True Friends
By: Craw/Brad
Author's Notes: Ok, sorry this took so long, but I seem to have lost my copy of RHPS and had to look up the words online. Apparently there isn't a single site that has every thing I needed on it... Sorry. Now, I have made a C2 community and need staff. Title is 'Slash is like coffee'. It would only hold Harry/ fics and I would hold presidential veto on which fics get added. If you would care to be made staff, sign on and say so in your review.
Chapter Twelve
The next day, after classes, I lay with Harry on my bed cuddling to his back as he ran lines with, well, the rest of the cast. They had been going for a while, but we almost knew all our lines by heart, they had even begun to haunt my dreams. Anyway, we had decided to take a break for a few moments. People were situated in various places having discussions. None of that mattered at the moment, though.
"Raven?" I breathed softly into his ear.
"Hmm?" he asked as he pulled my arms a little tighter around his waist.
"Would you come with me to Hogsmead this weekend?"
"Of course, Dray," he answers with out giving it a thought.
"Let's get back to it!" Remus declared happily. "You still need to work a little more on the timing of the Floor Show."
"Monday we will begin rehearsals at the set again," Uncle Sev put in. "The first years are almost done."
"When will costumes be ready?" Harry asked. "I'll need time with the shoes."
"By Wednesday at the latest," Remus answered. "Now, from the top."
X
Saturday morning found my green-eyed boyfriend and I in the Hogsmead robe shop. This shop wasn't as large as the ones in London, and didn't have nearly the selection. Harry was currently wearing a deep purple robe with black trim and lining. It lay open in the front and showed off a tight black shirt and leather pants.
"What do you think?" the sales person asked as he slowly turned in front of the full length mirror.
"I would prefer both sleeveless." Harry answered waving a hand at the large bell-like sleeves. "Other than that, it will do."
"We can remove the sleeves if you would like," she replied. "If you would leave it here and return for them later, we should have it done by this afternoon."
"That's fine," Raven said as he moved toward the dressing room. I picked up my chosen outfit and moved with him.
Twenty minutes later we left to wander until our clothes were ready. My choice was very near the same as my personal Adonis's, but instead of purple, my robe was a deep sea blue. For sure, we would be the best looking people at the ball.
Sometime around lunch, I sighted Weasley coming our way. He had been avoiding me for the last few days and I was ready to get to the vengeance.
"Look, it's the fag and ferret!" he exclaimed as he came closer to us, trailed by Dean Thomas.
"Hello Weasel, Weasel's lackey," I answered with a nod. Without missing a beat, I pointed my wand at them and declared, "Avada Desha!" This curse, while not technically illegal, is highly frowned upon. It drains one's magical energy to an almost totally diminished state. It leaves the person whom it is cast upon in a rather weak state for about a week.
I calmly led Harry into the three broomsticks before either had time to react. Ordering two butterbeers, we sat down for lunch.
X
The remainder of the week went by in a flurry of activity. Before anyone knew it, it was the night of the last dress rehearsal. We were half way through the last run before problems started to crop up.
It was the bedroom scene between Frank and Brad when I heard it. I was in back getting made up for my scene with Janet when suddenly it wasn't Brad saying 'no' any longer.
"Let go of me, damnit!" came the cry of my Raven. "Terry if you don't get off, I'm going to hurt you," he said a little calmer.
"I know you want it, too, my beloved," Boot said huskily. "You can do so much better than that Slytherin scum." A loud smack resounded and then, "If you are going to be like that I'll have too show you the way. You'll come to love me as much as I love you."
"Dear Merlin! Draco!" I was already on stage, but Boot had spelled the curtains closed. My boyfriend's cry was enough to spur me into action again. I grabbed the knife that was sitting in the wings waiting for the Dinner scene. The spell may keep me from opening it, but nothing was in place to keep me from cutting the curtains open.
Within seconds, a large strip of it fell away to reveal my poor Harry tied up under the Ravenclaw. Thankfully, they were both still dressed, but Boot was forcing his tong down my boyfriend's throat as Harry thrashed about, whimpering.
Faster than I could blink, Lupin tore the pseudo-rapist away from his charge. The blue eyed boy was pinned to the wall and no longer my concern. Now I had to focus on Harry.
My baby's wrists were red from where he had struggled and I sure that if I had taken much longer, they would have been bleeding. When I had said they were clothed, I was being lenient. Harry was in fish-net, a silken Speedo, and a corset and Boot had only been in a shirt and briefs.
"Are you ok?" I asked as I dealt with the restraints on his legs.
"I'm fine I guess," he said shakily. "Just get me out of here."
"Of course, honey," I replied, stroking his hair. I lifted him into my arms and brought him with me off the bed. "Do you want to keep going or call it a night?"
"I think I can make it through, just keep him away from me," my brave little lion said. "Who are we going to get to play Brad?"
"Don't worry about that, Harry," Remus said from where he still had Boot pinned to the wall. "Why don't you have Draco take you up to your room?"
"The play is tomorrow," Raven protested. "We have to finish this."
"You know the lines and what to do. So does everyone else," Sev said from where he was seated in a muggle wheel-chair. "Not finishing one rehearsal isn't going to kill us."
"But Brad--"
"I will play Brad," Remus snapped. "I'll get them to alter the costume tomorrow. Now go to bed."
