**Author's Note**: Yeah yeah yeah. I know it took us forever to get this
next chapter up. Sue us. (No, wait, don't. Neither one of us could afford a
lawyer.) Well, anyways, as I was saying, it took a long time, but we
actually furthered the plot! Yay! Go us! Yes, surprisingly there will be a
plot to this story. But now, onward!
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
Draco sat up rubbing his head groggily, "oooooh, what the- what happened to me?!" As he looked around to see, rather than his dorm, the Quidditch Pitch, he almost fell over again, "What in bloody hell am I doing on the Quidditch pitch!?"
As Draco was assessing his situation, Snape and Dumbledore came into view, talking earnestly
"No Headmaster, no one knows where he is. According to Crabbe and Goyle he was quoting Shakespeare or some other muggle nonsense all night, but they have no idea why he wasn't in his bed this morning." Snape was saying to Dumbledore
Draco sniggered **Quoting a muggle poet? What kind of moron does that? And in Slytherin! I'll give him hell if I get a hold of him. The fruit.**
As if on cue, Dumbledore spotted Draco and hurried over to him with Snape close behind, "Speak of the devil. Draco! Where have you been?! What are you doing out of the dorms?!" Dumbledore cried.
"And wearing that." Snape added, slight disdain coloring his voice as he gestured to Draco's now rumpled getup of leather and silk/
Draco looked down at himself- in leather pants and a silk shirt, and a cape. He tried desperately for a few moments to fabricate a decent lie, or even remember the truth, but try as he might, he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what he had been doing (and in leather pants, no less!).
"Um, sir, I have no idea what's going on," his voice seemed to work by itself, and he forcibly stopped himself.
Snape raised an eyebrow at him, "Mr. Malfoy, please return to the dungeons immediately. Breakfast is in 15 minutes."
Draco began to saunter away, practically tripping over his cape in the process. Dumbledore stopped him, sending a glance in the direction of the potions master. "You will serve detention this evening in the potions classroom," he said, "I assume that Professor Snape will find you something to do."
Draco gave the headmaster a nod and, still confused, disappeared into the castle.
"You will have something for Mr. Malfoy to do," Dumbledore ordered, "and if I find out otherwise, you will hear of it."
"Sir." Snape acknowledged, turning to follow his student into the castle.
Dumbledore stood there silently until a glint of gold caught his eye. He bent down to pick it up and found a slender bracelet with the inscription G.J.W on its inside.
**********
"I don't know where it is!" Ginny exclaimed, "I had it on last night and now I don't! It could be anywhere!"
Harry frowned, "Was it on when we came back inside after confronting Draco?"
She shrugged, "I don't know!" Ginny let out an exasperated groan, "I do know I had it on before I fell out the window."
"You fell out the window?!" Ron practically screamed.
"Well, yes. How else do you think I ended up in Draco's arms? Certainly not by choice!" Ginny shuddered at the thought of willingly leaping upon Draco.
Ron's face turned red, "We didn't think, at least we had hoped, well," he stammered.
Hermione placed her hand on Ron's arm, "Ron, I think she was just teasing."
Just then, Draco strolled into the Great Hall, having changed back into his standard Hogwarts robes. He took his seat at the Slytheric table, sending a glare towards the Gryffindors.
Seamus Finnegan slid into the seat next to Ginny, "Did you hear about Malfoy?" he asked, continuing on before anyone could answer, "Last night he was seen parading around as William Shakespeare. Quoting him and everything!"
Harry shrugged, "It looks as though he's okay now."
Just as he said it, Draco climbed up onto the Slytherin table and cleared his throat to silence the room, "Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears!"
"Spoke too soon," Ron muttered.
"My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written I would tear the word!" Draco directed this towards Ginny, who turned bright red and slunk back to her seat.
Seamus turned to Harry, trying not to grin as Ginny became redder and redder, "You were saying?"
As he spoke, the dining hall erupted in laughter upon Draco's outrageous declaration.
Ginny had left her seat and was inching towards the door in a desperate attempt to escape Draco's gaze and her fellow students' laughter when Dumbledore stood, raising his hands for silence.
Noticing the Headmaster's displeasure at both Draco's display and their reaction, there was immediate silence from the students (though Draco stood in his spot on the Slytherin table)
"Mr. Malfoy, remove yourself from the table this instant."
Almost meekly, Draco obeyed, a dazed look on his face. Once Draco had clambered down from his impromptu podium, Dumbledore nodded, "Now, Mr. Malfoy, I would like you to come with me."
As their Headmaster exited the Great Hall with Draco in tow, the student body watched in something akin to hushed amazement, a few murmurs and one mocking "ooooooh," that quavered off into silence, the only interruptions.
