Chapter Five
I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air.
I don't know what to do with you, Hermione.
What are you going to do, Hermione?
Where are you, Hermione?
What are you doing, Hermione?
My first reminder of the incident.
I had lived with Lisa for a month now and had finally got used to her unorthodox lifestyle.
It turned out that all the guys lived in the same apartment building and apparently, switched rooms to sleep in so that everyone could sleep together. A party- life. To tell the honest truth, I loved it. The laid- back and free attitudes, no responsibilities… And everyone had jobs at Club Clevouge, which was apparently the best- kept secret in New York. Since I had an in with Lisa, I was automatically granted a job as well. Everyone was some form of server, but no one would tell me what Draco did, although I had a guess. One which I hoped was not correct.
The first round of the singing competition, Shout Out it's called, was going to be on Friday. It was now Tuesday, and I had put it off longer than intended.
I had a nightmare about the incident before New York.
I imagined the scenario while I had been sleeping on duty. Blood spilled on the ground like rainwater. At the end, I had been falling down into a spiraling black hole with Harry and Ron's faces looming over me, disappointed and filled with shame.
I looked at the clock on the wall. 1 pm.
I cracked a small smile, thinking back to the time when waking up later than nine o' clock was unthinkable. I could definitely get used to this lifestyle.
Today I was supposed to look for songs with Lisa. Draco already had one in mind.
Speak of the devil. He walked in the room, completely groomed and awake. I felt grungy in comparison.
That wasone thing about him that bugs me to no end. No matter how late he stays up, no matter how alcohol he drinks, he is up before everyone and is never caught in his pajamas or unready for the day. Unnerving is what it is.
"Heath, Craig," I shook the shoulders of the two lumps of people on the ground. "Wake up, you gits."
Craig groggily lifted his head. "Hey Mia. Five more minutes. Pleeeaaase?"
"You all promised to take me shopping for an outfit for the competition though. Now, get up, I need your fabulous fashion sense."
"Take Draco," Kyle mumbled into his pillow.
He dropped his head back and once again resumed snoring. Impatiently, I took my pillow and smacked all three of them on the head. Dave and Lisa were on the other side of the room, away from my reach.
"You know, Hermione, if you need someone with fashion sense…" From behind, I could hear the smirk in his tone.
"Malfoy, if I ever want your fashion sense, I'd shoot myself."
"Feisty girl. So, I assume that no one but myself is ready?"
I looked around the room desolately, only to see everyone sprawled around in their pajamas, snoring through their inevitable hangover. "They won't be waking for hours!" Damn. I was really looking forward to picking out a nice dress. I haven't properly shopped since Hogwarts. My first day didn't count- all I did was sit on a chair while Lisa got all my clothes.
Draco openly scrutinized my face. I sighed and began picking up some litter on the floor.
I loved my cousin and her friends, but sometimes I couldn't stand how unreliable plans with them could become. It can be liberating and flexible, but oh so chaotic and unstable.
I began walking toward the laundry room when Malfoy's hand landed on my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
"Go get ready." He began to walk away.
"Er- excuse me?"
He smiled and turned to me again. "I said get ready. I'm taking you out."
Speechless, I just tilted my head and stared after his retreating back with what was surely a comical expression.
What did he say?
For the past week at all our group outings, I had avoided him like the plague, always walking on the opposite end of the mob from him. Of course, he never singled me out and made conversation with me after that first re- meeting, which was a disaster…that is, until now.
I stood there like a complete moron until he walked back with a new leather jacket.
He looked up from his wallet and looked at my appearance and its obvious sameness. "Well, get to it! It's already…one- fifteen. Well, are you just going to stand there?"
"Wait…so you're…gonna take…me out? Only us two? Like…only us two?"
He nodded slowly as if I had a mental disability. "Yes, Hermione. I assume you haven't found an outfit or a song yet?"
I nodded sheepishly. I guess Mr. Hotshot found both.
He smiled again. A real smile- it very much threw me.
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"So…it's a nice day, isn't it?"
Stunningly enough, I was walking down the streets with Draco Malfoy by my side. Our conversation was stilted and awkward, which was mainly my fault, I'll admit.
"Yes, I suppose."
"…Not as good as California, though. They have better weather."
"I…wouldn't know."
"…One day, you should visit there."
"…Maybe one day."
"…How's your life so far?"
"…Okay."
Oh, yeah, it's bloody brilliant. I was responsibly for the deaths of numerous great aurors, my best friends hated me, and I'm shopping with my old enemy who's also wanted by the ministry.
"How's this store? I go in here sometimes. It's a new one, not popular yet. But the clothes are nice and at a reasonable price. They sell mostly men's clothing, but there are a few-"
"Malfoy," I interrupted, "how did you manage to escape the ministry- the ministry back…home- for so long? How did you manage to escape from…"
He paused. "First, tell me something, Hermione."
