I'm combining a few chapters cause I need the story to get going. MAIN EVENT NEXT CHAPTER :) !
"Alright Hermione. So you trust me. You trust me 100%." Kari's hands rested on her shoulders and her expression was completly serious. "Repeat after me: Kari I one-"
"I trust you ! I trust you ! " Hermione laughed. The anticipation was absolutely killing her.
After returning from their shopping trip, and trying on all her new clothes for her mother, it was decided that the completion of Hermione's make over was to be done tonight. Then they were going out to eat and wherever they ended up after that was just the cherry on top. The first thing was her hair. Kari spent hours on the big mass of curls, every minute making her more excited. Everything was now going to be done so that she couldn't see. Her make up was next and the Kari simply handed her some clothes and instructed her to put them on. She had known what she was putting on but there was always this exciting feeling before turning to face the mirror.
Her hair was completly changed. Cream beige highlights weaved themselves through a rich honey brown color and another caramel brown. Half of it was pinned back, the top half being teased and poofed back. The rest fell past her shoulders in soft winding curls. She ran her hands amazed over her new tresses and figured her friend had done a fair amount of repairing. Her formerly unruly dry curls felt so soft on her fingers now and all she wanted to do was continue running her hands through them. She didn't however, not wanting to ruin how perfect they were. Moving closer mirror she examined her face. Though her complexion was thankfully clear, her skin seemed a little more glowy and bronzed. Her eyes were lined with a charcoal liquid liner and smudge in with some powders. Her lips were a soft pink and she was happy to know that it was a gloss. She'd have to get Kari to give her the name of it. Stepping back again she turned a few ways and admired her clothes again. Flowy white lace top tucked into a black and white floral skirt with a skinny black belt. She had a pair of pearl studs in her ears which surprisingly enough she previously owned and the matching bracelet on her wrist. Hermione did another spin and then turned to her friend.
"You are a miracle worker." she smiled and hugged Kari who laughed and patted her back.
"Yeah well." she shrugged and Hermione returned to admiring herself in the mirror. Kari sauntered back over to her suit case and let out a sigh. "Now what the hell am I going to wear? "
Hermione swung her hair around tossing it from shoulder to shoulder, scrunching it and watching how it moved. Her eyes never left the mirror but her glossy lips peeled into a smirk and she glanced at her friend's reflection in the mirror.
"Well you know, I could always pick something out for you." Kari stared back at her friend through the mirror with a suspicious look. She already had a few things gathered in her hands but dropped them back into the case. The newly fashioned girl turned to face her stylist resting her hands on her hips.
"I mean, prove to you what an excellent teacher you are." For a moment Kari stared at her friend weighing the pros and cons of this turn over. Ahhhh why not? She relaxed and rolled her eyes.
"Fine. But I'm doing my hair. No one touches these tendrils from the heavens." She ran her hands through her mass of hair roughing it up and shaking it around for a moment. When her hair settled in a messy pile she puckered her lips making the playboy face. Hermione laughed and pranced over to Kari's suitcase. She kneeled down and began digging through the mounds of newly bought clothes and the ones she brought with her. The darker haired girl walked over to the mirror and began spraying and fluffing her hair. Kari sat cross-legged against the mirror and after the teasing and the spraying, curled each loose piece.
"Now this is a real test. You make me look like you before I came to your aid and I'm never letting you near my closet again."
"With all of the things you have in this bag, I couldn't even get you close to looking like what I did. I mean I know you brought this with you and it still has the tag on it." Hermione pulled out a deep violet sequined dress, holding it up for her friend to see then tossing it into a separate pile.
"I'll wear it someday..." Kari mumbled and continued doing her hair.
"You know it's a good thing Dom is the same as you. " Hermione shook her head and pulled out another shirt with a tag on it. Really ? why someone would buy something and never actually wear it was beyond her.
"What do you mean?"
"You are both soo high-maintenance. He probably spends just as much time on his hair as you do." Kari let out a loud laugh and started to tease back her hair again.
