Note: Italic is singing
Chapter 2
The Purple Dragon! Gavyn Mims and his infamous girls. We walked into the hall and my eyes nearly spilled out of my head. There were so many cancan dancers. They sang and danced as we took our seats and I found that I could not take my eyes off of them. Not because I wanted them, but because their dancing was so spellbinding.
"Mission accomplished." Randee's Scottish accent reached my ears. "We've successfully evaded Mims."
Suddenly the girls stopped singing and dancing and they all looked up. I followed their gaze and there suspended on a swing was a woman wearing a red dress scattered with tiny diamonds, which made the girl look like she was glowing.
"It's her!" Randee squealed. "Hermione."
The swing turned slowly and as her face came into my view I gasped and it all registered. Granger! Hermione Granger! Our eyes locked and I could see Hermione almost lose her composure, but then she smiled and took in a deep breath and began to sing.
The French are glad to... die for love
They delight... in fighting duels
But what I didn't know was that Hermione was to meet someone else that night.
But I prefer... a man who lives.
Mims investor.
And gives expensive... jewels
Jason Varkatzas, A business man from Italy.
A kiss on the hand
may be quite continental
But diamonds are
A girl's best friend
A kiss may be grand
But it won't pay the renal
On your humble flat
Or help you feed your pussycat
Men grow cold
As girls grow old
And we all lose our charms in the end
But square cut or pear-shaped
These rocks don't lose their shap
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
"When will I meet the girl," Varkatzas asked Mims.
Tiffany's!
"After her performance." Mims assured Varkatzas. "I've arranged a special meeting, just you and Hermione. Totally alone."
Cartia!
Randee leaned towards me "After her number, I've arranged a private meeting. Just you and Hermione. Totally alone."
"Alone?" I didn't think I could go through with meeting Hermione alone... it would be to awkward for me now knowing that she was a prostitute.
"Yes, totally alone."
Cause we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
Come and get me, boys.
"Excuse me." Mims excused himself from Varkatzas's presence.
Black star! Roscor!
Talk to me, Gavyn Mims!
Tell me all about it!
Mims reached Hermione and started dancing with her playfully.
There may come a time
When a lass needs a lawyer
But diamonds are
A girl's best friend
There may come a time
When a hard-boiled employer thinks
Your're awful nice.
"Don't worry. I'll sally forth and tee things up!" Randee told me then walked away from our table.
OoooooooooooooO
"Is the Varkatzas here?" Hermione asked Mims.
"Lebkuchen, would I let you down?" Mims smiled at her.
OoooooooooooooO
Randee who had a glass in his hand accidentally dumped it on Varkatzas's lap. "Terribly sorry." He apologized taking out his hanky.
OoooooooooooooO
"Where is Varkatzas?"
Mims twirled Hermione around and then spoke. "Randee is shaking a hanky at him."
OoooooooooooooO
"Excuse me, Draco. May I borrow?" Randee asked me as he pulled my handkerchief out of my front pocket. At the same time Hermione was looking at Randee shake the hanky at me.
"I'm ever so sorry!" Randee turned towards Varkatzas again wiping up what he had spilled. "How embarrassing!"
OoooooooooooooO
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked skepticism in her voice knowing fully well that Draco wasn't Italian and his surrname wasn't Varkatzas.
Mims looked again seeing Randee trying to wipe Varkatzas crotch, "That's the one chickadee." Mims said joyfully. "I hope that demonic little loon doesn't frighten him off." Mims said more to himself than to Hermione.
OoooooooooooooO
"Clean yourself up," Randee sneered as he threw my Handkerchief in Varkatzas face. "You bourgeoisie pig!"
After Randee had done that Varkatzas body guard grabbed him and showed him that he was brandishing a muggle gun.
"Sorry!" Randee said and rushed back to our table.
OoooooooooooooO
Cancan dancers surrounded Mims and Hermione, shielding them as Hermione changed into a different outfit.
"Will he invest?" That was all Hermione cared about. She didn't care if I had changed my name for some reason, she only wanted to make Mims happy.
"Of course! After spending a night with you, how could he refuse?"
"What's his type?" Hermione had an idea of what I liked, but she wasn't quite sure. "Wilting flower? Bright and bubbly? Or smoldering temptress?"
