AN: Ok, this is the last chapter ((to be followed by an epilogue if y'all want it!))!!! I really hope you like the ending!
BIG THANKS TO MY BETA FOXER!! YAY!! THANKS FOR DOING ALL THIS FOR ME ESPECIALLY WHEN I CAN BE A PICKY LITTLE PERSON! THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!
Disclaimer: Don't send me a flamer, 'cause I always use a disclaimer! Hehe, it's not mine, so get over it! The plot, however, IS mine...
Hermione awakened quickly the morning of her performance, shooting straight up in bed and panting heavily.
"Today is the day," She whispered to herself, quickly leaping out of bed and changing into her work-out clothes.
"Are you excited?" Ginny asked Hermione when she came into the kitchen, grabbing a nectarine and putting on her black Adidas© hoodie.
"I'm a nervous cat, Gin, and I really need to work out my nerves. Want to come?" Hermione asked before she apparated to the local gym.
Ginny scrunched up her nose. "No, I like my little pudge here and there, thank you very much!"
Hermione laughed and popped away.
Throughout the course of the day, after Hermione returned home from working out, all she did was sit and read, look over her music, or write letters to friends she hadn't seen in a while – Neville and Luna. At a quarter till seven, she and Ginny apparated to the location of the talent show, which was to start at seven.
"Ginny, you will be helping me get ready, right?" Hermione asked as she stepped out of the shower, nearly two hours after she left for the gym.
Hermione gulped as she peeked out from behind the curtain on the make-shift stage. The huge room, with enough chairs to seat four hundred, was packed, and steadily growing bigger – the room, that is – with chairs growing out of the hardwood floor, and instantly being filled. Quickly shutting the curtain, she felt the familiar queasiness feeling in her stomach, and dashed to her dressing room, where Ginny sat, waiting patiently.
"Where have you been?" Ginny asked, tapping a foot on the ground as she stood.
Hermione turned green. "Looking at the crowd..."
Ginny sighed. "It can't be that big, and if it is, all the better! That way there is no way Draco can turn you down!"
Hermione cleared her throat and smiled. "I guess it's also a good thing you made me wear this outfit then. It mirrors how I felt after what I did with Dave," Hermione said, indicating her very appealing outfit.
"Yeah, I just can't believe you actually went for it!" Ginny said, eyeing the tight black shirt that Hermione was wearing, that had horizontal slashes across her abdomen and chest, exposing a white undershirt.
"Yeah, I know. Not usually me. But when you think about it, I had wounds that exposed the innocent me. I get this whole analytical point with this shirt. And the pants are just cute," Hermione said, pretending to be a runway model and display her black pants, that were straight legged (not in the fact that they hugged her legs, but like slacks, more or less).
"I think the most brilliant part is your feet." Ginny said, grinning ear to ear.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, great shoes you picked out Gin, besides the fact that you said I should perform barefoot!"
Ginny was about to counter when a loud voice echoed through the hallways, announcing the show would begin in five minutes. "You're the last act, right?" Ginny asked, starting for the door.
Hermione nodded. "You have to save the best for last, right?"
Ginny only laughed and gave her two thumbs up, then scurried out of the room to find her seat next to Harry, Ron, and Sandra.
Hermione sat down in the couch, provided by her boss, and cradled her knees, humming softly the tune to her song and allowed the time to fly by as she contemplated the reasons for choosing the song.
After what felt like only five minutes, a little wizard dressed in black robes came bustling into her dressing room, panting.
"You're up in two minutes!" He said enthusiastically, then slammed the door shut. Hermione quickly stood, stretching her legs and arms as she gave herself one last look in the mirror. Her chocolate tresses cascaded gently down her back, sparkles illuminating her hair. A small group of curls, gathered on either side of her head near her temples, was pulled back gently with bobby pins, giving her an adorable look. With a swipe of lip gloss, Hermione quickly skirted out of her room and back stage.
A final roar of laughter and applause sent Cosby the Comedian off stage, wiping sweat off his face with a black handkerchief.
"I left them in high spirits," He said, winking at Hermione as he walked to his dressing room. Hermione started fiddling with her fingers as she started to hear Madame Yates jabber on about her performance.
