Author's Note: I know that the last chapter was short but I promise I had my reasons. This one is longer and you get to find out what songs they sing. Enjoy!
They spoke to Dumbledore who assured Jennifer that she and Chudley would be moved out of Ron's quarters that night and owled to have divorce papers drawn up. He also told her that he should have Ron out of the school by the end of the week. On the way back to the Heads Quarters to pick up the baby Jennifer spoke up.
"I want to thank you for helping me Hermione. You're a good person; most people would have turned me away."
"I could have turned you away, but nobody deserves to be treated this way."
Jennifer shook her head. "No, but that doesn't justify what Ron and I did."
Hermione sighed. "Maybe he just loved you more than me."
"He never loved me Hermione, I was just the first girl who would go to bed with him when you wouldn't. Then I got pregnant and royally screwed up his plans. The only reason he married me was because it was the 'right' thing to do, and because he was afraid his mother would cut off certain parts of his anatomy if he didn't. No, he never loved me, I was just convenient."
"I'm sorry Jennifer, I misjudged you. I'm not saying I'm happy about what happened with you and Ron, but I will admit that I was wrong about you."
"Thank you. I want to let you know that I figured out what happened between you and Draco Malfoy from Ron's ranting. I hope the two of you can work everything out."
Hermione smiled weakly. "I do to."
Jennifer had come to Hermione only days before the talent showcase. The day to perform was fast approaching and Hermione spent as much time as she could practicing the chosen songs and she was generally distracted whenever she wasn't singing. The day before the show she and Harry were headed to class and Hermione was running through her second song in her head when she ran right into Lekeliene.
"Watch it," the Slytherin growled.
Hermione stopped and turned. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"Just leave it alone Lekei," Liam said.
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "No Liam, let her go. If you have something to say then say it."
Lekeliene took a step forward. "Fine, I think that everything you said was a lie. I'm pretty damn sure that you never loved Draco and that everything you did was just a ploy to try and get Weasley back. I think you used him.
Temper flared in Hermione's eyes. Draco recognized it as the same temper she'd aimed at Draco so many years before and he lunged for her, but he came up short. He could only watch as his best friend slapped the other girl hard across the face. "I won't tell you again what I feel for Draco, it wouldn't do me any good. But I won't listen to you speak to me this way; I won't let you accuse me of something like that."
Lekeliene's hand shot out and she had slapped Hermione back before either she or Harry could do anything. "Don't you ever lay a hand on me again," she said in a low, dangerous voice. She moved to strike again but Harry stepped in front of his friend.
"You two, get her the hell out of here before I have to break my rule about hitting women." Blaise and Liam each grabbed one of her arms and they pulled her off before anything else could happen.
When they were gone Hermione let out a frustrated yell. "I can't believe her!"
"I can't either, but do you realize how lucky you are? If anyone had been in this hallway for that little show you'd be completely screwed."
"I know, I know. I just can't believe she could think that."
"I know, but don't think about it. Focus on tomorrow."
That night when Draco returned to his room he found a note and a garment bag on his bed. He picked up the note first and read.
Draco, I know we haven't talked about this much, or about anything for that matter. But I figured we should at least have nice costumes for the ball so I took care of it. Hermione
He smiled and opened the bag. Inside he found a costume to transform him into the Phantom of the Opera, complete with mask and, he laughed when he realized, cape. In her room Hermione was trying on her dress that would turn her into Christine Daae. As she pulled it off and hung it up she hoped against hope that she and Draco would be attending the ball as a couple and not colleagues.
The day of the showcase was long and nerve-wracking. Dumbledore had canceled classed for the day, so all they could do was wait and wonder if what they had planned would make things better. By the time she had to go down to the Great Hall Hermione thought she might throw up. She was only thankful that she didn't have to go first. Surprisingly the first act was a classically trained Slytherin violinist. When she was done, however, it was Hermione's turned.
