What Is A Song Without A Melody, and What Is A Melody Without Harmony? Chapter 15: Set up, Sunset, & a Song, a harry potter fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Harry Potter franchise, nor anything else affiliated with it. I also do not own any songs used in this fic, all rights to those songs belong to the artists, go support their work on Youtube, Spotify, or other music platforms.

Draco's POV

When the prefects arrive, we review their tasks with them and perform the extension charm together. Then we give them the bags of napkins, plates, cutlery, glasses, centerpieces, tablecloths, and the floorplan. Hermione and I get to work on hanging the fabric drapes on the wall in place of the house banners. We stick them on with sticking charms, and fold the banners neatly and put it in a crate.

Then we get to work setting up the stage with all the decorations, and make sure to leave enough space for them to play. We also charm a small glass ball to change different colours and attach it to the ceiling for later. Once we are done with our jobs, we help set the tables and make sure everything is in order.

We all finish after about 2 hours and we make sure that we collect all the bags ready to pack up everything tonight once the ball ends. After this we dismiss the prefects at about 2:30 with plenty of time to get ready for the 7pm ball. Hermione and I walk back up to our rooms to relax for a bit, with the plan to later shower and then get changed.

We both relax on the couch, her with a very large book, and me with my journal and sudoku puzzle book. I haven't updated my journal in a while so I take some time to do that.

October 31st, 2017

It's been awhile since I've written about my days in here but I've finally managed to catch a break. It's the day of the Halloween ball. Hermione and I have been planning it for the last few weeks as Heads. She chose a wonderful colour scheme, and I think we've done a good job on the hall. It's been nice these past few weeks. I've spent a lot of time with Granger and learning about the muggle world. I haven't spent a lot of time on our essay, but hopefully I'll be able to work on that a bit more after today.

Over the past while, since we made Amortentia in class, I've realized that I really like Granger. I gave her the necklace I bought her today and she really liked it. She's seems more beautiful every day, from her hair to her eyes. It feels so weird to hide all these feelings inside me. It's almost like when I used to hide my emotions and thoughts from Voldemort. She's so kind to me and I feel like I don't deserve it, but I also wish I could love her freely. Being her friend is great, but I wish I could tell her that I love her.

I better stop writing this, as I must look really weird looking at my journal in such a sad way, before Hermione notices. I do not want to have to explain this to her and I don't really have any good excuses handy. Great, now I'm smirking. Anyway, till next time my paper friend.

I put my journal down and focus on a couple Sudoku puzzles instead now. I find that they are very calming and help clear my mind. When I've completed about 6 of them, I turn to look at my watch. The time reads 4:30, so I decide to use the bathroom and take a shower before Hermione does. I take a quick shower and then make sure I have everything ready to change into later, before putting on a set of casual clothes for now. I pull out my guitar and practise for a little bit. I look up the chords for Everything Has Changed, Hermione's favourite song, and play it after casting a muffliato.

After going through it a couple times, I decide to work a little bit on some small muggle studies assignments before getting changed into my suit.

Once I'm dressed, I make my way downstairs to the common room and sit on the window seat in the common room. I'm looking at the sunset and I watch it go all the way down past the mountains, as it casts a fiery colour on the lake. It's a wonderful view, and while I watch it, time passes in a slow, yet fluid way. When I finally snap out of my reverie, it's almost 6:45. I go to my room and straighten out my suit, making sure my shirt is tucked in and my tie is center. I then make sure I have everything I might need, placed neatly in my pockets. I walk down the stairs and sit waiting for Hermione to come down. I haven't sat down for 5 minutes yet, when she walks down the stairs.

She's wearing a dark blue floor-length dress with a sheer layer on top, and a seemingly smooth and flowy skirt underneath and straps about an inch thick. Her hair has been loosely tied in a bun like at the Yule ball in fourth year. Her makeup is fairly simple with some light lip gloss, and a dusting of silver eyeshadow. It's funny, being a Malfoy I've grown up with all of this, the makeup and fashion, around me so I know as much about it as most girls my age. Of course, to top it all off, the necklace I gave her is the perfect colour to go with her dress. I actually took a slight peek at it when she bought the dress as I offered to carry it, so I got a glimpse of the colour and chose the necklace with that in mind. I'm happy to know I was right. She looks absolutely stunning, and I get up to walk over to her.

"Do I look okay?" she asks me a little nervous.

"Okay? You're breathtaking right now." I say before adding "Not bad for a muggleborn." as a small joke. She smiles a bit at this and I smile back. She can tell I mean it in a nice way, unlike how I used to call her mudblood.

