Family Affair

Chapter 6 Complicated

All too soon, Harry heard Hermione calling. "Harry? Draco?? Dessert!!"

Draco and Harry guiltily stood up, dusted themselves off, and straightened assorted pieces of clothing. Harry stumbled out of the woods, followed by Draco. "Where have you two been?" She asked. Then Hermione said, surprised, "Draco, Harry, you have leaves in your hair. Have you been fighting?"

"No." Harry said, almost choking in surprise. "Not at all, why?"

Hermione was not convinced. "Then how come you've got bruises along your jawline?" Draco almost choked. It was lucky that Hermione had her back to him. Harry did some fast thinking. He hadn't counted on hickies when he'd entered the wood.

"I tripped on a rock Hermione, that's all." Harry lied. While he felt a bit guilty, he didn't want to spill the beans on Draco. Let him test the waters first.

When he got to the table, he got the perfect opportunity. "HARRY!" Taiko exclaimed. "Are those HICKIES on your jaw?"

Hermione snorted into her milkshake. "HICKIES? Harry have you and Draco been..."

The response was simultaneous and vehement denial.

"NO WAY!" Draco exclaimed.

"Are you insane??" Harry demanded.

Hermione regarded Harry steadily for a moment. "No, but I do think that you two aren't telling me something."

Ron laughed on a mouthful of pie. "Are you crazy? Hermione, they HATE each other!"

Harry stared into his plate of bundt-cake. "Yeah." He said, not really meaning it. "We hate each other."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Alright. Fine."

Harry focused entirely on his dessert.

~half an hour later~

The signal caused Taiko to rise from her place at the table. Mrs. Weasley stacked the dishes with a wave of her wand and moved the tables against one edge of the wall. Professor Dumbledore arranged the benches around the edge of the garden with a second series of spells. Snape and Lupin joined Taiko and Andemon on the platform. Snape carried a flute under one arm and Lupin carried a second guitar.

Taiko gave them directions. Lupin nodded. They waited, poised. As Harry watched, Taiko held up one finger, then two, then three.... Before she began to play. Harry's jaw dropped. Snape was listening to a child, playing the same piece as Lupin, and Lupin was actually SINGING! It took him a moment to register the words...

Somewhere a voice calls, in the depths of my heart

May I always be dreaming, the dreams that move my heart

So many tears of sadness, uncountable through and through

I know on the other side of them I'll find you

"Ooo! Ooo! I know this one!" Tonks said happily. "It was from Spirited Away!"

Taiko was glorious. Her voice sailed effortlessly across the scales. Lupin's guitar followed hers in the melody. As they played, the guests got up, one by one, and paired off to dance. She looked around, and saw Harry and Draco dancing in a darkened corner under a tree. Let them in peace, she thought.

Everytime we fall down to the ground, we look up to the blue sky above

We wake to its blueness, as for the first time

Though the road is long and lonely and the end far away, out of sight

I can with these two arms embrace the light

Draco allowed Harry to lead him into a darker area of the garden to dance. He was a delight to partner. Harry's hand around his waist made him feel warm, even though the midsummer night was a bit chilly.

Harry felt the same. It was amazing how easy it was to dance like this with a partner that didn't parade you around like a doll. They were moving as one person. Harry felt completely calm and at peace.

As I bid farewell my heart stops, in tenderness I feel

My silent empty body begins to listen to what is real

The wonder of living, the wonder of dying

The wind, town, and flowers, we all dance one unity

Taiko smiled as she watched them. But she had learned to keep on playing no matter what. She noticed Hermione and Ron dancing, but Hermione didn't seem to be paying complete attention to what was going on. She was keeping an eye open to see where Harry had disappeared to.

Somewhere a voice calls in the depths of my heart

Keep dreaming your dreams, don't ever let them part

Why speak of all your sadness or of life's painful woes

Instead let the same lips sing a gentle song for you

The whispering voice, we never want to forget

In each passing memory always there to guide you

When a mirror has been broken, shattered pieces scattered on the ground

Glimpses of new life, reflected all around

Window of beginning, stillness, new light of the dawn

Let my silent, empty body be filled and reborn

No need to search outside, nor sail across the sea

Cause here shining inside me, it's right here inside me

I've found a brightness, its always with me...

The dancers paused before her. Taiko grinned. The next song would ruin the mood cast by the first, and horribly. But it would also jolt everybody awake, big time....

She grinned and struck up the tune. Uncle Andemon's eyebrows went up a bit. So did a few other peoples. Taiko didn't really care. This was one of the few songs that were "her songs." They were her favorites.

"Okay everybody. This song is one of my favorites. If you know it you're welcome to sing along. I think there are some people out there who can empathize..."

Uh Huh

Life's like this

Uh Huh

Uh Huh

That's the way it is

Cause life's like this

Uh Huh

Uh Huh

That's the way it is

The kids gratefully gathered in the center of the dance floor. Some of the younger grown ups joined in. Hermione practically glowed, a glow that made Taiko's heart flutter. /You know, I think I'm finally starting to get over Belili./

Chill out

What you yellin for?

Lay back

It's all been done before

And if you could only let it be

You will see

I like you the way you are

When we're drivin in your car

And you're talkin to me one-on-one

But you become

Hermione knew the song and the dance. The twins led the chorus. She could even see Draco join in on the refrain. Yes, she had definitely chosen well. Tonks even sang along.

Somebody else

Round everyone else

Watchin your back

Like you can't relax

You tryin to be cool

You look like a fool to me

Tell me

Taiko lowered her voice for the others to sing along. And sing along they did, practically bellowing out the words.

Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?

I see the way you're actin like you're somebody else

Gets me frustrated

Life's like this you

You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get

And you turnin into

Honestly, you promised me

I'm never gonna find you fake it

No no no

You fall and you crawl and you break. Hadn't she done that before? She fell into Salem. She crawled and when she left, she broke. Taiko could honestly pour her heart into the song. It was beautiful!

You come over unannounced

Dressed up like you're somethin else

Where you are ain't where it's at you see

You're makin me

Laugh out

When you strike a pose

Take off

All your preppy clothes

You know

You're not foolin anyone

When you become

Even those who had never heard the words sang along on the refrain, since the words were easy to sing. It was beautiful and powerful and good. It was a release from the stress of the times.

Somebody else

Round everyone else

Watchin your back

Like you can't relax

You tryin to be cool

You look like a fool to me

Tell me

Taiko could ask that question to her foster mother. Why had she made everything so complicated? She could tear her life down and now she had to pull it back up. Either way, she'd have some fun in the process. A new adventure, that's how she ought to see it.

Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?

I see the way you're actin like you're somebody else

Gets me frustrated

Life's like this you

You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get

And you turnin into

Honestly, you promised me

I'm never gonna find you fake it

No no

Everybody joined in on the chorus. Harry grinned as he sang along. How had Taiko known? Or had this been Taiko's feelings about the transfer. It would be kind of hard without Ginny around. She was very helpful, and if a battle came up, they'd be down one man, or woman as the case may be, in the D.A. but she'd definitely have some fun.

Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?

(yeah yeah)

I see the way you're actin like you're somebody else

Gets me frustrated

Life's like this you

You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get

And you turnin into

Honestly, you promised me

I'm never gonna find you fake it

No no no

"No no no." He whispered in Draco's ear. He brushed against him gently as he turned, nobody saw him, except, perhaps, Hermione.