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"Hurry up, Hannah!" Hermione said, speed-walking through the doorway of Mr. Binns' room.
Her friend was several paces behind her and struggling to keep up, papers tumbling from her backpack as she tried in vain to zip it up on the way out of their Social Studies classroom. "Hermione, chill for a minute, please! I'm a hot mess here!"
Impatience coursed through Hermione's body as she stopped in her tracks, turned back toward her friend, and leaned up against the lockers. "I'm sorry," she said with a sigh. "I know I can be a little bit of a nightmare about this. I just really can't wait to hear if we got callbacks!"
Hannah took another minute or so to recompose herself and organize her things before joining Hermione and making their way toward the music wing. Auditions had taken place yesterday, and Mrs. Trelawney had promised that the callback sheet would be posted by the end of the following school day. Nobody knew the importance of callback auditions more than Hermione; it was where all of the best parts were cast, after all. If her name wasn't on that list, she could kiss a lead role goodbye.
"You know you're going to get a callback, why are you even stressing?" Hannah begged, her breaths ragged as she tried to match Hermione's blistering pace.
"There's no way of knowing that! I didn't get a big part last year, who's to say I will this year?"
"I mean, who knows what Trelawney is thinking, but I can't think of anyone more likely to get a lead than you!"
"Don't say that. You know who I'm worried about…"
The annual musical had been Hermione's thing since middle school. No director she'd ever worked with had questioned her talent or her dedication, but that wasn't to say she was the only student in her year who could sing. For as long as she could remember, there had been one other girl in her class with the vocal and acting ability to compete with her. Lavender Brown, her longtime nemesis.
Most of the kids who did theater at GHS were just that; theater kids. Some were smart, some were into sports when it wasn't musical season, but all of them were at their best when put near a stage. Lavender, on the other hand, was the only one who was popular. And to say she never let anyone forget it would be an understatement. She radiated high school celebrity and was known as the trendsetter, always up to date with the latest of everything. Her parents were phenomenally rich, so the top-of-the-line Tesla she drove to school was guaranteed its own private parking spot. The use of money to curry favor infuriated Hermione, but the donation her parents had offered the school when Lavender started had paid for the beautiful new auditorium, so it was admittedly a double-edged sword.
In addition, and much as it pained Hermione to admit it, Lavender was quite talented. Conceited, arrogant, and elitist as well, but there was no doubt that she could sing with just about anyone. The two of them had alternated main roles for years. In last year's production, Lavender's part had been bigger than Hermione's, and Lavender seemed to take that as a sign that she was destined to outperform her competitor for the rest of high school. Hermione didn't consider herself a vindictive person, but the thought of taking Lavender down a peg by getting the best part as a junior was almost too enticing.
"Well, there just so happens to be a silver lining here," Hannah continued. "Wicked, if you'll recall, has two female lead roles."
Hermione's expression made it clear she disagreed with that assessment. "I mean, it does and it doesn't. There's a good witch and a bad witch, but everyone knows Elphaba is the main character. She has the most songs, the most lines, and, more importantly, she's one of the most complex characters in recent musical theater history. It would automatically be the role of a lifetime; nothing could ever top it in high school."
"Galinda has great songs too, though!"
"I promise you, Hannah, Lavender is gunning for Elphaba, and so am I."
Not that there was anything either of them could do about it for the moment. One way or another, their fates were already sealed for the moment, waiting to present themselves on a single sheet of paper just several paces away. In her heart of hearts, Hermione felt like she already knew she would be called back. But nothing was final until the list said it was, and until she saw visual proof, she couldn't relax.
Therefore, her fingers fiddled with the slight fraying of her jacket sleeve as the two girls made their way through the school, dodging between oblivious seniors and tiny freshmen. As high schools went, GHS wasn't that big of a place, but with the music wing all the way at one end of the school, the walk felt like it was taking an eternity.
