Thank you for the lovely reviews. Notes to you all at the end.

My thanks as always to JessiokaFroka for betareading.

lots of love, Severusgirl

Chapter Twenty-One

CASTINGS AND CONVERSATIONS

END OF YEAR PRODUCTION

This year Hogwarts is planning an end of year
production of the musical show

GUYS AND DOLLS

(A musical fable of Broadway)

Set in New York, this is a tale of comedy

and romance involving gamblers and the

women they love.

Cast auditions will be held in

the Music Room on

Friday at 6.30pm

Any student wishing to play in the orchestra

should contact Professor Timberly.

Andi looked at the queue standing outside the Music Room on Friday evening and wondered if she would be through by midnight. It was heartening to see so many eager students. More girls than boys, as was always the case.

There were groans and protests when it was announced that only the sixth-year students would be considered for the five main parts, but no one moved away or changed their minds.

It soon became obvious that some of the students hadn't realised they would be required to sing at the audition. The room had a permanent silencing charm on it, preventing anyone outside hearing what was going on inside, but still quite a number of students were shy about opening their mouths. One sixth-year boy turned as red as his hair as soon as she spoke to him, collapsed into embarrassed giggles when asked to sing, then suddenly remembered he had quidditch practice and rushed from the room.

"Millicent Bulstrode," said Andi the next day as she and Vincent sorted through the audition notes over coffee.

"What about her?"

"She auditioned for the part of Sarah Brown. Have you seen the size of her? I'm more inclined to cast her as Harry the Horse."

Vincent laughed. "Still, she was the only Slytherin to audition. It might be nice to include her in the show somewhere."

Vincent had been so enthusiastic about the show that she'd gladly split the responsibilities down the middle and he and she were now co-everything.

"Vincent, how is it you know so much about a Muggle show?"

"Oh, I knew a Muggle actor once. We lived together for a while. He had a very large...repertoire. I used to help him learn his lines and I went to all his shows. He was in Guys and Dolls, which I adored. I saw it dozens of times. He played Nathan. We split up when he did a sixth month run of Chekov - I couldn't stand the depression." Vincent held his hand to his head in a dramatic gesture. 'Ve must go back to Moscow'. Believe me sweetie, three months into the run, I was more than happy to buy him a one-way ticket."

Andi laughed, as she always did with Vincent, then took a sip of coffee.

"Do you think it would be a good idea to explain the story in the program?" she asked him. "There will be a few things a wizard-audience might not understand."

"That's a good idea. I'll ask Hermione Granger if she'll do it; she's Muggle-born, and very succinct."

Andi took a chocolate cookie, absent-mindedly snapped it in half and dipped it in the little bowl of ketchup by her notepad. She stopped when she saw Vincent watching her, fascinated.

"It's... it's a delicacy where I come from," she said quickly, trying to cover up for this weird food craving she'd recently developed.

"Really? How strange." He looked back down at the notes. "So, who have you cast so far?"

"Everyone except Sky Masterson - there's just no one I feel is up to the task. The nearest is Colin Creevy, if we bulked him out a bit... but he's taking his OWLs, so he's out of the running."

"Let's see," Vincent took the cast list from her.

"Nathan Detroit - Terry Boot

Miss Adelaide - Sally-Ann Perks - oh yes, she'll be brilliant. She's a wonderful mimic. I'm afraid she does a rather wicked impersonation of Severus.

Sky Masterson - don't know.

Sister Sarah Brown - Parvati Patil

Nicely-Nicely Johnson - Ernie Macmillan

So what are you going to do about Sky?"

Andi sighed. "I don't know. The whole show could be a disaster if I don't find the right person. If worse comes to the worse, I shall have to ask Seamus Finnigan, but I seriously don't want to. He'd be great as Inspector
Brannigan."

"Dean Thomas?"

Andi shook her head. "We need him on guitar. Don't worry," she said, popping the other half
of the ketchup cookie in her mouth. "I'll sort something out."

