Hi everyone, this is a story somewhat based around the songs by the WONDERFUL Adele.
As much as I wish I could claim the lyrics and music as my own, I cannot.
And as much as I wish I could claim the genius of mashing her two masterpieces together, I cannot. That privilege belongs to the music gurus that work on "Glee".
I also do not own any Harry Potter Characters, Spells, Potions, etc, and I wish such a place existed. Sigh, it does not.
The link for this song is here just remove any spaces – http :/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v = ukFwGtd5J8k
Before we begin, if the lyrics are in"
Italics- it is Hermione singing
Bold- it is Ginny singing
Bold Italics- it is both girls singing
ENJOY
-.-
Draco Malfoy just downed his tenth shot of tequila, but nothing seemed to be taking away the pain. Blaise Zabini looked at Draco funny as he signalled the waitress for another round.
"Don't you think you should slow down a bit, mate?"
Draco pointedly ignored the question, thinking to himself 'Honestly, you'd think after him knowing me since our youth he would know the answer to that question.'
Blaise is the only person that Draco has ever told the full truth too, but he didn't need him to play babysitter. If Draco wanted someone to watch his every move he would have brought his fiancée with him. He obviously had the upper hand in their relationship, but his fiancée often reminded him of his father. She was demanding and had a twisted way of getting everything that she wanted. Draco had no clue how Blaise twisted her into allowing him out of her sights for the night, but he did, thank Merlin.
As the waitress dropped off two more shots of tequila, Draco downed them again in sequence and looked blankly at Blaise. He had told Draco that it was a boy's night out, and they'd finally get to go out and enjoy themselves. Draco had assumed heavy drinking, possible drug use and flirting with pretty girls. But no, the most exciting thing Blaise has done since they've come out is ordered the malt he was currently sipping, the classy bastard.
"Mate, I really think you should slow down," Blaise repeats as Draco signalled for another round. The waitress nods in acknowledgement and Draco looks back at the stage where someone is doing a terrible version of Britney Spears' Toxic. The dance moves that this girl was pulling out were horrendous and Draco could feel the tequila shots working their way back up.
As the next round arrives, Blaise leans in to speak to Draco so he doesn't have to yell as much.
"We can go somewhere else if it's going to affect you this much," he offers.
Draco shook his head in the negative and downed one of the two shots before replying to his best friend. "Blaise, I really fucked it up, you know. I just didn't have the balls to stand up to him."
Draco took a deep breath and refused to allow himself to reminisce on actions that cannot be undone. He looked around the room and sighed to himself, wishing that things were different.
Just when he thought the night couldn't get any worse karma decided to snap back at Draco once more. As he downed what he'd promised Blaise would be the last shot of the night, although he had no intention of keeping said promise and Blaise very well knew that, another performer was announced. Draco immediately bust into a coughing fit when he saw the duo walk onto the stage, and as Draco looked over at Blaise he saw his friend pale considerably.
Neither of them said anything as the music began and the two girls on stage began to sing.
She, she ain't real,
She ain't gonna be able to love you like I will
She is a stranger, you and I have history
or don't you remember?
He remembered alright. He remembered all too well. She had been his one true love. The one that he will tell his son about one day. The one that he will regret not fighting for.
He remembered crystal clear everything that had happened between them since that fateful day where he admitted to himself that he was attracted to Hermione Granger, Mudblood Extraordinaire. It was his fourth year, and he had taken Pansy to the Yule Ball. He did not, however, pay much attention to her after he saw Granger walk in on the arm of the Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum. She blew his mind, to put it simply. He was in awe.
Since that day, he had never been able to think straight around her. He couldn't come up with appropriate insults for her or her stupid friends and he definitely could not call her a Mudblood to her face anymore. He knew it hurt her and he just couldn't bear the look on her face when he said it. So, he stopped using the word when he referred to her.
Then when they had both gone back to school after the war, after Potter finally finished off Voldemort, they had been made Head Boy and Girl together. Since they were two of the few that had returned to school, they had been given their own dormitory. Draco was thrilled when he found out, but he was sure that she didn't feel the same way.
