Harry! Come to the dance with me!"
"Get out of the way. You're ugly. He wouldn't ever bee seen in public with you. Harry wants to go with me. Don't you Harry?"
Girl after girl asked be she Gryffindor of Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Hufflepuff. They all wanted to go with Harry. No matter where he was, people of the female type swarmed him. He started hanging in the bathrooms much more than usual.
"I envy you." Harry said to Ron on the Thursday before the dance.
"Envy me? I envy you. Girls just waiting for you to walk over them-" Hermione elbowed him very hard to make him shut up.
"No you don't envy me. You don't have to worry about asking anybody to the dance. You have a girlfriend." At this Ron laughed and put his arm over Hermione's, that made her head fall into his shoulder. Harry glared at them.
Katherine seemed to be having the same problem, although not as bad as Harry. From what it looked like all of the boys third year and up in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw and everybody else for that matter had asked her. Harry also noticed that Draco Malfoy had his eyes on her.
At that moment Katherine walked down the common room stairs and walked out most likely heading for the library. Several boys noticed and followed her cautiously.
"I feel sorry for her. I would hate to have people following me."
"I hate it to." Harry said loudly, causing the girds that were hiding behind his chair to gasp and fall over. Harry rolled his eyes as they crept away.
"Just say yes to one of them." Ron said. "It's not like any of them are ugly."
"Yeah, but then the rest of them would feel bad." Harry said. "I might just go solo."
"No!" Hermione said. "You want to be put in the costume contest don't you?"
"What contest?" Harry asked, confused.
"If you come dressed up, with a mask on of course, with a partner you get entered in the contest."
"What's the prize if you win?" Harry asked.
"You don't have to do homework for a month and you get named King or Queen of Halloween." Hermione said.
"I dunno. No homework for a month? That doesn't sound too bad."
"Too bad?" Ron said. "Too bad? Are you nuts? It's great!"
"I'm going as Cleopatra and Ron is going to be Caesar." Hermione said. "It's good that they're giving us tomorrow off to get ready and stuff. It's going to take forever to braid my black wig."
Katherine stormed back into the common room.
"No." She kept repeating. "I'm sorry, but no." A few of the boys left her alone, grumbling. A sudden thought struck Harry. He stood up and walked over to Katherine and sat down next to her.
"Hey. Rough day?" Harry said.
"Yeah. Are all British guys that desperate?"
"Not all of them." Harry said. "I've been swamped all day too."
"Swamped." She muttered, half heartedly imitating his accent.
"I don't even know if I'm going to go to this thing." Katherine said and slouched in her chair.
"Oh come on. You get a month of no homework."
"Well, as much as I'd love that, I would still have to pick a person to go with and break some poor boy's heart."
"I came to the same conclusion. Just with breaking some girl's heart instead of a boy's obviously…" Harry said. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That we should save the confusion and just go together as friends?" She chanced, looking up at him.
"Bingo." Harry said. "That way nobody gets hurt- well sort of…- well anyways and then we don't have to worry about making a decision."
"It's brilliant." She said. "But- now we have to worry about what to go as."
"I'm sure we'll think of something."
"Well we could go to the costume shop in Hogsmeade-" Katherine started.
"There is no costume shop in Hogsmeade." Harry pointed out.
"Crap!" She cursed, making some of the first years glare at her and shuffle away.
"I don't have any costumes." Harry said.
"Neither do I."
"Crap!" Harry said. He thought very hard for a minute. "I have some Muggle clothes. Do you?"
"Yeah." She said. "But we cant go as Muggles. That's way too typical. Everybody I've talked to is going as one."
"That wasn't what I was thinking."
"You don't mean-"
"Gender- Benders!" Harry said brightly.
"It's perfect!" She cried clapping her hands together. "You're just about my size to…"
"Just as long as I don't have to shave my legs, I'm fine."
Katherine laughed.
"No problem. I know exactly what we'll do. It'll be perfect! Uh- come to my room tomorrow in the morning. This is going to take a lot of work-"
"Hey!" Harry snapped.
"Let me finish. It's going to take a lot of work for both of us to be perfect. Bring your best fitting, baggy pants. Uh- and your shoes and a ball cap and a big sweatshirt."
"I can do that."
"Okay. This will be great. Now, it looks as though we need to fend off the masses again…" She pointed at Dean, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender. They were walking over slowly. Harry and Katherine exchanged glances.