When they finally turned down the hallway leading straight to the auditorium, Hermione spotted the list hanging on the immaculately decorated wall. Her pace quickened as she approached the bulletin board, and her eyes started scanning from several yards away. It didn't take long for her to find her name, although she was somewhat distraught to realize it was underneath Lavender's.
"Hey, you made it, that's great!" Hannah said, patting her on the shoulder. "And so did I! Wow, I honestly didn't see that coming…"
"Yeah…you're right, it's great…"
Hannah glanced back and forth between the list and her friend before rolling her eyes. "Oh, Jesus. Hermione, stop it. I know what you're thinking."
"No, you don't."
"Of course I do. Second on the list doesn't mean second in Mrs. Trelawney's mind. Now you're being ridiculous."
"Am not."
"Oh, okay…" Hannah spat sarcastically.
Taking a step back, Hermione shook her head and tried to clear her mind. Of course Hannah was right. Maybe Mrs. Trelawney was just listing their names alphabetically or something. It was stupid. Besides, her friend was called back as well.
We should both be celebrating!
"I'm sorry, you're right," Hermione admitted. "Gah, this whole process makes me crazy sometimes. Okay, freakout over. Congratulations to you too! We're going to knock them dead tomorrow evening!"
"That's the spirit! And besides, we're not the only ones who were called back. Seems like a certain redhead is back in Mrs. Trelawney's good graces…"
Eyes whipping back to the list, Hermione scanned it until she found Ron's name in the boy's section. Her stomach did a quick twist upon seeing him listed, but she shook it off and kept reading. Harry was called back as well, as were their other friends Seamus and Neville. It was nice to see so many people that they got along with being recognized for their talents.
Despite the reassurance that many of her friends would be in the cast with her, though, nobody had definitive parts yet. And until the final cast list was posted, she was sure she wouldn't be able to relax.
"Yeah, I guess she has faith in Ron again. He's a great singer, I can understand why she wants him back," Hermione reasoned as they started heading back toward the parking lot.
Hannah's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I don't think she's the only one…"
"I'm sorry, what exactly are you implying?"
"I don't think I'm implying anything, I think I'm just coming right out and saying it."
The burgeoning of Hermione's friendship with Hannah happened to coincide with the gradual dwindling of her friendship with Ron, but her friend was never exactly blind to Hermione's feelings for the boy. For the most part, Hannah was kind enough not to press the subject, but every now and then, she couldn't help needling Hermione.
"I do not want Ron back. That's preposterous, mostly because I never had him in the first place! We were friends, and now we're still friends but less close than before. End of story."
"You were more than just friends, but that's fine. Seriously, though, I'm happy that he's going to jump back into theater. I think it'll be good for both of you and for the show. As glad as I am that we spend so much time together, I've known for some time that there's part of you that misses having him in your life like you used to. Maybe this can be an opportunity."
It was almost irritating how spot-on Hannah could be at times.
"I mean, who knows. Who knows if that's what he even wants."
"He knows. And he told you so, remember? Unless you made all that up…"
Hermione had filled Hannah in almost immediately about her conversation with Ron in the car the other day. But she didn't expect her friend to be that perceptive…
"No, I didn't. Ugh, I don't know, we'll see. No use worrying about anything until it's all finalized, right?"
"Fair enough," Hannah agreed, knowing that they'd exhausted the topic for the moment. "Now, how about we study for the Pre-Calc test over some coffee?"
"Sounds perfect, I'll drive!"
Fourth Grade
January 29th
Dear Diary,
You'll never guess what happened at lunch today. I was minding my own business, eating with some friends from class, when I heard Ron and his friends talking right behind me! The lunch monitor was standing between us so maybe they just didn't know I was there. But they were making fun of him for liking me!
He got really mad at them and even punched one of them in the arm. Mr. McNamara told him that he would go to the principal's office if he did it again so he calmed down. I could tell he still wasn't happy by how he was talking to them. He was using his mad dad voice not his disappointed dad voice (he taught me the difference one day after his dad caught him going for a ride in his Power Wheels truck after dark).