"I'd say smoldering temptress." Mims growled at her jokingly, then he turned serious, "we're all relying on you, Granger. Remember, a real show in a real theater, with a real audience... and you'll be..."
"A real actress." Hermione finished his sentence.
Hermione was done changing and the cancan dancers drifted away from her and Mims.
'Cause that's when those louses
Go back to their spouses
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
I had looked away from Hermione for only three seconds and when I turned back she was dancing right in front of me. I looked up to her face and she smiled seductively at me.
"I believe you were expecting me."
"Yes. Yes." Close up Hermione's elegance surpassed my minds grasp. I couldn't understand how the bookish, know-it-all Granger could look so... so goddess-like.
Hermione turned towards the crowd of men. "I'm afraid it's lady's choice."
The men booed sadly, but it didn't faze Hermione one bit. She started dancing backwards towards me.
"I see you've met my English friend." Randee spoke to Hermione trying to get his plan to work.
"I'll take care of it Randee." She said to him and then turned to me. "Let's dance."
"Hit her with your best poem!" Randee told me before Hermione pulled me on to the dance floor.
"Astonishing." Aaron shook his head in disbelief.
"He has a gift with women." Randee said also in disbelief.
"I told you. He's a genius." The Spaniard said.
OoooooooooooooO
"How wonderful of you to take an interest in our show." Hermione spoke as we danced.
"Well, It sounds very exciting. I'd be charmed to be involved. Assuming you like what I do."
"I'm sure I will." Hermione smiled.
"Randee thought we might be able to... do it in private."
"Did he?"
"Yes, you know, a private... poetry reading."
"Ohhh! A "poetry reading." I love a little "poetry" after supper." Hermione growled divinely.
When the song was over it was time for her grand exit. She got back on the swing she made her entrance on and it began to pull her back up towards the ceiling.
Diamonds
Diamonds
Square cut... or pear-shape
These rocks... won't lose their shape
Diamonds... are a girl's... best...
Hermione never did finish her song. She looked like she gasped for air and then she fell. She fell off the swing, but luckily an entertainer, I recognized as one of the disowned Zabini brothers, caught her. The room was quiet as the entertainer took her though a door and out of everyone's sight.
Mims looked horrified, but started to clap and cheer to cover up what had just happened. The people began to cheer along with him. Mims finally silenced them and spoke "You've frightened her away. But I can see some lonely Purple Dragon dancers... looking for a partner or two!" Mims then scurried off towards the back and Randee took me to where my meeting with Hermione would take place.
OoooooooooooooO
"Out of my way," an older woman growled trying to make her way to Hermione. She cast a spell on Hermione and she finally woke up.
"Oh, Silvia." Hermione whispered trying to smile "Oh, these silly costumes. They make me lose my breath."
"Just a fainting spell." Silvia assured Hermione.
"Back out front girls. Make those gents thirsty," an old man said as he walking to the room. "Problems?" He asked Siliva.
"Nothing to worry about." Siliva guaranteed him even though she knew there was something wrong. "Don't stand around, then." Silvia yelled at the people still in the room.
OoooooooooooooO
"Find Mims." Varkatzas told his guard. "The girl's waiting for me."
OoooooooooooooO
"That twinkle-toes businessman took the bait, girl." Silvia said to Hermione was she was tightening her corset. "With a patron like him, you could be the next Audrey Hepburn."
"Do you really think so?"
"Why not? You've got the talent. You hook Varkatzas and you'll be lighting the great stages of Europe."
"I'll be a real actress, Silvia. A great actress. I'm gonna fly away from here."
"Duckling, are you all right?" Mims asked as he barged into the room.
"Of course, Gavyn."
"Thank goodness!" Mims gasped in relief. "You certainly weaved your magic with Varkatzas out on the dance floor."
"How do I look?" Hermione asked Mims as she turned around to face him. "Smoldering temptress?"
"Oh, my little caramel... how could he possibly resist gobbling you up?" Mims practically beamed. "Everything's going so well!" He said excitedly as he danced around.
OoooooooooooooO
"Unbelievable! Straight to the elephant." Randee squealed as he and the other guys watched me from the ground.
Now the elephant wasn't a real elephant but I huge model of one. The belly was a room, the head opened up to sorta like a balcony. The balcony lead up to the top of the elephant where there was a place to sit rest or do other things.