"Stop. Before you say anything, we aren't going with any of you." Harry said.
"How'd you know what we were going to ask?" Parvati asked in awe.
"It's written all over you face. And- before you ask- I'm going with Katherine. Only as friends."
"Seamus, will you go to the dance with me?" Lavender asked half-heartedly.
"Yeah." Seamus said not even looking at her.
"I'm sorry!" Katherine pleaded. "I just couldn't choose! You are all so great!" Seamus and Dean blushed.
"I have the same thing. There are way too many pretty girls in this school. I can't decide." Harry said, seizing the perfect opprotunity. Parvati and Lavender shuffled away looking pleased and put out at the same time.
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*
Harry walked cautiously up the stairs to the girls' dorms; his clothes bundled up in his arms. He knocked on the door of their dormitory and the clothes under his robes. Hermione opened the door.
"Hi Harry," She said flatly.
"Don't sound so excited." Harry said. "Is Katherine there? We have to work on our costumes."
"Yeah. Let me get her. Katherine. Harry's here." She called behind her. "Sorry. I'm getting sick of braiding my wig."
"That's okay. Oh, you might want to go see Ron. That costume is so funny."
"Funny in a good way right?"
"Yeah." Katherine came to the door and yanked Harry in the room.
"Did you bring the stuff?" She asked. Harry nodded.
"I'm going to go help Ron with his costume now." Hermione left them alone in the room. As soon as she was gone Harry tossed the clothes to Kat.
"These are perfect." She said and grinned at him. "Hold on a sec." She walked over to her trunk and dug around in it for a few seconds before she came to the surface again, holding a bottle of shaving cream and a razor.
"I told you. I'm not shaving my legs." Harry said and pushed her hands away from him.
"I never said you had to. But if you're going to be a girl, you can not have stubble." She said and pointed to his cheeks. Harry blushed.
"Well that is very old fashioned. Why would I use a Muggle razor when I could just do this"- he lifted his left hand up to his face so that it was shielding his chin and mustache area. He spread his fingers and then snapped them back together again in a wave like fashion. This stubble was gone. Katherine's jawed dropped.
"Well that was cool." She said. Harry did a slight bow.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Katherine rolled her eyes.
"Okay. Give me your wizards hat."
"Why?"
"You'll see. Hand it over!" Harry tossed her the hat on his head. She mumbled something and pointed her wand at it. There was a small crack and a stench of burning hair and Harry's hat was no more. Instead, Kat was now holding a wig of long, thick black hair.
"Weird." Harry said.
"Try it on." Harry glanced uneasily at the wig. He took it from her and put it on. It fit perfectly. The thick black bangs covered his scar and most of his forehead. His head felt suddenly very heavy. He glanced up at the bangs.
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this." He said and sighed.
"You will. Now take these"- she threw him some clothes- "Go in the bathroom and change. Don't come out until I say you can. I have to change to."
"Whatever you say…" He said looking at her selections of clothing. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. One thing was for sure. This was going to be a night to remember.
"Are you done yet?" Kat called through the door ten minutes later. "I'm done."
"Yeah…" Harry moaned.
"Come out and model for me." Katherine said cheerily.
"No."
"Yes! I look just as bad as you I bet."
"Are you sure?"
"Totally."
"Fine." Harry slowly twisted the door handle and walked out. His jaw dropped the second he saw Katherine. Her hair was suddenly short and brown and covered up by a ball cap. She was wearing his khaki jeans and the tight white shirt Harry had been buried in. The sweatshirt was tied around her waste. Only one problem; she was still wearing makeup.
"Harry! You look so cute!" She cried.
"Not perfect though."
"Yes you are! What's wrong?"
"I'm boob-less." Harry said reluctantly. Katherine burst out laughing.
"You are to cute!"
"Stop saying I'm cute," Harry said.
"Sorry." She tossed him some balloons that were half filled with air. "There you go." Harry now realized that Katherine was suddenly flat, but decided not to ask how she had done that.
Harry was wearing a grayish swishy mini-skirt, a sleeveless brick red shirt and some very thin checkerboard plaid knee socks. The two surveyed each other for a minute.
"Makeup." They finally said, at the same time.
"I'll take mine off and then I'll put yours on." She said. "Then we teach each other how to walk." Harry gave her a confused look. "You just wait and see the shoes you're wearing." She went over to the messy counter in the bathroom and took off all her makes up.
