I was with Ginny and we were walking to Hogsmeade to get our dresses. We had decided that we would walk there and then when we had our dresses we would get a carriage. We were talking about who we were going with and who we wanted to go with. "I want to go with Harry, not that I have anything against Neville, he's very nice actually, but it's the whole image thing. When I was going with Malfoy I had the fact that he was so hot, not to mention he can actually be nice when he wants to be." "Yeah, I can see why you wouldn't want to be going with Neville, but at least you have a date. I'm sure you'll dance with a lot of guys anyway. I'm perfectly happy with who I'm going with, but I wouldn't mind going with Harry or Malfoy or even Seamus, if he wasn't with Lavender." "Seamus is nice, when he and Lavender were in a fight once he and I were going out for a little while, although I think it was partly to make her jealous." "I hope I make Lavender jealous with this killer dress." "Don't worry, you will look fabulous, I'm more worried about what I'll look like." "You'll look fine." "We're here." She said as she walked up to the dress shop in Hogsmeade. I went up and held the door for her and walked in myself. "Oh no, why did they have to come today." I said, seeing Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and a few other Gryffindors. "Hey Kerry, Ginny. What are you two doing here?" Dean asked. "We were going to buy our dresses, but how can we when all of you are here? We don't want you to see us before the ball." "Well I think we're almost done so you shouldn't worry too much." "That's fine, we'll wait." "I wouldn't, Ron's taking forever to get his robes, there aren't any tall enough." Harry said. "Oh shut up Potter, you're just short so you had no trouble at all. Let's try another lengthening charm and see if that'll do it." I heard Ron say. "Well maybe we can make an exception and get our dresses, but you shouldn't see them on so no peeking. All right?" "Fine" they all chimed in together. "C'mon let's get our stuff." Ginny said, steering me away from the boys. "We'd like these dresses please." She said, holding up the ads. "Just a minute" said the cashier. "Ooh, I just can't wait to get that dress on." I said to Ginny, thinking she was the only one who could hear. "And I can't wait for you to get it off." I heard a drawling voice behind me. I knew that it was Draco Malfoy before I turned around. "Well you'll never get to see that and you may not even see me in it." I snapped back at him as I turned. "What are you doing here? I thought you would have had you're robes long before now." "I didn't and why would you care where I am, anyway?" "I don't, and I'm sorry that I bothered you." I whirled around to face the counter again. "Here are your dresses ladies, the fitting rooms are back there. I'll watch these boys for you." She winked at us and pointed to the changing rooms. "Thank you very much." I went back towards them and looked down at the dress I was holding. It was even more beautiful than I had thought. I pulled it on and decided that I didn't care whether the boys saw me in my dress. I wanted to show Ginny, and I needed someone to lace up the back. I walked out and was still where the guys couldn't see me. Ginny was still getting hers on. I didn't really want to step out and tell Ginny that I needed help and the longer I stood there the more likely it was that someone would see me. "Do you need some help with that?" I was surprised to see Harry standing behind me. "Oh, sure, thanks." He started to lace up the back. I felt his fingers on my back and they made me shiver. I noticed that he was shaking, just a little bit. He finished and I turned around. "Wow." "Thanks, um, you better get back over there. You weren't even supposed to see me." "Sorry." "What was that about? Wow." Ginny had just come out and was watching Harry leave until she turned around and saw my dress. "That looks fabulous, much better than mine." "No, Gin, you look great too." She did, too. The wine color made her hair look like fire and the dress fit perfectly. "Wow" I heard a bunch of voices from the side. I looked over and saw all the guys. "What is with the wows I don't care what you think, but couldn't you find a better word than wow. Harry did you tell them that we were back here?" I snapped at them. "No, they guessed by the awed expression on my face." "Well I guess that's a compliment, but you are all in big trouble for coming back here when we told you not too." Ginny was just sitting there, blushing furiously. "We're sorry, but you do look really, um, wow." "I started to blush a little too." "Yeah, you both look great. In fact, I've changed my mind. You can keep that dress on, I don't even have to see you take it off, unless of course you want to." "Shut up Malfoy!" I started to say, but was startled when I heard everyone saying the same thing. "Fine, I'll just leave." "Good." "You have to get that dress, and I'm getting this one." "Ok, let's change and buy them." I changed back into the skirt and blouse I had been wearing. I took my hair out of its bun. I came out carrying the dress and my cloak and I was shaking out my hair so it didn't look so horrible. I waited for Ginny to come out. She finally did. "God, Kerry. You have to wear your hair down more often." She said as I was running my fingers through my waist length curly hair. "I would, but it is so hard to manage." "It looks so good, you have to wear it like that for the ball." "I think I will, look at the reaction I got." I said, pointing at the guys, who were all looking at me and Ginny. "You are so lucky." "Lucky, it is so annoying sometimes." "Whatever, c'mon let's pay." We paid and were walking out to the street. All the guys had left with their robes to head back to Hogwart's. "Kerry, can I talk to you?" I saw Ron standing by the door. "Gin, can you take my dress back to the castle in a carriage and I'll walk back with your brother, ok?" "Sure." "Sorry to leave you." "No, not a problem." "Thanks. