Chapter 7- Back stage drama
"Is everyone dressed?" Hannah asked with a big smile on her face from on stage. "Good, now we're just going to do a straight run-through. Our crew is ready today,but let's have some patience for them."
Everyone stayed very quiet, wondering if this was the calm before the storm, but after making this announcement, Hannah hopped off the stage and went to the back row to sit. "What's going on?" Ron asked.
"I heard Madam Pomfrey gave her an extra large dose of calming draught," Hermione informed the others. "I'm wondering how much, though. She seems quite…"
"Out of it?" Harry provided as they looked back at their director. No one else said anything as they all got in place for the opening scene.
Sinistra sat on the front row. "Kick! Turn! Turn! Good!" she shouted as Rose and Mandy came on stage to do their bit of dancing to the opening number. In a small pit set off to the side were more self-playing instruments. They stayed right on track, playing the overture as Professor Flitwick conducted on top a tall wooden box.
"Where did Ginny go?" Ron asked, looking around the stage.
Hermione looked down at her costume. "I think she's studying in the green room until—"
"Green room? She went to the Slytherin common room?" Ron asked.
"No," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "The green room. That place back stage."
"That's not green, it's brown," Ron said. Harry tried desperately to hold in laughter.
"It's called the green room, Ron," Hermione said. "Honestly, haven't you learned anything about theatre?"
"Shhhh," Ernie said. "Don't go getting Hannah all upset."
Ron made a face at Ernie as he turned back around, but none of them started talking as the trumpet sounded for the beginning of the first number.
I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere,
And there's a guy who says if the weather's clear,
Can do,
Can do,
This guy says the horse can do.
Dean was the person singing with a newspaper in his hand. Seamus was listening as he looked over Dean's shoulder occasionally, and Michael stood a little further downstage. Seamus came in with the second part, bringing his own notebook out and pointing out evidence to which horse was going to win. Next Michael added in. Their performance was getting better, though sometimes Seamus wasn't too certain with the words.
The show continued to run with only a few major problems, though Hannah would just smile and say to continue. "I'm here!" Harry heard Ginny from off stage just before her entrance. She was wearing a large faux fur jacket and lots of flashy jewelry. It almost looked ridiculous, Harry noted, seeing as Ginny was normally of simple taste in style. Simple but good, Harry added in his mind.
She came on stage and started to give her lines. Suddenly her eyes widened and she bit her bottom lip. "'I have a gift for you Nathan'," Ginny said, her accent starting to slip. Harry realized then that Ginny had forgotten the prop from the table. Someone from off stage, rushed on to give it to the blushing Ginny.
"'Oh Adelaide'," Harry said with a swallow and a smile. "'I wasn't able to get you anything.'"
"'Nathan, that's all right, it makes me feel as though we were already married'," Ginny started getting back into character and not worrying so much about her mistake anymore. They continued on with a few more of the same problems. Hermione was one of the few people that would worry about those, taking Hannah's place as she was occupied with more calming draught.
Every so often Hannah would shout out in a jovial manner, "Good show, good show," or, "Don't worry, you'll get it."
"Maybe Madam Pomfrey should let up on the potion a bit," Hermione said.
"Why? She's off our backs isn't she?" Ron replied.
"She's practically high!"
"High as a kite," Harry added, "but happy, at least."
"What are you talking about over here?" Ginny asked, adjusting her leotard and kitten ears for the next number.
"Hannah Abbot and the Case of the Calming Draught," Harry said, looking out of the curtain where Hannah seemed to be sharing a good joke with a fourth year that would be helping out with the lighting.
"At least she's happy," Ginny said. "I wish I could get a couple swigs from her."
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Ginny," Hermione warned.
"Don't worry," she responded, "I'll wait until after we finish the show."
"Why's that?" Ron asked, looking down at his script.
"Because after that, I don't care what I look like in front of a group of people."
"How's studying going?" Hermione asked brightly, only to earn a glare from Ginny.
"I should have stayed in the chorus."
"You make a great Adelaide, though," Ron encouraged, handing her the robe sitting on the stair well, which lead to the catwalk. "Doesn't she Harry?"
Harry, who was concentrating on what was happening on stage instead of Ginny's latest costume, looked over. "What?" he asked.
"Isn't Ginny a great Adelaide?" Ron asked again.
"Oh, yeah," he responded, then looked back to the stage, feeling himself go a bit red.
"Anyway, I've got to go help Rose with a couple of the steps she keeps missing," Ginny said, then was off.
"I'm going to get some water," Harry likewise excused himself.
Hermione waited until she was gone before saying anything. "Why can't you seem to leave those two alone?" Hermione asked.
"I am leaving them alone," Ron said. "I just thought that it might help Ginny if she knew we all thought she was doing well."
