Description: #5 in the At the Movies series. Harry and Draco are introduced to the wonders of American TV and Queer as Folk. It's a good idea to know a bit about QAF or you won't really know what's happening. H/D slash.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Queer as Folk. They belong to people far richer than me. I make no money off any of this.
Author's Note: This one was much harder than I thought it was going to be. My muse quit on me a few times. As always, if anyone has any ideas for more At the Movies, just let me know and we'll see what happens.
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Harry and Draco at the Movies: Queer as Folk
By LadyKatie
It was the first night that they had been able to spend in together in a month. Actually, there had only been a handful of nights like that since they came to Washington D.C. When Harry had been sent over as the British Ambassador to the American Wizarding Federation, he didn't think that the Americans would want to work him to death.
"All you have to do is meet with the president a few times and go to a few benefit dinners," Kingsley had said. "You shouldn't have to stay over there for more than a month at a time."
Six months later they were still in Washington, having only gone home for visits twice. Harry knew that what he was doing was important to international relations and his name and Kingsley's progressive policies were having an effect all over the wizarding world, but he couldn't wait until his time as ambassador was up. It wasn't that Harry wanted a cushy job, but he had to work overtime just to understand the ins and outs of the American legal system.
He wasn't impressed at all. Back home, Harry and Draco were a legally recognized couple ever since the muggle and wizarding governments both legalized same-sex domestic partnerships. They found quickly that America wasn't so simple. Some states had and others hadn't. Some states called it marriage while others used civil unions. It was confusing to keep up with it all. Harry accepted that homophobic attitudes existed everywhere, but legalized discrimination was always infuriating.
Given the bad impression the American civil rights policies had left on him, he was surprised to discover the unique little gem of American television, Queer as Folk. It started with Jessie. She was a bright witch working in Washington, specializing in foreign relations. She and Harry became fast friends and it was great to have someone at work who wasn't just kissing his arse because of his famous name. They often went to lunch together and Harry found her to be very easy to talk to. And one day the conversation fell to the topic of favorite TV shows.
It turned out that she was a long-time fan of a show called Queer as Folk. There was apparently a series by the same name in England, but Harry hadn't had television back when it was on, so she was disappointed to learn that he had never heard of it.
"Oh, the American series was so wonderful, Harry," she had gushed over lunch that day. "I think you'd like it. Hot guys, dancing, lots of sex. Of course there is the occasional lesbian scene, but that can be overlooked for Brian Kinney."
"Who's Brian Kinney?"
Jessie smirked in a way that strongly reminded Harry of Draco. She didn't explained who he was, but told him that she would bring in her copy of the season one DVD set so he could see for himself. The next day she did just that.
"So what did you rent?" asked Draco, handing Harry the big bowl of popcorn and dropping down onto the couch next to him.
"Queer as Folk. It's a TV show."
"You have to watch TV on DVD now?"
"Yeah. Jessie told me about it. Apparently it was on cable a few years back and it's about a bunch of gay men in Pittsburgh."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Pittsburgh? What could possibly be so exciting about Pittsburgh?"
"I don't know. Apparently there's at least some gay sex."
Draco raised an eyebrow. He and Harry generally didn't agree on what kind of TV made for good entertainment. "I seem to remember you not being entirely impressed with gay films."
"That was an artsy cowboy film made by a bunch of straight people. This show supposedly has real gay actors and writers and there are no sheep or horses anywhere in it. I don't think. And from what Jess said, it's almost as good as porn, but with a much better plot."
"I doubt it. Besides, I'm not so impressed by American TV."
Harry rolled his eyes, knowing that this was completely untrue. "All you've done since we came here is watch TV, more than you ever did at home anyway. You must find something worthwhile on."
"There are just a couple favorites that I watch," he said defensively.
"If you start in about American Idol again I'm going to leave the room."
"I can't help it if I and half the country believe that Adam Lambert was completely screwed. He should have won."
"Can we just start the show?"
Harry grabbed the remote control and pushed play on episode one. Almost immediately the opening music started with all its bright colors and scantily-clad go-go boys.
"Are you sure this isn't porn?" Draco asked, staring at the hot bodies.
The music ended and the show opened with flashing lights and tons of hot men dancing– most shirtless. Then the narrator began.
"The thing you need to know is it's all about sex..."
"I already approve of this program," Draco grinned.
"That's all you ever think of."
"He just said it– gay men think about sex every nine seconds."