By that time, Ginny had made it to the far door and was in the process of sneaking out when Dumbledore and Malfoy were about to exit.
"What ho, a rat! A rat!" Draco exclaimed, pointing at Ginny accusingly. She turned red and sulked out of the shadows.
"Ms. Weasley, please join us."
Ginny made a face, "Headmaster, please, this- it has nothing to do with me!" she pleaded, looking at Ron and Harry helplessly.
Ron stood, "Yes, please sir. The sooner Malfoy's away from my sister, the better."
"And why do you say that?" Dumbledore queried, turning back towards the hall upon hearing Ron's plea.
"Well," Ron fumbled, "he's been harassing her and, well, saying strange things to her."
"All the more reason we should need her help," Dumbledore replied resolutely, nodding to Ginny, "Come with me Ms. Weasley."
Dumbledore lead the two students to his office and, after reciting the password (taffy), the three of them entered and Dumbledore indicated towards two high-backed chairs facing his desk. As soon as they had seated themselves he turned his attention to Draco, "Now, Mr. Malfoy, I want you to explain what exactly you have been doing standing on tables, out of your dorm at all hours, out of uniform, and harassing Ms. Weasley."
Draco turned his nose up at the Headmaster's requst, "I answer you? What should I answer you?"
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "Curious."
Ginny laughed incredulously, "Curious?! With all due respect, sir, why id this curious? He's insane! He's mad!"
"Very true Ms. Weasley. Very true indeed."
Ginny frowned and looked over at Malfoy. He was sitting, very contented, with his arms crossed. Dumbledore turned to him, "Mr. Malfoy, pray tell me this: What were you doing on the table at breakfast?"
"Did my heart love til now? Forswear it sight, for I ne'er saw true beauty til this night?" he swooned, dropping onto one knee in front of Ginny.
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes as Draco, seemingly oblivious to everything but Ginny, reached for her hand, "I prithee pretty youth, let me be better acquainted with thee."
"Ms. Weasley, have you ever heard of the poet and playwright William Shakespeare?"
"Seamus mentioned him this morning, but what does that have to do with anything?" Draco kissed her hand. She pulled it away, wiping it on her robes.
"I'm afraid Mr. Malfoy is suffering from a very rare case of bardism."
**Author's Note**: Now wasn't that fun?! This time there will be TWO cookies instead of one offered to the reader who can tell us where these quotes came from! (and in the next chapter I will post the list of those of you who get cookies)
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
Draco sat up rubbing his head groggily, "oooooh, what the- what happened to me?!" As he looked around to see, rather than his dorm, the Quidditch Pitch, he almost fell over again, "What in bloody hell am I doing on the Quidditch pitch!?"
As Draco was assessing his situation, Snape and Dumbledore came into view, talking earnestly
"No Headmaster, no one knows where he is. According to Crabbe and Goyle he was quoting Shakespeare or some other muggle nonsense all night, but they have no idea why he wasn't in his bed this morning." Snape was saying to Dumbledore
Draco sniggered **Quoting a muggle poet? What kind of moron does that? And in Slytherin! I'll give him hell if I get a hold of him. The fruit.**
As if on cue, Dumbledore spotted Draco and hurried over to him with Snape close behind, "Speak of the devil. Draco! Where have you been?! What are you doing out of the dorms?!" Dumbledore cried.
"And wearing that." Snape added, slight disdain coloring his voice as he gestured to Draco's now rumpled getup of leather and silk/
Draco looked down at himself- in leather pants and a silk shirt, and a cape. He tried desperately for a few moments to fabricate a decent lie, or even remember the truth, but try as he might, he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what he had been doing (and in leather pants, no less!).
"Um, sir, I have no idea what's going on," his voice seemed to work by itself, and he forcibly stopped himself.
Snape raised an eyebrow at him, "Mr. Malfoy, please return to the dungeons immediately. Breakfast is in 15 minutes."
Draco began to saunter away, practically tripping over his cape in the process. Dumbledore stopped him, sending a glance in the direction of the potions master. "You will serve detention this evening in the potions classroom," he said, "I assume that Professor Snape will find you something to do."
Draco gave the headmaster a nod and, still confused, disappeared into the castle.
"You will have something for Mr. Malfoy to do," Dumbledore ordered, "and if I find out otherwise, you will hear of it."
"Sir." Snape acknowledged, turning to follow his student into the castle.
Dumbledore stood there silently until a glint of gold caught his eye. He bent down to pick it up and found a slender bracelet with the inscription G.J.W on its inside.
**********
"I don't know where it is!" Ginny exclaimed, "I had it on last night and now I don't! It could be anywhere!"
