A/N: Thanks so much for reading so far. I'd love to hear what you think of the story as you go - please let me know in the comments!
Time for the first rehearsal of their song together? Wonder how it will go? :)
"Alright, alright, everyone settle down!" Mrs. Trelawney called, trying to gather the attention of a dozen or so teenagers. "Thank you all for your hard work this afternoon! We have made excellent progress, and I commend you all for having your lines memorized and being completely off-book."
A smattering of claps and cheers went up across the stage as the actors started to put away their materials. They had just completed work on one of the big group numbers, leaving only work on Hermione and Ron's duet to do during the rehearsal. Hermione noticed that the knot that had been gradually tightening in her stomach all day was squeezing as hard as ever in anticipation of the last part of rehearsal. There were mere minutes left until she might kiss Ron for the first time.
"Excuse me, Mrs. T!" Lavender's voice rang out through the auditorium. She was standing with her hand on her hip, examining the schedule. "It looks like there's more work to do today. I see it only lists Elphaba and Fiyero, but should others of us stay if we're in the scene immediately afterward?"
Snickers rippled throughout the rest of the group as everyone was plainly aware of what was going to be happening shortly.
Mrs. Trelawney shook her head. "No, the sheet is correct. Only Hermione and Ron should remain behind at this point. I'm sure you can all understand why scenes like the one we'll be working on are best rehearsed with as few people around as possible."
"Oh. Right. Okay, we'll see you tomorrow, then!" Lavender's voice was chipper, but her face betrayed her true emotions. Silent frustration was emanating from her, and Hermione was sure that she was furious at being shut out. A bolt of anxiety shot through Hermione as her thoughts drifted to all of the times Lavender had tried to get closer to Ron. It was clear that she wanted him, and no matter how hard she tried, Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that Ron might have similar feelings as well; anyone would, she was gorgeous!
You're being ridiculous. He's given no indication that he's interested in her. He spends time with you, he gets rides from you, he talks to you. Just because you're not as pretty as her doesn't mean she would automatically win his heart. Hopefully, at least…
"Until tomorrow, my friends!" Mrs. Trelawney said, waving as the others started filing out the long rows of seats. The director, the rehearsal accompanist, and a few of the crew remained behind as Ron and Hermione drifted toward the middle of the stage, sharing awkward smiles and avoiding conversation. Hannah elbowed Hermione in the side as she left the stage, which caused Hermione's cheeks to blaze red like fire as she hoped that Ron had missed the gesture. Lavender, on the other hand, was the last one out, and Hermione could've sworn her co-star had given her a dirty look as the door closed behind her.
But there was no time to worry about that now. She was about to sing a romantic duet with Ron! She needed to focus!
"Now, Mr. Weasley. Ms. Granger. Here we are," the director stated in her softest and most soothing tone. "Once again before we embark, I want to check in. How are you both feeling? It's been a few weeks since our initial conversation about this scene. Is anyone having concerns they'd like to discuss?"
Nobody said anything at first, but Hermione was grateful that Ron cleared his throat a few seconds later and spoke up. "So yeah, we talked about it again and, umm, we're still good with it. No problem."
The director turned to Hermione, raising an eyebrow and silently requesting confirmation.
"Yes." Hermione agreed with a nod. "Ron and I checked back in with each other and still feel as though it's best for the show."
"Very well, then we proceed. Now, there are multiple options for the kiss scene. Some productions insert a kiss between the first part of the song, which is sung entirely by Elphaba, and the second part of the song where Fiyero starts. This is impactful, but keep in mind you have only a two-measure break, so it would have to be fast. Some place the kiss after the song is over. Others still do the kiss in both spots. I'm open to your opinions, so…what do we think?"
For once, Hermione had an opinion that she felt confident sharing right off the bat. "Personally, I think it's best at the end. I've seen performances where they do the kiss in the middle of the song, and it always feels incredibly rushed, almost to the point of being unrealistic. The end of the song feels more natural to me."
Mrs. Trelawney gave Hermione a knowing smile as if she was saying, "That's exactly what I was thinking." However, she still turned to Ron for his take.
"Hermione's pretty much always right about these things," he said with a grin. "If that's what she thinks, I'm on board."
