First, I would like to say THANK YOU for your patience!!! I am currently studying abroad in South Africa, and my internet access is unpredictable so I can't update as frequently as I would like. I will be returning home near July, so hopefully after that things will settle down and I will be able to update more regularly :). Thanks for bearing with me =)
And a HUGE thanks to my roommate, Starmaster, for acting as a beta, and sound board, being brutally honest with things I need to change =)
Comments and suggestions are always appreciated!!
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roseshavethorns- thanks for the review! I'll update as frequently as possible!!
Atalaya- I'm glad you're enjoying it!! Thanks so much for letting me know, it really encourages me to work on the story =)
alicat999- hehe, I agree completely… hence the reason I loved the idea for the story! Sorry for the wait, I hope it won't take so long in the future! As for Voldie… we'll see -evil grin-
willow-nymph- Thanks for pointing that out to me! I think the format Fanfiction wants and the one I try to use just don't get along :) I hope I fixed it!
Vespera3- I hope I don't disappoint you!
Chapter 2
The first week of classes came and went rather quickly, and before anyone knew it, it was Friday afternoon and the school was gathered in the Great Hall for lunch. Defense Against the Dark Arts had been cancelled all that week, as Professor Delppion needed time for "additional preparations" which had everyone eagerly anticipating the next week's lessons.
Hermione found that this made her a bit nervous. She had been looking forward to DADA class to get acquainted with Professor Delppion before her lessons began tonight. Since she hadn't 'officially' met him yet, she had no idea what to expect from him. Would he be as cruel and demanding as Snape? Would he be relaxed and easy-going?
The boys kept assuring her that she'd get to her lessons and Delppion would tell them to wiggle their feet around a bit and declare that a dance; like something Lockhart would have done. She hoped not, however. She rather liked to believe he had more class than that.
"Earth to Hermione! Hello?" Harry's voice interrupted her internal dialogue.
Ron frowned, "You weren't thinking about that Deppion again were you?"
"It's Professor DeLppion, Ron" Hermione corrected, "and I can't help it."
"Yea, you and every other girl at Hogwarts" Ron grumbled.
"No, it's just that I'm terribly nervous about the lessons tonight. What if he's just like Snape and I'm stuck working with the both of them?"
Harry looked skeptical, "I doubt it. He doesn't seem capable of being that intimidating."
Hermione fixed him with a glare, but didn't argue. It's not as if she wanted him to be intimidating after all.
A silence descended upon the three of them, and Hermione was finally able to take note of something else that had been nagging at the back of her mind.
"Why is it so quiet?" She asked, not paying particular attention to anything else in the Hall.
Harry gasped "That's the least of our problems if we don't hurry! Potions starts in 10 minutes!"
"Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. She looked around the Hall and just noticed that most of the other students had left already. "I need to get my Potions book; I meant to leave early enough to get it! You two go down, I'll meet you there."
"But Herm-" Ron protested.
Anticipating his argument, Hermione interrupted him "Ron, you know it will be worse if I don't have my book than if I'm late. He'll call on me for everything! Now go!"
Not waiting for a response, Hermione grabbed her bag and dashed out of the Great Hall.
"Come on" Harry urged Ron, who was still staring in disbelief at Hermione's retreating figure. "Let's see if we can stall Snape long enough for Hermione to get there."
Now Ron looked at Harry. They knew it was hopeless, but at least they would feel less guilty about the points lost when Hermione was late. Releasing a sigh, they both started walking towards Potions, a class they only wished they could drop.
After deciding in their 5th year that they wanted to become Aurors, the boys were dismayed to learn that they would have to take Potions all the way up to their NEWTS. Their only consolation was that their best friend was there to tutor them (or do their homework for them as the case may be) all the way through. Shrugging it off, they continued towards the dungeons for another round of lost points.
I wonder if dance lessons will make Snape any nicer? mused Harry.
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Hermione was running with everything she had in her back towards the common room: through the halls and up the changing staircase.
Please, please, please don't change on me now she mentally begged as she raced up them. They didn't, and in a surprisingly small amount of time, she was standing in front of the Fat Lady.
"Pixie wings" she gasped out, as the Fat Lady tutted at her, but the portrait swung open. She grabbed her Potions book from off the floor, next to the fireplace where she had left it the night before, then turned and ran back the way she came and down towards the dungeons.