"And you look simply dashing Draco." She says in an imitation of a posh accent. "Come on, we better hurry otherwise we'll be late for the ball we organized."

"To be fair, I was waiting on you." I say.

"That's true, but you were the one who spent a good few minutes just staring at me when I came down."

"Wait really?" I knew I was staring, but I didn't think it was that long. Great, now she's going to think I'm really creepy.

"No silly, I would have yelled at you if you had." She replies with a bit of a smirk. I just glare back in response.

With that we walk down to the Great hall and step in. The candles have been dimmed, and the whole place looks wonderful. We find an empty table to sit at and wait for everyone else to arrive. Eventually Ginny, Blaise, Neville, Luna, the Patil twins, Hermione, and I are sitting together, and McGonagall stands to make the announcement that the ball has started.

"Excuse me students, when I'm done with my short speech here, we will be getting food based on table number. There should be a number on the centerpiece to indicate it. When it's you table's turn to go, it will glow with a golden hue. Now moving on, I would like to thank Mr. Malfoy, and Ms. Granger for organizing this ball setting it up for you guys, as well as the prefects for helping to set up also." Everyone gave a round of applause, and there were a few shouts of 'thank you'. "Secondly, I would like to thank the Weird Sisters for coming. Third, in between the two Weird Sisters performances, we will be doing a karaoke session. Each student that participates will earn 20 points for their house, so I advise you to try it. That's about it, oh! A reminder that tomorrow classes will start an hour later, and each period will therefore be 15 minutes shorter. That is all I have to say, so let the ball begin!"

The Weird Sisters begin to play some quieter songs while the tables are being sent up to get food and drinks. Our table is called up 5th, and soon after we finish eating we are dancing in the middle of the room. We just do a lot of silly dancing, and on the slower songs, do a little bit of 'waltz' style dance. Soon enough the Weird Sisters stop playing, signaling that the karaoke session is starting. No one seems to want to go first and it gets a little awkward. I turn to Hermione and ask her what to do.

"Hermione, no one's going up, what should we do?"

"I don't know, I just assumed someone would take the initiative and go first."

"Well, we could start together. That way we'll start it off, and people will feel less weird about it. It's getting a little quiet right now."

"Great idea Draco, but what song should we do?"

"I was thinking Everything has Changed? You know, you're favourite song? I even brought a guitar with me, so we don't need to play the song track."

"Wow, I didn't know you played guitar." She seems a little surprised at first but continues. "Okay, yes, let's go do it."

We then walk up to the stage, and each take a mic. I sling the guitar on my shoulder after unshrinking it and with a look at her, I begin playing.

All I knew this morning when I woke
Is I know something now, know something now I didn't before
And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles
And your smile in the back of my mind making me feel like

I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you

She starts to sing a little nervously at first, but very soon she's really getting into it. She smiles and starts to close her eyes as she sings it.

'Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is you held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

I join in for the harmony in the chorus, and it feels so natural and right. I was worried that I wouldn't remember how to sing it or that I'd be out of tune and hit the wrong notes, but that doesn't seem to be a problem. I'm just going on instinct right now.

And all my walls stood tall painted blue
But I'll take 'em down, take 'em down and open up the door for you
And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies the beautiful kind
Making up for lost time, taking flight, making me feel like

I feel like I know the song so well, since I've heard it so many times, but this is kind of different. There's a different meaning behind it now. I can actually feel it, I've applied my own story to it now.

Come back and tell me why
I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time
And meet me there tonight
And let me know that it's not all in my mind

We sing together and smile at each other as we do so. I soon forget that we're in front of a crowd, and that we're at a ball.

I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you

All I know is we said hello
Your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is he held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

I look at her for what must be the millionth time tonight, and think again about how beautiful she is right now. How I'm so lucky to have her as a friend, how I'm so lucky we were partnered for so many things together. That I was able to get to know her.

All I know is we said hello
So dust off your highest hopes
All I know is pouring rain
And everything has changed
All I know is a new found grace
All my days, I'll know your face
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

The song ends and we're pulled back into the real world as the whole room erupts in cheers. I look at her and she looks at me, and before we even realize it, we pull each other into a kiss, holding each other so tight. The rooms cheers even louder, but it seems even fainter to me. I'm just lost in emotion for this girl in front of me. We pull away and bow before running off the stage together, hands clasped in each other's firm and slightly shaky grip.

Author's Note: I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday. I forgot to study for a major science test, and spent all my time on that. However, this is the longest chapter so far, and probably the longest I will post. I'm not great at kissing scenes, so I didn't dwell on it too much. Again, thanks for reading, please review. I hope you all enjoy, and I hope you all have great week. Till next time!