A/N
The Houses Competition
Round Seven
House: Hufflepuff
Student: Year 6
Category: Standard (950-2000 Words)
Prompt(s): [Prompt] Dance party.
Word count: 994 (Per Google Docs)
Beta(s): Aya
The Beat of the Music
Draco dropped his briefcase and stood in shock as he watched Harry slide across his kitchen floor in his socks as he sang to his spatula like a microphone. His unbuttoned dress shirt flapped around him as he danced around, displaying a plain white tee underneath, and his slacks were folded up at the cuff to keep him from tripping.
Harry sang with his eyes closed as he belted out the song along with the radio.
"We've got to hooooold on to what we've go—" Harry promptly choked when he spun on his heel and saw Draco standing in the doorway. He coughed and hit the stop button on his stereo. "Um, I can explain."
Draco just crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow.
"I was just— well," Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Nevermind that. You are early!"
Draco snorted, "I'm really not. I said I would be here at six p.m. It is now ten after six. I was fashionably late and privy to a vibrant display of musical capabilities. What were you singing?"
Harry blushed. "Bon Jovi. The song is called Living on a Prayer and it's one of their more popular songs."
"'Living on a Prayer', huh?" Draco shook his head. "You may as well play it back. After seeing your performance and enthusiasm, I want to hear it."
Harry scowled at the blond but hit the rewind button, happy that the song was the first on the tape. "Ready?"
Draco sat at the table and waved his hand loftily. "You may proceed."
Harry snorted and hit play.
The opening chords played and as the song progressed, Draco's eyes widened in surprise. He found his head bopping along to the beat and his fingers tapping along.
Draco was disappointed when the song ended. "That's it? There's no more?"
Harry laughed. "Oh, there is plenty more." He ejected the tape and switched the radio over to read a music station. When Harry found the station he wanted, he glanced at Draco. "96.3 Rock Radio. They have all sorts of bands, but the same general style of music as the song you just listened to."
The two listened to the radio host declare, "Up next on 96.3 Rock Radio: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen! Everyone buckle up for a long ride!"
Harry's eyes widened slightly. "Uh, this one gets kind of intense."
Draco just leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Doubt it's as good as Living on a Prayer." Draco secretly thought that Harry had almost the same intonation as the lead singer, though his voice was much younger.
"Just wait."
As the song started, Draco sneered at Harry. "It's slow."
"Just listen to the lyrics and wait!"
Draco huffed.
When the tempo picked up, Draco sat up in interest. As the Galileo's rang out, he found himself standing. The guitar solo started and he just couldn't help himself and started bebopping and dancing around to the music.
Harry was dancing along and mouthing the lyrics.
The final strains faded out, leaving Draco slightly out of breath with eager eyes. "What's next? That was awesome!"
Harry just laughed. "You didn't like the beginning," he reminded Draco.
"So? The middle and end more than made up for the slow intro."
Okay then." Harry left the kitchen for a moment and came back carrying a small box with a bunch of cassette tapes in it. "These are the tapes I have on hand. I haven't really built up my collection yet. I've got Queen, Bon Jovi, the Beatles, the Police, Def Leppard, Van Halen… Journey. Journey is more soft rock than power ballads, and no one that I know of has done a song nearly as long as Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody."
Draco stared at the tapes, then started sifting through them, reading song titles to himself and trying to see if there was anything he wanted to listen to.
He pulled a tape out and tapped it against his hand. "I found another Bon Jovi tape."
Harry held out his hand. "Give it over then. What track do you want to listen to?"
Draco hesitantly gave it to Harry. "All of side 'B' but particularly Wanted Dead or Alive."
Harry smiled. "You'll like that one." He started the tape and let Draco continue his lesson on classic rock.
Draco hadn't sat back down after his short dance party during Queen, so he immediately started dancing along to Bon Jovi without even thinking about it.
The two wizards danced around Harry's kitchen, occasionally switching out the tapes when Draco's eye caught on another song title that he wanted to listen to. After nearly two hours of dancing, both were brought out of their distraction by a pointed throat clearing in the doorway.
Harry and Draco both froze and hesitantly turned to the intruder. Hermione stood in the open door, hands on her hips. "Did you forget you invited me to help with your case, boys?"
Draco shuffled over to the table dejectedly. "I don't want to work right now."
Harry laughed at Draco's pout and Hermione's indignant face. "We were just passing the time until you arrived, Hermione. If you'd been here earlier, you could have helped with Draco's introduction to Muggle rock music."
Hermione arched an eyebrow then rolled her eyes. "There are many other genres that I can assist with. You were always more of a rock fan than me." Hermione grinned and added, "But if you have some AC/DC, I'll let the work slide and the dance party continue."
Draco jumped to his feet and dug through the box furiously. He triumphantly waved a tape in the air. "Got it!"
The three laughed together and started the dance party once more, happy to postpone their work since the case they were investigating wasn't due to go to court for another three weeks.
Sometimes, you just need to have an impromptu dance party and let loose.