Auther's Note: Just like Chapter One, Chapter Two has only been slightly revised. Most of the writing remains the same; I've only deleted a sentence here and there, or added one. The story is still the same, don't worry, and I promise I'll get one more chapter in before the end of September! I think... Well, yeah, I'm pretty sure I can do it, seeing as I still have a week before school starts, during which I can probably write another chappie. If I don't though, please don't kill me. Or worse, don't stop reviewing!

Chapter Two: Luck and Life

Peter and I entered the auditorium. It was a big room, with a high ceiling, rows and rows of red velvet seats, with a large stage at one end, with a red velvet curtain. The six scouts from the Academy, and Headmaster Spinnet sat in the fifth row, all, except Headmaster Spinnet, with clipboards on their knees.

I tried and swallow the lump in my throat, and handed our music to the pianist. Peter and I went up on stage, and took our positions. I sat, my legs bent and off to the side, and pantomimed that I was reading a book. Peter stood stage left, and more upstage than me, watching me.

The music started, and I began to count under my breath. My one chance, I thought, and then mentally cleared my head. It was just me, him, and the music. I heard and felt Peter slowing walking towards me, and felt his eyes on the back of my head. The music reached a small crescendo, and I abruptly stood up with the grace only a ballerina has, closing my "book." Peter stopped, and changed his coarse, pique turning off stage.

I began to do a little dance, glissades, balances, and a few tour jetes, trying to express my simple happiness of just being alive, before I leapt off. Then it was Peter's little solo, his was more energetic, assembles, sissones, entrechats, cabrioles and such. Towards the end of it, I danced back on stage. We both did chaine turns in a curving line towards each other, and only noticed that the other is there when we are inches away. We abruptly changed direction, and piqued a little ways away, doing little steps and moves in unison, taking turns to look at each other.

Finally as the music slowed, I ended a pirouette in arabesque, before I slid down onto one knee, and Peter approached. He held out his hand, and we danced together, falling more and more in love, and ended the dance with Peter having one hand on my back, and the other on my hip, while I was nearly parallel with the floor, ankles crossed, hands on his shoulders, and Peter holding me.

We heard applause from the audience, and for a second I forgot that this was the audition.

"Thank you very much, that was wonderful," said the blond haired scout, and I felt like I was flying. That was wonderful! She actually said that! "Mr. Chase, you will be first with your solo, then Miss Granger."

The music for Peter's solo started. I switched my pink skirt for my white one, and took the flower out of my hair. The finishing touch was a gauzy white shawl that attached to the back of my leotard, and had elastics that slipped 'round my wrists, so it looked like wings.

The finishing notes of Peter's solo sounded, and the scouts clapped. My stomach turned knots, and I was shaking.

"Miss Granger, if you please?" called a scout, and I made my way back up on stage, and into my starting position, lying on the floor, arms extended in front of my head, and crossed at the wrist.

I had chosen music from Swan Lake, and as the first few notes rang through the auditorium, it was only the dance, the music, and me. My arms stretched outwards and I really felt like a little bird, and as the dance progressed, I really felt as though I could fly, leaping higher and higher until the music's last quavering notes sounded, and I "flew" off stage.

I heard Peter whistling, but paid more attention to the scouts clapping, nodding and smiling. I had done it. I was through with the audition. And more over, it seemed as though the scouts from the Academy had liked what I did. I had a fighting chance. I felt so good; I felt that I could burst.

"Thank you both for dancing, you were both wonderful. If you are accepted to the Academy of Dance and Arts then you will receive a notification by post in ten to twelve weeks," said a dark haired male scout, and then ushered us out a different door than we had entered through.

Once outside, I hugged Peter, "You were brilliant!" I cried, and Peter laughed.

"So were you," he said, "I think we both have chance of getting accepted! But imagine! Making us wait three months to find out if we made it!"

"I know," I said, shaking my head, "but at least we find out about Swan Lake on Monday. What are you trying out for?"

"Oh, I don't know," Peter answered, "Maybe Prince Siegfried!"

