Dance In Paradise

A short fic in reply to Lisa Oceans Potter's Dance Challenge!

Hope you enjoy it, look out for special comedy appearances from Fred & George, Crabbe & Goyle and many more...

Chapter 3.



Hermione waved a silent goodbye to the tired, bleary eyed group and headed up the stairs towards her room. The final rehearsal had gone well, everyone was pretty confident with their moves and Lavender and Lee's singing sounded great. Now all the dancers needed was a long, vitalising sleep. Hermione stifled a huge yawn and muttered quietly at her door,

"Sapphire." It swung open and she tiptoed into the room. It was pitch black and Hermione's hand snaked out to the light switch to her left to light one of the dim lamps. She snapped it on and shrieked at the shadowy figure it revealed.

"Harry!" She exclaimed in annoyance regaining her composure. "What are you doing sitting in the dark like that?" She demanded, "In my room." She added as an afterthought. Harry frowned.

"I've been waiting up for you." He said curtly. Hermione wrinkled her nose at his tone,

"I told you I had a rehearsal." She said with a shrug. Harry set his jaw.

"You said you'd be back by 11." He retorted. Hermione was getting increasingly irritated by his strange mood and was too tired to keep up the pointless conversation.

"What?" She sighed in exasperation, "I meant I should be, it ran on, so what?" Harry clenched his fists and was silence for a few moments.

"Did you have a good time with Oliver?" He hissed venomously, the question was clearly laced with jealously. Hermione stared at him.

"What?" She exclaimed losing her temper. Harry's eyes flashed but he didn't reply.

"Harry have you got a problem with Oliver?" She demanded, Harry fought the temptation to roll his eyes at the obvious question. Hermione glared at him.

"Because I'd remind you that, You. Are. Not. My. Boyfriend." She stated angrily. Harry flinched.

"What does that mean?" He growled furiously.

"It means we shouldn't be having this conversation." She said frostily. She paused then stared at him

"I'd like some sleep, I'm really tired from all those moves me and him were trying out." She snapped pointedly. Harry ground his teeth and without another word he turned and stalked back to his room. Hermione yanked off her clothes and flopped into bed in frustration, her irritation rocketing as she found that the senseless argument was now replaying constantly in her mind, warding off sleep.


-----

Breakfast was awkward. Hermione had risen early in a point to avoid meeting Harry upon leaving her room. Sprinting through the common room she had been among the first to reach the Great Hall. Piling buttered toast onto her plate the irate frown that had been set on her forehead since the night before began to smooth away, and by the time Ginny joined her, she was smiling, if a little artificially.

"Ready for the big show?" Ginny asked in excitement. She eagerly swivelled in her seat to shoot a glance across the room at Blaise who gave her a thumbs up. Draco sat beside him kept his eyes firmly on the bowl of cereal in front of him. Ginny twirled back, curls flying, to face Hermione. She beamed,

"I'm so ready for tonight!" She squealed, clapping her hands. Ron and Lavender had slipped into seats along from them, accompanied by a bleary eyed Harry. Ron sniggered.

"It's in the bag." He quipped, cowering in mock fear after Lavender slapped at him playfully. "I mean it!" He snorted hastily as Lavender upped her attack, "C'mon don't you agree Harry?" He yelped pleadingly at his silent best friend. Harry shrugged.

"Mmm." He muttered noncommittally, shooting a furtive glance at Hermione whose scowl had momentarily returned.

"What's up with you two?" Ron asked. Harry looked away and Hermione gritted her teeth straining another smile.

"Nothing." She sang meeting Ron's eyes with a look that warned him off the topic. Ron frowned slightly before shrugging and piling his plate with a mountain of eggs, bacon and sausages. There was an uneasy silence where eyes flitted confusedly from vacant looking Hermione to the scowling Harry. Eventually Ron spoke up,

"So... Lav what are we going to do today?" He asked tracing her knuckles with his fingertips. Lavender shifted uncomfortably,

"Well, I think we are kind of practising all day…" She said quietly. Ron looked disappointed but he hitched up a smile,

"Okay. Well after practise?" He probed. Lavender bit her lip.

"Uh… we need a lot of time to get ready." She said. Ron gritted his teeth.

