Will is Unnecessary
By Ammarine
Dumbledore was faced with a sea of blank faces, before Seamus Finnegan suddenly cried out, "Cool!" Inwardly, he relaxed as the 6th and 7th began chattering away. On the outside though, he still looked like a cheerful old man, halfway to senility.
"Now then, if I may have your attention for a minute longer. You will have a fortnight from tomorrow to make your decisions. After the 24th, I'm afraid there won't be any way for us to add your selections. You may inform Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout or I and if choose to do so, you may include a member of the teaching faculty, on the condition that they are willing to participate. Good luck!"
The students milled about for a short while longer before heading down to the Great Hall for lunch. One group in particular was very excited. Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, the Head Girl and Boy; along with their friends Neville, Seamus, Ginny, Luna and Draco were all thinking of the craziest ways in which they could participate.
The Horrible War had ended at the start of Harry and Hermione's 7th year. Death Eaters attacked the students as they alighted from the Hogwarts Express, Killing many innocents. Among the casualties was Seamus' best friend, Dean Thomas. Harry and Hermione's best friend Ron was killed whilst protecting Harry during Harry's duel against Voldemort. Each of the students were affected in some way, by the death of a friend or family member, and not even the high numbers of Death Eaters captured or killed could not replace the hole left from the death of loved ones. Even the numbers of Slytherins was dimished, the Death Eaters did not care who they killed in their attack.
As a result of the smaller school population and the increasing despair and depression surrounding them, Dumbledore had unveiled his newest plan; the 6th and 7th year students were to put on a variety show for the younger students and residents of nearby Hogsmeade, in an attempt to increase morale and raise money for the Wizarding War Orphanage. The show was scheduled to be performed in a little over a fortnight at the Leaving Feast.
Hermione found herself humming a tune as she brushed her teeth and dressed for bed that evening. During the last few months of the Horrible War, she had gotten to know some of the Order members better and even helped out with research and potion making at Headquarters. Since the end of the War on her return to Hogwarts, she had been offered a position as an assistant to Professor Snape the resident Potions Master. Over time, their professional relationship had blossomed into what Hermione would call a friendship and Snape would call grudging respect.
As she climbed into bed, Hermione switched off the small pocket radio on her bedside table. She'd managed to charm it to work around the end of her 6th year and it had become habit to listen to the radio at any possible opportunity. With luck, she had heard a couple of sounds that she could possibly sing for the show. Snuggling into her covers, she softly hummed a little longer before dropping off to sleep.
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A couple of mornings later, Hermione was washing her hair in the shower when inspiration hit her. Her cousin, Magdalena, had gone to Australia a few months ago on school exchange. While she was there, she had become hooked on a singer. At the annual family gathering, she had pulled Hermione aside and played the CD for her. Hermione had to agree, this Delta girl could sing and one particular song seemed to explain her predicament dead on. Now, if only he realised she was singing it to him.
It had become a routine for her over her years at Hogwarts, to sit at the same desk in the library each Saturday and study. Now that it was her NEWTs year, she was often joined by the boys when they weren't busy with girlfriends or Quidditch practice. If Hermione wasn't with the boys, then she could be found with Ginny or Pavarti and Lavender, meaning she was rarely by herself. At first this had been a necessity, while Voldemort was still on the hunt, but now it was more a force of habit.
Today, however, she and her friends were in the Room of Requirement having a not-so-civilised 'discussion' about the upcoming concert.
"I still think we should do Queen," Harry huffed.
"I refuse to sing that song, it's totally barbaric," Hermione whined. The only one left paying attention was Draco, who found it highly amusing. Ginny and Seamus, who had recently started seeing each other, were looking through the piles of CD's, occasionally playing one that sounded like a possibility. Neville, having just arrived from his work as Professor Sprout's assistant, was inhaling the food the room had provided when he decided he was hungry.
"Fine, then. You pick what song we do all together."
"Fine. Just watch me."
"No need, 'Mione," Ginny piped up. "What about this one, it's still a Queen song, but it doesn't involve thunderbolts and lightning (1)." She directed at Harry as the magically adapted CD player began to play One Vision (2).
"Hey, I could play guitar for this," Draco said suddenly, "we could go all out!"
"Well?" Harry asked Hermione.
A slow grin crept onto her face. "I think it's perfect."
The group chatted a bit longer, trying to find things for everyone else to do before practicing their group item.