"Do I really have to wear make up?" Harry asked.
"Yes. Most girls do. And you want to be a pretty girl right?"
"I suppose…" Harry said.
"Okay. Sit down on the makeup bench and keep still." Harry did as he was told. "Stop looking at yourself! You're moving!"
"Sorry!" Harry exclaimed. "I didn't realize-"
"Keep still!" She took a huge makeup brush and swirled it around in a blush container. She dabbed it on Harry's cheekbones. He laughed.
"That tickles." He said through clenched teeth.
"Tough it out. Close your eyes now." Harry did so. "Let's see…should we use eggplant or avocado?"
"You will not smear vegetables on my face!" Harry said loudly. Katherine laughed.
"That's just the color of the eye shadows, don't be a dork."
"I'm sorry, but really this is a new experience for me." Harry said as she smeared eye shadow on his eyelids.
"I understand. Open your eyes and look at the ceiling- without moving your head- and try not to blink." Harry couldn't help blinking as she took the mascara wand and started attempting to put it on. She managed to in the end.
"Am I almost done?"
"Nearly." She blew on his eyelashes, which made him blink as her breath hit his eyes. " Shut your eyes and do not open them for any reason when I put the eyeliner on. I don't care who comes bursting through the door. You will not move!"
"Gotcha."
"STOP MOVING!"
"Sorry…" Harry couldn't see what she was doing but he felt a little paintbrush tracing the bottom of his eyelid. She blew on his eyes again, making him twitch.
"Almost done!" She blew again. "Just a couple more seconds…" She put a finger to his closed eye and then pulled away to examine it. "Dry. You can open your eyes now. Well- look at yourself." Harry examined the 'girl' in the mirror. "What do you think."
"I would go out with me." Harry said finally.
"Don't." She advised. Harry laughed and shook his head. "Okay. Time for shoes." She dug around in her trunk once more and came out with a smile and pair of what almost looked like black leather, platform clogs. Harry's eyes widened.
"Are you serious? How am I supposed to walk in those things without breaking my ankle?"
"It's not as hard as it looks. Put them on!" Harry grabbed them and slid them on his feet and tied the laces. They weren't very comfortable, but he slowly got used to them.
"This is weird." He said walking around the room.
"You're slouching to much. Hold yourself high and proud." Katherine advised.
"I would- but this makeup and all this hair is weighing me down."
"Oh come on- take it like a girl." Katherine said with a laugh. Harry shrugged and followed her command.
"Like this? Should I swing my arms? A lot of girls do that."
"Yeah- just a little. And your hips-"
"What hips?" Harry interjected.
"Pretend you have some and swing them a little. Pretend like you are a model." Harry did so and flashed a cheesy grin.
"So how high should my voice be?" Harry said, trying to imitate her voice in vain.
"Not quite that high. Pretend your American."
"Like this?" Harry said, trying again.
"Perfect. You know what you need?"
"Not more makeup, not more makeup!" Harry said quietly under his breath.
"Acute purse." She tossed him one out of her trunk. Harry draped it around his shoulder. "Now work it!" Harry rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed.
"Your turn." He said flatly, the girlish tone disappearing. "Slouch more. Put your hands in your pockets. Do NOT swing your hips when you walk. Slouch more." Harry said as she paced around the room. "Don't suck in your gut. Droop your shoulders. Well- smile! Obviously."
"This is complicated." Katherine moaned.
"Try being a girl." Harry sighed. He glanced over at Katherine and pressed his dramatic lips together and shouted, "SLOUCH!"
"Okay, okay fine." Katherine said.
"Now walk for me again." Harry said and folded his arms. She did. "Perfect."
"You walk for me again!" Katherine said, pleased with herself.
"No. I will not walk in those shoes more than is absolutely necessary!" Harry said nodded.
"Okay well then dance with me. This is a dance you know. You have to DANCE!"
"Oh thanks for clarifying that." Harry said. "But no. I am the worst dancer in the entire world. I'd smash your feet. Especially with these things on"
"Okay…I thought for some reason that you- being Harry Potter Wonder-Boy- would be a great dancer."
"Ha!" Harry said. "Yeah right!"
"Well then we will have to charm your feet."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Harry asked, raising a penciled eyebrow. Katherine laughed at him.
"Do you know that I've been here for an entire summer and almost two months and you're the first person I've heard say that?"
