Chapter 28- Surprising Attire
Ravenclaw was good, but Harry had no doubt that his team was ready to face them for their first match. Eric Welshen, Seamus and Ginny performed wondrously together. Brianna streaked from one end of the pitch to the other in no time, and Andy got all the space in between with practiced timing. He gave them a much, much, much shorter version of Oliver Wood's pep talk.
"Right, guys. We're ready for Ravenclaw. Let's win."
Harry shook hand with the Ravenclaw captain, and they all ascended on Madame Hooch's whistle.
Within five minutes, Gryffindor had scored four goals, and Ravenclaw had not yet gained possession of the Quaffle. Seamus was hit in the stomach with a Bludger, and he had to sit out for a few minutes to recover. Unfortunately, he dropped the Quaffle, which ended up in the hands of a Ravenclaw Chaser. She took a shot on goal, but Ron was able to block it, and sent it into Ginny's hands.
He looked quickly at the Ravenclaw Seeker. He was watching Harry closely from the other side of the field. Apparently, he was trying to mark him without being too obvious. Harry would have some fun. He started to fly slowly around the pitch, then sped up as he continued to round the stands. The other Seeker would either be distracted following him, or made dizzy watching. The former turned out to happen.
Harry, suddenly, burst forward, toward the opposite end of the field. He had just spotted the snitch. Gryffidor was now ninety points up, and his Firebolt served him as always. His fingers closed around the Snitch before the entire audience realized that he had seen it.
"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! One hundred and fifty points to Gryffindor, leaving the score at two hundred eighty to thirty! And don't forget to wear your costumes to dinner tonight-"
"Dean Thomas, you are not here to remind the students of school functions. They are all aware that it is Halloween."
No matter who was announcing, Harry thought, they would always be yelled at.
"Awesome, Harry!" Ron shouted, flying over and giving him a firm kiss. They had decided not to be discreet in the least, since everyone knew anyway. After a large team hug, they retreated into the locker room to change.
Harry then gave them a post-game pep talk. "That was amazing, everyone! Hufflepuff won't stand a chance against us, they're not nearly as good as Ravenclaw. Slytherin is another story, but no need to worry about that now. Give yourselves a huge pat on the back, you all did great."
Harry and Ron were the last to leave. They had to change into clean uniforms for dinner. They had decided to go as Quidditch players. "I can just imagine Hermione. 'That's not a costume. You didn't put any effort into it. Besides, you *are* Quidditch players'." Ron grinned.
"If she was even talking these days," Harry muttered back as they approached the Great Hall. "She barely speaks to anyone but the teachers. I'm kind of worried…whoa." He never finished his thought. It was completely pushed from his mind by the sight of the transformed dining hall.
To begin with, the ceiling was cloudy, though Harry knew the night to be clear. Swirling fog clung to the floor. Instead of candles providing light, the room was lit with archaic-looking torches, placed at intervals throughout the room. A predatory gargoyle stood inside the door, its head turning to watch students enter. The benches at the House tables had been turned to creepy, tall armchairs, with cobwebs covering them. Harry could swear he saw glowing eyes staring at him as he sat.
The most surprising bit of the evening was yet to come. When every one had sat down- and it took a while for Ginny, because she and Ron were bickering. He was trying to convince her to change, and she kept telling him to sod off. She was wearing a very skimpy Amazon woman outfit. Two unfamiliar figures appeared in front of the staff table, rising out of the mist.
"Good evening," the woman said somberly. She was wearing a dress of black velvet that was quite low cut, and accentuated her desirable figure. *At least, I would have found it desirable before I found out I liked guys.* Her hair was black, and pulled back tightly into a complicated twist. She had very pale skin, and her lips were a dark red color, like blood.
"We will be your host and hostess for the evening," the man continued. His hair hung to his shoulders in waves, and he had dark brown eyes. He wore an elegant, medieval-type suit of black. The neck was cut to expose some of his chest.
"You might think you know us as your Head Boy and Girl," the woman said.
Harry's jaw dropped open. These people were *Hermione* and *Malfoy*? It did not seem possible. They both looked so completely different. When he realized how ridiculous he must look, he closed his mouth, and surveyed the rest of the room. Ginny was the only student who did not seem shocked.
"We offer you fine food, drink, and company," Malfoy said, gesturing through the room.
"Pay no attention to the creatures you may think you see lurking in the corners. They are merely curious," Hermione added, before taking one of the seats at a small table Harry had not noticed before. Malfoy took the other. It was a small table, set for two, with the chairs facing out toward the hall. They were clearly arranged to watch the students.
The food, to Harry's relief, was the typical Halloween-feast-at-Hogwarts fare. As he was filling his plate, he said, "I can't believe Hermione planned this. I had no idea she could come up with stuff like this."
"I know. It's kind of scary," Ron said. Ginny coughed slightly.
"You know what's missing?" Ron asked after a while.
"What?"
