Disclaimer: Canon characters do not belong to me.

Rhapsody


Chapter Six – Swing, Daddio


Draco sat down stiffly at the piano bench. He rolled out his neck and stretched his aching back. He had slept fitfully the night before, perturbed by snatches of dreams that never quite fit together. Something was bothering him, but what he could not figure out. He reached his arms out as far as they could go before settling his fingers above the keys. He was in no way prepared for piano-playing at this moment, but he reasoned that perhaps something familiar and comfortable would shake away his soreness.

He jerked into the opening notes of some Rachmaninoff – the obscenely fast and complex music always served to focus his mind better than the languid jazz he normally played to unwind. He quickly realized, though, that the aches in his muscles and stiffness in his fingers were not especially suited for Rachmaninoff. The music sounded very awkward to his ears. At first he thought that the piano was somehow out of tune, but then he looked down and noticed that he was not playing the piece in the right key. He made a very un-Malfoy-like noise of frustration and slammed his hands down on the piano.

Draco got up and paced the length of the room for a few minutes, trying to relax and get his groove back. He rolled his neck, stretched several times, cracked his knuckles and rolled out his wrists, before sitting back down to try again. This time he chose a modern Muggle tune. He began playing, and while it wasn’t as relaxed as he wanted it to be, it was much better sounding than the Rachmaninoff had been. He began singing to himself to keep the rhythm of the music flowing.

I am colorblind
Coffee black and egg white
Pull me out from inside
I am ready I am ready I am ready I am…

Taffy stuck and tongue tied
Stutter shook and uptight
Pull me out from inside
I am ready I am ready I am ready I am fine


He became so absorbed that he didn’t notice, once again, as the door to the Room of Requirement opened quietly and Ginny stepped inside. If she had been shocked when she had discovered him playing the piano, she was utterly flabbergasted to have found him singing as well. Although it wasn’t necessarily the best voice, it had a very distinct quality to it – an atypical tonality with a sort of breathy delivery.

Ginny tiptoed up behind him, careful not to alert him to her presence. She observed that he was sitting very rigidly; she could almost envision the knotted muscles in his back and neck. She ran an experimental finger down his vertebrae, and when he didn’t flinch or, thankfully, stop playing and singing, she settled her hands on his shoulders and began to rub out his tension.

Draco thought he imagined the feather-light caress down his back, but he couldn’t ignore the kneading of his neck and shoulders. He blanched and abruptly stopped singing, ending the song with a dissonant chord. Ginny reeled backward and he turned around to look at her.

“You looked tense,” she said, calmly.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked, trying to slow his panting breath. It would not do to have her see him so vulnerable.

“I heard you playing and then singing and I was curious,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. In truth, however, Ginny was incredibly nervous. As soon as she had returned from home after Christmas, the news of hers and Charlie’s getting together had spread like wildfire through the Gryffindors and on to the rest of the school. It had been two weeks and she had barely seen hide or hair of Draco, and she was beginning to think she’d never hear his music again. She longed for it, but now that she was here in this room with him, she began to feel very uncomfortable.

“I don’t sing. You must be imagining things,” he drawled, slipping into his comfort zone. He turned around again and toyed with the keys for a minute. His back was still smarting, and he did a funny little twist to try and rid himself of the kinks. It didn’t work, and he let out a sharp gasp.

“May I?” she asked. She stepped up and a little stool appeared behind the piano bench. She sat down on it and started massaging lazy circles. “Where did all these knots come from?”

“Rough night,” he answered shortly, immersed in the feel of her hands soothing his muscles. He hissed as she dug her fingers into a particularly large knot. “Oh gods where did you learn to do that?”

“Many brothers and years of Quidditch,” she replied, giggling softly. “And I did not imagine you singing before.”

He rolled his eyes, although she couldn’t see it. “Fine, you caught me. I’m musical.”

“And it’s very surprising. You have an interesting voice.”

“You can say ugly – I’ll try not to be too offended.”

“I didn’t say it was ugly.”

“Nowhere near as pretty as yours.”

“Was that a compliment?”

“Did it sound like one?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then it was.”

Ginny smiled and continued working his back before she moved up to do his neck. “Enjoy this while it lasts. Massages feel good when you’re having them done, but afterwards they hurt like hell.”

“I’m enjoying.” As if to prove it, he started to play some scales. “Any requests?”

“I want to hear you sing again,” she said, coyly. She got up off the stool and moved so that she was sitting next to him on the bench. She felt him slide just that much further away and was disappointed. Then she remembered Charlie and flushed. What was she doing, flirting with Draco this way? She had a boyfriend!

“I told you that I don’t sing. What I meant was that I don’t sing for an audience.”

“That’s fine. Pretend I’m not here.”

“I can hardly do that with you sitting next to me, now can I?”

“Sure you can! I’ve seen you ignore much more.”

“Well, I bet your boyfriend would hardly like it if he came in and saw you sitting here with me.”

So there it was. He knew. And from the way that he had said the word ‘boyfriend’ so casually, Ginny could only assume that he didn’t care at all – and that depressed her totally. She got up off the bench.

