A/n: Sorry about the incredibly long gap between chapters. I've been so busy for the last few months and this is the first chance I've had to work on it. Also, I'm sorry that it's quite short and not particularly good. You know who this chapter is dedicated, and if you don't see my last chapter. I'm sure you also realize that I'm making no profit off this; therefore I can't be J. K. Rowling. Get it?
"Oh come on Ginny," Lisa cajoled.
"No way. Not a chance in Hell."
"Draco and Blaise are both doing it…"
"If Draco and Blaise are confident enough to act foolish in front of everybody in the Three Broomsticks, that's their prerogative. I refuse to do the same."
"You're a Gryffindor. Aren't you supposed to be brave?"
"I am. Put me in a room full of monsters and I'll do fine. But I will not sing in public."
"But Ginny, I've heard you sing," Hermione broke in. "You have a fantastic voice. I think you should do it. Think about the prize money." Ginny shot Hermione the fieriest glare she could manage and folded her arms decidedly.
"No. It's not worth it."
Lisa thought frantically. With an apologetic glance at Hermione, she offered, "What if we sing with you? Then you won't be the only one up there and there's no way you'll look foolish next to me singing. And I'm sure the Hogwarts students would love to see the Head Girl sing…"
There was a hesitant pause and Lisa realized with horror that Ginny was seriously considering her proposal. Oh dear. This was bad.
"Alright."
This was very bad.
"Well…what should we sing?"
* * * *
"You're kidding. Lisa is going to sing?"
Blaise nodded. "She just told me. She's singing with Ginny and Hermione, but they won't tell me what they're singing."
"I think this will be the most successful Karaoke Night Hogsmeade has ever seen…"
"Yeah, not only is the infamous Draco Malfoy going to perform, but so is the Head Girl of Hogwarts!"
"Have you decided what you'll be singing yet?"
"Do you even need to ask? You Bewitch Me by Bonita and the Banshees."
Draco looked disgusted. "I can't believe you'd stoop that low…"
"Well what are you singing?" Blaise asked defensively.
"I Want to Ride Your Wagon by Baste That Turkey."
"And you say I have bad taste."
"You do. You chose me for a friend."
"Oh, speaking of friends who you can't choose here come your cronies."
Draco turned and groaned at the sight of the two lugs heading towards him. "Damn." He paused until Crabbe and Goyle came within earshot then said, "Can you give that message to Pansy for me then?" Crabbe and Goyle grinned and leered at Blaise. Blaise rolled her eyes and jerked her head at Draco. "Whatever. Just get out of my way," Blaise snarled, pushing roughly past Draco and hoping she hadn't hurt him. She turned the corner and ducked into the booth where Hermione, Ginny and Lisa were still discussing their song. "Crabbe and Goyle just turned up. I have to go find Pansy and pretend to be her friend. Just thought I'd warn you that Draco has company."
Ginny watched as Blaise left to search for the pug-faced Pansy Parkinson. "Lisa, one day you'll have to explain these politics to me."
"Not now," Hermione interjected. "We still have to decide who'll sing which verses."
"Attention Ladies and Gentlemen. As I'm sure you're all aware, it's our Annual Karaoke Competition tonight, with huge money prizes being awarded to our winners. The list for registration is now closed. The competition will begin in approximately fifteen minutes. Would all contestants please gather in the back room?"
"Here goes," Ginny muttered as she led Hermione and Lisa to the designated waiting area.
* * * *
"Malfoy can sing?" Ginny exclaimed, staring.
"Didn't you know? Yeah, he's really good. He's won heaps of competitions."
"There goes the prize money," Ginny groaned.
"He may be good, but there are three of us. And look at the song he picked!"
"Look at the song we picked though…It's a Muggle song!"
'But it's a good Muggle song."
"Oh no, I think we're on next…"
"That was fantastic! Thank you Mr Malfoy! Up next we have a trio! Mesdames Granger, Weasley and Turpin! They'll be singing a Muggle song entitled 'Fever'! Come on ladies!"
Madam Rosmerta cued the Minstrella Music Maker and the three girls took up their positions at the enchanted microphones. After much contemplation, it had been decided that Ginny would sing first. She tapped her foot to the music waiting for her cue, and then launched into the first verse.
"Never know how much I love you.
Never know how much I care.
When you put your arms around me
I get a fever that's so hard to bear.
You give me fever when you kiss me,
Fever when you hold me tight.
Fever in the mornin',
Fever all through the night."
Draco's mouth dropped open. Damn, that girl could sing! Ginny stepped back, allowing Hermione to take over. Her voice was much milder than Ginny's had been, but was still quite emotive.
"Sun lights up the daytime,
Moon light up the night,
I light up when you call my name
And you know I'm going to treat you right.
You give me fever when you kiss me,
Fever when you hold me tight.
Fever in the mornin',
Fever all through the night."
Lisa's voice came in next, deeper and sultrier than the other two. Draco couldn't believe it. He had to sit down, and fast!
"Everybody's got the fever
That is something you all know.
Fever isn't such a new scene
Fever started long ago."