"I couldn't agree more," the director added. "It's settled, then. Now, I assume you're both comfortable enough with the music to be off-script?"
They both nodded, and Mrs. Trelawney moved to the front of the stage, examining it from different angles as she started to determine the best positioning for the actors. As she studied the area, Hermione watched with a combination of excitement, anxiety, and full-blown terror, standing awkwardly next to Ron as they awaited further instruction.
"So just to refresh your memory," Mrs. Trelawney started once she seemed satisfied with her plan, "in this scene, Elphaba is public enemy number one, and Fiyero has run away with her into hiding. In doing so, Fiyero has just spurned Galinda, the woman who thought she would wind up with him, and the great and powerful Oz himself. Needless to say, he's fully aware that he's throwing away his entire life for this woman. The affection between the two of them has been blossoming throughout the entire show, and now that Fiyero has made his choice to be with her, they finally find a moment alone to declare their love for each other. Through song, of course. This is still Broadway…"
"Of course," Hermione said, chuckling along with her director.
"Of course. The scene is set in a dark wood, and if all goes well, we'll employ the smoke machine to set the ambiance. Lighting will be minimal, just some dim blues and two spotlights in all likelihood. Of all the songs in this show, this is one of the ones that the actors need to sell more than most. The choreography will be practically non-existent as the entire song is typically performed with the actors sitting or kneeling on the ground and staring at each other for most of the lyrics. You'll be called on to express a lot with your actions and facial expressions, so think carefully about the overall themes of the song and keep them in mind as you perform."
Ron looked around, a hint of pink in his cheeks. "Yeah, can do, absolutely."
The director stepped toward the pair of them and lowered her voice to keep their conversation as private as possible. "Now, I don't expect you to do the kiss immediately. You don't even have to do it today if you'd prefer not to. It's our first time rehearsing this scene, and sometimes it's best to work your way up to those types of things. But this is a passionate song. Your characters are finally alone together and admitting their forbidden love that they know likely can't last. I don't need to spell out the more…shall we say, adult implications. And I'm sure the two of you have watched video performances of this scene. I would never ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with, but in most performances, there are a lot of hands."
Pain ripped through Hermione's throat as she tried to swallow, only to find her mouth as dry as ever. None of what Mrs. Trelawney was telling her was new information, but the closer they came to actually rehearsing, the more she wondered why she had been looking forward to this.
This is not me and Ron in a committed relationship and alone on a couch or something. This is a public groping in front of hundreds of people I barely know! And the person I'm feeling up just so happens to be my biggest crush! What was I thinking?!
"Hands on shoulders, hands on arms, hands on faces as long as you're not blocking the audience's view. Hugs during breaks in the lyrics if you deem them appropriate and have enough time. Those kinds of things. That said, I recommend you start slowly. We'll get there as you become more comfortable with each other's performance. And not to sound like a broken record, but if at any point you're feeling uncomfortable, stop."
"That sounds fair," Hermione said, chancing a peek at Ron. He didn't look like his normal casual self, but he also didn't seem that worried. If anything, it prompted her to try to keep it together as much as possible.
"Yup, we can do that," he added.
"Excellent. Let's get started with a quick run-through of the music. Maestro?"
Summer After Seventh Grade
June 18th
Dear Diary,
It's been summer vacation for almost two weeks now, and as weird as it is to say, I kind of hope school never starts back up again. I know, I never thought I'd hear me say that either, diary. But it's true. And it's all because of one person.
Ron Weasley.
The last few months of the school year were amazing. The classes that we had together finished well, and we both ended up with really good grades because of all the time we spent studying together. Not to toot my own horn, but I knew I'd get a good grade. Ron was so excited when he got his final score back, though. All the work was worth it for the big hug he gave me after our report cards came the other day.
At first, I was worried that summer would mean we'd stop seeing as much of each other. But if anything, it's been the opposite. We used to spend close to 7 hours a day in class together, but now there are some days when we hang out from morning until bedtime, only pausing to go home and eat with our families. Sometimes, when my parents have to work late, I end up eating at Ron's house. His mom is so nice and they always have mountains of food. Ron always acts surprised when I eat almost as much as he does. But like, surprised in a kind of impressed way. It makes me weirdly happy…I don't know why.