"Hermione Granger is a very accomplished Healer at St. Mungos. Not only does she have two very important inventions saving lives, but has just recently risked her own life to save a young patient. Her song, performed originally by an American Muggle, Britney Spears, is a current description of her life at the moment. Now, with no further waiting, Miss Hermione Granger!"
Hermione heard thunderous applause as Madame Yates stepped off, her eye makeup a pain in the eyes.
"Get out there!" She hissed with a smile painted on her ruby red lips. Hermione nodded, and taking a deep breath, stepped past the curtains onto the stage.
"While my pianist gets set up, I would like to dedicate this song to a certain guy out there, to whom I hurt. I just want him to know that the results of me acting before thinking, which is a rare occasion for me, that it hurt me more than him," Hermione said, taking a ginger hold on the microphone. Her pianist nodded gently as the music filled the air, making gently waving paths through the audience captivating them with it's genuine intentions.
Notice me
Take my hand
Why are we
Strangers when
Our love is strong
Why carry one with out me
Every time I try, to fly, I fall
Without my wings,
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you baby
Hermione's eyes scanned the crowd during the interlude of music leading up to the next verse, quickly finding Draco in the fourth row, dead center. Hermione closed her glistening eyes and continued.
I make believe
That you are here
It's the only way
I think clear
What have I done
You seem to move on easy
And everytime I try, to fly, I fall
Without my wings
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby
And every time, I see you in my dreams
I see your face, It's haunting me
I guess I need you baby...
Hermione closed her eyes and let her feelings take over quickly...
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
But this song's my sorry...
Hermione blinked back tears as her eyes locked with Draco's feeling a certain intensity growing as she felt the music swell over it's peak and dwindle to the next part.
At night I pray
That soon your face will fade away
And everytime I try, to fly, I fall
Without my wings
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby
And every time, I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you baby...
Hermione let her feelings over take her as she gave one last glance at Draco, who's face had softened as he stood with the rest of the applauding crowd, the pianist's ending solo finished.
Hermione took a deep breath. "I really am, very truly sorry. I know I need you, baby." With those last words, Hermione secured the microphone on it's stand and dashed off the stage, running into her dressing room and slamming the door shut, locking it securely and sinking onto the couch. She hadn't realized the impact that the song would have on her after singing it, and the determined look that had settled on Draco's face as he stood...
A thrifty knock startled Hermione from her musical world. "Hermione? It's Ginny! Well, Harry, Ron, Sandra, and me! Let us in!"
Hermione smiled to herself and brushed aside the tears as she opened the door to her friends, who immediately burst in the room with a sense of excitement in the air.
"You did wonderful Hermione! Why on earth did you not tell us you could sing that well?" Ron said, squeezing Hermione so tight in a hug she nearly lost her breath...and her ribs.
"Yeah, Hermione! We never knew!" Harry said, picking her up off her feet as soon as Ron let go.
"I guess it never came up..." She said lamely, shrugging her shoulders.
"Mate, we should have expected it..."
"...I mean, seeing that she's perfect at everything else, except flying a broom, that is..."
"Oh get off it!" Hermione said, smiling at Ginny and giving her a hug, followed by a gentle hug to Sandra.
"How's the baby doing?" Hermione asked, placing a gentle hand on Sandra's swelling belly.
"You should know, doc, since I saw you only two weeks ago!" Sandra said, her eyes glowing with motherly love and contentment.
Hermione smiled and winked. "That's no fun, though. I don't just want to be your doctor!"
"Well I guess tha---"Sandra started, but was cut off by another sharp knock. Hermione gasped and quickly looked at her fingers. Ginny nodded knowingly and opened the door to stand face to face with Draco Malfoy.
"Excuse me, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Sandra, but could I speak to Hermione? ...Alone?" Draco asked kindly. The group of four suddenly came to life again, muttering excuses about having to go home to feed nonexistent animals and clean already spotless rooms. Hermione sat and continued to have an undeniable interest in her fingernails.
Draco made sure the room was securely locked when he finally turned to face the angel that he had seen on stage. He had literally been entranced by the glowing presence she had on stage.
