Music for this chapter: Didn't You Love Anything by Craig Armstrong (from the Me Before You soundtrack)

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she exited the Audition room for the first round of Regionals. She had played the excerpt correctly, and the sight-reading had been fine. Luckily, your score only needed to exceed a preset threshold in order to pass the first round. It had been a long week of school tests and practicing for Regionals, so she was ready to reward herself with a couple hours off to take a nap and pick up some Chinese food on the way home.

She had the horrible habit of not being able to sleep or eat when she got really stressed, and the past week had been one of the most stressful weeks of her life. Thank goodness it was over. Hermione followed the sound of other auditionees practicing back to the school gym that was being used as a warm-up before students went into other classrooms for their scheduled audition.

Quickly packing away her violin, Hermione glanced around the room. She didn't know any of the other students frantically practicing before their auditions. As she left, she looked at the schedule to see if anyone would be playing after her. She traced her finger down the list past her name and blinked when she saw Draco Malfoy a few spots after her.

Hermione checked her phone and realized that he had about fifteen minutes before his audition. Well, really five minutes because the check-in was required at least ten minutes before the audition time. She took one more sweep around the room, but she didn't see the white blond hair. Maybe he had rescheduled? He probably had enough clout that he could make arrangements.

She hurried out of the school and shook her head as she breathed in the crisp fall air. What did she care if he missed his audition? It was probably for the best because she wouldn't have to deal with a prime competitor, and there was a lower chance of her having to spend an entire weekend next semester with him. Pushing all thoughts of Draco Malfoy from her mind, Hermione started thinking of what she wanted to eat for lunch. The fastest way to the nearest bus stop was through the parking lot, and Hermione carefully made her way through the crowded lot of auditionees.

Already fantasizing about her much-needed nap and lunch, she almost didn't notice the sleek grey Audi in the middle of the parking lot. She blinked and frowned at the sight. Malfoy was in the front seat, but he wasn't moving. Hermione was tempted to just continue walking, but she bit her lip and walked towards the car. It would be one thing to fail an audition due to lack of skill, but it was another to miss it entirely.

As she walked closer, she could see that Malfoy was sleeping with his violin in the passenger seat and what looked to be a Biology textbook open on his lap. She held up her hand and gently tapped on the passenger window.

Grey eyes slowly blinked open before snapping open. "Malfoy? You have three minutes until your check-in window ends," she told him loudly through the glass as he jolted awake.

He checked his watch and she could hear him utter a muffled, "Fuck" before his door was being thrown open and he bolted with his violin case dangling from a clenched fist. Hermione blinked as she watched the usually confident Slytherin sprint towards the front entrance with collar askew and shirt untucked. She was already regretting letting him know, but at least no one would blame her for not helping him. She idly noted that his foot must be feeling better if he could run that quickly.

Moving to close the door he had flung open, she noticed he had left his keys on the seat. Groaning, she reached in to grab the keys and closed the door before locking it.

"Granger? Are you breaking into Draco's car?" a smooth voice sounded behind her, and she turned around to see one Blaise Zabini walking towards her with his own violin case.

"Hi, Zabini. Malfoy was running late and left his car unlocked. Could you give him his keys?" She tossed him the keys quite badly, and she was rather impressed that he had managed to catch them.

He looked at her with a curious expression. "Why don't you just go inside and give them to him yourself?"

She shrugged and her stomach growled. "I already finished my audition, and I'm dying for food and a nap. I'll see you at HYSO rehearsal." Turning her back on him, she pulled out her phone to let her parents know that she was on her way home and that she could pick up any groceries along the way.

Just as she was opening the door to her apartment, her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

Thanks, Granger.


Hermione shivered on-stage. She had left her sweater in Ron's car, and it was too late to go get it. Stretching her fingers, she opened her folder to warm up before rehearsal began. A thump next to her made her look up to see a smirking Blaise Zabini.

"Hello, Granger. How was your audition?"

She managed a small smile. "I made it to the next round, so I guess that's all that matters. What about you?"

He nodded and brushed a speck of dust off the scroll of his violin. "It was fine. All of Slytherin makes it past the first round, and this year was no different. Professor Snape would have our heads if any of us didn't pass the first round." He raised an eyebrow and looked behind her. "Speak of the devil. Well this should be interesting."

Hermione turned around and saw the Slytherin conductor making his way onstage. Was there a reason he was here?

A faint wave of cologne swept over her, and she looked up to see Malfoy slip into his seat. His grey eyes studied her for a second before nodding. "Granger."

She swallowed and nodded back. "Hello Malfoy."