"So? You won't be charming my feet. I don't care how sure you are of how well it will work- the last time that spell was on me- well-" Harry shuddered, remembering the quickstep he had been thrown into in his second year when dueling with Malfoy.
"Tarentallegra?" Katherine said. Harry nodded. "Well was there any music when it was put on you?"
"Uh- no. It was a dueling club." Harry explained. Katherine nodded.
"Well then you were dancing to the beat of people's voices so of course you went crazy. Believe me- I know what I'm doing."
"And I still say no."
"Why?"
"Because the second the rumor that I didn't actually dance with my own skills leaks out I will be swarmed by the press for months."
"I see your point."
"Good." Harry said.
"But I don't except it." Katherine said.
"Don't be pert!" Harry commanded.
"Well you shouldn't be so ridiculous." Katherine said. "Nobody will know the difference. You said that you had a dance in your fourth year, right?"
"Yes."
"Did the press show up for that?"
"No…"
"I rest my case." Katherine said with glee. "You dance!"
"Damn it." Harry muttered.
"Okay, let's see what I can teach you. Swing dancing. Toe- heel, toe- heel, back step. Do that again. Not so jerky. Let it flow."
"This is confusing."
"No it's not, you're just being difficult." Katherine said pointedly. "Toe- heel, toe heel, back step!"
"Maybe this would be easier with music?"
"I suppose." Katherine sighed. She left Harry standing for a moment as she dug through her trunk again and pulled out a radio/CD player.
"What don't you have in that trunk of yours?"
"Nothing." She said with a smile.
"That thing isn't going to work here, you know. It's too magical in the castle. It'll blow up."
"No it wont."
"Yes, it will."
"No it wont! I fixed it-I think-" Katherine thought for a moment, "Yes, I remember taking it apart and making it magical."
"You could get in so much trouble for having that!" Harry said with a grin.
"I know!" She squealed. "Great isn't it? Lets see here-swing music." She turned it on.
"Duck and cover!" Harry cried and hid his head in his hands. But instead of hearing a loud boom, he heard quick paced music. He slowly looked up.
"Boys will be bo-" She paused and then thought for a moment, "Nerds."
Harry just glared. "Let's get this over with."
"Get out of the way. You're ugly. He wouldn't ever bee seen in public with you. Harry wants to go with me. Don't you Harry?"
Girl after girl asked be she Gryffindor of Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Hufflepuff. They all wanted to go with Harry. No matter where he was, people of the female type swarmed him. He started hanging in the bathrooms much more than usual.
"I envy you." Harry said to Ron on the Thursday before the dance.
"Envy me? I envy you. Girls just waiting for you to walk over them-" Hermione elbowed him very hard to make him shut up.
"No you don't envy me. You don't have to worry about asking anybody to the dance. You have a girlfriend." At this Ron laughed and put his arm over Hermione's, that made her head fall into his shoulder. Harry glared at them.
Katherine seemed to be having the same problem, although not as bad as Harry. From what it looked like all of the boys third year and up in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw and everybody else for that matter had asked her. Harry also noticed that Draco Malfoy had his eyes on her.
At that moment Katherine walked down the common room stairs and walked out most likely heading for the library. Several boys noticed and followed her cautiously.
"I feel sorry for her. I would hate to have people following me."
"I hate it to." Harry said loudly, causing the girds that were hiding behind his chair to gasp and fall over. Harry rolled his eyes as they crept away.
"Just say yes to one of them." Ron said. "It's not like any of them are ugly."
"Yeah, but then the rest of them would feel bad." Harry said. "I might just go solo."
"No!" Hermione said. "You want to be put in the costume contest don't you?"
"What contest?" Harry asked, confused.
"If you come dressed up, with a mask on of course, with a partner you get entered in the contest."
"What's the prize if you win?" Harry asked.
"You don't have to do homework for a month and you get named King or Queen of Halloween." Hermione said.
"I dunno. No homework for a month? That doesn't sound too bad."
"Too bad?" Ron said. "Too bad? Are you nuts? It's great!"
"I'm going as Cleopatra and Ron is going to be Caesar." Hermione said. "It's good that they're giving us tomorrow off to get ready and stuff. It's going to take forever to braid my black wig."
Katherine stormed back into the common room.
"No." She kept repeating. "I'm sorry, but no." A few of the boys left her alone, grumbling. A sudden thought struck Harry. He stood up and walked over to Katherine and sat down next to her.
