Hello beautiful people! Just to quickly say, the writing in italic, is scenes from the students Final Performance, and I have written it from the characters perspective, not Hermione playing Leah, but Leah. And reviews are awesome, so let me know what you think! Ooooh, also the song during the Hermione Draco dance seen is All the right moves by Apologize.
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Hermione spent the day by the lake, she and the other main leads for the Final Performance had had the day off, their rehearsal time was more intense than the other students, simply because they had more songs and dance steps to learn. Currently, she was leant against Ron, her back pressed against the right side of his stomach, as her feet dangled in the water. Together, Ron and herself created a right angle, as he leant back on his palms, holding both himself and Hermione up. Harry was lying down on the grass, his head leant against Hermione legs as he tossed a ball between his hands. They made quite the picture Hermione realised, but she was comfortable like this, and what with Harry being away she enjoyed spending this time with her two boys.
Her thoughts drifted off over the past years, and the mischief and trouble the trio always seemed to find themselves in. Then her thoughts, slowly but completely inevitably turned to Voldemort. That seemed to happen to her, no matter who she was with or where she was, that flickering flame of fear that she held over the actor wouldn't be extinguished. She sighed quietly and ran her fingers through Harry's hair, hating how caught up in it all he was, how Voldemorts sincere hatred of her best friend, meant him to be in serious danger. He was safe in Hogwarts, despite what the press thought he was safe here, Dumbledore's protection was the best thing for him right now.
In short, Voldemort was a sick, sick person who's belief in astronomy and the stories and prophecies that they were meant to predict, and constant contact with a 'psychic' left him completely convinced that Harry had been placed on Earth as his biggest obstacle. The one challenge left, before he could take the place of the greatest and most powerful actor in the world. Voldemort had become involved in dodgy stuff, a long time before Harry was even born, but combining his fear of being defeated and the 'power' he had gained through the drugs, alcohol and gang involvement, Voldemort had become a very dangerous man, whose intent, quite simply, was to have Harry killed.
The only reason, the press, police, government, every group of authority hadn't connected him to other killings or trouble, was because he had managed to gain many of them under his control as well. Hermione shuffled on Ron's chest, letting her head drop against his shoulder. Her thoughts turned to other things, though they weren't much better. She had her detention today. The detention with Malfoy. The one she had been trying very very hard to forget about. It was today. She swallowed nervously, her hand coming up to tuck her curls behind her ears. An hour, alone with a man who made her feel things she didn't understand, and whose eyes seemed to understand her like no one else's. A man who was her teacher.
She groaned.
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"So Daphne, you're a whore right?"
Daphne Greengrass snapped her book shut and glanced to the left, her eyes narrowing with disdain at the girl who had delicately slid into the seat next to her.
"Beautiful conversation starter Parkinson, how long did it take you to come up with that one?" Daphne replied, placing her book back on the table, and pushing her reading glasses onto the top of her head.
"Witty," Pansy bit back, her hand whipping out and twisting the end of Daphne's plait around her fingers.
"Was there a particular reason for this pleasant visit, or were you simply trying to ruin my day?" Daphne smiled at the darker haired girl, her mannerisms and body language giving away nothing about the pure dislike she felt for the girl.
"Oh come now Queenie, no need to be like that,"
Daphne jaw clenched at the nickname given to her but she shrugged it off, raising her eyebrows at the girl and waiting for her reply.
"So, you do agree you have been with your fair share of men?" Pansy asked, her voice slipping down into a quieter tone as she added "And women,"
Daphne gracefully stood up, shooting Pansy a withering look and began to walk away from the couch in the Common Room, refusing to deal with Parkinson's childish games when Pansy's hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist.
"Now darling, you may want to seat your rather sizable arse back down, before these pictures of you and Tracey Davis sharing some saliva manage to find their way around the entire school, hmm?" Pansy waved a brown envelope around, pulling out one of the pictures just enough to let Daphne see the top half of her and Tracey kissing rather passionately. "What would dear old daddy have to say about that Queenie, or have you already 'come out' to him?"
Daphne scowled as she watched the girl she had known for pretty much all her life. Whilst homosexuality was a lot more accepted in the Wizarding World, than in Muggle Culture her father held very strong Catholic like views on that particular topic, and being a strong Slytherin, Daphne shuddered a little at the consequences she would suffer if her father found out that she did indeed, like girls.
