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Sorry it took so long! But I did warn you all about sporadic updates after Uni went back.
Chapter Twelve
Harry decided that it was a smarter decision that day to go shopping as Alex. Everything Harry Potter did was watched so closely, and although he had always managed to buy the silence of the tattoo artists he didn't want to risk word getting back to Malfoy somehow that Harry Potter got an American Indian Labyrinth the same day Snape's son was supposed too. He was forced to admit that it wasn't entirely for outside reasons, a rather large part of himself wanted to know what it was like to walk down a street and not be pointed at or whispered about, this was a rare opportunity, and something he had never dared allowed himself before.
It didn't take long to find a tattoo parlor; this one was just inside Knockturn Alley. Harry knew he couldn't go to his regular artist, they would definitely recognize Harry Potter's tattoos, and be suspicious as to what they were doing on someone else. Harry had been right, walking down a street and not being stared at really was very nice. Almost nice enough to forget the irritation he felt at Snape for dumping him in that mornings situation, just when he had been starting to get comfortable, and at Draco for stopping by all unannounced.
The tattoo didn't take to long to get and afterwards, rather then head back to Snape's, Harry shopped casually, purchasing things he didn't really need but hey, why not? The day passed quickly and Harry opted to headed into muggle London for an all you could eat Pizza Hut lunch. Sometimes, you just had to splurge and be a real pig!
After a long lunch, in which Harry ate more then he probably ever had at one sitting before, Harry began to walk randomly through muggle London. It had just gone 3 and Harry wasn't yet ready to deal with Malfoy again. He was wondering past a rather dingy little bar when he happened to notice the sign outside. In 2 nights they were having a night of classic 80s rock, played by some random cover band.
It had been a few days since he saw Ron and Hermione, and Charlie, and he seemed to be going with a theme of introducing them to muggle music this summer. And he was sure they would love to hear about Malfoy and Snape. With a definite plan in mind, and a rather warm emotion inside that he refused to contemplate the cause of, Harry set off down the street, looking for the nearest motel. He'd book a suite for 2 nights time, then he'd write to them and tell them that he already had it all set up so they had to come. It was for the weekend, Charlie didn't work weekends…
The nearest Motel was nothing special, but it would do. It took a surprisingly long time to set up, and with his wallet a fair bit lighter he decided he really couldn't put it off for much longer. An irritated sneer did nothing to mask the hissed word and the portkey activated. Oh boy, was it just him or did the manor already seem more oppressive then it had since his first day there.
He headed upstairs not bothering to find out where the other residences of this sunlit hell were. Passing one of the doors on the opposite side of the hall between the stairs and his room, Harry noticed it was now occupied. Oh joy, Malfoy must be staying. After stowing his new purchases in his trunk he got out his writing equipment and wrote three letters, telling them that in order to gain the juicy gossip that he had they had to join him for a night of 80s muggle rock music. Sending them off with Hedwig and a request that she wait until the dead of night to sneak back in, Harry packed up and headed downstairs. Dinner would be soon, and he needed to make an appearance as Alex before being called down.
He found the others, minus Snape, out back playing some game which involved a great deal of laughing from what he could tell. Tainen noticed him first and decided that he hadn't tried to knock Harry over yet that day. Luckily the yelled "Hhhhhhhhhh" was enough for Harry to brace himself against the impending attack to his knees.
"Oh Alex, you're back! Mind showing me the new art work?" Harry really had to wonder if Cassi's happy mood and smile were permanently affixed to her in some bizarre fashion. If he were in the muggle world he would have been checking her bathroom cabinet for Percocet, and maybe his bitchy attitude was a little too ingrained because he had to remind himself that he really did actually like his 'father's' wife.
"Sure Cass." He turned around, allowing Cassi and Draco, who was trying badly to feign disinterest, to checkout the new tattoo on the back of his neck.
"So, what else did you get up to today? Did you get your school supplies?" Was it just him or was she really focused on the fucking school supplies! He supposed she just wanted to find out what he was taking next semester or something since they really couldn't ask about the letter he had pointedly not opened in front of them, though they had no way of knowing he hadn't opened it at all.
