Chapter 7- All I Ask of You
By and large, at the end of the day Blaise Zabini had easily been the best. That defense didn’t help Ginny at all, though, when her brother saw the new cast list.
“Blaise Zabini? Holy crap, Ginny, you’re trapped between two Slytherins!”
“Captain Obvious called; he wants his cape back. And you never know, maybe it won’t be so bad.”
“Not so bad? Ginny, you’ll have to- bloody hell! Harry, she’ll have to make out with two Slytherins!”
“Lay off, Ron,” Harry said, surprising both Ginny and Hermione. “Ginny told me it was a unanimous vote.”
“This is a conspiracy, it can’t be- what did you say?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “He said it was a unanimous vote, Ron.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Hermione sighed and pushed Ron farther down the bench so she could sit by Ginny. “It means that they were all in agreement.”
“I know what unanimous means, Hermione! I just want to know what that has to do with all this.”
“It means I voted for Blaise, too, Ron,” Ginny said, attempting to make her brother see reason. “He was easily the best one, no competition.”
“He’s pretty easy on the eyes, too,” Parvati Patil put in, grinning at Ginny.
Ginny grinned right back. “Heck yes, he is.”
“He’s what?” Ron’s voice had dropped to a low growl.
“I said he’s hot, Ron, get over it!” Ginny stood up, unable to control her temper any longer. “Honestly, I thought you understood when I said I didn’t need to you to try to baby-sit me all the time.”
“Wonderful,” said a drawling voice from behind her. “If you’re finished with the dramatics, Weaslette, Patrick wants us in the practice room.”
“Now, Draco, is that any way to treat our favorite little redhead?” Blaise’s voice was very un-Slytherin-ly playful.
Ron glared at the two Slytherins, growling ominously.
“Bodyguards, Red?” Blaise raised his eyebrow at Ginny appraisingly. “I know this show could boost your career, but aren’t you jumping the gun a little?”
Ginny rolled her eyes and marched past her ‘bodyguard’ without another word, followed by a smirking Blaise; Draco, apparently, had already tired of the conversation and headed off on his own.
The pair walked toward the practice room in a somewhat awkward silence. Ginny had just decided to say something- she wasn’t sure what yet- when Blaise broke the quiet.
“Why do you put up with their over-protectiveness, love?”
She looked at him, unsure if he was talking about what she thought he was. “Excuse me?”
“Potty and the Weasel. You must get sick of them treating you like you’re made of glass. Doesn’t it get on your nerves?”
“I don’t mind Harry so much, just because he toned it down when I asked him to. Ron annoys the crap out of me.” A sudden revelation hit Ginny, and she looked at Blaise suspiciously. “Wait, why are you being civil to me? I thought a Weasley was, like, a Slytherin's arch-nemesis or something.”
Blaise looked at her sideways, a small smile playing on his lips. “Nah, that’d be Potter. Or maybe Granger, she has more brains than he does.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Ginny muttered without thinking.
“To be perfectly frank, I’m not sure why I like you.”
Ginny was stunned. “You like me?”
“Yeah, you seem like Slytherin material to me.”
“I beg your pardon?!”
“Hey, easy, it’s a compliment. I’m just saying that I think you would’ve made a great Slythie, that’s all.”
Ginny looked at him, incredulous. “Why?”
“Do you really want me to count the ways?”
“I don’t know. . .yes.”
“Isn’t this a cozy scene?” Draco’s drawling voice came from the door of the practice room. “I think I’m about to be sick.”
Patrick rolled his eyes and pushed the haughty blond out of the way. “Come on, guys, we need to get to work.”
As they moved into the doorway, Blaise lowered his lips to Ginny’s ears. “I’ll write it down for you.” With a wink, he pulled her in after him.
The din in the auditorium was deafening, as it was filled with every cast member right down to the extras. Patrick stepped up onto the stage and waved his hands for silence.
