AN: Good morning everyone and happy Thursday. I am very sorry for not updating sooner but I have been reading a lot more and when that happens my writing usually takes a back seat. I'll try to find a better balance so that I'll be able to update all of my stories more. So today is June 16, 2016 and this is the first chapter today. Once again anything you recognize is JK Rowling's and anything you don't is mine.
Tonks POV
"Why am I here?" Ron moaned loudly next to me as I pushed the cart down the aisle. "And why are we in a Muggle hardware store? Why didn't you just ask my dad to come?"
"Because you are the Stage Manager not your father. This is part of your job and I need your help to pick things out." I said grabbing different sized paint brushes and tossed them into the cart.
"But I don't even know what half of these things are." Ron said leaning forward closely to look at a can of paint thinner.
"Well, why don't you look over the list and tell me what we need and I'll put it in the cart." I said passing the parchment to him.
Ron frowned looking it over and he ran a hand through his hair. "Ugh, I didn't even want to be the bloody Stage Manager. Or have any part in this production."
"Well that was your problem," I said hoisting a can of black paint into the cart. "You didn't pick out a job by the deadline. We ended up choosing one for you and Harry."
"Well why isn't Remus here, being the scenery advisor why wouldn't he be involved with this part?" Ron asked as I placed can after can of paint in the cart.
"Because he is at the fabric store." I said putting a bag of rollers into the cart.
"What the hell? Why?" Ron asked bug-eyed.
"We need to have a backdrop." I said simply. He still looked completely nonplussed as I reached around him and tossed a box of drop cloths into the cart.
"Do you plan on having a sheet of painted fabric as the backdrop?" Ron asked looking slightly horrified.
"Yes and no." I said grabbing a couple of five gallon buckets and placed them in the cart. "We need to build a couple of simple rectangular wooden structures and wrap them in the canvas fabric. It shouldn't be too difficult. I found some simple instructions in the internet."
"The what?" Ron asked scratching his head.
"Never mind." I muttered rolling my eyes. "We need to head over to the lumber and tools aisle. We're going to need a lot of things over there. In fact we'll probably need another cart."
Ron sniggered and muttered "tools" and sniggered again. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed loudly. "Why don't you go to the check out and buy those things and don't say anything strange at the check out to the Muggle woman. She's already been watching us like a hawk since you screamed when we came through the automatic doors."
Ron glared at me and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine but we never speak of that again."
Hermione POV
"I still think Christine is an effervescent bubble head, Raul is a cry baby and the Phantom is the only redeeming character of the bunch." Colin said leaning back in his chair.
"Feet on the floor Mr. Creevey!" Professor Burbage trilled. Colin dropped his feet back onto the floor. "Mr. Smith what do you think?"
"I think," Zacharias said from where his head had dropped onto the table twenty minutes before. "That I hope that the characters in the play aren't this idiotic."
"Come on doesn't anyone like any of the characters?" Professor Burbage asked floating back and forth in front of the class.
"I like the Persian," I said tentatively.
"Good! Why? What makes him so interesting?" I frowned thinking back over the character.
"Well, I like that he sees a different side of the Phantom ir Eric, whatever you want to call him. All we see is this evil entity from all the other character's perspectives, he sees the person. Or what is left of him." I said thinking over the character. "There isn't much humanity there, what's left is for Christine, all for her."
"You make it sound like he's in love with her," Hannah said from the back of the classroom.
"He is." I said simply in return. "He might go around it in the wrong way but he love's her. Desperately. Why else would he try to force her to marry him? Christine obviously was terrified of him, why else would she try to commit suicide in place of staying with Eric forever?"
"Would you stay with him? Would anyone in here have stayed with him or if it had been a woman could you have stayed with her gentlemen?" Professor Burbage asked looking around the room.
There was a resounding "no" through the room. Some shouted it, like Colin while others answered disgustedly, like Neville. Professor Burbage was smiling around the room at everyone then she turned to look at me.
I opened my mouth to respond but nothing came out. Could I have stayed with someone like that? So twisted and sinister and, well, evil? He had put people into a chamber to drive them to insanity so they would hang themselves. He drowned people in a river. Could I, or anyone else, be with someone like that. Eric seduced a young, wisp of a girl, who didn't understand what was happening to her.
But I wasn't Christine. I wasn't a pushover and I understood the Phantom and his ways much more than she ever did. But it came down to whether it was wise or even ethical. It took me a moment to clear my thoughts to respond.
"Maybe."
AN: Please Review! It helps so much more than you realize. Reviews help me create a story that everyone loves. And the only way to make sure I know you all like it is with reviews telling me what you think, what you love and hate about it. Also any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated and I would give you credit if I used your idea in the Author's Note. Seriously guys every little bit helps.
