The Three Broomsticks

(FOR ARTHUR)

"You're sure of this, Mundunguses?" Lucius said as he looked to the twins flanking both sides of him. He wasn't sure who was who, but neither cared as when it counted they blamed the other for wrong doing.

"Yes, oh prince of Slytherin- pride and grace of our house- you'll have a great time on your date!" One of them patted his shoulder.

"It won't be boring!" The other said and patted his other shoulder.

"Oh yes, never boring."

Lucius scowled. "You're up to something."

"Never!" They both looked scandalized. "We're doing this for you to loosen up, your highness, majesty and grand master of house."

Lucius's scowl remained. "I still don't trust you two. Who did you set me up with?!"

"That would take the 'blind' out of the 'blind date', my good man." One of them patted his shoulder again. "Now off with you! Enjoy your date! Spare us no detail too torrid nor too horrid!" They didn't give Lucius a chance to reply and shoved him into The Three Broomsticks. They smirked and quickly scampered off to the alley way between the pub and the next building, sticking their pale faces into the window. "He's going to kill us."

"I know, but I'll blame the whole thing on you."

"Nah. We'll just blame it on the Marauders- they helped too."

"Excellent idea, my dear twin and fellow snake. Better be Gryffindor!"

"Shhh. They'll be here soon. Hush up."

-

Lucius sat at the table, looking rather nervous as he played with the napkin on the pub table. He kept his hood up, casting looks around the restaurant. He was told his date was going to wear a red rose. This was so foolish. He shouldn't have ever agreed to this! A date with someone from another house? What would they do? Would they be pleased?

...They had better. A date with Lucius Malfoy was like winning the lottery jackpot. It happened infrequently, but was worth a million galleons- or so he thought. He tucked a piece of his long blonde hair back behind his ear, chewing on his lip as he waited.

"I really do hope the four of you know what you're--" Arthur turned, just as he was about to go inside the pub, to remark to James and Sirius who had accompanied him to The Three Broomsticks. There was no sight of them. Curiously, Arthur looked around the alley, but it was as if they'd simply vanished. "Well then."

Arthur adjusted the red rose on his lapel, and chewed his lip a little. He combed his fingers through his red hair, hoping he looked alright and both eager and nervous to see just who was waiting for him inside the pub. When a blind date had been suggested he'd immediately liked the idea. It seemed like a fun thing to do. He wondered who it could possibly be, and what she would look like.

He opened the door and stepped inside, once more fiddling with the scarlet rose, and that time he accidentally fiddled too much. He knocked it off, and as he bent to pick it up, some drunk trod on it, crushing many of the petals off, bruising and tearing the others. Arthur narrowly managed to avoid having his fingers squashed as well, and pulled them back only at the last moment. With a sigh, he picked up the damaged rose, and affixed it back where it belonged. He scanned the tables, looking to see if he could spot anyone familiar--and saw Lucius Malfoy sitting at one of the tables, playing with a napkin. He moved towards the table, smiling broadly.

"Hello, Lucius!." He was messing with the poor rose again. "I'm um, here waiting for a date, but I don't know who she is. Have you seen anyone else from Hogwarts?"

Lucius stared up at Arthur, grabbing the sides of the table in shock. His eyes drifted down to the ruined rose on his lapel and then back up to Arthur's pleasant face. He looked thoroughly pale. "...I..." He stammered and glanced toward the door. "Mundunguses!" He hissed out in contempt. He was going to kill them, and leave their bodies by the road side.

He cleared his throat, wondering if he should tell Arthur. "Well..." He swallowed. "I suppose you are in the right place then." He said cooly- but kept from snapping as he envisioned every possible way to kill those two idiot twins. Arthur was well... he was pure blooded wizard and never was nasty to him.

He sighed, tugging down his hood. "Alas Arthur... I am your blind date. As I see it from where I sit, you may join me. Or... you may leave."

Arthur wasn't expecting Lucius--or another male in general--to be his date, and his face registered the initial shock as well, before relaxing again into an easy smile. He was an open-minded wizard, why shouldn't he have a date with a member of the same sex? Actually, this could be very interesting. Lucius however, looked like he'd fall through the floor if possible, from the surprise. Arthur laughed, he just had to.

