Harry walked up the stairs out onto the empty stage. He was early to the set-up for their concert that night in London. He always liked to be early. He stood where his microphone would be and felt rather than heard as Draco came to stand behind him.

"It's odd isn't it?" Draco asked softly so that his voice would not carry. "That we're famous for something that doesn't cause pain."

"A bit," Harry agreed with a whisper.

Their manager came up to them, gushing smile in place, "Guess what? We're sold out!"

"Good," Harry smiled. "It's the last show in the tour too."

"I'm off to make sure they have the mixing equipment and everything else," Belle gave a cheery wave and was off once more.

Harry and Draco sat on stage, legs dangling over the edge. Harry flipped open his notebook and together the two bent over his latest edit of the lyrics for their next album. Belle watched them from the shadows, a sad smile in place. Even though the two enjoyed what they did they rarely allowed anyone close to them. Belle was the only one who had any idea what they had been through and they still kept her in the dark. Draco turned to look over his shoulder at her, giving a soft reassuring smile.

"Come on Green Eyes," Draco used Harry's shoulder to push himself to his feet. "It's time to get into costume."

Draco pushed Harry in front of him into their dressing room. He tossed Harry a pair of black leather pants, pulling on a pair of gray ones for himself.

"Let's go all out tonight," Harry smirked at Draco in the mirror.

"You're on," Draco laughed.

Harry took out a dark blue tank top and put it on. He handed Draco a white one.

"Sit down," Draco commanded imperiously. "I'm doing your hair, can't have you messing it up."

Harry subjected himself to Draco's ministrations. The blond used plenty of gel to get Harry's hair styled in careful spikes, allowing his lightning bolt scar to be visible. Most of the Muggles thought it was a make-up effect. Draco and Harry never corrected their assumptions. Draco slicked his hair back like he used to when they were in school. He threw Harry a devious smirk.

"Make-up time," Draco patted Harry's shoulder. "That means you stay put!"

Draco applied the liquid black eye liner under Harry's eyes to make them seem even bigger than they were. Under his own eyes Draco did the same. He powered both his own and Harry's face and forehead to avoid sweating under the bright lights on stage. He took placed a silver cuff on Harry's upper arm and allowed Harry to place the black leather one on his own arm, their ritual before every show.

"Let's take our places," Harry stood up at last.

On stage the lighting was down low as the band assembled. The stage went dark as soon as the music started. Harry and Draco went on stage before their mics.

"Must be something they're hiding, Must be reasons that no one will dare to tell
Must be something inside me, But I don't think so anymore
It's hurting again now, And I don't need friends when I have foes like you
It's hurting again now, It's killing me to be here all alone
Go away it's all the same, There's more for me," Harry began on the first line and then Draco joined him, the stage lights slowly coming up.

"As the world falls away, and I can't find a reason
As the world turns to grey
It's killing me unwillingly and I am just the same as you," Harry's voice was full of pain as he sang the next stanza but the crowd loved it all the same.

"Must be something confided, Must be someway to feel the pain and heal again
Pain and pleasure, inviting, I don't think so anymore
It's hurting again now, And I don't need pills
When I have drugs like you. It's hurting again now
It's killing me to be here all alone. Go away
It's all the same, There's more for me," Draco and Harry sang at each other, ignoring the crowd in favor for the bitter memories.

"As the world falls away, and I can't find a reason
As the world turns to grey, It's killing me unwillingly and I am just afraid

As the world falls away, and I can't find a reason
As the world turns to grey, you're killing me unwillingly and I am just the same as you
as you!," Draco screamed the last line to the crowd as Harry turned his back and strutted to the other side of the stage.

"I'm just like you, just not a fool, I'm just like you, just not as cool
I'm just like you, Just not a fool, I'm just like you...

As the world falls away, and I can't find a reason
As the world turns to grey, It's killing me unwillingly and I am just afraid

As the world falls away, and I can't find a reason
As the world turns to grey, you're killing me unwillingly and I am just the same as you

I'm just like you, just not a fool, I'm just like you...," Harry picked out a member in the front row, Draco doing the same, singing to them with a mixture of sadness, regret and anger. And as always the crowd loved it and applauded when the song was over, they did not applaud long though, the band did not give them the choice as they started immediately into the next song.

"There's a pain that sleeps inside
It sleeps with just one eye
And awakens the moment that you leave
Though I try to look away
The pain it still remains
Only leaving when you're next to me," Draco began the next song, the lyrics written by both of them. He kept Harry within his line of sight as he also sang to the crowd.

