Chapter 21- Opening Night
The flow of people walking through the doors had slowed, and most had found a seat and were politely waiting for the show to start. Ginny spotted her entire family sitting front and center, all that flaming red hair in one place threatening to blind her. Narcissa Malfoy was just a few rows behind them, talking with the startlingly beautiful black woman next to her.
“That’s my mom,” Blaise’s voice said from behind her.
“How did you know who I was looking at?” Ginny asked, pulling her eye away from the hole in the curtain.
Blaise shrugged. “I guessed. Natasha’s waiting for you offstage, she said you need to do something to your shoes.”
Ginny lifted her foot and showed him the toe of her pointe slipper. “We have to flour this flat part before we start dancing. It helps with balance, or something like that.”
Blaise shook his head, and turned her toward the wings. “Whatever. Just hurry up, Patrick says we’re starting soon.”
Sure enough, it was only a little while before the house lights began to flash, and a flurry of movement marked the performers taking their places. A few minutes later the house lights flashed a final time and dimmed, the curtains opened, and the spotlights flared to life. The prologue passed without incident, and though Carlotta’s ending Hannibal notes were slightly shakier than usual, they still rang out over the audience. Long before it seemed time, Andre was beckoning Ginny toward the apron of the stage, coaxing her as the familiar arpeggio piano intro started.
Ginny’s voice shook as she began to sing Think of Me. There were so many people in the audience, at least a thousand. Her eyes drifted up to the box where Blaise sat, his intense gaze telling her to pull it together. Without thinking, she broke character and glanced offstage to where Draco stood; he nodded to her and gave her a small thumbs-up. His meaning was clear: You can do this.
Fred and George, sitting in the front row, began making faces, trying to get her to laugh. Bill elbowed Fred and caught her gaze, nodding toward their mum. Molly Weasley was already bawling her head off, all emotional from watching her little girl up on the stage. Arthur tried to comfort her while still straining to hear Ginny sing. Farther down the row, Charlie had joined forces with George, and they were now mouthing along to the words, making huge ‘opera’ faces. Ginny had to suppress a grin at this, and her voice grew stronger as she forgot her nerves.
A tear ran down Ginny’s face and onto the wedding dress she wore as she sang softly. A sudden splashing interrupted her, and an evil grin spread across the face of the Phantom as Raoul appeared at the gate of his lair.
“Sir, this is indeed an unparalled delight.
I had rather hoped that you would come
And now, my wish comes true
You have truly made my night.
Free her, do what you like only free her
Have you no pity?”
Blaise’s voice rang with anguish, and he reached through the bars toward Ginny. Draco’s reply was snide and taunting.
“Your lover makes a passionate plea.
Please, Raoul, it’s useless.
I love her, does that mean nothing?
I love her, show some compassion!”
Draco whipped around and screamed at Blaise, causing the audience to jump in fright.
“The world showed no compassion to me!
Christine, Christine, let me see her.
Be my guest, sir.”
Draco allowed Blaise entrance, then lowered the drawbridge behind him. He walked with confidence, toying with the rope in his hands.
“Monsiuer, I bid you welcome.
Did you think that I would harm her?
Why would I make her pay for the sins which are yours?”
On the last word, Draco grabbed Blaise and tied him to the drawbridge.
“Order your fine horses now
Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes
Nothing can save you now, except perhaps Christine!”
Draco turned to Ginny and sang to her, tying the knots holding Blaise very tight.
“Start a new life with me, buy his freedom with your love
Refuse me and you send your lover to his death
This is the choice! This is the Point of no Return.”
Tears dripped down Ginny’s face, and she sang with malice in her voice.
“The tears I might have shed for your dark fate
Grow cold, and turn to tears of hate!”
Blaise sang to Ginny, his rich tenor cracking. Ginny, with tears rolling down her face, practically spat her words at Draco, venom in her eyes.