As it turned out, over the year, they had really gotten to know each other. Although he'll never admit this to anyone openly, and to the day, the only ones that know how he truly feels is Blaise and his mother, he fell in love with Hermione Granger. Truly and madly, head over heels, you're the apple of my eye in love.
Imagine his surprise when she admitted to reciprocating the feelings.
They spent the entire summer after graduation meeting in Diagon Alley and having long discussions and arguing with each other. For most couples, arguing is not a good sign, but they both enjoyed arguing. It kept them on their toes and there's no better way to learn more about someone than by arguing with them and having them tell you the truth in a fit of rage.
All was well until one day he came home and his father had requested an audience with him. Lucius never requested such things, so Draco knew it was important. He followed his father into his study and saw Mr. Greengrass in there waiting for them.
Sure, she has it all,
but baby is that really what you want?
No. It's not what he wanted at all, in fact. To be perfectly honest, he wanted her. He wanted the girl that irritated him to no end, but he couldn't have her. He knew that. That would ruin everything.
After his father had told him that he would be entering into an arranged marriage with Astoria Greengrass, his heart dropped. He knew that he could not deny his father, it would do him no good. Just lead him into a life of misery, or so he thought.
So, he instead began to court Astoria, but being him, he didn't inform Hermione. He just stopped contacting her. Biggest mistake of his life.
After about three months, Draco and Astoria were in Diagon Alley for lunch one day, strolling hand in hand and when they entered Flourish and Blotts, he was greeted with the face of none other than Hermione Granger.
Being the girl that she is, Hermione kept her cool and congratulated them on their engagement. Draco mumbled a thank you and looked anywhere but her face while Astoria showed off the ring that he had been given by his father to give to her.
Let's face it, Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass were the perfect couple on paper. Pureblood, rich, polished and refined. But Draco got bored of the same routine, and Astoria was one for routine.
Bless your soul, you got your head in the clouds
you made a fool out of you,
and, boy, she's bringing you down.
She made your heart melt
But you're cold to the core
Now rumour has it she ain't got your love anymore
Blaise watched as the redhead on stage sent daggers at his blonde companion, who was currently necking a pint of bitter. The words she'd just sung had been so true.
He had never seen Draco affected so much by a woman. Never mind the fact that it was the brilliant Muggleborn that he had taunted all throughout their school years.
Draco was making a fool out of himself in more ways than one. The only thing he really needed to do was go to his father and tell him to fuck off and then him and Hermione could be together.
Blaise was no fool, he knew why Draco had been acting so out of character in the past five months. Even if Draco wasn't openly admitting it to him, Blaise knew that it was bothering him more than even Draco himself cared to admit. And since the news had gotten out that Granger and Weasley were dating, Draco had only been worse.
Not only did Draco cut off all contact with Hermione, but he'd made it seem like he just didn't care about her anymore. He didn't offer any explanation, he didn't offer any rebuttal when she'd sent him a very colourfully worded howler asking if the last year had meant absolutely nothing to him and he didn't even tell his wife to be about Hermione.
Blaise was sure that his friend would deny it to the grave to ensure his pride didn't get hurt, but Draco's heart would always belong to the bushy haired bookworm. She had captivated his heart and his mind. She was the only one that knew how to fight back against him, who would keep him on his toes and challenge his biased opinions of all things in life.
And now, he'd gone and let his father push him around. The only person he would let push him around, simply because he'd grown up learning to obey his parents and then act superior to everyone else. A little twisted, if you asked Blaise, but he never questioned it. To each their own, he thought.
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it.
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember, you said,
Blaise recoiled in his seat as Ginny Weasley's eyes landed on him. He should have known better than to realize that this whole stunt of theirs was purely about Draco and Granger. No, not at all.
I heard that you've settled down,
That you found a girl and you're married now,
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things, I couldn't give to you.
One of the reasons Blaise was trying to be supportive and help his best mate out was that he'd been in a similar position. Not entirely the same, but quite similar, although no one at all actually knew about this one. Not even Draco.
