'Ello again! So sorry I haven't been updating quite as frequently... but I do have an excuse... My english teacher assigned some stupid persuasive essay, so I spent all of yesterday writing crap instead of writing this... and this chapter is really long, 11 pages in Word, so it took forever to write and type up... so yeah... that's my excuse...You guys are probably lucky I even updated today instead of waiting til next weekend... but I just got sooo many nice reviews... and yeah a few strange ones... okay I'll stop rambling now (Oh, and I'm not encouraging you to leave me confusing reviews... leave nice ones that I can understand)

Disclaimer: yes, no, maybe so

Random Latin Quote o' the Day:

Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

And now... ON WITH THE STORY!


Chapter 26

Death by Shoe

"Hermione!" Ginny whined, "We have to go!"

Hermione flipped a page, eyes still glued to the tiny print, "Why?" She asked calmly, "We've already finished shopping… right?" a hint of alarm seeped into her last phrase.

"But we've been here for almost two hours," she complained, gesturing to the interior of the Three Broomsticks.

Harry and Ron sat at a nearby table gossiping shamelessly like young school girls over how the Malfoys seemed to suddenly be… purple.

Hermione slid a thin red ribbon into her book as a place holder and replied mildly, "Well, we spent just over five hours at that horrid clothes shop, what's wrong with two hours here?"

"I'm bored," Ginny sighed childishly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow,

What did she think I wasn't at Madam Malkin's?

"And it's already 3:30! We have to go get ready!"

"Get ready for what?" Hermione sipped her mug of butterbeer.

"The ball!" Ginny chirruped with excitement, "C'mon let's go!" she tugged on Hermione's arm.

Hermione shook her off and moaned, "five more minutes!"

"No! We have to go NOW!"

"But it's not til seven!"

"That only leaves us with," Ginny counted on perfectly painted red fingertips, "Three Hours!"

"You counted wrong," Hermione stated automatically.

"No," protested the fiery redhead, "It takes a while to get back to the castle from here, and it'll take longer if you don't hurry up!"

"Why do you need three whole hours to get ready? Last time I checked, it only took me three minutes to throw on a dress!"

Ginny looked at her dumbly as if she had just admitted to having an affair with both Snape and Percy. After a moment of shocked (and blissful) silence, Ginny figuratively exploded,

"But what about bathing, and hair, and makeup?" Ginny rambled loudly, "and shoes? I still need to pick out my shoes!"

"Well," Hermione said slowly, "I showered this morning, my hair is fine, I don't wear makeup, and I'll just wear those black one-inch heels you made me buy last year."

Once again, Ginny was thrown into a gaping silence.

"Oh, you poor deprived child!" she wailed in horror, quickly recovering from her shock, "This is serious! We have to go right now!

Ginny pulled on her arm, more forcefully this time, and Hermione sighed, picked up her bag, and glanced hopelessly back at Harry and Ron, who shot her sympathetic, better-you-than-me looks, as she was pulled from the cozy building.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Icy harsh wind made contact with warm skin as the door was blown wildly shut behind them. They trudged towards the castle through the thickening blizzard, huddling deep into their cloaks and scarves. By the time they reached the huge Hogwarts entrance, the snow lay just above their knees, while hands, feet and faces were numb with cold. Entering the entrance hall with pink noses and chapped lips, they made their way up to their dorms.

Upon entering Ginny's dorm room, they shed their damp winter wear and Hermione was shooed into the adjoining bathroom for a bath (regardless of her many protests of having had a shower that morning).

Hermione soaked idly in steaming, scented water, graced with a thick layer of shimmering bubbles that just skimmed the surface. After a few tranquil minutes, she got to work scrubbing every inch of herself clean (even though she had already don't exactly that this morning).

Fifteen minutes later, she cast a quick drying spell on her hair and emerged from the bathroom in a fluffy white terry robe.

"That was fast," Ginny noted with surprise from where she stood by her bed, "I already laid out our outfits for tonight, so while I'm in the bathroom you can go ahead and get changed. Be out in a bit!" She skipped happily into the bathroom, leaving Hermione to examine the dresses draped perfectly over the bed.