“Christine, forgive me, please forgive me
I didn’t offer you my love for nothing
Farewell my fallen idol and false friend
We had such hopes, and now those hopes are shattered
Too late for turning back
Too late for prayers and useless pity”
Draco placed a noose around Blaise’s neck and drew it tight, throwing Ginny’s choices at her. Blaise’s voice was pleading as he focused on the woman he loved.
“Say you love him, and my life is over
No hope of cries for help
No point in fighting
For either way you choose, you cannot win
Either way you choose, he has to win
So do you end your days with me
Or do you send him to his grave?
Why make her lie to you to save me?”
They all three began to sing, their voices joining together to match the immense climax the instruments had grown to.
“Angel of Music, who deserves this?
Past the point of no return
Christine, say no! Don’t throw your life away for my sake!
The final threshold
Why do you cry?
His life is now the prize which you must earn.”
Draco and Ginny dropped out, leaving Blaise to sing, voice breaking, tears dripping down his cheeks.
“I fought so hard to free you.”
Low, muted trumpets were barely audible over Ginny and Draco’s last lines.
“Angel of Music, you deceived me
You’ve passed the Point of No Return
I gave you my mind blindly.
You try my patience. Make your choice.”
Ginny looked at Blaise, her eyes apologizing to him, then back to Draco. She walked slowly toward him, not stopping until she stood right in front of him.
“Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known?
God give me courage to show you
You are not alone.”
The music built back up to a soaring forte as their lips met.
The applause was deafening as the cast took bow after bow, each time expecting the clapping to stop. After about five minutes of this, the curtains closed, and Patrick joined them backstage. A broad grin threatened to split his face in two, and he quickly shoed everyone but the main trio offstage. The curtains opened again, and Draco, Ginny, and Blaise were met with thunderous applause.
The trio bowed and bowed, the cheering continuing with increasing vigor. Draco and Blaise each took one of Ginny’s hands, and they stood like that for some time. After about a minute, the stage doors burst open and the rest of the cast joined the audience in a standing ovation. Ginny suddenly felt the boys drop her hands, and looked around to find herself alone in the center of the stage. Draco and Blaise stood to either side, clapping along with the audience and grinning broadly; her brothers cat-called.
The flow of people walking through the doors had slowed, and most had found a seat and were politely waiting for the show to start. Ginny spotted her entire family sitting front and center, all that flaming red hair in one place threatening to blind her. Narcissa Malfoy was just a few rows behind them, talking with the startlingly beautiful black woman next to her.
“That’s my mom,” Blaise’s voice said from behind her.
“How did you know who I was looking at?” Ginny asked, pulling her eye away from the hole in the curtain.
Blaise shrugged. “I guessed. Natasha’s waiting for you offstage, she said you need to do something to your shoes.”
Ginny lifted her foot and showed him the toe of her pointe slipper. “We have to flour this flat part before we start dancing. It helps with balance, or something like that.”
Blaise shook his head, and turned her toward the wings. “Whatever. Just hurry up, Patrick says we’re starting soon.”
Sure enough, it was only a little while before the house lights began to flash, and a flurry of movement marked the performers taking their places. A few minutes later the house lights flashed a final time and dimmed, the curtains opened, and the spotlights flared to life. The prologue passed without incident, and though Carlotta’s ending Hannibal notes were slightly shakier than usual, they still rang out over the audience. Long before it seemed time, Andre was beckoning Ginny toward the apron of the stage, coaxing her as the familiar arpeggio piano intro started.
Ginny’s voice shook as she began to sing Think of Me. There were so many people in the audience, at least a thousand. Her eyes drifted up to the box where Blaise sat, his intense gaze telling her to pull it together. Without thinking, she broke character and glanced offstage to where Draco stood; he nodded to her and gave her a small thumbs-up. His meaning was clear: You can do this.
Fred and George, sitting in the front row, began making faces, trying to get her to laugh. Bill elbowed Fred and caught her gaze, nodding toward their mum. Molly Weasley was already bawling her head off, all emotional from watching her little girl up on the stage. Arthur tried to comfort her while still straining to hear Ginny sing. Farther down the row, Charlie had joined forces with George, and they were now mouthing along to the words, making huge ‘opera’ faces. Ginny had to suppress a grin at this, and her voice grew stronger as she forgot her nerves.