Blaise had considered telling Draco about himself and Ginny Weasley, all about his last year at Hogwarts and how she had been the one to make it completely bearable, but he just never got around to it.
Blaise thought back to those days. The late nights in the Astronomy Tower, in the Room of Requirement, lazy Sunday afternoons in a little hidden cove on the lake and the Monday morning breakfast when they'd begin to ignore each other for the day as to not raise suspicion.
After he graduated, he had decided to go away to Paris's Wizarding University to further his knowledge of Ministry Practices around the world. While he was in Paris Blaise met a young witch named Lorelai. They had quickly become friends, and one drunken night they had had sex many times. In one of those many times, the Contraception Charm had worn off and Lorelai fell pregnant. Being the traditionally raised gentleman that he was, he asked Lorelai to be his wife, and they married not two months ago.
He had owled Ginny to tell her because he wanted her to hear it from him and not from some third party or all over the gossip pages. Unfortunately, Ginny hadn't taken too kindly to the news and had not replied to him. Not that he blamed her of course, he had told her he'd come back for her when he'd finished school and they he would be heartbroken if she moved on. Strange how tables turn like that, isn't it?
There was one thing that Ginny was wrong about however. Ginny gave him one that that Lorelai never did. A second chance at life.
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it.
Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds
You made a fool out of me,
And, boy, you're bringing me down.
You made my heart melt, yet I'm cold to the core
But rumour has it I'm the one you're leaving her for.
Draco couldn't tear his eyes away from the honey ones that we boring into him. He watched in bewilderment as the witch in front of him expressed her feelings loud and clear. He knew he deserved her wrath, but what he hadn't expected was how much she actually affected him. More than he was willing to admit, that was for sure.
He knew that he caused her pride and heart some bruising. Scratch that, actually, a LOT of bruising. Just the night before he'd cut off communication with her, she'd asked him about marriage, and if it was something that one day he may consider with her. Being the idiot that he was, said possibly, but it would depend how his family would react. He hadn't thought that reply through obviously.
He had to admit, she seemed to be doing quite fine though. Rumour had it that she and Weasley had started seeing each other. He wasn't particularly excited to hear this when Blaise had told him about it yesterday, but he wanted her to move on, hoping that once he saw her happy again, he wouldn't feel as guilty.
As it was, it only made him feel worse.
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it.
Don't forget me I beg,
I remember you said
Blaise watched his best mate's facial expression the entire time that Granger was singing her part. His face went from bad to worse. He had signalled for more shots and upon their arrival, downed them and signalled for more. He was going to be in for a rough morning, Draco was.
Blaise tore his eyes from his mate and directed them towards the scarlet haired beauty on the little stage.
There was no way in the History of Magic that Blaise would ever forget Ginevra Weasley. She'd changed him. He was depressed and suicidal when they had began to see each other. He blamed his mother for it all. His mother made sure he never had a father figure for more than two years, and that was at a push. His mother was as self absorbed, self preserving and self righteous as they came. She only bred an heir with each of her husband's so that they would trust her.
By the time his seventh year had come around, he just didn't care anymore. He wanted nothing more than to throw himself off of the Astronomy Tower and forget about his wretched life. His only friend then was Draco, but he'd been so busy with Head Boy duties and trying to woo the Head Girl that he didn't notice Blaise's change in attitude or behaviour.
Deciding that he just couldn't bear it anymore, he went up to the Astronomy Tower in the wee hours of the morning and climbed over the railing. He held on for a moment, looking to the ground below. He was about to let go of the railing when a soft, warm hand covered his.
"Don't do it," the girl said softly.
When he turned to see who it was he began to argue with her about why she cared and what difference it actually made to her. She kept calm and replied with sensible answers and before he knew it, he had climbed back over the railings to safety.
They spent the rest of the night talking. Rather, him explaining his whole depressing life story and Ginny offering comfort and help.
No, there was no way in Hades that Blaise Zabini would ever forget Ginevra Weasley.