Her own was soft and pleasant to the touch, and she traced her finger down a simple design of the white crystal rhinestones. Turing her gaze to the other dress laid out on the bed, Hermione chuckled to herself in amusement. The short, slightly flared crimson dress was, in its entirety, purely Ginny. The somewhat ruffled edges of the bottom were delicately lined in black, as were the thin crisscrossed straps, and the jewelry placed beside matched it perfectly.

Wonder when she got it, Hermione mused thoughtfully, I've sure never seen it before.

She pondered quietly for a moment before grabbing the dress off the bed. From the flowing blue fabric, a small pile of something silver dropped. Bending down, she recovered a pair of long, dangling earrings, from which hung several sparkling white stones each, along with a matching necklace. She smiled, Ginny had given her the set for her birthday, but she'd never worn them yet, as they seemed just too fancy for everyday wear.

Hermione slipped her gown on over her head and reached back to tie the halter portion. She fumbled with the velvety smooth material and unsuccessfully tried again as the fabric became slippery beneath her fingers.

…This is not working

She walked, tripping over the dress's hem a few times, over to the huge mirror on the other side of the room.

…Maybe… If I turn my head, like this…

She tilted her head awkwardly.

…I can just see the bloody frickin' knot

A shock of unruly hair fell into her face

"Stupid… hair… idiotic… design… for a dress," she muttered in frustration.

Try as she might, she simply could not get the knot to stay put in one place.

"Need some help?" a familiar voice asked from the doorway.

Hermione whirled around, her fist clutching the fabric tightly behind her neck.

"George!" she cried in alarm, "How'd you get up here? What if I wasn't dressed?"

"I levitated myself, and it wouldn't've bothered me" he grinned cheekily.

Before she could respond, he crossed the room and gently pried the dark blue velvet ties from her rigid grasp. Nimble fingers swiftly worked to knot the two ends together, sending shivers rippling out from where they lightly brushed against bare skin.

He tied the fabric securely behind her neck, the excess material falling gracefully between her shoulder blades, and his hands lingered only a few moments longer than necessary.

"Thanks…" Hermione murmured uncertainly, reaching up to tug the knot experimentally.

"Anytime," George grinned.

"Hey Hermione! Would you pass me my dress?" Ginny's muffled shouts still permeated through the bathroom door.

"I'd best be going," George smiled endearingly, "see you in a couple hours."

He kissed her swiftly on the lips and exited the room.

"Hermione!" Ginny poked her head out of the bathroom, could you pass me my dress?"

"Oh… yeah, okay," Hermione snapped out of her blissful state and handed her friend the deep red dress.

"Thanks," Ginny ducked back into the bathroom.

"You're welcome," Hermione sat slowly down on the bed and reached out to lift the silvery jewelry from the small mahogany table.

She poked the sparkling earrings through her earlobes and fastened the clasp to her necklace. She then grabbed Ginny's battered copy of Hogwarts A History and flopped down on her stomach upon the bed, immersing herself in the worn text.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Five minutes later, Ginny stepped from the bathroom.

"Hermione!" she moaned in exasperation.

"What?" Hermione put down the huge book and rolled dramatically off the bed.

"You got your dress all wrinkled!"

Hermione looked down at her crumpled outfit, "So? I can fix it." She tapped the velvet blue ham with her wand and the wrinkles obediently pressed themselves smooth, "See?"

"Alrighty then, I'm going to go pick out my shoes." The bright redhead skipped over to her huge closet and began pulling shoes from it.

"Hey Ginny! When did you get that dress? I've never seen it before," Hermione leaned against the doorframe of the closet.

Ginny grinned, "The day after they announced the ball."

She pulled a strappy pair of sky-high heels from beneath a box, "here try these on,"

"But I'm wearing the black one-inch heels," Hermione protested as the pointy shoes were flung at her.

"The ones I made you buy last year?"

"yes,"

"No way, they are just too low. I made you buy those for a small dinner party, not a ball!"

"Well, I'm not wearing these!" Hermione dangled the dangerous looking stiletto heels in Ginny's face.

