•••
I was never one for reality. It was too harsh for my tastes. My hand brushes against the gun hidden in my khakis. One bullet; one target.
•••
Harry sighed, gingerly touching the keyboard in chorus.
"Mr. Potter, I will as you, again, not to touch the keyboards without permission," a gently nagging voice came.
"Sorry, Professor Lupin," Harry looked up embarrassed, "Can I play on the keyboards?"
"Until the bell rings," Lupin smiled, the corners on his eyes wrinkling.
Harry quietly practiced the latest song on the old piano, echoing through the auditorium where Chorus was held for a lack of a real chorus room.
The class trickled in, most still half-asleep.
"Okay, Harry, that's enough," Remus smiled, "Warm ups," Remus replaced Harry at the piano, "One, two, three, four, five, four, three, two, one."
They repeated after him, trying to hit the notes just right.
"Good," he smiled after they'd been through the major scales, "Arpeggios- one, three, five, three, one."
•••
My fingers rest on the trigger as I aim carefully...
•••
(a/n: this class is a combination of sophomores, Harry's year, and freshmen)
"Malfoy?" the professor said in a tone that sounded as if he'd been trying to call his attention a few times, "Draco Malfoy?"
Draco flushed, "Present," he said, shoving his hands into his deep pockets.
"Would you put your backpack off the table?"
"Yes, Professor Black," Draco said softer, gently pushing it onto the floor.
"Now, I'm going to partner you up," Sirius flashed a grin to his godson, "for your biology project of the day!"
There was a groan amidst the class.
"Awww," the man frowned, his eyes sparkling, "but we're dissecting!"
Another groan.
"M'kay, Granger and Weasley-"
"Yes!" Ron grinned at Harry.
Harry sighed, he'd be suck with-
"Longbottom....aaaand...Weasley Jr."
"Professor! Don't call me that!" Ginny glared.
"Okay, Weasley the sixth."
"Shut it!"
Any other teacher would've given her a detention, but not Sirius. He loved teaching the kids and he loved hit breaks more.
"Potter annnnnnd...blondie! Malfoy?" Sirius smiled, "Lovegood and..."
Harry droned him out as he picked up his book and moved next to Malfoy, "So, know anything about the insides of a frog?"
"No, and I really don't want to," Malfoy forced a smile.
"Ah, neither do I, but I've stopped myself from learning before," Harry shrugged as Sirius finished pairing them and began to pass out the required objects.
Then, the frog.
"Shall we begin?" Harry asked, holding a scapel and handing Draco a pin.
The blond gave a feeble nod.
•••
This is too easy. He's right here in this building. Too easy...
•••
Draco tossed his books into the cloth book bag, the final bell ringing above his head.
He put the weight on his shoulders and started out the door.
Words echoing through his head, blurred images in his eyes.
It wasn't until someone grabbed his shoulder that he returned to reality.
"Hey," it was Harry, "I was wondering if you needed a ride home?"
Draco shook his head in the negative.
"Oh," Harry grinned, "Good, 'cause I need to practice!"
Draco shot him a questioning look.
"My band," Harry raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling well? You look a bit flustered," his hand shot up to Draco's forehead.
Draco blinked, jumping back from the contact.
"Oh, sorry," Harry said, his hand falling limply to his side.
"Oi, Potter?" Seamus yelled from the door, "Coming?"
"Yeah," Harry smiled to Draco, "Later," he ran to catch up with Seamus.
"Hey, I wouldn't hang with him. He's hates people."
"Huh?" Harry took another glance at Draco who was slowly closing his locker and walking towards the doors they'd just exited through.
"I accidentally touched his hand in first block, and he pulled his hand away, clutching it like I had a disease or something," Seamus smiled to Hermione and Ron, "Hey."
"Well, maybe you do," Harry laughed, "Hey Herm, Ron."
"Did you get the beat right?" Hermione asked Seamus, the drummer.
"Yeah, it's not that hard," he grinned.
"Anyway, mum's having you all stay for dinner," Harry sighed, pushing the front seat forward so Hermione and Seamus could get in the back.
"Ooo! What's to eat?" Ron grinned.
"Spaghetti, I think," Harry shrugged, climbing into the front seat.
"Score!" Ron grinned, turning on the car, the stereo blasting 'Enter the Sandman' by Metallica.
•••
Harry turned down the stereo as the arrived on his street so Lily wouldn't hear.
"Home, sweet home," Ron sighed, pulling up.
