All the students should be in bed at this time but there was
still a fire in one of the common rooms.
Hermione Granger was sitting near the fireplace. The light from
the fire danced across her face and the room, making shadows in
the corners. And she was holding herself not to cry.
"Less than a week..." she thought while her eyes got
darker and darker. It had been less than a week Hermione and
Draco Malfoy broke up. They had been dating since the beginning
of the year but now it was over.
Hermione was recording the last talk they had.
"He said he wanted to protect me..." she muttered to
herself "...and the only way was letting me go...why those
horrible people want him to be a Death Eater...?" she kept
thinking while tears were going across her face. She looked so
full of angust and sadness, melancholic as Hogwarts was today.
Hermione remebered well, Draco wanted to save her because Lucius
was going to force him to be a Death Eater. He had been runing
from his father's desire but now there was no way. And if, just
if, something happened to his lovely Mione he would not live with
himself anymore. Even the strongest love sometimes can't survive
to the actions of evil people. Sometimes, not even life.
Sobbing almost too much to hold, Hermione just managed to say one
of her deepest feelings at the moment.
"...I hate you Voldemort and I hate you Lucius for trying to
destroy our happiness...I will not let go of him that
easily..."
Draco felt tears rolling down his face but more than someone to
wipe them away he wanted someone that would have never let them
fall. Hermione.
"Why does there gotta be a sacrifice? Why does it have to be
ours?" he muttered softly trying not to sob.
"I'm just so weak...why can't I be like her? and while he
thought this he almost could her her voice saying that he was the
bravest guy she had ever known.
"I'm so sorry my dear" he finally said in a flood of
tears.
In that afternoon especialy Fred, George and Ron Weasley were
discussng about it.
"It could be a dragon to teach us how to make
Snape-dissapearing-potion." Fred guessed
"Nah! Could be the sad notice that Snape was locked up in a
muggle hospital!" George wished
"The best would be that Snape IS dead." Ron said with a
hopeful voice.
"Well, we'll soon see!" George said while they were
going down to the beginning of the feast.
"Where's Mione?" he asked looking through the hall
"I think she's comming down. If she miss Halloween I'll eat
Fang." Ron answered
Right after he said that Hermione sat down on their table.
"Sorry I'm late"
Nobody answered her because Dumbledore stood up.
"Good Afternoon my dear students. Here we are, at another
Halloween here at Hogwarts. Well, I'll be quick because I can see
that you are starving" he said smiling.
"As you might have heard, we're gonna have a new thing this
year at Halloween. A Singing Contest. Not actualy a contest, just
for you to sing your favourite songs or some made by
yourself" he smiled again when he saw everybody's atonished
faces. "It's going to be tonight so make sure to be at your
best. And now, the food" and as he finished, all the
delicious food the house elves made suddenly appeared on their
tables.
People were talking only about this Singing Contest but
Hermione's head was spinning. She remembered when people always
told her she had a good voice to sing but she never took it
seriously. And then she had an idea. The most brillant idea of
all.
"It's so stupid! It could only be Dumbledore's idea!
Really!" said Pansy
"Of course it's stupid because you can't sing Pansy."
Draco said coldly. She had no answer to that. Back to his
thoughts, Draco was getting dizzy. He could never imagine a
'surprise' like that.
"Will she sing?" he asked himself about Hermione
"She has a beautiful voice really, wish I could her sing
only for me again..."
He felt someone tapping his shoulder telling him to go and when
Draco looked he was almost alone at the Great Hall. Everybody was
upstairs trying to make the best of themselves. And then, for a
single moment only, he caught a glance of the Gryffindor table
and his heart almost stopped.
Hermione was there... day-dreaming... as pretty as always.
Suddenly she looked at him, right in the eyes. He wasn't
expecting that and she caught all his thoughts and he caught
hers.
"Oh no. No, no and no! Shit! She's up to something... "
he thought when she gave him half a smile with a smart air over
it. He could swear she was almost having fun with the despair she
saw in his eyes.
