Harry Potter and The Ten Sickle Hooker

Harry and Ron sat at one of the very large tables in The Great Hall. It was almost completely empty, aside from a couple of second years playing wizard chess. Ron had a heaping plate full of breakfast food.

"So anyways... I was telling Seamus that it's physically impossible to turn one of Snape's potions into flesh eating... Harry? What is it?" Ron stopped to see Harry was staring at the entrance hole where the owls come to deliver mail.

"Hedwig has something," Harry said as the great snowy owl swooped down and dropped a letter in front of him. Pig, Ron's miniature owl, followed Hedwig carrying The Daily Prophet, which was at least twice his size.

Pig dropped the newspaper on Ron's head and then collapsed on the table next to his plate. Hedwig was about ready for takeoff again. She stared at Pig for a moment and then took off. Pig stole a piece of bacon before joining Hedwig.

"Wha is it, 'Arry?" Ron asked through a mouthful of food. Harry tore open the letter and saw the name Ten Sickle Hooker and Malfoy's name on the bottom.

"It's uh... from Malfoy," Harry said quietly, hoping Ron didn't hear.

"Malfoy? What the hell does he want now?" Ron snatched the letter out of Harry's hand but Harry swiftly took it back.

"It's probably nothing. I'll just read it later. Let's go play Quidditch." Harry stood up. Ron wiped his mouth off and shrugged.

"Ok but you have to tell me what it says when you read it!" Ron stood and started walking out to the entrance hall when Hermione popped in.

"Read what?" Hermione put her hands on her hips. Harry hated when she did this because it made her look really bossy.

"None of your business," Ron put his hands on his hips, mocking her. Hermione frowned.

"No, really. What are you talking about?" she pushed.

"Don't you have a meeting with Snape about this time?" Ron asked pointedly, dropping his arms. Harry gestured for them to follow him and walked out of the Great Hall.

"No, I don't have to see him until later. And I really think you two should go too!" Hermione and Ron walked behind Harry, bickering. Harry shook his head with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Harry couldn't remember a time when they were ever nice to each other for more than a few minutes, even when they were dating.

"Hermione I'm not going to that audition. There are not enough chocolate frogs in the world that would make me sing and dance in front of Snape! Not even close," Ron folded his arms across his chest. Hermione yanked on his sweater pleadingly.

"Ron, please! It might be fun! Professor Snape's not that bad! I know he isn't... I..."

"Yeah you would know wouldn't you? I can't believe you kissed..."

"RON! Keep it down! You promised not to say that out loud ever!" Hermione hissed. Harry stopped and turned to face them.

"Okay, enough! Here," Harry thrust the letter at Hermione and Ron. She took it and read, Ron reading on.

Dearest Harry,

I know we haven't spoken much since the closing night of Ten Sickle Hooker, but I wanted to let you know personally that we are holding auditions! I have the perfect part for you and if you would only think about it, I know you could find it in you to try out. Severus is holding the auditions soon and I told him that if you or your friends tried out, he must promise to cast you.

"Yeah right. Malfoy probably threatened Snape into it," Ron intervened.

"Shut up, Ron," Hermione said, hitting Ron's shoulder with the back of her hand.

Since there are many who plan to audition...

"Like who?" Ron interrupted again.

"Ron!" Hermione stared at him with wide eyes.

"Alright, sorry already!" Ron nodded for Hermione to continue reading.

Since there are many who plan to audition, I suggest that you talk to your friends about this as soon as you get the letter. I'll be waiting.

Kisses, hot stuff! Draco "Malfoya the Tree" Malfoy

"Harry? You and Malfoy aren't still, uh..." Ron started.

"No! Absolutely not!" Harry shook his head vehemently. Hermione raised her eyebrow at Harry while Ron looked satisfied with his answer, turning to the staircase back up to the boy's room. Harry looked at Hermione and put his finger to his lips and motioned for her to follow them upstairs. Hermione shrugged and they followed Ron.

*

Draco Malfoy spun around in the chair he was sitting in, waiting for the next audition. He was sitting in one of the dungeons under Hogwarts. So far he had seen only a couple of good performances, and kept their names in mind for later. Although, who he was really looking for was Harry. Had he gotten the letter? Would he try out?

