Rrrrrrriiiiiiiiing!
"We missed Potions."
"Don't be ridiculous, Granger, we didn't miss Potions. We missed half of Potions."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot. Double Potions today."
"Yes."
Thud, thud, thud, thud, galumph, galumph, GALUMPH, GALUMPH, GALUMPH, galumph, galumph, thud, thud, thud, thud…
"Hufflepuff Third Years are going to Herbology."
"How do you know that?"
"Honestly, Granger. How often do you really see me in Potions?"
"Oh, that's right. 'Prefect duties.' Like we all believe that, Malfoy."
"You know, you would think one person would at least fall into the stair."
"See, they're not pathetically forgetful, like you are, Malfoy."
"I am not pathetically forgetful! I was just intent on torturing you! Besides, you fell in, too!"
"We've gone over this before. You pulled me in after you. Therefore, it is no fault of mine."
"Hey, I didn't make you take the bait and go back to the stairs, Granger!"
"Malfoy, you knew I would go back for that book! That's why you took it!"
"Can we not talk about this anymore?"
"Why not? I was rather enjoying yelling at you, Malfoy."
"Like you said, for the first time in our lives, we're trying to have a civil conversation. And I thought I told you to call me 'Draco.'"
"That was before you described Muggles as the missing link."
"Look, I apologized!"
"Malfoy, you're smart, right? You should be able to tell when people are feeding you propaganda."
"He's my dad."
"You really need to take a Muggle Studies class sometime."
"Fine. Next time I'm not in Potions, you'll know where I'll be."
"No…really, Malfoy?"
"Draco. And yes."
"…Why this sudden change of heart?"
"I'm trying to get you to trust me, so we can play Truth."
"Are you that bored?"
"Look, if you really don't want to play Truth, there's something else we could do."
"What?! What do you think I am?! I'm not like—like one of those girls. I'm not some—and, anyway, there's no room! You would think you would have thought of that! Honestly!" Scoff.
"What are you talking about? I wouldn't—oh, ew, Granger!"
"Hermione."
"Look, I wasn't talking about—that. With you." Shudder.
"Well…what were you talking about?"
"You know how I was singing before…Hermione?"
"Oh, no. No, no. No way."
"Come on, why not?"
"Because…because no. That's why. No."
"Sing something from one of your Seedeez."
"Thank you kindly, but no."
"Hermione, aren't you satisfied that you've gotten me interested in Muggle music?! Now let's hear some!"
"…Fine. Fine, I'll sing you something that Muggles sing about magic."
"What? I thought Muggles didn't know about magic."
"They don't believe it actually exists, but they like the idea of it."
"How do you know Muggle songs about magic?"
"…I used to be fascinated with the idea of it, when I was little. I would pretend I was a powerful sorceress. Then I got my letter from Hogwarts, and, well, here I am."
"So sing me one of the songs."
"…Do I really have to?"
"Yes, Hermione. You do."
"Okay…well, I don't really have anything better to do, I suppose."
"You're right, you don't. Now sing."
"…We're off to see the—oh, this is really ridiculous. What is this, anyway? I can't believe I'm doing this. The Pow-wow hoedown sing-a-long beneath the trick stair with Draco Malfoy."
"Who cares? Just sing!"
"Must I?" Sigh. "Oh, all right, fine. We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz. We hear he is a—"
"Muggles have songs about wizards?!"
"Is that so surprising?"
"Yes!"
"…If you're going to interrupt me, I'm not going to sing it."
"Sorry, sorry. Do go on."
Deep breath. "All right. We're off to see the wiz—"
"Heard this part already. Skip ahead."
"What am I, a machine? All right, fine, fine…We hear he is a wiz of a wiz, if ever a wiz there was. If ever oh ever a wiz there was the wizard is one because, because, because, because, because, because, because! Because of the wonderful things he does. We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!"
"Wow. That's really…dumb. Do there have to be all those 'because's?"
"It's the way the song's written, Draco."
"All right. Sing me another."
"I'm not a jukebox! Say 'please,' at least!"
"All right…please."
"You have to mean it."
"I did!"
"You didn't sound like it."
Frustrated. "Will you just sing, Hermione! Puh-lease!"
"That's better. Hmm, let me think of one…oh, okay, here's another one from a movie: I saw my baby, crying hard as babe could cry. What could I do? My baby's love had gone, and left my baby—"
"That doesn't have anything to do with magic."
"It will. You have to be patient, Draco."
"But what's all this about babies? Is this a love song?"
Laughter. "No, it's actually sung about an actual baby."
"…What the hell kind of song is this, Hermione?"
"Do you want to know the story behind it? It's from a movie, like I said."
"What's a movie?"
"You don't know about those either?!"
Irritated. "No, Hermione, I don't. And if you don't explain it to me, I'll never know."
"It's like…pictures that tell a story. And talk. Or, in this case, sing."
"Muggles have moving pictures? I thought all their pictures stood still."
"Only movies or tv really move. It's too expensive, and too bulky to have it done to all your pictures."