"High maintenance is more fun. Plus, get over it 'cause you're high maintenance now too." Hermione smiled and simply rolled her eyes. She wouldn't be too high maintenance. Maybe just medium maintenance? "Have you figured out my outfit yet?"
Hermione nodded and stood with the items in her hands. Kari did one last shake with her hair and then jumped up to see what Hermione was laying out on her bed. She glanced over an analyzed the outfit. It was one of her favorite black dresses, it had long sleeves and came about mid thigh. The thing she really loved about it though was how wide scooped the neckline was. It scooped in a perfect oval shape down to just above her cleavage, not revealing too much and landed far on her shoulders. She was glad Hermione picked it out. With it, her apprentice had paired a pair of pale green stilettos and some large gold chain bracelets. Kari smiled over at Hermione.
"This is great ! Awesome outfit. I like the green shoes." Hermione beamed as if she had answered a question right in class. "There's no earrings though..."
"Oh I have the perfect ones !"
Kari laughed when she saw what the girl pulled from her drawer. The were quite stunning earrings but they certainly were giant. They looked like something out of a bad 70's movie. She figured they could look great if her hair had been up or if maybe she had on a different outfit.
"I'm not wearing those..."
"You have to." Hermione grinned deviously. "Pretend you bought them at a vintage jewelery store."
"Well they are old enough to be antiques..." Hermione sighed and dropped them into the girl's hands.
"Humor me." Kari rolled her eyes and grabbed the dress from the bed.
"Fine." she replied and was dressed in no time.
Downstairs the boys were dressed and waiting patiently. Could those females take any longer? Harry decided that perhaps he shouldn't ask the question allowed. Because the answer would probably be 'most certainly'. Just as he was beginning to wander towards the television he heard the sound of high heels hitting against the stair-case. He turned back to stand next to Dom and smiled to see Hermione come down first. Her transformation from frumpy book-worm to confident model was still shocking to him.
"You look lovely Hermione, " Dom said bowing a bit as she made her way down the stairs. She threw him a smile saying that oh yes, she was aware of how great she looked and then continued past him linking arms with Harry. Harry spoke his praise for her aswell and lead her towards the door. Kari descended the stairs and smiled down at Dom as he came into view. He had on a dark blue dinner jacket, crisp white shirt and black pants. His hand was extended towards he and she gracefully took it.
"And you love, look beyond beautiful." As they linked arms to follow behind the pair he snuck a quick kiss on her cheek which then proceeded to flush. Funny he could still do that to her. As they reached the door his hand went to the small of her back leading her forward. Kari looked up at him, staring into his hazel eyes she saw pure amusement.
"I would like to say, that I love your earrings." he said in a hushed voice struggling to keep the laughter bubbling up inside him from escaping. The brunette giggle and leaned closer into him.
"Hermione picked them out. This whole outfit." she whispered back a hand over her mouth. Was she being, gossipy? Oh well, Dom was too!
"Well I do commend her on this spectacular," his hand trailed from the small of her back, to the side of her hip , down and then around. ",pick. But these earrings." Kari shook her head and laughed then slipped into the back seat of Hermione's parent's car.
Hermione turned on the car, albeit being nervous about how good of a driver she would be with these heels on. She pressed lightly on the gas feeling the awkward angle her ankle was positioned. She took a deep breath and decided to deal with it, and off they went.
It hadn't taken too long to get there. Kari , again being the expert at trendy shopping spots and high class locations had picked out the perfect place. Saint Pluto it was called. Simply standing outside made Hermione feel under dressed even in her high heels and skirt. At least Kari would be there to guide her through the high standards that went along with this place. Harry pulled open the door for her and she smiled giving her thanks. She lagged back waiting for Kari and Dom who strode through the door like they were meant to be there.
