Party day part one! Part two will be coming shortly. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me and this story so far!

Hermione woke up on the day of her party amid pandemonium. Charlotte, as she had insisted Hermione call her, had gone to France yesterday with a friend and was stuck there due to a floo problem. Damien had been called into work to deal with the floo problem, leaving the four under-aged witches alone with no way to decorate for the party.

Even more so, the dress Hermione had ordered had been caught in the rain and delivered sopping wet, and with the magic-resistant charms on it, had to be dried naturally. Even the flower bouquets were ruined, with Astoria's cat Mallow having pounced upon the pretty arrangements.

"Astoria, give that back!" she heard Daphne yell.

"It's my brush!" Astoria yelled back. "Ow!"

Someone knocked on the door and Hermione turned to see Jade leaning against the door frame. "So," Jade started.

"Everything's ruined, isn't it?" Hermione said glumly. "No dress, no flowers, no adults to help decorate," she listed.

"Okay, so plan A might be a disaster," Jade said, "but there are other options."

Hermione looked at her doubtfully. "We ordered the dress weeks ago, there's no way to get another one. And-"

"I'm going to cut you off right there," Jade said, holding up a hand. "Look, I know you wanted this party to be all magical. You didn't even invite your parents!" Hermione blushed. "But I think we're going to have to go into the muggle world for this one."

"What do you suggest we do?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"We are calling in reinforcements," Jade said firmly. "Hermione, get dressed and come downstairs. We have until six o'clock to do this and we will do this."

~ Slytherin ~

When Hermione arrived downstairs fifteen minutes later, she found Rhea Rosier and Julianne Blackthorn sitting at the table, eating breakfast like it was the most normal thing in the world. A brush lay near Rhea, most likely the one Daphne and Astoria had been arguing about.

"Okay!" Jade called, sweeping into the room. "It's eight o'clock, and thanks to certain people," she turned and stared pointedly at her younger sisters, who flushed, "we're all awake. Here's what's going to happen. Daphne and Julianne will go ahead to the party location and decorate.

"I turned seventeen a couple weeks ago," Julianne offered quietly.

"Astoria and Rhea will go to the florist's. Hermione and I will start with them, to work out the muggle money, but then we will go dress shopping. We're leaving now!"

~ Slytherin ~

After taking three girls in a car for the first time, Hermione was more than happy to enter the florist's shop. Right away, Jade hurried up to the counter.

"Hi, how may I help you?" the woman behind the counter smiled. Her name tag read 'Emma'.

"We're looking for eighteen flower bouquets, six in baskets and twelve in vases," Jade said bluntly. "We need them by five o'clock today."

"Well, that's a rather large order," Emma tried to laugh.

"We'll pay triple," Jade interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "Now, we'll need azaleas, definitely. Mixed with carnations, and we'll need some heather for independence, of course. Magnolias, but only a few, and then rosebuds, but only on the edges."

"Alright," Emma murmured, writing the order down. "This for a party?"

"Yes," Jade said. "Now, Rhea, Astoria, you two stay here and wait for the flowers."

"There's a lovely coffee shop across the road," Emma offered. "The flowers might take a while."

"Fine," Jade said, handing over the money Hermione had counted for her. She gave the other half to Rhea, along with a couple extra to buy a snack. "Hermione, let's go. Astoria, behave."

"Your sister?" was the last thing Hermione heard as Jade dragged her out of the shop.

"Alright, there are three different dress shops on this street," Jade said. "We just need to find you a dress and we can get it resized."

Hermione nodded. "Should we start with this one?"

Jade looked at the store and curled her lip. "It'll have to do."

Shopping with Jade might have been worse than shopping with Daphne and Tracey, if Hermione hadn't desperately needed a dress. Jade had a negative comment for each dress, most meriting one or two words.

"No. Absolutely not. Terrible color. It's wrinkled. Washes out your skin."

Hermione sighed and tried on the next dress, a light blue dress with ruffles on the bottom. "This one?"

"Not your color," Jade said dismissively. "Next."

"Which one?" Hermione asked.

"The one across the street," Jade said, getting up and slinging her purse over her shoulder. "Come on, Hermione."

Hermione smiled apologetically at the saleswomen and followed Jade out the door. "You could've said thank you."

"Those dresses look like Astoria made them," Jade said bluntly. "And Astoria will never have a career as a fashion designer. This shop looks...slightly better."

Hermione went to the purple rack immediately, picking out a few dresses she thought looked nice. The first dress, dark purple with sequins, was promptly vetoed. The second, which was covered in sparkles, was also given a firm "no".

"How about this one?" Hermione asked, coming out of the dressing room and spinning around.

Jade studied her critically. The dress had a ruched bodice and an organza skirt, both in a lovely purple color. Jeweled adorned the small straps, as well as being the front of a belt created with dark purple silk. Hermione twirled again, feeling like a princess.

"Very pretty," Jade admitted, nodding approvingly. "And it fits nicely. We'll take it."

Hermione beamed. "Where to next?"

"Rhea is best with hair charms, so we'll go to a makeup person, as you call it, before returning to the Manor," Jade said. "Everyone is going to meet us at the salon, so we'll all get done there."

Hermione nodded, curious as to the purebloods' reactions at a muggle salon. "What time is it?"

"Showtime, Hermione," Jade said with a grin. "But 2 o'clock. We have some time."

"Let's go, then," Hermione said, accepting the bag a cashier held out to her. "Time's ticking."