She had debated for hours about how much of her other self to show to the school. Throwing caution to the wind she had decided to go all out. Her straightened pink tipped hair was back along with all of her earrings. She walked out on stage in a fitted Sex Pistols t-shirt and jeans that rode low enough to show the tip of one of her cherub's wings and a collective gasp rose from the audience. This was not the Hermione they knew.
As she stepped up to the microphone she shot out a wicked grin. "This song goes out to Ronald Weasley."
In the wings of the magnificent stage Dumbledore had created Draco's jaw dropped along with his heart. Then Hermione began to sing.
I
see the picture clear now
And the fog has lifted
The wool you
tried to pull over my eyes was clever
Yeah, your gifted
But you
forgot to dot some I's and cross some T's along the way
Im better
now despite you baby
I'm stronger these days, stronger
I
survived the crash, survived the burn
Survived the worst, yeah
baby but I learned
Survived the lies, survived the blues
Almost
killed me but I survived the truth
And when you wrote me off like
I was doomed
I survived you
I can look in the mirror
now
It's been a slow awakening
Haunted by a heart full of you
I
couldn't help mistaking
That you could ever care for anyone
Anyone
but yourself, hey-yeah
But you would have to have a conscience
baby
Good luck, I wish you well
I survived the crash, I
survived the burn
Survived the worst, yeah baby but I
learned
Survived the lies, survived the blues
Almost killed me
but I survived the truth
And when you wrote me off like I was
doomed
I survived you
This hearts been torn in two
Cut
and bruised from too many bitter endings
I'll be damned if I have
thoughts of you
Rain on my new beginning...
I
survived the crash, survived the burn
Survived the worst, yeah
baby but I learned
Survived the lies, survived the blues
Almost
killed me but I survived the truth
And when you wrote me off like
I was doomed
I survived you
At the end of the song she took a bow to amazed faces and thunderous applause. Draco breathed a sigh of relief and grinned as he clapped along with his peers. He looked out on the audience to see Ron stalking off angrily and everyone still cheering. When she finally stepped off stage she went into the audience with Harry and Ginny. Draco had a few acts to sit through; a pianist, a dancer, and an incredibly bad comic.
When Draco walked on stage the audience was shocked yet again. He carried his guitar and wore jeans, converse, and a hoodie. He didn't say a word, just sat down and began to play. Then he sang.
Hey
dad look at me
Think back and talk to me
Did I grow up
according to plan?
And do you think I'm wasting my time doing
things I wanna do?
But it hurts when you disapprove all along
And
now I try hard to make it
I just want to make you proud
I'm
never gonna be good enough for you
I can't pretend that
I'm
alright
And you can't change me
'Cuz we lost it all
Nothing
lasts forever
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
Now it's just too
late and
We can't go back
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
I
try not to think
About the pain I feel inside
Did you know you
used to be my hero?
All the days you spent with me
Now seem so
far away
And it feels like you don't care anymore
And now I
try hard to make it
I just want to make you proud
I'm never
gonna be good enough for you
I can't stand another fight
And
nothing's alright
'Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts
forever
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
and
We can't go back
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
Nothing's
gonna change the things that you said
Nothing's gonna make this
right again
Please don't turn your back
I can't believe it's
hard
Just to talk to you
But you don't understand
'Cuz
we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry
I can't be
perfect
Now it's just too late and
We can't go back
I'm
sorry
I can't be perfect
'Cuz we lost it all
Nothing
lasts forever
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
Now it's just too
late and
We can't go back
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
There was absolute silence a moment after he finished, but there was barely a dry eye in the house. Gradually applause and cheers began to filter in until the noise was almost too much to take.
"He's… he's…" Ginny whispered as she wiped her eyes.
There were tears streaming down Hermione's cheeks as Draco walked off stage. "I know." As the other acts kept coming Hermione became more and more nervous. What she was about to do was big, huge even. With a deep breath she stepped on stage and sought out Draco.
"This song is for someone I hurt, you know who you are."
Draco's eyes widened and he paid close attention as Hermione began to sing.