Then she got up and left the Great Hall. He had to resist to a
strong idea of going after her and make her quit her idea.
Whatever it was. But he just stood up and headed the oposite
direction to the Slytherin common room.
Draco was wearing a black (but very stylish) black robe and his
hair was as blonde as always. He was near the door of the hall,
trying to fix a piece of his hair when he heard someone.
"Leave it Draco, your hair looks good like this"
Draco's heart sank. He turned and there was Hermione in her
deep-blue robes, straight hair, silver makeup and giving him her
best smile. She was looking wonderful, like a godess right out of
a fairy tale book. For a moment his jaw dropped (and he was sure
that was her intention) but he quickly came back to normal.
"Thank you Mi...I mean...Hermione. You look very pretty
too."
"Thanks. Well, gotta go. I don't wanna be late. See you
soon"
"Wait, late for what?"
But she just smiled and entered the Great Hall.
She quickly sat down at the Gryffindor table and saw Draco with
the Slytherin. He was so handsome tonight, so hot.
"I'm gonna kiss him tonight even if I have to attack him in
the hall." she though almost laughting.
Harry and Ron looked at her puzzled.
"What are you laughting at Mione?" Harry asked. He was
so relieved that Hermione wasn't that bad today. But he knew that
she was going through a hard time.
"Nothing" she said smiling
"Oh no! Noooo! It can be! Harry, Mione is going to sing! I
bet it!" Ron said looking horrified as if he just saw Snape
walking around in a yellow dress with purple dots.
"Ron! Shhh!" Hermione said quickly
"So it IS true! Oh the horror!" Ron said pretending to
faint.
Harry and Mione were laughting.
"I guess it's not that bad Ron" Harry said
"Well, um, yeah. I guess it's better than Percy singing on
the shower" Ron said laughting
"Boys! Bah!" Hermione said laughting too
After awhile Dumbledore stood up and averybody was silent. He
could feel the tension in the room, they were just so excited
with this.
"Hello again to everybody. Hope everybody is ready to get on
that stage! Good luck and let it begin!" he said in a very
high spirit mood.
Professor Minerva Mc Gonnagal stood up and read the first name of
the performer.
"Miss Parvati Patil" and everyone clapped.
It was quick. Parvati sang a song by the Weird Sisters and
actualy she sang it pretty well. Everybody was encouraged by that
and, finaly, after some people Professor Mc Gonagall annouced the
next and last one.
"Miss Hermione Granger"
There was a lot of clapping while Hermione stood up and headed to
the stage.
"Ha! That Granger thinks she can sing something, she can't
even talk with those teeth!" Pansy said evidently jealous of
Hermione
Draco could not take that and he thought of something to reply to
that Pansy.
"Maybe Pansy...but I'm sure she can kiss very well. And if
you don't remember, Madam Pomfey fixed her teeth years ago. Maybe
she needs to fix your eyes. And your memory." Draco said
very coldly to Pansy while she got red and said nothing.
"Bitch!" he just thought "Hermione is so much
better than you...don't you dare say a thing about her." he
kept these thoughts to him but his cold look was showing this
exact thoughts.
The clapping was stopping and Hermione was going to start. Draco
thought he had caught a Mione's glance that said "for
you" but it was just his imagination. Maybe.
"Um...hi everybody. Well, I'm kinda nervous being up here
but it's for a good cause." she looked quickly at Draco.
"Anyway, I'm gonna sing the song called "Spark" by
Tori Amos, one of my fav muggle singers. So, hope you like
it" she finished smiling and everybody clapped. The lights
were low now and the band started.
She's addicted to nicotine patches
She's addicted to nicotine patches
She's afraid of the light in the dark
6.58 are you sure where my spark is
Here, here, here
Everybody was extatic. Her voice and the entonation, it all went
so well. She was a great singer.
