AN: ok so i put this story up before w/ actors, but it got kicked off, so i'm trying again!!! there's no magic, dark harry, good Draco, and they're all actors from some movie or other that Em (main OC) sang in. yeah she's a singer, yeah like everyone is kinda OOC, like harry...yeah totaly different. i just felt like giving his character a twist...and i love draco...how could you not!?!?! but anywho, you will notice later that im also a total freak for phantom of the opera, so yeah, you'll see that later :P so be prepared for a totally outta whack harry and some singing. it's just a oneshot...a very long oneshot, so i guess you could also call it a songfic if you so wish. so please read on and enjoy, but if you don't, just let me live in blissful ignorance because last time i posted this some chick (who didn't even sign in the pansy ass) totally slammed my story, my character, one of my fav movies and song, and got it booted off. so yeah, if you hate it that much, jsut go read somehting else! don't take out your frustration, because it didn't go exactly as you wanted it, on MY story. it pisses me off and then i dont' write for the wonderful people out there who love it! so please enjoy, and lmk if you do!
now, on to the story!!!!
Disclaimer: if i owned harry potter and draco and all of them, life would be wonderful and i wouldn't suffer from severe DBS (dysfunctional boy syndrome) but alas, i do not, they belong to J.K. Rowling. i just mess with them w/o the pay :P
An Unusual Savior
"Do you mind if I steal her for a while?" Harry Potter asked with a charming smile to his girlfriend's best friends.
"Of course not. You two need to catch up," Lily replied with a knowing grin. Harry grinned and pulled her chair out for her, helping her out of her seat.
"Thanks. I'll see you in a few days, Ellie. Don't worry, I'll call you later, Lils," Emeralda said as she stood up, practically beaming up at her boyfriend. "Bye," she said over her shoulder, walking hand-in-hand with Harry.
"So how are you, darling?" the actor asked his girlfriend as they walked down the hall of the fancy hotel to their usual suite. "I haven't seen you since the movie premiere."
"I'm good. Better now that you're here," she replied with a smile. "I've missed you."
"I know, I've missed you too, baby," he said before kissing her sweetly. The kiss quickly deepened before Emeralda pulled back.
"Wait a minute 'til we're alone, then you can have me all to yourself," she taunted with a smirk, pulling him down the hallway to the door to their room.
"Hmm, I like the sound of that," he whispered seductively in her ear. She giggled and opened the door. The room was huge and gorgeous, every corner screaming with wealth. But Emeralda had been here before so she wasn't as phased as she'd been the first time.
"So what are you doing in town, Harry?" she inquired playfully as he shut the door and led her into the room.
"Cast reunion. Hermione, Ron and Draco are in the rooms next door," he answered as she made her way over to the bed and sat down.
"Oh, fun," Em replied sincerely. Harry walked over to the mini-bar and poured himself a drink.
"Harry, please don't drink. You know I hate it when you drink," she pleaded with him.
"You know, I still don't get that. It's not like I'm underage or anything," he argued.
"Yeah, you aren't but I am," she retorted. "Besides, it screws you up and messes with your brain."
"You've never tried it."
"Yeah, and I don't intend to," Emeralda replied scornfully. She'd seen what drinking could do to a person and she didn't like what she'd seen.
"Try it, you may like it," Harry suggested. This only aggravated her more; he knew that she never wanted to drink.
"No," she said firmly. The venom in her voice was clear enough to shoot down Harry's defense.
He came and sat down next to her on the bed. "Em, I'm sorry. I know you won't drink. Kind of like how you won't have sex 'til you're married." This last comment infuriated Emeralda, and it was only then that she noticed the smell of liquor on his breath and the unsteady line that he'd walked in.
She let out a humorless laugh. "You're drunk."
"What?" Harry inquired, having not caught all of what she'd said.
"You're bloody drunk as hell," she repeated. "I'm leaving, Harry. I don't want to be the one taking care of you when you start puking all of…whatever you drank, back up." She stood to leave but Harry grabbed her hand.
"Em, wait. I'm sorry. So maybe I had a few drinks earlier, so what?" he started. "Please, I just wanna be with you tonight." Emeralda looked into his bloodshot eyes and decided that she wasn't going to be talked out of this.
"No, I've been here before. Give me a call when you're in town again…and sober. You've already tried to play this card," she replied as he grabbed her coat, walking to the door.
