Chapter 14

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me, not even the words to the song Draco sings. See endnotes for citations.

Author Notes: I do not claim to be a Latin scholar, so if anyone knows of the correct incantation to start music playing, please let me know. My apologies for everyone who has been waiting for this story to update, but RL comes first. Thanks to GrammarPolice and SlytherinsHeirx for their help in wrangling commas and Britpicking. Much obliged. And without further ado...

Chapter Fourteen

...Six weeks later...

"Mr Malfoy, would you come to my office, please?" Severus interrupted the party in the Slytherin common room where the students were celebrating the end of their N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s.

Draco looked up from his butterbeer with concern. "Yes, sir, right away."

Once seated at his desk, Severus rested his elbows on the wooden surface, interlaced his hands, and tapped his lips with his index finger as he watched Draco squirm in his seat.

"Sir?"

"Compliments of Miss Granger," Severus answered, sliding a sheet of parchment across the desk to his godson. "I believe it's charmed to play the tune."

"Oh, Merlin," groaned Draco, "she won the bet."

"Indeed. I look forward to your performance at the Leaving Feast." Severus smirked. He enjoyed the look of shock on Draco's face as he continued, "You came in second to Miss Granger for the highest marks in your year. Of course, your parents were invited to join us since the two of you have some of the highest N.E.W.T.s in the last twenty years."

"They may decide not to attend," Draco said uneasily. "Not if it means mingling with Muggles. You know how they are, sir, especially my father."

"Quite."

* * *

"Miss Granger."

Hermione turned to see the Headmistress in the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. "Yes, Professor?"

"There are people waiting for you in the Entrance Hall, Miss Granger." Minerva smiled at her. "I suggest you go down and meet them."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Hermione said as she brushed past the Headmistress on her way downstairs.

In the Entrance Hall, Mr and Mrs Granger looked around in amazement. The giant hourglasses, filled with precious gems, seem to fascinate them the most, but the moving suits of armour were a close second.

"Mum! Dad!" Hermione cried as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "You're here!"

"Hermione!" Her mother squeezed her hard in an enthusiastic hug. She laughed when her father grabbed her and swung her around and around.

"Congratulations, my girl," he said, setting her on her feet. "Your Headmistress invited us to your Leaving Feast. Apparently you have some kind of award coming to you?"

"Indeed," Lucius Malfoy said with a cold sneer from behind them. "I understand congratulations are in order."

Narcissa elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't be a sore loser, Lucius. Hermione won fair and square."

She held out her hand to Mrs Granger and gave her a brilliant smile. "Hello, I'm Narcissa Malfoy. Your daughter is one of the most civilized Muggles I have ever met."

"Why, thank you, I think?" Mrs Granger said hesitantly, taking her hand. "I'm Elizabeth Granger."

"Mother? Father?" Draco said as he came up the stairs from the Slytherin common room. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you would come."

"Nonsense, Draco," Narcissa replied, still smiling. "I wouldn't miss this evening for anything." She looked at Lucius. "Especially when you consider how I'll be spending the summer."

"Apparently the Headmistress and Severus have the same sense of humour," Lucius said dryly. "We are apparently to be guests at the High Table for dinner along with Miss Granger's parents."

Hermione and Draco looked at each other. "Oh," they said, confusion evident on both their faces.

"Lucius. Narcissa." Severus looked smug as he walked down the stairs with Minerva. "We are to meet in the anteroom with the rest of the staff." Lucius and Narcissa followed him while Minerva turned to Hermione's parents.

"It's so nice you were able to make it," she said. "I hope the trip wasn't too trying. If you'll follow me, I'll introduce you to the rest of the staff before dinner. Mr Malfoy... Miss Granger... you need to find your seats for dinner." She herded the Grangers off, chatting amiably.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said meekly. "Coming, Malfoy?"

"Yeah," he said, looking shell-shocked. "I'll be right behind you. What's going on, anyway? My mother was actually nice to your mother."

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm guessing we'll find out soon enough."

* * *

"You know," Neville said, "I recognize the Malfoys, but who are the people in the Muggle clothes sitting next to Professor McGonagall?"

"My mum and dad," Hermione said, swallowing the last of her pudding. "The Headmistress invited them to the feast."

