Love's Talent
Chapter 10: Contestants Are Coming
LunarianPrincess
A talent contest and performing class brings new alliances and blooming romance, but is a sinister force trying to prevent it from being successful?
Pairings: GW/DM; KS/DS; some HP/LL and HG/RW
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter Universe/Characters, I do own Darien Solaro and Kassara Saravati. This is in Ginny's sixth year and some of the characters might seem OOC, but bear with me. Feedback is appreciated, but please try to keep criticism constructive, Thanx in advance
This is a dorky title but bear with me, it does have something to do with what happens in the chapter.
- - - - - -
Last Chapter-------
"Okay, I promise!" she cried. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I promise I won't get up if you promise to feed me," she said jokingly. He gave her a dashing grin before walking out and closing the door behind him. "He is so infuriating!" she remarked to herself, smiling at his commanding antics. She lay back against the wall and looked up at the artificial sky. As she looked up at it she thought back over her last few days. She thought of Malfoy revealing his knowledge of Crup and his friend's surprising knowledge of it as well. She was staring at the Constellation Draconis when it hit her. She vaguely remembered the lesson on that constellation. It was created from the dragon which had guarded the golden apples of Aphrodite, the dragon's name was Ladon.
Now---------------
The door opened and Malfoy appeared. He closed the door quickly and turned to find Ginny glaring at him "Why didn't you tell me that you were the singer for Crup!" she demanded. He looked at her in shock, he shoved his hand through his hair and cursed quietly, while his face betrayed nothing.
"Well, I didn't want anybody to know, that's why we only released in America, I mean there was little possibility of people knowing besides I would hate people to treat me differently after they found out, besides it would make it easier for my father to find me," he said in clipped tones.
"What do you mean, find you?" she asked suspiciously.
"I ran away, okay," he snapped defensively. "I couldn't take it so I left, you know no matter how much I don't like Muggles and such I am not going to become a murderer and the heir of that evil…" he ended his tirade breathing hard. She looked at him with respect, it had to be hard to live with that all your life and never be able to get away. She grabbed the edge of his sleeve and tugged him towards her. He took a small step towards her and raised his gaze.
"I'm sorry, it must hurt to have to leave your family like that," she said quietly.
"I didn't leave my family, you have to have one to leave it," he stated bitterly, turning away from her. She was too quick, she enveloped him in a hug. He stood there in shock, he never expected a Weasley to hug him.
"Well, it still had to be hard leaving everything you've ever known and to be on your own," she said before releasing him and looking up at him. "Now, how did you start recording?" she asked, swiftly changing subjects.
"Well, Darien and I have known each other since we were young, but when we were 7 he moved to France. He came back last winter break, I saw him when I went home to tend to my mum's affairs, well we played together a few times, and we decided to make a small demo tape, we sent it to a record label in America, well he sent back that he liked us and we could record semi-anonymously. So we made our first C.D. and I got our copy when I went home over the summer, it was hard waiting to find out if it would work. Well we did pretty well in sales and we kept our anonymity so it worked pretty well, we live together in London, my mother left me a pretty large inheritance so I bought my own place and the money from the sales help and that's pretty much my life story," he said derisively. She smiled at him and looked at her hands, she had always wanted to sing but she would never get out of the shadow of her older brothers. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes when the door opened to reveal Kasi and Dare.
Kasi rushed over to her and looked her over. "Are you okay, what happened, I nearly had a heart attack when you passed out?" her friend asked worriedly.
"Kasi, calm down, I'm fine I just had a slight case of pneumonia, guess I shouldn't have had that bath last night," she said dryly. Kasi sighed and sat on a chair that Malfoy had pulled up. "So, How did flying go, did you have fun?" Ginny asked her friend, sure this would deter her from worrying about her.
"Oh wow, it was so great, I mean flying for try-outs was cool, but this was so fun, but don't think that I'm going to not worry about you," she gushed. Ginny made a face and the two friends laughed while the two boys watched their animated conversation. Just then they heard a tapping at the windows. Malfoy went to the windows and pulled it open a purely black, small owl flew in and landed near Ginny on the counter.
"What a beautiful owl," Kasi observed as she petted the remarkable animal. The owl preened and hopped closer to Darien who looked at it with something like trepidation. "What is it, Dare?" Kasi asked as he slowly reached for the letter the owl bore.
"Well, this is my sister's owl," he said. Kasi and Ginny looked at him nonplused while Malfoy closed the door and looked at Dare in surprise.
"I thought she had decided to stay with your mom in France," he remarked to Darien thoughtfully.
"Well, she did, and she and mom usually get along really well, so I guess this is important." He told Draco. He opened the letter and read silently for a few seconds. "Oh, no," he said quietly.
"What is it," Kasi asked worriedly. She and Ginny shared a worried glance as they watched Darien read the rest of the letter.
"Well, it seems mom kicked her out, and she's coming here," he explained.
"She's coming to England?" Ginny asked.
"Worse, she's coming to Hogwarts," he said this seriously as Draco started to laugh. "That isn't funny, old boy," he emphasized the nickname and Draco gave a half-hearted scowl.
"Why is that a bad thing," Kasi asked confusedly.
"You'll see, she's coming tonight it says, she's already talked to the headmaster so we'll find out what happens after dinner I'd expect." He shook his head as he stared absently at the wall.
"Well, let's go get dinner then, we can talk about it and come back up here when we have food, okay," Kasi first addressed Dare then Ginny. Ginny nodded at her friend, who grabbed Dare's arm and led him from the room. Ginny bit her lip at being left with Malfoy alone again. She snuck a glance at him, he was leaning against the wall near the window and was gazing out, he had a troubled look on his face that made her wish to make him smile or even put that infuriating smirk back on his face.