The first music rehearsal took place. Andi began with the soloists - Sally-Ann, Parvati and Ernie.

Sally-Ann produced a wonderfully convincing Texas accent which, unfortunately, wasn't quite right for Adelaide. Ernie took himself too seriously and needed to relax a bit. Parvati had a lovely clear voice. Andi wondered why she'd never joined the choir.

Things were going well. Andi was very pleased with the students as the rehearsal neared the end. It had been quite a pleasant experience until they were disturbed by intruders.

Andi stormed towards the door as two Slytherin boys retreated, laughing and jeering. She recognised them - of course she did. They had both given her trouble at one time or another. One was that odious Theodore Nott.

By the time she reached the door, they were gone, with only the sound of their footsteps running down a distant corridor.

She turned to the students. "I shall remember to lock the door next time. Let's call it a night, hmmm? You've done really well. I'm very pleased with the progress we've made this evening."

As she made her way back to her rooms, she heard voices somewhere ahead, around the corner. Her steps slowed as she neared the corridor, eventually stopping to listen, out of sight.

"...and Patil...you should have heard her - squawking like a crow:

'Ask me how do I feel
now that we're cozy and clinging...'"

Andi turned the corner, silently.

There were three boys; two, thickset and ugly, the other smaller and blonde. The blonde one was entertaining the other two. He'd had his arms around his shoulders, making it look as though he was in a clinch with someone.

"Honestly, the only good thing was her tits swinging about:

'If I were a bell I'd go
ding dong ding dong ding... "

He made crude gestures as he swayed violently from side to side.

Andi approached softly, quietly, unconsciously mimicking Severus' silent walk as she glided up to them.

The two thugs saw her first. Evidently seeing their expressions, the blonde swung around, the anxious look on his face dissolving as he realised who it was.

"Mr. Malfoy, isn't it?"

"Yes, 'Professor'."

"What are you doing along this corridor? I sincerely hope you have not been annoying the Hufflepuff girls."

"No Professor, I was just on my way back to the dungeons. May I walk with you? That is where you sleep, isn't it?"

Andi looked at him. Insolent little shit. "Mr. Malfoy, could I see you for a moment in my office?"

She gestured the way. He began to walk, but turned to the others and made a comic face at his companions before following her down the corridor. Aware that he was swaggering and watching her arse as they walked, she was quite relieved when they reached her office.

"Please sit."

He threw himself in the chair, the ankle of his right foot resting on his left knee, his hands linked behind his head.

"I suppose you're going to take points from me," he said, cockily.

It annoyed her to know he would never act like this in the presence of any other teacher.

"Why, what have you done?"

He looked taken aback. "Nothing."

"Then I have no reason to take points from you - although what you were doing out there was cruel and uncalled for." She walked around to the other side of the desk and turned to face him. "I have asked you
in here to find out whether you would be interested in taking part in the show."

Malfoy stared at her for a moment, a deep red flush coloring his cheeks. "You must be joking!"

"I'm very serious."

"No way! I'm not prancing about like a fu... like an idiot."

"I haven't yet cast the male lead. I think you would be perfect. And he doesn't 'prance', I promise you."

"Sorry, Professor, you've got the wrong student. I don't do homo stuff like that."

"Mr. Malfoy, watch your tone." She looked at him for a moment. "I can assure you, Marlon Brando was one of the toughest actors in the business and he played Sky brilliantly."

"Get off. Why pick on me? You had plenty of others wanting to do it."

"Because you have what is known as 'perfect pitch'. You may have been insulting Parvati at the time, but you hit every note perfectly out there in the corridor, not to mention how quickly you remembered the song. I assume that was the first time you'd heard it?"

"If you think I'm joining some stupid Muggle show to make an idiot of myself in front of the whole school-"

"This is the libretto," she said, leaning across the desk and holding the book towards him. "Just read it through and see what you think. I need a good strong male presence for the part of Sky; it can't be given to just anyone. I believe you're the one person in the whole school who could carry it off."