"Oh. So are you saying that basically you'll see me when you see me." He said bitterly trying to conceal the resent in his voice.

"No." Lavender said exasperatedly, "But me and Lee need a little extra time to practice,"

Ron's face deepened to red in anger.

"Seems like he is seeing more of my girlfriend than I am recently," he muttered darkly. Lavender shrugged hopelessly and opened her mouth to reply when Lee yelled down the table to her.

"Where are we meeting Lavender?" He asked a wide smile spread across his face. Ron scowled thunderously shooting a wounded look at Lavender he pushed back his chair and threw a glance to Harry.

"You coming Harry?" He muttered. Harry nodded and grabbed his bag, purposely avoiding any eye contact with Hermione, the pair stomped moodily out of the hall. The aftermath of their angry exit lingered for a few minutes before Hermione sighed despairingly.

"Boys!" She exclaimed mustering a grin, "Honestly, them two! You'd think we didn't offer them a place as our partners. I mean it was their choice to turn us down!" She said. Lavender nodded.

"You're right." She agreed tearing her eyes away from Ron's retreating back. Ginny chuckled.

"C'mon lets not let them spoil our day. It is going to be great!" She chirped barely able to sit still. "Look, Blaise is going now." She said pointing to the back of his curly haired head. "Shall we?" She asked returning her gaze to Lavender and Hermione. The trio stood up and headed through the hall, dragging Oliver and Lee with them.

-----

"Oh my gosh…" Lavender breathed biting hard on the back of her hands as she peered down the sidelines of the stage.

"There are so many people out there!" She said shuddering nervously. "Do I look alright?" She asked eyeing her brief costume critically. Blaise raised his eyebrows and gave her a look that said, do I even need to answer that? She giggled anxiously. Hermione appeared from behind a large piece of staging carrying a huge pile of heavy school robes.

"Here guys, put these on. Then we can go out front and watch a few of the first performances…" She said handing out the black cloth. Ginny and Lavender draped themselves in the robes concealing all the naked flesh and the boys pulled them over their more modest costumes of baggy black jeans and plain tee-shirts. Then the six went and sat at a point where the stage was visible, they were practically unnoticed by the swarming crowd of excitable students. Suddenly the lights dimmed and Dumbledore swept out onto the stage.

"Welcome to Hogwarts' first, 'Dance in Paradise'" He beamed around at the students. "Without further ado lets welcome our first performance," Dumbledore paused as he glanced down at the scrap of parchment he was holding, he gave a strange cough, then continued.

"Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe…" He announced, exiting the stage. There was a spattering of applause, and suddenly an explosion. It sounded as if a bomb had gone off. Extremely loud heavy metal music was shaking the entire hall. Hermione could swear it was shaking trickles of dust from the ceiling. The lyrics were incomprehensible, as the screeching guitar strains and thumping bass drowned out the droning vocals. Abruptly the lights blazed up on the stage, and two, bulky figure were illuminated, bouncing around helplessly, not even in time to the music. Hermione snorted with laughter and turned to her companions. Lavender and Ginny were staring aghast at Crabbe and Goyle, whilst Oliver, Lee and Blaise were doubled over in hysterics.

"They… they are trying to MOSH!" Blaise sniggered, holding his stomach. Hermione burst into peels of laughter as Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a final head bang together before leaping off the stage. Her eyes widened as she followed their brief travel through air, the crowd parted and they landed with two heavy thumps on the hard floor.

"So much for the crowd surf." Blaise snickered, craning to see the two unmoving lumps on the floor. The music was suddenly cut, leaving every ones ears ringing, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape were pushing their way through the crowd to the two bulky unconscious bodies. Dumbledore had reappeared on stage, looking torn between amusement and worry.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat. "Well, after that hard-to-follow act, we have a brave solo performer!" He declared, "Please put your hands together for Pansy Parkinson!"

There was a chorus of wolf whistles for Pansy her reputation with the Slytherin boys proceeded her. The lights went out again, and the first bars of an upbeat, poppy song rung out.

