Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction using characters and entities from the Wizarding World trademarked by J. K. Rowling. Original plots, dialogue, and characters are mine.

Chapter Synopsis: Curtain call.

Beta: MotherofBulls

Notes: At the end.

Chapter 7

Hermione stretches and massages her jaw, almost regretting how enthusiastic she was. Thankfully teenage boys were so eager, it wasn't like she was at it for long, even if it was three times. She looks down at a snoring Draco and pats herself on the back for a job well done.

She nudges him, trying to see if he'll rouse. Nothing. Hermione sighs in defeat realizing she may have to finish the final chapter alone.

Harry frantically ran down the spiral staircase from the boys' dormitories. His face was twisted in disgust, looking as if he was going to vomit.

Ginny stopped him. "Are you okay?"

He rushed out in a single breath, "Yeah. Fine. Just need to piss. I can't go upstairs. Heading to the prefects'. It's McLaggen. I don't know what he got into, but it's bad. Real bad."

And he was gone.

Hermione turned to Ginny in a state of panic. "Gin. What have we done? I wanted him sick, but I don't want him to shit himself to death."

"He's going to be fine," Ginny reassured by grasping Hermione by the shoulders. "From what my brothers said, it's basically a 72-hour flu. It starts with some diarrhea and vomiting for about three hours. After that, he'll be getting a fever, and will sleep it off." Her words didn't seem to comfort her friend, so she continued. "If it gets too bad, I have an antidote."

"Does it work?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Ginny bobbed her head side to side indifferently. "Fred and George said they tested it on each other. I trust them. They're way more honest with me than with Ron, so I'll vouch for them."

"Works for me. How about we 'check' on Cormac and see if he's well enough to perform tonight." Hermione snickered devilishly. It was evident all the people in her life were terrible influences.

"Well, this is terrible news!" Flitwick flustered and gasped for breath. "What do we do?"

"Professor…or shall I say, director?"

A sparkle shone in the little wizard's eyes. For a moment, he had forgotten about his understudy. His original Romeo.

"Draco!" Flitwick said all too excitedly. "Do you still know all of Romeo's lines?"

"I do, but I could use a quick run through." His eyes darted to his Juliet. This was the moment they had waited for. They would be reunited. All it took was a bit of mild poisoning.

"Of course! We have three hours until curtain call. Get refitted for Romeo's costume with Miss Weasley, then we'll rehearse." Flitwick squeezed Draco's arm affectionately. His production would be saved.

"I again behold my Romeo," Hermione ran to Draco and wrapped her arms around his waist, and inhaled his scent. It had been much too long since they were this close. "Are you ready for this?"

"I hope so," he replied so timidly, his voice with a quavered with doubt. His hands found their way down her back and rubbed her soothingly. The longer they held each other, the more he seemed to relax and find his confidence. "I really do need this one rehearsal to kick my memory back into gear."

"It will come back," Hermione responded hoping to put his fears at ease.

"Oi! Romeo! Let's get you into some tights." Ginny snickered seeing Draco and Hermione unabashedly putting their relationship on display.

"Make it quick, Gin. We have a play to put on."

Granger leaves her sleeping dragon to look for some friends who could help her recall a few scenes. She ventures to the library and finds Theo and Daphne, and Harry and Ginny.

"Hey, guys." She plops down in the seat closest to Ginny and takes out her parchment.

"You're still not done?" Harry stares at the stack in disbelief.

"Ugh, I'm so close to finishing." The tone of Hermione's voice is a cross between eagerness and annoyance. "Draco's taking a nap, and since he wrote the last chapter, I thought I'd wrap this up. But I don't know what happened while we were performing. Can you guys help?"

"I have some of the backstage gossip," Ginny smirks.

"And I have all the dirt on Lucius," Theo grins.

"Is that so?" Hermione inquires. Pointing at Harry and Daphne, "What about you two? Anything worthwhile to share?"

They both shrug and shake their heads.