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?" I said as I walked up to him and pecked him on the cheek. "Well, uh, that I guess." He said, pointing to his cheek. "What? You want it more like this?" I asked before I reached up and kissed him on the lips, for a few seconds. "Is that better?" "Um, no. I kinda feel guilty, because, well, uh, because Harry and all the other guys didn't know you weren't off limits anymore until you already had a date." "You want me to go with Harry or somebody else instead of you?" "No, no, that's not what I meant. I mean that we all thought that since we all liked you, some more than others, you should be off limits because it wouldn't be good if we all got in a fight over a girl, especially me and Harry." "Oh, you feel guilty because you were the only one who took the opportunity to ask me. I wanted you to ask me. I would have said yes to just about anyone who asked me first, but I was hoping you would and when nobody asked me I decided it was time that I took matters into my own hands." "Oh, well, I'll let you explain to Harry." "All right." I said after I kissed him again. "Now come on, it's cold." *~* I couldn't believe how fantastic Kerry looked in her dress. No wonder she wanted to keep us from seeing her. Ginny looked great too, but I think most of our attention was on Kerry. I knew mine was, anyway Ginny was off limits for me. A guy just can't go out with his best friend's younger sister. I thought that Kerry was off limits too, but I guess I was wrong. Now that I know she isn't I'm going to try for her. I had thought that we weren't going to do anything about Kerry for the Yule Ball and that afterwards we would talk about it again and now that Hermione was coming in 5 days I had no idea what to do. *~* I am an idiot. Why did I have to go and be sarcastic at a time like that? I am so stupid. Kerry probably hates me now, if she didn't already. She looked really good and she thinks that I'm a jerk. Even if I was telling the truth, I didn't have to blurt it out like that. Ginny looked good too, but I didn't hardly look at her. I was to busy making a fool of myself in front of the whole Gryffindor House. Why did I have to grow up in my house where sarcasm is the primary language? Why did my father have to be so damn sarcastic all the time? Now I'm just the same. *~* I just can't wait until I go back to Hogwart's. I am so excited about seeing everyone again, and I want to meet the new girl who took my place, Kerry, that was her name. Ron said that I would like her or hate her with a passion. I hope I like her. I don't want to make anymore enemies. Here in Australia I haven't made a ton of friends but I have enough. I have made a few enemies though, there's one girl who hates me for some reason, I haven't figured out why yet. Oh no, I have to get to class. *~* The last few days have gone so fast. It's the last day of classes before Christmas Hols. Hermione is supposed to be here in a few hours. I'm in Potions, trying to ignore Malfoy and concentrate on the sleeping potion I'm making. Tomorrow we have off so we can get ready for the Yule Ball. I can't wait until then. As far as I know, I'm still going with Ron. Neville got sick so she's going with Harry because he didn't have a date either. She is happy. Malfoy has been bothering me a lot more than usual, I want to know why, but not enough to listen to him right now. Here comes Snape, he doesn't like me at all. He seems to just be looking for me to make a mistake so he can take points from Gryffindor. "Miss James, you are doing very well with this potion." He said as if he were disgusted to compliment me. "Thank you, professor." I said in the sweetest voice I could manage to him. "Aren't we becoming a teacher's pet." "Go away Malfoy. I don't want to take any of your crap right now." "Fine, then. I won't talk to you." "Good." "I won't tell you that your hair looks really nice today." "What is it Malfoy? You obviously really want to talk to me so spill it." "I don't know if I will if you talk to me like that." "I don't really care but you do so tell me." "You do care, and you know it so talk nicer to me and I'll tell you." "Would you please tell me before I have to wring your neck." "Well when you put it like that." "Tell me." "Or what? Will you torture me again? Because that didn't amount to much last time and it sounded like fun." "Shut up, you're right, I do care, but not as much as you do, you'll tell me." "Maybe I will, maybe I won't" "Oh, you'll tell me." I said as I moved really close to him and our lips were barely touching. I was thinking to myself, thank god for tic tacs. "Um, yeah, hi Kerry. What was I going to tell you and by the way, you're making your boyfriends over there squirm." "Let them, I want to know what you have to say." "The fact is, I have absolutely nothing to say. I think it's fun to watch you try to get something out of me." "Urgh, you are an idiot. You shouldn't mess with me like that. You won't forget it." "I'm sure I won't. Now could you move back a little, as much as I enjoy it I think your fan club is about to come over here and strangle me." "Oh, I'm sorry, um, yeah ok." I said as I stepped back, turning bright red. I didn't want to have to talk to Harry and Ron later.