"Yeah you are!"

"If I do, I'll trip down a staircase, break my ankles, and crack open my skull!"

"Ooohh, very pleasant images 'mione," Ginny rummaged further into the closet.

"I'm not wearing them!"

"Alright, alright, how about these?" Another pair was chucked at her, this time making contact with her face.

"What is this! Torture Hermione in a dress store then kill her with a shoe day?" she shrieked.

Hermione gingerly rubbed her cheek where the heel had hit her and threw both pairs of shoes back at her friend.

"Sorry!" Ginny called from the back of the closet.

"I'm wearing my low-black shoes!" Hermione yelled stubbornly, "I'll be back in a minute,"

She ran barefooted to her shared room next door.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Lavender and Parvati (now human) were sitting in front of the gilded, circular mirror, their makeup and hair-care products lined messily upon an intricately painted white table.

"Hermione!" Lavender cried, "Your dress is soooo pretty!"

"Thanks," Hermione began to dig through her trunk, "Your dresses are really nice too."

Lavender's dress was a strapless light… well lavender color, and Parvati's was a poufy lemon yellow with a plunging neckline.

"So Hermione, tell us," Parvati globbed a thick layer of white powder across her best friend's face, "Are you really going with George Weasley?"

"Erm…" Hermione shifted uncomfortable, "yes." She spotted the strap of one of her shoes and pulled frantically.

"Oh..My..God!" Lavender squealed, "he is soooo hott! You are the luckiest girl ever!"

"Better not let Ron hear you say that," Parvati chided as she applied a neon pink blush.

"Oh," Lavender scoffed, "Ron knows whatever we once had is so over. This is just kind of… whatever."

"So you're going with Ron then?" Hermione asked, eager to change the topic from George and herself.

She pulled hard on the shoe and it finally burst out from beneath the Monster Book of Monsters, which growled and snapped in annoyance.

"Yeah," Lavender replied nonchantly, "No one else asked me, and I sort of felt sorry for the guy."

"Didn't that Creevey kid ask you though?" Parvati asked.

"Oh right," Lavender rolled her heavily lined eyes, "but he hardly even counts. He's not even in our year and is kind of gross really. Always obsessing over Harry, maybe he's gay. Anyhow, I'd take Ron over him any day."

Hermione murmured sympathetically as she dug deeper into her trunk, desperate to find her second shoe and get away before they tried to "make her pretty".

"Hermione, you absolutely have to let us do your makeup!" Parvati gushed, smearing a tube of sparkly purple gunk over Lavender's mouth.

Too late…

"well, uhh…" Hermione stammered, yanking feverishly at the second shoe she had just spotted.

"Oh, come on!" Lavender pleaded as her lashes were heavily doused in purple mascara, "Please? See how nice Parvati made me look?"

In all truthfulness, Lavender's heavily made up face reminded Hermione of a first year's art project. She shuddered involuntarily.

…Must get out of here at all costs…Desperate times call for desperate measures…

"Well, uh, I actually already promised Ginny she could."

"Oh," Parvati looked extremely put out.

The second shoe was persuaded, if somewhat forcefully, to unhook from the yarn of a very old mitten. Hermione grabbed both shoes triumphantly and fled the room.

"Bye! See you guys later!" she called back, before they could start bugging her about her bushy hair.

…Yes! Free at last! Well, sort of…

Hermione sprinted the three feet back to Ginny's room.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"What took so long?" The redhead demanded, "It's already 5:30!"

"I couldn't find my shoes and Lavender and Parvati tried to get me to let them do my makeup."

Ginny scowled, "Those two have no idea how bad they are at doing makeup. They're usually really stubborn though. How'd you get away?"

Hermione sighed, knowing the consequences of her next sentence, "I told them I'd already promised you, that you could do it."

Ginny's face lit up, "Well then," she smiled maniacally, "Since that's what you promised, I expect no complaints or arguments. Here, sit down and we can get started," Ginny motioned towards a padded stool.

Hermione groaned and plopped onto the stool, letting her shoes drop onto the floor beside her.