"Ohhhhh…" A wavering voice was heard and the lights went up. Hermione burst into profuse giggles, Pansy was mincing across stage dressed in a,

"Oh my god!" Hermione stuttered. "That's a Muggle school uniform." Blaise raised his eyebrows,

"Really? Maybe I should transfer to a Muggle school if that's how girls dress there!"
He said wistfully, Ginny slapped at him, and they gaped open mouth at the stage,

"Oh baby, baby…" Pansy had charmed her voice to boom out loudly, but it hadn't done much to conceal the fact she was vastly out of tune.

"How was I supposed to know…
That something wasn't right here!" She squealed terribly,

"Oh baby, baby…
I shouldn't have let you go
And now you're out of sight, yeah!"

She sung brashly, Hermione although she hated the girl had to give her recognition for her unflinching confidence.

"Show me how want it to be
Tell me baby 'cause I need to know now, oh because…"

Pansy sang, and everyone flinched sensing the climax. Pansy threw herself into the chorus, complete with some terrible but energetic dance moves.

"My loneliness is killing me…
I must confess I still believe…
When I'm not with you I lose my mind!"

She screamed heartily, prancing about letting her short pleated skirt flap around her legs, much to her male admirers' glee.

"Give me a sign…"

She warbled wiggling her bottom at the Slytherin boys in the front row, who were yelling throatily at her. Quite out of breath after her antics, she managed to gasp the last lines.

"Hit me baby one more time!"

Pansy giggled, and curtseyed at the roar from the males and stood lapping up the small amount of polite applause, until Dumbledore returned to the stage and subtly chivvied her off. Then he faced the audience again,

"After that fabulous effort, we have another solo performer… Colin Creevey!"

He proclaimed leading the initial applause. Colin stumbled out onto stage carrying a guitar; he waved heartily at the crowd and scrambled up onto a high stool in the centre of the stage. There was what looked like a Muggle microphone set up in front of him. He began to strum enthusiastically on the guitar and then to sing…

"You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold…"

The crowd winced in unison; Colin's high pitched, uneven voice was magnified terribly by the microphone which was whining as if in protest. Apparently oblivious Colin threw down his guitar and leapt to his feet to attempt a dance,

"So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down…"

He trilled, stomping his feet a little and waving his arms, his voice reaching unbelievable heights in all the wrong places. Ginny looked mortified for her friend, and seemed to be the only person who wasn't covering her ears. Colin continued,

"Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky…" He crooned, his eyes closed, now giving up on the dancing and making do with a slow sway. On his last line the microphone emitted an ear piercing screech, causing the entire hall to shout in pain.

"As we lie in fields of gold…" Colin strung out the last note, his voice wavering. When he finished, Ginny was first on her feet whooping and clapping. The Gryffindors followed suit applauding him. Eventually almost the whole hall was clapping, probably grateful it was over and their hearing was gradually returning to normal. Dumbledore swept onto the stage as Colin scampered off clutching his guitar and looking star struck.

"Next up we have a classical performance by Hannah Abbot…" He announced smiling and waving his arm towards Hannah who had appeared dressed in a tutu, the beginning strains of an orchestral piece began.

"You lot!" A hiss cut through the violins, "You're up next!" Professor Mc Gonogall was pointing at the stage door to them. Gulping Hermione stood up and the group sidled backstage.


-----

The last tinkles of piano trickled away and Hannah Abbot appeared carrying her point shoes in her hands, she flashed the nervous group a smile.

"Good luck guys!" She said. They smiled anxiously.

"And now, our largest group yet, a six piece performance from Hermione Granger, Oliver Wood, Lavender Brown, Lee Jordan, Ginny Weasley and Blaise Zambini!" Dumbledore broadcasted across the hall. There was a appreciative barrage of applause and cheering, and with a last panicked group hug the six spread out into their starting positions on stage. Hermione, stage left noticed thankfully that she couldn't actually recognise any faces; it was just a very noisy sea of blank grey discs. She turned her head fractionally in the dark to grin encouragingly at Lavender, and the lights went up.

There was an explosion of yells as the girls' costumes were revealed; testosterone fuelled roars rent the air, mixed with wild excited applause. Then Lavender and Lee moved forward down centre stage and began the song.

"Ah, dirrty…" Lee growled huskily with a grin to the crowd.