Well, I kind of know why. And that's part of the problem. I guess it's not so much of a problem as it is a conundrum. He's amazing. He's super amazing. And if the past two weeks have taught me anything, it's that (ugh, fine, I'll admit it - get ready, diary) I'm in love with Ron Weasley.
There. I said it.
I like him a lot. I like him way more than a friend. I know I've written that in this diary before, but in retrospect, that was just a child's crush. This is more. This is deep. This is me legitimately wondering if he might be my soulmate. It's weird to think I might have already found my person so young, but how many people in life will I ever know so well and still want more and more of them all the time? I don't know, I'm sure my Mom would just smile and laugh in that JUST YOU WAIT kind of way, but I'm not sure she'd be right about that one. He may be it for me.
But that's the issue, right? What am I supposed to do with that information? Should I tell him? What if he doesn't feel the same way? Then I'm ruining everything and my summer and my entire life would suddenly become awful and painful and miserable. But sometimes I think I might explode if I DON'T tell him. Like, if I'm not careful, I'll just end up flying at him and kissing him without saying a word just because I can't NOT kiss him. And besides, what if he likes me too and kisses me back? I can't even imagine how happy I'd be and how much better the summer would get after something like that.
But I shouldn't get my hopes up. Knowing myself, I'm probably going to chicken out. I always do. Although I think I have a good reason. I'm genuinely really worried that I might lose my best friend. And of all the possible outcomes, avoiding that one seems like the most important thing.
Diary, when does life get easier?
Love, Hermione Granger, Age 13
After running through the music a few times and getting a rough idea of where Mrs. Trelawney wanted them on stage, they were ready to rehearse the entire scene. The characters would come on stage when the lights went up, but for now, Ron and Hermione shuffled to the front of the stage and dropped to a kneeling position in preparation. Their knees were staggered to allow them to be close enough to each other, and if it weren't for the fact that other people were around, it would've been quite romantic.
Fake or not, though, Hermione couldn't stop her heart from practically beating out of her chest. The two of them avoided eye contact as everyone was getting ready, and she used the time to psyche herself up.
It's just acting. No big deal. And you could do much worse than having Ron as a partner. To think, one small change in casting and you could be getting ready to kiss Harry. Or Neville. Or…ugh, gross…Draco. Just be glad you're doing this scene with someone you trust. Someone who understands how awkward this is going to be. Someone who has the same stakes as you.
Between the pep talk and the deep breaths, Hermione's mind started to calm, and when she finally peeked up at Ron, he was already looking back at her, offering her a supportive smile. She smiled back, sure that she was blushing, but what could she do? They'd been friends for a decade!
"Whenever you are ready, my dears," Mrs. Trelawney said, signaling to the piano player and the rest of the crew.
The familiar intro kicked in from the pit, and Hermione's pulse quickened. As she hummed the opening notes, her eyes narrowed as she met Ron's gaze.
"Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight…" she began. Her voice wasn't as confident as usual, and she could tell that she was holding back a bit.
Ron, meanwhile, had transformed in front of her. Gone was the shy boy who seemed just as nervous as she had been, replaced by a man with fire burning in his eyes like she'd never seen before. While she knew it wasn't real, it was jarring in the best way possible. Her stomach flipped at the thought of him looking at her like that, and her hands began to tremble.
As if he was reading her mind, he reached out and clasped their fingers together, his eyes never roaming as he steadied her. A shiver shot up her arm in response to his touch and left a trail of goosebumps in its wake. Spurned on by his actions, she finally allowed herself to lean into the character, her expression contorting to demonstrate the desire of her character for Ron's. Her other hand slid up to his face almost of its own accord, the pad of her thumb running over his five o'clock shadow. A smile spread across his face in response, and her pitch almost drifted sharp with excitement.
So many of the things she'd always wanted to do were suddenly available to her. So what if it was all make-believe? It still felt like a dream come true in a way.
Her voice rose and fell with the notes of the song, and before long, she came to the end of the first verse.
"...As long as you're mine," she finished.
