Chapter Eighteen: The Show Must Go On
As soon as everybody had shown up for Bailey's memorial service Dumbledore began. He talked about Bailey and what a happy and affectionate person she was and a most gifted, talented, and intelligent young witch. He spoke about what a shame that it was that the life of a young girl with so much potential was cut so short, but he believed that she was in a better place and that she would always live on in the hearts of those who knew her.
After he was finished Aaron got up to say a few words about his sister and then he sang one of Bailey's favorite hymns that their mother had sung to them both since they were really little and shortly afterwards Bailey's body was set on fire and cremated.
Aaron and the rest of his friends decided to scatter her ashes over the Black Lake before Aaron had the dreaded task of writing an owl to his parents to inform them what had happened to their daughter. Later on that afternoon all four members of The Dragons headed towards the room of requirement.
"Well, I figured that this place would be as good as any to start working on some new material." Aaron said.
"You mean that you still want to do the show? After what just happened?" Justin questioned him in disbelief as Aaron nodded.
"Dumbledore's right. It's what our fans would want,.. and more importantly what Bailey would want." He replied and that's when suddenly he started thinking back to earlier that morning. "Umm,.. hey, speaking of Bailey I had the strangest moment this morning. I think I was losing my mind because I thought that I saw Bailey's reflection in the mirror in the Gryffindor common room." He said before Rickie heaved a sad sigh.
"I'm afraid that it was just your mind playing tricks on you." He told him.
"Yeah I know, you're probably right." Aaron told him before Rickie placed a comforting hand on top of his shoulder.
"Trust me Aaron, Bailey's moved on and you have to let her go. It's not going to do you any good otherwise." He told him with a slight shake of his head.
"I just wish it was as easy for me to let go of my sister as it was easy enough to let go of your parents." Aaron said but Rickie just simply scoffed at him.
"You obviously have no idea." Rickie began as he slowly turned his back towards him and lowered his head to hide the tears that were now coming out of his eyes and falling down his cheeks. Rickie sniffed and brushed them away.
"Rickie are you alright man?" Aaron questioned him anxiously out of concern.
"You don't know how many nights I've cried myself to sleep and then once I start dreaming about my mum and dad being alive again that I just never want to wake up again. Now I'm all alone. At least the rest of you have families." Rickie told him.
As Aaron looked at him it was now suddenly apparent that his eyes were full of tears as well. "You honestly don't think you have a family? Rickie, you have three brothers right here who love you more than you will ever even know." He told him with a sniff as Rickie quickly turned around to face him. "Now that isn't to say that I'll ever forget Bailey because I won't as long as I live, just like I already know that you'll never forget your parents.
But we've been best friends and basically brothers since we were in diapers man,.. and that's never going to change." Aaron told him before the two boys quickly embraced each other while Derek and Justin watched them and continued to sob inside each other's arms.
"Thanks Aaron, I love you guys too." Rickie told him while they rubbed each other's backs and then gave them a pat before slowly breaking the embrace and Aaron looked into Rickie's eyes and then simply just grinned.
"Now what do you say that we get ready to kick some tail?" He questioned him eagerly as Rickie grinned back at him.
"It's showtime." He replied.
"Come on Dragons let's get to work!" Aaron cried before changing into their costumes with a wave of their wands and then placed their hands on top of each other's.
"Dragon power!" They exclaimed before breaking the circle.
…
A little while later once The Dragons had finished writing their song together they started to rehearse and Derek started to sing. "Well if you want to learn how we do what we do, here's a little lesson from me to you." He sang before Aaron joined in.
"Now if you think you can be whoever you want to be, I'm gonna teach you that it's not easy to be me." He sang before it was Rickie's turn.
"But if you're still willing to have a go, I'm gonna teach you what you need to know." He sang before they all started singing the chorus together and breaking into their choreographed dance.
"And it's gonna be hot!" They sung.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Derek chimed in
"Why don't you show em what you got!" They all sung together.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Justin sang.
"And if we've got you Starstruck,.." they all sang together.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Derek belted.
"Then here's a bit of liquid luck!" All four of them harmonized.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Justin sang.
"And if there's any question of what we've got,.." all four of them chorused together.
"Then it's gonna be hot!" Aaron belted.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" They sang together.
"Oh it's gonna be hot!" Aaron repeated.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" All four of them harmonized.
"Yeah it's gonna be hot!" Aaron sang out before they took an instrumental dance break.
"Well it's time to kick some tail and turn up the steam one hundred and fifty degrees!" Rickie belted.
"Cause we've got a lot of ground to cover and so little time to breathe!" Aaron sang.
"For if we want to be superstars then there's only one way for it to be,.." Derek began.
"It's gotta be hot!" They all sang together.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Justin added.
"For it's our only shot!" All four of them harmonized.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Derek chimed in.
"Ain't no stopping us now!" They chorused together.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Justin sang.
"Nothing wearing us down!" They harmonized.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" Derek added.
"Oh say it loud, and say it proud, as Dragons what are we gonna be?" Rickie questioned.
"Oh we're gonna be hot!" Aaron sang.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" They all sang together.
"Oh we're gonna be hot!" Aaron repeated.
"Uh huh, uh huh!" All four of them chorused together.
"Yeah we're gonna be hot baby!" Aaron belted before the song finally ended and they all exchanged grins and started bumping fists with one another.