Harry frowned, "Was it on when we came back inside after confronting Draco?"
She shrugged, "I don't know!" Ginny let out an exasperated groan, "I do know I had it on before I fell out the window."
"You fell out the window?!" Ron practically screamed.
"Well, yes. How else do you think I ended up in Draco's arms? Certainly not by choice!" Ginny shuddered at the thought of willingly leaping upon Draco.
Ron's face turned red, "We didn't think, at least we had hoped, well," he stammered.
Hermione placed her hand on Ron's arm, "Ron, I think she was just teasing."
Just then, Draco strolled into the Great Hall, having changed back into his standard Hogwarts robes. He took his seat at the Slytheric table, sending a glare towards the Gryffindors.
Seamus Finnegan slid into the seat next to Ginny, "Did you hear about Malfoy?" he asked, continuing on before anyone could answer, "Last night he was seen parading around as William Shakespeare. Quoting him and everything!"
Harry shrugged, "It looks as though he's okay now."
Just as he said it, Draco climbed up onto the Slytherin table and cleared his throat to silence the room, "Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears!"
"Spoke too soon," Ron muttered.
"My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written I would tear the word!" Draco directed this towards Ginny, who turned bright red and slunk back to her seat.
Seamus turned to Harry, trying not to grin as Ginny became redder and redder, "You were saying?"
As he spoke, the dining hall erupted in laughter upon Draco's outrageous declaration.
Ginny had left her seat and was inching towards the door in a desperate attempt to escape Draco's gaze and her fellow students' laughter when Dumbledore stood, raising his hands for silence.
Noticing the Headmaster's displeasure at both Draco's display and their reaction, there was immediate silence from the students (though Draco stood in his spot on the Slytherin table)
"Mr. Malfoy, remove yourself from the table this instant."
Almost meekly, Draco obeyed, a dazed look on his face. Once Draco had clambered down from his impromptu podium, Dumbledore nodded, "Now, Mr. Malfoy, I would like you to come with me."
As their Headmaster exited the Great Hall with Draco in tow, the student body watched in something akin to hushed amazement, a few murmurs and one mocking "ooooooh," that quavered off into silence, the only interruptions.
By that time, Ginny had made it to the far door and was in the process of sneaking out when Dumbledore and Malfoy were about to exit.
"What ho, a rat! A rat!" Draco exclaimed, pointing at Ginny accusingly. She turned red and sulked out of the shadows.
"Ms. Weasley, please join us."
Ginny made a face, "Headmaster, please, this- it has nothing to do with me!" she pleaded, looking at Ron and Harry helplessly.
Ron stood, "Yes, please sir. The sooner Malfoy's away from my sister, the better."
"And why do you say that?" Dumbledore queried, turning back towards the hall upon hearing Ron's plea.
"Well," Ron fumbled, "he's been harassing her and, well, saying strange things to her."
"All the more reason we should need her help," Dumbledore replied resolutely, nodding to Ginny, "Come with me Ms. Weasley."
Dumbledore lead the two students to his office and, after reciting the password (taffy), the three of them entered and Dumbledore indicated towards two high-backed chairs facing his desk. As soon as they had seated themselves he turned his attention to Draco, "Now, Mr. Malfoy, I want you to explain what exactly you have been doing standing on tables, out of your dorm at all hours, out of uniform, and harassing Ms. Weasley."
Draco turned his nose up at the Headmaster's requst, "I answer you? What should I answer you?"
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "Curious."
Ginny laughed incredulously, "Curious?! With all due respect, sir, why id this curious? He's insane! He's mad!"
"Very true Ms. Weasley. Very true indeed."
Ginny frowned and looked over at Malfoy. He was sitting, very contented, with his arms crossed. Dumbledore turned to him, "Mr. Malfoy, pray tell me this: What were you doing on the table at breakfast?"
"Did my heart love til now? Forswear it sight, for I ne'er saw true beauty til this night?" he swooned, dropping onto one knee in front of Ginny.
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes as Draco, seemingly oblivious to everything but Ginny, reached for her hand, "I prithee pretty youth, let me be better acquainted with thee."
"Ms. Weasley, have you ever heard of the poet and playwright William Shakespeare?"
"Seamus mentioned him this morning, but what does that have to do with anything?" Draco kissed her hand. She pulled it away, wiping it on her robes.
"I'm afraid Mr. Malfoy is suffering from a very rare case of bardism."
**Author's Note**: Now wasn't that fun?! This time there will be TWO cookies instead of one offered to the reader who can tell us where these quotes came from! (and in the next chapter I will post the list of those of you who get cookies)