"No, don't leave," he begged…sort of. It was a drunken plead, so it didn't exactly make her think twice.
"Good-bye, Harry." As she opened the door, Harry grabbed for her hand but she shook him off.
"No!" This time her grabbed, not her hand, but her necklace which tightened around her throat as he pulled.
"Let go!" she fumed, trying to loosen his grip.
"Stay!" he ordered.
'Great, my boyfriend's a possessive angry drunk. Bloody perfect,' Emeralda thought.
"Harry, let go! You're choking me!" she wheezed as the cord tightened. Her vision was getting blurry as she pleaded with him. He yanked on the cord, pulling her to him. She tried to push him off, but he pulled the fatal necklace tighter around her neck, cutting off her airway.
He pushed her up against the wall with enough force to knock her head into it with a crack. She reached for something, anything, which she could use to shake his grip. Feeling a vase, she grasped it. Just then, Harry gave a particularly hard tug at the necklace, and she knocked it off, whereupon it shattered on the hard floor.
Emeralda was just starting to lose consciousness, when the door burst open. She heard a male voice say, "Harry! What the bloody hell's the matter with you!" before the pressure around her neck lessened. Drained of strength, she slid to the floor and blacked out.
"Miss, are you okay?" the male voice said gently, shaking Emeralda back into the waking world. She opened her eyes slowly, the bright light in her sensitive eyes making her wince. Upon opening, her emerald eyes met with a pair of the most gorgeous eyes she'd ever seen. They were a silvery blue, like sapphires glazed with silver paint, yet they were the clearest eyes she'd seen in her life. They were full of curiosity and concern; wincing upon seeing the bruises on Emeralda's neck and a flash of hurt and pain coursed through them. They defied all names that could describe their color and sapphires and silver combined paled shamefully in comparison.
"I'm fine," Emeralda tried to say, but her no sound came from her mouth and a pain like fire shot through her throat. She panicked, she was a singer; she would lose her job without her voice. More importantly, how would she live? Singing was the only thing that helped her time after time; it was how she'd survived.
"I was afraid of that," the man with the indescribable eyes said, wincing. "Don't try to talk; your voice will be fine tomorrow morning. But it'll be a few days before you can do anything other than talk at normal tone." He gave her a reassuring smile. It was just then that Emeralda thought to look at the rest of him. His pale blond hair was pushed back off his face, a few stray-away locks falling into his eyes, framing his face. His complexion was slightly tanned, apparently from enjoying the warm summer weather. His pale lips were perfectly sculpted, smiling at her, looking very kissable in the feeble light coming from the small lamps on the walls, scattered around the room. He looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't put a name with his gorgeous face.
"What's your name?" he asked after a moment. A small smile played on his lips as he gazed into her pure green eyes. When Em tried to speak, the smile dissipated, whereupon he got up and got her a small pad of paper and a pen.
Using her clearest writing, she wrote out, 'Emeralda Sanders call me Em. Who are you?' before handing the note back to him. His smile returned when he read the little piece of paper.
"Emeralda," he mused, "it fits. Draco Malfoy, but you probably don't remember me from the movie premier," he said with a flourish and a smile. When her eyes widened and her mouth formed an 'o', he added, "Don't worry, I get that all the time. People seem to remember the hero, not the small part." Em smiled apologetically, shaking her head slightly.
'I have to go' Emeralda wrote, before trying to stand up. Even without the horrid Stilettos she'd been wearing before, she still would have fallen back to the ground if Draco hadn't caught her.
"You're not going anywhere, Em," he replied, catching her and easing her back to the floor, "Come on, you can stay here tonight. You can stay in my suite. I don't think you'd want to stay here." She shook her head in agreement. She tried to stand again, and fell back again, still as weak as a kitten.
Draco laughed at the exasperated look she gave him, before picking her up as a groom would lift his new bride, and carrying her out into the hall.
As he carried her down the hallway, they passed one of the older guests. Upon seeing Draco carry Emeralda, he shook his head, smiling.
"Congratulations, kids," he said to Draco, who paused to listen to the elderly fellow. "Young'en's getting married all the time. Now you keep her, son, she's a pretty one!" Em looked at Draco's face incredulously, blushing at the man's compliments and insinuations.