"Alright then." Hermione passes the parchment to Theo. "Can you help me from here with anything that was happening in the audience?"

"Gladly."

"My, my! They have done just a fabulous job with the renovations!" Narcissa exclaimed. As she made her way to their private box, she marveled at the intricate wood and metalwork, cushy seats, and rich wallpaper decorating the theater. From her vantage point, she noticed the velvet stage dressings were illuminated by the well-placed stage lights. She was truly impressed. For once, the school had used her family's endowment to enrich the school, not clean up some mess—well, except the basilisk skeleton. That was cleaned up...and a few of those fangs may have ended up in the Malfoy collection.

"Darling, how does it feel to be patrons of the arts, and have our name outside the theater?" Lucius asks proudly.

"It's lovely, my love. And the Twenty-Eight private boxes! Such a nice touch. Do you think anyone noticed the little nod?"

"Seeing that you named the boxes after the families, I think so." He kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Narcissa! Aren't you looking lovely!" Theodore Nott strolled into the Malfoy box with Daphne Greengrass in tow. The young man kissed Narcissa on the hand, then formally introduced the women. He then extended his hand and gave Lucius a firm handshake. "We just wanted to say hello before the show starts. Don't worry. Draco will be fantastic. I snuck into the dress rehearsal. It's as if he was never the understudy."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Narcissa clapped her hands gleefully. "I had no idea. Oh dear, the McLaggen boy. Is he alright?"

"Yes," Lucius said, tight-lipped. "How is the lad?"

"Dreadful," Daphne joined in. "I'm in Healer training with Madame Pomfrey. He spent three hours emptying his stomach and bowels, then broke out into a terrible fever, and is now sleeping it off. I had to administer him some potions to replenish his fluids."

Narcissa leaned away from Daphne, afraid of how close she had gotten to the ill boy. "It's not contagious is it?"

"No."

The Malfoy matriarch sighed in relief.

Daphne continued, "Madame Pomfrey believes it's something he ingested. Apparently, this isn't the first time he's ended up in hospital for something he ate. Last year it was doxy eggs."

"Dense and a Gryffindor. Terrible combination." Theo quipped. They all noticed the house lights flicker. "I believe that's our cue to leave. We hope to see you at intermission."

Draco peeked through the curtains and found his parents. His mother looked thrilled, excited to enjoy a night of entertainment, and leave the confines of her outrageously large, but lonely home. His father, on the other hand, wore a scowl that meant he surely had words for his son after this production.

"Places!" They heard the stage manager holler.

Hermione leaned up to give Draco a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you in a few scenes. Break a leg."

He smiled back and said, "See you soon."

Ginny came up behind him and gave his tunic a yank.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Do you want to spend this whole play with your costume tucked in your tights? I mean, I could make you look more ridiculous if you'd like."

Draco couldn't help but blush with embarrassment. "Um, thanks, Weasley."

Ginny gave him a wink. "Knock 'em dead, Tiger. I also have a few things that aren't in the script that will enhance the scenes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see."

The audience was enthralled. To be honest, entertainment in the Wizarding World was really hard to come by. The moment Gregory Goyle spoke, nearly every mouth in the audience dropped in awe. He held the audience's attention with all the grace and bravado of all the great character actors that had come before him. If he was more attractive, he could have given Draco a run for his money as the lead.

When it came to the first kiss between Romeo and Juliet, the crowd collectively swooned. A magical pink fog rolled off the stage and down to the patrons, followed by a glittering display of pyrotechnics around the theater.

Clutching her pearls, Narcissa turned to her husband. "My, it seems as though they have been kissing for some time. Flitwick's interpretation of Shakespeare is very...colorful."

"I was going to say blatantly oversexualized, but we can go with your description."

In the Weasley box, you could hear how vigorously Molly Weasley fanned herself. "My goodness. I don't remember this play being so erotic." As Draco's hand slid up Hermione's side and cupped her breast, Mrs. Weasley muttered, "Romeo indeed."

