" Harry asked, turning to his band mates who were startled by his presence.

"Harry, I thought you were going to be spending today with your friends and meeting us at our next venue?" Jake asked, catching his breath after being startled by Harry.

"There was a change in plans; they're going to come to our next show, so I don't need to Apparate there. I'll just hang out with them there." Harry answered, then looked at his two bandmates again. "Oh, did I intervene in your shagging time?" Harry asked, doing his best to not laugh. "I can leave if you want. I'll return in an hour or so."

"Honestly, Harry, how many times do we have to go through this?" Sheila asked. "We are not shagging!"

"Everyone knows you're shagging and no one seems to care, so I don't know why the two of you do. Even the Prophet is more interested in a non–existent romance between me and Malfoy than the two of you!" Harry threw the Prophet away across towards the other table.

"The Prophet's mentioned us again? That's wonderful! What does it say?" Jake rushed over to the tossed paper and began reading the article.

"Nothing of importance, just how we're corrupting the youth," Harry answered insipidly. "Now tell me what you two were arguing about. Otherwise, I'll just sit here and Mark will be back and the two of you will get no alone time."

"Sheila suggested that we should collaborate with another band for the St Mungo's charity show we are going to do in a few months. She thinks that we should join forces with The Serpent's Kiss and open for each other at shows. It'll bring a bigger crowd to our shows and we will make more money, then the hospital will make more money." Harry listened to Jake and looked at Sheila in puzzlement; Sheila never seemed to care about income before. "Sheila's sister is a healer at St Mungo's. They could really use a new wing in the children's department. She's sort of being pressured." Sheila darted towards Jake and punched him in his arm. "Sorry, but if you want him to do it, then I have to tell him why."

"Why does it have to be The Serpent's Kiss?" Harry asked.

"It's the next best band out there and they are slowly gaining up on us. I don't want to be the next best, so we should keep ahead of them before they pass us!" Sheila answered.

Slytherins, I am in a band full of Slytherins.

"What does Mark have to say about this?" Harry inquired.

"He's on board, it was his idea to begin with," Sheila answered before Jake could.

"Even if I agree, which I am not saying that I am agreeing to anything because as Jake pointed out earlier, my legal contract says that I can refuse to work with anyone I so desire, what about Malfoy. He doesn't want to work with me either."

"I've already talked to their bass player, who is their contract manager, and there is no such requirement from him in their band contract. Even if he's the band leader, they can outvote him and he'll have to do what they say or the band will break up!" Sheila smirked as she answered, causing Harry to do nothing other than shake his head in disbelief. "Well serves him right to appoint a Ravenclaw as the legal representative."

"Think of the children, Harry! Think of the poor, orphan, sick children!" Jake pleaded. Harry knew that he was just having a go at him, but he was right, this was bigger than him, bigger than Malfoy. It had been over three years since he'd spoken to Malfoy and maybe it was time to put all the negativity from the war behind him. Malfoy was a victim of Voldemort's scheme just like everyone else. But, how would Malfoy react? He'd probably blame Harry for his bandmates tricking him, he'd probably hold a bigger grudge than before.

"I need time to think," Harry answered as he stood up from his chair. "I'll be going for a walk and I'll give you my decision soon. Just don't go sending owls announcing it to the world. This is not a yes, this is very much a no, and I need time to make sure it's still a no." As Harry left the bus, he heard Sheila squeal with joy. He wasn't sure if it was because now they were free to shag or because they thought they had him in agreement.

Even though Harry wasn't due to meet his friends, he knew he needed advice. He Apparated to the Burrow and knocked on the door. Hermione opened the door and was delighted with the surprise. "Harry! What are you doing here? I thought we weren't seeing you until next week?"

"Hermione, I am glad you're here, I wasn't sure you would be," Harry answered, smiling at the sight of his best friend. "I've missed you and I've come for some advice." Harry walked into the house and saw Ron sitting on the sofa.

"What do you need, Harry?" Hermione asked as she took a seat next to Ron and opposite Harry.

"My bandmates want to do a joint show with another band to raise funds for a charity event, but I am just not sure if it's a good idea or if I should just go ahead with it," Harry answered.

"Who is it?" Ron asked.

"The Serpent's Kiss, you know–"

"Malfoy's band," Ron confirmed.

"The papers are always covering news about your two bands and how they're in such close competition to being number one," Hermione spoke. "Why did they pick that one instead of another one?"

"Sheila thinks that if you can't destroy them, join them. Also, she thinks it'll raise the most funds for the children's charity and I have to say I agree. I just don't know if I can be in the same vicinity as him after everything that's happened. I mean, I never apologised for what I did in sixth year, then he saved my life, and then I saved his. We've never talked and he's openly been vocal about how he doesn't want anything to do with me. Even if I can forget everything and want to start anew, I am not sure he'd be willing to do that. I don't really want to involve myself with so much negativity all the time. I enjoy what I am doing, what we're doing; I am afraid he'll just bring it all down." Harry looked up at his friends to see their reactions. Ron seemed to have an 'I agree with you' face and Hermione seemed a bit more contemplative.

"But, maybe it's a good idea to collaborate and put all the animosity behind you. You did great with your poetry and it led you somewhere positive with your music. Maybe this will be a positive thing, maybe it'll finally let you two make amends and move on. I mean, Harry, I've heard his music; his lyrics are about redemption and understanding. Underneath all of that heavy music, he's still just as lost as you were. Maybe you can help him." Hermione looked towards Ron for validation and he simply shrugged.

"Or this could all just blow up in your face," Ron answered, causing Hermione to hit him on his arm.

Harry laughed. "Maybe you're right, maybe I could give it a go. If it doesn't work out, we can go our separate ways and at least it'll be confirmed that he'll always be the nitwit we've thought of him as."