Knowing that there was a short break in the lyrics, she shoved down any remaining anxiety and launched herself up onto her knees so that the front of her body was pressed against his. Her hands snaked down the contours of his bicep as he dug his fingers into her waist for a split second before pulling back and taking a deep breath.
"Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise…"
The beautiful tone of his voice only plunged her deeper into character, and she maintained her grip on his shoulder as he looked away. His lyrics were introspective, so she understood his choice, but she found herself subconsciously holding her breath and waiting for his eyes to return to hers. When he glanced up a moment later as he beamed at her and hit the high notes, she felt weightless, smiling back at him as he ran his hand down her back and pulled her closer.
Their voices started moving together in perfect harmony as they rose to their knees again. They were as close as they could be without hugging one another, his warm breath rolling over her face. At one point, Ron's fingers carded through her hair, making her scalp tingle with pleasure. He could do that all day as far as she was concerned. She returned the favor, of course, rustling his ginger locks and twirling her fingers through the curls over the back of his neck.
Just as they were approaching the final notes, his hand found her cheek, and she leaned into it as he caressed her skin. The feeling of his thumb skirting gently down her face was unparalleled in her life to date, and much like the unfortunate destiny of her character, she was worried she might melt right then and there. It killed her to realize that the song was about to end. As she delivered her final spoken lines, he wrapped her in a hug as the piano struck the final chord, allowing the notes to linger in the air as his strong arms held her tight to his body.
It wasn't until the music had faded for a few seconds that he released her, his face instantly transforming back to that of her best friend. His eyes met hers as they pulled back from each other, silently searching for confirmation that he hadn't crossed any lines with his performance. If anything, it made Hermione even more enamored with him. The thought that his first instinct was to demonstrate his care for her immediately after performing a sensitive scene was massively attractive, and she'd never felt closer to him in her life. A quick nod and a grin provided him the assurance he was looking for, and his whole body relaxed as Mrs. Trelawney approached them.
"Wow. Simply wow, my dears! You could perform it exactly like that on opening night and I'd be happy as a diva on Tony's night! Simply breathtaking!"
"Thanks," Ron said, rising back to his feet and shaking out his legs.
"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Trelawney," Hermione added.
"Not that it appears the two of you need further practice," their director said, "but I'd like to keep rehearsing. We'll need to add in the movements at the beginning, allowing you to understand how you'll arrive in the positions you found yourselves in to begin the song. In addition, I find that with numbers like this, the more we run it, the more comfortable our actors become with each other. Does that sound acceptable to you?"
The last thing Hermione wanted was to stop rehearsing. She'd gotten a taste of what it felt like to be wrapped in Ron's arms, and she didn't want to give that up any time soon. A small voice in the back of her head piped up again, though, reminding her that she needed to keep her character separate from herself.
It's fine, I can handle it. Just because everything felt amazing and I basically liquified into a puddle of goo doesn't mean that Ron meant it. He was acting. I was acting. It's fine. Totally fine. All good, really.
Doing her best to squash down the voice, they reset to begin the scene again. Over the course of the next hour or so, they ran through the song six more times. Ron's performance was spot-on with every take, and it became clear that the two of them were growing more and more comfortable with all of the contact as time rolled on.
By the end of the final run-through of the night, Hermione found herself fully wrapped in Ron's embrace as the song wound to a close. Their foreheads drifted together, finally meeting for her last lines. It would have been so easy for her to lean forward just a little bit and let her lips brush against his. She wanted to go for it so badly, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. Mrs. Trelawney had suggested waiting to get to that part, and she didn't want to defy her director and surprise her duet partner all in one fell swoop.
Maybe her eyes were just deceiving her, but for a split second, it looked like Ron's face was getting closer to hers as well. Their eyes met just briefly, but there was a passion that Hermione easily identified. They held the final pose longer than they had in previous takes, only breaking apart when the voice of their director started breaking through the deafening silence.
"I think we have a hit on our hands!"
Ron gave an almost imperceptible shudder as he untangled his arms from around her, pushing himself up to his feet before helping Hermione up.
"This song is in excellent shape," Mrs. Trelawney continued. "Thank you both for your professionalism and efficiency. Unless either of you have any further questions, I think we can leave it there for the day."