There were a few members of the press in the audience as well. Rita Skeeter sat in another box and mumbled to her Quick Quotes Quill, no doubt sensationalizing the production, or penning her first romance novel.

Intermission came and went. Along with that, the final act.

Dracomeo approached the unconscious Hermuliet.

"Nott, that sounds horrible. You can't just combine our names like that." Hermione groans.

"You know, the character names are just interchangeable at this point. Come on, Granger, let's just get this shit over with. "Rumor is that Lucius is planning a surprise visit."

"Are you shitting me?" A voice came from behind him.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Hermione calls to Draco. He places a chaste kiss upon her lips.

"I needed that nap. So you enlisted help?"

"Yes," Ginny adds. "But I need to meet with my study group. I'll see you all later."

"Bye, Gin." Harry grabs her by the wrist and pulls her in for a kiss.

Hermione bites her lip in worry. "Theo, are you telling us that we will have to finish this by the end of the weekend?"

"By dinner. I overheard Snape and Dumbledore saying something about it." He heard the panic in his friends' voices. "Come on. Let's just charm the quill and dictate as fast as we can."

It was now time for the infamous suicide scene. Draco-Romeo walked to the unconscious Hermione-Juliet.

"Better, Granger?" Theo asks.

She rolls her eyes and continues dictating to the quill.

Draco spoke his lines with such sincerity allowing the three weeks of their separation fuel his performance. He picked up her limp body and kissed her lips tenderly. "Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss." With tears streaming down his face, he delivered his lines with intense, heartbroken passion. "Here's to my love!" He pretended to drink the poison. "O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."

As Draco allowed his body relax next to Hermione's, she started stirring. A painful reminder of how truly fucked up this play is.

"No seriously. This play is garbage. Like who the fuck gets married that young and then just offs themselves? That's not love. That's psychotic." Theo grumbles.

"Focus, Theo. Focus." Draco reminds him. "When was the last time you smoked."

"Too long. I'll need something soon."

"Yeah, I'm going to go." Harry gets up from the table. "It was great supporting you guys watching the play, but reliving this is boring me to tears."

"Thanks, Harry." Hermione scoffs.

"Can I join you?" Daphne asks Potter. She turns to Theo. "Sorry babe, but I have to agree. I'm going to go."

"Fine. I'll help these arseholes. Can you stop by the kitchens and get those fruit tarts?"

"Of course." She gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Potter, can you let me into Gryffindor Tower? I need to meet Longbottom. Oh, and then let's go to the kitchens."

"Hey!" Theo whines in disappointment. "Don't have all the fun without me."

"Finish up and meet us in the Tower. I feel we'll be there for a while."

Theo scrunches his eyebrows together hoping she was only talking about smoking.

Hermione tunes everyone out and goes back to writing manually.

It was now Hermione's turn. Her fingers ran over her Romeo's poisoned lips.

"Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end: O churl! drunk all, and left no friendly drop To help me after? I will kiss thy lips; Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, To make die with a restorative." She leaned down to kiss him. "Thy lips are warm."

"O happy dagger!" She slipped the knife from Romeo's belt and proceeded to stab herself. "This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die."

A hush came over the crowd with exception of soft sobs and sniffles. The players continued the cautionary tale as the lovers lay in each other's arms, feigning death.

The curtains closed and the audience jumped to their feet. Hoots and hollers echoed through the cavern. The cast took their bows and brought out their director and producer. Flitwick's dream had come true. It was a performance that would go down in history.

After the final bow, the audience waited for the cast to come into the audience to greet their friends and family. Theo took it upon himself to intercept Draco's parents before they got to him.

In a rare display of emotion, Narcissa was beside herself. "Oh, Theodore. Wasn't it beautiful? I always knew Draco was a bit dramatic, but I had no idea he actually had talent!"

"I think we're all surprised by that," Lucius drawled.

