There, I thought, finally satisfied with my appearance as I stood in front of the mirror in the girls' dormitory. I was getting ready for my birthday surprise from my boyfriend, which was taking place in the Room of Requirement, in private. My boyfriend and I had kept our relationship a secret for the past five months, because we knew that we wouldn't be able to tell anyone without receiving enormous amounts of mockery in return, so we had all dates and such things in the Room of Requirement.

I'd chosen a pink ruffly top, my best jeans, and a pair of silver ballet flats, and had taken time to straighten my hair, which was now held back in two sparkly barrettes on each side so that it wasn't in my face. I finished applying makeup—neutral… it would've looked bad with anything else—and headed out the door and down the staircase to the common room.

"Hey, Hermione!" called Ginny from her place in an armchair as I headed for the portrait hole. "Happy birthday!"

"Oh… Thanks, Ginny!" I called back, not stopping.

"What, you're not going to stop and talk to me?" she teased.

"No, I'm in a hurry," I said, edging further away from her, trying to hide the guilty look on my face.

It didn't work. "Where are you going? You have the guilty face," said Ginny, a grin appearing on her face.

"Nowhere," I said shiftily. "Well, bye!"

"All right, who is he?"

"He? There's no 'he'. Why do you think there's a 'he'?" Damn it! I always babbled when I got nervous!

"You're a liar," she said, grinning wider. "You're dressed up, and you straightened your hair. Come on, who is it?"

"None of your business!" I snapped.

"Ooh, so there is a 'he'," Ginny teased. "Who is it? Dean? Seamus? Ron? It had better not be Harry, or you'll both be getting a severe ass-kicking."

"No, it's not, and… hang on, Ron? God no! I have better taste than that!"

"Well, tell me, then!"

"No! Just… Not yet. Neither of us are telling anyone. Well, he had better not be, or he's the one who'll be getting a severe ass-kicking."

"How long have you been seeing each other?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, spill."

"Since Christmas."

"What? Five months?" Ginny shrieked.

"Shhh! Not so loud! Yes. He asked me to dance at the Christmas Masquerade, remember? We all wore disguises?"

"Oh, yeah. And Neville just put on a fake mustache," she laughed. "Wait, who was it? Just description."

"Well, at the ball, he had brown hair, blue eyes, and was about six-four."

"Lucky. That's not at all what he looks like though, is it?"

"Nope. Better," I said with a grin.

"What House is he in? What year?"

"I'm not telling you! Listen, I really have to go, okay? He has a birthday surprise for me, or so he said."

"One more thing. Are you going with him to the end-of-the-year masquerade?"

"Yeah. See you later!" I called.

"Tell me everything later!" she called as I left.

I ran most of the way, because she'd made me late. I stopped at the blank stretch of wall on the seventh floor, in front of the tapestry of troll ballerinas.

I'm late for my birthday surprise, I thought over and over as I walked back and forth.

I opened my eyes. And the door, which had just appeared. I shut it tightly behind me before turning around.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" he said with a smile. He moved forward and kissed me softly.

"That wasn't my birthday surprise, was it?" I asked, feigning disappointment. I knew it wasn't, but even if it had been, I still would've loved it.

He grinned. "Nope. Sit." He pointed at a small, overstuffed white sofa in the middle of the room.

I smiled and sat down on the soft cushions as he picked up a small box from the table in front of the sofa.

He pointed his wand at it, and suddenly, things were flying out of it in silvery streaks. I jumped as they whizzed all around me, then, as soon as it had started, it stopped.

I was now surrounded by boxes wrapped in silver and white paper.

"Happy birthday," he said with an enormous grin.

"What did you do?" I asked, looking around me. There had to be dozens of boxes here, all different sizes.

"I went shopping for my girlfriend for her birthday, is that a crime?" he asked, grinning wider as he sat down next to me. "Open them!"

Still wide-eyed, I picked up the nearest parcel and opened it. Inside was an adorable white skirt.

"Oh, it's gorgeous!" I said, holding it up to my waist. "I love it!"

"I thought you might," he said with a mischievous smile.

One by one, I opened all the presents. He'd gotten me many things… clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, shoes, purses…

"One more," he said, tugging a white box out from under the sofa.

I opened it slowly, and gasped when I saw what was inside.

"Oh, my God!" I whispered as I took in the pink, sparkling dress. Gently, I took it out, then held it up.

It had a sweetheart neckline, covered in sparkles and sequins. The skirt was made of tulle, and it had a natural fullness to it, so that it puffed out without having a hoop skirt or anything underneath it. I knew by sight that it would be a perfect fit, and was the perfect color for my skin tone.

"I was hoping you'd wear it to the masquerade," he admitted with a small smile. "You look stunning in pink."

I smiled and threw my arms around his neck, kissing him.

"I love you, Hermione," he said softly.

"I love you too, Draco."