Disclaimer: All these young wizards belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing with them for a while...
Please R/R (but be nice...)!
Glass Slippers
by Scabbers
Chapter 2- Hermione
I don't mean to brag or anything, but I knew who would play Cinderella long before the parts were posted. I'm a pretty perceptive person, and Professor Geary's expression as she watched Ginny Weasley's audition wasn't hard to read.
Ginny was good, too, and I was happy for her. Very happy for her. And when I saw her name written by "Cinderella" on the cast list, I was so happy for her that my eyes started watering, and I forgot to look for my own name.
I found out my part from Draco Malfoy, who hadn't tried out, but was, of course, lurking by the cast list. "Ugly stepsister, Granger?" he said nastily (and loudly), "No typecasting there, eh?"
"Shove it, Malfoy!" yelled Ron.
"Don't cry," I told myself, biting my lip until I could taste blood, "You knew you wouldn't get it, and you were stupid to even hope-"
"Hey, Hermione," Harry said softly, "Um, congratulations. You got a great part."
"Thanks," I managed. Ron enveloped me in a big, awkward hug. "And why has he been so touchy-feely lately?" I wondered. It was kind of nice, though. Boys can be so nice when they try.
And suddenly, I felt a bit stupid, with all their efforts to cheer me up about something as dumb as a play. "All right, you," I said to Ron, forcing a smile, "Go congratulate your sister."
And it wasn't until I finally read the entire cast list and saw his name under "Ball Guests" that I remembered he had tried out for the play, too.
~
Rehearsals started that afternoon after classes, and the first one was, by all accounts, a disaster. Lavender, who in my opinion should have been satisfied with her role as fairy godmother, was not speaking to Ginny. An irritated Parvati finally told her best friend that if Lavender didn't like her part, she, a "Ball Guest", would gladly take it off her hands.
To top everything off, Prince Justin Finch-Fletchley Charming was loudly announcing that, though he was quite happy with his part, he was not going to be doing any of "that kissy stuff" onstage, thank you very much.
"That git should have read the story before he auditioned," I muttered to Ginny, who looked like she was about to cry.
It wasn't until the first day we practiced the godmother's big scene what the ice was broken, and it started to look like maybe rehearsals would actually be rather fun.
Lavender and Ginny were reading it through, you know, the whole bit with the pumpkin, when suddenly Lavender just stopped.
"I can't do this," she said, shaking with silent laughter. We all stared at her, and I saw Ron's lips twist like he was trying not to smile.
"Keep going," Professor Geary said, but Lavender had already dropped to the floor, giggling helplessly into her script. "I'm sorry," she gasped, "But is this how they think we do transfiguration? By saying...". She shook her head, shoulders shaking, actual tears streaming down her face. "I can't say it."
By this time, we were all giggling like complete fools. "Say it! Say it!" someone started chanting, and we all joined in, even Professor Geary.
"Bibbidy bobbidy boo," Lavender whispered, with great flourish, and the room exploded into laughter.
From then on, we were kind of like, and I don't know any better way to describe it, kind of like a big, goofy family. Ron and I would tell Harry about whatever had gone on that day at rehearsal, and Harry would just shake his head and pretend to look concerned. "You guys have finally lost it, I think."
But it was fun, more fun than anything I'd ever been a part of before. It didn't even bother me too much anymore when Malfoy would shout across the Great Hall, "What, Granger, dress rehearsal already?" Well, it bothered me less, anyway. And I'd almost forgotten I had ever wanted to be Cinderella. Almost.
~
One evening, a few weeks later, I was reading on a couch in the common room with Ron sitting next to me. More next to me, I noticed, than he usually sat. Harry was reading, too, in a comfy green chair across from us.
Ron sighed loudly, obviously bored by the sound of our pages turning. "Hey, Hermione, did you tell Harry about rehearsal today?"
"No she didn't," said Harry, not looking up from his book, "I know nothing about how Professor Geary made Justin and Ginny practice the kissing scene today, and they had to do it seven times, because Justin kept laughing and Ginny didn't know what to do with her nose, but at least Justin's finally agreed to do the kissing scenes, and-"
"Touché," muttered Ron, and I tried not to giggle. Poor Harry probably knew more about what went on at rehearsal than most of the cast.
Ginny herself walked into the common room a moment later, still bright red from her ordeal at rehearsal. "Hermione, can I talk to you?" she asked in her quiet way. I noticed Harry's face turn pink behind his book, but otherwise, he seemed not even to notice Ginny's arrival. Ron didn't move, either.
"Um, alone?" she squeaked, and cleared her throat.