"You bitch," Daphne murmured as she sat back, her back arched, and her hands clasped on the book she had been reading.
"Learn how to play the game sweetie, don't think you can blink those big blue eyes at me, and flip your wavy hair and I'll fawn at your feet. This is about power, and if the best you can do is spread your legs, well darling, have fun in the real world."
"What do you want Parkinson?"
"You and I have different qualities. One being our distinct difference in the relationship department,"
"Meaning that I've actually had relationships whereas the only contact you've had with a boy would be the times that Zabini needed to release his tension, when we all know his true feelings for…."
"Enough." Pansy barked, making some of the younger Slytherin students watch her warily. "Enough," she repeated softly.
"If I cannot have Blaise, and it seems I can't, then I want the next best. I want Draco Malfoy," Pansy announced quietly, leaning towards Daphne slightly.
There was a short pause in which Daphne's eyes widened slightly before she began to laugh, the tinkling sound drifting round the Common Room, and attracting the attention of some of the males.
"Dear Lord, calm down before you give yourself a headache," Pansy muttered angrily, her eyes flickering around the green room. When Daphne finished giggling, she lifted her eye level to Pansy, and stroked away some of the tears gathered there.
"Time for someone to take her medication I think. You cannot be serious, you want your Final Performance teacher?"
"Yes. I will have him. And it will be before Granger."
"Granger? Oh Pansy, Granger would never go for a teacher, she's too much of a prude to even consider the possibility."
"She's more of a slut than people give her credit for. Now listen here Queenie,"
"That's not my name,"
"Didn't Marcus used to call you that?"
The blow took place in Daphne's eyes, and flashes of betrayal and hurt scattered across her face.
"Do take some time to regain your composure won't you darling?" Pansy rolled her eyes, examining her nails as Daphne took a deep breath.
"I'm listening,"
Oh good," Pansy smiled falsely, shuffling further towards her on the sofa.
"You will help me get Malfoy, and you will make sure his attention stays on me once it has been caught. Or else, these photos could get misplaced in some very unfortunate position, like oh I don't know, your daddy's desk. Chao sweetie,"
And with that Pansy strutted from the room, leaving Daphne to try and hold herself together. A break down in the middle of the Slytherin corridor, would be pounced upon.
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"You wanna talk about it?"
Leah glanced to her left, and frowned slightly at the man who had plonked himself down next to her. She fingered the rim of her glass with her little finger, her eyes locking on the wedding ring he wore on his left hand.
Indulging the man, she took a swig of her drink before speaking. "Talk about what?"
"About whatever it is,"
She turned to look at him properly, her face confused, he downed a shot and pushed the glass back towards the bartender.
"Sometimes it helps, to talk," he clarified, twisting in his seat and fixing her one of the most intense looks she had ever seen since, well since, no, she wasn't going to think about him.
There was a long pause. The man was attractive, his orange hair glinting in the clubs lights and she smiled a little at the awkward way he bobbed his head along to the music.
Taking a deep breath, she turned her whole body to face him and clasped her fingers together in her lap.
"He, urm, he left. He left me."
The man nodded, "Another woman?"
"No,"
"Another man?"
She chuckled and shook her head "No, thank God,"
"So, why'd he leave?"
"Army,"
"Oh right,"
"Yeah," she took another deep breath and looked right in the man eyes, he stared right back and it was like he was drawing the words out of her. Like he was slowly coaxing her into accepting, accepting and talking.
"I miss him."
"You're hurting,"
"More than anyone will ever know,"
"It's natural,"
A tear slid down her cheek and she giggled a little breathily. Leaning forward on her chair, she caught his blue green eyes and held his gaze.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He nodded "Anytime,"
She smiled, and grabbed her coat off the back of the chair she was sitting on, pulling it on and slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"Hey wait!"
She turned to look back at the ginger haired man. " I'm Ryan."
She smiled "Leah,"
"Stop! That was brilliant. Really, that was really really good." Astoria praised, hopping forward on her crutches, grinning at the pair of them. How you managed to create such an honest recreation of Dumbledore's dream for it, I have no idea.
"We'll go over it again, for cues and props and lines, but take a five minute break that was excellent." Hermione squeezed Ron's arm as she walked down the stage steps, purposefully ignoring Draco's watchful eye.