"Hey. Rough day?" Harry said.
"Yeah. Are all British guys that desperate?"
"Not all of them." Harry said. "I've been swamped all day too."
"Swamped." She muttered, half heartedly imitating his accent.
"I don't even know if I'm going to go to this thing." Katherine said and slouched in her chair.
"Oh come on. You get a month of no homework."
"Well, as much as I'd love that, I would still have to pick a person to go with and break some poor boy's heart."
"I came to the same conclusion. Just with breaking some girl's heart instead of a boy's obviously…" Harry said. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That we should save the confusion and just go together as friends?" She chanced, looking up at him.
"Bingo." Harry said. "That way nobody gets hurt- well sort of…- well anyways and then we don't have to worry about making a decision."
"It's brilliant." She said. "But- now we have to worry about what to go as."
"I'm sure we'll think of something."
"Well we could go to the costume shop in Hogsmeade-" Katherine started.
"There is no costume shop in Hogsmeade." Harry pointed out.
"Crap!" She cursed, making some of the first years glare at her and shuffle away.
"I don't have any costumes." Harry said.
"Neither do I."
"Crap!" Harry said. He thought very hard for a minute. "I have some Muggle clothes. Do you?"
"Yeah." She said. "But we cant go as Muggles. That's way too typical. Everybody I've talked to is going as one."
"That wasn't what I was thinking."
"You don't mean-"
"Gender- Benders!" Harry said brightly.
"It's perfect!" She cried clapping her hands together. "You're just about my size to…"
"Just as long as I don't have to shave my legs, I'm fine."
Katherine laughed.
"No problem. I know exactly what we'll do. It'll be perfect! Uh- come to my room tomorrow in the morning. This is going to take a lot of work-"
"Hey!" Harry snapped.
"Let me finish. It's going to take a lot of work for both of us to be perfect. Bring your best fitting, baggy pants. Uh- and your shoes and a ball cap and a big sweatshirt."
"I can do that."
"Okay. This will be great. Now, it looks as though we need to fend off the masses again…" She pointed at Dean, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender. They were walking over slowly. Harry and Katherine exchanged glances.
"Stop. Before you say anything, we aren't going with any of you." Harry said.
"How'd you know what we were going to ask?" Parvati asked in awe.
"It's written all over you face. And- before you ask- I'm going with Katherine. Only as friends."
"Seamus, will you go to the dance with me?" Lavender asked half-heartedly.
"Yeah." Seamus said not even looking at her.
"I'm sorry!" Katherine pleaded. "I just couldn't choose! You are all so great!" Seamus and Dean blushed.
"I have the same thing. There are way too many pretty girls in this school. I can't decide." Harry said, seizing the perfect opprotunity. Parvati and Lavender shuffled away looking pleased and put out at the same time.
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*
Harry walked cautiously up the stairs to the girls' dorms; his clothes bundled up in his arms. He knocked on the door of their dormitory and the clothes under his robes. Hermione opened the door.
"Hi Harry," She said flatly.
"Don't sound so excited." Harry said. "Is Katherine there? We have to work on our costumes."
"Yeah. Let me get her. Katherine. Harry's here." She called behind her. "Sorry. I'm getting sick of braiding my wig."
"That's okay. Oh, you might want to go see Ron. That costume is so funny."
"Funny in a good way right?"
"Yeah." Katherine came to the door and yanked Harry in the room.
"Did you bring the stuff?" She asked. Harry nodded.
"I'm going to go help Ron with his costume now." Hermione left them alone in the room. As soon as she was gone Harry tossed the clothes to Kat.
"These are perfect." She said and grinned at him. "Hold on a sec." She walked over to her trunk and dug around in it for a few seconds before she came to the surface again, holding a bottle of shaving cream and a razor.
"I told you. I'm not shaving my legs." Harry said and pushed her hands away from him.
"I never said you had to. But if you're going to be a girl, you can not have stubble." She said and pointed to his cheeks. Harry blushed.
"Well that is very old fashioned. Why would I use a Muggle razor when I could just do this"- he lifted his left hand up to his face so that it was shielding his chin and mustache area. He spread his fingers and then snapped them back together again in a wave like fashion. This stubble was gone. Katherine's jawed dropped.
"Well that was cool." She said. Harry did a slight bow.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Katherine rolled her eyes.
