Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, the Song of Ice and Fire series, and the TV show Game of Thrones. I only own the lyrics to the songs, 'I'm The Last Dragon' and 'This Long Night.'

Chapter Six

The Heart Of A Song

Hermione's eyes broadened when she looked out of the window of the Apparition Point and saw the crowd outside of the stadium. Hundreds of people showing their support by wearing black and red, t-shirts with the band's names and faces printed on the front, wearing three-headed dragon headbands and waving dragon heads that glowed red gathered out front, laughing with their friends and standing on their toes as they waited for their turn to hand their tickets and watch the concert. She could hear the music playing and the loud screams from the inside of the stadium. The first verse to the song I'm The Last Dragon was already playing as she stepped out of the Apparition Point.

'Ohh, oh, oh. A fire burning inside of me—'

Heart in her throat, she slipped her VIP pass over her head and headed towards the long line with hesitant steps, her hands clenching into fists to stop it from trembling. Rhaegar's voice was muffled by the thick walls of the stadium and the defeaning screams of his band's fans but that didn't mean that it didn't nearly sound as beautiful as the first time she heard it. Listening to it up close certainly didn't do his recorded voice in videos any justice. No wonder his band got so many supporters from both Westeros and Hogwarts. With his looks and talents, coupled by the fact that his siblings — yes, she now knew that his bandmates were also his brother and sister and not his cousins — were equally as attractive as him, they had captured hearts all around the world with music notes and soulful songs.

"You, there!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a very tall and heavily muscled man shouted at her. She eyed the long and thick finger pointed at her and watched him approach her, her shoulders tensed. Her throat moved, her honey eyes trailing upwards — and continued to trail upwards. Goodness, this man was nearly a mountain! — to finally meet intense sea-blue eyes. He was at least three or four years older than her with dark hair and slightly tanned skin, his muscles rippling with strength that could kill a man with just one snap. He was also incredibly handsome in a rugged way with his trimmed beard and long shaggy black hair that he tied into a pony tail that didn't make him more feminine. His appearance was the perfect description of a bad boy that romance writers wrote about.

Except calling him a boy would be insulting because he was clearly all man.

He wore ripped jeans and the newest Firebolt boots. His black shirt was pulled taut across his chest, displaying his powerful body that was more fitting for a boxer. Everything about him was huge and all muscles from his hand to his biceps, down his chest and abdomen, and to the back of his legs. There was nothing soft about him; only hard and rough edges. Hermione was nervous; his appearance was similar to the men she would often catch in suspicious alleyways when she went home late at night. She went rigid as he perused her body with his electric gaze and felt something crawling up her skin when he started to smile, revealing even white teeth.

'Waiting to unleash, waiting to be free—'

Seeing his smile didn't ease her nerves. It just reminded her of her old schoolmate in Godric's Hollow whose name was Blaise Zabini, one of Malfoy's best friends. Blaise had a reputation of being a manwhore around their school and had a string of girlfriends — and spares — waiting for his attention. Blaise certainly wasn't shy about his very active love and sex life. He didn't just chase after everyone with a skirt; they came to him willingly and with open arms. She couldn't count the times she had caught him in a compromising position with more than one student that was always different from the last. She was probably one of the few people who was straight that was immuned by his charms and she was probably one of the few that Blaise didn't chase after.

This man in front of her smiled the same way she saw Blaise smile at every girl he encountered. It was a slow movement that brought attention to the lips — kissable, thin at the top but full at the bottom — and made their light eyes darken in a way that made you feel that you were hunted. It was a smile that made your blood hum and send a thrilling feeling down your spine. It spoke of sinful things, bad things that would only surface in your mind in the middle of the night where no one could catch you. It made you want to fight and surrender at the same time.

In short, for someone who wasn't interested in him in any way — like her — it was an uncomfortable smile to look at because it was similar to looking at something perverse and wrong. In all honesty, it made her quickly look away, choosing to gaze at his nose instead that might or might not had been broken at some point in his life.

"I know you," he said to her, his accent thick enough for her to recognize that he wasn't a local. It was a Westerosi accent that reminded her of Rhaegar's.

"I don't think you do," Hermione started only to trail off when he suddenly chuckled.

"Oh, I do," he said smoothly or as smooth as someone with a rumbling voice could achieve. "You're Hermione Granger, aren't you? The one who won The Dragon Legacy Contest?"

'A prince with a crown of embers and thorns—'

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "It's the VIP pass, isn't it?" She said, holding up her pass that hung around her neck and down her torso.

"No, no." He shook his head. "I saw your entry video, actually. I watched it with the band. Speaking of the band," another slow smile again, "you're late and I'm supposed to bring you in."

