Status: Full speed on!
Monsoon Wings
Chapter 30 - The Audition
Draco had threatened to kill the little pest who dared cause havoc and broke the necklace, if not only a pale-faced and depressed Olivia said it was okay. Olivia had cried a bit, regretting the fact that the necklace had not even been around a neck for more than a minute before it broke. She felt guilty. It was as if there was a curse hanging around her aura.
And she thought that she had seen the necklace somewhere before— in some place, but she couldn’t remember well. She thought it was the same necklace Juno had. The one Juno got during Christmas. The one Juno had hanged near the window. Yes, Olivia remembered well how jealous she was when she thought the necklace was for Juno.
But then, why did Draco give it to me? She wondered.
‘Draco, I’m wondering,’ she started the conversation as they were walking, his arm around her waist. ‘I saw that bell necklace with Juno once.’
Draco chuckled. ‘That was a mistake, baby. It was meant to you. But somehow something went wrong with the post…’ With Elvis, he thought. It must be Elvis.
‘She sure took good care of the necklace,’ Olivia said, sniffing.
‘Hey,’ he whispered, pulling her close. ‘That was an accident. The problem is not with you. I’ll find out if it can be fixed. Then I’ll give it to you. This time more carefully. The necklace belongs to you. Don’t worry, honey.’
Draco looked deeply at Olivia. ‘You know I can never like Emily. Not that sort. Not even as friends. Don’t ever believe in those gossips. You know it, right?’ He pressed his nose against hers lovingly.
She grinned, her mood lifted.
Once they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, he kissed her warmly once again before saying bye. She promised she would fetch him for dinner in the dungeon and they would walk together. Draco said she could just come into the Slytherin common room anytime.
*
As Draco sat on the armchair in his common room, he took the broken necklace out and examined it. A shattered line was formed on the bell, like that in a broken glass. He rubbed it, but still the color had gone dull. Weird.
He tried several spells on it, but still, it was in the same state. Nothing worked.
Pansy had suddenly appeared and sat beside her, holding his arm close.
‘Drakie-poo!’
Shit, he swore inside.
‘Go away, Pansy,’ he snapped, standing up and walking to the door, Pansy clinging to him. ‘I have to go.’
‘Bring me with you. We haven’t spent much time lately, Drakie!’
She is so impossible.
‘Come on, Pansy, get off!’ he shot, yanking his arm away.
‘Fine,’ she let go involuntarily, pouting. ‘But those Gryffindor sluts would never own you like I do.’
‘Thank you!’ he snapped spitefully and left the common room.
Once outside in the dungeon corridor, he wondered where to go. He looked at his watch. It was 3 in the afternoon. Still a long time until dinner. He walked up to the first floor, past the giant hourglass and the billboard. It was there where his counterfeit sex story was published by some devil. He smiled, though. Thanks to the devil, finally he and Olivia was an item.
He exhaled, bored. He wanted to find Crabbe and the rest but they weren’t there in the common room. They must have gone someplace to bully first-years.
He looked at his watch, aware that it was only 2 minutes since he last glanced at it.
Usually I and Emily would go someplace to rehearse dance at this hour every Sundays. Or, go to the library to find some information.
‘REHEARSE DANCE!’ he bellowed, completely forgetting she was currently in the Ministry of Magic, auditioning. And he committed to the memory that he had promised he would come watch her.
Oh, heck. At least now he had something to do.
He jogged slightly as he ran back to the common room to grab his broomstick, hoping deeply that Emily had not performed.
*
‘Wonderful,’ Cornelius Fudge stated. He was one of the judges there. The crowd cheered, and the punk girl bowed and got off the stage.
It was not a very big stage—but it had a great effect on her nerves. The hall was filled with watchers, and the three judges (especially the one of the left, she looked sterner than McGonagall) were continuously whispering to each other suspiciously. The lights were good and magnificent. Juno gulped and squirmed in her seat. She wished the seats could be made a bit wider.
She was continuously tapping her foot and glancing around.
