*sing-song voice* Guess who needs a beeeeeeeta-reeeeeeeeader? IIIII doooooo
IIIIII doooo!!! Review and let me know if you want to beta for me! It would
be a big help!
** indicate Hermione's thoughts
Chapter 3 - Play the Part
Hermione gasped as the half-light in the room illuminated the face belonging to the voice.
"Moody?!"
Harry and Ron gaped, and Hermione, for once, was at a loss for words.
The old Auror turned away from the stunned students and pressed the tips of his fingers together in contemplation. Turning his head so that his piercing gaze rested on Hermione, he spoke again:
"I'm not going to ask you if you're ready. That much is to be expected. It would do you well to not think of this experience as a credit for Hogwarts, but rather as a credit for your sense of identity."
Ron's mouth was still hanging open.
"Sweet Merlin!" he gawked, "Mad-Eye Moody!"
"It's Moderately Eccentric Eye Moody, thank you," the older man replied crisply.
"Not to be disrespectful, sir," Harry began, "but why are YOU teaching this class?"
Moody sighed. "It's a long story, but let's just say that Albus decided to check up on me and sent Hagrid. Errr, I might have accidentally given Hagrid an extra head or two, and later on he complained of a drunken headache - although I doubt very much that that was MY doing. Albus wanted to give me job to do, so here I am.."
With that, he mumbled something to himself about the dangers of sending big men around scaring people. Hermione chuckled. This was certainly going to be an interesting class.
Moody had finished his discussion with himself and turned to fix his gaze on the three teenagers.
"We will be performing Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, and I will assign roles in the order that you signed up."
Hermione glanced around the room and suddenly noticed at least six other students that had their attention fixed on Moody. She scanned their shadowed features, searching for a familiar face but finding none.
"Hermione Granger."
She turned in rapt attention to the older man before her.
"You were the first to sign up, so I have decided to give you the role of Katherine."
Hermione sighed in disappointment. She knew enough about Muggle literature to realize that Katherine was "the shrew." She would have preferred a quieter role, but she kept her comments to herself and accepted her script.
"Appropriate role for you, Mudblood," a deep voice murmured into her ear, not even inches away.
"Draco Malfoy..you will be our Petruchio."
Hermione didn't have to turn around to know who had spoken to her. Who else called her "Mudblood"? She tensed as the figure behind her glided past to take the rolled parchment from Moody. Even in the dim lighting, Malfoy's hair was almost white. Hermione cursed her misfortune.
*Petruchio!? Why him? That means we'll have to..oh no! EW! Malfoy?!*
He turned around and smirked at her, wiggling his eyebrows. "I suppose I'll have to seduce you, my lady fair," he asserted mockingly.
"Sorry Malfoy, I don't snog Deatheaters."
In less than a second he was over to her and grabbing her arms tightly in his hands.
*OOOWW*
She didn't want him to hear her cry out, and she knew that it would only make him happy to see her in pain. He was staring hard into her eyes and she into his. He loosened his grip a bit, but still whispered dangerously, "Don't talk about things you don't know, Granger."
Moody stood away, handing a girl from Beauxbottoms the role of Bianca, but still quietly observing the interaction between the two leading roles. Wisdom and amusement flickered in his steady gaze as he called out the next name.
"Ron Weasley..Baptista."
Hermione shifted her eyes from Malfoy's to watch her friend take his script.
*Ron's going to be my FATHER? Weird..*
She slowly turned her head back to face Malfoy once more. He was still looking at her, but his eyes had lost their focus. He squeezed her arms tighter and seemed to be thinking about something.
*Look at that grimace..I wonder what horrible things are on his mind...whoa OW!*
Hermione couldn't take it any longer. "OW! Malfoy! You're hurting me!"
He snapped to attention and shoved her away violently. "So what?" She massaged her arms and took note of the blue bruises forming just above her elbows.
*Merlin, he has strong hands! Ooowww...*
He spun around and stalked off without saying anything more to her. She sighed, not at all looking forward to the next 21 days. She brushed her hair out of her face and followed Malfoy's retreating figure across the room with her eyes; this was not unnoticed by Moody.
"Perhaps this time Shakespeare will seem quite a bit more accessible," he thought to himself. "They are casted perfectly."
Ok guys, I'm sorry about all the Shakespeare, but you'll get the gist of the play as the fic goes on. By the way, if you haven't read Taming of the Shrew, you should - it's a comedy, and a really understandable play. Plus it fit my story, so there we go. Any questions? Ask away, but they'll most likely be answered throughout the rest of the story.
Double Author's notes in the next chapter because the "site is experiencing overload and I should return in a few minutes.." I hate that! Anyways, 2 times the A/N next time! REVIEW!