“As most of you have never heard our new Raoul sing, I thought I’d give you a little treat. Ginny and Blaise have been working on the scene that takes place between them on the rooftop, as this is the song that Raoul appears most in. Please give them your undivided attention as they perform All I Ask of You.”
Ginny and Blaise came onto the stage, swathed in cloaks, fake snow falling around them. Draco was partially hidden behind a statue. The familiar string-based beginning began, and Blaise’s sweet tenor effortlessly filled the room.
“No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyes fears;
I’m here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm and calm you.
Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears;
I’m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.”
Ginny hugged herself, warding off the chills that fought to envelope her.
“All I ask is every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime.
Say you need me with you now and always;
Promise me that all that you say is true,
That’s all I ask of you.”
Blaise gently took her hands in his own and led her across the makeshift rooftop.
“Let me be your shelter, let me be your light;
You’re safe, no one will find you, your fears are far
behind you.”
Ginny raised one hand to lightly brush Blaise's cheek, her eyes pleading with him.
“All I want is freedom, a world with no more night;
And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me.”
Blaise turned her around and drew her into him, his voice soaring as the music built.
“Then say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime;
Let me lead you from your solitude.
Say you need me with you, here beside you,
Anywhere you go, let me go too,
Christine, that’s all I ask of you.”
Ginny twisted around in his arms to face him, singing louder as the dynamic of the song increased.
“All I ask for is one love, one lifetime;
Say the word and I will follow you.”
Grasping each other’s arms, Ginny and Blaise began their first duet.
“Share each day with me, each night, each morning.”
“Say you love me!”
“You know I do.”
“Love me, that’s all I ask of you.”
The music hit a climax, with 20 strings and 10 trumpets blasting out their part. Blaise drew Ginny into him and their lips met in a zealous kiss. He lifted her and spun her around; as she landed, her cloak whirled around them, catching the snowflakes as they fell.
“Anywhere you go, let me go too;”
The music suddenly quieted into a romantic ballad.
“Love me, that’s all I ask of you.”
By and large, at the end of the day Blaise Zabini had easily been the best. That defense didn’t help Ginny at all, though, when her brother saw the new cast list.
“Blaise Zabini? Holy crap, Ginny, you’re trapped between two Slytherins!”
“Captain Obvious called; he wants his cape back. And you never know, maybe it won’t be so bad.”
“Not so bad? Ginny, you’ll have to- bloody hell! Harry, she’ll have to make out with two Slytherins!”
“Lay off, Ron,” Harry said, surprising both Ginny and Hermione. “Ginny told me it was a unanimous vote.”
“This is a conspiracy, it can’t be- what did you say?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “He said it was a unanimous vote, Ron.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Hermione sighed and pushed Ron farther down the bench so she could sit by Ginny. “It means that they were all in agreement.”
“I know what unanimous means, Hermione! I just want to know what that has to do with all this.”
“It means I voted for Blaise, too, Ron,” Ginny said, attempting to make her brother see reason. “He was easily the best one, no competition.”
“He’s pretty easy on the eyes, too,” Parvati Patil put in, grinning at Ginny.
Ginny grinned right back. “Heck yes, he is.”
“He’s what?” Ron’s voice had dropped to a low growl.
“I said he’s hot, Ron, get over it!” Ginny stood up, unable to control her temper any longer. “Honestly, I thought you understood when I said I didn’t need to you to try to baby-sit me all the time.”
“Wonderful,” said a drawling voice from behind her. “If you’re finished with the dramatics, Weaslette, Patrick wants us in the practice room.”
“Now, Draco, is that any way to treat our favorite little redhead?” Blaise’s voice was very un-Slytherin-ly playful.
Ron glared at the two Slytherins, growling ominously.
“Bodyguards, Red?” Blaise raised his eyebrow at Ginny appraisingly. “I know this show could boost your career, but aren’t you jumping the gun a little?”