But Draco just smiled, looking first at her and then back at the old man. "Will do, sir, thank-you," he replied, making Emeralda grin with embarrassment. But the elderly guest just smiled and continued down the hall. 'I'm not even wearing white!' she thought as they approached the door at the end of the hall, with 'Presidential Suite' in gold letters written on the door.
"Reach into my right back pocket and grab the key card," he instructed. Emeralda slid her hand into his pocket, feeling ecstatic and embarrassed at the same time, and grasped the card. She slid it into the slot and opened the door.
Draco carried her into the room, where she gasped at the amazing view of London. It'd been her temporary home, having moved there from the U.S. to work on the soundtrack for a movie the year before, but she'd never seen London, in all its glitz, like this. She could even see Buckingham Palace along the horizon.
He carried her through another door, into a gigantic room with a king-sized bed. The canopy was all gold material and the bed looked extremely soft. He set her gently down on top of the white and gold-trimmed coverlet, pulling the covers back for her to slide under.
Thoroughly comfortable under the heavy covers and the Egyptian cotton sheets, she grabbed the pad of paper and pen off her bedside table. 'Where will you sleep?' she inquired, handing it to Draco.
"I'll be out on the couch," he replied. When she tried to sit up and protest, he stopped her. "It's okay; I probably won't sleep much anyway." Emeralda tried to protest again when he sharply ordered, "Stop that! You'll just make your throat worse, and I want to actually hear your voice tomorrow," he paused and smiled at her. "I'll be fine. You need a comfortable bed more than I do." Whereupon Em sank back under the covers and quickly fell asleep, hearing the click of the light and the soft sound of the door shutting as Draco left the room.
Late in the night, somewhere after midnight, Draco came out of his dose by a loud thud coming from his room, where Emeralda was sleeping.
Opening the door, the first thing he saw was the empty bed, sheets half torn off. He heard a sound, like someone trying to cry quietly, and walked around to the side of the bed. There leaning against the wall, wrapped in the sheets, was Em, crying into her hands.
"Em, did you fall off the bed?" he asked softly. She wiped her emerald eyes and nodded, nose red and cheeks tear-streaked. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms, holding her as she cried into his shoulder, rocking her back and forth, stroking her long chestnut hair smooth again and again.
After a minute, her sobs got softer. Quietly, almost inaudible, she whispered in his ear, "He was in my dreams. He took me, and he wouldn't let go…he wouldn't let me go…."
"You're okay. You're safe here," Draco said soothingly, holding her close. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked her a moment later.
She nodded, whispering, "Please, Draco." Her quiet plead, the way she'd said his name, stirred something in his heart that he hadn't expected. There was no way he could say no, not after she'd said his name…like that.
"Of course, Em," he whispered into her ear. He stood to make the bed back up, and help her under the covers again before sliding in next to her.
Facing each other, Emeralda could see his ice-blue eyes glint in the light that leaked through the French doors that led to the balcony.
"I can't sleep," she said quietly, using as little energy as possible, "How about you, Draco?"
"I can't either," he sighed, trying to get comfortable, when the truth was, he was still trying to figure out all of his feelings.
After a minute, he heard Em mutter, "I hate this."
Curious, he asked, "What?"
"Not being able to sing," she murmured. "If I couldn't fall asleep, I'd just sing myself to sleep, which you said I can't do…yet." There was a glimmer of defiance in her eyes, making Draco smirk in a way that was both devilish and sexy, rendering her silent.
Pondering the possibilities, Draco shifted on to his back, the faint light falling on his shirtless chest, easily exhibiting the effectiveness of regular visits to the gym. Em's eyes skimmed up to his eyes though, wondering what he was thinking.
An idea sparking, the silver blue eyes turned to look at her. He took a deep breath and did something she hadn't expected: he sang.
"No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyed fears,
I'm here, nothing can harm you,
My words will warm and calm you.
Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears,
I'm here, with you, beside you,
To guard you and to guide you.
Let me be your shelter, let me be your light,
You're safe; no one will find you,
Your fears are far behind you.
Please say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime,
Let me lead you from your solitude.
Say you need me with you, here, beside you,
Anywhere you go, let me go too.
Emeralda, that's all I ask of you.
Love me…that's all I ask of you."