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it,
Rumour has it.
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said.
Draco sat thinking about all of the times he'd spent laughing, arguing and just lazing around with Hermione.
The image of her kicking and screaming to let her off his broomstick one night had popped into his mind and he laughed at how childish she was about it. She was furious with him for a couple of days, until he'd gone and formally apologized for forcing her to do something against her wishes. He'd learned his lesson.
There was another time when they'd both been studying for NEWTs in the Library with their respective house groups and she'd come over and asked for a private word with him, claiming it was important Head's business. Head business it was alright. She'd led him to an unused part of the library and began to snog him senseless. Snogging lead to groping, groping lead to undressing and undressing had lead to having sex against the stacks. Not that he minded that at all, he loved it. It was so out of character for his witch that it had turned him on even more. It was one of his fondest memories of Hermione Granger, right after seeing her at the Yule Ball.
He would never, ever forget Hermione Granger. Not even if his life depended on it.
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
Draco's jaw dropped. She wasn't looking the right way if she'd run into the arms of Weasley. Not at all. He supposed she meant it figuratively though.
On the other hand, this wasn't her song. Perhaps she wanted to find someone the complete opposite of him so that she wouldn't be reminded of all the hurt and pain she'd caused him. He wouldn't blame her, but the thought made his heart fall either way. He really wished she didn't have to move on.
I wish nothing but the best for you two
Blaise watched at Ginny's eyes continued to watch his. He knew immediately that she meant those words. He could see it in her eyes. He noticed that she was smiling slightly at him as well. He smiled back slowly.
Draco had finally torn his eyes of Hermione and noticed the smiled on his mate's face. Even in his drunken state, he knew there was something that he'd not been let in on. He made a mental note to ask Blaise about it later as Hermione's angelic voice filled the room again and he found himself looking at her once again.
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.
Sometimes it last in love and sometimes it hurts instead.
The girls smiled and bowed as whoops and applause filled the bar. They made their way off the stage and towards the bar. Blaise and Draco followed them with their eyes and watched as two boys met them at the bar. Neither one of them recognized the girls' company, so they assumed that the men had just wanted to congratulate them.
Turning back to his friend, Draco raised an eyebrow and offered Blaise one of his tequila shots.
"Might help," he said, still holding the shot glass.
Blaise didn't know how to reply. Instead of speaking, he shrugged while he accepted the tiny glass and raised it in a toast. Draco reciprocated the salute and they did their shots.
"Want to talk about it?" Draco asked his friend.
"It's a long story," Blaise said after a minute.
"I've got all the time in the world."
Blaise looked over his friends shoulder and smirked. "No, I don't think you do," he said, nodding his head towards what he was looking at.
Draco whipped his head around and saw that Hermione was walking over to their table, and she was only a few feet away. Draco stood up quickly, knocking the table with his legs on the way up, and wobbled slightly as he tried to steady himself. He was fine when he'd been sitting, but the tequila looked like it was finally kicking in. He'd balanced himself by the time she got there and he looked down at her with a quizzical look on his face, not really knowing what to say.
"Hi," she said slowly after a moment of staring at each other.
Draco noticed that Ginny was still at the bar talking to the other two men.
"Hello," he replied with a small, lopsided smile.
"I – erm, rather… well… you see…." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I just wanted to offer you proper congratulations. I'm happy that you've found someone that makes you happy."
Beside them, Blaise snorted in laughter but quickly shut up with the look Draco sent his way.
"Thank you. I'd also like to offer my congratulations to you. I heard that you and Weasley have begun to see each other on a romantic basis."
"We have?" she asked him in shock. "I mean, erm, yes, we have…"
Draco raised an eyebrow at her.
"Well," she said after another awkward moment. "That's all I came over to say, I hope you enjoy your night out. Oh, and if I were you, I'd take about seven pints of water to bed with me. I wouldn't even want to think about the morning."
Blaise snorted in laughter again as she walked away and Draco stared after her in amazement.
"Can you believe her nerve?" he slurred as he sat down. "The audacity of her telling me what she would do if she were me. My god, the self righteous Gryffindor."