"Dessert." It was true. None of the sugary, fattening, unhealthy, heart-attack-bearing, teeth-rotting food had been set out. "It's probably Hermione's dentist genes kicking in, trying to keep the school healthy. Oh, I hope the house elves ignore her like always."
He was proven wrong, to everyone's relief, when dinner disappeared only to be replaced by all the sugary, fattening, unhealthy, heart-attack-bearing, teeth-rotting food they had all come to expect.
When the feast had been consumed to the point of stomachs near to bursting, Dumbledore rose. "Now, comes the surprise for- most of you. The judging of the costumes. The winner will receive ten galleons in prize money. I think it will come as no surprise to you that we have decided upon joint winners, and they are Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."
Harry had to agree. He had not recognized either one of them- those were *good* costumes. They stood to claim their prize, and sat again. They remained silently watchful as the rest of the school filed out.
"It's a little disturbing," Ron said later. He and Harry were sitting on his bed- Ron's, that is. "She looked way too comfortable in that costume."
"There is a reason they call it a *costume*, Ron," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"Still," Ron shuddered. "It was just too weird."
"Hmm. I do have a question."
"What is it?"
"Were you planning on talking about Hermione all night?"
Ron grinned. "No. I was actually hoping we could…do other things."
"As was I," Harry winked.
************************************************************************
Hermione washed the last of the potion out of her hair before beginning to scrub the pale makeup off her face. Recalling the night's events, she decided that the effort her costume had taken, the pain of planning with Draco when he would barely look at her, everything, was all worth it, just to see the look on Harry and Ron's faces when they realized who she was.
*They're probably making out right now,* she thought. *Some people have all the fun. Me? I have a boyfriend who does not speak to me, and my life is miserable.*
It was hot for the time of year. Hermione slipped into a rather small pair of blue and white striped shorts and a sleeveless black shirt. "Damn," she said to herself, realizing that her books were all in the common room. She went to get them.
As she passed Draco's corridor, she saw him walk out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He caught sight of her and slowed, walking into the doorframe of his bedroom.
Blushing, Hermione hurried back to her own corridor. "I will not give in, I will not give in, I will not-"
She had to get into bed immediately, and pull the covers up over her head, with the Weird Sisters blasting in her ears in order to get the image of a tall, attractive Slytherin in nothing but a towel staring at her out of her head.
End Chapter 28
It was brought to my attention that a CD player would not work at Hogwarts, so when I say CD player, I mean…magical CD player? I don't know. Use your imagination.
Love reviews I do! Yoda turning into am I! Disguised confetti review for!!…because of the whole costume thing…ahem. Yeah.
Ravenclaw was good, but Harry had no doubt that his team was ready to face them for their first match. Eric Welshen, Seamus and Ginny performed wondrously together. Brianna streaked from one end of the pitch to the other in no time, and Andy got all the space in between with practiced timing. He gave them a much, much, much shorter version of Oliver Wood's pep talk.
"Right, guys. We're ready for Ravenclaw. Let's win."
Harry shook hand with the Ravenclaw captain, and they all ascended on Madame Hooch's whistle.
Within five minutes, Gryffindor had scored four goals, and Ravenclaw had not yet gained possession of the Quaffle. Seamus was hit in the stomach with a Bludger, and he had to sit out for a few minutes to recover. Unfortunately, he dropped the Quaffle, which ended up in the hands of a Ravenclaw Chaser. She took a shot on goal, but Ron was able to block it, and sent it into Ginny's hands.
He looked quickly at the Ravenclaw Seeker. He was watching Harry closely from the other side of the field. Apparently, he was trying to mark him without being too obvious. Harry would have some fun. He started to fly slowly around the pitch, then sped up as he continued to round the stands. The other Seeker would either be distracted following him, or made dizzy watching. The former turned out to happen.
Harry, suddenly, burst forward, toward the opposite end of the field. He had just spotted the snitch. Gryffidor was now ninety points up, and his Firebolt served him as always. His fingers closed around the Snitch before the entire audience realized that he had seen it.
"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! One hundred and fifty points to Gryffindor, leaving the score at two hundred eighty to thirty! And don't forget to wear your costumes to dinner tonight-"
"Dean Thomas, you are not here to remind the students of school functions. They are all aware that it is Halloween."
No matter who was announcing, Harry thought, they would always be yelled at.
"Awesome, Harry!" Ron shouted, flying over and giving him a firm kiss. They had decided not to be discreet in the least, since everyone knew anyway. After a large team hug, they retreated into the locker room to change.
Harry then gave them a post-game pep talk. "That was amazing, everyone! Hufflepuff won't stand a chance against us, they're not nearly as good as Ravenclaw. Slytherin is another story, but no need to worry about that now. Give yourselves a huge pat on the back, you all did great."
Harry and Ron were the last to leave. They had to change into clean uniforms for dinner. They had decided to go as Quidditch players. "I can just imagine Hermione. 'That's not a costume. You didn't put any effort into it. Besides, you *are* Quidditch players'." Ron grinned.
