Chapter Two- Why Are You Wearing That?
I finally got out of Gryffindor commons alive, feeling out of place, and very much put out. I was to meet Neville and the others outside the Great Hall at seven, and to my irritation, I was fifteen minutes late.
When I finally got there, Ron and Neville were sitting cross- legged in the hallway, playing Exploding Snap. Music was blaring from the Great Hall, but they did not seem to notice, or care, for that matter.
"Hello!" I called, rushing toward them. "So sorry I'm late!"
"'Lo, Hermione!" Neville exclaimed, the two of them jumping up. Then, they paused, staring.
Neville blinked. "What are you wearin'?" he asked.
Ron's mouth fell open. He pushed it back. "She's taking fashion tips from Pansy Parkinson," he joked seriously.
"EXCUSE me? How dare you! I never- Pavarti made me wear it!" I cried out.
"It's rather- ermmm-" Neville quit talking. He and Ron looked at each other and began to snigger.
"Rather what?" I inquired snappishly.
"Erm- nothing. Let's go in," Neville put in quickly, holding out an arm for me to take.
I took it, questioning," Why didn't you chaps just go in all ready?"
They appeared to be confused, as Ron answered," I don't know..?"
Okay...
It was loud, dark, and hot in the vast hall. It was a dance for years five through seven, so naturally, things were getting a bit 'mature'.
For example, a bunch of Slytherin girls were freak dancing in the left corner while Madame Hooch, Professor Sprout, and Professor McGonnagal had their backs turned. Those three teachers had planned the whole ordeal. I didn't blame them for ignoring us.
"There you go, Ron. A whole load of girls who are as unfortunate as you are!"
"Ha, ha," he replied dryly. "They're probably taken all ready."
"Oy, mates! O'er here!" called a familiar voice.
We turned around. It was Harry, sitting at a table he'd saved with his friend Charlotte.
"Hello, there," I greeted, going over and sitting down by him, as the other two followed.
He stared at me. "What on earth are you wearing?"
"It isn't her fault. Pavarti made her," explained Neville, looking serious.
Harry shook his head at me, and continued to speak to Charlotte.
"LOOK! Food!" Ron shouted out joyfully. He and Neville ran over to the refreshment table and began to devour crisps. I shrugged to myself and followed them.
We watched in amusement as Seamus did an Irish jig in the middle of the dance floor! He did well. Lavender was positively crimson!
At that very moment, Ginny Weasley ran in, crying. She bothers me sometimes. I'm sorry, but she always manages to make a scene.
"Ginny!" Ron declared. "What happened to you?"
She sniffed loudly, mascara running down her cheeks. "Oh, nothing."
"All right," Ron smiled, and went back to crisps.
"Okay, fine. If you've GOT to know, I'll tell you," Ginny said dramatically. "I don't have have anyone to dance with!"
Ron squinted at her. "Ask one of those nice blokes over there," he said, gesturing to at least ten boys in her year that were hanging by the wall.
"No thanks," she snapped. "What I MEAN is, no one will ask ME to dance. It's different, Ronald."
"You just mean that Harry won't ask you to dance," Ron said casually.
"SHUT UP!" she barked. "I hate dances!"
I patted her shoulder. "It's all right, Gin. You can hang out with us."
She smiled, just as Ron inquired," Why did you come, if you hate dances so much?"
"I hate you," she declared hotly, and ran to the back to sulk.
Ron watched her. "I swear, she gets more and more obnoxious every second of her days."
I rolled my eyes. "You don't really help her, you know. You could try to be nice at least."
"Want to dance, Hermione?" Neville asked, as Ron looked infuriated.
"Yes, please," I said, giving Ron an irate look and following Neville.
A slow song played, as couples swayed back and forth. I put my head on Neville's shoulder, giggling as he stepped on my feet and blushed.
My eyes drifted up to look at the other pairs. Cho and a Hufflepuff named Keigan were dancing together, Pavarti and Dean were shuffling along, and Harry and Charlotte had started as well. But the two who were most into it were (surprise, surprise) Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.
Draco's hands were tightening around her bottom, and her arms were thrust about his neck like a pulled noose. Her face was buried in his neck, so I wasn't able to see her expression, but Draco held his head high, and kept a solemn frown, as though he was not there.
We made eye contact, and in an instant, his face completely changed. His icy eyes kind of grew larger, and he almost looked nice, but then he rolled them, and looked away. It was curious.
I turned my gaze away, but a second later, I felt him staring at me. I could see him out of the corner of my eye!
"Neville," I whispered into his ear," Draco's looking at me fixedly."