A tapping from the podium quickly quieted the orchestra. Snape looked around the orchestra with a bored expression. "Hello everyone. Dumbledore had a conflict, so I will be leading today's rehearsal. Miss Greengrass, if you will." He nodded to Daphne, who obediently played the A, before looking at Hermione and stepping back from the podium.

She shivered, half from chill in the hall and half from the icy look Professor Snape was giving her, as she stood to tune the orchestra to a proper 441. She really wished she had warmed up. Quickly taking her seat, she rubbed her fingers together to try to get some circulation back.

"Alright, I want to hear the third movement of the Tchaikovsky. I know you haven't gone over it yet, and most of you probably don't know the piece, so I'm just going to have the principals play." He lifted his baton, and Hermione blinked. That had never happened before.

She could feel the rest of the orchestra relax as she raised her instrument along with Blaise Zabini, Ginny, and Theo. A few other members picked up their instruments in the band section. Her left fingers were still stiff and her right hand was shaking a little involuntarily as she placed her bow on the string.

Hermione breathed as Snape began to conduct. She was so focused on playing the notes correctly and trying to keep her bow from shaking that she didn't think about trying to do anything more. The baton rapped the podium and the music quickly dissipated.

"Miss Granger. The first violins have the entire melody here, and it's just about as good as a bloody solo. Why is there no phrasing or any projection here? There's absolutely no color." Snape was frowning at her, and Hermione froze. She barely noticed Draco shift imperceptibly next to her. He raised his baton again. "Draco, I know that you're good enough to sight read this. No need to join in this time, Miss Granger."

Feeling a small sense of shame rising up in her, Hermione could only look at her knees as Malfoy played with the other principals. The fabric of her jeans blurred in her eyes as she shivered in her seat, listening to the beautiful melody coming from beside her. If she hadn't already heard him play by himself, this would have been the moment she realized how great Draco Malfoy's musical prowess was.

She barely heard Snape talk about a few other parts before she saw a pale hand reach to flip to the first movement. A soft tap on her ankle made her look down to see a gleaming bow slowly retreating to her left. Hermione blinked and looked up to see Malfoy picking up his violin along with the rest of the orchestra. She sat up straight and frantically looked at the music, barely coming in at the correct time.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed down as she played, her fingers warming up and relaxing. They made it halfway through the first movement before Snape stopped them again.

He looked murderous as he yelled at different sections for different problems. His voice rose as his baton continued to tap on the podium, and Hermione watched, bewildered, as one final slam of the baton caused half of it to break off and soar over the orchestra to land in an empty spot in front of the band section. A couple nervous giggles broke out, but they quickly ceased as his voice turned low and deadly. He began talking about decorum and seating before he whirled on Harry and said something else that made her friend stiffen before green eyes narrowed and glared up at the man. As Snape shifted to turn his ire on the viola section, it looked like Harry was going to stand up and say something, but Theo leaned over and grabbed his arm before shaking his head.

Hermione raised her instrument as Snape held up his broken baton and began to conduct again. As they raced through the fast and loud sections, Hermione couldn't feel the cold in the auditorium anymore. She was angry. How could this man just come in and demand them to play solos? And then he goes and yells when he could have just calmly explained how to fix any issues like Dumbledore had done? And what on earth had he said to Harry? It looked like only he and Theo had heard what the man had said. Harry had his moments, but she had never seen him this angry. The rehearsal passed by, with a few more comments and sneers directed their way, but it quickly ended with Snape closing the score with a flourish and stalking off stage.

She heard a sigh from next to her and looked up to see Malfoy standing up with his folder. He glanced down at her with a blank expression. "See you next week, Granger." The blond quickly walked away, while Hermione remained in her seat.

"You alright, Granger?" Zabini was looking at her with a frown, as he also stood with his folder in hand.

Shrugging, Hermione grabbed her own folder and stood up. "I'll be fine. I'm more worried about what he said to Harry." She made her way around the podium and towards a furious looking Harry, who was talking to Theo. "Are you okay, Harry?"

Ron and Ginny were grabbing their things from next to the livid cellist. Ginny was frowning and nodded. "What happened? Ron and I couldn't even hear what he said."

"He said that I was just like my dad!" Harry growled and he looked like he was tempted to throw his folder on the ground. "He said I was being arrogant, weak with my rhythm and intonation, and altogether lazy. I actually practiced this part, and I was perfectly in tune! I have perfect pitch!" roared Harry as the rest of the Orchestra glanced warily in their direction while quickly fleeing the stage.

Hermione grabbed her best friend's arm before he could smack his bow into a worried looking Theo. "Harry, you need to calm down before you stab someone. I'm sure you were fine. Maybe Snape was just having a bad day?"

