Top Hat

Chapter 1

Draco Malfoy was in a drawing room in London, with many other gentlemen, pretending to read the Daily Prophet. He had come from a few years in the States, dancing on Broadway, and he was supposed to make his London debut the next night. He was utterly bored because the gentlemen in this room were so much older and they just didn't do anything fun, except for sitting quietly in the big comfy chairs reading their papers or magazines, which they thought was as great as riding a roller coaster. Besides, every time he turned a page of the paper, the rest of the room would glare at him for making a crackling noise. He was itching to get to those old gits. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he had a good reason to. His friend Harry Potter, who was also the producer of tomorrow night's dance, had come to get him and so he met him at the entrance of the room.

"Hi. Listen, Draco," whispered Harry. "We have to go back to the hotel because you need to have your rest for tomorrow night."

"Alright, then. Just one second." Draco did a little shuffle loud enough to ruffle the feathers of the gentlemen in the room, laughed and left.

At Harry's hotel suite later that night, he told Draco that his wife, Hermione, wanted them to visit her in Italy, where she was taking a vacation, because she had the perfect match for Draco. 'A young friend,' she said.

"I think that it's a great idea that Hermione wants to set you up," said Harry.

"Whatever Hermione does is a great idea, at least in your head," retorted Draco. "Maybe I don't want to. I like being free, no strings attached."

"But you should, and get married. There's nothing like it, really. Besides, you have someone to cook for you and everything."

"So what? I'm single and free. Married life's not for me. In me, you see a youth who is completely on the loose. No yens. No yearnings. No strings. No connections. I'm fancy-free, and there's nobody to fancy me." Draco starts to dance like a maniac, jumping around the suite and kicking the sculptures noisily, while Harry looks thunderstruck and someone else is getting annoyed.

In the room directly below Harry and Draco's, Ginny Weasley, who needed her beauty rest because she had to model for her brother's company the next day, was trying to fall asleep. She decided to call the hotel manager.

"Hello? Yes, this is Virginia Weasley. I'd like you to please tell the people above my room to stop that racket so that I can get some sleep here."

"Yes, miss, I'll phone them right away."

Harry was watching Draco jump around and sing at the same time when the phone rang. He went over to get to the phone while dodging Draco.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Potter, this is your hotel manager. I'd like to inform you that a complaint has been made about your conduct in this room and that other people in the hotel are not able to sleep. Please stop the racket or I will have to kick you out of the hotel. Thank you."

The manager hung up and left Harry more nervous than ever. He told Draco he was going to talk to the manager himself. Draco nodded that he understood and kept dancing. He knocked a statue of a mermaid of its' pedestal, but caught it just in time. Harry shook his head and left the room.

Meanwhile, in Ginny's room, plaster was falling from her ceiling and she decided to just go tell them off herself. She went upstairs and knocked on Harry and Draco's door. Draco opened it with one hand, the other still holding the statue that had fallen. Apparently he had been dancing with it. Ginny rolled her eyes, realizing that he was a nutcase. Draco's own eyes widened, realizing that she was the girl for him.

"Oh," said Draco. "I'm so glad you dropped by to see me."

"I dropped up from the room below where I've been trying to get some sleep!" Ginny was starting to get frustrated already. She didn't want to wake up with raccoon eyes the next morning.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was disturbing you. You see, every once in a while, I suddenly find myself - dancing "

"I suppose it must be some sort of an affliction," retorted Ginny.

"Yes, that's exactly what it is, an affliction called danceivitus."

"And it only makes you start dancing at this hour of the night?"

"Right in one," said Draco. "Actually, I really shouldn't be left alone at all. It could get dangerous."

"I'll do you a favor and get you some guards," said Ginny. She started to go back downstairs to her room.

"Please don't leave," pleaded Draco.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I feel another attack coming on." He started to dance like before. "See, and it can only be helped by one thing."

"And what's that?"

"Well, when I was little, my governesses always used to put their arms around me to make me stop," he hinted.

"Then maybe I should ask the hotel manager to come and put his arms around you. Good night." Ginny left to her room, hoping to get some sleep that night.

Harry came back from the manager's office and went back to his room. Draco told him about what happened.

"I've just seen the complaint and she's lovely, she's delightful, she's charming, and she wants to sleep." Draco took the cigarette spittoon, where people threw their used cigarettes, from the hallway and brought it into the room.

"What are you doing?" asked Harry.

"I am the official sandman." Draco took the sand from the spittoon and sprinkled it around the floor, while at the same time dancing a slow, soothing dance to help the 'complaint' fall asleep, which it did. The dance also had an effect on Draco, and he finished the dance by collapsing into one of the chairs in the room and falling asleep himself.