XOXO-Kate
** indicate Hermione's thoughts
Chapter 3 - Play the Part
Hermione gasped as the half-light in the room illuminated the face belonging to the voice.
"Moody?!"
Harry and Ron gaped, and Hermione, for once, was at a loss for words.
The old Auror turned away from the stunned students and pressed the tips of his fingers together in contemplation. Turning his head so that his piercing gaze rested on Hermione, he spoke again:
"I'm not going to ask you if you're ready. That much is to be expected. It would do you well to not think of this experience as a credit for Hogwarts, but rather as a credit for your sense of identity."
Ron's mouth was still hanging open.
"Sweet Merlin!" he gawked, "Mad-Eye Moody!"
"It's Moderately Eccentric Eye Moody, thank you," the older man replied crisply.
"Not to be disrespectful, sir," Harry began, "but why are YOU teaching this class?"
Moody sighed. "It's a long story, but let's just say that Albus decided to check up on me and sent Hagrid. Errr, I might have accidentally given Hagrid an extra head or two, and later on he complained of a drunken headache - although I doubt very much that that was MY doing. Albus wanted to give me job to do, so here I am.."
With that, he mumbled something to himself about the dangers of sending big men around scaring people. Hermione chuckled. This was certainly going to be an interesting class.
Moody had finished his discussion with himself and turned to fix his gaze on the three teenagers.
"We will be performing Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, and I will assign roles in the order that you signed up."
Hermione glanced around the room and suddenly noticed at least six other students that had their attention fixed on Moody. She scanned their shadowed features, searching for a familiar face but finding none.
"Hermione Granger."
She turned in rapt attention to the older man before her.
"You were the first to sign up, so I have decided to give you the role of Katherine."
Hermione sighed in disappointment. She knew enough about Muggle literature to realize that Katherine was "the shrew." She would have preferred a quieter role, but she kept her comments to herself and accepted her script.
"Appropriate role for you, Mudblood," a deep voice murmured into her ear, not even inches away.
"Draco Malfoy..you will be our Petruchio."
Hermione didn't have to turn around to know who had spoken to her. Who else called her "Mudblood"? She tensed as the figure behind her glided past to take the rolled parchment from Moody. Even in the dim lighting, Malfoy's hair was almost white. Hermione cursed her misfortune.
*Petruchio!? Why him? That means we'll have to..oh no! EW! Malfoy?!*
He turned around and smirked at her, wiggling his eyebrows. "I suppose I'll have to seduce you, my lady fair," he asserted mockingly.
"Sorry Malfoy, I don't snog Deatheaters."
In less than a second he was over to her and grabbing her arms tightly in his hands.
*OOOWW*
She didn't want him to hear her cry out, and she knew that it would only make him happy to see her in pain. He was staring hard into her eyes and she into his. He loosened his grip a bit, but still whispered dangerously, "Don't talk about things you don't know, Granger."
Moody stood away, handing a girl from Beauxbottoms the role of Bianca, but still quietly observing the interaction between the two leading roles. Wisdom and amusement flickered in his steady gaze as he called out the next name.
"Ron Weasley..Baptista."
Hermione shifted her eyes from Malfoy's to watch her friend take his script.
*Ron's going to be my FATHER? Weird..*
She slowly turned her head back to face Malfoy once more. He was still looking at her, but his eyes had lost their focus. He squeezed her arms tighter and seemed to be thinking about something.
*Look at that grimace..I wonder what horrible things are on his mind...whoa OW!*
Hermione couldn't take it any longer. "OW! Malfoy! You're hurting me!"
He snapped to attention and shoved her away violently. "So what?" She massaged her arms and took note of the blue bruises forming just above her elbows.
*Merlin, he has strong hands! Ooowww...*
He spun around and stalked off without saying anything more to her. She sighed, not at all looking forward to the next 21 days. She brushed her hair out of her face and followed Malfoy's retreating figure across the room with her eyes; this was not unnoticed by Moody.
"Perhaps this time Shakespeare will seem quite a bit more accessible," he thought to himself. "They are casted perfectly."
Ok guys, I'm sorry about all the Shakespeare, but you'll get the gist of the play as the fic goes on. By the way, if you haven't read Taming of the Shrew, you should - it's a comedy, and a really understandable play. Plus it fit my story, so there we go. Any questions? Ask away, but they'll most likely be answered throughout the rest of the story.
Double Author's notes in the next chapter because the "site is experiencing overload and I should return in a few minutes.." I hate that! Anyways, 2 times the A/N next time! REVIEW!
XOXO-Kate