He scooted into the booth across from Lucius.

"All right then, I'll stay. I've never been on a date with another boy before! We can still give it a go, right? It should be quite interesting, having a date with you--and look, you're not even blind like they told me!" Arthur's smile widened at the joke.

Lucius looked unamused by the joke, but Arthur's weird enthusiasm was catching. He cracked a smile finally and looked over to him. "Yes, you're right. I normally date either or, so it doesn't bother me at all. I just... was surprised to see you, a Gryffindor- I was certain the Mundunguses would have set me up with a Ravenclaw." He still looked stunned and threaded his fingers through his long hair, fixing it up from when it was in his hood.

"We may continue with our date, we're both here, and something smells delicious- I think it's the soup." He said glancing over to the bar maid to get her attention. "...Are you certain you're alright with having a date with me? Your housemates won't crucify you for dating a slytherin with my notoriety?" He said cooly and arched an eyebrow. "How did the Mundungus twins rope you into this anyway?" He asked curious as to how the twins got a Gryffindor to agree with this, unaware that it was a joint house effort.

"Ah, well Ravenclaw might have been nice, yes. I wasn't expecting my fellow Gryffindors to choose a Slytherin for me, either, so we're both equally surprised! As for the Mundungus twins, no they had nothing to do with it--at least not on my end. It was James and Sirius, mostly, with a bit of help from Remus and a lot of nodding in agreement from Peter. They all seemed to think I needed to get out and put away my Muggle Studies book and stamp collection for awhile. I collect other things as well...bumper stickers are fun too--Muggles put them on their cars!"

Arthur took a pause from his rambling to look very wistful, his eyes sparkling like he might have been a child pressing his face to the glass of a toystore window and seeing that all of his dreams lay within.

"If I had a car, I'd completely COVER it in those funny stickers! Why only stick them on the bumper? Oh, but lately as I began to say, it's the Muggle post I've been very fascinated with. Could you imagine, no owls? I just don't know how they manage! But they do--so impressive! But excuse me, I'm going on aren't I? I do tend to get a bit...enthusiastic so I hope you'll forgive me, Lucius. And yourself? What sort of things do you enjoy, when you're not...looking...so horrified at my existence. Oh my."

Arthur reached across the table, laying one of his hands over Lucius's pale one.

"Did I...say something wrong?"

Lucius's blood boiled. The Marauders- of course it was them. Of course they'd send in Arthur- thinking that Lucius would chew him out and spit him out like a wad of used gum in disgust. And surely yes, he would have. But not tonight, oh no. If the Marauders thought they'd have a laugh at this then he was going to show them! He seethed silently about hating practical jokes while Arthur rambled on about things he cared not to know, until he began to speak of sticking something all over... a what? A car?

He gave Arthur a dumbfounded expression, and blinked. "What in Merlin's name is ...car?" He asked frowning at Arthur's concerned face. Arthur didn't do anything wrong, he was the lamb being lead to the slaughter- he cleared his throat.

"...No.. no Arthur, you didn't say anything wrong. I didn't understand a lick of what it was, to be honest. I didn't take muggle studies. Ah... what do I like to do? I study, I practice dueling and... Ah... I'm sorry Arthur, I'm not sure if our interests are in the same pla- ...wait." His eyes lit up in realization. He DID have something that might interest Arthur. He looked around briefly and then leaned in. "...Tell no one of this, and I mean that! I... I have a record player." He flushed in embarrassment- if his father knew, he'd be nothing short of foaming at the mouth. "A muggle record player I bought off one of the first years in my house, Torrence Fletcher. I listen to it every night in the common room- I only have one record though, the first Led Zeppelin album. I know they have more, but I have no way of getting any new ones. ...Do... do you listen to records too, Arthur?" He said quietly to him.

Arthur was going to gladly answer Lucius' question about the car, but everything he knew about them flew from his mind when Lucius said that he had a record player. Arthur's whole face lit up.

"You do!" He realized he'd probably confirmed Lucius's possession of the record player a bit too loudly, so he quickly hunched over the table a little bit, and looked around to make sure no one had heard, and then spoke to Lucius in a whisper as if they were girls sharing secrets.