A tear ran down Ginny’s face and onto the wedding dress she wore as she sang softly. A sudden splashing interrupted her, and an evil grin spread across the face of the Phantom as Raoul appeared at the gate of his lair.
“Sir, this is indeed an unparalled delight.
I had rather hoped that you would come
And now, my wish comes true
You have truly made my night.
Free her, do what you like only free her
Have you no pity?”
Blaise’s voice rang with anguish, and he reached through the bars toward Ginny. Draco’s reply was snide and taunting.
“Your lover makes a passionate plea.
Please, Raoul, it’s useless.
I love her, does that mean nothing?
I love her, show some compassion!”
Draco whipped around and screamed at Blaise, causing the audience to jump in fright.
“The world showed no compassion to me!
Christine, Christine, let me see her.
Be my guest, sir.”
Draco allowed Blaise entrance, then lowered the drawbridge behind him. He walked with confidence, toying with the rope in his hands.
“Monsiuer, I bid you welcome.
Did you think that I would harm her?
Why would I make her pay for the sins which are yours?”
On the last word, Draco grabbed Blaise and tied him to the drawbridge.
“Order your fine horses now
Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes
Nothing can save you now, except perhaps Christine!”
Draco turned to Ginny and sang to her, tying the knots holding Blaise very tight.
“Start a new life with me, buy his freedom with your love
Refuse me and you send your lover to his death
This is the choice! This is the Point of no Return.”
Tears dripped down Ginny’s face, and she sang with malice in her voice.
“The tears I might have shed for your dark fate
Grow cold, and turn to tears of hate!”
Blaise sang to Ginny, his rich tenor cracking. Ginny, with tears rolling down her face, practically spat her words at Draco, venom in her eyes.
“Christine, forgive me, please forgive me
I didn’t offer you my love for nothing
Farewell my fallen idol and false friend
We had such hopes, and now those hopes are shattered
Too late for turning back
Too late for prayers and useless pity”
Draco placed a noose around Blaise’s neck and drew it tight, throwing Ginny’s choices at her. Blaise’s voice was pleading as he focused on the woman he loved.
“Say you love him, and my life is over
No hope of cries for help
No point in fighting
For either way you choose, you cannot win
Either way you choose, he has to win
So do you end your days with me
Or do you send him to his grave?
Why make her lie to you to save me?”
They all three began to sing, their voices joining together to match the immense climax the instruments had grown to.
“Angel of Music, who deserves this?
Past the point of no return
Christine, say no! Don’t throw your life away for my sake!
The final threshold
Why do you cry?
His life is now the prize which you must earn.”
Draco and Ginny dropped out, leaving Blaise to sing, voice breaking, tears dripping down his cheeks.
“I fought so hard to free you.”
Low, muted trumpets were barely audible over Ginny and Draco’s last lines.
“Angel of Music, you deceived me
You’ve passed the Point of No Return
I gave you my mind blindly.
You try my patience. Make your choice.”
Ginny looked at Blaise, her eyes apologizing to him, then back to Draco. She walked slowly toward him, not stopping until she stood right in front of him.
“Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known?
God give me courage to show you
You are not alone.”
The music built back up to a soaring forte as their lips met.
The applause was deafening as the cast took bow after bow, each time expecting the clapping to stop. After about five minutes of this, the curtains closed, and Patrick joined them backstage. A broad grin threatened to split his face in two, and he quickly shoed everyone but the main trio offstage. The curtains opened again, and Draco, Ginny, and Blaise were met with thunderous applause.
The trio bowed and bowed, the cheering continuing with increasing vigor. Draco and Blaise each took one of Ginny’s hands, and they stood like that for some time. After about a minute, the stage doors burst open and the rest of the cast joined the audience in a standing ovation. Ginny suddenly felt the boys drop her hands, and looked around to find herself alone in the center of the stage. Draco and Blaise stood to either side, clapping along with the audience and grinning broadly; her brothers cat-called.
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