Without waiting for my cute little Savior to say anything, I carried him out of the room.
X
Once I had my boyfriend stripped down and curled up under the blankets, I cuddled up beside him. "How do you feel?" I asked softly.
"How could he really do that? I mean, I knew that he had a thing for me, but why do that?" He sounded near tears. I didn't know what to say. I have no clue why the Ravenclaw did what he did, so I answered, "I don't know. Some people just aren't all there.
After a few minutes of lying there quietly, I asked, "Can I get you anything?"
"No," he hesitated a moment before asking with pleading eyes. "Can you just... hold me?"
"Of course, Raven," I answered, wrapping my arms tightly around his smaller frame.
X
The next day went by in a whirlwind of activity. That morning at breakfast, Dumbledore informed us we would be the first team to present our play. We were to go on right before dinner that night. Winners were told that their activity needed to take place after their play tomorrow and lunch.
As they congregated to discuss what they would be choosing for the next task, we were going over our last minute details. We had to hope that changing Brad this late in the game wouldn't throw us off too badly. The set and costumes were finished. The lights and sounds were golden. It's all on us now.
Classes flew by and next thing I knew we had half an hour before show time. Everyone was in their opening costume. A handful of fifth and sixth year girls had volunteered to do make up and were busily doing the wedding party's. Harry, Hermione, Remus, Vince and Sally-Anne were already ready for the opening and waiting in the wings.
"I don't know if I can do this." Susan Bones said, coming up behind me. "I mean I'm not charismatic like you and Harry. Hell, most people don't even know I'm in Hufflepuff."
"Calm down," I said turning to her. "You will do perfectly. Just like you did at rehearsals."
"He's right you know," Raven came up behind the worried blond. "If for no other reason than because Draco said so, the production will go smashingly."
The girl let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you, I needed to hear that." With a slight smile, she walked off to find Silvara.
"Everything will work out alright, won't it?" Harry asked a little uncertainly. He would be sure for everyone else, but even the boy who lived was nervous about this.
"Of course it will, Raven," I said reassuringly as I pulled him close. Resting my forehead against his, I continue, "After all the work we put into it, it has to be."
"Draco, you're up!" came a voice from our left. It doesn't matter who it was, what matters is that I was about to do the opening number to a possibly unresponsive crowd, all alone. I was officially frightened.
"Go on," Harry urged. "You'll be amazing." With that, he pushed me toward the direction of the projector. Apparently this little box would be aimed at my lips and project them floating mid-stage. It would also let the whole room hear my voice.
After standing before it for a few seconds and getting the thumbs up from the girl standing behind it, I began to sing;
"Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still,
But he told us where we stand,
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear,
Claude Rains was the invisible man,
Then something went wrong for Faye Wray and King Kong,
They got caught in a celluloid jam,
Then at a deadly pace,
It came from --- Outer Space,
And this is how the message ran,
Science fiction --- double feature,
Doctor X will build a creature,
See androids fighting,
Brad and Janet,
Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet,
Oh oh oh oh
At the late night, double feature, picture show...."
X
"I see you shiver with antici.... pation. I fear the rain isn't really to blame, So I will remove the cause... But not the symptoms!" Harry was done with his first real scene and that was my cue to lay back in the tank so that they could wheel me out.
Fast forward past a few moments of conversation that I have nothing to do with, and it's time for my one song as Rocky. "The soul of Demiclues is hanging over my head..."
X
The next hour went by in a flash, and before I knew it, it was time for the floor show. I had to smile at the sight of Raven bustling about in a bathrobe with that goop on his face. Even as it is, he is still quite lovely.
X
So the play was over and every one was off to the Dining Hall for dinner. The general consciences were that the play rocked, though some people didn't like it. One such person was very vocal with their dislike.
"That was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen," Weasley declared loudly. "Just proves that fags corrupt perfectly normal people." He had just gotten out of the hospital wing that afternoon. Funny that they couldn't find any proof as to who was to blame for the state he had been in.
"Got what he deserved didn't he?" Finnegan agreed, equally loud.
"Oh, get over yourselves!" Blaise snapped. "It was far better than Animal Farm."
Weasel launched himself at the dark Slytherin. In a few moments, Blaise landed on the ground with the redhead straddling him. Between Weasley's hits, Blaise hissed, "I thought you didn't like men."
That comment just further enraged the Gryffindor. All of this took less than thirty seconds to come about. McGonagall came running and stunned Ron quickly. He fell off of Blaise, and to his left, revealing his bloody face. "Are you ok, Mister Zambini?"
"I'm bloody perfect," he replied sardonically. "Never before have I felt this joyous. This is the feeling they write odes about."
"No need to get snappish," she snapped.
"Um... Professor, maybe we should get him to the infirmary," Raven hazarded.
"Oh." She came back to herself. "Of course."
Greg scooped Blaise's battered body into his arms. "Put me down this instant, you great oaf!" the smaller boy exclaimed. "I'm not unconscious!"
"You can't walk up all those stairs," Greg grunted. After a short staring contest, Blaise simply nodded with a pout. As I walked between them and Raven, I had to think on how incredibly screwed up the last few weeks had been.
X
Later that evening, I learned that Winners had decided on a singing contest for their activity. This should be fun.
TBC
Mad love to my beta, Truthfulchaos. Review!