"Right," said Ron, as he and Harry obediently left the room.
"So, wretch," I said in my shrillest stepsister voice, "Scrub the floor and tell me what's on your mind." She flopped down next to me on the couch and buried her head in her hands.
"Hey now," I shifted my body so I was facing her, "It wasn't so bad. Anyone would be nervous, doing all that kissing in front of an audience."
"It's not just that," she whispered. I waited expectantly for her to continue, which she did, slowly and hesitantly.
"I didn't...want...that to be...I mean...that was my first kiss," she finally finished. I could practically feel the heat radiating from her flaming cheeks. She was staring miserably at her feet, and her fist was pressed up against her mouth. The kid needed a hug, my job.
After that, I didn't really know what to say. "Well," I declared after a minute, "You made Justin's day, anyway."
"Right," she said, laughing bitterly.
"Hey, I'm not kidding. He is not complaining anymore about the kissing scenes."
She looked at me seriously. "Hermione, Justin sees me as a little kid. Everyone sees me as a little kid, and the thing is, they're right. Everyone was so surprised when they cast me as Cinderella, and why wouldn't they be? I'm not the Cinderella type. I'm a klutz, I have freckles, I'm not at all pretty-"
"They cast you as Cinderella because you were the best at auditions, and you're perfect now," I said slowly and deliberately. I was surprised at how easy it was to say, how little it hurt.
"But everyone must think..."
"Something about the way she said it made me think "everyone" was just a someone, a male someone with messy black hair, glasses, and a funny scar on his forehead. I was quite sure she was done being upset about Justin.
"Ginny, um, is this about-"
"No!" she said quickly, cheeks, to my amazement, turning even redder. Right. Definitely Harry Potter.
I tried to come up with the right thing to say to her- I am so bad at this girly stuff. "I think he likes you! I mean, I guess I really don't k now, we don't so much talk about these kinds of things, but-"
"It's okay, Hermione," she said, cutting off my clumsy speech with a sad little laugh. "I know he doesn't like me, not like that. And I'll get over it, I'm sure, soon enough." She sighed. "The whole thing just makes me feel stupid and ugly. I hate that."
And suddenly, like magic, I knew what to say.
"Ginny, let me tell you a story. Do you remember Viktor Krum?"
~
And there you have act two- er, I mean chapter two. Please please please R/R! ;)
Please R/R (but be nice...)!
Glass Slippers
by Scabbers
Chapter 2- Hermione
I don't mean to brag or anything, but I knew who would play Cinderella long before the parts were posted. I'm a pretty perceptive person, and Professor Geary's expression as she watched Ginny Weasley's audition wasn't hard to read.
Ginny was good, too, and I was happy for her. Very happy for her. And when I saw her name written by "Cinderella" on the cast list, I was so happy for her that my eyes started watering, and I forgot to look for my own name.
I found out my part from Draco Malfoy, who hadn't tried out, but was, of course, lurking by the cast list. "Ugly stepsister, Granger?" he said nastily (and loudly), "No typecasting there, eh?"
"Shove it, Malfoy!" yelled Ron.
"Don't cry," I told myself, biting my lip until I could taste blood, "You knew you wouldn't get it, and you were stupid to even hope-"
"Hey, Hermione," Harry said softly, "Um, congratulations. You got a great part."
"Thanks," I managed. Ron enveloped me in a big, awkward hug. "And why has he been so touchy-feely lately?" I wondered. It was kind of nice, though. Boys can be so nice when they try.
And suddenly, I felt a bit stupid, with all their efforts to cheer me up about something as dumb as a play. "All right, you," I said to Ron, forcing a smile, "Go congratulate your sister."
And it wasn't until I finally read the entire cast list and saw his name under "Ball Guests" that I remembered he had tried out for the play, too.
~
Rehearsals started that afternoon after classes, and the first one was, by all accounts, a disaster. Lavender, who in my opinion should have been satisfied with her role as fairy godmother, was not speaking to Ginny. An irritated Parvati finally told her best friend that if Lavender didn't like her part, she, a "Ball Guest", would gladly take it off her hands.
To top everything off, Prince Justin Finch-Fletchley Charming was loudly announcing that, though he was quite happy with his part, he was not going to be doing any of "that kissy stuff" onstage, thank you very much.
"That git should have read the story before he auditioned," I muttered to Ginny, who looked like she was about to cry.
It wasn't until the first day we practiced the godmother's big scene what the ice was broken, and it started to look like maybe rehearsals would actually be rather fun.
Lavender and Ginny were reading it through, you know, the whole bit with the pumpkin, when suddenly Lavender just stopped.