Let's
go back
Back to the beginning
Back to when the earth, the sun,
the stars all aligned
'Cause perfect didn't feel so
perfect
Trying to fit a square into a circle
Was no lie
I
defy
Let the rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash
away
My sanity
'cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna
scream
Let the rain fall down
I'm coming clean, I'm coming
clean
I'm shedding
Shedding every color
Trying to find a
pigment of truth
Beneath my skin
'cause different
Doesn't
feel so different
And going out is better
Then always staying
in
Feel the wind
Let the rain fall down
And wake my
dreams
Let it wash away
My sanity
'cause I wanna feel the
thunder
I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down
I'm coming
clean, I'm coming clean I'm coming clean
Let
the rain fall
Let the rain fall
I'm coming clean
Let the
rain fall down
And wake my dreams
Let it wash away
My
sanity
'cause I wanna feel the thunder
I wanna scream
Let
the rain fall down
I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean
Let's
go back
Back to the beginning
Her gaze had unintentionally shifted back to Draco as she sang the last line. He clapped along with the others, but she couldn't read what was in his eyes. When she went back to stand with her friends they immediately let her know how amazing she'd done.
"You were fantastic Hermione," Harry told her. "There's no way he won't forgive you now."
"I hope so," she replied nervously.
Meanwhile a few of the Gryffindors had noticed the interaction between Hermione and Draco and were waiting with bated breath to see what would happen next. Draco stepped up onto the stage and everyone watched curiously as he stepped up to the piano and took a seat. His eyes met Hermione's briefly as he began to play, then they drifted shut.
Seems
like our love is on the road to nowhere fast
All my life I thought
a love like this would last
But every road can hide a corner we
can't see
I had a vision that I woke up by your side
I felt you
breathing and our souls were intertwined
But who controls love's
destiny -- not me
We
had it all
Right in our hands
We had the space to fly and still
the place to land
So
I'm calling out
I'm calling out you're the only one
Who can
save us from what we've done
Don't leave me hanging on
I'm
reaching out and praying you'll come back again
It's just darkness
I'm living in
And you're the only place my heart has ever been
Maybe
I'm young and in the ways of love, naive
Maybe I'm desperate for a
reason to believe
There wasn't anyway I thought that we would
fall
I've seen perfection in a rainbow in the sky
I've seen a
child make the coldest grown man cry
But loving you I thought was
greater than them all
We had it all
Just you and me
And now
there is a doorway to my heart without a key
So
I'm calling out
I'm calling out to the only one
Who can save us
from what we've done
Don't leave me hanging on
I'm reaching out
and praying you'll come back again
It's just darkness I'm living
in
And you're the only place my heart has ever been
Wherever
you are right now
Come back and show me how you feel
Because
I'm lost without you here
Calling
out
I'm calling out to the only one
Who can save us from what
we've done
Don't leave me hanging on
I'm reaching out and
praying you'll come back again
It's just darkness I'm living
in
And you're the only place my heart has ever been
"You didn't tell me he plays the piano," Ginny whispered as Draco left the stage.
She shook her head. "I didn't know."
"He's so bloody talented, I think I hate him again," Harry muttered.
Ginny smacked him upside the head and Hermione took a deep breath. "I'm going to go get ready for the last song. She waited with a horrible feeling of nervous anticipation heavy in her stomach. She at last heard Dumbledore announce her final song and stepped out on stage. The music began, she stepped up to the microphone and launched into her message.
Today
we took a walk up the street,
We picked a flower and climbed a
hill above the lake
Secret thoughts, you said aloud,
We watched
the faces in the clouds
Until the clouds have blown away
Were
we ever somewhere else u know
It's hard to say
I never saw
a blue like that before
Across the sky, around the world
You're
giving me all you have and more
No one else has ever shown me
how
To see the world the way I see it now, oh I
I never saw a
blue like that
I can't believe
A month ago I was alone
I
didn't know u, I've never seen you, or heard your name
And even
now, I'm so amazed it's like a dream
It's like a rainbow, it's
like the rain
Some things are the way they are and words just
can't explain
I never saw a blue like that before
Across
the sky, around the world
You're giving me all you have and
more
No one else has ever shown me how
To see the world the way
I see it now, oh I
I never saw blue like that before
It
feels like now, it feels always,
And it feels like coming home
I
never saw blue like that before
Across the sky, around the
world
You're giving me all you have and more
No one else has
ever shown me how
To see the world the way I see it now, oh I
I
never saw blue like that before
Oh, oh I, I never saw blue like that
The applause was deafening as she ran off stage. When she made it to the wings she fell to her knees and dropped her head. She breathed deeply and prayed that the message had gotten through. She heard Dumbledore's announcement for the last song. As Draco thanked everyone for coming out and performing and supporting she ran out to the audience to watch. As he began to play Draco caught her eye and held her gaze.
