Chapter Three- Embrace the Darkness
"Hermione, wake up! You have to get ready!" Yelled Lavender in a singsong voice. Hermione groggily cracked open one eye, and groaned as she caught sight of the clock.
"4:30 am! For Merlin's sake! We don't have to be in the Great Hall until 10:00!"
"Which gives us just enough time to give you a makeover! Besides, we know that your cousin bought you that completely fabulous wardrobe over the summer." Hermione was in shock. How did they know that! She had hid all of those clothes away at the bottom of her trunk; she had only brought them to make her cousin, a fashion designer, happy.
"First of all, the only way you could have known that was if you were snooping through my PERSONAL belongings! Second of all, that stuff is not my style." Said Hermione indignantly.
" That's because you've only tried out one style; boring!" Parvati cried very rudely.
"I beg your pardon!" Hermione relented after three fruitless accusations and nine minutes of arguing and debate.
"Alright, but you had better not put so much makeup on my face that I look like a clown."
Lavender and Parvati squealed in excitement. She closed her eyes just as they both approached her with objects in their hands that looked strangely like torture devices. After feeling her hair worked on, and her face powdered, along with other adjustments made to her face, she heard her roommate say,
"Alright, Hermione, put on these clothes but don't look into the mirror until your completely dressed."
Hermione opened her eyes and saw the clothes that the girls had laid out for her. It was a pair of stonewashed jeans paired with black strappy sandals. The shoes had undergone a comfort spell, and prevented blisters. A black sleeveless shirt was for the top. On the front the words Rebel Without A Cause (A/N Like the movie) was printed in very small lettering, and on the back was a black and white picture of James Dean.
She inserted the silver hoops into the rarely used holes in her ears, and slipped on a necklace with a silver castle on it, with an uncanny resemblance to Hogwarts. She left her wrists bare, but slipped a gold Claudaugh ring onto one of her slender fingers. She picked up her black BEBE purse last, that had been magically adjusted to accommodate her charmed cd player and all of her bare essentials, which included, of course, a few books.
Hermione stepped in front of the mirror and gasped. She looked…pretty. Parvati and Lavender had straightened her hair, and done a very small zigzag part throughout her hair. The makeup on her face was very subtle, only enhancing her beauty. She turned and saw a book lying on the bed. She quickly looked at it and saw that it was a book full of hair and makeup spells from Lavender and Parvati. Hermione had to admit that the girls were good friends, even if they weren't the shiniest rocks in the garden. Grabbing her suitcase charmed to hold all of her personal items, she gave one last hug to Crookshanks and headed over to the boys dormitory. As she pushed open the heavy wooden doors, her ears were met with strangely high-pitched screams saying,
"HOLY MERLIN! HERMIONE! WHAT IN THE BLAZES ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!"
"GET OUT! I'M NOT DRESSED!"
"HERMIONE I'VE GOT MY FLAMING BOXERS ON!"
These cries were accompanied by Neville's frantic dive for cover in his bright orange boxers and various seventh year boys hiding underneath bed sheets and behind curtains.
"Like my deepest desire is to see you boys scantily clad? No thank you! I just want to talk to Harry and Ron, and if they're in there please send them out!" With those last words, she scurried away from the place of the very disturbing sight that had met her eyes. She settled back into the plump chair and waited for the heavy footsteps of her two best friends. They stumbled down the stairs while pulling on their outer robes, and greeted Hermione enthusiastically.
"Wow! Hermione, you look great!" Said Harry, stunned by her transformation. Hermione blushed, not used to comments on her appearance.
"Thanks, Harry." Ron just stood there, looking amazed.
"Are you packed?" She inquired. There was no answer.
"Your silence is very encouraging." The boys both scrambled back up the stairs. Instead of deciding to wait for them, she slipped out of the portrait and traveled down to the entrance hall. She tried to ignore all of the strange looks she was receiving, but finally turned to Dean Thomas, who was openly gaping at her.
"What are you staring at? Is there something on my face?" She asked curiously. Dean Thomas fidgeted for a bit and didn't answer until he realized that Hermione was willing to wait for an answer.
"Well, it's just…you look…different. You look, well, really good, Hermione. Real good." Once again, Hermione blushed, but quickly covered it up by turning to the side, and responding with a "Thanks" as she swept past him. When she finally reached the entrance hall, which seemed to take twice the amount of time as usual, she set her bag down along with the rest of the luggage and walked to the Great Hall for breakfast. The minute she walked into the Hall, it was silent as almost everyone to stare at the new Hermione. She glided hurriedly over to the Gryfindor table and sat down next to Ginny.
"Nice, Hermione! You look really good." Said Ginny.
"Thanks, Ginny, but can we talk about something else." The rest of the morning she received many compliments from various students, until Harry and Ron started glaring at any boy who walked near her. They were in their overprotective mode. Draco had been strangely absent, until she was informed by Lavender, who had heard from a Ravenclaw, who had heard from her Slytherin study partner, that he was still getting ready in his room. Doing his hair and whatnot. Apparently it took him at least thirty minutes to do his hair and get dressed. Hermione was sure that the given time did not include his unnecessarily long preening.
She finally exited the Hall. It was such a relief to finally escape the stares.
"Will all students please report to the Great Hall." Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the corridors. She groaned.
//Great, just as I leave, I have to return. Perfect. // Despite her internal grumbling, she returned to the Great Hall at a high speed, narrowly missing a few first years. She sat herself back down into her seat between Ron and Harry. Dumbledore stood up as soon as he was sure everyone was accounted for.
"Today is the day all of the students will depart on their journey to various continents, countries, and nations. I believe that only good will come from this valuable life experience, and that all of you will be safe. A small silver rectangle with a large red button will be given to you when you exit the doors. This is your panic button. It should only be used in extreme emergencies. This will immediately summon one of the professors, myself, or one of the aurors the Ministry of Magic has so graciously volunteered. I must stress the fact that these must be extreme emergencies only, and not trivial matters that you or your partner can handle on your own." Dumbledore here paused and took a breath to continue.
"Your transportation details and destination will be handed to you with your panic box. I expect you to behave politely and represent Hogwarts well. A Ministry of Magic official will check up on each group once at every location. I wish you all good luck. You may head to the entrance hall, starting with the first years." Hermione groaned. //Why do the first years get to leave first? We're the oldest. Ughh, I've sunk to whining. I really need to stop, and look at things in a positive aspect. All right, at least a neutral aspect. Positive is too difficult. //
Hermione sat on the hard bench and waited in silence, ignoring the attempts at conversation Harry and Ron were throwing her way. When the seventh years were finally called, Hermione walked smoothly to the front of the hall. She spotted a glance of platinum blonde hair, and headed towards the bright color. Draco turned around and saw Hermione. He did a double take. His mouth slowly dropped open, and gray slate eyes widened to an incredible size. He just stood and stared at Hermione, not moving, until Blaise Zabini nudged him. He cleared his throat in embarrassment and turned to talk to the girl in front of him.
"Hermione, I, uhhhh…"
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All right, thank you so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it. Especially lana-la-banana who has given me great advice on my story. I really value advice and criticism the most. And go ahead and flame me if you want- I'm a big girl, I can take it. I'm going to give you some choices of what you want to happen in the next chapter.
-Draco gets scared on the plane because he's never been on one before
-Draco calls Hermione by her first name
-Hermione gets lost in the terminal
-Draco and Hermione get into a huge fight—screaming, and the whole deal.
Review and tell me what you want to happen!