That Draco Malfoy. He was not there yet. He said he would come to watch her.
Oh, come on. What does it matter if he is there or not? Why do you consider him much lately?
‘Number 209, please go on the stage,’ the commentator, a bald man with very thick beard announced. A small petite girl carrying a dummy walked towards the stage, her knees buckling.
Juno stared at her admit card. Number 210.
Elvis looked even more awful than her, though his number was 235. His owl, it seemed, had gone bored.
Juno did not watch the girl performing a ventriloquist act on the stage, she was busy praying and going through her moves again, though only mentally. Her hands were ice cold.
‘Your act was brilliant. You have talent, which will bring you to the centre of attention in the magical world,’ one of the judges was commenting. The little girl looked as if she would faint, continuously murmuring “thank you”.
Juno inhaled, and exhaled again slowly. Suddenly she felt as if she had to pee, though not really so. It was just the tingling feeling when you are nervous to death.
Anytime now…
‘Number 210, please. The stage belongs to you.’
Juno stood up. Her knees were knobby and they were about to give way. She held the nervousness down, trying to focus. She went on the stage and the crowd cheered.
Shit, she thought inside. One of the stage lights was shining right at her face. She tried not to focus her sight on it.
The crowd went silent, waiting for her to start.
Then the doors suddenly flew open. Whispers and gasps started as a tall figure entered, panting.
The tall figure she recognized so intimately though she could only see the silhouette.
‘JUNO EMILY!’ he bellowed. ‘IF YOU FAIL, DON’T WISH YOU WILL GO BACK TO HOGWARTS! I AM STILL YOUR MASTER AND I COMMAND YOU TO DANCE LIKE A BALLROOM PRINCESS!’
Juno grinned. Her heart beat faster. Not from the nerves, but from something new. Something which had never been there before. His command was the only one she had been waiting for. The command which gave her a sudden power to overcome all her nervousness and pains.
She closed her eyes, picturing yesterday’s practice. How Draco turned off all lights and closed the curtains. How she heard Draco pulling a chair and sat on it. How he had said the words which had brought her supremacy and serenity.
‘I can’t see you. You can’t see me. So imagine you are dancing in your dreams. Don’t be embarrassed.’
She smiled.
And she danced.
And she thought that she had seen the necklace somewhere before— in some place, but she couldn’t remember well. She thought it was the same necklace Juno had. The one Juno got during Christmas. The one Juno had hanged near the window. Yes, Olivia remembered well how jealous she was when she thought the necklace was for Juno.
But then, why did Draco give it to me? She wondered.
‘Draco, I’m wondering,’ she started the conversation as they were walking, his arm around her waist. ‘I saw that bell necklace with Juno once.’
Draco chuckled. ‘That was a mistake, baby. It was meant to you. But somehow something went wrong with the post…’ With Elvis, he thought. It must be Elvis.
‘She sure took good care of the necklace,’ Olivia said, sniffing.
‘Hey,’ he whispered, pulling her close. ‘That was an accident. The problem is not with you. I’ll find out if it can be fixed. Then I’ll give it to you. This time more carefully. The necklace belongs to you. Don’t worry, honey.’
Draco looked deeply at Olivia. ‘You know I can never like Emily. Not that sort. Not even as friends. Don’t ever believe in those gossips. You know it, right?’ He pressed his nose against hers lovingly.
She grinned, her mood lifted.
Once they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, he kissed her warmly once again before saying bye. She promised she would fetch him for dinner in the dungeon and they would walk together. Draco said she could just come into the Slytherin common room anytime.
*
As Draco sat on the armchair in his common room, he took the broken necklace out and examined it. A shattered line was formed on the bell, like that in a broken glass. He rubbed it, but still the color had gone dull. Weird.
He tried several spells on it, but still, it was in the same state. Nothing worked.
Pansy had suddenly appeared and sat beside her, holding his arm close.
‘Drakie-poo!’
Shit, he swore inside.
‘Go away, Pansy,’ he snapped, standing up and walking to the door, Pansy clinging to him. ‘I have to go.’
