A little two-hour drabble that I decided to put up, even though I'm sure there are probably a thousand song-fics out there that use the exact same song. Hopefully some of you will get a kick out of it anyway. - Qway
"A what?"
"A talent show. A contest between peers, to showcase any talents you might have. They have them all the time in Muggle schools."
"But why would anyone want to do that?" The confused-looking red-head responded once more.
His bushy-haired friend rolled her eyes in frustration, "well there are prizes, of course, but normally there are a good number of people that just enjoy performing in front of others. Whichever the case may be, I've always found them quite entertaining."
"I still don't get it."
Before his girlfriend of two years could even think of hexing his best mate into next Tuesday, Harry Potter decided to interject, "It's kind of like the race for the Quidditch Cup, except it's a competition of entertainment, rather than sports."
"Ah. Okay, that makes more sense. Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"
Hermione sighed while shaking her head, choosing not to grace the barmy git with an answer.
"I think it sounds like a great idea." All heads in the room turned toward the new voice in surprise, stunned that she'd spoken up at all. Normally she was one of the quietest and reserved Hufflepuffs in the school.
Hermione was the first to respond, having kept her wits about her as usual, "Really?"
Hannah blushed in embarrassment and lowered her eyes to the table. "Y-yeah, I mean, I actually think it sounds like fun. It'll be something new, anyway, at least to most of us."
"I agree." Everyone turned toward the other end of the table, stunned once again at the identity of the person that spoke. "Oh, don't look at me like that. That whole 'Ice Queen' nonsense is pure rubbish. None of you know a single thing about me save for Tracy here." the buxom blonde nodded toward her brunette compatriot.
Most everyone in the room bowed their head in shame, all-but-admitting that they were guilty of labeling the beautiful Slytherin with the very same, seemingly false, stereotype. Luckily, Hermione, being the committee chair-woman decided to change the subject with an apologetic nod. "Okay then. I think it's decided. Unless anyone has any further objections, we'll have a talent show two weeks before the end of term. That way we should have plenty of time to study before final exams..."
A couple snickers could be heard throughout the room, but were quickly quieted with a glare from the speaker, and not surprisingly, a look that promised pain, from her boyfriend.
Hermione took a calming breath before continuing. "And it should also give the performers ample time to practice before the show. Does that sound good to everyone?"
Most of the heads in the room nodded, but those that hadn't, didn't seem to object to the idea.
"Alright then, we'll meet every week at the same time up until show time. Next week I should have a list of jobs that people can volunteer for before we have to start making assignments."
(JTWYA)
As the weeks passed by, Harry, after volunteering to be one of the talent show's stage-hands, quietly observed his bookworm girlfriend from afar as she coordinated the whole fiasco, while still almost effortlessly continuing the get best marks out of anyone in their classes. He watched on in amazement as she seemed to be well within her element, running things smoother that anyone thought possible, as everything came together with near-complete symmetry.
The only problem he encountered in his observations was the occasionally dig, from his fellow volunteers, and some of the performers, at his girlfriend's personality or looks. Bookworm this, frizzy hair that. Whatever the case may be, Harry had to use almost all of his willpower to avoid throttling each and every one of them. He just couldn't understand how anyone could speak negatively of someone that was quite possibly the most amazing person in the universe.
When considered beside every other female he'd known in his life, not a single one of them could come close to comparing to how perfect he thought she was. She was kind, loyal, smart, funny, brave, witty...the list just went on and on. Yes, her hair could sometimes use a little work every now and then, but to him, that only showed that she occasionally skipped those few extra minutes in front of the mirror to get on with things that she thought were more important.
He couldn't imagine what he'd ever done to deserve the companionship of someone that was so utterly remarkable in his eyes.
After a particularly stressful day of setting up the stage and decorations in the Great Hall, she had cuddled up next to him, later that evening on one of the common room couches, exhausted and teary-eyed from all the stress. Harry rubbed her back as he stared into the fire, hoping that she would be able to calm down before heading to bed. But when they ended up being the last two people in the room, her shoulders began to shake as she tried her best to hold in her quiet sobs.
"Doodlebug, what's wrong?" he whispered, as he lifted her up so that he could see the sad look on her face. "What happened?"
Hermione gave one of those half-laughs, half-cries at his nickname for her. She'd never understood the correlation, as she'd never been the type to doodle, but it was endearing nonetheless. "N-nothing, I'm probably just being silly again."
Harry put a finger under chin so that their eyes could meet. "Nothing that could make you cry is ever 'nothing' to me. Just tell me who it was that hurt you and I'll go shove their wand so far up their arse they'll shoot sparks from their nose."
She laughed again, swatting him on the arm for his vulgar language, though she stopped actually voicing her opinion on the matter long ago.
"Okay, okay, so I won't give anyone's wand a new home, but you know you can tell me anything, so...out with it."
"It was just a few of the upper-year girls that were practicing their show earlier...I was backstage listening in, and they were actually pretty good. I didn't know the song, but they sang beautifully. Good enough to win the whole thing, most likely, but then..."
"Then?"
"When they were done...they...they started talking...about me."
If it was physically possible actually 'see red', like he had always heard people say, Harry would have been seeing crimson at that moment. "Who were they?" He growled.
"No. Harry, please, I don't want you making a big deal out of this. I just need some time to settle, that's all. I just need you. You always know how to comfort me just when I'm in need."
