A/N: Hi! I know I'm very late, and I apologize profusely, but what can I say? Exams hit with full force! They're over now, though and I can get back to the important stuff: writing fanfic! I've got multiple projects in the works as soon as I finish this up, so be on the lookout for them!
This part may be a bit confusing to those of you who don't know the story of Romeo and Juliet very well; however directly underneath the disclaimer is a comparatively brief summary of the play, which will hopefully help you understand the story. (If you don't need the not-so-brief summary scroll down until the italics stop and just read the story!) I hope you enjoy it and please review when you're done! ~Anne
Key: The regular story is written in
Times New Roman, like this, but all Shakespearean excerpts are written in Book Antiqua, like this. Hope that clarifies it!Disclaimer: Okay! I admit it! It's not mine! Not except for the plot, that is. The characters from the Harry Potter books belong to J.K. Rowling, the excerpts and characters from "Romeo and Juliet" belong to William Shakespeare. No profits (not a sou, or knut if you prefer) are being made and no infringement is intended.
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
For those of you unfamiliar with Shakespeare's classic tale, "Romeo and Juliet", fear not! Though it is a complex, yet simple and beautifully elegant play which I highly recommend you all read, for the purposes of this fic, here is a, ummm… "brief" summary of everything you need to know:
The story unfolds in the Italian city of Verona in the 1500s. Verona is ruled by Prince Escalus, but it is also home to two noble families: The Capulets and the Montagues. These two families are always at each other's throats- essentially they can't stand each other. It was not uncommon in that era for people to kill their enemies in street duels with swords, so the war between the Capulets and Montagues is indeed very real and serious.
Prince Escalus issues a warning to both sides at the beginning of the play saying that if there are any other brawls in Verona because of them, the culprits will be punished by death. The Capulets have only one daughter- Juliet, and one son- Romeo. Convenient, isn't it?
The two meet at a mask ball (costume party) which is being held at the Capulets' house and which Romeo's best-friend Mercutio brings him to in the hopes that he will forget a woman he has a crush on. Naturally, Romeo and Juliet fall in love (as star-crossed lovers will do) and arrange to be married secretly, for fear of their families' reactions.
Unfortunately, Juliet's father has different plans. He has arranged for Juliet to marry a man named Paris, who is a bit older than she, but nonetheless, a decent guy. Romeo finds a kind Friar (priest) who performs the ceremony (unbeknownst to anyone but themselves) and the two are wed.
On the wedding day however, things go drastically wrong. Juliet's quick-tempered cousin, Tybalt, picks a fight with Romeo when he sees him in the street (among the on-lookers are Benvolio [Romeo's own cousin], Mercutio, and other Montagues and Capulets). Romeo, being in a good mood, lets it go and is prepared to go on his way, but Tybalt won't let it go so Mercutio rises to the bait and they fight. Mercutio is mortally wounded and dies. L
Romeo feels he must avenge his friend and then duels with Tybalt, killing him. This is a direct violation of the Prince's proclamation, so Romeo must flee Verona. He goes to the Friar for help, who tells him to flee to Mantua (another city) and promises to reunite Romeo and Juliet.
Juliet herself is having some problems; Tybalt's death has delayed her wedding to Paris, but only for so long. She goes to the Friar for help and he gives her a vial (bottle) of potion, which will give the appearance of being dead. They plan to fake her death, then the Friar will send word to Romeo and he will come, rescue her from the Capulet's tomb, and the two will live happily ever after!
But alas, it was not to be. The letter the Friar sent never reaches Romeo, but unfortunately word of Juliet's "death" does. He goes back to Verona, stricken with grief, goes to the tomb, (kills Paris on his way in), finds her lying there, as if dead and takes poison that he has purchased from an apothecary (erm, pharmacist? Well, kind of…). A few minutes later, Juliet wakes up and finds the now-lifeless body of Romeo lying with her and basically freaks out. She draws his dagger from its sheath, kisses him one last time, and stabs herself.
They are found like that, dead in each other's arms, and this does the impossible and mends the feud between their two families. There you go- I left tons of stuff out, but I figured you'd like to read the story sometime this year (which is rapidly dwindling) so here it is!
Romeo, Romeo, Who-foreart thou, Romeo? Chapter 4 - The Play
Earlier that evening…
"Where is he? Where is he?" The normally unflappable Minerva McGonagall was wringing her hands in distress.
