Tutoring A Dragon

'Cause Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's 1999

Monday, four days before the Ball

After classes were over, Hermione Granger was visibly annoyed. She had seen a notice on a bulletin board from Dumbledore saying that he had to consider who would be the new Heads for another week or so before he decided. This annoyed her immensely.

First years that saw her face steered clear of her in the hallway; one made the mistake of getting in her way, and she glared at him, causing him to faint. That cheered her up.

She entered the Great Hall, whistling. She plopped down next to Ron and Harry, who were looking at their Objects of Affections in a besotted way.

"You're looking unusually chipper this afternoon," said Lavender, sitting down next to her.

Hermione grinned at her. "I learned that I can make first years faint by glaring at them," said Hermione, grinning. "It's really fun, especially with the Hufflepuffs."

"Really?" said Parvati, rolling her eyes at the boys. "I find that the Ravenclaws are more fun. Because they're so smart, the childishness doesn't register in their tiny smart brains. Then they pop." She slapped her hands together, making a loud sound.

A Gryffindor first year, assuming it was some sort of magic, fainted, eyes rolling up into her head.

"First years," said Hermione, taking a swig of pumpkin juice and rolling her eyes.

~*~

"You know," said Hermione, looking at Draco as they walked back to their rooms, "if all of this stress keeps being heaped on we should just run away." Draco cocked an eyebrow. "We could go stay with your mom, go to New York, have fun. The works, you know?"

Draco kissed the top of her head. "Love, just because Dumbledore delayed the Head naming u until tomorrow doesn't mean you have to stress. Anyway, guess what I heard."

"What?" she asked, ducking the wildly swinging portrait.

"Prefect and their Better Halves Parrrrrtayyyyyyyyy tonight," Draco said, grinning.

"So, were going to boogie down tonight?" said Hermione. She sat him down on a couch. "Now, Draco, are we gonna party like its 1999?"

"Huh?" Draco looked confused.

"It's a Prince, or The Artist Formally Known as Prince, song. It goes: 'Cause tonight we're gonna part like it's 1999!!!!!!" She sang the popular chorus in tune a number of times, swinging her hips to the music.

Draco looked at Hermione like she was crazy. "Why would you listen to someone called 'The Artist Formally Known as Prince'?" he asked.

"Well," she replied, the hip shaking stopping, "because he's a brilliant guitarist. I mean, seriously, he's like one of the Guitar Gods, along with Jimmi Hendrix and Joe Perry and I think Jim Morrison. Plus there are the Rock Gods, also know as Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Cure, Queen, and pretty much a bunch of old druggies from the '70's and '80's."

"Rock Gods?" asked Draco. "What're those?"

Hermione sighed and patted his should condescendingly. "I'm sorry for you, dear. You've never heard 'Walk This Way', or 'Dream On', or 'We Will Rock You', or anything else by Queen and those guys. But I think I have the 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' single somewhere around here...." she said, rummaging around. "Wait a bit," she called as she ran up her staircase.

Draco sat for five minutes, looking at the covers of some of Hermione's albums. One of them said 'The Best of Queen', and it was red. He looked at the back of the album case, seeing many song names that were legends in the Muggle world, but remained unknown to him.

Hermione pounded down the stairs, holding a CD case in her hand. "Here it is," she said breathlessly. "Now, I know that Muggle technology usually doesn't work at Hogwarts, but I worked out a spell to let my stereo work." She held up a large silver rounded box, and put it on the table in front of her.

"Now, what is this... Me-B thing?" asked Draco. "What does it do?"

Hermione sighed. "First off, it's called a CD, secondly, it plays music. Like the Wizarding Wireless Network, except this is a wee bit different." She opened the opening for the CD, and put in the silver disk. "The song I'm about to play is called 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' by Aerosmith. It was originally sung by a woman, whose name I don't know, but Aerosmith redid it for the movie 'Armageddon', which I think is a sad and stupid movie." She pressed the play button, and the music started.

"I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing

Lying close to you feeling your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes
And thank God we're together
I just want to stay with you in this moment forever
Forever and ever
Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing..."

"Wow," said Draco. "That was actually good. Those guys are better than the Weird Sisters, and the White Stripes!"

Hermione did a double take. "Wait a minute. Did you just say The White Stripes? They're Wizards?"

Draco laughed at her face. "No, actually they're vampires. Or at least Jack White is, I don't know about Meg. She could be. I heard that she's actually a werewolf."

Hermione thought about this for a moment. "That would explain Jack's incredibly pale skin," she said musingly.

"Yeah... That was a good song, who is it by again?" Draco glanced at Hermione, tearing his eyes away from the stereo.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Aerosmith. Or, as my mother calls them, old famous ex-druggies who prance about like twenty-year-olds. They're actually really good musicians to be popular for thirty years. It takes a lot to stay a big name in the music industry. I think that their guitarist, Joe Perry, is actually something of a hottie." A twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Then again, I'm dating a Slytherin, which is just as likely as someone liking Joe Perry. Or so I'm told."

Draco cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah? Well, this is what that Slytherin thinks of that!" And he jumped her.

~*~

Harry and Ginny had gone over to Padma and Ron's quarters, and they were hanging out.

"So, Ron," said Ginny, "are you gonna go to the party tonight?"

"Huh?" said Ron, who was disoriented, since he had been snogging Padma like there's no tomorrow. "What?"

"Are. You. Going. To. Go. To. The. Party. Tonight?" repeated Ginny, pushing Harry away from her neck. "Stop! That tickles."

Ron shrugged. "If Padma wants to, sure. If not," he grinned, "I can think of other things to do. Padma?"

"Yes! It's the last big Prefect-blow out for the term! We only have one a term, so we'll only have two chances to go together, Ron! And to think, they have lots and lots of alcohol at these things, Ron. So, we can all get drunk and have fun together!"

"Oh, well that really sounds fun," said Ron dryly. "Woohoo, just what I want Mum to hear, that I got drunk and pissed off a professor because I had a hangover."

"Oh, but Ronniekinns," said Padma, clutching his arm, "we'd be together!" She winked at the other two, who smirked at Ron purple face.

"Ok, fine. We'll go," he muttered. "But only for you!"

~*~

Severus Snape was known for his black robes and greasy hair. Well known, in fact.

But, at this very moment, he was brushing his hair as he sat in a magical dressing gown that was blue, with little green duckies swimming on the blue ocean. And he was listening to Mozart, humming 'Ode to Joy' for all he was worth.

Now, normally you'd think was an indicator that he was gay. But Snape was as straight as a poker. He had a girlfriend, which was also unknown to most people. He was getting ready for his fifteenth date with none other than...

Sibyll Trelawney.

~*~

Meanwhile, Draco was shoved off the couch, and subsequently off of Hermione.

"Don't you want to?" he asked her, as she was fixing her robes.

"No," said Hermione, buttoning up her shirt. "I'm waiting until I'm married. It's safer."

Draco threw up his hands. "Ok then. I won't pressure you."

"Good," said Hermione, kissing his cheek. "Because if you did, I'd break up with you, set Harry and Ron on you, and remove certain parts of your anatomy; and not necessarily in that order."

She got up, and toddled towards her staircase. "I'm going to go get ready for the party. See you in a bit." She blew a kiss at him, and disappeared into the folds of the curtains.