"Hermione, I think we need to ta—"
"Draco, I just wanted to say how foolish I was and how sorry I am. I shouldn't've jumped to conclusions, but I was just so exhausted and it was the worst thing to find out, and then I got a letter from Dave and he offered to take me on a revenge date, and I went against all better judgment and—"
Draco silenced her with a finger to her lips and he crouched down in front of her. "Hermione, I've never been able to forgive quickly, but I knew I should have explained to you at the first opportune moment. But I didn't. I automatically assumed you'd know what happened, and that me being with Haley was nothing of importance. You never know how much you love something, until you let it go. I know we were together for such a short period of time, but I felt a new me come out around you. I wasn't the cynical jerk I used to always be, or the stuck up prat I was back at school. I mean, sure, some of those changes came with the death of Voldemort and all his followers, but you made the final changes I needed to be an all round likable guy." Draco paused to gaze and make the connection in Hermione's honey colored eyes, to find any source of acknowledgement of the same feelings.
Hermione smiled, but her next words were interrupted by a fierce knock.
"Draco Malfoy! I know you're in there! Do I need to remind you who you came to this event with? Do I?" Haley's muffled voice came from the door. Draco groaned.
"Boss says this is the last time I have to take her out because I told Boss that the my job shouldn't depend on his daughter's happiness, and if we were meant to be, I wouldn't feel forced to date her..." Draco hastily explained, taking Hermione's hands and helping her to her feet. Draco raised a brow towards the door, and Hermione nodded her approval. Taking a deep breath, Draco opened the door to reveal a very hotheaded Haley standing there.
"What do you think you're doing in here with this slut?" Haley hissed through gritted teeth. Draco started to protest, but Hermione pulled him back behind her and stepped up to Haley, her eyes blazing.
"Listen to me, you piece of trash, if anyone here is a slut, it's you. So why don't you turn around and go complain to your daddy, because you're scam is over now." Hermione shouted hotly, glaring Haley down.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Haley screamed, raising her hand to slap Hermione, who ducked abruptly and took a step back.
"Thank you so much," Hermione said, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"For what?" Haley said, a smirk on her face.
"For giving me an excuse to do this!" Hermione said, balling up her first and making a rock solid connection with her jaw, knocking Haley down. Haley blacked out for a few seconds, then sat up abruptly.
"I can't believe you! I have pictures for the cover of a robe magazine tomorrow!" Haley said, gingerly touching her swelling jaw.
Hermione smirked. "You might want to go see the Healers, and tell them Hermione sent you. You'll get a special discount." Hermione said, forgetting about the gaping Draco behind her and stepping over and past Haley into the hall, heading out towards the street for some fresh air.
Draco stood there, baffled for a few seconds, then came to his senses, quickly following Hermione outside. He found her out there, leaning with her arms supporting her, on the railing, the moonlight bathing her in a gentle light. Draco realized then that she had lost some weight, and had paled a bit since the last time he saw her, and felt sorry for being the stubborn guy he was.
"Hermione," He said softly, approaching her with caution. Hermione turned, and threw all of his cautioning to the wind as the leapt into his arms, holding him tight as he returned the enthusiasm. After a prolonged embrace, Hermione pulled away, putting hesitant fingers to his face, tracing his jaw line.
"Draco, I hope you know I really didn't mean it," Hermione said, feeling an icy chill from the wind outside skirt up her arms. Draco felt her shiver and smiled.
"I know how I can make you warm again."
Hermione raised an inquisitive brow. "And may I ask how that is?"
Draco smirked and quickly covered her lips with his own. Hermione impulsively put her arms around his neck, closing all space that separated them and filling her body with the known warmth that this was the way life was supposed to be. And since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated most passionate and endearing. This kiss they shared blew them all out of the water.
Isn't that a nice way to end the story? ((sigh)) I sure think so! Oh, yes, if that last line sounds familiar, it is because I borrowed it from the movie Princess Bride. Ok, don't worry, there is going to be an epilogue. That will probably be really long, so it might take more than a week or two to write and get beta-ed.
OH! Let's see if I can get 400 reviews! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I want to end my story with 425 reviews!! Let's make my dream come true!!