"I'm sorry," he replied.
I finally got out of Gryffindor commons alive, feeling out of place, and very much put out. I was to meet Neville and the others outside the Great Hall at seven, and to my irritation, I was fifteen minutes late.
When I finally got there, Ron and Neville were sitting cross- legged in the hallway, playing Exploding Snap. Music was blaring from the Great Hall, but they did not seem to notice, or care, for that matter.
"Hello!" I called, rushing toward them. "So sorry I'm late!"
"'Lo, Hermione!" Neville exclaimed, the two of them jumping up. Then, they paused, staring.
Neville blinked. "What are you wearin'?" he asked.
Ron's mouth fell open. He pushed it back. "She's taking fashion tips from Pansy Parkinson," he joked seriously.
"EXCUSE me? How dare you! I never- Pavarti made me wear it!" I cried out.
"It's rather- ermmm-" Neville quit talking. He and Ron looked at each other and began to snigger.
"Rather what?" I inquired snappishly.
"Erm- nothing. Let's go in," Neville put in quickly, holding out an arm for me to take.
I took it, questioning," Why didn't you chaps just go in all ready?"
They appeared to be confused, as Ron answered," I don't know..?"
Okay...
It was loud, dark, and hot in the vast hall. It was a dance for years five through seven, so naturally, things were getting a bit 'mature'.
For example, a bunch of Slytherin girls were freak dancing in the left corner while Madame Hooch, Professor Sprout, and Professor McGonnagal had their backs turned. Those three teachers had planned the whole ordeal. I didn't blame them for ignoring us.
"There you go, Ron. A whole load of girls who are as unfortunate as you are!"
"Ha, ha," he replied dryly. "They're probably taken all ready."
"Oy, mates! O'er here!" called a familiar voice.
We turned around. It was Harry, sitting at a table he'd saved with his friend Charlotte.
"Hello, there," I greeted, going over and sitting down by him, as the other two followed.
He stared at me. "What on earth are you wearing?"
"It isn't her fault. Pavarti made her," explained Neville, looking serious.
Harry shook his head at me, and continued to speak to Charlotte.
"LOOK! Food!" Ron shouted out joyfully. He and Neville ran over to the refreshment table and began to devour crisps. I shrugged to myself and followed them.
We watched in amusement as Seamus did an Irish jig in the middle of the dance floor! He did well. Lavender was positively crimson!
At that very moment, Ginny Weasley ran in, crying. She bothers me sometimes. I'm sorry, but she always manages to make a scene.
"Ginny!" Ron declared. "What happened to you?"
She sniffed loudly, mascara running down her cheeks. "Oh, nothing."
"All right," Ron smiled, and went back to crisps.
"Okay, fine. If you've GOT to know, I'll tell you," Ginny said dramatically. "I don't have have anyone to dance with!"
Ron squinted at her. "Ask one of those nice blokes over there," he said, gesturing to at least ten boys in her year that were hanging by the wall.
"No thanks," she snapped. "What I MEAN is, no one will ask ME to dance. It's different, Ronald."
"You just mean that Harry won't ask you to dance," Ron said casually.
"SHUT UP!" she barked. "I hate dances!"
I patted her shoulder. "It's all right, Gin. You can hang out with us."
She smiled, just as Ron inquired," Why did you come, if you hate dances so much?"
"I hate you," she declared hotly, and ran to the back to sulk.
Ron watched her. "I swear, she gets more and more obnoxious every second of her days."
I rolled my eyes. "You don't really help her, you know. You could try to be nice at least."
"Want to dance, Hermione?" Neville asked, as Ron looked infuriated.
"Yes, please," I said, giving Ron an irate look and following Neville.
A slow song played, as couples swayed back and forth. I put my head on Neville's shoulder, giggling as he stepped on my feet and blushed.
My eyes drifted up to look at the other pairs. Cho and a Hufflepuff named Keigan were dancing together, Pavarti and Dean were shuffling along, and Harry and Charlotte had started as well. But the two who were most into it were (surprise, surprise) Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.
Draco's hands were tightening around her bottom, and her arms were thrust about his neck like a pulled noose. Her face was buried in his neck, so I wasn't able to see her expression, but Draco held his head high, and kept a solemn frown, as though he was not there.
We made eye contact, and in an instant, his face completely changed. His icy eyes kind of grew larger, and he almost looked nice, but then he rolled them, and looked away. It was curious.
I turned my gaze away, but a second later, I felt him staring at me. I could see him out of the corner of my eye!
"Neville," I whispered into his ear," Draco's looking at me fixedly."
"I'm sorry," he replied.