"I have some records, but I don't have a player. I've wanted so badly to hear them! Do you think--would you mind--if I brought them, could you play them for me? I'd love to finally discover what's on them, oh and how are they're played..." Arthur trailed off, and chewed his lip a bit to keep himself from going on and on.

Lucius instantly shot up at Arthur's loud exclamation. However, when all things were said and done, no one seemed to notice them. He relaxed and leaned back down to listen to Arthur's answer.

"You... you have more than just one of them! ...Do they say what bands are on them? ...Or is there only Led Zeppelin? Not that that would be a bad thing by any means, they are pretty wicked." He blinked wondering just how many bands could be out there in the muggle world. There wasn't much for music in the wizarding world after all. He chewed on his lip, really wanting to find out. If there was anything salvageable from muggle culture it would be the music.

"...Arthur, lets go back to the castle. You get your records, I'll get my player- we'll listen to the music together!" He wasn't even hungry any more, he just wanted to hear Arthur's records. "I'll meet you back at the moving staircases in ten minutes. Don't be late, Arthur."

Arthur hurried back through the portrait hole and through the Gryffindor common room, beaming. James was playing wizard chess with Remus, and getting savagely beaten. Sirius was sprawled out, upside down, into one of the squashy chairs, his messy hair pooling onto the floor beneath his head, and Peter sat watch James and Remus with a look of girlish admiration on his pudgy face.

Sirius was the first to spot Arthur, though he couldn't be bothered to move. Instead he spoke, watching Arthur appear to walk across the common room upside down.

"Back so soon, Weasley? Didn't your date go well?" But then his brows knitted together with slight confusion. Arthur didn't look upset, anything but.

James quickly looked up from the chess game, as Remus check-mated him. He peered at Arthur from behind the lenses of his glasses.

"It did! I just came back to uh...get a book. Lucius wanted to borrow a book of mine." Arthur disappeared into the boys room, pulled the records from underneath his bed, performed a shrinking spell on them, and then slipped them under the cover of one of his books. He only got it finished in the nick of time, as James and Sirius wandered in, with Peter quickly appearing behind them.

"What book?" James wanted to know, as he looked at Arthur in a way that had some sort of predatory edge to it. Sirius didn't ask questions, he simply grabbed the book to see for himself.

Arthur didn't even know which book it was, he'd just grabbed one. He hoped it wasn't one of his Muggle books, because then he'd have to explain why Lucius Malfoy could possibly want to borrow a Muggle book from him. Sirius began to flip through the pages, and Arthur feared that at any moments, the shrunken records would tumble out. Arthur reached for the book, tugging at it. He and Sirius had a brief tug-war with the book before Sirius let it go, the three laughing when Arthur fell onto his rear when Sirius let go as Arthur was pulling on it.

"Why would Lucius want to read Mark Twain?" Sirius asked, raising his brows and looking very smug.

"Whose Mark Twain?" James asked.

"Muggle, no doubt." Peter added, attempting to look as smug as the other two jerks.

"Oh, he's just wonderful!" Arthur exclaimed, still sitting on the floor, and now looking fondly at the cover. "Mark Twain--oh..."

Arthur stopped himself, remembering that Lucius would not want to read Mark Twain, and that he was probably going to be late in meeting him at the moving stairs. Arthur scrambled to his feet.

"Mark Twain? Oh my. I seemed to have er...grabbed the wrong book. Well never mind--I've got to be going." He grabbed one of his school books from his bed. "This is what Lucius wanted: Arithmancy. He's not taking it, but was interested to what it's all about...so, I'm letting him borrow my Arithmancy book, see?"

He quickly left before the other Gryffindors could further harass him, clutching both books protectively to his chest. He ran to make it to the stairs, and was still afraid he had shown up late.

"Sorry!" He said breathlessly. "James and his bunch were trying to be nosy." He paused a moment to get his breath back. "But I outsmarted them! We're okay." He opened the back cover to Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and the three shrunken records fell into the palm of his hand.

Lucius had absolutely no desire to cast anything on his beloved record player. So long as he could, he would protect it. He flew past the Mundungus twins who tried to get information out of him- but the only thing to escape his lips was "Rictusempra!"