Draco inwardly cursed himself for making her get up. But no, no she shouldn’t have been sitting there. She was happy with that little tosser, and it wasn’t like he cared anyway. He didn’t care.

Ginny stood on the side of the piano, watching Draco’s hands drift over the keys. She could tell he was just itching to play.

“Play me something swingy.”

“Swingy?”

“Yes, swingy. You do know what swing is,” she said, speaking slowly as one would to a child.

He narrowed his eyes at her and then swept into a song. Ginny reddened. Oh why this song? Why this song all the swing songs in the world! she thought. She bit down on her lip to keep from singing. Draco noticed her discomfort, so he began to sing for her.

L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see
V is very very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you adore


Ginny couldn't help but laugh - Draco did NOT have the voice for swing.

“What’s the matter, Ginny? Don’t know the words?” he said mockingly and then continued singing.

Ginny didn’t answer because she was too caught up with what he’d said. He’d called her Ginny. He had never called her Ginny before. He didn’t seem to notice that he had. She was sure he wouldn’t have continued singing if he’d noticed.

“Has my talent got you tongue tied?” he drawled as the song came to a musical break. He glanced over at her. She seemed lost in thought, so he played the next chord inordinately loudly and she jumped.

“I believe I asked you a question,” he said, raising a lazy eyebrow. Ginny inwardly shook herself and smiled.

“Not in the slightest. I just don’t like this song. How about another?” she asked.

He smirked and then began playing something else. Oh much better, she thought, grinning. She began to sing along, snapping her fingers to keep rhythm.

Down with love the flowers and rice and shoes
Down with love the root of all midnight blues
Down with things that give you that well known pain
Take that moon and wrap it in cellophane


Draco couldn’t help himself. He shook his head, smiling at her. “You’re quite a puzzle, Weasley.”

She stopped singing. He’d called her Weasley again. He looked quizzically at her.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’re friends now, Draco, so please call me Ginny.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. You’re quite a puzzle, Ginny.”

She smiled and starting singing again. Draco segued into instrumental swing piece. Ginny’s mouth dropped open, as he was improvising.

“You write music, as well?”

“I breathe music,” he said, seriously.

“I think you're the puzzle, Draco.” He laughed and just continued picking out notes and seamlessly creating melody.

“Erm, would it be out of order to ask if maybe we could do this again sometime?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, can you play for me, and I’ll sing? Will you…will you accompany me? I mean, it’s hard to practice without a piano and I only plunk notes and it’d be much easier to work on stuff with--”

“Sure,” he interrupted. “If you think it would be beneficial, I mean.”

“I’d like that. Very much.” She smiled shyly. He glanced up at her and gave her a wicked smirk.

“Two words – Malfoy charm,” he said and she laughed, musically.

She was just about to sit herself next to him again, when a knock came at the door.

“Ginny? Are you in there?” Charlie’s voice crashed through the shell of music, discordant with the 4/4 swing. Draco stopped playing and ran a hand through his hair. He looked reproachfully at the door and then motioned for Ginny to answer it.

“Yeah, Charlie, it’s me. Come in.”

Charlie swept into the room and immediately attached himself to Ginny’s lips. It was only when Draco snorted ungracefully that he noticed they weren’t alone in the room. Ginny pulled out of the kiss and Charlie turned to glare at Draco.

“Malfoy? Gin, what’s Malfoy doing in here?”

“Well, I was playing the piano until your girlfriend came in and bothered me, Lovett.”

“Gin?”

“I heard him playing and I wanted to see who it was,” she said.

“And here’s me wanting to keep it a secret. So, keep your gob shut, Lovett, or I’ll shut it for you.”

“Draco!” Ginny exclaimed. Charlie just laughed and put a protective arm around Ginny’s waist.

“Sure thing Malfoy. Your secret’s safe with me. Now, come on Gin, it’s nearly dinner and I want to spend some time with you beforehand. I’ve got a Head boy and girl meeting with Dumbledore and Courtney afterwards.”

Ginny rolled her eyes at the intended double entendre. “All right, let’s go. Wouldn’t want to bother Draco anymore.”

Draco’s response was to begin playing again and glare them out the door. He glared as Charlie’s hand slipped from Ginny’s waist to further down, but he smiled as Ginny smacked at him. He glared as she twined her fingers in Charlie’s and glared as he kissed her cheek, before shutting the door.

He stopped playing – the knots in his back had returned. Frustrated, he got up and left, slamming the door behind himself. A little lost first year yelped as he stalked past. Draco rounded on her.

“What House are you from?”

“Gr-gr-gryffindor,” she squeaked.

“Bloody Gryffindors. The Great Hall is that way,” he pointed down the hall, “and five points from Gryffindor just for being one!”

The little girl took off at a run and Draco called after her, “Five more points for running in the halls!” Then he stomped off toward his room – so much for the massage. He was now in quite a bit of pain.

----

A/N: Colorblind belongs to the Counting Crows. L.O.V.E. belongs to Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler. Down With Love belongs to Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg (yes, I have an Arlen fetish). For those interested in Draco’s singing voice, please listen to Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes. No Lies, Just Love in particular.
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