She noticed, too late, that his eyes were fixed on her cleavage as she leaned across the desk, and (God forgive her) she was so desperate for him to accept the part, she lingered for a second longer before standing up straight. His eyes went instead to the book.

Whether she'd tickled his ego with her little speech, or whether her cleavage had diverted his thoughts from protesting, she couldn't guess, but...

"I'll take it," he said, snatching the book from her. "But that doesn't mean I'm doing it."

Andi took a deep breath before knocking on Albus' door one Sunday afternoon during the Easter break.

Severus hadn't come home as quickly as she'd hoped and, as much as she believed he should be the first to know he was going to be a father, she felt it wrong to hold out on warning Albus any longer.

"Andrea, come in, come in." He waved her into the room and towards the two squashy armchairs either side of the fire. She sat in the right hand one as Albus lowered himself sedately into the other. Between them was a low occasional table set with a tea service for two and plates of various pastries and biscuits.

"I usually take tea at this time with Minerva, but she has decided to visit her cousin in the Gorbles, so it is just us two." Albus poured tea and handed a cup to Andi. "And before you ask, I have no new news from Severus."

Andi blushed. "Oh dear, am I becoming a bore?"

He smiled. "Let us just say, a trifle predictable."

"I just wish I understood why he's been gone so long. I didn't realise he'd be away all this time."

"It is a complicated journey to and from Liechtenstein when one does not use a broom, and Severus is traveling under cover, which adds to the difficulties."

"Liechtenstein? Is that where he is?" Andi was amazed. She hadn't reckoned on him being out of Britain.

"That is where his ancestral home lies and where, I imagine he would have begun his quest."

There was a small silence whilst visions of a cloaked Severus flitting furtively across Europe colored her imagination.

"Now," said Albus, breaking into her thoughts and offering her a plate of chocolate digestives. "This is very pleasant, but I presume it is not merely a social visit?"

Andi took a cookie, feeling her heartbeat increase slightly with nerves.

"Um, no. Um..." Her mouth had gone dry. Words rehearsed earlier simply vanished from her head. If it was this difficult to say to Albus, how on earth was she going to break the news to Severus?

"Perhaps this will help." He took the lid off a little bowl and held it towards her. She almost choked when she saw it contained tomato ketchup. She stared at him, her mouth agape.

His eyes twinkled back at her over his glasses. "It is not a difficult thing to detect," he said, pleasantly. "May I
be first to offer my congratulations?"

"Ha! Um...thank you but, I'm not sure 'congratulations' is the right sentiment. It was quite a shock actually - a mistake."

Albus looked down at his hands. "My mind is cast back, Andrea, to November and the dinner we had with
your mother. I remember how you blanched when she announced you, yourself, had been a 'mistake'."

Andi was horrified at being compared to her mother. She flushed to her roots.

"Well of course no, not a mistake - more an accident... a surprise. Albus, I'm so sorry, I'm going to have to backtrack on the school show and hand everything over to Vincent - he's just as enthusiastic as me, and of course I shall leave whenever it is most convenient for you..."

"When is the baby due?"

"Mid September."

Albus thought.

Andi sat in silence, watching him. There was all ready a noticeable swell to her stomach when she was naked. In another month or so, it would be obvious when dressed. Her resignation should come sooner rather than later if scandal was to be avoided.

"Just after the summer break..." he mused.

"Yes, but-"

"I shall be able to charm your robes to conceal your condition, up until the actual birth if need be." He looked at her. "If you feel you would be able to continue your duties until July?"

"Er, I would hope so, but surely...?"

Albus leaned forward. "Andrea, when you suggested to me the possibility of putting on a show at the end of this year, I watched your whole face light up with enthusiasm, with pure passion for your craft. I am very keen to see
that passion transformed onto the stage. I have no desire for you to leave your post before the school year is through. The inconvenience alone would be monumental."