"Table for four." Dom said non-nonchalantly. The girl at the booth smirked at him and slipped four menus under her arm and then walked into the main dinning area. She was tall, thin, blue eyes, luxurious blond hair. She fit the image this place was trying to make perfectly. They followed her without question and found themselves sitting in the back of the dinning room in a quiet secluded booth. Hermione smiled and was relieved to sit. She would have to start getting used to these heels.
She really was enjoying being so girlie. It had always been such a hassle before to do her hair, put on make up and pick out things that coordinated or matched or didn't match but still went together. There were so many 'rules' that she didn't understand before. But Kari had broken it down for her, made everything simple enough for her to know and remember. Really it had been just like learning in potions or DADA. You started at the bottom and worked your way up. It was just like one other class, one other subject she could excel at. Being fashionable was like being the best at Potions. You learned and analyzed the material and went with it. It was methodical. And plus, if you could dress smart and then be smart people seemed to accept and really believe your advice. Before people always just copied off her or believed the things she said because she was the book worm. But now people were actually listening to her opinions instead of just her facts. They wanted to be her friend now and see what she had to say. "Everyone likes having pretty friends to take pictures with Hermione. The world loves pretty people." And as stupid and how really terrible as it was, people were just being nicer to her.
Like when they went into the clothing stores she had watched how people would greet Kari. She was well dressed and well spoken and it seemed like associates would rush over to her to see if there was anything they could do for her. At first Hermione had figured it was just her personality. Oh she was just like that, she figured. But then she watched closer and Kari was always being asked, oh where did you get this, where did you get that, who does your hair. Was it shallow? Absolutely. Did she still think it was so stupid and unfair that people would act differently towards you because of your looks. Yes. But she was smart on the inside so what did it really matter ? She began realizing that wearing fancy clothes and doing your hair all nice didn't make her any less smart. Being pretty didn't dumb her down. So what was the downside?
"Hermione?" She came out of her thoughts and focused on Dom, who was looking at her with an odd expression.
"I don't think we should go out after this. We need a good night sleep. Tomorrow we'll have to deal with Nanny Rini. And we are going to need all the energy we have."
Kari didn't object but simply turned back to her menu. Was she going to regret coming to Hermione's for christmas? Most likely.
The four women stood around the island in Hermione's kitchen staring at each other. Each had an apron on or clothes they didn't mind dirtying and were looking awkwardly around the kitchen.
"So... what the hell are we even making?" Nicole broke in.
"Well , I have a ham..." Mrs. Ganger said. Hermione's aunt nodded and took in a deep breath.
"One ham won't be enough."
"What about turkey?" Kari asked. Her family always had turkey at christmas. Hermione snorted and shook her head. She looked between the other two women and then back to Kari.
"Turkey is absolutly not something we can serve." Kari looked at her questioningly. Well, they couldn't be vegetarians because they had the ham...
"Nanny Rini thought the turkey was still alive last year when Dad set it on the table. She ... attacked it I guess you could say and then threw it onto the lawn and the neighbors dogs ate it. It was gross." Hermione said, answering the girl's silent question.
Kari wasn't sure what to think. Sure Hermione had said her family was crazy but really? Was she going to regret coming here this year? She looked nervously between the other women who at the mention of last year's events seem a bit on edge now too.
"Grandma Rini is here."
Dom looked between Mr. Ganger and Danny and both had the same expression. Fear. Mr. Granger cleared his throat and stood trying to mask his nervousness. Nanny Rini was the mother-in-law from hell. Not that he would ever actually say those words out loud anywhere near his wife, but he did think them on a regular basis. Why he couldn't have married a woman with a normal mother was beyond him. He took another deep breath.
"Alright, well I suppose we should go upstairs and greet her." he nodded towards Danny. The younger man nodded slowly and they made their way up the stairs at a sluggish pace. Hermione came down the the stairs, squeezing past her father and poking her head into the basement. She was far enough down for the boys to see her.