"Is it really that bad that his sister is coming?" she asked him hesitantly. He glanced at her as she spoke and when she was finished he gazed out the window once again. He was silent so long she figured he would answer.
"She's a lot like you, fiery, short tempered, independent and she has great looks, she was even a model for a while about a year ago," he told her contemplatively. "But she's also very grounded and down to earth, I guess it's not bad, I think Darien is just worried about his sister, a lot like that great prat brother of yours, you know over-protective,"
"Nosey, overbearing, annoying and totally loveable," she interrupted. She smiled crookedly when he turned to look at her.
"I guess you would think so," he answered she shot him a look before sticking her tongue out at him. He smirked as she blushed.
"Guess that was a bit childish," she shrugged.
"Just a bit," he responded sarcastically. She laughed at his wry tone. "Well, I think it is more worry that he'll have to watch her instead of his parents, she is kind of a handful," he remarked.
"I bet Ron would say the same about me, well if she's in Slytherin there shouldn't be much difficulty," she deduced.
"That's the thing, no matter what you can never know what house you will get sorted into, it was always a fear my dad had that I would get sorted into Gryffindor or worse Hufflepuff, it would have been detrimental to our social standing," he trailed off as he realized what he had just revealed. He avoided her eyes and remained silent.
Ginny thought about what he had revealed in those few minutes he had been talking to her. First he had said that Darien's sister was a lot like her, and had called his best friend's sister beautiful. She wondered briefly if Malfoy was in love with Dare's sister. This unexpected thought caused her to become annoyed and angry for no reason, she shook the irrationally feeling off and focused on what he had said. She would hate to have that much pressure on her when she had been 11. Her parents had always been loving and accepting, and relatively easy to please. Not to mention she was the only girl so she got a lot of attention because of that. She couldn't imagine living in a family where there was no love, worrying to much about doing everything perfectly to keep up appearances. She could understand how Malfoy had turned out this way, he had never been shown that love was more important than money.
In that moment she had a startling revelation, she felt sorry for Malfoy. She felt sorry for the stuck-up, muggle hating, petty, pompous, quixotic, staggeringly rich Draco Malfoy. She could have laughed at herself in that moment. The last thing Draco Malfoy needed was a Weasley feeling sorry for him.
"What are you singing for the talent show?" he asked suddenly. She nearly jumped in surprise, she had been so lost in her thoughts she had forgotten he was there.
"I don't know yet, I was going to do a muggle song though, they're easier to sing, besides I don't want to have to pay copyrights and things though, what about you, going to sing a Crup song?" she returned amicably.
"Well, I don't know, I've been working on a new song, so probably not. I still haven't decided," he answered honestly. They lapsed into silence again. A few minutes later they looked up in surprise when the door swung open and Dare and Kasi were revealed carrying trays laden with plates of food.
"The sensational friends have returned," Kasi proclaimed dramatically. Ginny grinned at her friend's antics.
"And more importantly, they have returned bearing food," Dare added.
"Always the more important thing," Ginny stated decisively, a wicked gleam in her playful hazel eyes.
"I'm hurt," Kasi gasped indignantly as she slapped a hand over her heart after she had set her tray down.
"You only say that but secretly you're thinking, this is great she feels the same way I do," Ginny responded lightheartedly, suppressing a laugh. She grabbed a steaming roll, she bit in and smiled it was fluffy and delicious. They became quiet, eating and exchanging the occasional comment. Ginny didn't eat much, a roll and a bowl of soup with a cup of tea. After eating she felt much better, still a little weak but much better.
"So, Malfoy you and I are to report to the headmaster's office after dinner, seems that is when my sister is to arrive, he says she will be sorted privately and then escorted to that house," Darien announced wearily. "Don't ask me why you have to be there as well, it must have to do with you being head boy or something." Dare finished as Malfoy opened his mouth, he nodded and closed it. They sat there quietly and Kasi and Ginny stood up.
"Well, dinner is over, guess you guys should be heading down," Kasi said as she grabbed Ginny's arm. Ginny had stood and wobbled a bit, being a little tired and not used to her legs feeling like wet noodles. Malfoy grabbed her other arm as the two boys stood.
"Well, since it won't be that late would you wait here, we could meet you after we talk and get my sister settled," Dare said looking into Kasi's eyes. She nodded and turned a faint shade of pink. The boys nodded and grabbed the trays, planning on returning those before they headed to the headmaster's office. They headed out of the room and down the stairs.
Okay, next chap might be a bit long in coming, I'm running out of ideas. I mean I have what I want to happen in my head but the transitions are coming a bit slowly. If anyone has some funny little interludes they'd like to see I'd love to hear them thanx LP
Thank Yous:
Dracosbaby7: I really trust your judgment so thank you! What do you think should happen, I already have the next chap done so I guess I want little vignettes with the other chars, the ones you guys submitted if you could come up with anything I'd love to hear it! THANX! LP
Hoppers: ::sigh:: don't we all? Well, thanks for the review, I hope I'm keeping Draco in character, but we all know he's a big softy under that tough exterior. Hey if you want a scene that has your character that you can suggest, I would love to hear it!
P.S. I was thinking of ending the fic at the contest and having an epilogue at graduation or promotion or whatever you want to call it. I'd love to hear feedback on what you want to happen to the characters. Also if you want a separate chap or thing with your character in it suggest it, I'm pretty much open to anything, but try to keep it clean. Oh and please remind me if you haven't had your character cameo yet. Thanx again LP