She arrived at the Potions classroom just as everyone was taking their seats.
"Oh thank the Gods" she whispered to herself, taking a glance at the hour glass in the front of the classroom. "30 seconds left, I'm not late."
Risking a quick glance, she scanned the classroom for signs of Professor Snape. Not immediately seeing him, she was about to release a sigh of relief when…
"Miss Granger!!" uh oh "Apparently the privilege of being Head Girl has proven too much of a burden for you" Snape hissed from behind her. "Perhaps I shall have to speak to your Head of House in regards to you falling behind on your academics! 10 points from Gryffindor for Miss Granger's disruption of class!" he bellowed to the students, sending the Gryffindor half a glare that could make their blood freeze.
Torn between grief that Snape accused her of being late, and outrage at the implication that she had disrupted class before it had even begun, she settled for sending a nasty look across the room to where Draco Malfoy was smirking smugly at her. Suddenly remembering her conversation with Ron and Harry about Draco's mother, her expression softened and she looked towards him with grief and pity. It probably wasn't his fault he was such a git.
Noticing the change, Draco immediately looked away, confused. Wonder what's gotten into the mudblood? he wondered, but shrugged off the thought as the lesson began.
Class seemed to take an indeterminable amount of time to end, and when it finally did, Hermione was certain it wasn't soon enough. Gryffindor was 50 points less than it had been that morning, and Snape was shooting daggers through his eyes at her.
"Don't worry" Ron offered after they stepped out of the classroom "you'll make up for the points in your other classes."
"No I won't" she replied glumly, "anything I make in other classes is to make up for what the two of you lose."
"Well" piped Harry, "I guess we'll just have to behave next week!" Smiling, he winked at Hermione as he and Ron headed towards the North Tower for divination and Hermione continued on to Muggle Studies.
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"I can't believe I'm going through with this." Hermione muttered nervously to herself later that night as she walked towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom for her first 'dance lesson.' "Perhaps I should have taken Ron's advice…" she reflected.
Why don't you just stay in your room and say you're sick? Ron had said. Harry and I can go there for you and tell them you can't make it.
No she had sighed, 'cause no doubt Professor Delppion will want to reschedule and Professor Snape will just be angry that I wasted his time. It's better that I just get it over with.
We'll inform your parents if you don't return Harry had joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
"I just may not" she muttered, as the classroom came into view.
Stepping past the threshold of the classroom, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the scene before her. The classroom was charmed to look like nothing she had ever seen before. The room appeared as though it were amidst the cosmos. There was a blue so dark that it could have been black, surrounding everything- the ceiling, the walls, the floor- with stars twinkling all around her, giving the room a soft, heavenly glow. Glancing around, she could make out the shapes of constellations on the walls.
It's as if someone took the night sky and shaped it into a classroom she thought to herself.
The only solid objects being the chairs and tables which were all pushed to one side, and a fire in the hearth at the front left of the room. The floor was opaque, but shone the same colour as the stars, making everything appear as though it had come out of a fairy tale.
"Hermione! Luv, I'm so glad ya've come!" A deep, sexy male voice rang out. Tearing her eyes away from the walls, she turned and her eyes came to rest on the handsome face of Professor Delppion.
Breathless at the proximity she was standing to him, she opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out. Delppion took no notice however, and continued speaking.
"I was worried ya might not come- 'fraid ya might send ure friends te tell me ya were sick" he continued, his coffee eyes glittering with an omniscience that reminded her a bit of Dumbledore. "Although I can't say I'd have blamed ya, considering who Albus chose as a dance partner fer ya."
"I… I don't know what you mean, Professor" Hermione replied, not wanting to get in trouble for her personal opinion of Professor Snape.
"Now, now luv, no need te be like that wit me. Ya'd have te be blind AND deaf not te have noticed the reaction in the Great Hall when Professor Snape was announced. An please, call me Wys."
He gave her a wink and a wide smile that was reflected in his warm eyes, and Hermione found herself relaxing immensely.
"Thank you" she began, reluctant to address Professor Delppion so informally, but already feeling marginally more comfortable in his presence. "I've been terribly nervous about all of this. I can't tell you what a relief it is to finally meet you." Hermione responded earnestly.