"Really?" Ginny gasped. "I don't think that's ever happened before."

At the High Table, Minerva stood and tapped a spoon against her goblet. "May I have your attention, please?" As the room quieted, she said, "It is my pleasure to announce that Miss Hermione Granger has received some of the highest N.E.W.T. scores I have ever seen in all my years of teaching." She paused as the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables erupted with cheers.

"However," she continued, "Mr Draco Malfoy has come a very close second." Again, she paused to allow the Slytherins to congratulate their own house member.

"It has come to my attention that a certain wager was placed between Mr Malfoy and Miss Granger as to the scores of their N.E.W.T.s, and the time has come to pay up. Mr. Malfoy, if you would be so kind."

Draco took a deep breath and rose from his table as the buzz of questions sounded through the hall. He carried a stool to the centre of the hall, stopping in front of the High Table and turning to face the student tables. Holding his hand out to Hermione, he helped her to rise and take a seat facing him. As he pulled the sheet music Severus had given him earlier out of his pocket, he muttered, "Cantatus," and the song's music began to play.

"You are so beautiful to me-e-e..."

The student side of the hall erupted into laughter as his voice cracked on the final note of the first line. Face red with embarrassment, Draco continued on:

"You are so beautiful to me;

You are so beautiful to me-e-e."

As he ended the song, his voice once again cracking on the final note, Hermione stood up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for being such a good sport," she said, loud enough for the entire hall to hear her voice. "I appreciate it."

Even the Slytherins stood up and cheered as Draco blushed and simply said, "You're welcome." The nod he received from Severus as he looked at the High Table was all the approbation he needed, although his parents' smiles were good to see. Even Hermione's parents were applauding his performance along with the rest of the Hall.

* * *

...Later, in the staff room...

"Here's to Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, two of the best students Hogwarts has seen in a long time," Minerva said, holding her glass of firewhiskey high.

"Here, here," the rest of the staff echoed, raising their glasses in agreement.

"All right, Minerva," Filius said. "Out with it. We know Miss Granger had the higher scores since we had to witness that execrable performance in the Great Hall."

"At least Mr Malfoy was a good sport about it," Poppy said. "If I had his singing voice, I'd have quit the first time it cracked."

"Hmm, yes," Severus said. "Miss Granger was quite thoughtful when she congratulated him for being a good sport. I am sure if he won, he would not have done the same."

"So, Minerva," Pomona said. "Give us the scores. We want to know who won the pool."

"Miss Granger's combined N.E.W.T. scores for the classes we considered totalled fifty-one points more than Mr Malfoy's," Minerva said. "In all ten of the N.E.W.T.s she took, she exceeded Severus' score by twenty points."

The room erupted into cheers which quickly turned to gasps as Minerva said, "That means Severus wins the pool for the N.E.W.T. comparisons with the closest guess to the scores."

"How is that possible?" Rolanda squeaked in surprise. "He bet on Malfoy."

"That was for Lucius Malfoy's benefit," Severus said smugly. "I had Minerva put five galleons on Miss Granger for at least fifty points higher than Mr Malfoy and surpassing all of my own N.E.W.T. scores. At the very least, I will now have my full salary for the next five years and then some."

"How so?" Filius asked, pouring more firewhiskey into his glass and offering up the decanter to the other teachers.

"The wager was that Lucius would make up the difference the Wizengamot has docked from my salary plus ten percent if Miss Granger won the wager with Mr Malfoy," Severus said. "Of course, he also has to pay for new dress robes for Narcissa, as well as a trip to Italy for an entire new wardrobe." He smirked, holding his empty glass out for a refill.

"It couldn't happen to a nicer wizard," Rolanda cackled. "Okay, Severus, I'll concede that the better man won. Congratulations."

More congratulations were heard from various parts of the room and, feeling enough had been said on the subject, the end of year celebration continued.

* * *

Author's note: "You Are So Beautiful" copyright Billy Preston and Bruce Carlton Fisher.

Cantatus comes from William Whitaker's Words English to Latin translator .

I don't know if this is correct as I am not a Latin scholar, so I am off to ask someone I know who is. Um, hey, Master Andrixos...?