Chapter 79 Rehearsal
How do I say my first sentence?
Draco absentmindedly scooped the thick soup from the bowl, and as he lowered his head to drink the soup, he glanced in Della's direction. When he noticed that the girl's posture was consistent with her usual one, Draco felt empty in his heart.
Since the Transfiguration class, the longest communication between them was the eye contact when Lockhart announced the roles yesterday, which made Draco quite frustrated and resentful.
The frustration was directed at him and Della, the resentment was directed at Gryffindor.
I had thought of using the rehearsal as an excuse to talk to Della, but Lockhart said that we were not allowed to change roles and that we could only read from the book, so many people did not take the stage play seriously, and only a few people rehearsed during their spare time in the morning.
But Draco believed that many people, like him, put Lockhart's books in their bags and waited for the wind to blow before taking out the books and rehearsing.
After all, it's quite interesting, isn't it?
It would be fine if he was the leader and in the limelight at other times, but now...that would be like showing weakness. He didn't want to have to smile with that group of Gryffindors in the future.
During these two weeks of what could be considered a cold war, Draco realized a little bit about the problems between himself and Della, and also considered solutions.
At first, he thought that Della could completely abandon Gryffindor, although he knew it was impossible, but he often fantasized about it. Later, he tried to think about it before contacting the savior, and then Draco found that even if his father suggested to him to have a good relationship with Potter, he still couldn't accept it.
But in this way, he subtly understood Della a little.
I know you're not restrained, but the cooling-off period you need is too long, Della.
Draco sighed inwardly. He was no longer as aggrieved as he was at first, but still disappointed.
"Hey, Malfoy! Do you think I should go rehearse with that Potter?" Goyle, who had a cake in his mouth, muttered.
"Looking for him? What role did he draw?" From what Goyle said, it seemed that he had drawn a troll. It was hard not to believe that Lockhart did not do anything behind the scenes, Draco thought secretly in his heart.
"He drew Lockhart from Running with Trolls. We were in the same scene. There seemed to be quite a few other people in that scene. I haven't even flipped through the book." Goyle swallowed the cake in his mouth.
"And I drew Lockhart from Holiday with a Hag." Crabbe came over and added.
"You? Lockhart?" Draco looked the fat and strong Crabbe up and down without any concealment, and felt sorry for questioning Lockhart just now.
"Are you talking about the play?" The dark-skinned Zabini walked behind the three of them. Because he was standing, he looked down at them with narrow and slightly slanted eyes. "Malfoy, have you read the script?"
"Not yet. There's no need to memorize the lines anyway. What about you, what role do you play?" Draco asked.
"You really don't see it at all. We are in the same scene." Zabini sighed.
"The same scene? But Lockhart said I was the hero in that love fairy tale." Draco widened his eyes slightly.
"There have to be some outsiders and stepping stones. I quite like my role, a sober and beautiful male ghost." Zabini touched his face and smiled confidently. After a moment's pause, he continued, "Also, our story should be considered a dark fairy tale."
"Ah?" Draco, who hadn't read the story yet, didn't react very well, but before he could ask further, Zabini started talking again.
"Well, you'll know when you watch it next. After our History of Magic class this afternoon, let's find an empty classroom to rehearse. I just talked to Nott and he said it's okay."
"Nott was in that scene too?" Draco frowned subconsciously, then glanced at Della, "What about our... heroine..."
"Why, you haven't made up yet?" Zabini tilted his head to the side as he said this. Before Draco could get angry, he continued, "Then I'll go talk to her. I want to behave myself."
"......Well, go ahead." Draco said pretending to be indifferent, then lowered his head to drink the soup. He said he was drinking soup, but he was just repeating the action of putting the spoon into his mouth. He didn't even pretend to swallow. His two ears were always trying their best to pay attention to the situation on Della's side.
Although he didn't actually hear anything, Zabini's OK gesture still made him feel relieved.
We are finally talking.
As Draco lowered his head and thought this, Della, who was glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, had the same thought.
To be honest, Della still doesn't know how to face Draco.
Never see each other again? Not really. They just have some differences in ideas.
Normal relationship? It's hard to say. As long as you have been intimate, no matter how peaceful you pretend to be, you will never be completely free of selfishness.
Although they didn't show it on their faces, both of them were struggling with this until the History of Magic class was over and they were called into an empty classroom by Zabini.
"..."
"..."
"Okay, okay, have you all read the script? Let me tell you about the characters first." Looking at Draco and Della who were looking at each other in silence, and then at Nott whose expression did not change at all, Zabini did not want to make himself unhappy anymore, so he started to make arrangements.
"First, our two protagonists," Zabini pointed at Draco and Della, "The painter Tracy Amos, who pursues beauty, and the ghost Fatima Leonard, who sacrifices everything for love."
"Then there's me, the sober, ever-beautiful male ghost Jocelyn Mejia, and the protagonist's loyal friend Rob Martins," Zabini pointed at himself and Nott, and at last, he concluded, "We are all Slytherins. It seems that our group is the only one with only one house."
"It's good that we won't run into any annoying people." Nott said coldly with a pale face.
Zabini curled his lips, raised his eyebrows in agreement, and then held up the book in his hand, "Now, let's read the script first, just as a way to familiarize ourselves with it in advance. As for the narration, let Nott do it, he doesn't have many scenes."
"I have to remind you that this is not a script, and that is not a narration. It is a long description by Professor Lockhart. The narration will have more words than all of you combined." Nott expressed his refusal in a light tone.
"Ah, but if I just read the dialogue, it would be very dry." The point is that there are many passages describing the appearance of the male ghost!
"How do you think the others will perform?" Dela looked at Zabini.
"It's just reading the lines. But Giant and Hagwarts have some fighting scenes, and Vampire also has a big scene. I think the running and jumping are easy to perform." Zabini stroked his chin. Because his mother liked all the books, he actually read all of Lockhart's books. "But the one we drew is the one with the fewest characters and the only one that has nothing to do with Lockhart. The ordinary lines and actions are totally meaningless."
"I'm lucky enough not to join that group of people in making trouble. Although this book is very controversial, compared to the trolls, hags and worries of vampires, Lockhart's least participatory work, 'Ghost Girl', is the one I can accept the most." Nott opened the book in his hand. It was obvious that this top student was quite familiar with Lockhart's books.
"......" Draco looked left and right, and finally realized that he was out of place here. He asked hesitantly, "Do you all like Lockhart's works?"
"Like it? Not really. We have to read it several times after all. Guess how a guy like him who reads novels in class every day will give us the final exam?" Zabini said. Nott nodded in agreement, but Della finally set her eyes on Draco.
"You haven't read that story yet," Della said to Draco. She ignored the gazes that were cast upon her and put on that calm smile again. "It's a fairy tale about being lost in love."