Minutes to Midnight.

September 22nd - Draco's Birthday

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Mia asked me as she zipped up my dress.

"Yes...I think." I replied, adding a little fluff to my hair. "And if it doesn't, well he's gonna get hit because it's rare that I leave my hair curly."

Mia shook her head and laughed, then started playing around with her dress.

I sighed. "MiMi, you look fine. Will you chill?"

She groaned and looked at me. "What if--"

"No! No 'what if'! I am not going to play your worry-wart mind games!" I said, pointing a finger at her. "Tonight, we are going to have fun. Tonight, you and James are gonna rock that effing stage and then--"

"Then you're gonna scare the crap out of everyone, aren't you?"

"With my guitar and Andy Six-Amy Lee crossover make-up and M. Shadows worthy vocals, hella yes!" I stuck my tongue out a little and Mia laughed.

"I can only imagine what you're going to do when you start drinking."

"That will have to wait until after I perform. You remember what happened back in school."

"Oh, when you drank three bottles of vodka, tried to sing, tripped over the mic cord, and threw up on one of the teachers? Why yes, I do." We paused, and burst out laughing.

"Alright, I'll disguise my outfit and lead Draco to the Great Hall."

"What are you gonna use as a disguise?"

"Something sexy, duhh." I shrugged, waved my wand, and found myself in booty shorts, a cami, and ballet flats. Looks good to me!

~*~*~*~*~

I sighed as I wandered the halls, heading back to the Slytherin dorms. Most people were already at the Great Hall so I was safe. The only thing I had to worry about was Draco. I needed this to work.

"Bloody hell, where is everybody?" Draco asked me with a hug and a kiss as I entered the Common Room.

"No idea. But wanna take a walk?" I asked, taking his hands in mine and trying to lead him out.

"Not particularly." You're gonna make this difficult, aren't you?

"Oh come on. Not a super long, scenic walk. Just a little bit around and we'll come back. Please, for me?"

He sighed which meant a yes. The 'please, for me?' trick, always got him. Always.

We walked hand-in-hand down the corridors, Draco looking tired and me looking like I was hopped up on drugs and caffeine.

"You're awefully cheery." Draco commented with slight suspicion.

"Must be the full moon." I shrugged.

"I'd believe it..." He muttered. I elbowed him in the ribs and smiled brightly when we neared the Great Hall doors. "Why are we up this far? I thought you said a 'little walk'."

"Oh, must have been distracted." I put my hand in my pocket and texted Mia saying we were near. Yes, I can text without looking at my phone. I'm that good...and pathetic. Right on cue, music started playing loudly.

"What in bloody hell is going on?" Draco asked, hearing the music.

"I have no idea." I replied. The plan was to get Draco over the threshold of the Hall. The spell that was set would put him in one of his fancy-shmancy suits and I'd put myself back in my dress. "Maybe we should check it out."

"Or go back to the Common Room."

"Oh come on, since when do you not want to snoop a little?"

Draco hesitated, then said, "Alright, maybe just a peep.."

It's gonna be more than a peep you twit. I thought.

I smiled and cracked open the door, Draco right behind me.

"Do you see anything?" He asked.

"Nuh-uh. We need to open the door a little bit more."

"Without anyone noticing? Bloody how?"

"Like this." I smirked, threw open the door and Draco - on cue - started throwing a fit and I backed him up over the threshold and he appeared in his suit, then gawked at both of us as I appeared back in my dress.

"What in bloody hell is going on?!" He yelled.

"Your fifteenth birthday party." I smiled big.

For a moment, Draco just stood there with his jaw dropped a little as I smiled at him.

"I know how much you hate your birthday, but I felt like I had to. You always do special things for me so I figured, 'why not?' and well, here you go. A huge birthday bash just for you." I said.

"You did all of this...for me?"

I nodded. "Well, I had help of course." As if on cue, Mia, James, and Adrian walked up.

"It was all Izzy's idea, however." Mia said, putting her arm around my shoulders.

"She just needed a little assistance." Adrian added with a smile.

"So that's why...?" Draco started to ask 'so that's why you were spending so much time with that twit over the last few weeks?' I just nodded.

"The girls did most of this, however." James said, gesturing around with the Slytherin colours and Malfoy family crests.

"Izzy even painted the big banner up there herself." Mia added.

It was true. A few days ago I came into the common room smothered in green, black, white, and silver paint because of the banner. I made Draco believe he was seeing things with my magic.

The entire room went silent (besides the music) as we all stared in awe at something we knew we were never likely to see again: a sincere smile from Draco Lucius Malfoy.

"Someone take a picture before his face changes." James teased.

Mia and I looked at each other and whipped out our phones, snapping a picture just in time. Draco shook his head and lifted me in his arms in a hug.

"Bloody brilliant, love." He said with a kiss.

"Tch, you're welcome." I kidded, rolling my eyes. "But this isn't it. You have a couple other surprises a-comin'." I winked.

"Did she just say 'a-comin''?" James whispered to Mia.

"I'm almost afraid." Draco joked.

"You better not be!" Mia said, her cheeks turning pink.

"MiMi, cheeks." I told her. Her eyes got big and she ducked her face down. I smiled and shook my head. "You'll find out in what, half hour?" I looked back and James nodded in response. "Yeah, half hour."

Half an hour later...

"Where'd Mia and James go?" Draco asked as we danced to 'All Around Me'.

"You'll see in a minute." I responded with a smile.

Right on cue (for like the tenth time tonight), the sound of an acoustic guitar started playing and lights illuminated the stage with Mia and James on it.

"Surprise." I whispered to Draco.