"That's absurd. You would never go an entire nine seconds without thinking of it."
"Can we go there?" asked Draco, mesmerized by the club scene playing out on the screen.
"You can stop drooling anytime now."
"Stop drooling? Are you watching this? It makes me miss the good old days. Before we moved here and became the overworked pseudo-married couple. We haven't been out to a club in ages."
Harry didn't say anything, never one to get as worked up as Draco, but he missed the clubs too.
"I'm getting all nostalgic. Ooo, look! I love back rooms! It's just like that muggle place we used to go to back home."
"You hated that place. You complained your shoes always stuck to the floor back there."
"But the sex was great."
"No, it was awkward and... sticky. And I avoided it whenever possible."
"You didn't avoid it with me," Draco smirked.
"Yes, but I could never wait to get home to fuck you. Oh, look, that must be Brian Kinney. Jessie said he was a big deal."
Draco studied the screen for a few moments. "He doesn't look any more special than anyone else in that club. And why is he the only one there who is still fully clothed?"
"He is hot though."
Draco nodded in agreement and they watched in silence as the character Michael joined his friends outside the club to wait for Brian. Soon the music changed and another new face was on the screen, a young blond.
"Oh who's that?" asked Draco
"How should I know? He's cute. Looks terrified though. Kind of reminds me of that bloke Noah from that swingers club."
"Only a lot younger."
Suddenly the blond caught Brian Kinney's attention.
"Merlin, it's like the sex club version of love at first sight."
"More like lust at first sight."
"Where you headed?"
"No place special."
"I can change that."
"A little cocky, isn't he?"
"He looks like he's used to getting his way," said Draco. "I don't think that kid has a clue what he's doing though."
"You remember when we first hooked up?"
"The awkward first time in your dorm or the real one?"
"The real one. After school and the war."
"I remember both like they were yesterday."
Harry smiled. "I couldn't believe it the first time I saw you at the club. I figured I had to be imagining things."
"It's not as if you didn't know I was gay."
"But a muggle club? I'd have thought that was beneath you."
He rolled his eyes at the inaccurate assumption. "I bet you weren't so confident the first time you went to a gay club though."
Harry smirked, declining to incriminate himself. Aside from that one brief encounter with Draco, he had been very inexperienced when he decided to explore the club scene. Probably not unlike the kid on the TV. "Oh look," he said, pointing to the screen. "Now Brian has his shirt off."
Draco didn't answer; he was too busy staring at the TV and the water pouring all over the apparently legendary Brian Kinney. He wasn't sure about the muggle drugs that they were talking about, but he was much more interested in Brian stripping while the kid rambled stupidly about nothing. There Brian was, standing naked in his spacious flat. His body was very nearly perfect (and wet) and Draco could feel himself getting hard. Maybe Harry was right about him only thinking about sex. Brian and the kid (did he have a name yet? Draco couldn't remember) started kissing and removing the kid's clothes. And then… The scene completely changed.
"Where'd they go?" Draco huffed in utter annoyance.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I told you, it's not a porno. They aren't obligated to get you off." Harry pointed at the screen. "I don't know how they do things in Pittsburgh, but if some bloke followed me home from a club like that I sure as fuck wouldn't invite him in!"
Whatever Draco was going to say was cut off by the return of Brian on the screen. Harry and Draco both snorted in amusement when the boy didn't know what rimming was, but mostly just enjoyed the sight of the two naked men. Draco was once again disappointed when the scene went back to Michael and the stalker.
He was somewhat awkwardly making out with the guy when he reached into his jeans and instead of grabbing his ass he pulled out a plastic butt-shaped thing. Harry tilted his head to the side, looking at it.
"That's ridiculous. I mean really, does that sort of thing actually exist?"
"Probably," Draco said uncertainly. "Actually I saw something similar once. It wasn't plastic inserts like that, but it was sort of padded shorts to enhance the package and arse."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Why do women have push-up bras? It's the same principle, isn't it? You're misrepresenting yourself."
Harry tore his eyes away from the TV screen to stare at Draco. "You're saying a fake butt is on the same level with supportive undergarments?"
Before Draco could answer a look of absolute horror passed over his face. Harry looked back to the screen in time to see the stud waving around a fake, er, package that he had just removed from his trousers.
"Now that's just wrong."
Draco nodded mutely and continued watching. Suddenly there was a loud "HA!" and Harry turned to stare at him.
"I knew that kid was underage," he explained.
