My Fair Hermione

My Fair Hermione

Part One: The Audition

One autumn morning, Hermione walked into the Great Hall for breakfast as usual, and saw a crowd of students gathered around a large notice. She walked over to see what had attracted so much attention. The notice read:

The Hogwarts Musical!

The old tradition of an annual school musical will be revived! This year we will be performing the classic Muggle show "My Fair Lady." Any fifth, sixth, or seventh year Students are welcome to try out. Interested students should prepare one minute of a musical theater song and will be asked to read from the script. Auditions will be held October 30^th and the cast list will be posted on the 31^st.

Good luck!

Hermione gasped. "My Fair Lady" was her favorite Muggle musical! She ran over to the Gryffindor table and plopped down next to Ron.

"Did you two see the notice?" she squealed. "They're putting on 'My Fair Lady!' Can you believe it? You both have to try out!"

"Uh, Hermione, who's my fair lady?" asked Ron through a mouthful of bacon.

"Oh, it's just the best Muggle musical ever! It's wonderful! There's singing and dancing and a flower girl and..."

"Hermione, I can't sing!" gasped Harry. "I mean, 'My Fair Lady' is nice, but I'm not a dramatic person."

"Ron? Oh, Ron, please try out with me!"

"But..."

"Please?"

"Um...I guess."

"Thank you so much! Oh, I'm so excited!

Hermione and Ron arrived at the Great Hall early. About fifty students were in the room, mostly sixth and seventh years. Professor McGonagall called for attention.

"Thank you all for coming to audition for 'My Fair Lady!' I would just like to say right off that this show does not require a very large cast, so we will not be able to include all of you in the show. Now, we are going to audition in groups. First we will have the girls who wish to try for the role of Eliza Doolittle, then the boys interested in Henry Higgins, Freddy Eynsford Hill, and Alfred Doolittle. If you don't want a main role, you don't need to be here until 3:00. Now, let me have all of the ladies auditioning for Eliza Doolittle on the stage."

"McGonagall flicked her wand and a stage appeared opposite the Head Table. Hermione squeezed Ron's hand and said "Wish me luck!" then walked to the stage.

She was quite nervous. Hermione had been in a show before she came to Hogwarts, but that was ages ago! She loved singing to herself, and she considered herself a decent actress. Fortunately there wasn't much difficult dancing in 'My Fair Lady,' or she wouldn't have a chance!

There were twelve girls trying out for Eliza. The only other seventh years were Padma Patil and Pansy Parkinson. The others were fifth and sixth years, which surprised Hermione. She thought that more students would want to be involved in something fun their last year at Hogwarts.

One by one, the girls sang. They drew numbers to determine a random order. Hermione was fourth. She loved the song 'In My Own Little Corner" from 'Cinderella,' so she sang that for the audition. As she sang, she felt more confidence in herself. She loved being on stage! It was the most thrilling thing she had ever experienced.

Hermione finished and the listeners applauded, more than they had for the previous girls, she noticed with satisfaction.

When the girls were done, they read a monologue from the script. Hermione knew that her main competition was Pansy Parkinson. She was a good singer, and she read well from the script. She was good-looking, too. And Hermione saw that Snape was watching the auditions along with McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout. It was going to be close...

"Thank you, girls," said McGonagall once they had all finished reading. "Will the boys please take the stage now?"

First the tenors sang, the ones trying out for Freddy. Ron did well, considering his knees were visibly shaking and his face was scarlet. Hermione was most surprised by Justin Finch-Fletchley. He had a melodious voice, light but powerful. Hermione was sure he would get the part.

Next were those interested in playing Henry Higgins. Hermione was shocked to see Draco Malfoy step up to sing first. She was further stunned once he began to sing. When it wasn't issuing taunts, his voice was very pleasing to hear. Hermione realized that she hadn't had much contact with him since the Final Battle last year. Malfoy had mostly kept to himself; the other Slytherins despised him after he turned from Voldemort and joined to fight against him.

He looks so happy when he sings Hermione mused as Draco sang a tune from "Guys and Dolls." I can't believe he knows a Muggle musical like "Guys and Dolls!" The old Malfoy would never have even admitted the existence of those shows. He's really good. I hope he gets the part! He's by far the best one in the group. Then she realized that if Malfoy was cast as Higgins, and she was cast as Eliza, they would be spending a great deal of time in each other's company.