Finishing, Draco looked at Em, almost afraid of her reaction. But as he did, her emerald eyes glowed and she smiled radiantly at him. Slowly, Emeralda raised a hand to his face, dragging a finger down from his temple, along his jawbone, and up to gently grasp him behind the neck. She pulled him to her and softly pressed her lips to his in a slow, sweet kiss.
Pulling away, she whispered breathlessly, "Thank-you, Draco. I only wish I could sing with you." He opened his eyes slowly, looking into those emerald orbs that caught and held his gaze. Only then did her eyes close, head resting on his shoulder, and fall asleep in his arms.
When Emeralda woke up the next morning, sunlight was streaming through the French doors, lighting up the room. For a moment she forgot the night before. The sound of gentle breathing and the warmth of her temporary pillow brought her back up speed. She looked up to see Draco, bathed in a golden glow, making him look perfectly angelic.
She smiled and slowly moved to the edge of the bed, trying not to wake the angel that had saved her. Gingerly at first, she stood up, knees wobbling, but able walk. It was only then that that she noticed that she was still wearing her party dress from the night before. She walked steadily across the room and opened the closet doors.
Emeralda had expected to find the closet to be a small little thing like what she had at home, filled completely with clothes for Draco. How wrong she was.
It was huge, at least as big as the bedroom. It was filled with only designer brands, for men and women, with a huge 180 degree mirror in the center. There was a vanity tucked away in a corner, covered with her choice of makeup. Em didn't look to intently through the guy's clothes, but spent ages looking through all the women's clothes, marveling over the brands, not even trying to guess the prices.
Before she knew it, she'd managed to find an adorable outfit; dressed in dark blue jeans, a navy blue ballet top with an aqua halter underneath. She threw on whatever accessories caught her eye. She went absolutely ecstatic upon finding the shoes. Trying on everything that caught her fancy, she stayed away the high-heels, and finally decided a pair of tan boots, with no height that she could possibly break an ankle with.
After showering and utilizing the vanity, taking time to style her chestnut hair a number of ways, she stepped out of the enormous walk-in closet and back into the actual bedroom. Draco was still sleeping peacefully, his chest uncovered, drawing Emeralda's attention. She sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at him for a moment.
She stayed there, thinking of a way to wake him up, when an idea popped into her head. Recalling the night before, she stood gracefully and strode over to the French doors, throwing them open. Stepping out onto the balcony, she grasped the railing, letting her breathing regulate. She took a deep breath, as she had done a thousand times before, and sang…
Draco woke up to hear a gorgeous song ringing through his bedroom. Slowly rising, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants he'd thrown on the night before, he discarded the covers to follow the silky voice that enchanted him, leading him out onto the balcony.
There stood Emeralda, turned away from him, as if to proclaim to the world, looking amazing and singing so beautifully, he wondered if she wasn't an angel. She turned her emerald eyes to him, smiling as she sang:
"Say you'll love me every waking moment,
Turn my head with talk of summertime.
Say you need me with you, now and always.
Promise me, that all you say is true,
That's all I ask of you."
Smiling, Draco remembered the night before, and sang in reply:
"Let me be your shelter,
Let me be your light.
You're safe; no one will find you,
You're fears are far behind you."
Hitting her cue perfectly, Em sang on.
"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night.
And you, always beside me,
To hold me and to hide me."
Draco hadn't known that Phantom of the Opera was her favorite movie, or that she knew all the songs by heart, like he did. But that little something that had stirred in his heart the night before, returned, getting much stronger, and the words he sang seemed to reflect things that he himself hadn't been aware of.
"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.
Let me lead you from your solitude.
Say you need me with you, here, beside you,
Anywhere you go, let me go too.
Emeralda, that's all I ask of you."
Emeralda looked up sharply when he mentioned her name, but smiled upon seeing the sincerity in his eyes, those beautiful windows to his heart and soul. It was then that she realized that she felt the same, the little stir in her heart that didn't want to go away. She replied, continuing the main love song in that movie with a multitude of passion that she hadn't noticed the song lacked.
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime,
Say the word and I will follow you."
Seeing the enamored look in her emerald eyes, Draco's frozen blue eyes softened and joined her, their song nearing the end.
"Share each day with me,
Each night, each morning."
Singing with her heart, Em asked, in routine and absolute seriousness, a pleading note in her voice that begged for his response:
"Say you love me…"
Draco smiled, taking heed the hint she unknowingly tossed in, he replied lovingly:
"You know I do,"
…before she joined in, both pleading:
"Love me, that's all I ask of you."