"Okay. Give me your wizards hat."
"Why?"
"You'll see. Hand it over!" Harry tossed her the hat on his head. She mumbled something and pointed her wand at it. There was a small crack and a stench of burning hair and Harry's hat was no more. Instead, Kat was now holding a wig of long, thick black hair.
"Weird." Harry said.
"Try it on." Harry glanced uneasily at the wig. He took it from her and put it on. It fit perfectly. The thick black bangs covered his scar and most of his forehead. His head felt suddenly very heavy. He glanced up at the bangs.
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this." He said and sighed.
"You will. Now take these"- she threw him some clothes- "Go in the bathroom and change. Don't come out until I say you can. I have to change to."
"Whatever you say…" He said looking at her selections of clothing. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. One thing was for sure. This was going to be a night to remember.
"Are you done yet?" Kat called through the door ten minutes later. "I'm done."
"Yeah…" Harry moaned.
"Come out and model for me." Katherine said cheerily.
"No."
"Yes! I look just as bad as you I bet."
"Are you sure?"
"Totally."
"Fine." Harry slowly twisted the door handle and walked out. His jaw dropped the second he saw Katherine. Her hair was suddenly short and brown and covered up by a ball cap. She was wearing his khaki jeans and the tight white shirt Harry had been buried in. The sweatshirt was tied around her waste. Only one problem; she was still wearing makeup.
"Harry! You look so cute!" She cried.
"Not perfect though."
"Yes you are! What's wrong?"
"I'm boob-less." Harry said reluctantly. Katherine burst out laughing.
"You are to cute!"
"Stop saying I'm cute," Harry said.
"Sorry." She tossed him some balloons that were half filled with air. "There you go." Harry now realized that Katherine was suddenly flat, but decided not to ask how she had done that.
Harry was wearing a grayish swishy mini-skirt, a sleeveless brick red shirt and some very thin checkerboard plaid knee socks. The two surveyed each other for a minute.
"Makeup." They finally said, at the same time.
"I'll take mine off and then I'll put yours on." She said. "Then we teach each other how to walk." Harry gave her a confused look. "You just wait and see the shoes you're wearing." She went over to the messy counter in the bathroom and took off all her makes up.
"Do I really have to wear make up?" Harry asked.
"Yes. Most girls do. And you want to be a pretty girl right?"
"I suppose…" Harry said.
"Okay. Sit down on the makeup bench and keep still." Harry did as he was told. "Stop looking at yourself! You're moving!"
"Sorry!" Harry exclaimed. "I didn't realize-"
"Keep still!" She took a huge makeup brush and swirled it around in a blush container. She dabbed it on Harry's cheekbones. He laughed.
"That tickles." He said through clenched teeth.
"Tough it out. Close your eyes now." Harry did so. "Let's see…should we use eggplant or avocado?"
"You will not smear vegetables on my face!" Harry said loudly. Katherine laughed.
"That's just the color of the eye shadows, don't be a dork."
"I'm sorry, but really this is a new experience for me." Harry said as she smeared eye shadow on his eyelids.
"I understand. Open your eyes and look at the ceiling- without moving your head- and try not to blink." Harry couldn't help blinking as she took the mascara wand and started attempting to put it on. She managed to in the end.
"Am I almost done?"
"Nearly." She blew on his eyelashes, which made him blink as her breath hit his eyes. " Shut your eyes and do not open them for any reason when I put the eyeliner on. I don't care who comes bursting through the door. You will not move!"
"Gotcha."
"STOP MOVING!"
"Sorry…" Harry couldn't see what she was doing but he felt a little paintbrush tracing the bottom of his eyelid. She blew on his eyes again, making him twitch.
"Almost done!" She blew again. "Just a couple more seconds…" She put a finger to his closed eye and then pulled away to examine it. "Dry. You can open your eyes now. Well- look at yourself." Harry examined the 'girl' in the mirror. "What do you think."
"I would go out with me." Harry said finally.
"Don't." She advised. Harry laughed and shook his head. "Okay. Time for shoes." She dug around in her trunk once more and came out with a smile and pair of what almost looked like black leather, platform clogs. Harry's eyes widened.
"Are you serious? How am I supposed to walk in those things without breaking my ankle?"
"It's not as hard as it looks. Put them on!" Harry grabbed them and slid them on his feet and tied the laces. They weren't very comfortable, but he slowly got used to them.