It was opening night of the first play she'd ever directed, and here she was without a leading man- without even a back up leading man! It had been quite bad enough when James Potter had landed himself in the hospital wing and she'd had to get Severus Snape to replace him, but now Severus himself was nowhere to be found and curtain call was in forty-five minutes and counting! Backstage was chaotic: people in costume rushing here and there. Lily Evans was perched on the makeshift balcony practicing her lines: "Romeo, Romeo, where foreart thou, Romeo?"
"By God, I wish I knew." Minerva said under her breath.
The obvious choice for replacement number two was Sirius Black, but he seemed to be mysteriously gone as well, and if she made him Romeo then she would have to find a replacement Mercutio… no, that just wouldn't do. She'd have to use someone with a more minor role…
At Curtain Call…(Pretty much where chap. 3 left off)
As Sirius and Remus got ready in the wings for their coming entrances the curtain rose on the sole occupant of the stage. Frank Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor though a year younger, was playing the role of the chorus (narrator) and as a light shone upon him a hush spread over the buzzing Great Hall.
Frank paused for a second, but then plunged ahead, speaking loudly and clearly, his words echoing throughout the cavernous room.
"Two households, both alike in dignity
(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage
Which, but their children's end, naught could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which, if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend."
As he finished this brief speech, Frank backed quietly into the shadows as new figures moved forward to take the stage.
Robert Bones, a Ravenclaw, and Thomas Abbott, a Hufflepuff, seemed to be having an engaging conversation, and in so doing, they engaged the audience as well. They appeared to be servants of the house of Capulet, discussing that hated of all families: the Montagues.
Soon more characters arrived on the scene, including young George Midgeon (Abram- a Montague servant), a fourth year Hufflepuff, who managed his two lines: "Do you bite your thumb at me sir?" and "Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?" without a hitch, though he did seem to have a particularly bad case of nerves. These remarks provoked Robert (Gregory) and Thomas (Sampson) to draw their swords, and "Abram" did the same.
Soon Remus appeared as Benvolio, to quench the flared tempers, and attempted to prevent what could be a disastrous duel. Unfortunately as he spoke the calming words of peace, "Part fools!" (Fools?) "Put up your swords. You know not what you do." the firey Tybalt, cousin to the Capulets, arrived on the scene.
Justin Avery (Tybalt) jumped up behind Remus brandishing a sword and said:
"What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee! Have at thee coward!" And thus the two began to duel. However, their afternoon fight was interrupted by a crowd of citizens, (first and second years from all houses) who demanded that they stop.
The play continued in this tumultuous manner including cameos by Ladies and Sirs Capulet and Montague (an assortment of Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus' fellow prefects) and Prince Escalus, (Jason McDoozle, a rather pompous Ravenclaw).
Then as Benvolio was walking the streets of Verona after the duel he came upon his cousin.
"What sadness lengthens Romeo's heart?" Remus called out to the absolute last person he expected to see before him on stage. Valiantly trying to ignore the gasps and snickers of the crowd, Peter turned towards Remus and answered clearly, if a bit stiffly, "Not having that, which having, makes them short."
"In love?"
"Out-"
"Of love?"
"Out of-" he paused, "Out of her favor where I am in love."
They continued to converse, and Peter, to his credit, forgot very few lines, considering how little notice he'd had. The whole thing went quite smoothly until the mask ball, where Juliet was to meet her Romeo.
Lily looked stunning in her Renaissance style muggle costume- the perfect Juliet. During the ball scene "Juliet" danced with many a suitor, and though she didn't know it, she was being watched. Romeo, standing tall at the edge of the room, had spotted her and when she left the dance floor. She headed out of the melee, to have a rest and as she passed he caught her hand in his.
"
If I profane with my unworthiest handThis holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Now up close, Lily could see that Romeo was actually a good four or five inches taller than she; considerably taller than Peter, but yet not so tall as James. She also thought she recognized that voice.
Indeed, people in the audience seemed to have noticed the change, too, because an outbreak of murmurs crossed the Great Hall like wildfire. However, Lily tuned them out and forced herself to say:
"
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers, too?"
"Ay, pilgrim, lips they must use in prayer."
"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take."