"How do I know that you're telling the truth to me?" Hermione asked, eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.

His own eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing me of being a liar?"

Hermione took in a deep breath. "Look, no offence to you, but you're a stranger to me. I don't want to take your word and then regret it in the end. Give me proof and I'll go with you."

Her shoulders jerked in surprise when he suddenly barked out a laugh. "Oh, what Rhaegar said is true. You really are a very suspicious little girl." He grinned when she frowned at being called a little girl. "Well, it's a good thing that Rhaegar told me a secret that only you two know."

She cocked her head to the side. "What?"

"He told me that he gave you his jacket the first night you two met, am I right?" He smirked.

Hermione blinked. It seemed that he really was telling her the truth and he was there to deliver her to the concert. She pursed her lips. "Well, it seems that you are."

"Then what are we waiting for?" He grinned and turned his back, exposing broad shoulders. "Come on. Follow me. We're supposed to bring you in through the back door."

'A castle with a beast, no one should release—'

Hermione nodded and followed after him. She made sure to keep at least a one meter distance between them just in case. Even though he was telling the truth, he was still a stranger to her and his built was highly intimidating and daunting. If he turned out to be a criminal, She didn't think that she stood a chance against him. She was certain that her face was the size of his palms and his strength was unparalleled. Hermione thought that he was a dark haired version of Thor. She could run away, yes, but his arms were long and he could easily snatch her up if she made one wrong step.

Hermione was a suspicious creature in nature and she didn't trust easily, more so when the Rita Skeeter debacle happened. Despite that he had proven himself as trustworthy, her mind still came up with plans of escape as they went to the back doors of the stadium where two equally large men were standing guard, wearing shirts that showed their muscled arms. Hermione suddenly felt so small as the man who was supposed to escort her to the concert halted in front of the men.

"Sir Baretheon," said one of the guards with a curt nod, pulling the door open.

Her escrot swiveled around to her with a grin that made him less intimidating and more charming. "That's me," he said, pointing a finger to himself. "Robert Baretheon, by the way, at your service."

She smiled, knowing that it was likely more of a grimace, when he winked at her. She ducked her head when he gestured for her to go through the door first. She went past him and into the hallway, heart thundering against her chest in the same beat as the drums that resonated in the walls. A breath slipped out of her lips, the music threatening to burst her eardrums. She barely registered Robert Baretheon walking past her because the fear that she felt that morning came back tenfold. It felt much more real now, standing there in the hallway, minutes away from meeting Rhaegar again. She was still waiting for the other ball to drop, for her to wake up from this strange dream, for the troublesome men in her life to burst out from the other side of the hallway and tell her that this was a prank.

But none of that happened.

There was only her, the music, and Rhaegar's voice that was leading her to the source like the trail of breadcrumbs Gretel left to create a path home for her and Hansel.

"Hey, you okay?" She distantly heard Robert asking.

It took a moment for Hermione to look at the curious expression on his face, forcing a smile to reach her lips. "Yes, I'm okay," she answered, keeping her anxiety out of her voice. "Lead the way."

Robert looked skeptical. "Are you sure? I mean, I won't judge if you are. It's okay if you're nervous about meeting Rhaegar again, you know."

"What?" She blurted out, voice high pitched, stunned about his statement. "I'm—I'm not nervous. Psh. I'm completely calm and in control."

Proceeding down the hall with Hermione in tow, Robert snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. That's so convincing." He wasn't hiding the sarcasm out of his voice and he completely missed the glare Hermione shot at his back. "Really. If you're nervous, there's no need to hide it. Rhaegar was nervous too."

Her eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "He... He is?" She asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yeah." He looked at her over his shoulder. A grin took over the lower half of his face. "You really got him worried when you didn't show up on time. Now that you're here, he can rest easy now. I just texted the manager of the band and told them you arrived. You'll meet him later. He's a right prick."

Hermione blinked. "Oh," she said, unable to say anything more.

Robert didn't seem to notice, continuing to ramble absently. "Yeah. That's Jon alright, the manager. He only really likes Rhaegar so if he acts like a total arsehole to you, don't take it personal. Don't worry though, some of us likes you. Dany, especially." Shooting her in what he thought was a sly smirk and giving her body an appraising look. "Also, count me in the list of people who likes you."

Hermione's eyes widened at the suggestive tone of his voice. She immediately snapped her eyes ahead. "Right," she said, tittering slightly.