"I can't do this," she said, shaking with silent laughter. We all stared at her, and I saw Ron's lips twist like he was trying not to smile.
"Keep going," Professor Geary said, but Lavender had already dropped to the floor, giggling helplessly into her script. "I'm sorry," she gasped, "But is this how they think we do transfiguration? By saying...". She shook her head, shoulders shaking, actual tears streaming down her face. "I can't say it."
By this time, we were all giggling like complete fools. "Say it! Say it!" someone started chanting, and we all joined in, even Professor Geary.
"Bibbidy bobbidy boo," Lavender whispered, with great flourish, and the room exploded into laughter.
From then on, we were kind of like, and I don't know any better way to describe it, kind of like a big, goofy family. Ron and I would tell Harry about whatever had gone on that day at rehearsal, and Harry would just shake his head and pretend to look concerned. "You guys have finally lost it, I think."
But it was fun, more fun than anything I'd ever been a part of before. It didn't even bother me too much anymore when Malfoy would shout across the Great Hall, "What, Granger, dress rehearsal already?" Well, it bothered me less, anyway. And I'd almost forgotten I had ever wanted to be Cinderella. Almost.
~
One evening, a few weeks later, I was reading on a couch in the common room with Ron sitting next to me. More next to me, I noticed, than he usually sat. Harry was reading, too, in a comfy green chair across from us.
Ron sighed loudly, obviously bored by the sound of our pages turning. "Hey, Hermione, did you tell Harry about rehearsal today?"
"No she didn't," said Harry, not looking up from his book, "I know nothing about how Professor Geary made Justin and Ginny practice the kissing scene today, and they had to do it seven times, because Justin kept laughing and Ginny didn't know what to do with her nose, but at least Justin's finally agreed to do the kissing scenes, and-"
"Touché," muttered Ron, and I tried not to giggle. Poor Harry probably knew more about what went on at rehearsal than most of the cast.
Ginny herself walked into the common room a moment later, still bright red from her ordeal at rehearsal. "Hermione, can I talk to you?" she asked in her quiet way. I noticed Harry's face turn pink behind his book, but otherwise, he seemed not even to notice Ginny's arrival. Ron didn't move, either.
"Um, alone?" she squeaked, and cleared her throat.
"Right," said Ron, as he and Harry obediently left the room.
"So, wretch," I said in my shrillest stepsister voice, "Scrub the floor and tell me what's on your mind." She flopped down next to me on the couch and buried her head in her hands.
"Hey now," I shifted my body so I was facing her, "It wasn't so bad. Anyone would be nervous, doing all that kissing in front of an audience."
"It's not just that," she whispered. I waited expectantly for her to continue, which she did, slowly and hesitantly.
"I didn't...want...that to be...I mean...that was my first kiss," she finally finished. I could practically feel the heat radiating from her flaming cheeks. She was staring miserably at her feet, and her fist was pressed up against her mouth. The kid needed a hug, my job.
After that, I didn't really know what to say. "Well," I declared after a minute, "You made Justin's day, anyway."
"Right," she said, laughing bitterly.
"Hey, I'm not kidding. He is not complaining anymore about the kissing scenes."
She looked at me seriously. "Hermione, Justin sees me as a little kid. Everyone sees me as a little kid, and the thing is, they're right. Everyone was so surprised when they cast me as Cinderella, and why wouldn't they be? I'm not the Cinderella type. I'm a klutz, I have freckles, I'm not at all pretty-"
"They cast you as Cinderella because you were the best at auditions, and you're perfect now," I said slowly and deliberately. I was surprised at how easy it was to say, how little it hurt.
"But everyone must think..."
"Something about the way she said it made me think "everyone" was just a someone, a male someone with messy black hair, glasses, and a funny scar on his forehead. I was quite sure she was done being upset about Justin.
"Ginny, um, is this about-"
"No!" she said quickly, cheeks, to my amazement, turning even redder. Right. Definitely Harry Potter.
I tried to come up with the right thing to say to her- I am so bad at this girly stuff. "I think he likes you! I mean, I guess I really don't k now, we don't so much talk about these kinds of things, but-"
"It's okay, Hermione," she said, cutting off my clumsy speech with a sad little laugh. "I know he doesn't like me, not like that. And I'll get over it, I'm sure, soon enough." She sighed. "The whole thing just makes me feel stupid and ugly. I hate that."
And suddenly, like magic, I knew what to say.
"Ginny, let me tell you a story. Do you remember Viktor Krum?"
~
And there you have act two- er, I mean chapter two. Please please please R/R! ;)