"No, I prefer to pretend that I'm not enrolled in school until about a week before I go back so I'd rather we dropped that line of conversation" The smile never wavered from his face but it was clear that that conversation was over. "I did do some shopping and then while I was just walking around I saw that a muggle bar near where I was will be having a show in a few days. So I booked a hotel nearby for me and some friends. Figure we should definitely check it out. You know how much I love muggle music."
"You're going to a muggle bar?" And was that awe I heard Draco's voice?
"Yes, I spend a lot of my free time in the muggle world. They have better music, and parties… and clothes."
"I don't think I've ever heard muggle music. Is it very different?" Was Draco trying to be polite? He sounded like he actually wanted to chat.
What Harry didn't know was that Draco had always wanted a brother and over the course of the day he had decided that since his Godfather had always been more like a father to him, and he considered Tainen his little brother, having Alex for a brother too sounded like a great idea. If only he could find a way to talk to him without irritating him, as he had managed to do so successfully that morning with every word out of his mouth.
"Yes, it's very different. Maybe I'll let you hear some tomorrow, since I noticed the room down the hall from mine is now occupied, I assume you are staying?" Not bitchy, but not exactly friendly either. May as well try for a tense peace rather than constant fighting. An enemy would draw far too much attention from the annoying one, better to become a just another part of the household in his mind.
"How will you let me hear some? Do you play an instrument?" Harry had never really thought about the fact that wizards didn't have some form of device which allowed one to listen to music at will, without an instrument handy.
"Muggle have devices that allow you to listen to music whenever you want. Actually they a lot of different devices that allow that, depends on the situation for which one you want. I have an IPod upstairs, that allows only one or two people to hear the music. Muggle are ingenious like that." Let's get political!
A House Elf appeared to tell them dinner would be ready soon, and everyone headed inside to wash up beforehand. When they reached the dining room Snape was already there.
Dinner was a fun affair, only you know, in the not sense. Snape spent the time trying to resist the temptation of bitching over his son's newest tattoo, or the fact that he planned to go out that night, or the fact that, based on what Cassi had just said, he was planning on spending the night in the city with friends again the next night.
Harry spent the time juggling the conversations so that Malfoy didn't become curious about inconvenient subjects, ignoring the tension coming from his father, and trying not to gag each time he had to be nice to Malfoy who seemed to be attempting to befriend him.
Cassi, who was in no way spy material, kept choosing bad topics of conversation, if her stepson's response were anything to judge by, and trying to feed Tainen.
Draco was happily oblivious to most of the tension, though even he realized that Severus and Alex were tense, he supposed over the new tattoo. Other then that he was happily attempting to chat with his, well he'd decided to think of him as a potential brother, without pissing him off like he seemed to do often.
Tainen spent dinner eating… that was about it for him.
As dinner ended Snape requested Alex's presence in his study as soon as possible. Harry agreed readily and they left the others at the table while they headed off, happily letting Malfoy believe it was about the tattoo.
"Your glamour dropped at a very convenient time." Severus decided that he usually got further with his son when he skipped the pleasantries.
"Actually, it dropped days ago, when I was in London with friends for that concert. I woke up like this. A friend taught me a new glamour; I put it on each morning. Luckily I heard Malfoy's arrival before I applied it this morning. Then I decided it was better to control the situation from the beginning and came downstairs as 'Alex'."
Snape was inexplicably hurt by the knowledge that his son hadn't even told him when he started looking like him, just covered it up and went on with life. And the casual way he just informed him of it, days after the fact, seemed to hurt even more. "And you didn't think it might be important to inform myself, or the headmaster at the very least, of this?" He tried really hard to curb the anger he knew was leaking into his voice.
"It was your business how? And it was Dumbledore's even less. I woke up one morning looking different; I took care of the problem. For that matter, I am the one whose life keeps getting turned up side down! You're a wizard Harry. You're a Hero Harry. You have a Godfather Harry. You're in the Triwizard Tournament Harry. I want your blood Harry. You're insane Harry. Your Godfather's dead Harry. You're the prophecy child Harry. You're daddy ain't your daddy Harry. You don't look like you Harry."