"Hurry up!" She whispered feircly. Her arms began to flail in a 'come on' fashion. Harry did not hesitate to bolt up the stairs following her. Dom quickly followed , looking to the curly haired girl confused. She said nothing but her hand signal went from flailing to dissmissive so Dom no longer pushed the issue. Hermione knew that they were going to have to pass Nanny Rini without being seen. They were not dressed appropriatly so to be seen would just be a whole lot of trouble. If she knew Grandma Rini she was sure to be talking in the kitchen. Ducking through the hallway she scuttled up the stairs with the stealth of a solider. When the boys filed into her room she shut the door leaning back against it, taking a deep breath.
"Oh dear, we made it." Dom moved towards Kari who was sitting on the bed her hands knit together, biting her lip.
"So...Hermione dear, please explain."
"Look, Nanny Rini is the reason I discouraged you all from coming here," she said ducking into her closet tossing clothes out left and right. "She hates the poorly dressed. But poorly dressed to her is pants on females and shirts with no ties. Kari, put this on."
A red velvet mess flung out of the closet landing on Kari's foot. Hesitant, she took a corner and pulled it off the floor to further inspect it. Her nose wrinkled and she held the dress as far from her person as she could. She stretched the article of clothing to it's full length and held it to her body. Ankle legth red velvet dress with a square neckline and long sleeves. Her mouth dropped open in horror and she looked up at Hermione.
"Please. Do not make me wear this." she whimpered. Hermione sighed and emerged from the closet with an equally distraught look. She held a dark blue, ankle length skirt a white tank top and a light blue poncho.
"This is her favorite outfit on me. I have to wear it every year." Hermione sighed and looked at the floor. Kari envelopped the girl in a hug.
"I am so, very sorry."
Still sitting awkwardly on the bed Dom looked nervously between the two girl. What the hell would he and Harry have to wear ? Pinstrip suits with a fedora ? Suspenders and those weird things that would hold up your socks?
"What about us?" Hermione turned and sighed.
"Blue or white shirt, with a blue or black tie. Black pants and a black or brown belt. No other colors."
"Why only those colors?" Harry asked.
"I...I don't know, but Dad wore a green shirt and black tie last year and she made him sit with the children. She said if he wanted to dress like a child he would eat with them."
Finally it was time to go join Hermione's newly arrived relatives. She pulled open the door just a peek and looked through the small crack. Good Nanny Rini was talking to Danny. She opened the door all the way and walked down the hall and into the dining room. Suddenly Rini turned around and hobbled over to her grand daughter.
Kari stood slightly behind Hermione and cringed at the sight of the old women. The old bat looked bloody crazy. She was hunched over, standing at four nothing. The hair on her head was severly thinning but still odly long. It was scraggly and grey until you reached halfway. Kari figure she had gotten her hair colored about eight months ago and hadn't been back since. She seemed to be wearing every peice of jewlery she owned along with a very very old and ratty looking mink coat. As the old woman glanced at her , she noticed how lazy her left eye seemed to be despite the very large glasses covering her face. With a shifty glance, her attention was drawn to Dom. Kari tensed but said nothing. How the hell did Hermione have such a crazy looking grandmother ?
"What the hell are you staring at, boy?" Her voice rasped. Smoker since 1897 ? Check.
"Uh...N-nothing..." he tried to say. Suddenly as if a switch had been pushed in her head she became nice and pleasent.
"Hermione dear, you never told me you had a boyfriend." Hermione looked at Dom with a sorry look. "Come here boy, let me have a look at you." Dom gave a whimper. It was clear he was scared of this strict and funny smelling old woman.
"No...grandma thats not my boyfriend..."
"Oh...then you must be her boyfriend." she said and pulled Harry down by the collar to examin him.
"No...no grandma he's just my fri-" Suddenly her grandmother gasped.
"Hermione! Don't tell me your one of those lesbiens!" she said staring at Kari. Hermione hung her head and shook it.
"No grandma...I don't have I boyfriend...or a...girlfriend for that matter."