Harry rolled his eyes and kept watching as Brian confronted Justin about his age and virginity.
"Kinda young, aren't you?" Pause. "Well, I was fourteen my first time."
"That's really young."
"With my gym teacher."
"Fourteen?" said Harry. "I wasn't even thinking about sex when I was fourteen."
"Sure you were, Potter. We all were."
"I wasn't. Maybe normal kids were. I was trying to stay alive."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Sure, play the Boy Who Lived card. You can't tell me that you weren't thinking of it just a little."
"I wasn't. You were?"
"Didn't you just say a few minutes ago that I never stop thinking of it?"
"When you were fourteen?"
"Yes. When I was fourteen I was sharing a dorm room with four other boys. You wouldn't believe some of the naughty schoolboy fantasies I had."
Harry nodded toward the TV. "Locker room fantasies?"
Brian was describing the play-by-play of his first time with his gym teacher in the showers. Draco smirked.
"Not with any teacher."
Harry shuddered, thinking of their ancient teachers. The youngest one had been Snape and that was just… wrong. Draco continued.
"But there may have been a few post-game wanks. It's good stress relief, you know."
"Right. And who were you thinking about in these stress relieving activities?"
"What if I told you that it was you?"
"When you were fourteen? I wouldn't believe you."
"What if I told you that I always wanted you?" he whispered.
"I'd say that you really had a funny way of showing it."
Draco smirked, but let that comment pass for the time being and they continued to watch the episode in near silence. Ten minutes later Brian and Justin were back in Brian's bedroom fucking.
"This is much better than that gay cowboy movie you made us watch."
Draco nodded, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"I want you to always remember this." Brian said, still inside Justin. "So that no matter who you're ever with, I'll always be there."
"I think I'm drooling," murmured Draco.
Harry glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, I have an idea. There's a club not far from here. Jessie mentioned it the other day."
Draco finally tore his eyes away from the television. "You don't want to finish the show?"
"Maybe later. Or tomorrow. Right now I was thinking that I really wanted to go dancing." Draco smiled. "There's something about this Brian bloke. I sort of wanted to go out and see if I could pick up a tight young blond too."
"Now you mention it, I wouldn't mind finding a hottie who could take me back to his place and fuck me into the mattress. Maybe he can show me what rimming is."
"I think I could arrange for something like that."
"I can be changed in three minutes."
He ran to the bedroom to find the closest he had to a suitable club ensemble and did some quick magical modifications. Harry grabbed a pair of jeans and a tight black t-shirt. He had always believed that less was more, though he knew Draco needed accessories to even function. Harry was done first and waited near the door for Draco to adorn himself in sparkly things. When the blond stepped out of the bedroom Harry felt his heart skip.
"Bloody hell. I changed my mind; I just want to stay home."
Draco grinned. His eyes were outlined in black liner and Harry thought he could see glitter in his hair. He had his very tight black leather trousers and his very tight black shirt was unbuttoned a little too far.
"I didn't get all dressed up just to have you jump me before we make it out the door."
Harry licked his lips and nodded absently. Draco picked up Harry's wallet and keys and made a gesture toward the door. He finally snapped out of it and took the things from Draco.
"Harry? Do you think that actor—the one who plays Brian—is gay in real life?"
Harry threw his jacket on as they made their way out the door. "I don't know. If he isn't he should be."
The trip to the club was short since they could apparate to within a block and walk the rest of the way. As they neared the building Harry could actually feel the beat of the music filling the air and vibrating through the pavement. He and Draco had happily left their club days behind them when they started seeing each other. And neither one of them had regretted it. He realized now that there was something about it that made him feel more alive somehow. There was a freedom associated with the club. It wasn't about the sex either. Harry was perfectly happy if he never slept with anyone other than Draco forever. There was anonymity and freedom in the pounding music and flashing lights.
They had been dancing for a half hour before Draco leaned in close so that he could be heard over the thumping music.
"I was lying before about the locker room."
"I knew you were."
"I did always want you, but it started when I was twelve, not fourteen."
Harry stopped dancing and stared at him. Draco was being completely serious.
"It was always you. And I went into that club looking for you that night." Draco laughed at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "You looked every bit as fuckable as you do now."
"It really is all about sex, isn't it?"
Draco grinned. "Well, mostly anyway."
He made a mental note to borrow the rest of the DVDs from Jessie. She had said that the show ran for five years. Between the real club and Brian Kinney's fictional one, it ought to keep them entertained until they could return to London.