Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Chapter 9: A Surprise Visit in November

3 Months Later (end of November/beginning of December)*

HR POV*

The past three months have sort of fallen into a routine. We go to classes on the weekdays and have the weekends off. I earned at least twenty points a class and my friends are still amazed by that. The my friends and I were walking out the Great Doors when they swung open from the outside. There stood Mrs. Malfoy, Vera, Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Zabini, and Mrs. Longbottom.

"Hi, all!!" Vera said cheerily. My eyes widened. The mothers smiled at us.

"It's time to go shopping for the ball, girls." Mrs. Zabini said. I turned around and tried to walk away. The girls stopped me.

"Come on, Hermione!! Don't be like that!!" Pans said happily. I looked at the boys. 'HELP ME!!' I mouthed at them. They all chuckled and stepped back as the girls turned me around and pushed me out the doors.

"Yeah, you'll have fun!! I got permission from the Headmaster to take you all to Diagon Alley!!" Mrs. Malfoy said happily. I groaned.

"Oh dear Merlin!! I'm dead!" I said despairingly.

"Oh, come on!! It won't be that bad!" Mrs. Potter said. I didn't believe her. We got outside the gates and apparated to the Alley.

"Where are we going?" Pans asked eagerly.

"The Aristocrat's Haven." Vera said excitedly.

"Alright. Lily, help Pansy. Alice, help Millie. Cassandra, help Daph. Vera and I will help Hermione." Mrs. Malfoy ordered.

"Why do I need two fashion monsters?!" I asked, a twinge of fear starting to stir within me. Mrs. Malfoy just smiled at me and dragged me in.

We looked around for a while, and then her and Vera both pulled out a dress at the same time. It was beautiful.

"This is the one." Vera said. I tried it on and we bought it.

(here's the url for Hermione's dress-- /collections/quinceanera-ball-gowns) We met the others and they showed me their dresses, which were gorgeous!!!

Millie's dress url-- m./en/list/special-occasion-dresses_c2048/1.html

Pansy's dress url-- /shop/styles_and_trends/ball_gown?sr=1nt=32ob=pa (top left)

Daph's dress url-- /ball-gown-dresses-7921/begin-lace-12778v9455-end/ (black one middle column near bottom)

"Okay, we'll take these to your homes after we drop you all back off at Hogwarts." Lily said kindly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Longbottom, Mrs. Zabini, Mrs. Malfoy, and Vera. It was very kind of you all to do this for us." Millie said sweetly.

"We don't have daughters of our own, this was actually a selfish pleasure." Mrs. Longbottom said sheepishly. The others all giggled as they took us back and waved as they disappeared once more.

We walked into the Slytherin common room to see the boys playing wizard's chess.

"Hey, Hermione, you're not dead!!" Harry laughed.

"I actually kind of wish I did die..." I was then cut off by Malfoy.

"That'd be a blessing." He said focusing on the board. I glared at him.

"I was going to say that I wish I had died so I wouldn't have to see your ugly mug, Malfoy you prat!!!" I snapped. He spared me but a quick glare before returning to his game. He won. Theo groaned.

"He's beat all of us so many bloody times!! It's no fair!!!!!" He nearly yelled.

"Mind if I try?" I asked.

"By all means, let me crush you in something." Malfoy taunted. The game began.

Fifteen minutes later, I rose victorius.

"Check mate." I said, leaning back with a smirk. Malfoy's jaw dropped.

"How?" Harry exclaimed.

"The only people to have ever beaten me were my teaxhers, father and Snape." Malfoy declared grumpily. My smirk grew.

"Living out on the streets gives you amazing strategy skills. Let's just say that, after nine years out there, a game of chess was just too easy." I said with a smug air about me. Malfoy started muttering.

"So, how was dress shopping?" Neville asked trying to diffuse the situation.

"Great!! The dresses were beautiful!! Hermione looked absolutely gorgeous in hers!!" Daph squealed.

"Can't wait to see them." Blaise grinned.

"Regoff wouldn't look gorgeous if she put on a thousand glamours." Malfoy grumbled. Pans looked absolutely furious.

"Two things...one, she's already wearing glamours that de-grade her appearence...and two, what the bloody hell did she ever do to you to make you so rude to her?!?!" She screeched at him. I smirked once more.

"It's the fact that I'm smarter that he doesn't like. We've been here three months and I'm already top of our class." I snipped with a haughty look at my nails like it wasn't anything important. Malfoy turned red.

"NO!!" He shouted, trying to save his social-face.

"Uhhhumn." Daph rolled her eyes. He grew redder (if that was possible) and stomped off.

"Regoff!! The team is going for a fly tomorrow and since you work well and are a reserve, you count!!! Want to come?" Marcus Flint stood right behind our little group's spot.

"Sure, Marcus." I said with a slight shrug of my shoulders. He nodded and walked off.

"That'll be fun. Plus, you get to be surrounded by the cutest boys in Slytherin!!!!" Millie squealed. I groaned.

"What is with you guys and boys?!" I yelled, stomping into our shared dorm. This was going to be a long night if that was going to be their topic. Well, maybe I'll actually get some sleep tonight.