The large disco ball shone from the high ceiling and music was blaring out through many speakers around the dimly lit room. It was quite hard to believe that this place was a quiet museum just few hours ago.
When we walked out of the Theatre after the movie, we got interviewed by many and I answered the first half of my questions with read puffy eyes and I was being filmed. We also had more photos taken and I took more individual photos, with Tom, Em, Dan and Rupert (all individually), a group with them, Matt, Evy, Bonnie and Freddie and I also had some with my brother, the other members of Arashi and some of the guests.
Right now I was in the midst of a large crowd of people that included the younger people of guests, the casts and staff of the movie, jumping and dancing around with my shoes off, screaming out the lyrics of song after song. Em and I were glad that "Party in the USA" came on and were able to dance properly, unlike the time in the limo.
Em, Bonnie, Evy, Michelle Trachtengerg, Anna-Sophia Robb and I were the main ones to be dancing and singing/mouthing the lyrics to the songs. The boys, Dan, Rupert, the two Matts and Freddie were around us, getting into the beat. Tom went to get some drink for himself and sat down, probably a bit tired from me spinning him around in circles and what not.
I didn't know that the after party was going to be this fun and felt that I really did miss out last time when I really could not be bothered about anything. In fact, I could have helped me forget everything and enjoy and made me feel better. But that was already in the past and I can't change what had already happened, unless I have a Time Turner.
Tom's POV
'Hey Tom.' Kazunari took a seat next to me with a glass of wine in hand and smiled.
'Hi Kazunari. How are you?' I asked, smiling back.
'I'm great thanks! What about you?'
Without thinking, I glanced over to my girl who looked like she was having the best time and I replied, 'Fabulous.'
He saw me looking over to his sister and he smiled both gently and happily. 'I can't be any happier for her. And I won't be able to trust anyone else to be with her more than you, especially what had happened with Edward.' His eyes said that he meant it deeply, though not that I needed to see to know. Kazunari was probably the most caring brother I knew. Anger bubbled inside me when I heard his name, however, but I kept that down and smiled.
'I'm more than privileged to be able to call her my girlfriend, really.'
Kazunari chuckled softly. He looked so happy.
'Oh - and I have to say, I'm terribly sorry that I didn't know about you two until like, three months in.'
'Oh no, that's totally fine!' I exclaimed, laughing at the same time. 'I'm sorry too, I should've said something to you.'
'No no no, you've got nothing to apologise about!' Then his expression suddenly turned serious and he lowered his voice. 'I've been looking for her and I didn't find her so I'm assuming that she's not here but just to double check, his Natasia Rigsbee here tonight?'
Blinking several times, I said slowly, 'No, I don't think she's coming for this movie. But I heard that she will be for Deathly Hallows.'
'Okay,' Kazunari nodded slowly. 'Thank you.'
'No worries.'
Though one thing confused me deeply: Why did he look relieved? Kazunari, a brother that cares about and wishes for his little sister's happiness more than anything, looked relieved that her favourite model was not here at the premiere?
I risked myself to ask. 'Do you have a - uh - grudge towards Natasia?'
He looked hesitant for a split second. 'Yeah I do.' He said slowly. 'But... She doesn't know that. Yet.' He said, looking at Sakura's direction. 'Though I'm sure I'll be telling her why soon enough.'
I frowned slightly. Looking at my expression, he laughed softly yet sadly. 'Sorry, I shouldn't be talking about this right now, hey? But I promise I'll tell you, or maybe Sakura will, but we think she has all the right to know first.'
I nodded slowly. 'I understand.'
'Thank you.' He smiled weakly. Like Sakura, he smiles a lot whether it was sadly or happily. I wondered if the rest of their family did because if that was the case, I thought it was a lovely thing to have in the household.
Then it was followed by a second of silence until Sakura came skipping over to us, looking slightly tired and flung her arms around her brother. As they started to talk in Japanese for a while I waited patiently, sipping at my drink. I was wondering whether or not Kazunari was telling Sakura about Natasia, but it seemed like he wasn't because Sakura kept her expression of happiness on her beautiful face. They laughed quite a lot, too.
They kept talking for another short while until Kazunari stood up and said in English, 'I might go and talk to the others. I can't miss a chance to talk to the casts of the Potters, can I?'
Sakura and I laughed. I forgot that he was too a massive fan of the Potters.
'No, you really shouldn't.' I said.
He laughed too. 'Well, I'll catch you two later.'
'Yeah!'
'Great talking to you again.'
'You too.' And he walked away, disappearing through a small of people that included Dan and Rupert.
