AN: I'll be taking a short hiatus for a bit; finals are coming up and I'm moving right after so it's pretty hectic.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
The week flew by, with Ron and Ginny suspiciously almost always missing aside from class. Hermione didn't see them even at dinner the night before they were to expect their guests from Beauxbatons and Dumstrang, when she expected to see Ginny gossiping with the other girls about whether or not Viktor Krum, the seeker for the Bulgarian National Quidditch team and a student of Dumstrang, would attend.
As if by magic, Ron and Ginny materialized in the doorway, panting from overexertion. Hermione stood up and crossed her arms, frowning at her two friends. They glanced at each other before continuing down towards Hermione. When the pair reached empty seats near their friend, they quietly sat down, Hermione followed suit. Hermione's arms remained crossed and her mouth closed as she looked at her friends with raised eyebrows.
"Evening, 'Mione." Ginny picked up a glass of pumpkin juice and took a sip before giving her a secretive smile. Ron remained silent as he zeroed in on the turkey legs on the serving tray in front of him. Grabbing a leg, Ron took an overzealous bite, humming in happiness.
Hermione cleared her throat and uncrossed her arm. "Alright, where have you two been this week?" Ginny's secretive smile turned mischievous and waggled her finger at Hermione.
"You'll have to wait and see, 'Mione." Hermione sent Ginny a disgruntled look, to which the youngest Weasley feigned sympathy. Hermione sighed in return, giving up.
"So, Gin. Do you want help getting ready before I head to detention?" While Hermione wasn't a girly-girl but she knew Ginny was, and was willing to be one for her. The redhead smiled gratefully, knowing Hermione's distaste for girly things.
"Thanks, 'Mione. I think Lavender's gonna get ready with us, too." Ron's head popped up at the mention of the bubbly and oblivious girl. Hermione's eyebrows raised, catching Ginny's eyes and looking pointedly at her brother, who had already refocused on his food.
"Lavender? How's she been?" Ron tried, and failed, to nonchalantly inquire about her. George was about to comment but Hermione nudged him. He closed his mouth and turned his attention to his brother and Lee Jordan, who were deep in a discussion on Quidditch strategy.
"Same ditzy girl as ever," Ginny chuckled with a smile; she had a soft spot for the girl who others thought annoying. Ginny turned to Hermione, "she got a beautiful dress for the ball." Ginny dove into describing Lavender's dress.
Lavender's choice was a powder blue knee length dress with a minimal amount of tulle. It had an illusion neckline like Ginny's and had a slim, silver belt. Hermione was surprised at the mature dress the normally immature girl had chosen; she half expected an obviously inappropriate dress for male attention.
Ginny and Hermione's discussion of gowns had pushed Ron to join his brother's Quidditch discussion, despite his obvious interest in the girl in question. Harry appeared after the discussion had shifted to the upcoming guests, and sat between Ron and Ginny. Ron began to protest, but Harry elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up. Hermione caught Ginny's eye and winked at her.
Dinner went on as normal, save for Ron's occasional glares at Harry but they didn't acknowledge them. Hermione decided to skip dessert that night, wanting to retreat to the library instead. She said goodbye to her friends and made her way to the library. She tightened her robe around her as she went, the corridor getting colder the deeper she went.
Now that she was alone, she allowed her mind to wander. Her whole week had been consumed with suspicions of Ron and Ginny with Harry dodging all her questions about the pair's activities. Hermione's mind drifted back to her strange encounter with Draco in the dungeons the week prior. Tightening her robe even more, Hermione couldn't keep her mind from wandering to their interaction.
She stopped a few feet from the entrance to the library. She had touched his arm. She'd touched him! Their strange conversation aside, how could she touch the slimy ferret? She swore under her breath, horrified at her actions. Hermione shook her head, not able to believe what she'd done.
Walking into the library, she kept her head down, still shocked at her actions. Berdie greeted her from her desk by the entrance, noticing Hermione's lack of acknowledgement. The Gryffindor quickly retreated to the back of the library, taking off her robe and setting it on an empty study table in the back corner.
Hermione grabbed a book off the shelf at random and sat at the table, desperate to get her mind off the Prince of Slytherin. A tingle shot through Hermione at the sound of the book opening, the old spine loudly protesting. Hermione began reading before looking at the cover, realizing quickly that she had picked up a book on Transfiguration. While it wasn't her favorite subject, she wasn't one to put down a book.
Settling into her chair, Hermione read page after page on Transubstantial Transfiguration, refocusing when her mind began to wander. She was halfway through the hefty book before she realized she had been daydreaming. Closing the book, Hermione rested her forehead on the cool desk, looking at the carpeted floor.
Closing her eyes, Hermione sighed deeply. Focus wasn't usually an issue for her, why was it now? Sighing again, Hermione realized reading was futile; there was no way she could get her mind off her strange encounter with Draco. Scooting the chair back, Hermione put the transfiguration book back in its place before she began to pace.
The odd shape of the bookshelves in the back of the library provided Hermione with essentially a hidden study alcove. Taking advantage of the layout, Hermione paced from one side of the alcove to the other and back again, practically wearing a tear in the carpet. She let her mind wander while she paced, only aware enough to not hit the table.
