A/N: well here it is… another installment of the wonderful (in my mind) fanfic… thanks for all those who reviewed! It means SO MUCH TO ME!!! Thank you!! And I got my brother to beta for me! So there should be less mistakes. But there might still be some. I'm only human after all, ne?? of course. ^_^

Disclaimer: well… apparently Harry Potter and all it's characters don't belong to me. Of course they're gonna be happier with JK Rowlings.

Strip Down

Preparty Preparations

By Kristina Chang

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Last time:

"Well, dear Harry. What I needed to talk to you about was tonight. You're not doing anything, are you? Of course you're not. Well good." Harry had his mouth open, but closed it after Hermione answered her own question.

"My… friends are having a party. And they wanted you to come. It's in my room, the girls and I are "renting" it out to them. And they wanted you to bring Draco, Ron, and Seamus. It's just you four. So don't go talking about it. Or else they'll get really…angry. And you don't want that to happen. Well anyway, I'm not really gonna be there. So yeah, you're gonna have to er…fend for yourself. I'm just kidding. You won't have to. I think you're rather going to enjoy this little party. Oh, very much." She giggled.

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After classes that day, Hermione fled up to her room. Dinner was in one hour (I don't really know exactly… so I'm gonna guestimate) so she had to get the outfits by then. The outfits were already picked out.

She'd gone shopping last week and stepped into the new muggle shop in Hogsmeade. She walked in and lo and behold she found the perfect outfits. And that's when she came up with her plan. That day, she'd bought the four sets, which seemed to be made for her friends and her. They were the perfect size and the colors matched each of the girls. She'd had the shopkeeper hold the clothes in storage until she called for them by owl.

Hermione hurriedly ran to the owlery to send the owl to the shop so that the clothes could be flown up to the school by owls.

As Hermione walked back to her room, she thought about how to place the beds. Four beds didn't really leave much room to have a party. But Hermione didn't bother to think about that right now, she just left that to the girls and after dinner.

As Hermione walked into the common room, she looked up at the clock and noticed that it was already time to go eat dinner so she just turned around and walked back out of the room to the Great Hall.

In the Great Hall…

Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati saved Hermione a seat at the Griffyndor table. However… they were sitting right next to Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Draco. Of COURSE, Parvati had to put Hermione next to Draco.

When Hermione saw this, she begged Ginny to trade seats with her. But Ginny didn't want to leave Harry's side so Hermione forced herself to sit next to Draco.

"Hello Draco. I trust that your day has been well. Considering Pansy hasn't attached herself to you today." Hermione made pleasantries with Draco, not wanting him to think she was afraid of him.

"Yes. EXTREMELY happy." Draco replied with his teeth gritted. Harry and Ron forced him to "behave" himself while in Hermione's presence or at least not call her mudblood.

Hermione smiled as he didn't call her mudblood.

"So you're coming to my… friend's party then?"

"Yes. As if I had a choice. Potter listens to you. For some strange reason or which I cannot comprehend."

"Well, it's only because he knows I can beat him in a wizard's duel any day. Maybe we can duel someday. I have picked up many interesting spells and tricks throughout the years." Hermione stopped to eat.

Draco just watched her eat. He seemed fascinated with her all of a sudden. Harry kicked his leg under the table to get him out of that trance.

Draco looked at Harry thankfully and resumed eating. Until he felt someone's foot rubbing against his right leg. He looked up at Harry and thought that he might have done that accidentally but he was absorbed into talking to Ginny about something. Then he looked to his left at Ron. He was just staring at Lavender, who was sitting next to Ginny but talking to Parvati. Then finally Draco looked at Hermione. But Hermione was just eating as if nothing in the world could bother her. But Draco looked more closely… and he could see that she was holding in a smirk.

"It's YOU!" Draco suddenly exclaimed from nowhere. Harry, Ginny, Lavender, Ron, Parvati, and Seamus all looked at him strangely. Draco just looked back at all of then and they went back to what they were doing.