"Why didn't you ask me to help with the affirmation then?" Hermione asked, with one eyebrow cocked. "Besides, it's not the part that giving her the most stress, it's just a contributing factor," she added when Ron couldn't seem to respond.
"What is it then, Ms. Know-it-all?" Ron said.
Hermione looked as though she had just been struck by some sudden news. "It has to do with O.W.L.s coming up," she said. "And I don't know it all."
"Wow, that's a first," Ron snarked. "Hermione Granger, not knowing it all… should be on the headline of The Daily Prophet tomorrow," he said.
"You're a real prat, sometimes, you know that?" Hermione said, turning back to pay attention for her entrance.
"Besides, what if I am trying to get them to notice one another? Is there something so wrong with that?" Ron asked.
"It's your approach," Hermione said. "There's no need to be so pushy about it."
"Just because there's no one for you to date doesn't mean that you should try and keep me from helping Harry and Ginny be happy," Ron snapped quickly. He watched Hermione's reaction with satisfaction.
Beforeshe could respond, however,there was a blackout on stage to cue them in for their first scene. "This is wrong," Ron said, taking the poster from Hermione that had a scripture written on it. He looked at her, seeing how stiff she was, more so than in any other practice before now. As they continued the scene, Ron started to feel guilty about what he had said in the wings, wishing he could take it back. He made a decision in his mind, as Hermione sang her part of their duet, that he would apologize for he had said.
"'No, no, no'," Ron interjected his lines. "'You are talking about love! You can't dope it like that. What are you picking, a guy or a horse?'"
"'I wouldn't expect a prat to understand'," Hermione responded. Ron could have sworn it was 'gambler' in the script.
"'Would you like to hear how a gambler feels about the big heart throb?'"
"'No!'" Hermione said firmly.
"'Well, I'll tell you'," Ron finished then started to sing.
Mine will come as a surprise to me.
Mine I leave to chance and chemistry.
"'Chemistry?'" Hermione said.
"'Yeah, chemistry,'" Ron quoted with a tip of the gray fedora he had been given to wear with his suit.
Suddenly I'll know, when my love comes along,
I'll know then and there.
I'll know at the sight of her face,
How I care, how I care, how I care,
And I'll stop,
And I'll stare.
And I'll know, long before we can speak,
I'll know in my heart.
I'll know and I won't ever ask,
Am I right, Am I wise, Am I smart?
And I'll stop,
And I'll stare,
At that face… in the throng!
Yes, I'll know when my love comes along.
With that, Ron took Hermione in his arms, forgetting about the fact that they had always avoided this kiss and laid it on her, as Hermione tried to push him away.
"You go Ron!" Hannah shouted giddy from her seat in the middle of the auditorium. "Yeah!" she continued to root him on.
When he finally let go, Ron looked in Hermione's eyes, trying to communicate with his own that he was sorry, but before much could be said, he felt her hand hit his cheek hard, without the aim she had been trying for since the first time they had done this scene. Before Ron could give his lines, Hermione stormed off stage left, leaving Ron to shout them after her before his exit. He went back into the principle's dressing room and looked at the red handprint, still on his cheek. "Mudblood's not looking so good now, is she?" said Draco in his usual drawl.
"Shut your mouth, Malfoy," Ron threatened, pushing his chair aside and trying to get at the blonde-haired boy. Crabbe pushed Ron back.
"Defending her after she so blatantly hit you?" he said. "How sickening."
"Where's Draco?" one of the stage hands could be heard outside the dressing room.
Draco turned his attention the other way, then smirked at Ron. "Break a leg, Weasley," he said. "In fact, break both." Goyle pushed Ron into his chair before they all left, slamming the door behind him. Before Ron could do anything more, the three were onstage. In anger he kicked the wall and left the dressing room, hoping to find Hermione before their next scene.
"He said what to you?" Ginny asked incredulous, her books sprawled out over the female dressing room.
Hermione was standing against the wall adjacent to the closet, crying with a tissue wadded up in her hand. "It's not as if I don't think similar things about myself, but hearing it come from—"
"Either way it's not right," Ginny said. "You're right to tell him to nose out of my relationships… I couldn't believe he was following me around when Dean was helping me… and to say something so cruel-hearted… it just isn't right."
"I thought that maybe… that perhaps… well… we had been getting on so well," she said, "but I guess I was wrong."
"Wrong about what?" Ginny asked, brows furrowed.
"Wrong about him liking me," Hermione said with another small sob. "I'm such an idiot. I should be focusing more on my school work."
Ginny stood up and hugged Hermione. "Ron's clueless sometimes, we both know that," she said.
"I think I might have broke his jaw," Hermione said with a guilty grin.
"What?" Ginny said, a smile of her own pulling her lips.
"I slapped him so hard."
"He deserved it," Ginny affirmed. She looked out the door. "Time for me to be a sex kitten," Ginny said, referring to the cat outfit she still had on. "I'll be back," she added with one last little hug.