This last statement made Andi snort with amusement. It was obviously a polite little white lie. The idea that her absence could be equaled to the sheer chaos Severus' had caused was ridiculous.

"That's very kind of you," she said, feeling so touched that he was finding ways of keeping her here. "Of course, I would love to remain here if at all possible, but there are other considerations."

"Ah yes," said Albus. "Severus. You have not been able to tell him, obviously."

"No. Things have calmed down between us. We may even be back together - possibly. Yes, I'm pretty sure we probably are. That all might change when he knows about this."

"It would be a foolish man who turned away from the precious gift of a child, and foolishness is not something I would readily attribute to Severus."

"But don't you see? I'm forcing this relationship to another level and it's not something Severus will be comfortable with. He'll end up resenting us. We'll be a burden."

"Andrea, I had assumed the Muggle world more advanced in equality than your words seem to indicate. We in the Wizarding world acknowledge that it takes two to make a baby. You are both equally responsible for
this 'accident' as you put it. I concede Severus' reaction to the news may, at first, stir the... somewhat darker side of his personality..."

"Meaning, you don't want to be in the room when I tell him?" she grinned.

He smiled back. "I do not envy your task, I admit, but Severus will not shirk his responsibilities - of this I am sure."

"Yes," she said, realising she'd known this all along. "Of course you're right; it's just the idea of him suffering me and the baby, just because it's the right thing to do. That's no basis for a relationship. I'd rather leave and cope on my own."

Albus made a great deal of stirring sugar into a fresh cup of tea, chinking the silver spoon on the lip of the cup three times before saying,

"I was Headmaster when Severus came to Hogwarts at the age of eleven. Minerva, relatively new herself, was his Transfiguration teacher. He had come from a somewhat violent background; his mother, desperate to
distance him, begged me to take him in. I would have done so anyway - he showed remarkable intelligence even then. We nurtured him as best we could, but it was painful to see how easily he made enemies and how quick he was to shun anyone who dared show him the hand of friendship. We have watched his struggles, his mistakes, his... very long journey into the man he is today. Minerva, in particular, is quite protective of him.

"In all that time, we have never known him allow another person to get close, until you appeared - perhaps by 'accident' - through the archway." He smiled. "Were you aware there was a sweepstake amongst the staff as to how long your relationship would last? No?" He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. "I am not supposed to know, either! Nevertheless I do know the longest time put forward was three weeks, six days. You see, they have all known Severus for years. They know what to expect of him - only this time, he surprised them.

"I think he may very well surprise us again."

A/n - Originally this chapter ended at Draco taking the book, but reviews by Kerichi and Queen of the Faeries1 made me realise that Andi couldn't and shouldn't keep the pregnancy to herself for long, and that she needed someone to talk to, so I added this last section with Albus. My thanks to them and I hope it works.

I couldn't picture any of the golden trio wanting to sing and dance, so apologies to anyone who hoped to see Hermione's Sarah to Draco's (possible) Sky or Harry's Nathan to Ginny's Miss Adelaide!

May-Luna - Yes, the cloak does it for me, too!

josie - A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Lee74 - Thanks for your lovely review.

Thouandl - Thanks. I did imagine it to be a very conflicting time for Andi, but I did enjoy writing that chapter.

Emma Barrows - Thanks Emma.

Helena Oe - Really? The most romantic scene? Thank you. I've tried harder on other romantic scenes - perhaps I was more in tune this time.

Mark Darcy - Thanks for your review. Welcome. I love the character of Remus, but I don't feel the same affinity as I do with Snape. There's so much more conflict and challenge with the bad boy. For Remus/Tonks, try Kerichi's 'Simply Irresistible'.

KristiM - I wanted Vincent to be an outrageous character - I'm so pleased you think he is.

Silent Watcher, 1st Fury - Thanks for your review.