Chapter Sixteen

Picture Perfect

Harry couldn't help but be amused… Even if he was currently being smushed by a surprisingly heavy mass of Slytherin.

"Malfoy!" He poked at the unmoving ball of Draco currently residing in his lap. "Malf- Bugger that. Draco. Draco." He poked again at Draco, hard. "Draco, get off my lap. I might've gotten used to you over the last week, but I will not let you sit in my lap. No matter how much that performance scared the wits out of you." Harry shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "I knew you Slytherins were bloody cowards… I just never knew how much of a coward you could be."

Draco uncurled just enough to glare up at Harry. "We are not bloody cowards!" he cried indignantly.

"Then would you kindly relieve my lap of the mass that is your pitiful little body?" Harry grinned down at the pale face in his lap. "You wouldn't want anyone else to see where you ended up after the ghosts' scare-fest, would you?"

Draco glared again and sat up slowly. After a moment, he moved off of the Gryffindor. He plopped himself back onto the cushions next to Harry. His arms were knotted together across his chest and an angry pout was put into place. "Better, Potter?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you, Malfoy."

"Potter, if you ever think about telling anyone-" started Draco.

"Yes, yes, I know. You'll hex me from here to Surrey and back," finished Harry. The smile morphed into a sly smirk.

"Oh. And Potter? One more thing." Draco turned to look Harry straight in the eye.

Harry returned the dead glare with great precision. "Yes, Malfoy?"

Draco's eyes narrowed till they were nearly as thin as the hair of a hippogriff. "You ever call me 'Draco' again without my permission, I will kill you. Are we clear?"

Harry fought back the amused smirk, holding the Slytherin's stare. "Crystal."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Draco sat stock still, one trying to hide an amused grin, the other wearing an angry glare. Slowly the glare transformed into the standard smirk that always graced the pale skin.

Harry found his lap full again an instant later. Draco had plopped his feet right back into Harry's lap. Harry let the amused grin break free and rested his arms on top of Draco's legs.

Slowly, and quite stealthily, Harry inched his fingers to the hems of Draco's pants and drew them up just enough so that he could play with the leg hair by Draco's ankles.

Draco noticed the action but chose to ignore it. Either that or he was enjoying it far too much to have Harry stop. He hid a smile as he looked to Seamus for the next introduction.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seamus reached behind him and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well, ladies and gentlemen. That was, erm, interesting." Seamus rubbed the back of his neck again and then let his hand drop to his side. He shook off his uneasy feeling and brought his focus back to the task at hand.

He smiled. "Next up is sure to be a lovely duet. Please welcome back to the stage Ginny Weasley, along with her handsome beau, Colin Creevey." Seamus grinned and stepped off the stage as Ginny and Colin moved to take their places. Seamus clapped a good luck pat on Colin's shoulder as he moved toward his seat.

Colin and Ginny stood side-by-side on the stage. They glanced quickly at each other and then they both snapped once.

At once, their robes were replaced with Muggle clothing. Colin was dressed in nice jeans and a pale yellow long-sleeved tee-shirt. Ginny was in tight, dark-blue bell-bottomed jeans and a white button-down shirt tailored to show off her girlish figure. Between the two fourth-years was a stool for each them to sit on. They took their places atop the stools and sat facing slightly away from each other.

Colin waved his wand over his head and guitar music started playing quietly. The boy took a breath and went his cue came, he started singing.

"Living my life in a slow hell"

He put a hand over his chest, a forlorn look on his face.

"Feelin' heartache and pain nothing could quell"

He glanced over his shoulder at Ginny.

"Watching you fall harder every day

Was gettin' by on watching you watch him

For a long time I swore chances were slim

Lord, I wanted you to look at me that way"

He sighed sadly, staring at his hands.

"I took your picture those days

As I brushed tears away

I couldn't ask you out while they're saying you love him"

He glanced quickly over at where Harry was seated. Harry's eyes got a little wider than usual and his eyebrows shot toward his bangs. Meanwhile, Colin slipped off his stool, meandering away from Ginny. At the far edge of the stage, he turned and then pantomimed taking a snapshot of her.

"I took your picture those days"

He made like he was wiping his eyes.

"As I brushed tears away"

He shook he head sadly and turned away from her.

"I couldn't ask you out while they're saying you love him"

Colin hugged himself tightly, a sad look in his eyes. He stared at his shoes.

Ginny took a deep breath, trying not to let Colin's words affect her. She took a quick look at him.

"The moment I saw you I just fell"

She shook her head.

"My love I hid, I would not tell"

She rested her own hand over her heart.

"But I knew in my heart you and I would make it right"

She crossed her arms over her chest, a half-smile on her lips.

"I was waiting for you to ask me out

All I saw in your eyes was pure doubt"

She frowned a bit.

"I cried over you every night"

A knowing smile took the frown's place as she continued. She glanced at Colin again.

"You took my picture those days

I hoped you'd make a play"

She shook her head and looked over at her ex-crush, Harry.

"You wouldn't ask me out because they said I loved him"

Ginny hopped off her stool and moved away to the other edge of the stage. She turned and looked at Colin's back.

"You took my picture those days

I hoped you'd make a play"

She shrugged and turned slowly away.

"You wouldn't ask me out because they said I loved him"

There was a little bit of an interlude. For a while the couple stood alone, hugging themselves and sending longing looks over their shoulders at each other, never at the same time. Finally, they turned back toward each other. They kept their eyes to the floor, but slowly advanced toward each other. When Ginny heard her cue, she glanced up. As she sang, Colin, too, raised his head to look at her. They kept moving toward each other.

"I saw you every day with all your friends"

They sent little waves at each other, but kept moving. They passed each other as though they were walking slowly through the hallways.

"It was the same ol' same 'how're you doin'?' "

They both looked over their shoulders at the other and sang together.

"Since I met you, my heart was saved for you"

Colin took a deep breath and acted as though he was steeling himself so he could do something drastic. He rushed to her side.

"I threw caution to the wind and I asked you"

Ginny grinned, an excited twinkle in her eyes.

"I realized you asked me to date you"

She nodded and then hurried to the side and made like she was writing a letter.

"I was off to write Mom!"

Colin grinned broadly and walked away from Ginny and also pretended to write a letter out.

"Daddy, I got great news today!"

They both turned toward each other and started moving together. This time they were staring straight in the other's eyes, and smiles lit both faces.

"I thought about you for a long time"

They met at center stage and slipped their arms around each other.

"Can't seem to get you off my mind

I can't stand when we go our separate ways"

Ginny stepped back and Colin leaned back, pretending again to take Ginny's picture. They sang the next lines together as Ginny posed and Colin kept up the photography pantomime.

"I took your picture today"

"You took my picture today"

"I know we'll be okay

We both know we're here together, here to stay"

They grinned at each other.

"I took your picture today"

"You took my picture today"

They both stopped their actions and stepped together again. Ginny slid her arms around Colin's neck. Colin's arms snaked around Ginny's waist. They grinned broadly.

"I know we'll be okay

We both know we're here together, here to stay"

Ginny leaned in and put her head on Colin's chest, her face to the audience. Colin hugged her tightly.

"We both know we're here together, here to stay"

They both closed their eyes, enjoying being in each other's arms. After a second, the crowd broke out in cheers for them. After a sigh from each of them, Ginny pulled back and looked up at Colin. She smiled sweetly at him and stood on her tip-toes to set a kiss on his cheek. Then they turned and stepped off the stage and made their way back to their seats amid cheers and applause.

~*~TBC~*~