He watched in lazy satisfaction as both twins were paralyzed with laughter. He shook his head and went over to grab his prized possession from under his bed, along with his one record he bought off of Fletcher. It was happily all tucked in an inconspicuous case. He stepped over the laughing Mundunguses, smirking to himself.

"Sev! I hexed the Mundunguses- I'll be back later. My date isn't over. We're going to listen to music. He has more than one record."

Severus nodded slowly, listening to the gales of laughter between pleas of 'WE'RE SORRY!'. "So I see. Well, I'll go and remove the hex in about a half hour or so. Then at least we'll know they'll sleep for hours and we'll have peace. Be careful not to be caught with that."

"I will." He nodded and looked down to the case. It didn't look out of the ordinary, he should be fine. "See you soon, Severus." He waved to him and took off for the staircases. He stood there rigidly, hands clasped tightly over the handle. Once he saw Arthur was coming, and heard his explanation for tardiness, he made a face.

"It's not that hard to outsmart them- save Lupin. Just throw something sparkly down the hallway." He rolled his eyes, casting his grey eyes down at the tiny records. "Brilliant, you shrunk them! Come along, I have just the place to listen to them. No one will find us there- no one will bother us." He was talking about the room of requirement- something he discovered the previous year when he was desperate for a quiet place to practice higher levels of dueling.

Arthur followed Lucius to the room of requirement. He sat down on the floor, and returned the records to their normal sizes. He laid the three out on the floor in their cardboard slip covers. One showed a group of five: four men and one woman all with long hair, the sepia toned photo surrounded in a colorful design and letters that read large and green at the top "Janis Joplin" and under the picture in red and yellow "and Big Brother and The Holding Company. Live at Winterland '68"

The second album had a black cover with a triangle prism, reflecting a rainbow. It didn't have a title on the cover, but on the record label it read 'Pink Floyd...Dark Side of The Moon'. The third record was a bright yellow, with its title in psychedelic purple lettering. Three Muggle men where in a photo inside of a circle on the center of the album cover, all with big curly hair and crazy, colorful, clothing that had to promise intriguing music within. It was titled: "The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced"

"Which one should we play first?" He asked, showing the records to Lucius, and looking eagerly at the case Lucius had. "Is that the player, then?"

Lucius looked down at the records, unsure of what to think of them. He sat down amongst one of the giant floor pillows the room created for them to sit on as his wish for a room to listen to records in was fulfilled in ways he didn't really understand. The floor was covered in shag carpet, there were strange looking couches, and a weird free standing white fire place. He shrugged a shoulder at the decor and started to open his case with reverence. "Yes..." He murmured. "This is it, my record player!" He said proudly and sat his Led Zeppelin record down amongst Arthur's. "This is the one that I have. I've listened to it countless times!"

For the moment he forgot he was sitting across from a Gryffindor, from a muggle lover. All that mattered now was the music. He looked back down at the records, pushing his long blonde hair back over his shoulder as he studied each one.

"They're amazing." He murmured taking in the color and pictures on the album. "I was hoping there'd be more than just one band!" He glanced to the one in the middle. "This one... this one's different. It seems... strange. We'll do this one." He said and with trembling hands, picked up Dark Side of the Moon. Carefully he set it up on the record player and turned it on.

Speak to Me came on, and Lucius's heart skipped a beat. It was a heartbeat, building into all sorts of sounds he never considered to make music. It climaxed into a slow beat, oddly relaxing. He moved next to Arthur to listen, his hand right by the other teen's while his grey eyes remained transfixed on the player and the sounds pouring out of it.

Arthur was still as the song played, any question drowned out as the waves of music washed over him, seeming not just to be sounds but sensations that seemed to pour over him. The voices, various instruments, and unique sounds combined and intertwined in a kind of magic that was all of its own--Muggles must have some sort of magic of their own, to have created something such as this.

Arthur was in love with it. Tears sat in his bright eyes, they looked to be floating away with the music, and then he closed them with a small smile curving his lips. His head bobbed slightly to the music, as it seemed to be some sort of entity all in its own as it went on. He opened his eyes again as the third track began with a ticking, and then an clamoring of clocks chiming and buzzing. It was simply brilliant. Arthur's hand brushed Lucius's, and he glanced over at the Slytherin, grateful enough to tackle him into a strangling hug of appreciation for sharing the record player with him--but managed not to. Instead he just rested his hand atop of Lucius's, and listened to the music raptly.