She's convinced she could hold back a glacier
But she couldn't keep Baby alive
Doubting if there's a woman in there somewhere
Here, here, here
You say you don't want it again
And again but you don't really mean it
You say you don't want it
This circus we're in
But you don't you don't really mean it you don't really mean it
Okay, Draco was sure now. It wasn't a glance or a look. She sang
this whole chorus looking at him. And there were some parts that
she sang with more emotion as if they were a message or
something. But the whole thing was a message. He wished he could
just go up there and hug her forever. But she kept going with her
song full of untold feelings and emotions.
If the Divine master plan is perfection
Maybe next I'll give Judas a try
Trusting my soul to the ice cream assassin
Here, here, here
You say you don't want it again
And again but you don't really mean it
You say you don't want it
This circus we're in
But you don't you don't really mean it you don't
really mean it
It was incredible the way she could touch his heart just singing.
It was fortunate that the lights were low because he could feel
some tears trying to leave his eyes.
How many fates turn around in the overtime
Ballerinas that have fins that you'll never find
You thought that you were the bomb yeah well so did i
Say you don't want it
Say you don't want it
Say you don't want it again
And again but you don't really mean it
Say you don't want it
This circus we're in
But you don't you don't really mean it you don't really mean it
Hermione sang this chorus with such deep emotion that Draco would
swear his life that there were some people crying on any of the
tables. He was telling himself "Do not cry! Do not
cry!" but he felt a single tear roll down his cheek.
She's addicted to nicotine patches
She's afraid of the light in the dark
6.58 are you sure where my spark is
Here, here, here
Hermione finished the song softly and smiled softly at Draco and
then bowed lightly. Every single person in the room was clapping
(and I mean every single one!)
Hermione headed back to her seat and she received lots of
compliments from diferent people across the room. Again,
Dumbledore stood up.
"Thank you very much Miss Granger. You are a magnificent
singer" he said smiling while she tried not to blush.
"So, it's late now so I sugest you to head back to your
dorms because people actualy need some sleep. Good night to all
and I hope you enjoyed tonight."
Everybody started to leave. Hermione told Harry and Ron to go
first. She was one of the last ones to leave the Great Hall but
Draco had alredy left but he did not go the way to the Slytherin
common rooms.
"He's probably alredy sleeping, maybe he didn't even
understood..." she whispered to herself. She just finished
to say that when she passed through a very dark corner and heard
a voice she knew very well singing softly near her ear.
...I could stay awake just to hear you breathing...
...Watch you smile while you are sleeping...
...While you're far away and dreaming...
...I could spend my life in this sweet surrender...
...I could stay lost in this moment forever...
...Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure...
Hermione turned quickly. There he was. Dark and sexy but still
full of light and very handsome.
"Draco!" she said in a happy voice that she could not
hide and then hugged him strongly
"Mionny...I am so sorry. I was such a jerk with you.
Please...forgive me..." he said in a trembling
voice but hugging her in such a loving way that she could not
keep the tears from coming.
"Wait...let's talk somewhere else" he said and she
agreed.
The Gryffindor common room was close so they went there. It
should be empty by now.
Hermione said the password and they entered the empty but very
cozy room.
They headed to a sofa near the fire but in the shadows so that
they would not be seen or heard.
When they sat down Draco started.
"Here, here, here" and both smiled "don't cry my
dear, you don't know the power that you have with that tear in
your hand..."
Hermione looked at him atonished. How could he know a piece from
the lyrics from Tori's another song? She asked him but he just
said that he "knew it".
"Look Draco, I...I...was so sad with all that happened in
that terrible day between us...and...and...more than anything I
wanna be with you again even if it means my life. Because you are
my life. Nothing else." she said trying to control her sobs.
"I know I hurted you...I'm so sorry but that hurted me too,
it wasn't easy ya know...I just wanted to protect you because you
are my life. Aw Mione could you please forgive me...I promise
we'll be together forever...I love you"
"Of course I forgive you, it's okay you just tried to
protect me. I wanna be with you always, in every single moment of
my life just because I luv you too..."
Draco pulled her close to him, leaned forward and kissed her in a
gentle and loving way that they both deserved. A kiss that would
give them the courage to fight the dark days yet to come.
