A/n: Hello, my dearest readers! This is a really exciting chapter, I really hope you like it. Of course I've been totally trying not to get out of character, which was a little hard, because of the flow of the story. And plus, I left a cliffhanger there! And I'm not responding 'til I get reviews!! (Laughs sinisterly!)
Chapter 6: Upset about Something?
The prefects really worked hard for the next few days. The one who put real massive amounts of effort was Hermione. She monitored every spell and charm the prefects cast, she shook her already throbbing head for more ideas for the coming Halloween feast. Pumpkins were handcrafted in midair and hover charms were put on candles as usual. The most exciting part about the ball was the little Halloween booths that Hermione had come up with, so it was like a Halloween ball/ festival. The Great Hall was enlarged (which was saying something, because it was already very huge.) for the students' comfort. And as Sean had predicted, McGonagall only extended the age limit for the party to third years.
Of course, the professors were invited to join the party, to chaperon, along with the prefects, so nothing will go out of hand. The boys all talked about the food and the exciting booths, while the girls all talked about their costumes.
"So, Hermione, what costume do you think you're wearing?" Ginny asked Hermione in the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione evidently lowered the book she was reading to her lap to speak to Ginny. "Um, I don't know yet. One thing's sure though, I am not going to dress up as a witch this year."
"Muggles dress up as witches during Halloween, right?" Ginny thoughtfully said
"Er, yeah! I usually do when I was a kid." Hermione replied as two boys entered the portrait hole.
"Hey Hermione, Ginny!" Harry cheerfully greeted.
"Hey Harry!" the two girls answered quite as happily.
"So, you've figured out what costume you're going to wear?" Hermione inquired eagerly.
"There're more things than costumes to worry about!" Ron cried out hysterically. "We still haven't got a date!!"
The two girls giggled uncontrollably at Ron's panic-stricken face.
"Sorry," Ginny started, holding of her giggles. "No can do, I said I'm going out with that cute, smart…er…what's his name again Hermione?"
"Cute and smart, eh, but you don't know his name." Ron smugly said to Ginny.
"His name's Sean, Sean Hickledott." Hermione lazily replied.
"Oh, the Bigheaded Headboy." Harry muttered while nodding his head.
"You can say that again." Ron exclaimed.
"He's not that bad, really!" Ginny defended. "He's actually quite nice. Hermione set me up with him."
"What about you Hermione?" Ron looked up hopefully at Hermione.
"Sorry, Harry asked me first." Hermione replied casually.
"When!?" Ron ejaculated hoarsely.
"When you and Ginny were talking about Sean, that was before I answered Ginny's question."
"Harry, how could you?!" Ron cried out.
"Sorry," Harry apologized, but he didn't look quite sorry. "I guess that only leaves you…"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
That very same night, Draco was in the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office, talking her into giving him permission not to come to the cursed ball.
"…sides, I don't even have a partner for the dance, I would look like a complete moron." Draco whined while playing with the water fairy they caught earlier in a small basin.
"Have you even tried to ask one out?" Professor Vivien muttered calmly (even though Draco was whining at her for the past 35 minutes.)
"Well, no. Do you think anyone will want to go out with me after being involved with the Death Eaters?"
"Why don't you try asking Hermione? She's really nice, and she can see people for who they really are." Professor Vivien seemed very fond of Hermione.
"Why would I even consider that buck-toothed, mudblood, know-it-all. I'd rather ask a pug-face gorilla (A/n: haha! Pansy!) than her!! And besides, she already has a date!"
"You know, you could've just came straight to the point that she already has a date and you can't ask her out instead of insulting her, manners, Draco." Professor Vivien scolded.
"She really is a-well, not a buck tooth anymore, but she's still a mudblood know-it-all! And I don't want to lie." Draco retorted angrily.
"Then you could just go without a date then," said Professor Vivien brightly. "No one would know who you are, of course, before midnight that is."
"I hate you." Draco sighed, finally giving up.
"Yes, I'm sure you do." Professor Vivien muttered with a chirpy smile on her face.
The night before the Halloween ball was full of hustles and bustles, the prefects made last-minute preparations and the girls and boys were making last-ditch accessories for their costumes. Even the boys came to vanity extent just to impress people with their costumes.
The following day, classes were pretty much subdued, because the students were too much excited to even pay attention to their lessons. Professors were forced to give up, and just gave them homework. Professor Vivien actually let her class chat and talk about the night's much awaited event. She just sat there and amused herself by listening to the students' conversations; she evidently showed that she did not want to fight a losing battle.
At five o'clock pm, everyone went to their dormitories to get ready for the party, which was starting at six pm. Hermione and Ginny were in the head's dormitories so they would not have to be cramped in a room full of giggling girls putting on their make up, or as Hermione calls it; face paint.
"You know, it's pretty funny why you don't put make-up." Ginny recited conversationally. "I mean, every other girl in the universe wears them."
"Well, I'm not much of a girl, to be honest." Hermione replied sarcastically.
Ginny came out of the dressing room (Hermione conjured for them) wearing a blood-red set of dress robes, a pair of fangs and a dark shade of lipstick as a really pretty red-haired vampire.
"So what do you think?" Ginny spun around for Hermione to see.
"Great! You look fantastic, Ginny!" Hermione complimented as she peered through the dressing room curtain.
"Ready to come out now?" Ginny cried out impatiently. "You've been there so long!"
"So have you." Hermione snapped as she opened the dressing room curtain. Ginny gasped and gaped at Hermione, apparently stunned.
"You should utterly wear that to class." Ginny exclaimed dramatically. Hermione laughed and patted Ginny on the shoulder.
"Come on, we better hurry, I should be there at five thirty." Hermione bellowed edgily at Ginny.
They reached the doors to the great hall; nobody was there yet, except for three male figures and one female. Luna was with Ron, wearing a sparkling set of dress robes and a silver circlet around her forehead, and apparently, she transformed her ears into long elf-like ones.
"Wow, Ginny you look marvelous!" Sean cried out appraisingly at Ginny. "But where's Hermione? She should be here right now, doesn't she?"
"I'm here, you prat!" Hermione yelled furiously at Sean. "Don't play dumb, Sean, everyone knows you're in Ravenclaw!"
Harry and Ron, apparently really didn't realize that this was really Hermione, because they gawked at her open-mouthed, with a stunned gaze in their eyes.
"Oh, come on!" Hermione lost her well-kept temper. "Honestly! I did more renovations in the Yule ball!"
They all entered the doors and lost their selves in the midst of the most beautiful and glamorous night they've yet to experience.