Lucius felt the warm hand on his, the sensation of warm flesh encasing his own enough to bring him out of the spell of the music. He glanced at Arthur's face, looking at the expression of pure joy on his face- he didn't want to speak and ruin the moment, so he merely listened as the song went on. Each one was more different than the last, growing and sinking, dancing and bobbing- making sounds into songs in ways he never dreamed. Oh yes, he loved his record player dearly, and he was thankful that there were more bands.

By time Great Gig in the Sky rolled on, with a familiar instrument he was mentally out of breath. It was so much to take in. The woman's voice in the background seemed to move in and out of his ears gracefully- his body growing more relaxed. Never would he had ever thought this night would end up being this good. He was leaning against Arthur's side, unaware he was even doing it. As the song came to and end he blinked. "...Oh, I have to change the side... Side A is done."

"Something this good should never end." Arthur murmured, still transfixed by the music. Even though it had ended, it seemed to linger in his ears and mind. He watched as Lucius changed the record over to the other side, and moved the long slender arm back over the round, black disc, and lightly rested the tip to the minute grooves etched into the record. Arthur was leaning over the player, watching closely.

"Merlin, how do they get the music into the record, and then back out again, with this contraption?" It was mind boggling, but as the music of Side B began, Arthur settled back down and his questions were for now, silenced once more.

Lucius blinked. He hadn't considered how the records have the sounds in them to begin with, let alone how the record player began to play them. "...I am uncertain Arthur." He murmured. "Muggles must have some sort of magic they keep to themselves." He shrugged and settled back as Money began.

What was that sound? What were any of them? It was so perplexing. He went back to his position beside Arthur. He listened quietly again, like before. As the music played on, he slowly sat closer to the other teen. Arthur seemed okay, he liked his record player, and had records. He could grow to like doing this more often. He brushed his hair back over his shoulder, idly playing with a strand of it was he listened.

The whole album had finally played out. It was the most enchanting, wonderful, beautiful thing Arthur had ever heard. He had to get his hands on a record player, so he could play this album over and over--or else, share Lucius's more often. And the other albums? What could possibly be on those? It was almost overwhelming to consider, especially when he knew there were many, many more records out there in the Muggle world.

Arthur looked over at Lucius, noticing how close they were. He'd felt Lucius's presence near him during the playing of the album, but he had been far to wrapped up in the music to pay proper attention to the Slytherin who was his date for the evening. He was glad James and Sirius had set him up on this date, although, now that he considered the source he wondered if they hadn't done it as a joke. In fact, that was probably about the size of it. But they didn't matter, nor did their intentions, because Arthur was thoroughly enjoying himself.

He took the quiet lull after Dark Side of The Moon was over to really look at Lucius from this close vantage point. He was very attractive, with his fair hair and complexion, and his pale gray eyes. He was pretty, even.

Arthur realized he was blushing, and distracted himself with the record player. He carefully lifted the frail arm, studying it, and the needle, muttering questions and remarks to himself. He carefully lifted the record, and just as cautiously slipped it back into its cover.

"Do you want to hear the others?"

Once it was all said and done, the music, the memory- everything was grand. How could life get any better now that there was this album in existence. Was all muggle music like this? No, no it couldn't be. Nothing could be that incredible- but when he thought of the difference between Zeppelin and Floyd... maybe it was.

"Arthur- muggle music is amazing. What we listened to was totally different from the other record I have! Then these others that you have-- they must be too!" His head was swimming, what did the other two sound like? He couldn't suppress his excitement anymore, his whole face was awash with life and anticipation. "We have to listen to another, I want to hear more of it!"

He looked to the other two in confusion. But which? They looked so different from each other and what they listened to. "You pick, Arthur. I picked the last the time." He said and looked up at the other teen. Arthur was nice to do this with him, to listen and share the music. He was more than nice, he let Lucius order him around a bit earlier in regards to time- which was always nice in a date. He could go on another with Arthur, and know he wouldn't have a terrible time. "I want you to take me to a... a somewhere where you get more of these records. We can buy some and listen to them here, together."