Sakura slipped her slim yet strong arms around my torso and pressed her soft lips against my cheek sweetly. 'You okay?' She asked, tilting her to the side to look at my eyes.
'Yeah. I'm fine.' I murmured, pulling her closer to me and brushing my lips against hers.
'Are you going back to dance?' She asked dreamily with heavy-looking eyes and our foreheads touching.
I shrugged. 'I might again later, but not now.'
'Okay. I'll stay then.' She gave me a sweet, lingering kiss on the lips. Our lips were locked for several moments as I held her close to me around her waist.
When we parted, I asked her, 'You tired?'
She nodded slightly a few times with a small smile and rested her head on my shoulder.
'Do you want some fruits?' She then said, looking up into my eyes.
'Nah, I'm fine. But I'll come with you.'
So we both stood up and, our hands linked, walked over to the bar where many people milled around, more than half of their faces bright red from drinking.
She went to order fruits, but the waiter suggested ice cream with fruits on top so she ordered that. It had strawberries, peaches and mangoes on top of two scoops of vanilla ice cream.
'Do you want some?' She asked me when we settled back onto one of the couches.
'Just the ice cream.' I murmured.
Laughing, she gave me some off her spoon. She gave me some more as she ate them herself too.
It was as though they were waiting for her to finish, because the music had stopped (after the song had finished of course) and through the speakers the DJ said, 'Now, I had a request from dear Miss Emma Watson and Mr David Yates that Miss Sakura Ninomiya should play some lovely pieces on the piano, who's into that?'
Loud cheers and applauses erupted as Sakura looked confused.
'What?' I heard her say weakly. 'There's a piano?'
'Apparently so.' I said, chuckling.
'But I don't have any -'
'You'll be fine. I'm sure they'll shout out requests.'
'I don't know that many songs off by heart though.'
I ignored and pulled her to where Emma stood, smirking after Sakura had put her shoes back on.
'There you go, miss.' She said, bowing and motioning her arm to a grand piano. There was a microphone pointing towards the opening of the instrument.
'Thanks...' Sakura muttered blankly.
'Thank you Sakura!' The DJ said as she slowly sat down on the chair. I stood with the limo group as I nodded to her, telling her again that she'll be fine.
'I'm sure it'll be a relaxing time for some of you.'
I saw that people including Jo, Michael, Alan and Maggie were nodding.
'Any requests? Any one?'
'Moonlight Sonata, third movement!' Em said, smirking.
'No! I mean - I need to warm up for that.' I heard Sakura say as some people laughed and the others who knew the piece looked utterly surprised.
'Third movement?'
'She can play that?'
'That's impressive.'
'What about Fur Elise?' Some one shouted.
Nodding she readied her hands on the keyboard. 'Oh - please don't feel that you have the need to be silent. Please keep talking.' She said quickly and started playing in the most elegant way I've seen anyone play this famous piece. The microphone was picking up the sounds really well and the calm, neat sound of the piano ring through the massive room. People were talking but they were only murmurs, showing respect. Though most of the crowd was watching: they never know when the next time they'll see the famous Sakura Ninomiya playing a piano.
When she completed the song, the audience applauded as she bowed her head still in her seat.
'Sonata in G major!' Someone from the back of the room shouted. 'Please!'
She smiled towards the direction and played the next piece, which had a similar yet light tone through out the song, almost easily.
'Do the Rondo one!' Dan said but Sakura mouthed, 'What?'
'Uh - the one that you're always playing! I think it's by Beethoven.'
'Ooh.'
She turned back to the piano, with a faint smile on her face. The piece was fairly fast, yet calming and it was long compared to the previous two songs. Yet her hands pressed the keys so smoothly for the whole piece. Many of the older people were nodding their heads in approval or had their eyes closed, seeming to let the melody sink in.
The next request was 'The theme song from Romeo and Juliet!', which was from Maggie.
I had to watch the 1968 movie version of the play when I was back in school and, even now, that movie really disturbed me in many ways. Dan, Rupert, Emma and Sakura all had the same opinion.
'My Heart Will Go On!' Bonnie said as soon as "Romeo and Juliet" finished.
'Feel free to sing along!' Sakura said, smiling.
She started playing the intro and everyone, including Sakura, started singing, the piano still being heard clearly.
"Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you go on
Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on"
Some people (*cough* Emma and Daniel *cough*) basically shouted out the last verse of the song where it was the climax.
"You're here, there's nothing I fear,
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on"
This time when the song finished, people cheered and whooped.
'Twinkle twinkle little star!!' Rupert shouted over the crowd and so many people laughed. 'Why not?'
'All right! I'll count you in!'
Sakura played a rather fancy intro and the shouted, 'Three, four!'