Green eyes flashed before Harry began to shout again. "A bad day? He's an adult! If he's having a bad day, he should know better than to terrorize high school students and insult a student's dead dad!"

Theo shook his head with a sigh. "Snape has a lot of anger in him. He's pretty strict in our Slytherin rehearsals, but he does have his moments."

"But what gives him the right to insult Harry and single him out?" asked a confused Ron. He set his viola down on his seat and crossed his arms. "Does he have some traumatic past?" he asked while rolling his eyes.

The principal cellist winced. "Well, he was actually at that Halloween concert that Tom Riddle was leading. He was pretty badly hurt from what I heard."

Hermione turned at that with a curious expression. "He played in the Orchestra? I don't remember seeing his name in the program Harry showed us."

"Well, he was actually an assistant conductor. He was learning from Tom Riddle and was considered his protégé," explained Theo. "He apparently noticed something was wrong and rushed on stage a second before the explosion happened. It took him a few years to recover, but his injuries weren't life threatening. Dumbledore took him under his wing afterwards, and Snape became the music director at Slytherin Prep. People say he's very by the books because he thinks people still associate him with Riddle, and there were rumors that he was involved in the plot but got cold feet at the last minute. He was briefly considered a suspect before being named a hero for trying to stop the explosion"

Frowning, Harry slumped back into his seat. "Okay, fine he demands perfection. But why did he target me specifically? And he also went after Hermione! I mean, there were definitely other people who messed up too." He sheepishly looked up at his stand partner. "Theo, you did miss a couple notes here and there."

Theo pretended to be offended but just nodded and shrugged. "Yeah, I didn't get a chance to look over the music this week. Between Regionals auditions, a new set for Slytherin Prep, a game, and midterms, it was a pretty rough week."

"Isn't it obvious, Potter?" called Blaise Zabini as he sauntered towards the group with his case. He smirked, and Hermione wondered if they taught all of the boys at Slytherin how to perfect the expression.

He grabbed an empty cellist's seat and turned it around before straddling it to face them. "My mother told me all of the gossip a few weeks ago when I mentioned that you showed up at HYSO. Rumor has it that Snape was in love with a certain Lily Potter nee Evans. They were childhood friends, but there was a disagreement of some sort. She ended up with James Potter, which is why you're here now, Potter." His amber eyes twinkled at the shock on Harry's face before he turned to look at Hermione.

"As for Granger, here. I think he called you out unnecessarily because he's terrified of what will happen when Lucius sees the first concert in a few weeks." His lips curled in a triumphant smile. "I'm rather looking forward to seeing Snape put in his place."

Theo just rolled his eyes. "If Lucius goes after Snape, we're going to have miserable rehearsals for the next month, Blaise."

Zabini's grin slid off his face and was replaced with an expression of horror. "We need to prevent Lucius Malfoy from seeing any concerts this year then."

Ginny rolled her neck. "What's going to happen when Mr. Malfoy sees the concert?"

"Draco is Snape's godson," Daphne answered as she also joined the group with her bag and oboe case in hand. She smiled at Hermione and leaned her head on Theo's shoulder. "Snape was also involved in the blind auditions. Once Lucius figures out that Draco didn't make Concertmaster, I don't know who's going to be in bigger trouble between Draco and Snape."

"But Malfoy's Assistant Concertmaster," interjected Hermione.

Blaise just shrugged. "Malfoys have to be the best. Being the best is important to Lucius Malfoy."

Sighing, Theo waved his hand as he tried to provide more clarity to the situation. "Draco's an only child, and Lucius Malfoy isn't well enough to play anymore. He was supposed to be one of the best violinists of our parents' generation, and his whole legacy is resting on Draco's shoulders."

He picked up his folder and looked up at Hermione with a sad smile. "Draco's naturally talented at a lot of things, but he works harder than anyone else. How else do you think he's managing top grades in 6 AP classes while also being Concertmaster of the Slytherin Orchestra, Class President, Captain of the Soccer Team, a referee for the youth leagues, and HYSO's Assistant Concertmaster? That's also ignoring the fact that he's still managing to be a functioning human being for the most part, ignoring him being an arse to you, Hermione. I think you just caused a small dent to all of his plans, but he is generally a good guy."

Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded. She knew that Malfoy wasn't a monster now. He was just slightly more than aggravating towards her. She let out a breath. Even rich boys must have their own problems.

Apologies for the slightly late update! Thank you for the reviews and for reading! And yes, Draco was playing Meditation from Thais in the last chapter!

A viola joke for you: You're lost in the woods, and you come across a magical unicorn and a good violist. Who do you ask for directions?

The magical unicorn, of course! There's no such thing as a good violist ;)

Happy Holidays everyone!