Would that be the most terrible thing?

The next group of boys was auditioning for the eccentric Alfred Doolittle. Hermione almost laughed out loud when Seamus Finnigan read from the script. He was perfect for the role!

When everyone was done, McGonagall stood again.

"Thank you again to everyone. This is going to be a very difficult decision for us. The cast list will be posted here tomorrow before the Halloween Ball, probably after lunchtime. Good luck to you all!"

Part Two: Trick or Treat

"Are you going to finish your pie, Hermione?" asked Ron.

"No, you can have it."

"What's wrong, Herm?" asked Harry. "Don't worry about the musical; I know you'll get in. I heard you practicing the other day and you sounded fabulous!"

"I hope so..." At that moment, Hermione saw McGonagall walk into the Hall with a sheet of parchment.

"Oh, Ron, there she is! That must be the list!" Hermione grabbed Ron's wrist and pulled him over to where McGonagall had hung the sign.

"You did it! Hermione, you're Eliza Doolittle! Congrats!" said Ron, giving her a hug.

"And Ron, you're the Prince! Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

All of Hermione's predictions were correct: Draco was Henry Higgins and Seamus was Alfred Doolittle. Pansy was cast as the housekeeper, Mrs. Pierce, while Padma was Mrs. Higgins.

As she pushed her way out of the crowd, Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to face Draco Malfoy.

"I guess we'll be working together a lot, huh, Granger?" he said.

"I suppose so," she replied. He was looking at her intently, with an expression she hadn't seen in his eyes before. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" He smiled slightly and tilted his head a bit to the side.

"It's a good thing. I'll see you later." And he was gone.

Goodness, was Draco Malfoy just polite to me! He's hardly said ten words to me since the year started, and now he's being positively civil. He really must have had a change of heart...

Later that evening, Hermione was preparing her costume for the Halloween Ball. It was a masquerade party, as usual, and Hermione opted to splurge on new robes for the occasion. She had owned the same blue dress robes for three years; it was definitely time for a change. She had taken Ginny to Gladrags one weekend and looked through the racks of elegant robes. Eventually, she settled on a burgundy silk robe, cut tight in the bodice but with a flowing skirt and long bell sleeves. The neck was a wide V-neck and Hermione wore a simple gold necklace and gold earrings as accessories. Lavender Brown worked magic on her bushy hair, taming it into a bun with a small gold flower. Her mask was black with gold trim. Usually, she didn't waste much concern over her appearance, but now Hermione thought that in her current get-up she looked quite nice.

The Halloween Ball wasn't an affair for dates, so the seventh year Gryffindors went down to the Great Hall together. The Hall was very festive, with floating jack-o-lanterns and real ghosts. Several other students were present when the Gryffindors arrived. There was a band in the corner, playing dance music. A few couples had paired up on the dance floor.

Harry turned to Hermione and asked "My I have the first dance?" sweeping her an elegant bow. Hermione giggled and agreed with a curtsy. She danced with all of the seventh years in her house over the course of the evening, but mostly with Harry and Ron. Throughout their seven years of friendship, they had never developed any romantic relationships with each other. Harry's brief crush on Cho Chang was his only one that Hermione knew of, but Ron was making steady progress with Lavender. They were dancing together as Hermione watched, sipping her orange punch and resting her feet.

Suddenly she was approached by a tall boy in black. He had a blue mask, though, so Hermione suspected he might be a Ravenclaw. The voice instantly betrayed him, though.

"Not dancing all night, my fair lady?" he asked, and Hermione heard the familiar drawl, but this time with no malice behind it.

"Not at the moment; I'm just resting for this one."

"Do you have a partner for the next dance?"

"No."

"You do now." And Malfoy sat down next to her.

Hermione was surprised, but flattered by the attention. He couldn't possibly like me, could he? I mean, this IS Draco Malfoy, renowned Mudblood-hater. Has he really changed that much? I didn't really see him much during the Final Battle, but if he and Harry managed to work together, I suppose anything is possible.

At that moment the song changed, and Draco stood, offering his hand.

"Shall we?"

Hermione put her hand in his and they walked to the dance floor.