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are!"
'Again!'
We sung again and the next song was "Old McDonald Had a Farm", "Baa Baa Black Sheep" then "Mary had a Little Lamb". It was great that there were no children in the room and only people from around 20 and above was screaming out the lyrics to nursery rhymes.
Then someone thought that they had enough of nursery rhymes and requested "Violin Concerto in E Major", which apparently sounded good on the piano also. Even though I've never heard of the piece, it still sounded good and it was the fastest one out of the pieces she had played tonight.
'Okay everyone, let's make this her last piece so that she can enjoy the rest of the night with her friends!' The DJ said and everyone applauded.
'Third movement, please!' Em begged.
'Yes, Moonlight!'
'No excuse that your "hands aren't warmed up"! You didn't even need to!' Emma added.
'Okay okay...' Sakura said and I could tell that she was hiding a smile. Then taking a deep breath, she started playing "Moonlight Sonata - III. Presto Agitato".
I didn't exactly understand what she meant to "warm up her hands". I mean, it can't be that fast, right?
Wrong.
It was so damn fast, probably the fastest piece I've ever heard in my life and her hands were moving so smoothly, letting us hear each and every note of the piece that everyone became silent, stunned. Some even had their mouths hanging open, including myself.
Unlike the other pieces, where she looked casual and relaxed, she was concentrating for this one. Even the "slow" bit was fast. Some parts sounded like it was slow because the melody was loud, but really, the harmony was dead fast just being played softly. I can't even wriggle my fingers that fast.
What even amazed me more was that she didn't seem to be struggling to play, as though her fingers knew which key to press at what timing.
'She's been playing that since she was thirteen.' Em whispered to me. Thirteen? Thirteen?
I turned back around in awe and I heard Em chuckling softly at my expression.
It was the longest piece of the night, yet she didn't fail to make a single mistake for he whole time. When she finished the piece, she received the most loudest applause and cheers from everyone around the room. The ones who were sitting down stood up as she did too and bowed deeply, standing back up straight with a wide smile.
'Thank you very very much, Sakura! That was incredible! Please join me to thank her once again!'
She curtsied as people whistled and clapped loudly.
'Now back to talking and dancing!'
Everyone slowly spread back out, many complimenting Sakura as they did so. It wasn't until about five minutes later when she had finally reached me.
'Good job.' I said, hugging her tightly.
'Thank you.' I heard a smile as she tugged me back.
'Do you want to rest?'
'Yeah, that'll be nice.' She laughed and we walked over to the couches again. This time we were joined by Emma and Matt.
'You were amazing!' Matt exclaimed.
'Thanks.' Sakura smiled.
'Your Third Movement was alright.' Emma said, nodding sarcastically.
'Yeah, I'd love to see you try.'
'No thanks.'
And they laughed.
The first song that came back on from the speakers was "Caught in the Crowd" by Kate Miller-Heidke. I only knew because Sakura and Emma were listening to it all the time.
They sung in beautiful voices joined by Matt, who was surprisingly good too.
"There was a guy at my school when I was in high school
We'd ride side by side in the morning on our bicycles
Never even spoken or faced each other
But on the last hill we'd race each other
When we reached the racks we'd each go our own way
I wasn't in his classes, didn't know his name,
When we finally got to speak he just stared at his feet,
And mumbled a sentence that ended with 'James'"
It was a song about the perspective of a passive observer who felt guilty for turning her back around to a boy who was being bullied, and he thought that she was his friend.
"I was young and caught in the crowd
I didn't know then what I know now
I was dumb, and I was proud
And I'm sorry
If I could go back do it again
I'd be someone you could call friend
Please, please believe that I'm sorry"
It was a soft and gentle song.
When "Caught in the Crowd" was finished, Owl City came on.
'Fireflies...' Sakura said quietly, mostly to herself.
Smiling, I offered her a hand. 'Shall we?'
She took my hand, smiling the soft, happy smile that was my favourite. She waved at Emma and Matt ad I led her to the dance floor and, facing her, put my arms around her waist and she put her around my neck as we started to sway side to side slowly.
For the entire song, we just slow danced with occasional prolonged kisses, our bodies embraced tightly within the other's arms and pulling us closer together. Somehow, the other people around us disappeared in my mind and it was just us with the music playing faintly in the background. I let my mind sink into our moment, our time.
With the girl that meant everything to me comfortably in my arms and being able to have her all to myself, I could never be happier.
5k!!! Woo hoo!!! Thanks so much!! ☺️ xx And I know I might be asking you this quite often (maybe I haven't, I forgot :p) but please go and check out my Draco fanfic, Choices! It's kind of related to this :)