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Draco kept his eyes fixed on the clock as it slowly ticked over to six o clock, sharp. And not a moment too soon, three short knocks on his classroom door echoed throughout the empty room. Pulling some paper towards him, and grabbing a pen, he fixed his eyes on the blank pages and spoke casually.
"Come in,"
The door opened and he refused to tilt his head up and meet the eye of the curly haired girl stood in his classroom.
"Malfoy," she said after a beat of silence and he looked up in mock surprise, a smirk spreading across his features.
"Oh Granger, how wonderful to see you,"
She rolled her eyes and pulled out a chair, sitting down on it delicately whilst she dropped her bag to the floor.
"So?" She spoke again and he raised his eyebrows.
"So?" He repeated.
"What do you want me to do?" She asked, glancing around the room, to see if there was any hidden work he wanted her to carry out.
"Oh for your detention, I hadn't really thought about it," he replied, his tone bored as he flipped through blank papers, examining them carefully.
"Brilliant," she muttered and Draco frowned and looked up at her.
"How's the scene coming?" Draco asked suddenly, and Hermione snapped her head up to look at him, her eyes narrowing as she tried to conclude what kind of mood he was in.
"You were there. You saw it today?"
"No, not that scene. The dancing scene,"
Hermione bit her lip and pushed a hand through her curls, a trait Draco had come to recognise.
"Not too good," she murmured finally, her eyes locked on the floor and Draco swallowed. Then he took a deep breath and asked casually "You want to run it with me?"
"With you?"
"Yes Granger. That is what I just said," he replied impatiently, his face expressionless.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would you help me?"
He frowned "That's not the most intelligent question you've ever asked. I'm your teacher, it is my job."
"But you don't…"
"Don't what?"
"Like me," she said quietly and it was like the room froze.
If only she knew, he thought to himself. His face hardened and his jaw clenched a little as he looked at her innocent expression.
"Whatever feelings I may have for you are irrelevant Granger. I am here to help you, do you want it or not?"
After a while she nodded her head and he turned his back to her to sort the music out. He heard her shuffling behind him, and realised she was creating a working space. When he turned back around, the floor was clear of desks, and Granger had shrugged off her jacket, leaving on a skimpy white vest. He inwardly groaned at the sight, she had pulled her hair up into a bun, not bothering to tuck in some of the curls.
"Now, you need to really try and connect with how Leah's feeling at this exact moment," he spoke watching as she stretched her arms and legs.
"But I don't know how she's feeling. I understand what the dance is meant to represent but I can't place myself there. It's like she just won't open up to this bit, and if I can't understand her then I can't perform it best."
"It's meant to represent her feelings towards how the men make her feel. Ryan is safe and comforting, something she knows how to respond to and can feel comfortable there. With Max it's dark and possessive and strange, she has no control over how she responds to him. In Leah's eyes, Max took her heart without her permission. That's why, when dancing with Ryan or Ron, the moves and soft, they're easy and straight to the point, it's mainly in hold, so you have just as much control as Ron does. But with Blaise, you have to let go. Of all of it. Leah surrenders herself to him, that's why the dance steps there are much more tango/argentine tango."
"I don't know how to just let go of myself,"
"Oh come on Granger. There must be someone who makes you feel like you have no control over your body or responses when around them,"
He turned back to look at her and the pair quietly stared at each other for a while.
"The Weasley kid?" He murmured and she blinked dazedly and nodded her head.
"Right so here we go," he pressed play and the music floated through the air. Hermione locked her eyes on Draco as they waited for the right break in the music. Suddenly, like a man possessed, he moved forward grabbing her by the waist and staring deeply into her eyes. His face giving nothing away.
As she was taught to do, she let him support her as she leant back, dropping her head and closing her eyes, exposing her neck and chest for him to see. He pulled her up, flush against his own body and she began to breathe heavily as he stroked across her cheek, his hand finding its way around to the nape of her neck, like Blaise had been taught. Then she span out of his grasp, creating distance between the pair, her feet seemed to let the steps flow through her without much thought as she circled him, their eyes never leaving each other. Without even stopping to think, she leapt at him, her legs wrapping around his waist as she cupped his face. He walked with her still clung to him, his eyes burning with emotions she couldn't understand, they were too dark and intense for her to even want to contemplate.
