New Beginnings
By: Whyteroze28
Chapter Seven: Antics and Auditions, Part 5
Harry was stunned. He hadn't even imagined that Malfoy could sing like that. And with such feeling behind it. The blonde had to be in love. His earlier suspicions were confirmed. Draco Malfoy must have a girlfriend... and a very serious relationship.
He knew he was crying by the end of the song, but he couldn't stop. When Hermione asked what was wrong, he just smiled at her. "It's such a beautiful song," he said. "What do you know, Malfoy finally made me cry."
The two had laughed, even though Harry knew that his laughter sounded forced. Then he'd shaken his head. What did he care if Malfoy had a girlfriend. He only wanted to be friends with the boy, not date him for Merlin's sake.
Besides, even if by some strange twist of fate, Dra... Malfoy was interested... and if he actually wanted the blonde that way... he wouldn't be able to... Not after what he'd gone through with Dudley.
Thinking of Dudley made him remember that horrible summer. He still had nightmares about the nights his cousin had visited him. But that wasn't what he was remembering now. It was the new friend he'd made, Scott.
That was the first, and only real friend he'd made in the Muggle world. Scott was kind of like Dean, in the fact that he was quiet, and seemed content to let Harry do the talking.
Harry had talked about everything he felt was safe, saying that his parents were dead, that he went away to school, and about his friends there. But he'd conveniently left out the fact that he was a wizard, or that his friends and his school were magic. He definitely hadn't told Scott how his parents had died... not that the other boy would have believed him anyway.
The strange thing was, he'd felt drawn to the boy when he'd first seen him. As though he already knew him. And it had been the same way with the boy that Dudley had brought home. That one however hadn't stayed long. And... he'd seemed to change. The first time Harry had met him, he'd been polite, but distant. But the second...
Harry had been washing the Dursley's car, and had almost been finished.
"You missed a spot," Dudley had called, and as Harry had turned to look, Dudley had let fly with a huge ball of mud. It had splattered everywhere. Then he'd thrown three more, cackling with glee, before calling Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia outside.
"I thought you were supposed to be washing the damn thing, Boy," Uncle Vernon had snarled. "You won't be getting any dinner until it's spotless, so you'd better start over."
The new boy had stared, and Harry had gotten the feeling that he'd been going to say something. But instead, he'd just gone inside with the Dursleys.
Harry had gone back to the car, and forgotten about the strange moment, until the boy had come back out, in an extreme hurry. Harry had glared at him, still believing him to be Dudley's friend, and then...
The boy had waved at him, and smiled. "You deserve better than them," he'd called, and took off. But the strangest part had been when he'd turned back to the car. It was completely spotless.
Lupin and Tonks had shown up about a half-hour later, packing him up at light speed, and hustling him out the door.
He'd asked what was going on, but all they'd said was that Professor Dumbledore hadn't wanted Harry to spend another second with the Dursleys.
Thinking back, Harry knew that the other boy had to have been a wizard in disguise. And powerful, if he could do wandless magic. But Harry hadn't had time to dwell on it, because as soon as he'd arrived at Grimmauld Place he'd been thrown into preparing for the war.
And then there had been his confrontation with Voldemort. All in all, it had been a very eventful summer. But he wouldn't let himself dwell on things. It was almost time for him to get up onstage, and he was trying to calm his fears. The potion was definitely working, but it wasn't helping enough. He was still feeling queasy.
"Scared, Potter."
Malfoy. Even though the words didn't hold the malice they had during his second year, they still caused the same reaction. Instantly he knew that he wouldn't give Malfoy the satisfaction of seeing him chicken out.
"Not in the least," he lied, as his name was called. "Wish me luck," he added, not expecting any reply.
He'd almost frozen as he heard the softly whispered, "Good Luck, Harry."
Then he'd bullied himself into moving, and managed to get onstage without tripping. He braced himself for the worst as the music began. It took two false starts before he could bring himself to start singing.
It's been written and it's been said
Something's always messing with your head
No one knows you
Hey like you know yourself
Don't need to listen to everybody else
If you're on a different wavelength
You gotta go with your greatest strength (yeah)
When you sense intentions come from less than love
You got something that you can rise above
CHORUS:
Take it higher
Make it positive
Take it higher
What you got to give
Take it higher
Live and let live
Rise above
Go with love
How high can you fly
(Take it higher)
Inquiring minds wanna know (yeah)
Checking you out wherever you go
When you sense intentions come from less than love
You got something that you can rise above
Take it higher
Make it positive
Take it higher
What you got to give
Take it higher
Live and let live
Rise above
Go with love
How high can you fly
(Take it higher)
If you want your due respect
Try the one thing babe
No one will expect
(guitar solo)
CHORUS:
Take it higher
(Higher)
Make it positive
Take it higher
(Higher)
What you got to give
Take it higher
(Higher)
Live and let live
Rise above
Go with love
How high can you fly
(Take it higher)
(Higher)
Make it positive
Take it Higher
(Higher)
What you got to give
(Take it Higher)
Live and let live
Rise above and go with love
How high can you fly
(Take It Higher)
Take It Higher
He would have laughed, comparing his experience with the episode where the song had come from, except for the fact that he was still shaking from his stage fright.
But, looking around the room, he couldn't help but admit that his debut hadn't been met with anything but admiration. Everyone seemed stunned by the fact that he could sing. And Malfoy looked... proud? What the hell?