"These next few songs are going to the birthday boy - Draco! And his lovely girlie, Izzy." Mia said, perching herself on a wooden stool next to James who was playing the guitar. "Happy birthday you blonde idiot."

Everyone clapped and Mia started to sing.

"I can feel her breath as she's sleeping next to me
Sharing pillows and cold feet
She can feel my heart,
Fell asleep to it's beat

Under blankets and warm sheets
If only I could be in that bed again
If only it were me instead of him

Does he watch your favourite movies?
Does he hold you when you cry?
Does he let you tell him all your favourite parts
when you've seen it a million times?
Does he sing to all your music
while you dance to purple rain?
Does he do all these things,
Like we used to?"

I smiled and laughed happily as Draco and I twirled around the Great Hall to 'Like We Used' by A Rocket to the Moon as sung by Mia so perfectly. I have no clue why she picked that song, but I like it.

"Does he watch your favourite movies?
Does he hold you when you cry?
Does he let you tell him all your favourite parts
when you've seen it a million times?
Does he sing to all your music
while you dance to purple rain?
Does he do all these things,
Like we used to?"

The next songs from them were also by A Rocket to the Moon - Baby Blue Eyes (curtioucy of my 'baby blue eyes' haha), and Dakota, followed by Back to December by Taylor Swift, and Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade. Jeeze, let's not be sappy or anything.

As Mia and James bowed and exited the stage, I turned to Draco.

"Ready for your next surprise?"

"Which is...?"

I smiled. "Give me two minutes." And headed into the crowd, and to the stage.

"You ready for this?" Mia asked me as I changed.

"I sure hope so. You know I haven't done this in forever-ness." I replied, strapping my guitar on and breathing.

"What are you gonna start with?"

"The Hell Butterflies and then I'm gonna come out, say some stuff, and go right to Children Surrender."

"Ugh, you're starting off with Black Veil Brides?"

"Oh hush. I'm doing Children Surrender, Heaven's Calling, Scream, Welcome to the Family, then I'm gonna start going into Taylor Swift."

"Yay! What songs?!"

"Love Story and Mine."

"Are you sure you can do six songs all by yourself?"

"I'm sure as hell gonna try. Wish me good luck." Mia gave me a nod, and I stood behind the curtain, awaiting my entrance. I waved my wand, and sent Hell Butterflies everywhere. Then the curtains opened and I stepped out.

"Alright, you just heard my dear friends being all sappy and cute. If you know me, you know I don't wagon wheel like that. But I'm gonna keep the scary to a medium level with a little Black Veil Brides, Avenged Sevenfold, and a surprise ending. I haven't performed on my own in a very long time, so if I screw up, don't laugh to my face. Be like my friends and do it when I'm not looking.
"These songs go out to my wonderful friends and my boyfriend that I love very, very much. So happy sweet fifteen, Draco!"

The crowd clapped and wolf whistled, and I started on my guitar.

"We're born into the night like
Children of the damned!
Our pain will shine a light to
Those who understand.

Order someone else!
Blood will shine again!

Whoa! Whoa!
Sink your teeth into forever.
Whoa! Whoa!
Sunlight burns,
Children surrender!"

Everyone actually enjoyed my BVB, they all thought I was friggen crazy during 'Welcome to the Family', and now for my big surprise.

"Alright, I'm throwing a little twist into this. This is something I would never, ever do, other than today. These next two songs are fully detacated to Draco Malfoy - the boy who never fails to make me want to do stupid things!" Everyone laughed, and I started on Love Story.

"We were both young when I first saw you,
I closed my eyes and flashbacks start
I'm standing there,
On a balcony in summer air

See the lights,
See the party,
The ballgowns,
See you make your way through the crowd,
And say 'hello',
Little did I know...

That you were Romeo,
You were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said, 'Stay away from Julliet!'
And I was crying on the staircase begging you,
'Please don't go!'

And I said,

Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting
All that's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story,
Baby just say yes."

"The first time this song came out, I thought of Draco instantly and had to start singing it." I said at the end of Love Story. "So here's my final song of the night, 'Mine', by Taylor Swift."

"You were in college working part time waitin' tables
Left a small town, never looked back
I was a flight risk,
With a fear of falling,
Wonderin' why we bother with love,
If it never lasts.

I say, "Can you believe it?"
As we're lyin' on the couch
The moment I can see it,
Yes, yes,
I can see it now.

Do you remember we were sittin' there by the water,
You put your arm around me, for the first time,
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter,
You are the best thing,
That's ever been mine.

Flash forward and we're taking on the world together
And there's a drawer of my things at your place.
You learn my secrets and figure out why I'm guarded,
You say we'll never make my parent's mistakes.

We've got bills to pay
We got nothin' figured out
When it was hard to take
Yes, yes,
This is what I thought about.

Do you remember we were sittin' there by the water,
You put your arm around me, for the first time,
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter,
You are the best thing,
That's ever been mine.

Do you remember all the city lights on the water?
You saw me start to believe,
For the first time.
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter,
You are the best thing,
That's ever been mine.

Oh, oh, oh.

And I remember that fight,
Two-thirty A.M.,
You said everything was slipping right out of our hands.
And I ran out crying and you followed me out into the streets.

Braced myself for the good-bye,
'Cause that's all I've ever known.
And you took me by surprise,
You said,
"I'll never leave you alone."

You said,
"I remember how we felt sitting by the water,
And everytime I look at you, it's like the first time.
I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter,
She is the best thing,
That's ever been mine."

You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter,
You are the best thing,
That's ever been mine.

Do you believe it?
We're gonna make it now.
And I can see it

I can see it now..."