Sorry for the long delay but this seriously is the first time in like a week that I have had to even write anything. So thanks to:
SwarmOfFanGirls - yeah that was sort of the response I was hoping for! Thanks for reviewing.
orene treke - thank you! I'm glad someone else agrees with the whole anonymous reviewer flame thing. I was cautious about the Harry/Draco abuse thing because I know it's been to death but I really wanted to write one and I'm glad you think it's fresh.
njferrell - don't worry the confrontation will come but for now, some other drama...
NatureLvrKittz - thanks for the appreciation for my rant! And you'll see...also I read you story, but you prob got my review...
hellious-rebellious - thanks for the review! I try to update as regularly as I can and I know the feeling!
HappeeGoLuckee - I don't think they're going to run into Snape but thanks for reviewing.
Ckarrine - It will happen, there will be slash, I have to build it up first. Thanks for the review.
leiselmae - okay you have no idea how much I love long reviews, so thanks for your epic! I'm glad you sympathise with the flame thing, I needed a rant and it's nice that people are responding to it, it fills me with the 'warm fuzzies' lol.
DarkWing0 - Thanks and here's your update!
Also I realise that due to my EPIC LONG rant for chapter 9 I forgot to thank my reviewers for chapter 8 so thanks to: Mimaindi, HiEiMySaViOr, Meg, NatureLvrKittz, rupertgrintlovesmeandonlyme, miki, BatteredChild, purplebunny-666, MotherGooseFanForever, -S3v3rusIsMin3-, xcloudx, njferrell, smallvillewanabe4561, Hailey James and Negativee Number Onee.
Now on with the show...
Draco slammed open the beaten door of the bar and strode purposefully in. The interior was a mess of loud and raucous behaviour. It was packed to the brim with drunken wizards yelling at each other, it was almost as if they were competing to see who could sound the most slurred. Draco sighed happily to himself; no one would think to look for them here.
Harry, however, was having completely different thoughts. He was not used to this sort of atmosphere and was having trouble adjusting to the dim lighting and the smoke that was curling up towards the ceiling from various pipes and cigarettes all over the bar.
"Are you sure it's safe here?" He asked Malfoy in a worried voice.
"Potter, please chill! I know what I'm doing." Malfoy replied confidently walking up the bar and ordering something called a Stupifier. Harry didn't even want to know what was in it, it seemed however that Malfoy had ordered one for him as well and he gingerly took a sip from the murky liquid. Immediately his taste buds were greeted with the cloying taste of alcohol and he almost choked on it.
"Malfoy! Is there anything in here but booze? No juice or anything?" He asked watching in disbelief as Malfoy casually drained the small glass.
"Yeah there's some…um…sort of non-alcoholic liquid in there…somewhere," he replied laughing at the expression on Potter's face as he stared at his glass.
"Look just relax okay? This is a bar for recluses from the wizarding world; they come here to drown themselves in the bottom of their glasses and try to pretend that they actually belong to some sort of wizarding community by connecting with other recluses." Draco paused on seeing the confused look on Potter's face, "in other words, this is a bar for the losers who don't bother anyone. Okay, so relax…have a drink, flirt a little."
Harry looked up sharply at this last statement having not noticed any women in the bar beforehand. Was Malfoy insinuating something?
Then he noticed that all the bartenders were women and there were a scarce amount of teenagers around their age scattered around the various tables.
"There's not many girls here are there?" Harry said almost thinking out loud.
"Yeah well, not many girls want to come to a bar where it's almost foreseen that they're gonna get groped and whistled at. However, some need the connection just as much as them." Malfoy said gesturing at the groups of rowdy men trying to find some sort of reassurance that everything was going to be alright in their firewhiskey bottles.
Harry turned to look around the bar and when he looked back Malfoy was gone. He swivelled sharply around again searching the vicinity for the head of pale blonde hair. He couldn't say his name; they were after all running away from some mysterious gang.
"How you doing?" Someone asked behind him, he spun around and came face to face with a young man who looked only slightly older than himself.
"Err…"
"Ain't you a little young to be in here?" The man asked but then winked as Harry blushed, "don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Care for a drink?"
"Um…" Harry replied helpfully. He felt utterly helpless, Malfoy was missing and some randomer was now hitting on him.
The guy smiled at him and stuck out his hand saying, "by the way I'm Jake…"
He left the end of the sentence open, blatantly suggesting that Harry in turn supply his name but Harry merely shook his hand quickly and said, "Nice to meet you."