"Than what the Hell are these people doing in your house!" she said. She soon began to yell and scream about the intruders. But then she switched over again and marched up to Hermione's mother and yelled at her for allowing theives to come into her home and try to hurt her three 'intruders' took a few steps back in slight fear of the old woman as she came back over to them. She looked ready to beat them with her purse.
"Grandma! No! These are my friends!" Hermione cried trying to calm her grandmother. But suddenly, as if nothing happened, grandma Rini stopped her yelling and screaming and smiled warmly to the three.
"Well then. Ill see you three at dinner. And make sure you try some of my pea soup!" she said and gave them a wink before waddling off to talk to Danny. Hermione let out a long sigh and turned to her friends.
"Sorry about that. Grandma Rini has gone a little mad..." Harry nodded in agreement still shocked at the old woman's sudden outburst.
"A little mad?"
"Ok, Ok maybe allot! But she's still my grandmother so no bad talking her." Hermione said. "Let's go meet my cousins..." Leading the three around to meet almost all of her relatives.
There was her mother's familly, which wasn't vey many. But then they went around to meet her father's family. Once finished with the relatives they all sat at one of the long tables in the dinning room. Dom sat beside Kari and to his greif, Grandma Rini. Kari was sitting beside Hermione's cousin Andy , who she could have sworn knew magic AND delt drugs. Harry sat beside a pretty girl that looked allot like Hermione, who sat beside her. Hermione smiled then turned to get up and help get the food, leaving the three guests siting at the table.
One of Hermione's aunts, the one Dom reconized as Aunt Marlee, smiled sweetly at them.
"So, you three go to Hermione's school?" The three nodded hoping they wouldn't be asked any more questions again.
"That's nice..." said what seemed to be Hermione's other grand mother. Though slightly younger and not as crazy looking. Luckily before it could go any further, Hermione pranced in and set the juice on the table for the younger children before sitting in her spot and putting the red wine in the center of the table. The food then started coming up and being set on the table. There was turkey and ham, and a vegetarien lasagna for the main meals. There were also peas, carrots, beats and stuffing. And before the next thing was set on the table everyone was diging into their meals.
"That was a disaster..." breathed Hermione who had streatched out on the sofa ready to fall asleep.
"I'll say..." sighed Harry, who's shoulder Hermione had rested her head. The place looked that exact word. Disaster. There was still a line of gravy on the wall and the little kids table was lying in half on the floor. Harry closed his eyes and sighed. Hopefully he would never get invited to Hermione's house for supper again. And as Harry started to doze off he recalled the events of the evening.
After gobbling down a few bits of ham, peas and carrots, Harry looked up to see Hermione's cousin Sara, who he figured was about twenty-five, smile at him and start talking.
"So...how'd you get that sexy scare on your forehead? It looks like a lightning bolt or something. " she purred and brushed away some of his shaggy black hair so she could see it better. Harry looked at her as if she were crazy. Was Hermione's cousin hitting on him?
"Um...well you see...uh...I..." he cleared his throat and continued with his blubber very very uncomfortably. What would Ginny say?
"Awh, do I make you nervous?" She cooed and leaned closer into him. Harry's face began to turn many shades of red and when he found his voice he looked down at his plate and spoke.
"I have a girlfriend." he squeaked. Sara sat back in her seat for a moment as if processing what he said. Hoping that she got the hint, he let out a sigh and relaxed a bit in his chair. But suddenly he felt the tingle of breath at his ear.
"That's never stopped me before." she purred. Harry froze, unable do do a thing. He felt a hand slip onto his leg.
"Sara , don't be a slut. " Danny snapped. Sara slowly recoiled and went back to eating her meal. Hermione, glanced over at Grandma Rini, who was sitting at the other end of the table. Thank fully she hadn't heard.
Then suddenly Harry felt a brush against his leg and looked over thinking it was Sara he gave her a look but it couldn't be her she was talking to Hermione. He peered under the table to see one of Hermione's 5 year old cousin staring up at him.