"Nope, I agree, I think it feels grea–err, went great," Ron said as he reached to rub the back of his neck.
"Absolutely," Hermione added. "Definitely great."
Mrs. Trelawney ducked into a sweeping bow before shuffling off stage. "Very well, until next time, my dears!"
The two of them were left alone on stage, exchanging awkward grins as the rest of the crew finished cleaning up in the back room. As they packed up their bags and headed for the exit, neither of them said a word. Ron didn't seem unhappy, but he was also far from his usual chatty self. It didn't take long for an internal panic to set in.
Oh no, it's awkward now! What have we done? It figures, just when things are finally getting better between us…
"So…I hope that wasn't too much," he said as they stepped out into the cold January evening air.
Oh, thank GOD. We're still talking, at least!
"Too much?"
"Yeah. I mean, are you okay with that level of…contact, or whatever?"
"Oh, right," she replied, intentionally slowing the conversation down to give herself a moment to think. "Yes, of course. I mean, that's what the script calls for, right?"
"Yeah, it is, but I just…I don't know, I figured I should check. We said we wouldn't make things weird, so I hope I didn't…you know, make things weird."
"No, not at all. Besides, it's a two-way street, right? It wasn't just you. I'm okay with it as long as you are."
"I was, for sure, yeah, no problem."
They hopped into the car and started down the road, less uncomfortable than before but clearly still not acting like normal.
"Mrs. T. seemed happy, don't you think?" Hermione finally offered.
"Ha, yeah, that was a relief. I feel like I never entirely know what she's thinking."
"I know what you mean."
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione spied Ron turning away, his finger running down the passenger window and collecting the condensation. "Like, it's always nice to get good feedback, but I wonder if she was truly happy with it or just, like, happy with it so far. Because obviously that's not the, uhh, final version or whatever."
"Maybe. I don't know, I feel like she's usually pretty straightforward and would tell us if we needed to change anything. Plus, she said today would just be a starting point."
"True. But I wonder how she'll handle it from here. There's probably always going to be more people around every other time we run it at rehearsal. I guess we'll just have to get used to it."
"You're probably right. But we can always iron things out on our own ahead of time if that's easier."
She froze. Had she just said what she thought she said? Why wasn't her brain stopping her?! Why was it letting her basically ask her crush to kiss her in private? Why wasn't he saying anything? And why was it so important to watch the road when she could be examining his face for signs of what he was thinking? Life was so unfair at the moment!
"That's not a bad idea, actually," he chimed in. "For–for a bunch of stuff. You know, we've got a lot of parts together, not just that song."
"Right. And we might as well be sure we have everything down before everyone else shows up."
"Of course. It's just easier that way."
"Definitely!"
Turning into his driveway, she put the car in park and turned to face him. For some reason, she was expecting something different, some change to have occurred in the wake of the last few hours. But it was just Ron, grinning that crooked grin of his as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Tomorrow's Friday, you know," he said as he shoved open the car door. "If you're free, maybe Mario's and some practice time?"
"That sounds great! We can make sure we're, umm, ready to go, right?"
"Exactly. Alright, I'll see you tomorrow after school then?"
"Well, you'll see me before school, too."
He chuckled, pink rising in his cheeks in the glow of the overhead light. "Right. That too."
"But yes, afterwards as well. We can work at my house if you like."
"Probably for the best. The twins are back for the weekend, so our place is even more chaotic than usual."
"Ahh, I see. My place is great, then. See you then!"
"Good night, Hermione."
She sat for a minute under the auspices of waiting to make sure he got into his house, but she knew that wouldn't be a problem. Instead, the difficulty was in convincing herself that everything that had happened that evening wasn't a big deal to her. But wow, did it feel like a big deal. She doubted if the feeling of his hands running down her body would ever leave her.
It shouldn't be a big deal, though, and she should be doing everything in her power to make sure she didn't blow it out of proportion. Some lines shouldn't be crossed, and she owed it to Ron to put forth as professional a performance as she could and not mistake him for his character. No matter how hard she tried, though, she could tell it was a battle she was starting to lose.