"What do you think you're DOING?" he whispered to her furiously.

"Me? I'm not doing anything." Hermione answered innocently.

'Too innocently' Draco thought but he didn't say that out loud.

"Right right…" Draco replied instead, quite sarcastically.

Hermione just giggled, smiled and continued to eat her dinner.

The motions on his leg didn't stop.

Suddenly, Hermione stood up. And guess what, no more rubbing on his leg either. She waved to Lavender, Ginny and Parvati.

"I'll see you girls later, OK? Aright." Then she left. But not before giving Draco a wink and a smile.

The girls shouted out some good-byes and just resumed eating.

Hermione quickly walked to the Gryffindor tower, anxious to see the outfits that she knew were already in her room. She also couldn't wait 'till 11. She couldn't wait to start the party. She was so excited. Forget walking, Hermione practically ran to Gryffindor tower.

The Fat Lady barely saw her as she yelled the password from the end of the hall and fled into the room as soon as the portrait opened a tiny bit.

"I wonder what's got her in such a hurry." The Fat Lady portrait wondered idly before leaving to converse with her friend, Violet, for a while.

Inside the Gryffindor tower…

Hermione ran up the stairs to her room. She saw what she was waiting for on her bed. There were four boxes: one silver-blue, one green, one purple, and the last one red.

Hermione couldn't contain in her excitement. She opened the silver-blue box and even though she'd seen her outfit before, she still gasped at the sight. It was simple, but it could still evoke the response she wanted from the guys.

'Hmm… I've been here for about half an hour. Amazing how time flies when you're in awe. Where the hell are the girls?' Hermione was about to go searching for them but when she opened the door, the three remaining girls stumbled, more like fell, in, laughing at God knows what.

Hermione just stood there with her hands on her hips. Like a mom who caught her children breaking the rules.

"Oh come on, Herms. We're not late at all. It's only been like a couple minutes are something. Lighten up!" Parvati was sprawled on the floor. She was still laughing a bit. As was Ginny and Lavender. Hermione couldn't help but start laughing at the sight of them all over the floor.

"Well then. Shut the door and shut up." Hermione stopped laughing and became serious.

Lavender, Ginny, and Parvati listened raptly to their "leader" for the instructions.

"I have the clothes. There are different colors for each of you. Lavender, you have the red set, Ginny has the green one, Parvati has the purple one and the silver-blue one is mine. The clothes are all the same. Except for the color and the masks. We don't want them to know it's us 'til the end, now do we?" Hermione looked at all of them. "Of course not. Well we should get started changing. And we need to change our hair and eye color too. That'll REALLY throw them off. He He He He He."

Each of the girls opened their boxes. They all wondered how such simple outfits could be so beautiful. They each held up a different colored mask. Each of the masks had a few sequins sewn into it, but all in different patterns. They were surprised to see jewelry in the boxes as well. So was Hermione.

Hermione picked up the note that she didn't know was attached to her box until now.

Hermione,

I saw that when you bought these outfits, you hadn't gotten any jewelry. I'm sure that you and your friends have some, but I just couldn't resist giving these to you as well. Don't worry about the charge, dear. Consider it my girt to you. Best of luck with the boys. ~_*

The Shopkeeper

"What a wonderful person. I must remember to thank her. But… I never told her that we were gonna show off to guys. Well girls. We have a new appearance to get into. I'll tell you what we're gonna do………" Hermione told them how the night was going to go.

5 or 6 hours later… The girls were as ready as they'd ever be.

The knock came at precisely 11 sharp.

'Good. Harry listened to my advice. Not like he'd dare not to.'

Hermione and the girls stood by the door. A cloak completely obscuring their features and their outfits and masks on underneath. They looked like entirely different people. Hermione went to open the door.

Let the night begin…

Authoress's Notes: well… sorry to leave at such a point. Well… it's only just begun. And oh yeah! I'm so crappy with fashion. But I'm gonna try. But I don't think anything's gonna match… R&R!! 'Til next time!

Kristina Chang