"If she was even talking these days," Harry muttered back as they approached the Great Hall. "She barely speaks to anyone but the teachers. I'm kind of worried…whoa." He never finished his thought. It was completely pushed from his mind by the sight of the transformed dining hall.
To begin with, the ceiling was cloudy, though Harry knew the night to be clear. Swirling fog clung to the floor. Instead of candles providing light, the room was lit with archaic-looking torches, placed at intervals throughout the room. A predatory gargoyle stood inside the door, its head turning to watch students enter. The benches at the House tables had been turned to creepy, tall armchairs, with cobwebs covering them. Harry could swear he saw glowing eyes staring at him as he sat.
The most surprising bit of the evening was yet to come. When every one had sat down- and it took a while for Ginny, because she and Ron were bickering. He was trying to convince her to change, and she kept telling him to sod off. She was wearing a very skimpy Amazon woman outfit. Two unfamiliar figures appeared in front of the staff table, rising out of the mist.
"Good evening," the woman said somberly. She was wearing a dress of black velvet that was quite low cut, and accentuated her desirable figure. *At least, I would have found it desirable before I found out I liked guys.* Her hair was black, and pulled back tightly into a complicated twist. She had very pale skin, and her lips were a dark red color, like blood.
"We will be your host and hostess for the evening," the man continued. His hair hung to his shoulders in waves, and he had dark brown eyes. He wore an elegant, medieval-type suit of black. The neck was cut to expose some of his chest.
"You might think you know us as your Head Boy and Girl," the woman said.
Harry's jaw dropped open. These people were *Hermione* and *Malfoy*? It did not seem possible. They both looked so completely different. When he realized how ridiculous he must look, he closed his mouth, and surveyed the rest of the room. Ginny was the only student who did not seem shocked.
"We offer you fine food, drink, and company," Malfoy said, gesturing through the room.
"Pay no attention to the creatures you may think you see lurking in the corners. They are merely curious," Hermione added, before taking one of the seats at a small table Harry had not noticed before. Malfoy took the other. It was a small table, set for two, with the chairs facing out toward the hall. They were clearly arranged to watch the students.
The food, to Harry's relief, was the typical Halloween-feast-at-Hogwarts fare. As he was filling his plate, he said, "I can't believe Hermione planned this. I had no idea she could come up with stuff like this."
"I know. It's kind of scary," Ron said. Ginny coughed slightly.
"You know what's missing?" Ron asked after a while.
"What?"
"Dessert." It was true. None of the sugary, fattening, unhealthy, heart-attack-bearing, teeth-rotting food had been set out. "It's probably Hermione's dentist genes kicking in, trying to keep the school healthy. Oh, I hope the house elves ignore her like always."
He was proven wrong, to everyone's relief, when dinner disappeared only to be replaced by all the sugary, fattening, unhealthy, heart-attack-bearing, teeth-rotting food they had all come to expect.
When the feast had been consumed to the point of stomachs near to bursting, Dumbledore rose. "Now, comes the surprise for- most of you. The judging of the costumes. The winner will receive ten galleons in prize money. I think it will come as no surprise to you that we have decided upon joint winners, and they are Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."
Harry had to agree. He had not recognized either one of them- those were *good* costumes. They stood to claim their prize, and sat again. They remained silently watchful as the rest of the school filed out.
"It's a little disturbing," Ron said later. He and Harry were sitting on his bed- Ron's, that is. "She looked way too comfortable in that costume."
"There is a reason they call it a *costume*, Ron," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"Still," Ron shuddered. "It was just too weird."
"Hmm. I do have a question."
"What is it?"
"Were you planning on talking about Hermione all night?"
Ron grinned. "No. I was actually hoping we could…do other things."
"As was I," Harry winked.
************************************************************************
Hermione washed the last of the potion out of her hair before beginning to scrub the pale makeup off her face. Recalling the night's events, she decided that the effort her costume had taken, the pain of planning with Draco when he would barely look at her, everything, was all worth it, just to see the look on Harry and Ron's faces when they realized who she was.
*They're probably making out right now,* she thought. *Some people have all the fun. Me? I have a boyfriend who does not speak to me, and my life is miserable.*
It was hot for the time of year. Hermione slipped into a rather small pair of blue and white striped shorts and a sleeveless black shirt. "Damn," she said to herself, realizing that her books were all in the common room. She went to get them.
As she passed Draco's corridor, she saw him walk out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He caught sight of her and slowed, walking into the doorframe of his bedroom.
Blushing, Hermione hurried back to her own corridor. "I will not give in, I will not give in, I will not-"
She had to get into bed immediately, and pull the covers up over her head, with the Weird Sisters blasting in her ears in order to get the image of a tall, attractive Slytherin in nothing but a towel staring at her out of her head.
End Chapter 28
It was brought to my attention that a CD player would not work at Hogwarts, so when I say CD player, I mean…magical CD player? I don't know. Use your imagination.
Love reviews I do! Yoda turning into am I! Disguised confetti review for!!…because of the whole costume thing…ahem. Yeah.