"Uh...Hello..." he said
"YOU!" screamed the littlegirl. Harry looked scared of this little girl and what she would do. "You take Herminony away!" she yelled again and gave his shine a goodhard punch. Harry let out a little yelp and the girl went scrurrying away. The rest of the table was currently looking at him with a funny expression.
The rest of the dinner passed uneventful for Harry but Dom's luck wasn't as good. He had been sitting next to Grandma Rini who kept spitting when she talked to him. Her moods swung at every other bite of her food and Dom had gotten most of her emotional outlets. At one time she had ended up flirting with him and saying he could come home with her, the next she let out a shreik and was complaning to Hermione's mother that Dominc was a horrible boy that should be locked up, but for why he was not certain. On top of that he hadn't got the chance to talk to of her...Kari had been sitting beside Andy.
"Hey..." he said catching her attention. He gave her a toothy grin and glanced down at his hands under the table. Kari did the same and looked at him questioningly. It was a bag of little green buds. Suddenly Kari knew what it was. It was pot! Her eyes widened and he smirked shoving the bag towards her. Kari shook her head and desperatly tried to get him to put it away. But for the rest of the Dinner Andy had either tried to get Kari to smoke with him or try and get himself laid. But then to Kari's releif Dom had noticed and placed an arm around her shoulders and gave Andy a glare. Andy got the point. But what had happened next was quite a bit of a shock to the family.
Harry had stood up to go to the bathroom but the same five year old girl stopped him as he walked by the younger kid's table.
"STOP!" the little girl commanded. She crossed her arms and looked at the other kids only a year or so older than her. Harry had stopped and looked down at her.
"We's has decided, that we's dosn't likes you!" she said and smirked. Harry gave her a questionning look. He had heard of the few survivors left from being hated by younger children. And the stories were quite awfull. He was almost as afraid of her as Grandma Rini. He had witnessed Dom's frightening conversation with the old woman.
"So you gotta suffer the concequenses!" shouted another boy who was about 6. He took up and handful of potatoes and hurled it towards Harry. It splattered all over his face and glasses. The little kids laughed and the little 'leader' girl threw her peice of turkey at him, but it missed and hit the wall sliding down leaving a trail of gravy along the white surface.
"ISABELLA!" shreiked Aunt Marlee who stood up and walked bruiskly towards her daughter. "Colin!" she said grabbed the other peice of turkey that Isabella was about to throw. But suddenly the tempermental boy named Colin gave an annoyed growl and ran right into Harry who was trying to get the potatoe off his face. Harry was taken by surprise and hopped on one foot and fell forwards onto the little kids table. The multicolored fisher's price table snapped under his sudden weight. He let out a groan and the little kids all began to attack him. Hermione along with all the other relatives jumped up.
"Isabella! Colin! Hannah!" yelled Hermione and the fight stopped immediatly. The young children jumped off the Boy-Who-Got-Attacked-By-Five-Year-Olds and lined up infront of Hermione.
"Yes Herminony?" Isabella asked in her sweetest andcuteste voice.
"Why did you attack Harry?" she asked and helped her friend up. The other parents all stared down at the two little children.
"He was going to take you away to that stupid school Hermionony!" yelled Colin the Tempermental.
"Harry was not going to take me away." she said and let Danny lead Harry to the bathroom because he couldn't see since his glasses were covered in potatoe.
"Now go to the spare bedroom for a time out!" said Anut Marlee to the both of them. Isabella crossed her arms and pouted then stomped off with Colin.
"Oh I am so sorry..." Hermione, Dom and Kari heard Aunt Marlee say as they walked out to meet Harry in the bathroom. Within the next half an hour everyone had left, to everyone's releif. Harry got cleaned up and along with his other three friends flopped onto the couch promising Hermione's parents a clean house once they got back from the store to buy more milk.
Sorry. This chapter is actual shit.
I hated writing it but yes I am sorry. Next one is ddone though, and it's JUICY AND AMAZING !