"Have fun," Hermione said, stepping out of the dressing room to watch.
A/N: So it's been like what? Six months? I was wanting to take more from the script/movie, but I finally realized I would never have that kind of time… so I'm doing the best I can now ;) Hope people still read this :S And review!
Thanks:
FlairVerona: lol awww thanks. I tried to use HP-Lexicon for as much of it as possible. I appriciate your comments, and I love techies! You guys rock! It gets on my nerves when cast members think they're so much better than those working in the wings.
Sapphirestar11: lol I figured some chorus members could double up on the casting... unfortunately I didn't have an exact list of what's normally cast, so I worked with what I had ;) and what I could remember for that matter.
Julesfire: You know, you're right... but I've always preferred the name 'Sky', so I don't know if I'm going to bring that detail in, since this is more about the HP characters.
Aracalien: I have a hard time with pronouns sometimes hehehe. I especially don't like using them if there's more than one of the same gender in a convo or scene.
luckyducky8200: YAY COOKIES! LOL thanks for the review. I'm glad you enjoy it!
JadeGreen14: lol Yeah... I wanted to not give Ginny a part at first to allow the whole Cho being uncomfortable around Harry thing to show through... and so that Ginny would be more appriciative... and so that other things that are still to come will shine through ;)
Voicezwithin: Lol I love Hannah here! I have this total image in my head about her swaggering about, acting almost drunk as she talks. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and thanks for always reviewing! It means a lot to me.
CountessMel: I think everyone that's ever in a play is completely nervous and worried. What play? What part? You must be fairly good to have done that ;) Congrats!
Katkit: Thanks
fake-truth86: lol you spoke to soon on the updating thing... I just finally got writer's block and didn't bother with any literary laxatives, if you know what I mean ;)
Emrisah: Uh... probably not as soon as possible here, but I tried... with school, it became kind of hard. Thanks for the review!
dancerrdw: Thanks a lot
Anonymus: Sorry... my main idea was to have more with RHr, but they weren't cooperating! It's really a RHr HG fic, and I've been trying to give them even stage time, and I think I'm starting to get on track. Thanks for mentioning it, though.
Kat3h: Awwww thanks! I'm sorry this has taken so long, and I hope you haven't lost interest entirely.
EponineWeasley: Still can't get over the coolness of your are the best part! I just got done (well a month ago) with the musical I was in: Beauty and the Beast. I was the Wardrobe (Madame De La Grande Bouche, not doing the costuming for other people) and I was literally in a wooden costume for the majority of the show! It was so awesome, even though it was a bit heavy and hard to manuver at times. Good times... good times.
MusicalIsha: Thanks! You too eh? I love musicals... they're my passion. Right now, I'm stuck on the Little Woman musical soundtrack... good stuff, let me tell you. I think I'd want to be Beth, should I ever do that show... ANyway... I'm glad you like this, and yes... I tend to have a hard time proofreading my own stuff becuase my mind likes to fill in what should be there... and I'm too impatient to always use a beta, unless it's required. Alas... minor errors (and sometimes, just plain stupid ones).
ourlittlesecret7: lol GInny as Adalaide works better for me too hehehe. I hope you still like what I'm doing with the musical, and I sometimes change things a bit, or just go from memory, or try and find a source that I don't is always perfect. Still, I think it works for what I'm trying to accomplish ;) Thanks for the review.
Laxgoalie: I enjoy Guys and Dolls too! My fave is Les Miserables, but that's one I won't touch until I've seen it. Le sigh... such good stuff these musicals.
Someone who wants to help: Well, first I'd like to point out that if you think all the main characters are completely talented you've obviously not read this. Ron is good at this, for once, Hermione's okay, Ginny's decent, and Harry has the part he has because it tends to be hard to find a lot of guys who can fill parts and all the other big parts were occupied by people who filled them much better than anyone else could have. I personally think it very possible for Hogwarts to put on a musical, just like it would be for any other school... I don't think Rowling would do it, but that's why this is called Fan fiction. Besides that, I think I've allowed in the writing for the reasoning behind a musical at Hogwarts to be a little more plausible than just someone kicking up the idea. When it comes down to it, the story is about how the characters (Harry and co.) interact outside of the play, and isn't about them just being in one. If you're going to waste your time writing reviews that are uninformed, maybe you shouldn't even bother opening fics like this.
JamieBell: Here's a reviewer I like (one that isn't ignorant like the above). I loveOverprotective!Ron, as I've said many-a-time. I love the image of him climbing over chairs because he thinks he can strangle Dean faster that wayhehehehe. I'm glad you enjoyed those chapters, and I hope to hear from you on this one!
Defyinggravity330: again with the speaking too soon concerning updates hehehe. I'm glad you like this, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm thinking maybe 10 total, but I never plan out exactly how many chapters, because it always ends up changing. Hope you enjoy ;)