Hello everyone. Happy Easter! Normally, I would have done a special one-shot but, I haven't because I haven't really got the time. But, it is my final chapter of "Of Shakespeare And Beyond" and I won't do that weird preview thing I normally do at the end of long stories. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

And, as always, will probably own nothing what JK has created.

Chapter 38: The Show Must Go On
(sorry about the lot of babble about Magic Holidays)

June had came quickly, and the students and teachers were preparing to break up for the Summer, but, most importantly, they were busy planning the final play, which really benefited to the 5th year's OWL grades and the 7th year's NEWT grades for Muggle Literature class.

"I'm going to really miss you, you know." Draco said to Hermione as they walked hand in hand down the corridor to the Great Hall to help set up.

"Draco, school isn't even finished yet. We have a month left." The brunette simply replied, leading him over to the props.

"I know, but I have to leave early. I'm going on an extended holiday in Italy this year, for a bit." He said smoothly, picking up a pillar.

"Italy. That's...an interesting choice." Hermione mused, picking up another pillar with ease. After all, they were made of papier-mâché and were charmed to hold no weight, which was an added bonus.

"Why is it?" The blonde asked jokingly, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Well, I never thought so a dark Pureblood family like the Malfoy's would go abroad to relax. I thought you all stay cooped up in your manor when your father isn't working, you at school and your mother doing...er...whatever she does." Hermione explained, blushing slightly.

"We Pureblood's like going abroad as much as the other blood types, you know." The young Malfoy explained, "Plus, a lot of rich Wizarding families - mostly Purebloods but, other types too -go to Italy. There's a private resort on the Etna Mountain."

His knowledgeable girlfriend gave him a suspicious look. "The Etna Mountain? There are no villas, hotels, nothing on them. It's used for hiking."

"As I said, 'Mione. Private. We use magic to conceal them from Muggles. It's very peaceful. Infact, there's resorts like this everywhere around the world. You just have to be in the right social circle to know where and how to get there."

"So, would Apparation work?" She asked, deciding discussing holidays would be a good time-waster whilst setting up the play.

"No. There's a shield around it, similar to the one around the school. Even if there wasn't, you'd need a very specific location to get there."

"Floo network?"

"Sometimes. Depending which ones. Remember, most places are quite warm and do not require a fire place. Italy doesn't have a fireplace, especially in the Private Resort. Switzerland does."

"So, Port Key?" She asked, thinking flying there would also be ridiculous.

"Yes. Port Key. You could fly there, if you find the right place and perform the right incarnation to make it visible to you and your family, if you have one with you."

Magic holidays, well, the ones which included rich familes like the Malfoy's, seemed quite fun.

"Anyway, why Italy?" She asked, helping a couple of 4th years set up the backdrop for the first couple of scenes.

"Multiple reasons. I haven't been there since I was 2. Mother wants to go abroad because we haven't for the last three years, and the only "holiday" we had was the Quidditch World Cup. Plus, it's one of the few places my father can actually be accepted and he has some work over there." The blonde shrugged it off like it was nothing, "But, I'm more interested in Muggle holidays."

"I'm not going anywhere abroad this year." Hermione told him and explained airplanes and public hotels eceterato to hin until it was break time.

"So, when do you leave?" The Muggle-born asked, as they sat on the wall on the court-yard.

"Tonight. After the performance." He told her, his smooth, pale fingers playing with her curls, slowly getting frizzier.

"But, what about the rest of your OWLs?" She panicked, her brown eyes going wide with worry.

He gave a deep chuckle, "Honestly? Don't worry about that, Mother has got it sorted. I'm getting a private examiner, and I'll do them on holiday."

Theodore Nott, who didn't really associate with anyone outside his own house - and even then, didn't talk to Slytherins that much - braved a rare chance in the sunlight and went directly up to the couple.

"Draco, my father just contacted me. Are you packed for Italy?" He asked, barely glancing at his friend's girlfriend.

"Nearly. Why?" The blonde asked the dark haired boy, his grey eyes squinting in the sunlight.

"The elves are coming in about an hour to collect our things, he needs you fully ready. Narcissa and Lucius are unable to attend tonight, so you'll be coming with my father and I."

"Ok Theo." Draco said as a nod for his friend to leave but, Hermione decided to speak up.

"Oh, you're going to Italy with Draco? That'd be nice."

"Only for the pretty girls," Theo joked, "I heard a nice rumour from Arturo that some Beauxbatons girls will be there this year."

"That's nice. Make my girlfriend paranoid whilst you're at it." Draco jokingly snapped at his friend.

"Aww, Granger knows they're all for me. They'll take one look at you and run." Theo smiled, his dark hair in his eyes.

"Who knew you were so jokey, Theo. I think you may have some weird case of Multpile Personality Disorder." The other Slytherin said.

"Come on then, let's get your stuff packed."

"Alright." And he kissed Hermione on the cheek, "I'll see you later." And with that, walked back to the Slytherin Common Room with Theodore.

"I'm guessing you haven't told her your plans for the future then." The dark haired boy conjected back in their dorm room.

"Correct." The blonde deadpanned.

"Why the long face, Dray? You know we have to talk about this sooner or later and deal with the consequen -," but Theodore was cut off by an angry ball of fury.