"Aww, there's nuthin te it, this will be nuthin te be scared of. We'll astound the staff and students with our performance, we'll-"
"Are we quite ready to begin!?" Snape interrupted, as he stormed into the classroom, not even giving a fleeting look at the room around him even though he quite possibly could have just left Hogwarts and stepped into Heaven.
"Ah, Severus, I'm glad ya've joined us" Wys welcomed.
Snape's eyes narrowed, "It's Professor Snape, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for some idiots nomination…" Ignoring the confused look Hermione sent Delppion, he went on "Now if you're quite finished wasting time with this student" he spat "could we please get on with it? I've got a dungeon full of solitude that deserves my time a lot more than the two of you." He finished in a huff.
Feeling indignation pinkening her cheeks, Hermione spoke up; "Now Professor Snape, I hardly volunteered…"
"I suggest you shut your mouth and don't finish that though you silly girl. Let's get on with it!" Snape seethed.
"Very well" began Delppion, seemingly unfazed by Snape's attitude and smiling encouragingly at Hermione "let's begin. The first thing we mus do before we go on any further is choose the song ya will dance te. I'm goin' te play a couple and monitor ure reactions te them, then I'll choose one."
"You'll choose one?!" Snape snapped. "Now wait just-"
But with a flick of his wand, Delppion began the first song.
It's Electric!
You can't see it (It's electric)
You gotta feel it (It's electric)
Ooh, it's shakin' (It's electric)
Snape's mouth dropped open in indignation and Delppion chuckled.
Who'd have thought a laugh could be so sensual? Thought Hermione, gazing into Delppion's endless brown eyes.
"How 'bout this one then?" Delppion continued, as again he flicked his wand.
You put you're right foot in,
You put your right foot out,
You put your right foot in, and you-
"Please, NO!" Hermione cried, recognizing the muggle tune and desperately trying to avoid the embarrassment she would face in the Great Hall if he was seriously suggesting the Hokie Pokey.
One again, Delppion's deep, velvety laugh gave her goose bumps as he admitted "Okay, okay, now fer the real choices."
"The real, what?! I don't have time for this!" Snape hissed, as the next song began to play.
Take a bow, the night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Light are low, the curtains down
There's no one here
I've always been in love with you [always with you]
I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye…
"No?" Delppion said, observing the less than enthusiastic looks on his pupils' faces. "How about…"
Where will you go?
What will you say?
What will you do,
When you see a Vampire?
He stopped for a second, giving Snape a pointed look. Snape felt himself beginning to flush, and sent a glare to Hermione when a laugh escaped her throat.
"Well what 'bout this one…"
The atmosphere inside the classroom instantly became silent as the last song played out. Professor Snape stood stock-still, as though caught in a trance and Hermione found that she was unable to focus on anything else but the solemn lyrics that flowed through the DADA classroom as the haunting melody held the attentions of its audience, captive. The song played all the way through, and no one did anything but breathe as the song came to a close.
"Wow" Hermione murmured, and Snape seemed speechless.
"I… think we have our song" Delppion whispered into the silence, and all Hermione and Snape could do was nod in reply. "Well," he cleared his throat, and wiped away a tear from his eye "I think that's good fer now. We'll meet again next Friday, same time, te begin learning the steps… I'll have it finished by then."
Still trance-like, Hermione and Snape nodded and turned to leave the classroom. Before exiting, Snape seemed to shake his head, as if to clear it, then turned and glared at Delppion.
"I trust that next week you will be more adequately prepared" Snape sneered. "It's bad enough that you cancel class to finish the decorating that should have been accomplished over the summer. You may waste the students' time all you wish, but I will not endure another waste of mine." He finished, and swept out of the room, his cape mimicking his actions and making a small 'snap' as he rounded the corner sharply.
Hermione bit her lip, avoiding Delppion's eyes and turned to leave as well.
"Oh, and Hermione…" Delppion called as she was about to step into the hall. She turned towards him; listening attentively. "See ya in class on Monday."
Looking into his handsome face and hearing the way her name rolled off his tongue, she answered in the only was she was capable of at the moment: she smiled.
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A/N: The first song is the "Electric Slide," the second is the "Hokie Pokey" (the spelling mistake is intentional), the third is by Madonna, it's "Take a Bow," and the last is called "Vampire," and it's by a South African band called "Obsession." Unfortunately, I don't own the rights to any of these songs =)