Hermione heard him chuckling and she hoped that her blush wasn't noticeable in the lights. They turned around the corner, the music beating louder as they came upon another set of doors where a man with crimson red hair and ice blue eyes stood in front of it. His visage was one of impatience, his foot tapping on the floor and his eyes darting constantly on his wristwatch. The red haired man was tall with a svelte form, more like Rhaegar's built than Robert's. He was dressed more formally than the man she was with; in a white polo shirt, black slacks, and in expensive leather shoes. Like Robert, he was ruggedly handsome but he didn't appear to be as rakish as him. In fact, he had an untouchable air around him with his ice blue eyes and lips pressed into a firm straight line. He seemed like a no-nonsense kind of person and would probably kill someone instead of laughing with their jokes.

Hermione guessed that the man waiting for them was Jon, the manager, based by the way he looked at Robert in disdain as soon as he saw them.

"Finally," he spoke, relaxing his stance and ceasing his foot from another impatient tap on the floor. He glanced at her, eyebrows knitted. "Are you Hermione Granger?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am. You must be the manager?"

"Jon Connington," he said brusquely, not even offering his hand. "You're late. You were supposed to be doing an opening song with Rhaegar."

Hermione was certain that her eyes had bulged out of her sockets. "What?"

Jon waved his hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter now. Since the song is coming to a close, you're up next. I already told Rhaegar to introduce you then you two will play a song." He put a hand on her back and prodded her towards the close doors. "Go now. The song is over soon. There's no time. Good luck, Miss Granger."

"Wait, wait!" Hermione said frantically, even as the doors swung open.

She didn't know what surprised her the most: the screams that rang in her ears, or the drum beats that followed the tune of her heartbeat. She was struck speechless and her feet froze on the spot. The backstage wasn't as chaotic as the front stage but it was still full of activity as a crew of people tried their hardest to make certain that the concert would be a success. She could feel the two men standing behind her like two imposing pillars. Her hands started trembling as her eyes darted to the lights, the people walking left to right, the large speakers, the thousands of people, and at the three people standing on the stage, playing their instruments.

"Go on to the stage," Jon commanded behind her, irritation coating his voice when she didn't move.

"I think you broke her." Robert's voice conveyed his amusement. He waved his hand in front of her face. "Hello? Hi? Anybody there?"

"I..." Hermione rapidly blinked her eyes, pushing Robert's hand away as she shook her head. "I can't do this."

"Good evening, Dumbledore's Grounds!"

Hermione's eyes snapped to the direction of the familiar voice. The screams echoed throughout the whole stadium but it was muffled as though a bubble surrounded her and prevented her from hearing most of the noise. Her eyes remained on the blond man smiling at his fans, hands on his guitar, and looking perfectly at ease with thousands of eyes upon him. His hair glowed white and Hermione was certain if someone were to say that he was an angel, she would've believed them. She didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't this. He looked confident and powerful as well as welcoming and charming. Rhaegar appeared as though he owned the stage and the people there watching him was his royal subjects

Robert must've lied to her because he didn't seem nervous at all.

"Before I begin a new song," he continued, grabbing the microphone with both hands, "I'm just going to extend our gratitude to those who entered in The Dragon Legacy Contest. TDL wouldn't be here today without your support" — a series of drumbeats followed and Rhaegar's chuckle vibrated through the air — "and Dany, Viserys, and I are forever grateful for that. Thank you so much everyone! However, as sad as I am to say this, we can only choose one winner."

"That's you," Jon hissed into her ear, snapping her out of daze.

Hermione didn't resist when she was grabbed by both shoulders and was pushed forward towards the stage. She couldn't hear her own heartbeats but she could feel how fast and hard it pumped inside her ribcage. She smiled at the people who she came across with as Robert and Jon pushed her towards the front stage and they smiled back and occasionally nodded at her direction. However, as soon as she saw the front stage, her eyes grew wide and she cringed as she dug the heels of her shoes on the floor.

She didn't know that she had to sing in front of a thousand of people! What was she thinking when she agreed into this?!

"—Please welcome Hermione Granger, the winner of the first The Dragon Legacy Contest!"

She stumbled into the stage and the spotlight was upon her as the crowd grew wild and a series of drumbeats followed. She blinked her eyes and clasped her shaking hands behind her back, trying her best not to make her smile appear awkward. She looked back and saw Jon and Robert making shooing gestures as though she was a dog. She scowled at them before turning her gaze straight ahead, and then at Rhaegar whose expression was patient and yet expectant. His half smile was playful and amused, his hand was stretched out for her to take. There was already a microphone stand a good three feet away from him. Slowly, with shaking knees, she headed towards him and his smile grew when she accepted his hand.