"Okay…what's the story behind this wacko song?"
"It's from a movie called Labyrinth. Do you want the long version, or the short version?"
"Short version, please. I'm not that patient."
"All right…this teenage girl's little brother is stolen by the King of the Goblins—"
"There's goblins in it?! Muggles know about goblins?!"
"Not real goblins. To them, they're mythical creatures, who don't actually exist. And this movie that I'm telling you about is in the genre of fantasy."
"Oh. Okay. Go on, then."
"Right, so her little brother is stolen--and he's a baby, see, that's where the baby comes from in the song—and she has to travel through this labyrinth to get him back from the Goblin King. And while she's traveling, they show the Goblin King singing to his goblins about the baby."
"Weird. Okay, so sing the rest, I want to hear what this has to do with magic."
"Okay…My baby's love had gone, and left my baby blue. Nobody knew…what kind of magic spell to use—"
"Oh, there's the magic!"
"Will you let me finish! What kind of magic spell to use—slime and snails, or puppy dogs' tails, thunder or lightning, and baby said: Dance, magic, dance. Dance, magic, dance. Put that baby spell on me…Jump, magic, jump. Jump, magic, jump. Put that magic jump on me!"
"So, it has nothing to do with actual magic."
"No. But I just thought I'd show you that Muggles know about magic, in a vague sort of way."
"I see…know any other songs?"
"Ah, none that deal specifically with magic, per se."
"But some that mention it, right, Hermione?"
"Yes, well, okay, er…Do you believe in magic, in a young girl's heart, how the music can free her wherever it starts, and it's magic if the music—uh, that's all there is of 'magic' in that song."
"You stopped in the middle of a line! What was the rest?"
"I'd really rather not say."
"Why, is it about killing babies again?"
"Draco, that song wasn't about killing babies, it was about—"
"I know, Hermione. Doing harm to babies, then. What's the rest of that line?"
Sigh. "And it's magic if the music is groovy. Are you happy, now?"
"I've heard of 'groovy.' My dad tends to say that sometimes…but only when caught off-guard by something. Keep going."
"No. I don't want to."
"Just a little bit more? Please? For once I'm curious about Muggle stuff."
"For once? You've been curious this whole time!"
"Yes, but for the first time. And quite frankly, I can't believe I've sunk so low."
"Just when we were beginning to talk like normal people, you have to go and remind me that you're you."
"And what's wrong with me, I'd like to know?"
"You're a bigot!"
"Doesn't my interest show that I want to change?"
Hopeful. "You want to change?"
"…Look, just sing me the damn song."
"And it's magic, if the music is groovy, it makes you feel happy like an old-time movie—"
"Movie! I know what that is!"
"Yes, very good, Draco. You remembered what I told you a few minutes ago. I'm very impressed."
"Keep going, keep going."
"Why don't you sing for a change? I haven't heard any real wizarding music, really."
"You know, there's no reason to be shy about your voice. At least you don't sound like Pansy."
"Why, what does Pansy sound like?"
Shudder. "You don't want to know. In fact, your voice is a blessing compared to hers."
"So sing me a wizarding song. I'm curious."
"Uh…let me think of one…okay, this is a really old one: Tall ships and tall kings, three times three, what brought they from the foundered land, over the flowing sea. Seven stars and seven stones, and one white tree."
"That sounds familiar."
"Yes, Tolkien wrote it in one of his books, as I recall."
"Tolkien was a wizard?"
"Yes. He built a rather fantastic world on merely old wizarding songs. They really had nothing to do with what he wrote about, though."
"You've read The Lord of the Rings?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"I…just never expected it of you. I mean, you don't read."
"Oh, and all my grades just appeared miraculously."
"Well, yes. I mean, your family has connections, and such. I just figured…"
"What do you take me for, Gra—Hermione? I study just as hard as you do!"
"Yet somehow I never see you in the library."
"Not in the library. That place is just swarming with Ravenclaws."
"Oh, yes, I forgot. You're not just bigoted against Muggleborns, you're against the other Houses, too."
"I don't hate Ravenclaws. They're just…annoyingly smart. Most of them have a tendency to brag, too."
"That's not true! What about…Luna Lovegood."
"I said most of them. Besides, Looney Lovegood doesn't even come out of her stupor long enough to notice that other Houses exist."
"Well…I guess not."
"…"
"…"
*********
A/N: Jesus H., this chapter was long. And written with the help of my fabulous sister, Hamster Huey! Well, that's obviously not her real name, but it's her penname, at least. Go read her fic, Tunnels in the Dark (Draco/Ginny romance/mystery). Anywho, yes, I stole about fifty gajillion songs for this chapter. Hurray for Tolkien! Hurray for singing! Hurray for Muppets! Anyhow, we all know what I'm leading up to at this point. I can tell you're all on the edge of your seats, going: "When are they gonna play Truth? When are they gonna play it?!" You'll just have to wait. :D Once again, thanks for the reviews!