But that's silly right? He doesn't like me. We're good friends because he lives down the street from me and we play sometimes. Not even all the time. I think it's kind of silly for someone to say someone likes another person just because they're friends with them. I guess boys are just strange that way. Maybe they ran into each other too many times while playing football and hurt their heads.
Anyway, I still want to be his friend, but he told them that we were barely friends. That hurt my feelings and I don't even think it's true. We were just playing together yesterday. Ron wanted to play football and I wanted to play math flash cards so we settled on the swings in his backyard. Tell me this, diary? If we weren't friends, would he let me play on his swings?
Love, Hermione, Age 10
After another predictably slow day of classes, it was nearly time for callback auditions to start. Hermione and Hannah got to the music classroom as soon as possible after the final bell rang, and they were soon joined by Neville, Seamus, and Draco Malfoy. Draco had an air of superiority that had put off many of his castmates in the past, but Hermione was hoping that this year would be different.
Before long, Ron and Harry strolled in, followed soon thereafter by Lavender Brown and her trusted lackey, Parvati Patil. Parvati was a classic social climber, and her association with Lavender allowed her to reach the top of the proverbial high school heap. On her own, she wasn't too bad. Hermione had actually done a class project with her the previous school year, and they'd worked surprisingly well together and gotten an excellent grade. With Lavender around, however, she transformed into a merciless and malicious force, eager to plant rumors that allowed the two of them to remain the unquestioned numbers one and two in the junior class.
"Alright, everyone, take a seat, please!" Mrs. Trelawney sang as she swept into the room. Hannah sat on one side of Hermione and Ron plopped down on the other. Lavender took the chair right behind the three of them and started whispering with Parvati.
"Now, most of you are familiar with this process, but here's how we will proceed. I will be calling you one at a time to come into the auditorium and sing selected sections of songs with me and our co-director, Mr. Flitwick. Please bring your materials with you as you will be dismissed for the afternoon as soon as you've been called. The final cast list will be posted later this evening on the internal website. The password for access is JAZZHANDS, all capital letters.
"Lastly, please trust that Mr. Flitwick and I are both very experienced and know what we are doing as it pertains to the casting of this show. I urge you in the strongest possible terms not to question our decisions as we have only the best interest of the show in mind. I don't expect to hear any complaints from this group, but I always feel the need to establish the ground rules from the start. Can we all agree to these terms?"
A murmur of general assent went up through the group, and Mrs. Trelawney smiled back at them.
"Fabulous! In that case, let's get started. First up, Draco Malfoy!"
As the blonde-haired boy slung his backpack over his shoulder and exited the room, the rest of them began the anxious wait until the name was called.
As soon as they left the room, Ron turned to Hermione. "Nervous?"
"A little," she answered. "You?"
"Honestly? Big time."
She noticed that his foot wouldn't stop bouncing up and down, and he was rapid-fire cracking each of his knuckles. "You'll be great, I'm sure of it."
"Yeah, Ron," Hannah pitched in, "you've got a great voice!"
"I wish I had your confidence…"
Over the years, Hermione had learned to read her friend like a book. Even though they hadn't been as close lately, she still had a sneaking suspicion she knew what was bothering him.
"Hey," she called, her voice dropping just above a whisper as she forced his gaze to meet hers. "She asked you to come back. She's not holding a grudge or anything. Like I said the other day, it's water under the bridge…for both of us. I'm sure of it."
"There's no way you can know that, Hermione. Part of me feels like this whole thing is a setup or something, just a way to get back at me for screwing her over last year."
"Are you for real right now? This is Mrs. Trelawney we're talking about. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body. Some strange ones, maybe, but anger never suited her."
"She is pretty weird."
"Many of the best performers are…"
Ron shifted in his seat, and Hermione could tell her point had landed. "Not like I wouldn't deserve the grudge, you know."