"Do you know, that everytime you're near
Everybody else seems far away
So can you come and make them disappear
Make them disappear and we can stay," Draco crooned the next bit as he moved closer to Harry so that only half the stage was between them now, still looking out at the crowd and their happy faces.

"So I stand and look around
Distracted by the sounds
Of everyone and everything I see
And I search through every face
Without a single trace, of the person
The person that I need," Harry came in and Draco fell silent watching both Harry and the crowd.

"Do you know, that everytime you're near
Everybody else seems far away
So can you come and make them disappear
Make them disappear and we can stay," Harry turned to Draco as he sang the next lines, Tommy, playing his guitar, came up beside Harry, joining in on the chorus.

"Can you make them disappear?
Make them disappear

There's a pain that sleeps inside
Sleeps with just one eye
And awakens, the moment that you leave
And I search through every face
Without a single trace, of the person
The person that I need," Harry and Draco sang from one microphone stand while Tommy and Leslie's voices flowed through the speakers below Harry and Draco's.

"Do you know, that everytime you're near
Everybody else seems far away
So can you come and make them disappear
Make them disappear and we can stay," The last line the music faded away as Harry and Draco finished the song.

It was after that next song, as the band began the start up of the next song that both Harry and Draco noticed the people sitting in the sixth row. They looked at one another and knew that the next song was perfect considering who was in their audience that night.

"Satan, you know where I lie
Gently I go, into that good night
All our lives get complicated
Search for pleasures, overrated
Never armed our souls
For what the future would hold
When we were innocent...innocent," Harry began the next song, looking at the people in the sixth row, his voice angry.

"Angels! Lend me your might!
Forfeit all my lives
To get just one right
All those colors long since faded
All our smiles all confiscated
Never were we told
We'd be bought and sold
When we were innocent
Yeah!," Draco joined him on the next stanza, his voice full of grief rather than anger.

"Yeah! This prayer, is for me tonight
This far downdown that line
and still ain't got it right
And while confessions not yet stated
Our next sin is contemplated
Never did we know
What the future would hold
Or that we'd be bought and sold
No!

We were innocent...innocent
When we were innocent...," Harry and Draco finished the song with strained whispers, both remembering times from the past when they had been innocent; that was long ago though, separated by betrayals and deaths.

Harry signaled to the band that he wanted to do one of their unreleased songs. When the music started up Draco gave Harry an approving smile before they both began to sing, "It seems like every day's the same, and I'm left to discover on my own
It seems like everything is gray, and there's no color to behold
They say it's over and I'm fine again, yeah, Try to stay sober feels like I'm dying here

And I am aware now of how, everything's gonna be fine one day
Too late, I'm in hell I am prepared now, seems everyone's gonna be fine
One day too late, just as well

I feel the dream in me expire, and there's no one left to blame it on
I hear you label me a liar, 'cause I can't seem to get this through
You say it's over, I can sigh again, yeah, Why try to stay sober when I'm dying here

And I am aware now of how, everything's gonna be fine one day
Too late, I'm in hell, I am prepared now, seems everyone's gonna be fine
One day too late; just as well

And I'm not scared now. I must assure you,
you're never gonna get away And I'm not scared now.
And I'm not scared now. No…

I am aware now of how, everything's gonna be fine one day
Too late, I'm in hell, I am prepared now
seems everyone's gonna be fine, One day too late, just as well
I am prepared now, seems everything's gonna be fine for me
For me; for myself. For me, for me, for myself
For me, for me, for myself, I am prepared now for myself
I am prepared now, and I am fine again," They finished out the song and disappeared from the stage.

Belle followed after them, stopping them by placing a hand on each of their shoulders, "What's wrong?"

"Some old friends we know were out in the crowd," Draco told her. "The sixth row, invite them back please. It's the man all in black with the big nose and the people with him."

Belle frowned but went off to do as Draco asked.

"Are you sure you want to see them Dray?" Harry asked tentatively.

"I wish they'd just leave us alone Green Eyes, but we might as well see them now rather than deal with all the damn owls they're sure to send to us," Draco replied heading to their private lounge.

Harry sat in the giant overstuffed lounge chair and held out his hand for the glass of brandy Draco offered. The blond took his place on the arm of Harry's chair, sipping his own drink conservatively as Belle ushered their guests into the room.

"It's all right love," Draco said without getting up. "You can go. Just keep everyone else out."

Belle nodded and left. Harry sat back; drink in hand as he looked at the motley group of people from his past standing around.

"Take a seat where you can find one," Harry gestured with a hand. "The brandy's off limits though. Dray and I paid a mint for it."