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Over the next fortnight, Hermione found out what songs her friends were singing, but remained tight-lipped about her own solo. Her and Harry had decided to sing Frank and Nancy Sinatra's 'Something Stupid', Ginny and Seamus were doing an Elton John classic, 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight', Harry dared Draco to do 'In The Navy', complete with costume. Ginny and Neville were confused at first as to why Harry, Hermione and Seamus ended up in hysterics at the end of his rehearsals, but after a quick explanation, were found to be laughing just as much. In retaliation, Draco had dared to perform 'I Need A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. Neville, claiming he was tone deaf, was instead dressing up as a clown and doing his 'clumsy act', which, when he showed the others, had them crying with mirth.
The Leaving Feast arrived too quickly for the 7th years. The past few weeks had allowed them to go back and enjoy their stolen youth. Even the teachers had noticed how the mood had lifted and the castle atmosphere almost seemed to be like it was before the war started. The order list was posted so they knew when they had to go and get ready. 'One Vision' was up first.
They were a hit. They had all dressed up as punks for the song and Hermione was sporting spiked hot pink hair until Ginny cast the counter charm. Soon after were Draco and Harry's solos. Dumbledore must have put them together, knowing the circumstances, Hermione thought. A couple more items past, including Pavarti, Padma and Lavender's 'Sisters' by a band Hermione had never even heard of (3).
Then it was Neville's turn. His act brought down the house, almost literally. He had added another, last-minute sequence to his act, where he was brewing a potion. From where Hermione was sitting, she could have sworn she saw Professor Snape repress a smile and mutter to Professor McGonagall, "I see no difference, do you?"
All too soon, it was time for intermission. She desperately wanted to chat with her friends and now-former-professors, and laugh over some of the things they had seen, but her and Harry had to prepare for their duet.
They had decided to go all out and perform the number in the muggle pre-war setting. At the beginning of the item, Hermione stepped out on stage, waved her wand to set the scene and took up her position on a stool by the bar, exposing a long shapely leg, trimmed with a garter. Harry entered the scene and blocking out the rest of the world, the pair seduced and danced around each other in a heated tug-of-war. The response at the end was astounding. There were cheers and wolf whistles and Hermione swore she heard a voice call out, "Take it all off!" Before departing the stage, Harry plucked one of the prop roses from its vase and handed it to her, saying simply, "you're my best friend and my family. I love you." Tears threatening, she took the rose and flung her arms around his neck, murmuring, "the feeling's mutual. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You may find out soon," he choked out. Hermione gasped and released him. "Or maybe not," he said with a smile.
A short while later, Ginny and Seamus performed 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' and Hermione could help herself, she hugged Harry and Draco who were sitting either side of her. As she did so, she felt a tingling on the back of her neck, as though someone was watching her. He was watching her, though she couldn't for the life of her fathom why.
It wasn't long until her secret solo. Nobody knew what she was singing and as the first notes were played (4), Hermione looked into his eyes and, transfixed, mesmerized him with her voice.
The song was unnecessary, though she didn't believe him when he told her after the show. "Why?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"'Will' is unnecessary, my dear. I fell for you; your beauty, your charm and your intellect; long before you noticed me. Please tell me you'll stay, my love?"
"I'll stay, Severus, now and forevermore."
Okay, I know this is very AU and fluffy, but it had been niggling me for a while and i just had to write it out. I'm well aware that these are non-canon-like characters, but I just had to write it, despite the ooc-ness of it all. So, please, no flames. Love and Peace and Merry Christmas!! ;-)
(1) Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (1975)
(2) One Vision – Queen (1985)
(3) Sisters – S2S (2000)
(4) Will You Fall For Me – Delta Goodrem (2003)
Will You Fall For Me
Woo oooh
Yeah ah
My head's full of thoughts
Thoughts of you
And I'm distracted so easy
Thinking what to do
So unsure, so unfamiliar
Am I wrong to think that something could happen
Will you fall for me
I need to know, the way I'd like you to
Baby, will you fall for me
The way I've fallen for you
I'm not actinglike myself
And I'm playing the role of someone else
And my hearts beating so fast
I can't stop it
And I'm so unsure
So unfamiliar
Am I wrong to think that something could happen
Will you fall for me oh oh
The way I'd like you to
Will you fall for me
The way I've fallen for you
The way I've fallen for you
The way I've fallen for
Fallen for, fallen for you
For you..
So unsure, so unfamiliar
Am I wrong to think,
That something could happen
Was I wrong to think I
Will you fall for me
The way I'd like you to
Will you fall for me
The way I've fallen for you
The way I've fallen for you
The way I've fallen for you
If you're interested to hear this song, go to www. deltagoodrem. com (without the spaces), choose your global communtiyand click on 'music' at the bottom of the page.