"Dirrty…" Lavender smirked and echoed him throatily, they continued the little two piece, whilst the four remained frozen, the crowd was hushed, until... Lee yelled,

"Ladies (move)!
Gentlemen (move)!
Somebody ring the alarm
A fire on the roof
Ring the alarm…" The crowd went wild as Lavender, Hermione and Ginny all quietly murmured the lines.

"…and I'm throwing elbows…" The beat dropped, and the dance began.

"Oh, I'm overdue
Give me some room
I'm comin through
Paid my dues
In the mood
Me and the girls gonna shake the room"

Lavender sung huskily, as she Ginny and Hermione moved to the centre of the stage and gyrated together, fast losing their initial nervousness and inhibition. The male whooped appreciatively as the girls bumped and ground their way through the first section of the song. Lavender's voice was by far the best so far, it was deep and syrupy, honey like. Vastly different from Pansy's screeching attempt. As she reached the chorus, they were joined by the boys,

"Wanna get rowdy
Gonna get a little unruly
Get it fired up in a hurry
Wanna get dirrty…" Lavender sung as she dipped low between Lee's legs, before snapping up, rear first, and continuing the song.

"It's about time that I came to start the party
Sweat dripping over my body…" Hermione ran her hands down Oliver's legs, and ground her hips suggestively to the rhythm.

"Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty…" Ginny wriggled in time to the music, Blaise matching each step his hands on her hips, rotating his waist and shrugging his shoulders in time to the music.

"It's about time for my arrival!" Lavender sung, spinning on her heel and stalking back upstage in time to the beat. The three girls dropped to their heels bouncing expectantly in time, their eyes on Lee.

"Yo, hot damn, Doc a jam like a summer show
I keep my car looking like a crash dummy drove
My gear look like the bank got my money froze
For dead presidents I pimp like Huddy roll
Doc the one that excite ya divas!"

He rapped, at the last line, the girls slowly straightened, running their hands seductively along their bare legs. The crowds appreciation was deafening and at Lee's rap it had tripled, his talent was widely known throughout the school. Grinning he continued, raising his hand and pumping it in time with the beat, urging the crowd to join in,

"Frankly, it's a rap, no bargain deals
I drive a four wheel ride with foreign wheels
Throw it up
Baby it's brick city, you heard of that
We blessed, and hung low, like Bernie Mac
Dogs, let 'em out, women, let 'em in
It's like I'm ODB, the way I'm freaking…"

He growled deeply, spinning Lavender on the spot, in simultaneous with Blaise and Oliver both of whom had their hands planted firmly on their girls' waists. Lee pleased the crowd with an unexpected bit of free-style break dancing and the group threw themselves into the remainder of the song, spinning and gyrating the whole way through to the end, where Lavender, her voice still going strong belted out the last line,

"It's about time for my arrival!  Yeah, HOGWARTS!" The couples froze all in variously complicated entanglements of limbs and listened to the tumultuous applause. Oliver, Blaise and Lee were punching the air and grinning out at the wild crowd. Blaise was jokingly making a bird shape with his hand and continually pointing to random girls then flapping its wings and mouthing 'Owl me!', until Oliver cuffed him playfully round the head. However the three girls although primarily ecstatic at the fantastic reception, after waving happily at their fellow students and blowing the odd kiss to the groups of bellowing males, were now more serous. Their eyes were scanning for particular people. Ginny's flitted from groups of Slytherins trying to locate Draco; she eventually spotted him alone quite near the stage, an amused smirk on his face shaking his head at Blaise's antics. He met her eyes and something flashed between them. Lavender was looking for Ron and saw him slumped at a table next to Seamus Finnigan, he looked slightly angry but moreover upset his eyes met hers and she gave him a small smile. Ron hesitated a moment, then returned it, motioning for her to get down to him quickly. Hermione was searching for Harry, he wasn't alone but standing amongst a large group of seventh years his glittering green eyes met hers and before any communication could occur a huge group of squealing third year girls trampled him on a spree towards Oliver. Cursing under her breath she had lost sight of him, Hermione jogged across to her fellow dancers. They all clustered into a group hug. Then a barrage of high pitched girly screams and a thunder of footsteps heralded a stage invasion. The entourage of girls were running straight for Oliver who looked both terrified and amused; he scooped up Hermione, Lee and Blaise lifting their respective partners and their sprinted towards the safety of the dressing room.