Taken aback, I stuttered, "O-okay."
He sat me down on a bench next to him. The enormity of the intensity in his eyes sort of made me lean back.
"Whydidn't you turnme in? To the ministry."
"I- I'm sorry?"
"Why aren't you turning me in to the ministry? You've known of my presence here for a while now. I know you and your partners and such must have been looking for me for a long time, not to mention the ministry of magic."
Oh, bloody hell.
"Well…"
What was I supposed to tell him? I couldn't turn him in because if I contacted anyone from the wizarding world, I'd be tracked as well, by Harry and Ron? He thought I was here on bloody vacation!
"It's been six years, Malfoy, I don't think-"
"It's Draco. Or Drake, as I'm more commonly known here. I'm no longer a Malfoy."
"Okay, but-" I stopped. "Sorry?"
He shrugged. "I'm not a Malfoy anymore. I've legally extracted that name from all my documents."
"Wow…" Some silence passed. Not awkward, but thoughtful. "You know, you never cease to surprise me."
"Well, Granger, I'm still waiting for an answer, because the only reason I can think of you not contacting anyone about me is because you are running away from them as well. And the only reason I can think up for that is you and your little friends got into a fight, or you messed up some way, in a big way, because if you had been merely 'on vacation', you would have-"
"Okay, enough, Sherlock! It's been six years, Draco. You're a bit old news. No offense to your ego, of course." Goodness! He's a sharp one. And just like that, he made me hostile again.
"No, seriously. What made you come all the way to New York? What was so big or terrible or…overwhelming that you had to strip yourself from your work?"
"Okay, get a grip on yourself, paranoid pants!"
"I do want to know, though. People like you-"
"People like me?" I stood up. "What about people like me, Malfoy? I'd really like to know, please tell me." He was definitely stepping onto dangerous grounds now.
He stood up to face me. Still sensible and using an annoyingly superior and patronizing voice. "Cut the hostility, Hermione. You act like you're oblivious to it. People like you-"
"OH! Well! Do you want to know how 'people like you' are!"
"No, not particularly!" People were staring at us, but I didn't care.
"Well, I think I might tell you anyway!"
"What are you on about!"
"People like you are why we have other people like Hitler, or people like Voldemort, or people like-"
"Excuse me," someone interrupted us. It was a clerk from the store we were in front of. "Would you two mind moving your conversation to-"
"NO!" both Malfoy and I barked. She immediately jumped back to her store.
"Why the hell are we yelling at each other!" he shouts.
"Because you're an insufferable prat who deserves to crawl under a rock and drop dead there!"
"Why are you so afraid of this question? You are so obviously hiding something!"
"Why don't you mind your own bloody business!"
"God! What is wrong with you, woman! A person tries to ask you a simple question and you just blow up like it's you're time of month!"
"Oh please! A person? You call yourself a person? What kind of heartless 'person' would do allthe horrid thingsyou did? Who! Oh, I'm sorry, I think I'm forgetting your FATHER!"
SLAP
A group of teenagers nearing us audibly gasped and hurriedly turned around and headed the other way. One goofball yelled out, "Oh, no he didn't!"
The stinging faded, but my heart was still beating rapidly.
He hit me.
I slowly turned my face to look at his. He looked a bit shocked at himself, maybe a bit regretful. But I didn't see any of that.
I have an incredibly embarrassing habit of crying when I get too angry. So my tears began blurring my vision.
"Hermione, I-"
"Don't… talk to me." My livid voice cracked at the last three words. I began walking away, heading for the apartment.
"Hey! H-hey, come on-"
"Just shut up, Malfoy!"
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"Mia!"
"Hey- why's your face so blotchy?"
"Have you- have you been crying?"
This was my greeting from the boys, the moment when I walked in the door.
"What happened?"
"Where's Drake?"
"Hey, his name's 'Malfoy', remember? Haha!"
"Shut it, Kyle!"
"Why don't you shut it, Craig?" A fit broke out among them, while Heath and Dave joined in.
"EERRGGH! BOYS!" I threw down my purse and stormed into the bedroom.
I wasn't crying anymore but got to the "fuming" stage.
How dare he? HOW DARE HE? How- how- dare he hit me? No man had ever hit me before!
As if anyone could even call that… BASTARD a man!
"Knock, knock."
"Hey, Lisa," I mumbled as she sat next to me on the bed. I brought a pillow to my chest.
"Find an outfit?" she inquired kindly, knowing very well the answer.
I scoffed. "No. As if I could ever work with that…son of a..."
She let my words hang in the air. "You know, Mia…Drake's not a bad guy."
"You don't know him like I do."