"I don't want to talk about it. I don't want this future for me. I don't want to turn into my family! Can't you understand this, Theodore? Before I even liked Hermione, I didn't want to serve the devil! I'm in lovewith this girl and, it'd be putting her into all sorts of danger if I was one. I DON'T WANT IT. I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE REAL. I HATE MY FAMILY FOR TAKING MY DECISIONS AWAY, I HATE YOURS FOR DOING THE SAME TO YOU AND I HATE MYSELF BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN MAN UP AND TELL MY PARENTS THIS!" And, with that, he stormed out the dorm room, angrily punching a wall on his way out, leaving Theodore there in the silence, his ears ringing with echos of Draco's speech.

"Hermione, who are these people?" Ron asked, pointing to the names on the title page of the booklet.

"Ron, don't tell me you are asking me on opening night who Antony and Cleopatra are." The curly-haired 16 year old fretted,finishing sewing the finishing touches of the costumes.

"S-s-sorry." He stuttered, "I-I-I'll ask Harry." And with that, the red-head ran off.

"I'm guessing it's a good thing only a few of the 5th and 6th years are extras. Everyone is freaking out backstage." Ginny joked.

"I know. Thank Merlin I'm not up there. Draco is supposed to be though but he hasn't shown up yet." Hermione searched around, scanning through the groups of people for her boyfriend.

"He'll turn up. Knowing Malfoy it'll be a dramtic entrance. If he's not here before the start of the play, just get the 6th year understudy. Who's his character, anyway?" The youngest Weasley asked, flicking through the pages.

"Scarus." She replied, "It's nice it's not a main character but, he only agreed to do it as it could get him a high OWL grade."

"He'll turn up. I have to go and help with the lighting. Good luck." Ginny told her, running off to a bunch of the more oblivious 4th years.

Theodore Nott was 10 minutes late, quickly shoving into his toga and character as Eros, running onto stage with the rest of "Antony's" posse but, Draco was still missing.

"Theo, where is he?" Hermione hissed urgently to him as he waited on the steps until it was his cue to go onstage.

"I honestly don't know. We had an argument and he stormed off hours ago. I doubt he'll be coming anytime soon." And, with that as the only information, the understudy finally got used.

After the first act, Lucius Malfoy's son was still a no-show.

The second act started, and he hadn't turned up, worrying Hermione greatly - not just for his grades, but his health and saftey. She tried multiple times to look for him but was stopped by one disaster or a request or demand.

The show finally finished, and everyone had to help cease the panic backstage, with proud parents barging through, examiners talking loudly to the students, people flinging props and costumes anywhere and everywhere.

"I'll go look for him." Hermione announced loudly for the (hopefully) final time.

"Hermione, I'll go. You can help out everything backstage." Professor Kingsley, busy fussing around the main actors all day to be seen by any other student properly, ordered.

"No need to look for anyone." A voice said. It was Draco but his knuckles seemed badly grazed, with bits of blood dripping onto the floor.

"Where have you been? What happened? Do you realise how worried you made everyone?" Hermione snapped at him, but, despite her anger, gently looked at his sore hands.

"It doesn't matter, I'll explain the unimportant stuff later. Hermione, I have to tell you something -," His grey eyes were very serious looking at the bright witch knew something terribly wrong had happened.

Before he could utter another word, Theodore - in holiday clothes - appeared with a tall dark haired, brooding man beside him. His father. Sporting a thick and heavy look black cloak and what seemd like very dark dress robes, Mr. Nott didn't seem like he was about to travel to Italy for a holiday.

"Mr Malfoy, pleasure to see you again. The portkey leaves in fifteen minutes, we should be getting going." The older man drawled, making everyone feel uncomfortable.

"Uh, Father, perhaps we should give Draco a minute and meet him at the portkey?" Theodore spoke up.

"As you wish, Theodore." Mr Nott said in the same drawly voice, "We'll be in the Entrance Hall, Mr Malfoy. Don't take long, your parents wouldn't like it if you weren't in Italy."

"Yes sir." Draco sounded intimated and slightly high pitched than usual, and cleared his throat to speak to Hermione so it did'n't spund like his throat was just rubbed down by sandpaper.

The Nott men left, leaving the couple alone again. "Draco, what were you going to say?" Hermione asked. He dragged her into a corner, and whispered to her;

"From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,

But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory;
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,

Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
Thout that are now the world's fresh ornament
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content
And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding.

Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee."

And leaned in to kiss her, gently grabbing her hair, running his fingers through it delicately, as she wrapped her small arms around his strong neck, standing on her tiptoes to be more comfortable.

Their mouths fit each other perfectly, like they were made for each other, and their tongues explored new areas of the mouth they weren't quite comfortable with before.

They were in complete bliss, until Blaise rudely shoved Draco, and telling him 10 minutes had already gone.

"I love you Hermione. I really do." He whispered to her.

"I love you too. That sonnet was beautiful." She mumbled back.

"I love the sonnet because I can use Shakespeare to express how I feel clearly. But it's greater than me expressing my feelings because of Shakespeare, and it goes beyond that. Much more further."

"Go get your portkey before you turn into a sappy moron." The witch playfully smacked him on the shoulder as indication to go.

"I love you." He repeated as he walked back.

"I love you too." She called, just before he walked through the doors to the Entrance Hall.

She gave a small smile, reassuring herself that her and Draco's relationship could survive a Summer apart, that they were meant to be. And, with that, went up to the girls to bed.

Sequel to it will be up much later.

Whilst editing, I noticed something in Draco's dialogue that I didn't notice before so I highlited it.

Hope you enjoyed reading it almost as much as I enjoyed writing

- Soapie x