Ginny's eyes flashed from the shoes to Hermione's stoically black face, and back to the shoes again. Instructing Hermione to close her eyes, Ginny muttered a spell under her breath and the plain black heels of the shoes grew a bit taller and much thinner. She added a few white rhinestones to match the dress, with a flick of her wand, then retrieved her makeup kit and began on Hermione.

"Not so much makeup please?" Hermione begged, as Ginny began to apply a very light blush.

"Now, what did we say about complaining? Didn't you make a promise?" Ginny scolded playfully.

"Yes mum," Hermione relapsed back into silence.

0o0o0o0o

An hour later, Ginny handed Hermione a mirror.

"That's not me," she insisted flatly.

"Yes it is!"

"My hair is a bushy mess… not… this," Hermione wound a sleek curl of shiny brown hair around her finger.

"It is you Hermione," Ginny sighed with a smile, and began applying her own makeup.

"But I don't look this nice in real life,"

"Makeup makes the world go round," the redhead smiled as she wiped on a bit of red lipstick.

"Whatever you put on my lips is really sticky," Hermione's hand reached up to touch it.

"Don't Touch It!" Ginny ordered loudly, "The stickiness will go away on its own in a minute or so, just don't touch it!"

Hermione dropped her hand as if she'd been stung, "fine… fine…"

She swung her legs in boredom, watching Ginny expertly apply shadow. Her eyes wandered and fell upon her shoes beside her.

"You changed my shoes!" she accused.

"Yup!" Ginny grinned, "And the spell works so only I can turn them back, so don't even try it,"

Hermione's outstretched arm holding her wand lowered from the shoes, "Turn them back!" she demanded.

"Nope! You're either wearing those, or the 'tripping-down-a-stair-case, ankle-breaking, skull-cracking ones'." Ginny applied the finishing touches to her makeup and stepped into a pair of tall, strappy red and black shoes.

Hermione remained silent.

"Oh Hermione!" she cajoled, "I didn't make them too high. It's just an inch or so taller. Just put them on. George and Harry will come any minute!"

"But he's already here," Hermione blurted.

"Who?" Ginny's head snapped up from fastening the straps of her shoe.

"Oh… er… George,"

Ginny's eyes gleamed wickedly, "Where?" she asked. Something was definitely up.

"Well, he was here for a bit, then left… so I don't really know anymore."

"And where was I?" she asked slowly, watching Hermione fidget.

"uhh… bathroom."

"Alright, I think I've had enough. I really don't fancy hearing about anything you and my brother did in here while I was in the bathroom," she put on her other shoe and smirked, "my bed isn't contaminated is it?"

"GINNY!"

"alright, calm down girl, I was only checking… And that does mean 'no' right?"

"GINNY! I did not DO anything with your brother in this bedroom!"

"Well, that's a good thing," the door opened to reveal George and Harry, both grinning widely, "Cause if you did, I'd have to kill them… unless it was me of course," George smiled angelically at a still-fuming Hermione.

"Ginny, you're beautiful," Harry murmured as she walked into his arms.

"You guys all set to go?" George asked, "Fred and Katie already left for the Great Hall."

"Let me just put my shoes on," Hermione scowled at the transfigured heels, but nonetheless, put them on.

Taking George's offered arm, she stumbled clumsily out of the room, after Harry and Ginny.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"George's eyes hungrily took in every small detail of Hermione's figure. She really was beautiful. She just didn't believe it herself. And she looked about ready to kill someone violently and painfully. A grin crept upon his face.

Mission: Get Hermione to have fun at the ball, for once in her life.

Okay... well there's your 11 page chapter, hope you liked it... Review Please!
and just if you wanted to know, there will probably only be 2 chapters after this... so sad... :(

Cactus0- thanks so much and yeah, I despise dress shopping too

Ladel- thanks for reading my entire story on Friday and reviewing to every single chapter... My inbox was very happy

And thanks to everyone who reviewed because you guys helped me write out this chapter faster. Uh... yeah I think that just about covers it...Next Chapter is the Ball! Wheeeeee... finally...so Review please... it will also be a long chapter, and I probably won't have it updated until at least next weekend

-Oli