"Oh, and he and that Granger girl have so much chemistry!" she exclaimed. "It's as if they were made for those roles."

"Dear, are you aware that Miss Granger is a Muggleborn—"

Before Lucius could go on one of his tirades, Theodore interrupted.

"Lucius, may I have a word?" Theo threw his arm around the man's shoulders and escorted him away from his wife, in what could have been an embarrassing, public display of his blatant prejudice.

"Young Mister Nott, I would love to have a little chat, but there is a matter of some urgency, I would like to address my son," he delivered curtly, astounded at Theodore's lack of respect.

"Oh, Lucius," He said flippantly, "I promise. This is all relevant. Come with me and stand back and survey the scene." Begrudgingly, he followed the lad. "You breed dogs, correct? Wolfhounds?"

"Yes. But I don't—"

"Your dogs are purebred I assume?"

"Of course they are, but—"

"As with most purebred dogs, you try to diversify the gene pool, within the same breed of course. You do your best to keep them healthy and strong, but over time, if purebreds are only breeding with purebreds, the pool gets a bit stagnant," Theo emphasized.

Lucius was now intrigued by Nott's topic of conversation. "Go on."

"I do believe that your particular breed of dog has hip and gastrointestinal problems, they also have short lifespans, relatively speaking. Why, I was just speaking to Tracey Davis, half-blood," He points to a pretty girl with short brown hair, "the other day. She told me her parents picked up a mixed breed pup the year she was born and it's still alive to this day! He's apparently brilliant, strong, carries all the best attributes of the different breeds." Theo paused hoping he still had Lucius' attention. The man looked at him with a nod, as a cue to continue. "Let's take a look at Crabbe over there. I have no idea what he is doing in that corner. But he's just staring. Possibly counting cracks in the stone, but only up to fifty, because he's incapable of counting higher than that."

"Theodore, he's not that thick, is he?"

"You're friends with his father, what do you think?"

"Fair. Go on."

"Oh look! The cast is coming out. There is Blaise. Now Zabini isn't a great example for my argument as he is good looking and intelligent. But Octavia had, or should I say, has, so many lovers. You know we're all on the fence about his paternity."

"Now, now, Theodore. Let's keep this conversation civilized, though I do agree with that theory."

"Thank you, Lucius. I'll start cutting to the chase. That wonderful list my great-grandfather put together of the Twenty-Eight families, has essentially destroyed us. Look. Pansy Parkinson, flat face, knobby knees, and crooked yellowing teeth. Greg Goyle, sweet and shy, but uncontrollable rage problems. It's what the Muggles call, 'bipolar.' Me, yes, I'm brilliant, but I suffer from crippling anxiety, asthma, chronically sick, and someone described by body as 'weedy.' While Draco is a handsome, intelligent lad, we all know about his dicky tummy and the extensive treatments with Healers to fix the curvature in his spine when he was a baby."

"I'm starting to see your point. You believe we need to add some fresh water to the pool, correct? And I should allow my son to be the first after years of self-preservation?"

"He wouldn't be the first. Look at the Greengrass sisters. They're beautiful, intelligent, poised, and healthy. Their grandmother is a half-blood. Just enough to set things right again. Now look at Granger," Theo pointed her out in the crowd. She and Draco had emerged from the backstage still in costume. Friends and family were greeting them with bouquets of flowers. "Take away her status, what do you see? Think like a breeder."

"Her hair is full and healthy, but it could be tamed. Nice figure, shapely hips for a young woman of her age, nice skin, and a beautiful smile," he listed as if she were on show.