"Oh, yeah," I joked, "I'm going out for Odette!" We both laughed all the way back to the changing rooms, where I changed out of my swan costume and into a plain black leotard, with black legwarmers so my muscles wouldn't cool too quickly.

I found Lexi and Wendy in the cafeteria sharing a Jell-O. I sat down with them, and began to eat an energy bar as we waited for Tara to be finished with her audition. She walked in fifteen minutes later, beaming.

"I think I did well!" she said, "They applauded, and said Logan and I worked really well together!"

"Brilliant!" I said, "Wouldn't it be awesome if we all got accepted at the Academy? We could go together!" Tara and Lexi nodded enthusiastically, but Wendy shook her head.

"It would be great, but I don't think that I'm going to make it. We should never have put that bloody ponche on pointe into our duet. I can never get them right! I think I should just kiss the bloody Academy au revior!"

We didn't say anything to that, because we knew Wendy was right. She wasn't the best of dancers.

I think that we were all quite happy when the bell rang, and interrupted that uncomfortable scene. We raced down the hall to the largest practice room.

The auditions that the School holds are different then the Academy one. Monsieur Winters teaches the girls a pass, the boys a pass, and a duet to everyone who wants to audition. We have and hour to practice, and then they call us in one by one, and we dance, and then dance with Mr. Oliver if you're a girl and Mademoiselle Lisette if you are a boy.

We entered the room, and had ten minutes to warm up again. I smiled at Peter who was doing cabrioles with a friend. He smiled back.

Monsieur Winters called for our attention, and began to teach us the combinations. Mr. Oliver, and Mademoiselle Lisette demonstrated the duet between Odette and Prince Siegfried that we were to learn, and I gulped. It looked difficult. Then we were allowed to practice on our own. I practiced the pass for the female for ten minutes, but found it pretty easy, and went to find Peter for more practice on the duet.

"Hey," I said, "Want to practice the duet? Just for more practice?" He looked at me, smiling.

"That sounds like a brilliant idea," he replied. We walked over to an emptier corner of the room, and got into the starting position.

As we slowly began to mark through the steps, my attention began to wander. I imagined myself, three months from now, going out to the post box, and finding a letter in it, addressed to Miss Hermione Granger. I imagined myself opening it, and then screaming in delight when I read the first line, "Dear Miss Granger, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Academy of Dance and Arts…"

"Hermione? Are you OK?" asked Peter, and I nodded, blushing that he'd caught me daydreaming. We began to dance the duet fuller, and I felt sorry for Wendy because there was more then one ponche on pointe.

I felt on top of the world forty minutes later. Peter and I worked and worked, and I felt, even if we had a month, we couldn't get it better. I was only unhappy that we couldn't dance together for the actual audition, but felt it didn't matter; I could do anything.

We started to duet once more, and out of the corner of my eye saw Mr. Oliver and Mademoiselle Lisette walk towards us and stop. I ignored them, and just danced. We ended the last pose, and relaxed, surprised to hear the two watching us clapping.

"Zat vas very goot!" exclaimed Mademoiselle Lisette in her soft French accent, "I deed not expect such young dancers to be so very goot. Eef you were older, I might guarantee zat you vould be Odette and Preence Siegfried! But now, you weell steell get goot parts!" Mr. Oliver, a tall, silent English dancer said nothing, but did nod in agreement. They walked off.

"Hermione, did you hear that?" exclaimed Peter, excitedly, and flung himself on me in a hug. I laughed, and hugged him back.

"Boys and girls! Quiet please!" called Monsieur Winters, "The auditions are about to start!"

Peter and I waited half an hour. We practiced the duet more, and I concentrated all my effort on getting it just right.

"Hermione Granger?" called Mr. Oliver, poking his head in the door, "Your turn please!"

I turned to Peter. "Good luck," I said, and he smiled at me.

"I'd say the same to you, but you don't need it."

I laughed nervously.

"I'd feel better if you did," I told him.

"Well then," he replied, "Good luck."

"Miss Granger, please?" called Mr. Oliver. And with one last wave, I ran into the other room.