Name: Athenaphoenix17
House: Gryffindor
Subject/Task No: Folklore: Urban Legends/Task No. 9
Title/Link: Breathless
Summary: Hermione would do anything to pool donation for S.P.E.W., but was it worth it?
"This is ridiculous!" Hermione exclaimed, holding a piece of ancient clothing while sending a death glare toward her best girlfriend.
Ginny just shrugged her shoulders."Trust me, I agree. But you were asked to wear a traditional wizarding dress gown, so you have to use that."
"Then I am not coming!"
"Be ready to say goodbye to the donation for your S.P.E.W. then.," Ginny smirked.
Hermione harrumphed, knew she was defeated."I hate you when you're right."
"Imagine how often that happens to me." Ginny deadpanned.
xxXxx
"You okay, Granger?" Malfoy drawled from beside her.
As hard as it was to believe, a couple of years after the war the Malfoys extended the olive branch to pretty much everyone, including the Weasleys, Andromeda Tonks, Teddy Lupin, the Lovegoods, the Longbottoms, and Harry and Hermione. It was not an easy feat, considering how the youngest Malfoy was the former bully of Neville, Luna, Harry, Hermione, and the two youngest Weasleys. They were lucky Andromeda was a forgiving person and considered family the most important thing. She reconnected with Narcissa, which in extent made it easier for the Malfoys to be present during any events held by the Weasleys and Longbottoms. Having Lucius spent his life sentence at Azkaban was definitely helpful.
"I don't see why you have to make the dress code a traditional wizarding dress robe," she gritted her teeth.
"If you want to appeal to the Pureblood families, especially the Sacred Twenty-Eight, you have to show respect to their culture. I thought you were smart, Granger."
She sent him a cold glare while trying to hide her difficulty to breath. Her knuckles turned white and the glass she was holding was at risk to be broken. Apparently, Malfoy noticed this. He looked at her again, even though his face appeared stoic, there was concern in his voice.
"I'll ask you again, Granger, are you okay?"
Too embarrassed to tell him that her corset was too tight, she just nodded curtly while excusing herself. Leaving one Draco Malfoy perplexed.
xxXxx
She was leaning on the wall, trying to locate Ginny. That girl was really a social butterfly; how she could do that while wearing the same wretched piece of clothing as Hermione was a mystery for her. She didn't realize Harry stood at her right side and almost yelped in surprise when he called out to her.
Her ragged breath became more erratic.
"Sorry, Hermione," panic was apparent in his voice, "I didn't realize I might surprise you like this."
"It's…" she tried to reply, but it's getting harder and harder to breathe.
"Are you okay?" Harry looked more and more concerned as Hermione's face was getting redder and redder.
"Can't… breathe," she managed to say.
"What?" Harry exclaimed then held his best friend in his arms.
Hermione pulled the front of his shirt toward her and hissed, "I'm gonna kill Ginny!"
The last thing she thought before collapsing was to hell with tradition. The next time she attended another function, she would never wear a corset!
xxXxx