-----

Still completely thrilled by their success the six tumbled out of the dressing room, eager to catch the end of the show. The gaggle of admiring females had somehow been disposed of, and when they entered the hall Dumbledore was once again on stage.

"Well…" He began half shell-shocked, half amused, "After that…" He paused seeming to search for an appropriate adjective, "...astounding performance. We have only one other to enjoy this afternoon, before we eat then enjoy the fabulous after ball." Dumbledore surveyed the crowd and then glanced down at the parchment he was holding, he started and his eyebrows shot up into the wispy white hair. He chuckled.

"It has been an afternoon of surprises and I am certain this last group will not disappoint." He mused his lips twitching in mirth. "They need no introduction." He added before heading off to the sidelines shaking his head resignedly at the group of staff all watching fervently. During Dumbledore's short speech Lavender and Ron had been reunited, and had overcome their argument, they were now sat, hands entwined looking curiously at the stage. Hermione was fanatically searching the crowd for Harry but gave up as the lights dimmed to a pitch black. Ginny had spotted a shock of blonde and was set to sprint after it when suddenly some very familiar opening bars played into the anticipating air.

"Oh shit!" Ginny breathed, knowing what was about to happen a split second before it did. Her gaze flitted from Ron's look of utter terror back to the stage where currently her two twin brothers were prancing down to the front. They were trailed by a long line of tipsy seventh year males. Ginny dropped her head into her hands as she heard the Fred bellow the opening lines.

"Sittin' here, eatin' my heart out waitin'
waitin' for some lover to call…" He and George grinned their identical evil grins and George took over, hollering the next section,

"Dialed about a thousand numbers lately
almost rang the phone off the wall…" At this the twins twirled woozily around and roused their companions into the chorus.

"Lookin' for some hot stuff baby this evenin'
I need some hot stuff baby tonight!"

A bombardment of about fifteen male voices yelled the song as they shimmied in a long line. Ron looked absolutely mortified his face burning beet red as he buried it in Lavender's shoulder. Hermione was sniggering at the swaying line and wobbling lyrics and Lee, Oliver and Blaise were shaking in hysterics at their friends' erratic and supposedly provocative dance moves.

"They're drunk!" Ginny groaned in embarrassment, "I can't believe this." She said covering her eyes with her hands. "Hermione, tell me they're not…not…" She trailed off pleadingly. Hermione snickered.

"They're not..." She began, then an enormous hoot from the crowd signalled the beginning of the strip. "Oh, yes, yes they are." She corrected, snorting uncontrollably as she watched Fred and George mince about the stage peeling off items of clothes in time to the music, still bellowing the familiar words.

"I want some hot stuff baby this evenin'
…gotta have some hot stuff
…gotta have some lovin' tonight!"

At this point there was another stage invasion, however this time it was practically the entire staff body, Hagrid trundled across to the intoxicated twins, laughing heartily and lifted them in their states of undress and slung them each under a large arm, he then carried them off stage. The remaining budding full-monty-ers sheepishly shuffled offstage herded by a blushing and flustered looking Professor Mc Gonogall. Dumbledore took to the stage, amid a mixture of hysterical laughter, disappointed and cheated sounding boos and wild complimentary applause. He beamed widely.

"Well, that rounds off our competition." He said managing to sound serious. "Now all that remains is for the spectators to vote for their favourite performance this afternoon, that is simply done in the entrance hall, all you do is tap your wand to the photo of the dance you wish to vote for." Dumbledore grinned,

"After you have voted, feel free to retire to your rooms to prepare for tonight's meal and ball. Where I hope, everyone will be fully dressed." He quipped his eyes twinkling. Ron and Lavender disappeared instantly through the doors. Hermione had a last squint in vain for Harry but was soon swept through the doors by the crowd, eager to cast their votes. She waved goodbye to Blaise, Oliver and Lee and glanced around to try and find Ginny but couldn't see her. With a shrug she took to the stairs.