"Well, I shouldn't 'have' to comfort you in the first place. You're the most wonderful person I've ever met and it really bothers me when other people can't see that. It's even worse when they go as far as to insult you! There's no basis for it whatsoever!"
"Oh, Harry, you and I both know that there's always some shred of truth in it. I am somewhat of a know-it-all, after all, and you know I can be quite boss-"
"No! No, I don't even want to hear it from you! A few minor personality flaws do NOT make the person! If anything, they make them more unique. I don't believe for one second-"
"Can we just drop it, Harry? Please? I just want to cuddle with you for a while before bed. Nothing else matters to me right now."
Harry calmed down considerably at her words. He still didn't like it, and he still wanted to know the names of the girls that dared to bring his Doodlebug to tears, but he would always put Hermione's needs above his. And if all she wanted to do was cuddle, that's what he was going to do.
(JTWYA)
A few more days passed by, as Harry grew even more irritated at how Hermione seemed to have just let the whole incident slide off her back. He stayed quiet about it, at her request, but he now had it in his mind to find a way of proving to her, and to the rest of the school, just how amazing his girlfriend was.
Three days before the talent show, an idea popped into his head that was so perfect, everyone around him was shocked at how fast his mood had changed, from one moment to the next.
It was the perfect opportunity for the type of gesture that would be grand enough to open everyone's eyes, including Hermione's. And he just happened to have a hidden talent that he hadn't used since those lonely nights back in the cupboard under the stairs.
Now all he had to do was figure out a way to pull it off.
(JTWYA)
Harry glared daggers from the right side of the stage at the trio of girls that were currently performing, what most thought, was the finale of the show. As the curtain operator, he had watched every act and this was the first and only show that involved more than one girl. He admitted to himself that they were quite good, but he wouldn't give them any credit for it. Not after what they had done a few nights back.
He turned to his right and nodded at Dean and Seamus. Both, along with the host of the show, Lee Jordan, had become integral to the inner-workings of his plan, and it was just about time to get things started. He grabbed what he needed and walked around to the door that led under the stage...
(JTWYA)
"The Ravenettes! Let's hear it for them!" Lee Jordan called to the crowd as the three sixth-year Ravenclaw girls soaked up the roaring crowd. "Normally I wouldn't think that anyone could possibly top that number, but we actually have a last-minute addition to the lineup that I think you'll all enjoy!"
The whole room became loud with whispers and turning heads. Not even the members of the Activity Committee seemed to know what was going on. Hermione was actually doing her best to grab Lee's attention from the front row, panicking at the change in schedule.
Lee turned to the three Ravenclaws, "Alright ladies, if you would please clear the stage, we'll just get things started, shall we?"
The frustrated trio of girls left the spotlight in a huff as Lee made his way to his seat that just happened to be beside Hermione's.
"Lee? What's going on? We didn't plan for this!" She whispered loudly.
"Just chill out and watch Hermione, I promise you'll like it."
Hermione sat back into her seat and folded her arms over her chest in a frustration as the lights dimmed...
A spotlight came on and lit up Dean Thomas as he sat on a stool at the back corner of the stage. After smiling serenely to the crowd he began strumming the guitar that sat upon his lap.
The beautiful notes that began filling the hall brought the crowd to dead silence, as Dean swayed back and forth, putting as much emotion into the notes as he possibly could.
(Search for Boyce Avenue's cover of 'Just the Way You Are' on youtube for this next part)
In the next moment, another spotlight came on, lighting up the middle of the stage as Harry Potter rose up from a trap door that had been secretly installed the night before. Hermione's mouth dropped wide open as her boyfriend locked eyes with her and whispered into the microphone, "This one's for you, Love." She gasped and put a hand over her mouth as he opened his mouth to sing...
Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shinin',
Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying,
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day.
Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me,
And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see,
But every time she asks me "Do I look okay?" I say,
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing, just the way you are.
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while,
'Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are.
Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she'd let me,
Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy,
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day.
Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change,
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same,
So, don't even bother asking if you look okay, you know I'll say,
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change,
'Cause you're amazing just the way you are.
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while,
'Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are.
The way you are,
The way you are,
Girl you're amazing, just the way you are.
The way you are,
The way you are,
Girl you're amazing, just the way you are.
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change,
'Cause you're amazing, just the way you are.
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for awhile,
'Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are.
Throughout the whole song, Harry kept direct eye-contact with his girlfriend, as he slowly made his way across the stage, down the front stairway, to the space directly in front of where she sat.
As he sang out the last line, he knelt down on one knee and ended up finishing the song with her right hand grasped in his left.
"I love you more than anything in the world, Hermione Granger, and no one will ever convince me that you're anything short of perfect."
With tears in her eyes, Hermione leaned forward and put her hands on his cheeks, planting a gentle, but intense kiss on his lips in appreciation for such an amazing gift. Slowly they stood together, her arms wrapping around his neck, his arms around her waist, as the crowd erupted in cheers while they continued to show each other just how much they meant to each other.
When their lips parted, they both smiled happily as they put their foreheads together, enjoying being wrapped in each other's arms. "I had no idea you could sing." She said over the noise of the crowd.
"The last time I sang was when I sung myself to sleep under the Dursleys stairs. Not exactly the best of memories."
"And you went through it anyway? For me?"
"For my Doodlebug? Anything. Forever and Always."
END