Blaise didn't say anything. He merely listened as Draco went on his drunken rant about the girl. After a moment, he replied, "Isn't that why you love her?"
Draco stopped. He had not once told Hermione Granger that he loved her. It had just dawned on him now. Not once. He said that he cared, liked, somewhat admired, adored and cherished her, but not once had he even admitted, to even himself, that he loved her.
Draco shook his head in denial and even though Blaise knew he was lying, he let him off.
Excusing himself, Blaise made his way to the toilet. When he was exiting, he ran into another body. Quickly grabbing the person by their shoulders to help steady, he was caught off guard as he looked down and say that it was Ginevra Weasley in his hold.
"Kindly remove your hands from my person," she said after an awkward silence.
Blaise obediently dropped his hands from her shoulders. Nothing was said for a moment and Ginny made her way around him to leave.
"Wait," he called to her.
Ginny whipped around to look at him and looked at him expectantly while crossing her arms. Blaise walked over to her slowly and looked into her aquamarine eyes.
"I'm… I just wanted to apologize," he said softly. "I never meant to hurt you. I never expected this to happen. It's just…. This is the right thing to do, you know."
Ginny's body loosened slightly and her facial expression softened.
After a moment, she nodded. "I know." She gave him another one of those small smiled and he was sure his heart skipped a beat. "I'll see you around, Zabini."
Blaise stood there as he watched his lifesaver disappear into the crowd. He didn't know how long he stood there, but when he finally forced himself to move he walked back to the table where him and Draco had been seated prior to his little bathroom break.
Draco was not there though. Blaise whipped his head around the room looking for his friend. He asked the passing waitress if she'd seen his friend and the waitress pointed towards a dark crowded corner. Blaise squinted his eyes, and there was no denying the reflection from Draco's silver blonde hair in the blackened corner.
Blaise walked over to see what Draco was up too and could hear voices yelling at each other over the music. Good thing the music was loud and the corner was secluded.
"Damnit Malfoy, what do you want now?"
"You. I want you!"
"You had me, you daft asshole. Then you found someone else that struck your fancy. Where's she tonight anyways? I'm surprised she let you off your leash. She's got you well trained from what I hear. Or is it Daddy that has you trained? Perhaps both?"
"You don't know what you're talking about," Blaise heard Draco growl.
There was silence for a moment and Blaise took this as his cue to step in.
"Well, well. Aren't you two aware that there are people performing up there? It's rude to be back here in the shadows missing the show."
"Sod off, Zabini. You're nearly as bad as he is."
Blaise chucked at the witches ferociousness. "I concur. I am not particularly thrilled with the outcomes of my actions, but I believe that I settled them in the most rational, reliable and convenient way for all parties involved."
"In what way, may I ask? You tell a girl you'll wait for her and then go and get some daft bimbo pregnant and within six weeks you're married to said daft bimbo and don't have the balls to tell the former in person."
Blaise's brow furrowed, not that anyone could see it, as his temper began to flair. "Not that I owe you any explanation, Granger, but here we go. Firstly, I ask that you DO NOT refer to my wife as a daft bimbo without knowing her. She is nearly as bright as you are, or as you were in school, should I say. Second, I would have liked to do the former in person, but I had no opportunity, so I opted for a letter. Yes, perhaps not the best way to go through it, but in the end, she heard the news from me and not some stupid tabloid or through the grapevine. And thirdly, since you owe me a favour anyways, I ask that you hear Draco out."
"He has nothing of importance to say to me. Anything that needs to be said has been dealt with already. And I do not owe you any favours."
Blaise knocked Draco in the arm to get him to speak up, but apparently he lost his nerve.
"I have nothing to say," Draco muttered and walked away.
Blaise watched for a moment before turning back to Hermione. "Look, Granger, I don't know what Ginny told you, but we've spoken tonight and we've made up, as much as we can at the moment. I'm sorry I hurt your friend, and I'm sorry that Draco hurt you, but I don't think you know exactly what's been going on. There's another side to this story that you have no idea about?"
