My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Twenty-Five: Auditions

February 1998 - Hogwarts

 Jane had been preparing her monologues for months, and the time had finally come. The headmaster of the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts was coming to Hogwarts, and he had agreed to interview me in consideration for playwriting. Jane and I were the only seventh years at Hogwarts interested in WADA.

We got up early on the day he came. We ran a couple of laps around campus before getting ready. We went to Professor Gnat's room to wait for him to arrive. We didn't know what to expect. But we heard the doors swing open and our heads spun around and saw him enter with Professor Gnat. He was the embodiment of dignity. Draco would have loved to have seen him. He was tall and pale with sleek black hair. He wore the latest fashions. His shiny buckled shoes echoed as he walked in. He had a cape that draped over him 360 degrees.

"Girls," Professor Gnat said. "This is Roger Richardson. Headmaster of the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts. Mr. Richardson, this is Miss Jane Baldwin, our actress. And this is Grace Snape, our playwright."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said. His voice was just as smooth as you would expect it to be by looking at him. "I don't mean to be rude but I have been quite busy going to schools around the world for auditions. So I would like to make this process as efficient as possible. Miss Baldwin, I would like to see your audition first."

"Of course," Professor Gnat said. "Miss Snape, if you'll wait in the hallway." I winked at Jane as I was escorted out of the room.

I had been preparing myself for the worst. Professor Gnat had warned me that it was highly unlikely that I would change Mr. Richardson's mind about allowing a playwright to come to the school. But I wanted it badly enough. I knew if I was good, he could be convinced. Eventually, Jane emerged from the classroom.

"How was it?" I asked. "How do you feel?"

"I feel good," she said. "You'd better go on in."
"Right," I said. I took a breath and entered the room. I walked to the front and sat across from him at the desk.

"Hello, Miss Snape," he said. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, sir," I said.

"We haven't conducted a playwriting interview since 1934. You're the first since then."

"I'm very grateful that you've considered me," I said.

"Well, let's get right into it. Which of your works have you brought?" I reached into my bag and pulled out a few of my projects.

"I've got two plays and a collection of short stories," I said. "Jane did one of my monologues as well. The one about the girl on the train."

"Interesting," he said. "Yes, I wondered about it. Which one of your plays is it from?"

"It's from 'The Blonde Boy,'" I said. Give you one guess for who was the inspiration for that one.

"And what's the plot?"

"Well," I said. "A fourteen-year-old muggle-born girl, recently expelled from Hogwarts for using magic outside of school, has been sent to a muggle boarding school. When she gets there, she immediately recognizes one of the older, notoriously mean boys. Eventually, she realizes that he used to go to Hogwarts as well. She spends the better part of the year trying to figure out why he's there, as well as get him to admit that he's a wizard."

"Interesting," he said. "May I ask what the inspiration was?"

"Well, I came to Hogwarts in the fourth year. So I know what it's like to be new. I thought I would sort of flip the script. And my boyf- my fiance is the inspiration for the title character."

"What's your other play about?"

"It's called 'Letters From The Wanted.'" Give you one guess who that one was about. "This girl's best friend is wanted for the murder of the prime minister and goes on the run even though she's innocent. They've been writing to each other while her friend tries to figure out who really did it, but the girl's husband is the Auror in charge of the case."

"What was the inspiration for that one?"

"That one is pure imagination. There wasn't really an inspiration for it."

"But you do usually take inspiration from your life for your writing, don't you?"

"Oh yes," I said. "It's so hard not to, considering the world we live in. I will admit that the personalities of the female leads in that one are based on me and my friend."

"Miss Baldwin?"

"...Yes."

No. Hermione Granger. But he didn't need to know that.

"That's good," he said. "You should always take inspiration from the story around you. Why do you think that is?"

"Because it makes your story more relatable," I said. "It makes it personal to the audience. They feel like the story can be real because it was based on something that is."

"Very good," he said. "Well, I will have to take these with me so I can study them."

"Of course," I said.

"But you should know that if you get in, you won't necessarily have classes. You won't be learning classically. You will be fully immersed. And our students will be fighting over you when it comes to writing scripts for their plays and student films. It will very much be hands-on learning."

"That sounds wonderful," I said. "I love to write. I would love for my writing to be useful to others."

"I will say, it's very unlikely," he said. "And that's not because of you. It just means that whatever you've written has to monumentally exceed my expectations for me to admit you. Do you feel confident about what you've written?"

"I do, sir," I said.

"Very well, then," he said. "I look forward to reading these. You can expect to hear back in April."

"Thank you," I said.

And it was over. I knew the chances were slim. But I had faith. I knew fate wouldn't dare to separate Jane and me.