When she was finally lowered to the ground, she kicked and twisted her legs through his, her hands grasping his shoulders for support. She felt like she was drowning by how close he was. Draco then grabbed her hand and spun her away from, where in the actual performance, she would fall into Ron's arms who would spin her off around the floor whilst Blaise waited, until she would be spun back to him. The music slowly trailed off, and she was left standing across the room from him, panting, with a dry mouth.
In return, he seemed just as frozen as she was. His hair slightly mussed from where she had let her fingers twist through it during some of the steps.
But none of that mattered, no what mattered, was she hadn't danced that step as Leah, she had danced that as herself. And the feelings she had had then, weren't Leah's. They were very much her own.
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"So what you're effectively saying is, you don't know what you want?" Ryan spoke softly into the dark room and Leah pushed her hands through her hair, scraping it away from her face.
"Yes," she replied after a moment and heard him exhale sharply.
"You don't want me?" He murmured and she turned to face him, her eyes flickering across his mask of composure.
"Ryan, if he, if I had never known Max, then it would just be you. There couldn't be anyone else, all I would want would be you. Because you keep me safe, and you make me smile and I don't hurt around you. But with him, it's like I'm burning and I ache from just him, but he's not here and I don't know! I'm sorry, I just, I have no idea." She replied, a lone tear slipping down her face, and she clutched at her stomach at much the same way she had when he first left, as if it was physically paining her to stand up straight.
Then the music played and she fell into Ryan's arms. And like always he caught her. He guided her around the floor, keeping it calm and gentle, and loving with every step, never demanding anything, his blue green eyes always smiling at her. But then Ryan slipped away, back into the shadows and it was just her, staring out into the darkness. But then hands grabbed at her waist harshly and span her towards them. And she knew those hands, so she knew it was him.
But then Hermione blinked, because she wasn't looking up at Max anymore. She was looking at Blaise, her friend Blaise. And the moves became slightly stunted, because it felt too wrong and passionate to dance this with Blaise. She wanted to dance this with him. But as she glimpsed over Blaise's shoulder as he walked across the floor with her draped over him, she saw Malfoy. And it was like her whole world began to spin.
Because now she had found Max.
So she closed her eyes and once they were open Max was stood before her, his hard eyes glinting with unspoken apologies and wishes for the future. And her moves became wild, because she let go of Hermione and became Leah.
Leah whose hands found cold smooth, pale skin, and smouldering grey eyes. Leah whose hands found blonde silky locks of hair and Leah who hated Max for how he made her feel. But Leah who at the same time, completely and utterly adored him. Leah who loved Max. Leah who was heartbroken.
Then she was spun, between the two of them. Ryan and Max. Max and Ryan, the two men who had become the centre of her world. The two made who made her feel such different emotions, the two men she would die for.
One who was fire, and one who was water. One who made her burn and one who slowly lapped his way into her heart.
One who ripped her apart completely, and one who slowly built her back up again.
But, she knew without a doubt, that she needed them both.
"Cut!" Hermione blinked and shook her head, opening her eyes to see both Ron and Blaise's grinning faces at her.
"That was fucking awesome," Blaise practically screamed and Professor Greengrass scolded him gently, before agreeing.
"It was amazing. Congratulations," she offered to Hermione who smiled at her in appreciation. Ron picked her up and crushed her in a huge hug, muttering words of praise into her shoulder. Over his shoulder, she watched Malfoy nod curtly before swiftly leaving the room. Hermione's heart sank a little at his exit.
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He had been jealous.
There was no other way to describe those emotions. He had been so jealous, it felt like his chest was too small and he had wanted to punch the wall. At least ten times. He clenched his fists together and let his head fall against the wall outside the classroom. She was going to kill him. Literally.
Seeing her like that, with no control only need, in Blaise's arms. Blaise's! It had ripped and clawed and torn at him, watching as she span between two boys, both of them touching and loving her. Both of them clutching her hair, and grasping at her face. Whilst she, in return, clung desperately to both of them. It was only acting, he repeated to himself over and over. It wasn't real.
She was getting too close, and his resistance to her, for some godforsaken reason, was low. Her eyes, and her hair and her smile, and her fucking eyes. All of it just added up to feelings he didn't want to think about.
"Jesus Christ," he moaned, opening his eyes just as the door to his left opened.
"Malfoy?"
There was a pause, silence roaring between them.
"What is it Granger?"
"I just wanted to say thanks," he could see her twisting a curl around her finger before tucking it behind her ear and his stomach and heart clenched almost painfully. He pushed away from the wall and looked down at her.