‘Bring me with you. We haven’t spent much time lately, Drakie!’
She is so impossible.
‘Come on, Pansy, get off!’ he shot, yanking his arm away.
‘Fine,’ she let go involuntarily, pouting. ‘But those Gryffindor sluts would never own you like I do.’
‘Thank you!’ he snapped spitefully and left the common room.
Once outside in the dungeon corridor, he wondered where to go. He looked at his watch. It was 3 in the afternoon. Still a long time until dinner. He walked up to the first floor, past the giant hourglass and the billboard. It was there where his counterfeit sex story was published by some devil. He smiled, though. Thanks to the devil, finally he and Olivia was an item.
He exhaled, bored. He wanted to find Crabbe and the rest but they weren’t there in the common room. They must have gone someplace to bully first-years.
He looked at his watch, aware that it was only 2 minutes since he last glanced at it.
Usually I and Emily would go someplace to rehearse dance at this hour every Sundays. Or, go to the library to find some information.
‘REHEARSE DANCE!’ he bellowed, completely forgetting she was currently in the Ministry of Magic, auditioning. And he committed to the memory that he had promised he would come watch her.
Oh, heck. At least now he had something to do.
He jogged slightly as he ran back to the common room to grab his broomstick, hoping deeply that Emily had not performed.
*
‘Wonderful,’ Cornelius Fudge stated. He was one of the judges there. The crowd cheered, and the punk girl bowed and got off the stage.
It was not a very big stage—but it had a great effect on her nerves. The hall was filled with watchers, and the three judges (especially the one of the left, she looked sterner than McGonagall) were continuously whispering to each other suspiciously. The lights were good and magnificent. Juno gulped and squirmed in her seat. She wished the seats could be made a bit wider.
She was continuously tapping her foot and glancing around.
That Draco Malfoy. He was not there yet. He said he would come to watch her.
Oh, come on. What does it matter if he is there or not? Why do you consider him much lately?
‘Number 209, please go on the stage,’ the commentator, a bald man with very thick beard announced. A small petite girl carrying a dummy walked towards the stage, her knees buckling.
Juno stared at her admit card. Number 210.
Elvis looked even more awful than her, though his number was 235. His owl, it seemed, had gone bored.
Juno did not watch the girl performing a ventriloquist act on the stage, she was busy praying and going through her moves again, though only mentally. Her hands were ice cold.
‘Your act was brilliant. You have talent, which will bring you to the centre of attention in the magical world,’ one of the judges was commenting. The little girl looked as if she would faint, continuously murmuring “thank you”.
Juno inhaled, and exhaled again slowly. Suddenly she felt as if she had to pee, though not really so. It was just the tingling feeling when you are nervous to death.
Anytime now…
‘Number 210, please. The stage belongs to you.’
Juno stood up. Her knees were knobby and they were about to give way. She held the nervousness down, trying to focus. She went on the stage and the crowd cheered.
Shit, she thought inside. One of the stage lights was shining right at her face. She tried not to focus her sight on it.
The crowd went silent, waiting for her to start.
Then the doors suddenly flew open. Whispers and gasps started as a tall figure entered, panting.
The tall figure she recognized so intimately though she could only see the silhouette.
‘JUNO EMILY!’ he bellowed. ‘IF YOU FAIL, DON’T WISH YOU WILL GO BACK TO HOGWARTS! I AM STILL YOUR MASTER AND I COMMAND YOU TO DANCE LIKE A BALLROOM PRINCESS!’
Juno grinned. Her heart beat faster. Not from the nerves, but from something new. Something which had never been there before. His command was the only one she had been waiting for. The command which gave her a sudden power to overcome all her nervousness and pains.
She closed her eyes, picturing yesterday’s practice. How Draco turned off all lights and closed the curtains. How she heard Draco pulling a chair and sat on it. How he had said the words which had brought her supremacy and serenity.
‘I can’t see you. You can’t see me. So imagine you are dancing in your dreams. Don’t be embarrassed.’
She smiled.
And she danced.