Ginny rolled her eyes and marched past her ‘bodyguard’ without another word, followed by a smirking Blaise; Draco, apparently, had already tired of the conversation and headed off on his own.
The pair walked toward the practice room in a somewhat awkward silence. Ginny had just decided to say something- she wasn’t sure what yet- when Blaise broke the quiet.
“Why do you put up with their over-protectiveness, love?”
She looked at him, unsure if he was talking about what she thought he was. “Excuse me?”
“Potty and the Weasel. You must get sick of them treating you like you’re made of glass. Doesn’t it get on your nerves?”
“I don’t mind Harry so much, just because he toned it down when I asked him to. Ron annoys the crap out of me.” A sudden revelation hit Ginny, and she looked at Blaise suspiciously. “Wait, why are you being civil to me? I thought a Weasley was, like, a Slytherin's arch-nemesis or something.”
Blaise looked at her sideways, a small smile playing on his lips. “Nah, that’d be Potter. Or maybe Granger, she has more brains than he does.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Ginny muttered without thinking.
“To be perfectly frank, I’m not sure why I like you.”
Ginny was stunned. “You like me?”
“Yeah, you seem like Slytherin material to me.”
“I beg your pardon?!”
“Hey, easy, it’s a compliment. I’m just saying that I think you would’ve made a great Slythie, that’s all.”
Ginny looked at him, incredulous. “Why?”
“Do you really want me to count the ways?”
“I don’t know. . .yes.”
“Isn’t this a cozy scene?” Draco’s drawling voice came from the door of the practice room. “I think I’m about to be sick.”
Patrick rolled his eyes and pushed the haughty blond out of the way. “Come on, guys, we need to get to work.”
As they moved into the doorway, Blaise lowered his lips to Ginny’s ears. “I’ll write it down for you.” With a wink, he pulled her in after him.
The din in the auditorium was deafening, as it was filled with every cast member right down to the extras. Patrick stepped up onto the stage and waved his hands for silence.
“As most of you have never heard our new Raoul sing, I thought I’d give you a little treat. Ginny and Blaise have been working on the scene that takes place between them on the rooftop, as this is the song that Raoul appears most in. Please give them your undivided attention as they perform All I Ask of You.”
Ginny and Blaise came onto the stage, swathed in cloaks, fake snow falling around them. Draco was partially hidden behind a statue. The familiar string-based beginning began, and Blaise’s sweet tenor effortlessly filled the room.
“No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyes fears;
I’m here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm and calm you.
Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears;
I’m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.”
Ginny hugged herself, warding off the chills that fought to envelope her.
“All I ask is every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime.
Say you need me with you now and always;
Promise me that all that you say is true,
That’s all I ask of you.”
Blaise gently took her hands in his own and led her across the makeshift rooftop.
“Let me be your shelter, let me be your light;
You’re safe, no one will find you, your fears are far
behind you.”
Ginny raised one hand to lightly brush Blaise's cheek, her eyes pleading with him.
“All I want is freedom, a world with no more night;
And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me.”
Blaise turned her around and drew her into him, his voice soaring as the music built.
“Then say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime;
Let me lead you from your solitude.
Say you need me with you, here beside you,
Anywhere you go, let me go too,
Christine, that’s all I ask of you.”
Ginny twisted around in his arms to face him, singing louder as the dynamic of the song increased.
“All I ask for is one love, one lifetime;
Say the word and I will follow you.”
Grasping each other’s arms, Ginny and Blaise began their first duet.
“Share each day with me, each night, each morning.”
“Say you love me!”
“You know I do.”
“Love me, that’s all I ask of you.”
The music hit a climax, with 20 strings and 10 trumpets blasting out their part. Blaise drew Ginny into him and their lips met in a zealous kiss. He lifted her and spun her around; as she landed, her cloak whirled around them, catching the snowflakes as they fell.
“Anywhere you go, let me go too;”
The music suddenly quieted into a romantic ballad.
“Love me, that’s all I ask of you.”
Leave a Review