~*Love and Rumors: Part 9*~
A/N~ First, thanks to everyone who has reviewed my stories, especially the lovely comment from Morning Dragon. Thank you whoever you may be! And secondly, I'm terribly sorry I haven't posted in so long. One thing led to another, but I finally have time to type again. Happy Thanksgiving to ya'll!
Disclaimer~ I doubt I have half as much genius as it took J.K. Rowling to create the splendid characters I'm borrowing for this story. I only hope I don't ruin them in the process. Oh Wait! I did have a moment of intelligence, as I did make up Cassie, Lizzy, and Bria.
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The next week positively flew by. Colin was released from the hospital wing before breakfast on Monday. The rest of his week was filled with odd boils, popping pimples, and detention for turning in a blank piece of parchment, on which he'd unwittingly written an essay in invisible ink, to Professor Snape.
Of course, everyone was buzzing about the dance. For seventh years and their dates only, it was to start right after the feast, and dress robes were to be worn. On Friday morning, girls were seen frantically debating how to wear their hair, or what color robes to don. Harry and Ron even found Ginny and Hermione discussing which shade of eye shadow would best match Hermione's new robes. They decided on a color called starlight as the boys sat down to eat. Hermione seemed considerably more gloomy than the rest of the chattering crowd in the Great Hall.
"Pomfrey didn't lessen the sentence, eh?", Harry asked. Hermione sighed dramatically and shook her head.
"Cheer up! She's in such horrid temper; you're lucky you get to go at all," Ginny said. Before Hermione could answer, gales of laughter erupted from the other end of the Gryffindor table. All four turned their heads to see Colin's hair changing colors. It went red, then green, then magenta, then electric blue before starting the cycle over again. Ginny and Hermione exchanged a smile as Colin ran from the room, trying to cover his hair.
"Well, I'd better get going. Thanks for your help Gin! See you guys in Charms," Hermione said, picking up her bag, and setting off for the Study of Ancient Runes.
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No one could concentrate on their lessons, throughout the day. Even the teachers were caught up in the excitement. Professor Sprout was giving out roses, and Professor Flitwick taught a charm for easy hairstyling. Last minute dates were arranged via notes and whispering friends, and, finally, to everyone's joy, classes were dismissed, just a trifle earlier than usual. All seventh years, and a few lucky sixth years, bustled hurriedly off to their dormitories to change. Many small catfights broke out as girls scrambled to do their nails, make-up, and hair.
"Don't you two ever shut up?", Hermione giggled to her bickering roommates, this time fighting over a tube of lipstick. At this, they realized how stupid this argument was, and began giggling with Hermione.
"Hey, Hermione, can you put my hair up? I wasn't paying attention in class today...", Lavender asked driftily. Her mind was quite obviously on the dance, and her date, Seamus. Parvati was going with Dean Thomas.
"Sure. Uppity Gellus Locksies Gosies!", she said clearly, producing a perfect bun with a few tendrils curling around Lavender's face. She then pointed the wand at herself, and conjured up a head full of perfect brown curls, complete with a single bobby pin in front to match her robes. She checked her reflection once more before grabbing her purse to meet Ron, Harry, and Ginny downstairs.
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"Where is she? She's never late! Maybe something's wrong or something....", Ron said worriedly. Hermione was due to have arrived three minutes previously. Harry chuckled at Ron's obvious nervousness.
"Calm down. She'll be here," Harry said, flicking a fuzz ball that had just landed on his deep green dress robes. Ginny decided not to get involved, choosing instead to just enjoy the moment.
"But....", Ron stopped mid-sentence as he glanced at the stairs and saw Hermione gracefully stepping down them. He thought she looked like an angel in her pale pink robes with a halo of curls framing her face. Her smile was so pure and magical that Ron was rendered speechless and forced to blink a few times before believing what she saw. She walked over to the group, spun around once, then looked at her friends.
"What do you think?", she asked timidly.
"The starlight was definitely a good choice," Ginny said, slightly envious of her best friend, but more than happy for her as well. Harry nodded his approval, then shot Ginny his classic smile in reassurance of how she looked.
"You look beautiful," Ron said, meeting her eyes, and, upon earning a smile, he added, "Shall we go?" The two couples walked down to the Great Hall, where the feast had already begun. They had just taken their seats when Hermione remembered her "present" for Colin.
"I'll be right back you guys. I'm going to give Colin a little apology gift for my rudeness the other day," she said, then giggled an uncharacteristically evil giggle, before casually strolling over to Colin and tapping him on the shoulder. He turned, and his gaze soured upon seeing Hermione.
"What do you want?", he asked, looking just a little frightened.
"I felt so simply horrid about slapping you that I got you a present. It's a new flavor. Enjoy!", she said convincingly, then walked back to her place. Ron suddenly thought her halo was evaporating with that little bit of trickery, but nevertheless she still looked positively radiant.
The four friends enjoyed their fill of the yummy delicacies at dinner, then of the delights at dessert. All too soon, students were being shuffled out of the Great Hall to go back to their dormitories or to make any last minute preparations for the dance. For Hermione, it meant time to tread to the hospital wing, but not before she saw what Colin did with the chocolate. She didn't have to wait too long to make her final move; he had eaten it and was already spilling stupid secrets that no one really cared about, save the few that made Ginny blush vividly.
"So, Colin, what exactly caused that cold you got last week?", Hermione asked, once McGonagall was within earshot. Colin began a detailed account of everything, starting at his walk with Ginny, listening as Ron and Hermione were caught and avoiding punishment by hiding.
"Creevey, come with me!", McGonagall fumed, nostrils flared nastily. She smiled slightly at Hermione as she grabbed Colin's robes to lead him to her office. Hermione turned to Ginny, Harry, and Ron.
"Well," she sighed, "I guess I have to go. I'll be back. Have fun!" She tried to sound happy but, utterly failing, she started the walk through the long empty corridors to the lonely hospital wing. It was so far away from the dance, she felt; she may as well have been overseas.
Things were still crazy down there, and Madam Pomfrey was still unbending. Hermione set to work, fluffing pillows and such, counting the long minutes until she'd be free again.
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A/N~ So, what do you think thus far? Please Review, and be kind as well. I'm sorry this one's a trifle bit short, but I have a killer essay due in three days that I've not even started. And thanks to Lizzy for everything she does to make this jumble of words into a coherent story. And Eric, you need to think of a new threat other than the C-person since I made up with the C-person. Au revoir mon amis!