Ginny took up the lead again, a broad grin on her face as she belted out her verse with extraordinary passion.
"Romeo loved Juliet,
Juliet she felt the same.
When he put his arms around her
He said, 'Julie, baby, you're my flame.
Thou giv-est fever when we kisseth,
Fever with thy flaming youth
Fever! I'm afire,
Fever yea I burn for sooth.'"
Draco caught his lip in his teeth, struggling to keep his breathing even. Did that sweet, innocent little Gryffindor even know what she was doing? Not only to him, but to every other teenage male in the room? Probably. He noticed with disgust that Crabbe and Goyle were staring at her and practically drooling and burned with anger. She might be asking for it, but she didn't deserve the foul attentions of those two idiots. You owe me Weasley. Draco nudged his lackey's and jerked his head towards the door.
"We can find something more entertaining than two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw serenading us," he sneered and led them away. And almost collided with Potter and the other Weasley. Potter was gaping at the three girls, his gaze flickering from Ginny to Lisa to Hermione and back to Ginny. Weasley couldn't seem to make up his mind between rage at Ginny's singing the way she was and amazement at Hermione's singing the way she was.
"Get out of the way," he snarled at them. They did so with barely a glance at him. Draco had to contain his laughter. He may not be in control but neither were they. That made him feels quite a bit better. Then Lisa began to sing again and Draco almost froze in his tracks.
"Captain Smith and Pocahontas
Had a very mad affair.
When her daddy tried to kill him
She said, 'Daddy, o, don't you dare.
He gives me fever with his kisses,
Fever when he holds me tight.
Fever! I'm his misses.
Oh Daddy won't you treat him right?'"
Draco was almost to the door but he still heard Weasley's rather audible gasp when Hermione took over the vocals.
"Now you've listened to my story
Here's the point that I have made:
Chicks were born to give you fever
Be it Fahrenheit or centigrade."
Draco could almost hear every male in the room thinking exactly what he was. 'You got that damn right!'
"They give you fever when you kiss them
Fever if you live and learn
Fever 'til you sizzle.
What a lovely way to burn."
Lisa and Ginny joined in to harmonize as the last line was repeated.
"What a lovely way to burn.
What a lovely way to burn.
What a lovely way to burn."
Draco had to get out of there. Now!
* * * *
Ron stormed up the Ginny, his eyes blazing with fury.
"What did you think you were doing?" he hissed.
"Trying to win us some money, thank you. First prize is fifty Galleons. And I reckon even with Dr-Malfoy as competition, it's in the bag. Now if you'll excuse me."
Ginny brushed past Ron only to run into Harry. She hoped he wouldn't lecture her too.
"I didn't know you could sing."
Ginny sighed. She wasn't in the mood for conversation, but Harry was her friend. And at least he wasn't lecturing her. "Yeah, well, I guess I'm gifted in all the arts."
"I see you've befriended Lisa," Harry said with a smile, looking extremely pleased with himself. He probably thought that he'd orchestrated the whole thing.
Ginny nodded uncomfortably. Harry was acting like he was her uncle all of a sudden. Condescending little-
"So she's the one you've been spending all your time with lately. Ron was beginning to suspect you had a secret boyfriend."
Was that jealousy she saw in his eyes? Oh no. No way. It couldn't happen. When did my life turn into a soap opera? I'm sure I heard this exact plot on 'A Love Spell' on the wireless last summer…
Not far behind Ginny and Harry, Ron and Hermione were arguing in hushed but furious voices.
"I can't believe you actually let her do something like that!"
"Oh come on, she was brilliant! And we'll probably win the prize money because of her! Lisa and I are alright, but with Ginny singing lead, we can't lose! There's only one or two contestants left and they won't get even half the reaction we got!"
"Well if you want the entire male population of Hogwarts drooling over you, that's fine, but Ginny is my little sister!"
"The entire population of Hogwarts Ron?" Hermione asked slyly. "Does that mean you were drooling?"
Ron flushed and stammered and tried to argue that that wasn't the point but Hermione was shaking with silent laughter. Suddenly she remembered Lisa, who was standing awkwardly between the two conversations. "Oh Lisa, let's grab Ginny and go wait for the winners to be announced."
The three girls hastily made their escapes.
* * * *
"So how are we going to do this? Fifty Galleons doesn't divide into three…"
"Yes it does," Lisa replied, still beaming from their success. "Twenty for you, fifteen each for me and Hermione."
"No, I couldn't!" Ginny protested. "We can do it more evenly than that!"
"That is even, considering it was your voice that won it for us!" Hermione urged, pressing the gold coins into Ginny's hand.
"I should go. Harry and Ron will want to walk back with you two, and if Draco and Blaise see me-"
"Then you can say you were walking back with us to celebrate and-"
"Draco doesn't think Hermione and I are friends though. He thinks we're merely acquaintances who happened to sing together today."
"But the win would be enough of a reason to celebrate…"
"No, it's just too complicated. I'm sick of lying and avoiding though. I wish…" Lisa sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. I'll see you both later."