"Yeah well, need to keep your feet pointed," he replied quietly and she nodded.
"You want to come watch the rest of the scene? I was thinking you could go over it with me today in detention?" She smiled softly at him and he instinctively shook his head, stepping backwards.
"No, your detentions are over now,"
"I've only done one?"
"I have better things to be doing with my time than babysit you Granger,"
She looked at him blankly for a moment, then turned back into the classroom and shut the door.
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"Mr Draco Malfoy sir?"
Draco looked up from his book and stared at the young boy stood in front of him.
"Can I help you?" He asked, raising one eyebrow at the child. The boy shifted nervously, clutching a bit of paper in his hand as he stood in ragged and worn clothes, a smudge of dirt across his cheek.
"I'm to be giving you this message Mr Draco sir,"
Draco frowned at the boy's unusual way of speaking, and glanced at the message, scanning the words. He stood up abruptly and looked back down at the child.
"Thank you," he said and the boy grinned, his face looking like it was going to split and he did a strange half bow motion before heading back to the door out of Draco's office.
"Urm wait, what's your name?" He called out after the child who turned around, wonder on his face at Draco's question.
"It's Erasmus sir,"
Draco smirked "Erasmus?"
"Yes," the boy said simply still smiling and Draco couldn't help the little smile of his own that spread at the boys face.
"Well I hope to see you around Erasmus,"
"Oh me too sir, honour to be meeting you sir," and with that the boy turned and walked out of the door, skipping as he went. Draco shook his head and began to head out of the door himself.
He was about halfway down the corridor when he bumped straight into one of his students. Pansy Parkinson.
She flashed him a smile and he noticed as she ran a hand through her sleek black hair, ruffling it up as she pushed it away from her face.
"Professor? I was just wondering if I could have a moment…sir," she added on the end and Draco watched her for a moment, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.
"I'm actually just about to go and meet someone, sorry Pansy,"
"No, its okay. Just needed some help on my performance, can I come see you some other time?" She widened her eyes subtlety, so much so that Draco almost missed it. He narrowed his eyes at her but nodded.
"Of course," he replied slowly watching as she blinked and smiled at him, biting her lip as she did so.
"Thanks sir," she chirruped and moved past him, brushing her arm as she did so.
"Anytime," he said after her, watching her go with a slightly nauseous feeling as she swung her hips, in an attempt to be seductive.
"Oh dear Lord," he murmured as he continued to walk away.
As he reached the end of the corridor he heard Parkinson's voice ring out.
"It was too easy darling,"
Without stopping to think what she was talking about he continued his way through the castle, ignoring the suspicious look Weasley gave him as he passed him on the corridor.
He didn't want to think about Weasley, because if he thought about Weasley, he would think about her, and that was not a good idea. Especially with who he was about to meet. As he reached the entrance of the Hogwarts, he took a deep breath and straightened out his shirt. Ignoring the feeling that was definitely not fear pumping through his veins, he pulled one of the heavy doors opened and smirked at who he saw there.
"Hello Father,"
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"So I had a thought,"
"Thinking Ronald?"
"No need to sound so surprised,"
Hermione chuckled and moved to sit on the sofa with him, watching affectionately as he shuffled himself around to face her. The fire crackled in the common room, it was late so the place was completely empty save for the two of them.
"What have you been thinking?"
He cleared his thought and a pink tinge coloured the top of his ears. Hermione raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly to catch his eyes.
"Ron?"
"About us,"
Hermione stomach dropped, only to be replaced by millions of butterflies, swooping and soaring through her chest.
"Us," she repeated quietly.
"I know, with the show and stuff it's not the um, it's not the best time to be doing this," he gestured awkwardly between the pair of them and Hermione pressed her lips together nervously.
"I just, I like you, and I think, no I hope," he chuckled anxiously, "That you um, you like me too?"
She paused and looked at him for a moment. His beautiful eyes and soft face that seemed to have shown her every emotion on the spectrum, their fights and banter and laughs. A happy smile spread across her lips.
"Yes I do,"
He exhaled deeply and leant towards her, pausing near her face and letting his eyes look up at hers. She took a deep breath and then closed her own, her heart pounding until finally he pressed his lips against hers.
And she tried so hard, so so hard, to not think of blonde hair and grey stormy eyes.