Hermione stopped abruptly, mere inches before the bookshelf as she heard the clock tower ring in the distance. She held her breath as she counted the chimes, terrified she was late for curfew again. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it was only 9:00pm; she had an hour to get back to the common room. Fighting with herself internally for a moment, she grabbed her robe and left the alcove. She already had one detention with Snape and she wasn't about to have another.
Hermione said a hurried goodbye to Berdie, wanting to get to the common room as quickly as possible. Berdie cast Hermione a curious glance as the girl left the library an hour before curfew when she would normally stay until minutes before. Hermione paid the librarian no mind as she rushed through the corridor. Within minutes Hermione stood outside the portrait, heaving with her hands on her knees. That was the first time she ran that fast in a long time.
Hermione smoothed out her wrinkled robe and entered the Gryffindor common room, the portrait having already swung open when she uttered the password. Walking into the common room, Hermione stopped when she saw Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the twins lounging around the room. It was rare for any of them to be back before curfew. They stopped talking when they noticed she was standing there.
"Uh… hey, guys." Hermione's voice was almost questioning as she eyed her friends, her skepticism only building when they looked at each other without saying anything.
"We're getting you out of detention tomorrow." Fred exclaimed, only to be promptly hushed by Ginny. Fred smiled sheepishly at her sister as George continued for him.
"We figured it out." George smiled at her like the cat who ate the canary as Ginny pulled Hermione down next to her. She continued to look at the group skeptically.
"Explain." Hermione's tone left no room for argument and Ginny promptly dove into an explanation.
"You're going to be at the dance; one of them," Ginny jabbed a finger at the twins, "are going to take pollyjuice potion and take your place in detention." Hermione chose to ignore the fact that they had access to pollyjuice potion, and the fact that it was probably compliments of the twins.
"Why are you taking my place? It's detention. With Filch." Hermione raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
George opened his mouth to respond before he was quickly silenced by Fred, "Ginny is quite convincing." Hermione narrowed her eyes at Fred's minimal response, not trusting him further than she could throw him. Ginny waved a hand at her brothers, effectively silencing any further discussion on why.
"Anyways," Ginny rolled her eyes with a smile, "while they're in detention in your place you'll be at the ball dancing your heart out." Her eyes sparkled as she thought of the next night.
"But won't people realize there are two Hermiones?" Hermione threw Harry a pleading look, to which he held up his hands, refusing to be a part of the discussion.
"You'll have glamor charms on!" Ginny squealed with devious excitement and clasped her hands together, looking at Hermione expectantly.
Hermione thought for a few moments about how they could make it work. Sure, she'd have a different hair color and different eye color, but people would definitely know their plan when Hermione in detention sounded like a boy and a random girl sounds like Hermione. She sighed.
"Theoretically this might work." The smile was evident in her voice as she hugged Ginny who squealed louder. Thank Merlin it wasn't curfew yet.
Hermione shed her robe and joined in the lively discussion quickly developing about the next night, ignoring Ron's comments about the Beauxbaton girls. Ignoring Ron quickly became a group effort until his face was almost as red as his hair. The rest of them laughed and let him back into the discussion, with Ron avoiding talking about Beauxbaton again.
By the time the clock tower chimed 10:00pm, Hermione could feel a glimmer of hope about the ball. She still didn't understand why Fred or George would take pollyjuice potion to become her. Aside from one aspect she couldn't understand why becoming her was enticing. Hermione shook her head, not wanting to think about that.
Hermione readied for bed with Parvati, Lavender coincidentally absent from the room. Hermione didn't hear the girl come in until she was already settled in bed. Lavender changed in the dark and got into the bed between Hermione and Parvati without saying anything. Hermione was tempted to ask Lavender what she'd been up to, but exhaustion quickly overtook her. Before she could turn over, Hermione was fast asleep, dreaming about the masquerade ball.
On the other side of the castle, a similar discussion about pollyjuice potion was underway. Draco lounged on one of the black leather sofas, Theo on the opposite armchair with Crabbe and Goyle sharing the nearest other sofa.
"It'll work, Draco, don't worry." Theo reassured his friend for what felt like the hundredth time while Goyle nodded in agreement. If Draco's detention was with Snape, he wouldn't have to worry about sneaking to the ball, but he had to have detention with bloody Filch.
"If you say so, Theo." Draco's tone dripped with sarcasm, clearly doubting his friend's plan. Theo rolled his eyes at Draco's disbelief, not letting his sarcastic tone sway him from helping his friend. He went to his room and came back, holding something behind him.
"Alright, alright." Theo shifted the conversation away from their upcoming plan as he pulled a bottle of firewhiskey from its hiding spot behind his back. "Let's have a good time, gents." The other three cheered at Theo's idea, Draco summoning four glasses for them.
While they normally didn't like getting sloppy drunk, they decided that night was a special exception, and drank until the bottle was empty. At the end of the night, Draco was faced with the decision of whether to go up to his room for bed or pass out on the couch. He fell asleep on the couch before he could make a decision.