Hermione scoffed, "Like what? He was going to ask me to marry him, but his mother insisted on a pureblood being integrated into the precious Malfoy Family? I think not."
Blaise was really getting sick of her attitude. It was obvious that she'd been drinking and saying things she wouldn't normally say, he knew this was why she was perfect for Draco, but this was just too much for him.
"If you repeat a word of this, I will Avada you, do you understand?" Blaise hissed. Hermione looked at him quizzically and nodded, the curiosity killing her.
"Yes, he was going to propose to you. He had a ring picked out and everything. He and I had just come back from shopping in Paris. It was early morning and he'd come over to my dorm at Uni and dragged me along to help him find you a blasted ring. He left me a few hours later after we had finally found one and when got home his father was there waiting for him. By the end of that afternoon, Draco had been all but physically tortured into signing a contract binding him to this arranged marriage unless one of the parental's called it off. Okay? Does that satisfy you? He didn't want you to know that he'd allowed his father to push him around, so he let you think that it was all his own doing. How do you like them apples?"
Hermione's mouth was agape as she leaned against the wall behind her for support and looking over towards Draco, whom was downing more amber liquid.
"You're lying," she whispered eventually.
"I wish I was."
"I need to apologize to him," she said, standing erect.
"Woah, no, you don't. You never heard that, remember? Keep it that way. I hope things work out with you and Weasley. I hope he makes you happy," Blaise said as he began walking away.
"Ron and I are not dating!" Hermione yelled after him.
Blaise turned and raised an eyebrow at her and she followed him out of the shadows.
"Okay? I apologize for the mistake. I was only repeating the rumour I heard," he frowned.
"Yes, well, rumour has it that Ron Weasley has been sneaking around with some married woman. Some witch named Lorelai?"
Blaise's jaw dropped. "You're lying," he scoffed after a minute.
"I wish I was," Hermione repeated his own words to him. "In fact, that picture that you saw of Ron and I on page six of the Daily Prophet was taken after I dragged him by the ear and sat him down to tell him that what he was doing is wrong."
Blaise was unsure of how to react. He grabbed the two shots the waitress carrying by that he assumed were for Draco and downed them both consecutively.
"What else do you know?" he demanded.
Hermione shook her head. "It's been about three months, apparently she started it and he doesn't care about the repercussions."
"I bet he'd care if I went and punched his face in," he muttered.
Hermione offered a small smile.
"We're even," she said. "I'm sorry about your wife, Zabini. Really. You seem like a good guy, honestly. I'm sorry about what I said back there, I shouldn't have brought it up, but you don't deserve to be hurt like that."
"Well, you know what they say. Karma's a bitch."
Hermione chuckled and gave a small wave before heading back over to Ginny at the bar.
Blaise made his way back to the table where Draco was sat.
"What the fuck man. First, the waitress tells me you do my shots and then I turn around to see you talking to the girl that just insulted the shit out of you and your family, for reasons that I am not even aware of."
Blaise didn't want to go into full detail, it was already getting late into the night. He shook his head and decided to skip to the most important part.
"Rumour has it that Weaslebee is seeing someone. It's not Granger though, it's my fucking WIFE!" Blaise yelled in frustration as he down the next two shots that had just been set down on the table.
"Fuck man, you just did my shots aga-. Wait. WHAT?"
Blaise nodded, "you heard me."
Draco was absolutely fuming.
Draco stood up and threw a fist full of Muggle money on the table. "Let's go."
"Where are we going, it's my turn to become numb with alcohol!"
"We're going to the Manor, I'm getting out of this marriage one way or another. You can have all the tequila you want there. I've got a special stock of it in my room. After that we're heading to your place, and you're going to get some answers from the lovely wife of yours. Now, get up. And don't think I'll forget about Ginevra Weasley. You'll be hashing out that story as I go over the contract."
-.-
Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. I was planning on making this just a one shot, but I think it will work better as a two or three chapter story. I would really appreciate a reply and let me know what you think.
Ta for now.