"Ron…"
A grin came over his face and he exhaled through his nose as he visibly relaxed. "I know, I know. You're right. Thanks. I'm glad you're around to knock some sense into me when I need it. And God knows I'm probably going to need it."
"Knocking sense is what I do best." Hermione looked away, trying to suppress the rising blush in her cheeks.
"Mr. Longbottom, you're up!" Mrs. Trelawney called, after which a shy boy in the back row stood up and marched toward the door.
"Good luck, Neville!" Hannah called, to which the young man offered her a smile.
"Ooh, what's that all about?" Hermione teased.
Hannah became immediately flustered. "Nothing! I just…you know, just trying to be friendly."
"You're never that friendly to me."
"Would you…ugh, come on, you're being ridiculous."
"Okay, Hannah…"
The remaining group continued to chat for the next several minutes. Hannah was called after Neville, followed by Seamus, Harry, and Parvati. At that point, only Ron, Hermione, and Lavender remained in the room.
"...So, as a result, Mom and Dad can't stop freaking out because Fred and George might drop out of school," Ron explained, catching Hermione up on his extensive family.
"Well, far be it from me to recommend someone not further their education, but it sounds as if they know what they're doing."
"They do! I mean, their TikToks get millions of views each. The ad revenue from their Instagram posts alone is paying them each a six-figure salary, and they're only nineteen!"
"That's incredible!"
"I know! Not that they'd share any of it with me, of course. Cheapskates…"
Hermione laughed, and the conversation lulled. Unfortunately, at the moment, Lavender finally looked up from her phone, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face.
"Ron, it is so good to have you back here with us again!" she said.
Oh shut up, like you even really care. He wasn't interesting to you before! Go find your own friend!
"Yeah, it's great to be back," Ron answered in his formal voice, prompting a satisfied hum from Hermione. At least he was only talking to her to be polite, not because he actually wanted to.
"Can I just say…I think you'd make the best Fiyero. Like, the best. Are you familiar with the character?"
"Umm, yeah, I think so."
"Well, just to remind you," Lavender continued, leaning forward to within inches of Ron's face, "he's the handsome bad boy prince-in-waiting, and as soon as he shows up at the school, everyone adores him instantly because he's just so…carefree and smooth."
The way she elongated her words seemed intentionally flirty, and Hermione had to keep her laughter to herself.
Good luck with that one, Lav! Like Ron would ever fall for something so transparent and shameless! He has standards, you know!
"Right, it sounds like a fun role…" he responded, trying to shift his attention back to Hermione.
But before he could, Lavender grabbed the sides of his head and ran her fingers through his hair. "You know, the character description says he even has long wavy hair, kind of like you. I just can't imagine a more perfect Fiyero."
Now she's done it. Get your hands off him! He's not interested! …Right?
When Ron didn't pull away immediately, Hermione spun back around to the front of the room, wishing she could just close her eyes and teleport anywhere else. Maybe he did like her? Oh no…what if he only joined the show because he knew she'd be doing it as well?
No, don't think like that, Hermione. Outside of the last thirty seconds, you have no evidence of that. Stay calm. You know how Lavender is, but you know Ron, too. Have some faith in him.
"We'll see," Ron said, standing up and stretching his arms and legs. "I'm sure they have to have some flexibility with the character's looks since we're only in high school, you know?"
"I'm just saying," Lavender cooed, holding up her fingers to make a picture frame surrounding his face. "Perfect."
"Ms. Brown, you're up!" Mrs. Trelawney called.
As the blonde collected her things, she threw one last wink at Ron on her way out of the room. "Good luck!"
The room descended into silence as soon as she left. It was clear that neither of them wanted to discuss what had just happened, and Hermione certainly didn't want to ask Ron his opinion about Lavender in general. She felt fairly certain she knew what he'd say, but what if she was wrong? Finding out that he was interested in her two minutes before one of the biggest auditions of her life? Some things a person can't unhear.
"Guess we're next," he offered. "Dammit, why is this so nerve-racking?"