"This is weird." He said walking around the room.
"You're slouching to much. Hold yourself high and proud." Katherine advised.
"I would- but this makeup and all this hair is weighing me down."
"Oh come on- take it like a girl." Katherine said with a laugh. Harry shrugged and followed her command.
"Like this? Should I swing my arms? A lot of girls do that."
"Yeah- just a little. And your hips-"
"What hips?" Harry interjected.
"Pretend you have some and swing them a little. Pretend like you are a model." Harry did so and flashed a cheesy grin.
"So how high should my voice be?" Harry said, trying to imitate her voice in vain.
"Not quite that high. Pretend your American."
"Like this?" Harry said, trying again.
"Perfect. You know what you need?"
"Not more makeup, not more makeup!" Harry said quietly under his breath.
"Acute purse." She tossed him one out of her trunk. Harry draped it around his shoulder. "Now work it!" Harry rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed.
"Your turn." He said flatly, the girlish tone disappearing. "Slouch more. Put your hands in your pockets. Do NOT swing your hips when you walk. Slouch more." Harry said as she paced around the room. "Don't suck in your gut. Droop your shoulders. Well- smile! Obviously."
"This is complicated." Katherine moaned.
"Try being a girl." Harry sighed. He glanced over at Katherine and pressed his dramatic lips together and shouted, "SLOUCH!"
"Okay, okay fine." Katherine said.
"Now walk for me again." Harry said and folded his arms. She did. "Perfect."
"You walk for me again!" Katherine said, pleased with herself.
"No. I will not walk in those shoes more than is absolutely necessary!" Harry said nodded.
"Okay well then dance with me. This is a dance you know. You have to DANCE!"
"Oh thanks for clarifying that." Harry said. "But no. I am the worst dancer in the entire world. I'd smash your feet. Especially with these things on"
"Okay…I thought for some reason that you- being Harry Potter Wonder-Boy- would be a great dancer."
"Ha!" Harry said. "Yeah right!"
"Well then we will have to charm your feet."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Harry asked, raising a penciled eyebrow. Katherine laughed at him.
"Do you know that I've been here for an entire summer and almost two months and you're the first person I've heard say that?"
"So? You won't be charming my feet. I don't care how sure you are of how well it will work- the last time that spell was on me- well-" Harry shuddered, remembering the quickstep he had been thrown into in his second year when dueling with Malfoy.
"Tarentallegra?" Katherine said. Harry nodded. "Well was there any music when it was put on you?"
"Uh- no. It was a dueling club." Harry explained. Katherine nodded.
"Well then you were dancing to the beat of people's voices so of course you went crazy. Believe me- I know what I'm doing."
"And I still say no."
"Why?"
"Because the second the rumor that I didn't actually dance with my own skills leaks out I will be swarmed by the press for months."
"I see your point."
"Good." Harry said.
"But I don't except it." Katherine said.
"Don't be pert!" Harry commanded.
"Well you shouldn't be so ridiculous." Katherine said. "Nobody will know the difference. You said that you had a dance in your fourth year, right?"
"Yes."
"Did the press show up for that?"
"No…"
"I rest my case." Katherine said with glee. "You dance!"
"Damn it." Harry muttered.
"Okay, let's see what I can teach you. Swing dancing. Toe- heel, toe- heel, back step. Do that again. Not so jerky. Let it flow."
"This is confusing."
"No it's not, you're just being difficult." Katherine said pointedly. "Toe- heel, toe heel, back step!"
"Maybe this would be easier with music?"
"I suppose." Katherine sighed. She left Harry standing for a moment as she dug through her trunk again and pulled out a radio/CD player.
"What don't you have in that trunk of yours?"
"Nothing." She said with a smile.
"That thing isn't going to work here, you know. It's too magical in the castle. It'll blow up."
"No it wont."
"Yes, it will."
"No it wont! I fixed it-I think-" Katherine thought for a moment, "Yes, I remember taking it apart and making it magical."
"You could get in so much trouble for having that!" Harry said with a grin.
"I know!" She squealed. "Great isn't it? Lets see here-swing music." She turned it on.
"Duck and cover!" Harry cried and hid his head in his hands. But instead of hearing a loud boom, he heard quick paced music. He slowly looked up.
"Boys will be bo-" She paused and then thought for a moment, "Nerds."
Harry just glared. "Let's get this over with."