I've never been this close to Draco Malfoy before. He's a good dancer. At least it's a slow song; I don't like dancing fast as much. Mmm, he smells nice. Good lord, Hermione, what are you thinking?

"Hermione, what are you thinking about?"

She looked up at Draco and blushed.

"Oh...I...just...hey, you called me Hermione!" she realized, thankful to avoid the question.

"Isn't that your name?"

"Well, yes, it is, but you've never called me that before."

"It's an unusual name. You don't meet many 'Hermione's."

"That's true. I haven't heard of many 'Draco's either."

"Good point. Then if I'm calling you Hermione, you should call me Draco."

"Alright...Draco. This might take some getting used to."

"That's okay. I don't mind."

"You're being very friendly," Hermione observed.

"Did you like when I harassed you all the time?" He frowned. "I'm sorry if you liked it, because it's not going to happen any more. That part of my life is gone. Forever."

"I'm glad," Hermione hastily reassured him. "I'm just a bit surprised. It seems like you've undergone a very drastic change in a very short time."

"I have. You see..." The song stopped and Draco took her hands. "Come with me."

He led her out the Entrance Hall and across the grounds towards the lake.

"Do you mind missing part of the ball? I really want to tell you this now."

"No, I don't mind." Hermione took off her mask and leaned against a tree.

Draco followed suit and removed his mask, then began to talk

. "After you and Potter were involved in that...thing...in the Department of Mysteries in fifth year, my father was more adamant than ever about me becoming a Death Eater. I was only fifteen, much too young by Voldemort's standards, but he was willing to make an exception for the son of Lucius Malfoy," he sneered. "I didn't want to do it. I value the Malfoy name and all, but I would have done anything to disobey my father. Even switch sides. Voldemort scared me, yes, but it was almost as dangerous to fight with him as to fight against him. One little mistake, and..." his voice trailed off. For a moment he was silent, then he took a deep breath and continued.

"He killed my mother. She wasn't a Death Eater but she was important to him and my father as a spy. She came back from a mission with incomplete information and he performed the Killing Curse on her. Right there in our house. My father didn't do anything. He honestly didn't care. He never cared for me or my mother. And then, a few days later, it hit me. I felt sympathy; not for myself, although I had been feeling that since her death. No, I felt sympathy for Harry Potter. He had lost his both his parents the same way I lost my mother. That night I ran away. I took a few things with me and I flew to Hogwarts. Dumbledore wasn't there, so I broke into the Owlery and sent him a note explaining where I was. And he came. After five years of hating him, he came to help me. That was in early August, just as the battle was getting worse.

"I finally got the trust of the Order of the Phoenix and they had me help in the actual fights a month or two after sixth year started. That's when I started noticing you. You were so strong. Weasley was a nervous wreck in school and Potter wasn't much better, but you were so calm about the whole ordeal. I admired that. And then when classes were disbanded halfway through the year, and we were into real fighting, you were still strong. You saved Potter from my father in Diagon Alley. You put yourself in danger to save someone else every time I saw you. But you never lost hope. Even when we thought Harry had been captured, you went out and found him. You are amazing, Hermione. And I...well...I think I'm falling in love with you..."

And he gently kissed her.

Hermione was shocked. She never knew that Draco's mother had been murdered, and she never knew how much he had noticed her in the Final Battle. And she NEVER knew that Draco was in love with her. But I really don't think I mind too much...she thought, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Part Three: Rehearsal and Performance

The cast of "My Fair Lady" rehearsed every day after dinner. They made quick progress, and mostly got along well with each other. Pansy often made faces at Hermione during their scenes together, and Draco was not the most popular with his other cast-mates, but for the most part, they enjoyed many productive hours together.

Hermione loved rehearsals. It was wonderful to be on stage, especially with Draco.

They had met several more times since the Halloween Ball, and each time she saw him, she felt more in love. He was so sweet, and so kind, and so noble, and Hermione almost melted when he smiled. Professor McGonagall remarked several times how good their chemistry was on stage; she would have been stunned at how much chemistry they had off stage as well.

Hermione wanted to wait to make their relationship common news.

"I have too much to do to worry about reactions when people hear that the former arch-enemies are dating," she told him one night in an unused classroom.

"Are we technically dating?" he asked with a sly look.