"You'll be fine, Ron. You're ready. Just sing what they ask and you'll do great, I'm sure of it."
"Yeah, probably. Can I tell you a secret, though?"
Hermione's heart sped up in her chest, and she swallowed against a lump in her throat. "Alright."
"I want this. I mean, I really want it."
"Want what?"
"Fiyero. I looked into the part more than I let on with Lavender, and I'm hooked. Part of me knows I don't really deserve it after last year, but…I can't help it, it seems like such a great role."
Breathing a small sigh of relief that he wasn't talking about a relationship with her musical adversary, she smiled at him. "Then just be you! I don't agree with Lavender on much, but I agree that you'd do an excellent job with that part. I'm sure Mrs. Trelawney and Mr. Flitwick will see it too. You have the talent to do it, I know you do. Just sing with confidence and let the rest sort itself out."
"I hope you're right. I mean, you're always right, so that's good," he replied, one lip curling up. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. Knock 'em dead!"
"Mr. Weasley, you're up!"
One deep breath later, he stood up and headed out of the room. "Break a leg yourself…"
After Hermione watched him leave, she closed her eyes and did her best to push out the thoughts of Ron and Lavender's interaction, focusing on her excitement that they would be spending more time together over the next couple months. Before long, her mind started to drift, and she settled into a daydream that she never wanted to end.
What if one night Ron and I are the last ones left in the theater? We've both been cast as the lead roles, of course, and we've been working on the romantic duet we sing together toward the end of the show. The lights are dimmed since rehearsal is over, and Mrs. Trelawney asked us to turn them off before on our way out as she exited through the side door. We're laughing about some inside joke or another, the kind that only develops when you're spending all of that time together working on a musical. As Ron locks up the last of the props, he comes back out from the wings and meets me in the middle of the stage. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, turns on some cheesy romantic 80's ballad–
Oh, come on, Hermione, cheesy 80s ballad? You can do better than that.
Fine, he turns on a jazzy but slow instrumental version of "Can't Help Falling in Love" and sets his phone down on the ground, offering me his hand for a dance.
Much better.
Thank you. Anyway, our hands slide over one another as his arm pulls me tight to his body, and we start to softly sway to the rhythm. I can hear his slow, methodical breathing in one ear, a stark contrast to the quickening of his heartbeat that my other ear detects as it's pressed against his chest. He leans down a bit so that his lips are level with my ear and says–
Wouldn't it be better if he whispered it? If he's right next to your ear?
Ahh, excellent idea. Okay, he whispers into my ear, "I'm so lucky to be doing this show with you. There's nobody else I could've imagined in this role besides you, and my only regret is that eventually it will have to come to an end."
I'll pull back from him just a little and stare up into his gorgeous blue eyes and say, "I know, but just imagine how much more time we'll have to spend together, just the two of us?"
No, that's not good enough, try again.
I'll pull back from him just a little and stare up into his gorgeous blue eyes and say, "Which means…what for us?"
No, don't leave it open-ended, make sure he knows you want it!
Ugh, fine. I'll pull back from him just a little and stare up into his gorgeous blue eyes and not say anything and just french him straight on the mouth, super hard, like teeth banging together hard.
Now you're just mocking me, which means you're mocking yourself.
Point taken. Okay, I'll pull back from him just a little and stare up into his gorgeous blue eyes and say, "Just because the show is over doesn't mean that we have to be over." …Better?
Oh absolutely, no notes. Continue, please!
Okay, so as soon as I say that, his amazing lopsided smile beams down on me, and he lets go of my hand and wraps both arms around my waist. For a second, he just holds me, never wanting to let me go. Eventually, though, he retreats just enough and presses his forehead to mine, staring deep into my eyes. Before I can say anything, his hands cradle my face and he licks his lips before leaning in and–
"Ms. Granger, you're up!" Mrs. Trelawney yelled from the doorway.
Hermione jolted back to reality and cleared her throat. "Coming!"
Dammit, so close…