The guy's smile faded a little but he clearly still thought he had a shot because he made his way towards the bar and held up his fingers indicating he wanted two drinks.
"So I see you've got an admirer already," a voice said behind him. Harry spun around quickly and was oddly surprised to be relieved at who it was.
"Malfoy, where the hell did you go? One minute you were there and the next…" Harry waved his hands indicating that perhaps Malfoy has suddenly spontaneously combusted or something.
Malfoy smirked and said, "Oh Potter, I didn't know you cared."
"Well I don't but we need to stick together, if you get caught I get caught!"
Jake had brought the drinks and was winding his way back to Harry now and ignoring Draco he handed Harry a drink saying, "so where were we?"
Harry took the drink without thinking but then realised that this probably counted as wanting to continue the conversation.
He turned back to Malfoy to tell him that he was going to get rid of this guy and that they should probably leave. However, the expression he saw on Malfoy's face confused him, he looked almost annoyed?
But why would Malfoy be annoyed at the guy who was talking to Harry?
"So I'm going to get rid of this guy and then we're leaving okay?" Harry whispered in Malfoy's ear.
"Don't bother, I'll find someone else to talk to," Malfoy whispered roughly back before elbowing Harry out of the way and stalking off.
Harry frowned in confusion, what the hell had just happened? His thoughts were soon interrupted by Jake saying, "So trouble in paradise then?" almost hopefully.
"I'm sorry, I don't swing that way," Harry said abruptly and almost distractedly searching the crowd for Malfoy.
Jake looked surprised and then smirked, "Oh you're clearly in denial, I saw the way you looked at that guy just now"
Harry almost burst out laughing, "That guy being the blonde?"
Jake nodded regarding Harry with a knowing expression.
"You must be joking! I have hated him ever since I first met him." Harry said giggling slightly. He stopped suddenly, since when did he giggle? He had only had a couple of sips of his drink, he definitely wasn't drunk.
"Well hate is often the root of passion, or obsession." Jake said in a throaty voice staring straight into Harry's eyes.
Harry gulped suddenly wondering why this guy was even talking to him. Did he think he was going to get lucky…with Harry?
Nervously Harry flattened his fringe over his scar making sure it was completely covered.
He wasn't even gay…well it's not like he hadn't thought about…well he hadn't. But sometimes when he was alone and he let his thoughts wander he had sometimes considered the possibility of being with a guy.
He took a hasty swig of his drink to clear his thoughts but his brain seemed to become more fogged and muddled.
Was it possible that he could be gay, or maybe he was bi? That would make more sense; after all he had been pretty much obsessed with Cho Chang last year.
It was a minute before Harry realised that Jake had been speaking, the noise in the room was becoming muffled and he couldn't focus thoroughly on what Jake was saying.
"Sorry what?" He said.
"I said, it's a bit loud in here, do you want to step outside?" Jake said gesturing towards the back door.
Somewhere in the depths of Harry's brain a small part of him was urgently trying to tell him something but for now the strategy made sense. It was, after all, awfully loud in the bar and through the haze that was now filling his head he couldn't understand what Jake was saying. Perhaps he could understand him better outside.
Harry was aware of Jake's hand on his arm guiding him through the throngs of people crowded throughout the bar and soon the door was open and the cool night air was filling his lungs.
"Better?" Jake asked looking curiously at Harry.
"Yeah," slurred Harry taking a few steps unsteadily into the centre of the small dingy alley, "much better."
He became aware of Jake's presence right behind him and before he could do anything he was moulded against the wall and he could feel hot lips kissing their way up his neck. Understanding suddenly filled his mind and he tried to struggle but whatever Jake had slipped in his drink had made his muscles weak and his brain foggy. He couldn't think straight and he couldn't even resist against Jake's insistency.
As he felt Jake spin him around so their faces were inches apart he thought only one thing and hated himself for having to rely on the one person he thought he could at least depend on for being his enemy.
He thought of Malfoy.
Right well to be perfectly honest I didn't actually want to end it on a cliffhanger but the chapter was getting a tad long so...I will try to update soon don't worry.
So now for the poll:
Do you think that:
A) Harry and Draco should stay on the run from the 'gang' and then beat them in some sort of superiority contest and be free from their constraints
B) Join with them in the battle against the Death Eaters
Also random question I know but does anyone out there like CSI?