He leaned in close and removing his mask, kissed her. As he leaned, there was an audible :squelch:.
Romeo was Severus Snape.
Lily had an automatic gag reflex, and from either side of the stage she saw Sirius and Remus both make furious moves towards them. However, the damage was done now, so she signaled them to stay where they were.
Snape, oblivious to all this, continued speaking:
"Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged."
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."
Lily reluctantly pointed out, knowing where this was going. Sure enough:"Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."
And he kissed her again.Lily thought that this time she would surely throw up all over his already soaking figure- what on earth had Sirius, Remus, and Peter done to him? And where was Peter?
However, like a good actress, she kept it together and the play proceeded smoothly…until the balcony scene…
Mercutio, Benvolio, and Romeo left the mask ball, but Romeo broke away from the group and headed back toward the Capulet estate to visit his ladylove. He stood beneath her balcony and waited until she walked out above him.
"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun…"
While above him, Juliet began to speak as well.
" O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse my thy name,
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet."
From below came a voice:
"I take thee at thy word. Call me but love and I'll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo."
Up on the balcony, Juliet started.
"What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night, so stumblest on my counsel?"
" By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am ."
He said, beginning to climb up the balcony. However, when he was about four feet up, someone came running into the garden- someone a bit short and with a slightly squeaky voice who called out, in a fashion that made the audience roll in the aisles, "Juliet! Sorry I'm late!"Juliet herself was clutching the edge of the balcony and laughing so hard she was shaking. Snape (Romeo number one) was muttering obscenities under his breath, and backstage Professor McGonagall was dying a thousand deaths as Remus and Sirius promptly fell all over each other in hysterics. Even the bushes in the garden seemed to be laughing.
While Snape was distracted from his climb by the arrival of his, erm, counterpart, a hand reached up, out of the bushes in fact, and giving a swift tug, pulled him off the wall all together. He landed with a thump. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, before the audience even had a chance to react he had been replaced by a third Romeo- who picked up right where he'd left off.
"My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word."
He swung one leg over the edge of the balcony, and then the other.
The real Romeo was back.
Apparently James Potter was injured no longer.
For a moment Lily just gaped at him, and he flashed her a grin and whispered, "Sorry I'm late Juliet." And then louder,
"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?""Probably. You'd deserve it. I was looking forward to watching Snape die. But I'm certainly glad you're here." Lily hissed under her breath while James pretended to look wounded, and then proclaimed to the now mesmerized crowd:
"What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"
"Th' exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine."
"I gave thee mine before thou didst request it, and yet, I would it were to give again."
The play did continue smoothly from that point until the end. Mercutio had a lovely death scene, which Sirius managed to drag out longer than humanly possible and James seemed to really enjoy stabbing Justin Avery (Tybalt). Then of course he had to flee to Mantua, and the Friar (Morris Fletchly) gave Juliet that fateful potion.
The scene in the tomb was truly moving; teachers and students alike could be heard saying. There had been true passion when Juliet kissed Romeo and then impaled herself on his sword- true love. Of course there was a touching lamentation over the graves of the two young lovers, in which Prince Escalus rebuked their families and their fate. Then came the curtain call.
First came all the first and second years, who gave the three various Romeos very curious looks, and went out to bow. There was smattered applause throughout the Great Hall and then they rushed backstage and out went The Capulets and the Montagues and their servants.
Next came Benvolio, Mercutio, and Tybalt. While Remus bowed graciously once and stepped back, and Justin stiffly ducked his head, Sirius was eating up the attention- it was rather like a bad replay of his death scene.
Finally it was time for Juliet and her Romeo- er, Romeos. They strode out onto stage, Lily still in an elegant ballgown, James in his costume which involved a waistcoat and tights (need I say more) Peter in plain old robes, and Snape in his still sopping wet ones, and the crowd went wild. From behind them Sirius whistled as James yanked Lily's arm in the air, in typical Quidditch captain fashion. James, Snape, and Peter all bowed, as Lily made a low curtsy. The cheers echoed through the Great Hall, making Lily's ears ring and her face turn a flushing pink.
It hadn't been so bad after all…
A/N: Hmmm… What did you think? Totally strange and off the wall? What was she thinking? Pulitzer Prize material? (Yeah right!) Whatever you thought, do let me know in a review! And thanks to everyone who reviewed previous chapters!