"I'd love to go to a record store, I've never been. These were my brother's and he let me have them, he didn't really know what they were." Arthur selected one of the other two albums, and put it on. It was certainly different from Pink Floyd. It didn't have the same instruments, odd sounds, and almost whimsical feel to it--but the woman's voice that came out was fantastic. Her sound was raw, ragged, at times her voice was nearly sobbing, or screaming, laced deep with emotion and a driving energy.

Soon the night had grown late, and they were finishing the third album with songs like Fire, Foxy, Purple Haze, and ending on Are You Experienced.

If you can just get your mind together
Then come on across to me
We'll hold hands and then we'll watch the sunrise
From the bottom of the sea

But first, are you experienced?
Have you ever been experienced?
Well, I have
I know, I know you probably scream and cry
That your little world won't let you go
But who in your measly little world
Are you trying to prove that
You're made out of gold and, eh, can't be sold

So, are you experienced?
Have you ever been experienced?
Well, I have

Let me prove you...

Trumpets and violins I can hear in distance
I think they're calling our names
Maybe now you can't hear them, but you will
If you just take hold of my hand

Oh, but are you experienced?
Have you ever been experienced?
Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful...

What a terribly ironic song.

Lucius sat back on his haunches as he let the lyrics drift into his mind, chewing idly on his lip. Was he? ...No, he wasn't. He barely got to leave the manor unless it was for school. When he was here, he rarely left the grounds. He had a few dates, but they never went well.

What was he trying to prove? That he was better? According to this song, he wasn't. And then there was Arthur, sitting near him. Did he have the answers? Was he right to love muggles? Their music was wicked and varied as falling snowflakes, that was for sure. Maybe they weren't really that bad, who could be that bad when the music was that good?

No, he hadn't been experienced. He didn't hear the trumpets or the violins- and he wondered briefly if Arthur could. He looked up from staring at the wonder of the shag carpet back at Arthur, up at his kind face and bright red hair. He had been optimistic the whole time, excited to share the music. Maybe he really did know something Lucius didn't.

Lucius leaned over and pressed his lips to Arthur's as the song ended, not caring to think anymore about the messages in songs.

Arthur kissed Lucius back briefly. When it was done, his face was nearly as red as his hair. A small, sheepish smile curving his lips.

"Does this mean I've got another date, then?"

He was already thinking of so many things they could do--that is, if Lucius wanted to spend more time with him. Arthur touched the pale ends of Lucius's long, beautiful hair. He just couldn't resist the urge anymore, to see if it was as soft and silky as it looked.

When Arthur pulled back he was amused to see his face as red as his hair. "Arthur, your face. You're like a tomato. You're not going to pass out on me now, are you?" He chuckled pretty sure he was making things worse but he didn't care.

"And yes, yes you do. You've got yourself a second date Arthur." Lucius said evenly. "Anyone who allows me to listen to such tremendous music deserves at least that." He checked the time- it was very late- should they get caught on the way back to their dorm rooms they'd get detention at the least.

He looked down, watching Arthur play with the ends of his hair. Most people wanted so desperately to touch it, but few ever got the chance. He reached down and took Arthur's hand bringing it up higher around his shoulder, so he could satisfy his curiosity. "It... is okay for you to touch my hair Arthur."

Arthur touched, letting the silken white-blond locks slip through his fingers.

"Your hair, it's very beautiful. Well not just your hair--er--what I mean to say is...well it's getting late, isn't it?" He looked a bit let down at that particular realization. He was having such a great time. "We'd better get back."

Arthur tapped each of his records with his wand, shrinking them down for stowing away in their hiding place once more.

"Thank you." Lucius said with a smug look. He packed up his record player giving the room one last look around. "It's too difficult given the time of night for you to walk me back or vice versa... We should head out straight to our respective dorms. During potions tomorrow we'll discuss our next date." He said heading toward the door way back out into the castle.

He sat the record player down so he could face Arthur with his arms free in anticipation of what was about to come next. "Therefore, Arthur, you should give me my goodnight kiss now. If you're going to date a Malfoy, I have one rule. ...You should always kiss me goodnight."