"No, Mia. It's you who doesn't know him like I do. Like we do. No matter how much of a jerk he was to you at school- and I still can't believe he's a wizard, by the way- he's changed. Now, don't roll your eyes, girl, hear me out.
"You haven't seen him for years. He's been one of my best friends for the past recent few years. I know him, and he's a good person. A bit shady, I'll admit, but…"
She shook her head. "You know, Hermione…Since you've arrived, he's sort of hinting at you that he wants tomove on fromyour past…problems, whatever they may be…But you haven't really given him a chance.
"Just chew on that, okay?"
She got up and headed towards the door. She turned back to me. "By the way, I think I have a song in mind for you, so…yeah."
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"It is finally Friday night, everyone, and you know what that means!"
"SHOUT OUT! SHOUT OUT! SHOUT OUT!" screamed the audience enthusastically.
Backstage, I was panicking.
"Omigod, omigod, omigod. Why did I ever agree to this, Lisa? I'm gonna die out there! Perish into embarrassed flames right onstage, with taunting laughter surrounding me in my last pitiful moments of life!"
"Hello, Hermione. How are you fairing?"
I turned around to face him, Malfoy, my expression completely composed. "Very well, thank you," I replied calmly.
"Well, good luck. You're going to need it."
I flared up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I merely meant that there are very…competitive singers around here. And roughly half the singers will be eliminated before the second round. That's all."
He began walking towards his corner, and called over his shoulder, "Nice robe, by the way."
I looked down at the white fluffy robe covering my beautiful new dress that Lisa had helped me pick out just a few hours ago. It was a halter, red and sparkly, very low cut on the chest area. The fabric hugged my figure and guaranteed more than a few glances.
"Nice robes," I muttered under my breath viciously. I tilted my head to Lisa. "Did you hear that?"
"A chance, Mia. And besides, you can't worry about that right now. Here, drink more honey."
The stage manager came backstage. "Okay, people! 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is almost done… 'I'm With You' is up next."
"Oh my God, Mia, that's you!" Lisa squealed. "Break your freakin' leg!"
The song was by someone called Avril Lavigne, and I was immediately smitten with her slightly haunted style, with incredibly vivid lyrics.
As I walked onstage, the mellow rhythm began. I slowly slid the mike out of its hold. The nervousness slowly faded from me, and the audience's faces became smudges of nonsense. As I felt the first note,the worldbecame contained withinthe song and myself.
I'm standing on a bridge-
I'm waiting in the dark-
I thought that you'd be here by now.
There's nothing but the rain-
No footsteps on the ground-
I'm listening but there's no sound.
I felt my voice getting gradually stronger, gradually smoother.
Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
This is what I practiced for. I let my voice loose and gave it its own life. The words flowed out and miraculously became a beautiful melody.
It's a damn cold night-
Trying to figure out this life-
Wont you take me by the hand-
take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are-
But I... I'm with you. Yeah- yeah.
Oh, why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind-
Yeah-yeah- Yeah- Yeah-Yeah -Yeah…
I let my voice become gentle and soft again, the words gliding out of the lips.
It's a damn cold night-
Trying to figure out this life-
Wont you take me by the hand-
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are-
But I…
I prepared for the climax.
I'm with you.
I'm with you.
Take me by the hand-
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are-
but I…I'm with you-
I'm with you.
Take me by the hand-
Take me somewhere new-
I don't know who you are-
But I... I'm with you-
And here was where I felt the ending coming; where the finality of the song was coming to an end. A feeling impossible to describe.
I'm with you…
I'm with you...
I smiled as the applause of the people filled me up. I laughed as I ran off the stage, gratefully excepting everyone's praises.
Because I realized something- I really loved performing. I was good at it. I was good at something that didn't include researching or studying or facts. It was a refreshing feeling. I pondered this as Lisa ran up and hugged the life out of me.
"Mia, you were amazing! I never knew you could sing!"
"Oh, stop it," I blushed. To tell the truth, I never knew I could sing either. But I really did do good, if I do say so myself.
"I'm serious, Mia! You blew everyone out of the water!"
I took off my sparkly red dress and as much makeup as I could and went to watch the rest of the performers. Some were great, some were ridiculously horrendous.
The host clapped for the singer who just sang "Love Will Keep Us Together", very poorly in my opinion, and spoke to the audience, "Wasn't she wonderful? Well, up next- you know him, you love him, he performs here twice a month- 'Sunday Morning', Drake!"
I sat up straighter.My hunch was right; Malfoy- I mean Drake- was a singer for the club. A bloody singer.
To my amazement, he sat down in the piano set at the center of the stage, wearing a portable mike. He began playing a jazzy modern tune. Figures, I thought, that he would have to impress the judges even more by…
But all malevolent thoughts I had of him disintegrated as he sang his first line…