"What do you two think you're doing here?" Minerva McGonagall was the first to speak. "Leaving without a word to anyone, what were we to think? We thought you were dead for a while."

"We probably should have left note," Draco's fingers played through Harry's hair. "Or we could have sent a note later on when we got settled."

"We didn't, what's done is done," Harry said.

"Why did you leave Harry?" Hermione's tone was plaintive.

"Maybe because I was sick of it all Hermione," Harry snapped at her. "Ever think of that? All of you got what you wanted. The only person who even believed that I needed to confront Voldemort is sitting right here," He put a hand on Draco's knee. "The rest of you tried to keep me away from the field, or tried to manipulate me and it cost people their lives. So sorry I didn't want to stick around and see what else you planned to use me for."

"Let's not forget all the conversations we overheard under that Cloak," Draco glared at all those assembled before them. "Like Granger and McGonagall discussing how unstable Harry was, how the son of Death Eater Lucius Malfoy was sure to turn him over to Voldemort. Or the lovely chats Weasley and Granger had about how attention starved Harry was and how maybe by getting the Weasel into bed with him would fix it all."

Minerva, Hermione and Ron all paled at Draco's words. Severus Snape was sneering at the three of them.

"I do have to admit that Severus was at least honest about everything," Harry went on. "All those times he tried to douse Draco or I with Veritaserum, he didn't hide that he'd attempted to do so after he realized it hadn't worked. And he was always honest about how he disliked my being with Draco. At least I can say that about him."

"But Harry we care about you," Hermione said desperately. "We only wanted what was best for you."

"You wanted what was best for the Boy Who Lived," Harry disagreed. "You forgot all about Harry, all about me."

Draco stood from his position, slamming his empty glass down on the table, "The lot of you never gave a damn about him! I was the one who comforted him after his nightmares, who helped train with him so that he would be able to go against Voldemort. I'm the one who gave up my life just like Harry had too in order to give you people what you wanted."

"You didn't do half as much as Harry did Malfoy," Ron snarled.

"That's something we can agree on Weasley," Draco smirked at the redhead's stunned expression. "When he was younger Harry never had the choice to step away from facing Voldemort, it wasn't until he got older that he really and truly decided to kill the bastard. On the other hand I didn't make my choice until much later, and it wasn't thrust upon me like it was with Harry, I didn't have the entire weight of the Wizarding World resting on my shoulders, Harry did. I was just the one who had Harry's welfare resting on my shoulders since the lot of you never did anything productive to actually help him when we were older. You're right Weasley, I didn't do half as much as Harry."

"It's over now though," Minerva looked between the two. "You can both come back."

"Too little too late for that Professor," Harry stared coldly at her.

"Is this your choice Draco?" Severus Snape interrupted whatever else Harry might have said.

"It is," Draco inclined his head to the Potions Master.

"Well at least I can see that he has done some good for you," Severus admitted. "You look better than you did."

"I feel better than I did," Draco said.

"The rest of you get out, except Severus if he wants to stay," Harry added. "I don't want to see the rest of you."

"Harry you can't mean that," Hermione begged. "You're our friend."

"Perhaps once," Harry shook his head. "But you killed that, both of you did. Maybe someday, if you work at it you'll be able to be my friends again, but not now."

Hermione slowly began to cry. Ron looked lost and Minerva looked sad. The Head of Gryffindor House ushered the two former best friends of Harry Potter from the room.

"I take it you're the new Headmaster?" Harry looked over at Severus.

"How did you know that Potter?" Severus asked looking a bit surprised.

"Albus trusted you more than McGonagall," Harry explained his guess. "Coupled with the fact that he was annoyed with how she was handling the situation in regards to myself and Draco you just seemed like the next best candidate."

"Yes well good use of logic Potter," Severus said.

"Call me Harry," Harry offered.

"Harry then," Severus finally sat on the couch. "How are you two fairing?"

"I won't deny it, I do miss the Wizarding World," Harry sighed.

"I miss it too," Draco agreed. "But what is there left for us, to be shut away at Malfoy Manor or surrounded by cameras and reporters wherever we go, that's not a life."

"And that's different from the life you have now?" Severus seemed to find it amusing.

"It's very different," Harry argued. "For one we can disguise ourselves much easier among Muggles. And they mostly care about when our next album is coming out. They're much easier to manipulate or turn away than wizards and witches. Plus we're famous for our own music, not for killing people."

"You do have one thing left to you in the Wizarding World," Severus told them.

"What, to run for Minister of Magic?" Draco drawled. "That sounds so appealing I could vomit."