"Malfoy, stop your incessant spinning," Snape hissed at Malfoy from the chair to the left him.

Malfoy stopped and looked to his right, where Crabbe and Goyle were punching each other in the arm to see who could do it harder. "Hopeless," Malfoy sighed. The four of them were sitting in identical jet-black chairs with high backs and a glass table with black legs in front of them. They were judging the Hogwarts students who had seen the signs posted in the common rooms. Surprisingly, there were many who were interested.

"Send in the next one," Malfoy lazily drawled with a flick of his hand. He pushed off the table again to spin his chair, but Snape caught it mid-spin.

"Look. I know you're upset, but you have to take this seriously," Snape hissed in Malfoy's face. Snape's greasy hair fell into his face. Malfoy gently brushed the hair back and took Snape's hands from where they were clenching the armrests of his own chair, into his own. Malfoy smiled innocently. Snape was seething.

"I am taking it 'seriously' (he made finger quotes here) Sevvie. I am. You know I'm not really mad. I'm just... disappointed in the outcome, is all," Malfoy puckered his lips and batted his eyelashes in Snape's face.

Snape, with a look of utter revulsion, pulled his hands away from Malfoy's and faced front again. Malfoy's smile slowly faded and he turned to face the front as well. He put his elbow on the desk and leaned his head on his hand.

"Next!" he called.

"So then they said they had weed in their room! And of course, you know me. I went happily with them, knowing that they obviously weren't interested in S.P.E.W. But I didn't care! You know me, anything for a free toke&helli;" Hermione took another swig of Firewhiskey. She set the bottle on the table in front of her. Harry laughed and Ron lay on his back on the couch to the left of them. The three of them had decided to waste the afternoon away smoking and drinking.

Hermione turned around to face Ron on the couch. She stood up shakily and Harry took a swig, watching as she walked over to Ron.

"So I went up to their common room, smoked some weed, and then..." Hermione swung her leg over Ron and sat on his pelvis. She put her hands on his chest and massaged him.

Ron was a little surprised but gladly obliged. "Well we actually didn't do anything because of that wretched Hannah Abbot! She walked in and started making out with Ernie, and I was not interested in Justin in the least, so I pretended to fall asleep."

Hermione lay on top of Ron and kissed his face.

Harry groaned inwardly. He wasn't in the mood to watch Ron and Hermione reunite for the millionth time. He picked up the bottle of Firewhiskey and stood up.

"I'm going to go and see how the tryouts are," Harry said over his shoulder.

"WAIT!" Hermione flung herself off of Ron mid-kiss and bounded over to Harry where she almost fell over her own feet. Harry supported her by the arms, and she straightened herself out. Ron sat up from the couch, but realized that he was too excited to get up. He shut his eyes tight and tried to think of unsexy thoughts. To remedy the situation, he placed a pillow on his lap.

"If you're going then I want to as well! I knew you'd come around Harry! I knew it!" Hermione rushed over to Ron and pulled him from the couch, pillow falling to the ground.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled embarrassed and turned away from them. Harry smiled and shook his head. He felt warm from the whiskey, but not drunk. Hermione laughed louder than usual and picked up her robe from the back of the chair she had been sitting in.

"Hey, uh, Hermione? I don't know if I'm actually going to try out yet! I don't have a song or..." Harry started.

"Here!" Hermione thrust some papers in his hand that she retrieved from inside her robe pockets. She handed Ron some as well.

"What's this?" Ron, turning, reluctantly took the papers and stared at the title on the top. It read Moses from something called Singing In The Rain.

"I've never even heard of this!" Ron handed Hermione the papers back but she refused.

"That's because it's a muggle musical! It's a duet you guys can do it together and you won't feel so scared," Hermione smiled.

"I'm not scared!" Ron insisted.

"I don't know about this, Hermione... I mean, we won't even have that much time to learn it..." Harry looked at the lyrics and raised his eyebrows. It was the weirdest looking song he had ever seen.

"Look. Just look it over for a while and then perform it. You remember what the letter said! Malfoy will hire you on the spot Harry! Ron and me too!" Hermione looked like her head hurt from too much thinking. Harry thought for a moment then looked at Ron. He did not look too keen on the idea but he rolled his eyes and gestured for Harry to come go over the lyrics. He had a feeling this was going to be interesting, to say the least...