"I'm glad you brought up her smile. Her parents are dentists. It's their profession to maintain the health and appearance of teeth. Now she tells me, in Britain, it's quite the lucrative career," Theo explains. Lucius' eyebrow raises in curiosity. "Granger and I sat down and did the math, converting pounds to Galleons, her family is wealthier than the Abbotts, Bulstrodes, Burkes, Longbottoms, Selwyns, Shacklebolts, Weasleys, and four other families I can't remember off the top of my head. Lucius, the truth is she is the most intelligent, hard-working girl at this school. There is no doubt that she will make Head Girl next year and will be granted any position in the Ministry she applies for. While her family tree is not considered part of the Wizarding World, she is making a name for herself, and the Grangers have enough money of their own, so you can know for a fact she isn't after Draco's." He pauses for dramatic effect. "All this talk of breeding, status, and wealth, was all to butter you up and have things make sense for the Great Lucius Malfoy. The truth is, they aren't that different and they like each other a lot. They're good for each other. You've seen the tale. You can either tell him no, and that he can't see Granger, and he'll do it anyway distancing himself further and further away from you and Narcissa. Or you give your blessing and keep your only son. It's up to you." Theo shrugged confidently, knowing he made his point and walked away.

Lucius stood there and sighed. His wife sidled up to him and laughed at his dismay.

"How much did you hear?" He asked her.

"Oh, almost all of it," she laughed. "I enjoyed Theodore comparing a potential future daughter-in-law to a show dog. That was an interesting metaphor, but he's right. We need to let Draco make his own decisions unless you want to lose him."

"And we don't want that," Lucius exasperated. "Though, I would like to test him. See how much he truly cares about this girl."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Holy Merlin, " Draco says in belief. "We're done. You can catch up with Daph, Theo."

"Do you want me to spell check it or anything?" He asks.

"You've been great, mate." Draco reaches over and gives his friend an awkward hug. "Now go get stoned."

"No need to tell me twice!" Theo kisses Hermione on the lips again.

"Seriously, Theo?" Draco groans while Hermione laughs.

He shrugs and takes off.

They give their story a quick read and look for any errors, but before they can get too far, they hear the familiar click of dragonhide boots.

"Son."

"Father."

"Miss Granger."

"Mister Malfoy."

Draco hands the stack of parchment to his father. "We did what you asked. The chronology of our relationship."

"You actually did it?" Lucius's lips curl up into a tight smile.

"Of course, Father," Draco replies indignantly.

"Tone," his father retorts. He quickly flicks through the pages and raises an eyebrow here and there. "Very well." He tosses the stack in the nearest rubbish bin. "You two are permitted to court. Miss Granger, I took it upon myself to introduce Narcissa and myself to your parents. They have also given their permission."

"You met my parents?"

"But of course."

Hermione wants to inquire more about this encounter, but Draco interrupts, seething.

"We did all that work, for nothing?"

"Not 'nothing,''' Lucius reasons. "You two have had the opportunity to explore your relationship and now have a stronger understanding, and most importantly, your parents' blessings. Now if you don't mind, I'll be joining the staff table for dinner. I'll see you children in the Great Hall."

Draco and Hermione watch Lucius walk away, and eventually follow suit. They were upset they wasted all their free time in the past week working on some stupid story that would never be read but happy to know there would be no more complications from their parents.

A group of fifth-year Gryffindors approaches the area the three stood only moments before. The giant stack of parchment catches the attention of a petite, black-haired girl, and she picks it from the rubbish bin.

"Santos," Ginny calls, "what've you got there?"

"I think it's that thing Granger and Malfoy were working on." The girl flips through it and her eyes widen in delight. "Oh, this is good."

"Let me see." Ginny snatches it eagerly and begins to snicker. "We need to publish this."

"But it's missing something," the other girl mentions thoughtfully. "Maybe I could tweak it."

"Do it, Cat."

"I think I will."

~Fin~

A/N:

And we have come to the conclusion of our rousing tale, in which the author has exploited the works of William Shakespeare, and so indulgently snuck herself into this story. Thank you for taking the time to read, laugh, and review. I appreciate you whether you just binged this for the first time, followed the slow-going work in progress, or are reading this multiple times. You are a treasure.

Now that this chapter is closed, I can get back to that love triangle known as, A Girl Worth Fighting For.