"You could always teach," Severus went on as though Draco has said nothing. "I will need someone to teach Potions and be head of Slytherin House. And of course, as always, the Defense position is open as will be the position for head of Gryffindor House once Minerva retires at the end of next term."

"Who will take Transfigurations then?" Harry asked.

"Nymphadora Tonks has accepted the position," Severus answered. "As you know Sprout and Flitwick are still with us. Hagrid has made a nearly full recovery and will remain as Care of Magical Creatures Professor for the younger years while Grubbly-Planks will take fourth year and up. Trewlawny left the school but Arabella Figg took her place. Naturally Binns is still with us, Filch and Mrs. Norris the Second still roam the halls and Madame Pince still guards the Library. Oliver Wood is the Flying Coach and Quidditch referee. Poppy is still the Mediwitch, Seamus Finnegan is the new Muggle Studies Professor and Charlie Weasley is our Ancient Runes Professor."

"We'll have to think about it," Draco said firmly. "We have music careers."

"If we wanted to we could work it out," Harry frowned thinking. "We could record the albums over Christmas break and release them shortly thereafter and tour over the summer."

"You have learned how to use your brain Harry," Severus nodded in approval.

"Is this what you want Green Eyes?" Draco asked softly.

"It does have its appeal," Harry said. "You have to admit that Dray. We don't have to leave behind the Wizarding World."

"And I can promise you that no reporters will be on the grounds without your knowledge," Severus decided to sweeten the offer. "You know where I stand on the issue of rude reporters. The students will of course not be allowed to take any pictures of you, if any turn up in magazine rags they will be punished."

"Or we could just put on charms so that the pictures are all grainy of us unless the pictures our taken with our approval," Harry suggested.

"There is that," Severus agreed.

"I'll go if you do Harry," Draco finally said. "We'll have to work things out with Wright though."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Harry smirked. "We can always threaten to go under our own label. Our contract only extends until now anyway. We could just save ourselves the hassle and have Belle run things for us."

"I like the way you think," Draco smiled. "I've told you that right?"

"A time or two," Harry stood and strode to the door. "I'll call Belle in and we'll arrange things."

Surprisingly Severus was the one to suggest the name for their new venture. Their label would be called Serpentine Paths, in honor of all the twists fate had brought to them. Belle was pleased with the idea, she promised to get right on setting up the company and talking to the band members to see if they wished to remain part of Savior.

"When McGonagall retires we'll join your staff," Harry told the new Headmaster. "I suggest not saying anything until she's already retired."

"Naturally, I'm a Slytherin," Severus snorted. "That means that I use my brain constantly, unlike some of your former friends from Gryffindor."

The rest of their informal meeting was completed rather quickly after Belle left. Draco and Harry promised to keep in touch with Severus. Once he had left they quickly changed out of their costumes and took off their make-up. As always with his cunning Draco took them out through the front of the concert hall and their car pulled up to the curb before any of their die hard fans knew that the two main singers of Savior had been among them.

The collapsed into bed and fell asleep. The next morning their phone was ringing so loudly that Harry rolled out of bed onto the phone.

"Don't even laugh," Harry scowled at the blond who was trying to hold back. "Hello?" Harry answered the phone.

"Harry is that you, this is Gary," Gary Wright said. "I hear that you're breaking off to form your own record label. I know that our contact is up but I was hoping to renew it."

"We don't want to be musicians full time Gary," Harry pushed the button for the speaker phone. "Draco and I have decided that we want to do other things with our time besides just tour and make new CDs."

"Like what?" Gary sounded confused.

"We were offered teaching jobs at our old boarding school," Draco leaned over Harry's shoulder. "They aren't a big establishment and while it's true we were glad to get away when we did we want to go back."

"But I'm sure we could work something out," Gary said.

"Perhaps Serpentine Paths could be associated with Wright Records," Draco suggested. "But we need to break away a bit Gary, have a bit more freedom as to when we'll record and tour."

"Well I'll take what I can get from you two," Gary acquiesced. "You two are sellers. I'll meet with Belle and help to set up your new label. And any other groups that come my way that don't want to do music full-time I just might throw your way. It would certainly help out Wright Records."

"We'd be happy to take the part-timers," Harry was smiling now. "I'm glad that we're still on good terms."

"Are you kidding?" Gary laughed. "There's just something about you two, I just can't get mad about it. I'll talk to you later boys, enjoy your new label and time off from touring."

"Thanks again Gary," Harry said.

Harry turned to his lover and music partner, "That went better than I expected."

"Definitely," Draco got out of bed and padded naked toward the bathroom. "Join me?"

"Love to," Harry smirked at the blond and moved quickly to the bathroom.