Eyes connecting, they both leaned in, their lips meeting softly before passion won over, and Em pulled him closer. Draco, willingly responding, lifted her by her tiny waist, bringing her up to him, kissing her fervently. Remembering the song, their song, they broke apart, letting the end burst out of them as they gazed at each other, eyes unmoving, smiling;
"Anywhere you go, let me go too!
Love me…that's all I ask of you."
Draco kissed her again, only to break apart, confused by the sound they heard below.
Looking over the edge of the balcony, her arms on his shoulders, his hands resting on her waist, they saw and heard something they hadn't expected. All the people below, from the street, walking to work, waiting in the stand-still traffic, had gathered below them, gazing skyward, applauding. Draco bit his lip trying not to laugh, and Emeralda started giggling.
"I bet this isn't what you expected when you woke up this morning," Em teased, laughter sparkling in her eyes.
"I didn't expect to do a lot of things in the last twelve hours. Least of all, saving an angel, let alone kissing one," Draco replied, smiling.
Emeralda looked down, blushing, as she said in a low voice, "I'm no angel, Draco, even if I have fallen. I've got no wings." She smiled, eyes rising to meet his again.
"You weren't even supposed to be singing yet," Draco pointed out, changing the subject.
"I'm a singer!" she protested, grinning mischievously. "I couldn't resist!" He laughed at this last comment.
"What happened to your bruise?" he asked, noticing the lack of discoloration on her neck as she twisted her head away coyly, genuinely concerned as always.
"Makeup, it's wonderful stuff," she answered shortly, still grinning. Draco just shook his head, smiling like a fool.
They stood there for a second before Draco inquired what had been on the rampage in his mind, trampling over any thoughts he used to distract himself.
"So you'll be leaving today? Going home," he said, unable to meet her emerald eyes as he waited for her answer, instead staring out at the city below.
Emeralda's gaze shifted too, before she asked quietly, "Do you want me to go, Draco?" It felt like a little tear in the corner of her heart when she thought of leaving him, her savior.
This caught Draco off-guard. "Well, no…I just thought since, you're not a damsel in distress anymore, that you'd want to go home," he replied, running a hand through his pale hair, finally looking at her. "I don't want you to leave, but it's not like you'd want to stay here with me forever."
Emeralda looked up sharply. Holding his gaze, she said quietly, "Draco, I don't think you're done saving me just yet." She slowly glided forward to plant a soft kiss on his perfect lips. "But you're right, I don't to stay here forever with you," she whispered.
Draco could feel his heart breaking, though he'd only known Em for twelve hours, maybe. "I understand," he replied softly, stroking her chestnut hair, tears jerking at his eyes, making his vision blurry. He closed briefly, before saying, "Just go home, Em, before I can't let go." A single tear escaped his sapphire eyes as he turned away.
But Emeralda caught his arm, turning him back toward her. She smiled.
"If I'm going to be with you forever, could we at least have our own house?" she asked, eyes shining, smiling as she wiped away his tears. He pulled her into his arms, smiling back at her.
"I love you, Draco," she whispered as he pulled her closer, holding her tighter.
"I swear I just heard an angel whisper in my ear," he said, his silver-blue eyes turning to her.
Emeralda laughed. "That was no angel, love. That was me!" she exclaimed.
Draco grinned. "Close enough," he whispered back, eyes glowing. "So what was that, angel?" he teased, making Em laugh again.
"I said, 'I love you,' Thomas Malfoy!" she said louder, smiling furiously, emerald eyes crystalline clear. Draco lifted her up into the air, twirling her around the balcony before bringing her back down so he could kiss her.
"Good," he replied, when they took a breath.
Em looked at him inquisitively. "Good? Why is that good?" One look in his crystal blue eyes showed everything she needed to know.
"Because I love you too, Emeralda Sanders," he said breathlessly. Em grinned and pulled his head to hers, kissing him passionately.
When they broke apart, Draco said suavely, "You know, I have been looking at this one house out in Wales." She grinned up at him.
"Oh really, what's it like?" she asked eyes aglow.
"It's a huge fourteenth century castle," he replied with a grin. She kissed him again, making their way off the balcony, their joyous laughter echoing over the city as true love blossomed, between a damsel in distress and her unusual savior.
The End