"Ladies and gentleman, Hermione Granger!" Rhaegar announced into his microphone once she stood before the crowd. His fingers dragged softly down on her palm before he dropped her hand. "She's going to sing with me tonight here on stage. The both of us will be coming up with lyrics all on our own. Since I'm the one who knows the chords, I'm going to take the lead from verse one to the chorus before she does and together, we'll make a song just for you. Now, are you ready?!"

Hermione tried not to cringe when the screams made her ears ring. She desperately sought Ginny and Luna amidst the crowd but she couldn't find them even though their tickets granted them two spots in the front row. She would just have to find them once the concert was over. When Rhaegad played the guitar, Hermione grabbed the microphone, gulping the lump in her throat as she waited for Rhaegar to sing.

"Counting the snowflakes falling from the sky

Thinking to myself that long night."

Hermione closed her eyes and prayed that she wouldn't make a fool out of herself.

"And all the pain that I went through

It's funny that it stopped when I saw you."

She was going to kill Ginny once this was over. This was all her fault!

"And aaah~ I'm

I'm a prince of broken dreams

And aaah~ I'm

Brave enough to stitch the seams."

Hermione hoped she wasn't going to throw up once it was her turn. She also hoped that she wouldn't faint. She didn't want to watch a video of herself fainting in front of thousands of people!

"Because in this long night

I couldn't help but find the light

In a form of an angel

With large honey eyes."

She was going to—

Her eyes snapped towards Rhaegar, shock passing through her as his lyrics registered in her mind. Was he—?

"In this long night

I knew I saw something bright

From a beautiful woman

Whose smile warmed this night."

Their eyes met across the stage and his eyes flashed — and Hermione knew.

Her heart stuttered as her suspicions were confirmed.

Rhaegar was singing a song about them — about the night they first met.

Anxiety suddenly shoved to the back of her mind, she opened her mouth and began to sing.

"Counting the minutes passing by

I'm standing outside in this cold night."

Her voice wavered at first but like a soldier going to war, she trudged forward and made it through the frontline.

"Waiting for something that I thought I knew

Until you gave me warmth and offered something true."

She licked her lips and closed her eyes.

"Sing with your heart, Hermione," her father used to say to her back when he was still alive. He was the one who first taught her how to sing. "A song is what your heart wants to say that your mind couldn't. So, don't be afraid to sing. Don't be afraid of your own heart. You're beautiful, Hermione, and whatever song you'll sing will be equally as beautiful."

"And aaah~ I'm

I'm nothing but a simple girl

But aaah~ I'm

I'm not afraid to face the world."

She opened her eyes and met lilac eyes. Slowly, she began to smile.

"Because in this long night

I couldn't help but find the light

In a beautiful stranger

With lovely lilac eyes."

His lips tugged upwards and a beatific smile reached his eyes.

"In this long night

I knew I saw something bright

From a charming man

Whose heart touched mine."

And together, they sang, their voice blending together in perfect harmony and synchronisation.

"Unexpected," Rhaegar sang, "unprecedented. This night I won't forget."

"Unplanned," and she sang back, "and uncharted. I pray this night won't end."

Somehow along the way, their hearts, their souls, began speaking to each other.

"And aaah~ I

I hope we have more time."

She didn't notice the movement that had brought him closer to her.

"And aaah~ I

I refuse to say goodbye."

When she turned, she nearly paused when she saw him standing beside her and using her own microphone to sing. To cover her mistake, she flashed an embarrassed grin at him.

"Because in this long night," Rhaegar sang sweetly, "I couldn't help but find the light—"

"From a charming man whose heart touched mine," she cut him off, matching the high pitch of his voice. "In this long night, I knew I saw something bright—"

"From a beautiful woman

Whose smile warmed this night."

His fingers strummed his guitar one last time before, finally, like all good things, the song ended.

The screams of the band's fans seemed distant as Hermione stared at him, enthralled by the beautiful man before her. Rhaegar stared back, scrutinizing her face, remembering the shape of her eyes, nose, and lips. A smile couldn't be seen on their faces as they panted, breathless by the song and the lyrics they brought up from their hearts that resonated in their souls. Despite the thousands of people with them and watching them that night, Hermione felt as though they had a world of their own where others couldn't reach them. Her heart jumped up to her throat and she gulped.

"Hi." Her voice was quiet, barely more than a sound that went past her lips. She cleared her theoat and tried again, this time was louder.

Before her, Rhaegar stood tall as he laughed breathlessly. "Hello," he greeted in a mirthful voice. "It's nice to see you again, Hermione."

She grinned, exhilarated that he remembered her just as she did as well. "It's nice to see you too, Rhaegar."

It felt like the most perfect way to end a song.