The words got more bitter and sarcastic as his rant continued, blowing up like he rarely took the luxury of doing, venting to Snape. But the damn man had annoyed him; acting like it was all about him! Like he had some right to Harry's life 16 years after the fact. Like he was the one who had been wronged in this. And maybe he had, Harry was willing to concede, but damn it, so had he, and he could care less about Snape's hurt right now.
Snape didn't know what to say. He couldn't remember Harry yelling at him like this, well since the little revelation this summer. And he really didn't know what to say; who knew the lad was so bitter?
A calming breath, which actually didn't calm him at all despite the fact that it appeared to, allowed Harry to regain control of the situation. "Look, it really doesn't matter. If the situation hadn't called for it today, I never would have dropped the glamour. I've spent 16 years playing the role of Harry Potter, and I have no intention of writing him out of the show that is life now. Lets do focus on the important things sir."
Severus had no idea what he meant about 'writing him out of the show' but figured it was unimportant and was just another way of saying he wasn't going to let the summers revelations change him. "The important things?"
"Yes. For example, I have created a working story. My mother didn't like you, she was Motobon, she is dead, she didn't agree with the Dark Lord. We aren't close, in fact I've never even stayed with you over night before, I live with my mum's relatives, I share my mother's politics, and I spend my free times with muggles. You get to fill in the story about how you and my mother met, or you could claim that despite my sarcasm earlier you do make an effort to respect her by not speaking of her. Also, Cassi keeps bringing up school. I only really know about the three, the Triwizard three. They are all far to main stream for me to talk about intelligently. And I need a last name."
Snape had forgotten that they really did need to plan a bit more of this story before Draco had a chance to pick holes at it.
"I like the story about respecting her enough to not mention her. That removes a lot of obstacles. As for school? You attend a small private academy in Motobo, avoid questions on the subject beyond that. And I suppose you don't want my last name?"
Snape tried very hard not to take it personally. "No, it wouldn't fit the story. If you'll excuse me, I have things to do before I head out tonight." He really didn't but man he wanted out of there now.
After relaxing for another hour or two, Harry took his time getting ready. It was a good 9:30 before he headed downstairs to say goodnight before heading off. He found them in the library, Snape, Cassi and Malfoy. Draco's mouth fell open and his eyes seemed to be making an effort to leave his skull when Harry walked in. He was wearing his skin-tight leather pants and a see-through long-sleeved shiny black top that was held together by a few strategically placed ties along where the seems should have been. Even Cassi and Snape, who had seen him in his party clothes, had never seen him in club clothes. Cassi managed to stammer out a have fun while the two other males in the room watched shocked as Harry left after a quick "Later".
Pure was like Harry remembered it. House music pounding through the smoky haze, strobe lights and spot lights catching tantalizing pieces of movement on the dance floor. The back room which smelled like sex, with moans covered by the music filtering into the room. Beautiful boys and girls, all looking for a good time and the anonymity of hazy hands and mouths and flesh.
The club closed at 4 and Harry decided not to take his current partner up on the offer of continuing the festivities back at his place. He was finally relaxed after the day he had had, the vodka had been flowing all night, as had the ecstasy, and he knew he'd be sore tomorrow morning from the number of times he'd seen the back room.
He was a pro at stumbling up stairs in his condition, and like every other time he'd done, both at the Dursley's and here, he never noticed his audience. Snape and Cassi, listening with bated breath as he bumped into the walls time and time again. Malfoy, listening in shock as his 'brother' stumbled home and his Godfather did nothing.
Earlier when he had finally regained his mind and mouth he had demanded an explanation of how Severus could let Alex go out dressed like that, and to a club! Severus had explained that he had promised not to interfere in his life in the hopes of finally getting some quantity time with his son to get to know him. That this was the norm for Alex when he was on holidays. Now he was awakened by what he knew to be drunken stumbling and instead of it being Lucius getting home from a Death Eater revel it was his 'brother' getting home from gods only know where, after doing gods only know what. Oh well, maybe he could ask him tomorrow. He really needed to get some sleep; he was tied.
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