Harry climbed out first, opening the garage where their equipment stood, waiting.
The others followed him into the garage, closing it behind the last member.
"Places?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
"Yep."
"Uh-huh."
"One, two, three, four!" Harry began the soft chords to the first song, Hermione backing him up on base. He leaned towards the mic, "Wind whisp'ring red-coloured sighs, two lovers screaming blood-covered lies," he sang, his voice like velvet, smooth and deep, "And I know..."
Ron and Seamus joined in, the beat changing from 2/4 time to 4/4.
A loud clash in chords came from the corner.
"Roooon," Hermione said as they stopped.
"Sorry, mate," he shrugged, "I told you they where harder."
The door creaked open.
Lily stuck her head in, "Hey, loves, want some dinner?"
"YAY!"
"Yes, please," Hermione elbowed Ron.
"Hey!" Ron glared, "I gotta call George and Fred," he grinned, "They wanted to come over," he explained, pulling out his cell phone.
Just as he opened it, a loud roaring sound of a motorcycle pulling up interrupted him.
"Sirius!" Harry grinned, running outside.
Lily pouted as James hugged her from behind.
"Hey mum!" Ron smiled, "Today's James' going away party. Dinner's ready....okay....see you soon...They're on there way."
"We'll wait," Lily smiled, standing up on her toes to kiss James' chin.
"Muuum, get outta the way!" Shiloh yelled from behind her, "You too dad!"
"Be nice," Harry said, hanging onto Sirius' back.
"You're the reason I have arthritis!" Sirius teased as he tousled Shiloh's hair.
They all took a seat around the table as Lily went to answer the door where the remaining Weasleys stood.
"Hello, Molly," she smiled, "Why don't you come on in, Arthur, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, Bill, and Ginny. How are you all?"
A chorus of 'fines' came at her as she seated them around the huge table.
There was a knock at the door again just as everyone was served.
"I'll get it, mum," Harry said.
He opened the door.
Empty.
He shrugged and turned to close the door.
A bullet flew past his head, shattering a porcelain vase.
"OH MY GOD!" Lily jumped from her chair, upsetting a glass of wine as Harry stood there, stunned.
The red spread across the table as the rest of the group rushed to his side.
•••
TCB
I was never one for reality. It was too harsh for my tastes. My hand brushes against the gun hidden in my khakis. One bullet; one target.
•••
Harry sighed, gingerly touching the keyboard in chorus.
"Mr. Potter, I will as you, again, not to touch the keyboards without permission," a gently nagging voice came.
"Sorry, Professor Lupin," Harry looked up embarrassed, "Can I play on the keyboards?"
"Until the bell rings," Lupin smiled, the corners on his eyes wrinkling.
Harry quietly practiced the latest song on the old piano, echoing through the auditorium where Chorus was held for a lack of a real chorus room.
The class trickled in, most still half-asleep.
"Okay, Harry, that's enough," Remus smiled, "Warm ups," Remus replaced Harry at the piano, "One, two, three, four, five, four, three, two, one."
They repeated after him, trying to hit the notes just right.
"Good," he smiled after they'd been through the major scales, "Arpeggios- one, three, five, three, one."
•••
My fingers rest on the trigger as I aim carefully...
•••
(a/n: this class is a combination of sophomores, Harry's year, and freshmen)
"Malfoy?" the professor said in a tone that sounded as if he'd been trying to call his attention a few times, "Draco Malfoy?"
Draco flushed, "Present," he said, shoving his hands into his deep pockets.
"Would you put your backpack off the table?"
"Yes, Professor Black," Draco said softer, gently pushing it onto the floor.
"Now, I'm going to partner you up," Sirius flashed a grin to his godson, "for your biology project of the day!"
There was a groan amidst the class.
"Awww," the man frowned, his eyes sparkling, "but we're dissecting!"
Another groan.
"M'kay, Granger and Weasley-"
"Yes!" Ron grinned at Harry.
Harry sighed, he'd be suck with-
"Longbottom....aaaand...Weasley Jr."
"Professor! Don't call me that!" Ginny glared.
"Okay, Weasley the sixth."
"Shut it!"
Any other teacher would've given her a detention, but not Sirius. He loved teaching the kids and he loved hit breaks more.
"Potter annnnnnd...blondie! Malfoy?" Sirius smiled, "Lovegood and..."
Harry droned him out as he picked up his book and moved next to Malfoy, "So, know anything about the insides of a frog?"