"Meeting after rehearsal for snogging is definitely dating in my book," she replied, proceeded to kiss him repeatedly.

Hermione certainly kept busy that winter, because along with her theatrical career, she was still taking a full load, including Advanced Potions, Advanced Transfiguration, and Advanced Arithmancy, along with Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry and Ron had convinced her to drop History of Magic at the end of the previous year, arguing that she would never need to know when the Great Goblin Revolution was, or who was the Headmaster at Durmstrang in 1472. She reluctantly agreed.

But Hermione was happier than she had ever been in her life. She had everything she could possibly want.

"My Fair Lady" was scheduled to be performed the day before winter break. Hermione was getting very excited, not only for the show, but for the vacation. She was staying at Hogwarts while her parents took a trip to Switzerland for skiing. Hermione couldn't stand leaving her dear school any more than she had to during her last year there. Plus, there was now the added bonus that Draco was staying as well. He had no desire to return to an empty Malfoy Manor. They agreed that they would tell Harry and Ron about their relationship during break. Hermione was a bit nervous about their reaction, but honestly, how bad could it be?

It was the day of the performance. Hermione was so thrilled and nervous she felt she would burst any moment. Draco had given her a bouquet of flowers to wish her luck; she gave him a kiss in return.

All of the students were in the Great Hall to watch the show. The stage was again opposite the Head Table and a few students had volunteered as the tech crew, creating beautiful sets and costumes. All of the cast members wished each other luck, then performed 'Sonorus' on themselves so that the whole audience could hear their lines, and the play began.

Hermione loved every minute of the performance. She loved her character, the lowly flower girl who becomes a beautiful lady and falls in love with the man she least expects. She felt that, in a way, the story mirrored her own life, and that made it so much easier to play the role.

The entire show went smoothly, except when a fifth year boy almost dropped Seamus during "Get Me To The Church On Time." The audience laughed, but they all enjoyed the performance.

They received a standing ovation once the curtain fell. The entire cast joined for a bow. Hermione thought she would never be happier.

Epilogue: The Curtain Call

A few hours later, Hermione realized she could be happier. She was in the Slytherin Common room, curled up in Draco's arms. All of the Slytherin students had left on the Hogwarts Express after the show, so the two leads decided to have a private celebration before going upstairs to the Gryffindor tower to meet Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

"Do we have to go?" Hermione pouted.

"You said once the show was over. It's over."

"I know, but can't we wait a little?"

"I don't want to be sneaking around the castle to see you. It'll be easier if we just tell them and get it over with."

"I guess." She looked up at him. "Why do you have to be right all the time?"

"Why do you have to be so pretty all the time?"

A few kisses later, they left the Common Room, hand in hand.

"Harry? Ron? Ginny?" Hermione poked her head in the portrait hole and saw her friends lounging in the couches and armchairs.

"Hey, Hermione!" called Ron. "Where'd you go after the show?"

"Um, that's what I wanted to tell you guys." Hermione stepped into the Common Room and Draco followed. The three Gryffindors tensed slightly. They had not been openly hostile to each other since the Final Battle, but there was still tension between them.

"Uh, hey, Malfoy," greeted Ron. "Well done in the show tonight."

"Thanks. You too."

"Um, Draco and I, you see," Hermione began awkwardly. "We've, well...we've been...seeing each other."

"We know."

"WHAT?" chorused Hermione and Draco.

"Ron told us," said Ginny. "He said that you two always walked off together after rehearsals and you never showed up in the tower until at least an hour later. That's rather suspicious behavior."

"So you just assumed we had a thing for each other? Ronald Weasley, you are impossible!" cried Hermione.

Ron smiled very smugly. "I know. Draco, would you like some butterbeer? We smuggled a bunch back from Hogsmeade last weekend."

"Thanks, Ron, I'd love a glass."

"Say, aren't you the only Slytherin staying here for break?" asked Harry.

"Yes I am."

"Would you like to stay in the Gryffindor tower? It might be more, how shall I put this, convenient for you and Hermione." His green eyes sparkled wickedly.

"Thank you for the offer, Harry. I think I'll take you up on that," and Draco slipped his arm around Hermione's waist, pulling her close to him. "What do you think, 'Mione?"

She smiled at her friends. "I think that sounds lovely!"

Fin