Thank
you for this moment
I've gotta say how beautiful you are
Of all
the hopes and dreams I could have prayed for
Here you are
If
I could have one dance forever
I would take you by the
hand
Tonight it's you and I together
I'm so glad I'm your man
And
if I lived a thousand years
You know I never could explain
The
way I lost my heart to you
That day
But
if destiny decided I should look the other way
Then the world
would never know
The greatest story ever told
And did I tell
you that I love you
Tonight
I don't hear the music
When I'm
looking in your eyes
But I feel the rhythm of your body
Close
to mine
It's
the way we touch, it soothes me
It's the way we'll always be
Your
kiss your pretty smile
You know i'd die for
Oh baby
You're
all i need
And
if I lived a thousand years
You know I never could explain
The
way I lost my heart to you
That day
But
if destiny decided I should look the other way
Then the world
would never know
The greatest story ever told
And did I tell
you that I love you
Just how much i really need you
Did
I tell you that I love you
Tonight
Tonight
And
if I lived a thousand years
You know I never could explain
The
way I lost my heart to you
That day
But
if destiny decided I should look the other way
Then the world
would never know
The greatest story ever told
And did I tell
you that I love you
Just how much I really need you
Did I tell you that I love you tonight
Draco didn't hear the applause or see the students rushing the stage. All he could see was Hermione and the tears rolling down her cheeks. He hurried off stage.
"I've got to find him," Hermione cried. She ran backstage and searched the wings, but there was no sign of him. She hurried back into the throng of students and finally caught sight of him. He was searching the crowd for her, and he finally turned and caught her eyes. With a contented sigh she started to run. The entire school watched in amazement as Hermione Granger ran to Draco Malfoy. She practically launched herself and he caught her in his arms as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"I'm so sorry," she said quietly. "I was an idiot, I should have done more to deter Ron."
"I'm the one who should apologize for being such a bastard."
She laughed. "Okay, so we're both sorry. Where does that leave us?"
He bent and kissed her soundly. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too." She smiled and kissed him again.
"You stole my idea," he whispered against her lips.
"How do you know you didn't steal mine?"
He grinned. "I don't." He lowered his lips to hers and the world receded. In that moment she and Draco were the only two people on the planet. She was lost in the sensation of his hands against her back and his lips against hers. Then someone cleared their throat and they were torn from their reverie to realize that everyone was staring at them.
Hermione dropped to the floor and took a step back. "Maybe we should continue this later, or at least somewhere more private."
"I don't care if we've got an audience. I need to say this and I don't care who hears. I love you Hermione, and I'm never letting you out of my sight again."
She could only stand there stunned. "Say it again," she whispered.
He gave her a real and touching smile. "I love you."
Hermione let out a cry of joy, jumped into his arms again and proceeded to snog him senseless. "I love you too, you have no idea how much I've wanted to tell you."
"I think I may have a vague idea." He bent to kiss her long and hard until the applause began. They slowly pulled apart and she slid to the floor with a sheepish smile.
"Hi guys."
And there you have the Talent Show! I hope you enjoyed. The songs used were "I Survived You" by Clay Aiken, "Perfect" by Simple Plan, "Come Clean" by Hillary Duff, "You're The Only Place" by Josh Groban, "Never Saw Blue" by Hayley Westenra, and "The Greatest Story Ever Told" by Oliver James from What A Girl Wants