"No, and I really don't want to," Malfoy forced a smile.
"Ah, neither do I, but I've stopped myself from learning before," Harry shrugged as Sirius finished pairing them and began to pass out the required objects.
Then, the frog.
"Shall we begin?" Harry asked, holding a scapel and handing Draco a pin.
The blond gave a feeble nod.
•••
This is too easy. He's right here in this building. Too easy...
•••
Draco tossed his books into the cloth book bag, the final bell ringing above his head.
He put the weight on his shoulders and started out the door.
Words echoing through his head, blurred images in his eyes.
It wasn't until someone grabbed his shoulder that he returned to reality.
"Hey," it was Harry, "I was wondering if you needed a ride home?"
Draco shook his head in the negative.
"Oh," Harry grinned, "Good, 'cause I need to practice!"
Draco shot him a questioning look.
"My band," Harry raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling well? You look a bit flustered," his hand shot up to Draco's forehead.
Draco blinked, jumping back from the contact.
"Oh, sorry," Harry said, his hand falling limply to his side.
"Oi, Potter?" Seamus yelled from the door, "Coming?"
"Yeah," Harry smiled to Draco, "Later," he ran to catch up with Seamus.
"Hey, I wouldn't hang with him. He's hates people."
"Huh?" Harry took another glance at Draco who was slowly closing his locker and walking towards the doors they'd just exited through.
"I accidentally touched his hand in first block, and he pulled his hand away, clutching it like I had a disease or something," Seamus smiled to Hermione and Ron, "Hey."
"Well, maybe you do," Harry laughed, "Hey Herm, Ron."
"Did you get the beat right?" Hermione asked Seamus, the drummer.
"Yeah, it's not that hard," he grinned.
"Anyway, mum's having you all stay for dinner," Harry sighed, pushing the front seat forward so Hermione and Seamus could get in the back.
"Ooo! What's to eat?" Ron grinned.
"Spaghetti, I think," Harry shrugged, climbing into the front seat.
"Score!" Ron grinned, turning on the car, the stereo blasting 'Enter the Sandman' by Metallica.
•••
Harry turned down the stereo as the arrived on his street so Lily wouldn't hear.
"Home, sweet home," Ron sighed, pulling up.
Harry climbed out first, opening the garage where their equipment stood, waiting.
The others followed him into the garage, closing it behind the last member.
"Places?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
"Yep."
"Uh-huh."
"One, two, three, four!" Harry began the soft chords to the first song, Hermione backing him up on base. He leaned towards the mic, "Wind whisp'ring red-coloured sighs, two lovers screaming blood-covered lies," he sang, his voice like velvet, smooth and deep, "And I know..."
Ron and Seamus joined in, the beat changing from 2/4 time to 4/4.
A loud clash in chords came from the corner.
"Roooon," Hermione said as they stopped.
"Sorry, mate," he shrugged, "I told you they where harder."
The door creaked open.
Lily stuck her head in, "Hey, loves, want some dinner?"
"YAY!"
"Yes, please," Hermione elbowed Ron.
"Hey!" Ron glared, "I gotta call George and Fred," he grinned, "They wanted to come over," he explained, pulling out his cell phone.
Just as he opened it, a loud roaring sound of a motorcycle pulling up interrupted him.
"Sirius!" Harry grinned, running outside.
Lily pouted as James hugged her from behind.
"Hey mum!" Ron smiled, "Today's James' going away party. Dinner's ready....okay....see you soon...They're on there way."
"We'll wait," Lily smiled, standing up on her toes to kiss James' chin.
"Muuum, get outta the way!" Shiloh yelled from behind her, "You too dad!"
"Be nice," Harry said, hanging onto Sirius' back.
"You're the reason I have arthritis!" Sirius teased as he tousled Shiloh's hair.
They all took a seat around the table as Lily went to answer the door where the remaining Weasleys stood.
"Hello, Molly," she smiled, "Why don't you come on in, Arthur, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, Bill, and Ginny. How are you all?"
A chorus of 'fines' came at her as she seated them around the huge table.
There was a knock at the door again just as everyone was served.
"I'll get it, mum," Harry said.
He opened the door.
Empty.
He shrugged and turned to close the door.
A bullet flew past his head, shattering a porcelain vase.
"OH MY GOD!" Lily jumped from her chair, upsetting a glass of wine as Harry stood there, stunned.
The red spread across the table as the rest of the group rushed to his side.
•••
TCB