The week passed uneventfully. There were no more horrid incidents in Herbology with firey noses. Friday morning came around and everyone waited anxiously for the day to finish so they could all go shopping in Hogsmeade. The day passed, and finally it was 3:00 and everyone rushed up to their dormitories to get ready for the trip, which was at four.

"Opal, Ginny, let's all make each over the night of the dance." Rose said, sitting cross legged on her bed and bouncing excitedly. The 'populars' (mainly, Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, Lavender Brown and Lucy Portford, plus a few others, who were mostly what these girls referred to as 'wanna-bes') were sitting on Lucy Portford's bed. Lucy snickered as Rose bounced excitedly.

Opal groaned. "Do we haaaaave to!!!!???"

"Pleeeeeeaaaassseee?" Rose whined, ignoring the snickerrs of the other girls and the hungry stare of Kylie, who only wished she could be any one of these girls. Anyone but herself.

"Come on, Opal, it'll be fun." Ginny snickered. "We PROMISE not to make you look like a clown this time..." Opal glared at Ginny, then Rose.

"Alright but my hair..."

She was interrupted by Ginny and Rose. "NO BUNS!"

"We want you to look sexy." Ginny put it.

"Not Professorial." Rose added

Opal collapsed on her bed in a very un-Opal-like manner. "I admit defeat." She said dramatically.

"Good!" Rose and Ginny both said, pouncing on the prone Opal. And so began a huge tickle war on the bed. After about five minutes Lucy sniffed.

"If you don't mind, you're shaking the dorm. Besides which, you're all going to be late. You're not even dressed!"

"Uhhh... Lucy.... We are dressed!" All three said at once. They were still in their school robes.

"WHAT!?!" Said the entire bedful of populars, even Padma, who didn't care nearly as much as the others.

"This is how we're going." Ginny said, very slowly, as though speaking to demented gnomes.

Rose giggled, grabbing Opal and Ginny each by an arm. They all ran off, out of the tower, giggling madly. Hermione and Harry saw, from where they sat on one of the couches, waiting for Ron.

"Is it just me or do you suddenly feel about 50?" Asked Harry, still watching a certain red-head as she disappeared through the portrait-hole. Hermione looked at him.

"Why, have a suddenly urge to run around holding hands with two girls and giggling?" Hermione said with a playful smile.

"You KNOW that's not what I...."

She cut him off by throwing a pillow at him. "Meant?" She said sweetly.

When Ron came down it was to find his two best friends hitting each other mercilessly with pillows. He coughed. "Shall we go before they leave for Hogsmeade without us?" He said pointedly, seemingly not too terribly happy they'd been engaging in fun without him. Hermione grinned and threw a pillow at him. "Hey!" Ron bellowed, diving and tickling her....

The populars walked down the stairs. They all smiled patronizingly. "Apparently the five-year-old mentality is contagious." Parvati said in a high-and-mighty voice. Harry wanted to throw up. What had happened? These girls had been nice enough last year, if a little silly.

"I know, isn't it cute?" Lucy said snottily.

Hermione, Harry and Ron all rose as one. Even though they weren't trying to be threatening they, all together, gave off an undeniable aura of power. "let's go." Ron said. They all marched out, going out of the portrait hole one at a time.

The two Trios met up in Hogsmeade and the three girls dragged Hermone off with them to buy robes.

Ron looked at Harry. "So, mate, who're you going to ask...?" He was looking at the back of Ginny's head rather pointedly. Harry decided he had to squash that idea.

"I was thinking of asking Rose..." He said casually. Rons' ears turned red.

"But I was going to ask Rose..." Ron said.

"Look, Ron.... Not to put too fine a point on it, Hermione fancies you. And you seem to like her." Harry stated bluntly, hoping to deflect an argument.

"Really? You think I should ask 'Mione?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"I will then." Ron said, his ears still bright red, with embarassment, this time.

Harry grinned. "Good, then." He debated mentioning that Ron shouldn't make the mistake he'd made at the Yule ball... "Ron..."

But before he could finish his scentence, Ron cut in. "Let's ask them today... Before someone else does."

"Yeah." After all, these girls aren't Eloise Midgens. They'd be asked out pretty quick... 'At least Rose would..' Harry thought to himself.

"Let's go get you some robes Harry." Ron said.

"You too, Ron." When Ron started to glare Harry put up a hand. "No Christmas presents ever again, mind you."

Ron grinned. "Well, alright then."

"Or birthday either..." Harry put in thoughtfully, then dodged the playfulyful punch Ron threw his way.

"After all, that's taking it a bit far!" Ron said. They chuckled together, and walked off to Madam Malkins

Meanwhile, the four girls were trying on robes in whirls of color. "Hermione, that aqua color is to die for on you." Rose said matter-of-factly.

"You really think so?" Hermione asked. All the girls nodded.

"Definitely." They chorused.

They picked out gorgeous robes for everyone, including Luna, who joined up with them not too long into their shopping expedition. Kylie had also come up and shyly asked for help. They'd immediately pulled her into their midst, invited her to the make-over they were going to do before hand and helped her pick out robes that not only fit, but made her look good. Ginny had an eye for that sort of thing, though it was far from her top priority.

Eventually the entire group met up with Harry, Ron and Neville at the Three Broomsticks. Then, all of them, Ron, Harry, Neville, Rose, Hermione, Opal, Ginny, Luna, and Kylie all sat at one HUGE table, drinking butterbeer.

"Is it just me or do you feel outnumbered?" Ron hissed to Harry and Neville in a stage whisper.

"You are out-numbered, you dolt!" Ginny said, giggling.

Ron glared at his little sister playfully. All the girls giggled. The conversation turned to robes, and at some point along the way the boys decided they'd had enough girl talk. But all three of them had something they wanted to ask one of the girls.

"Ah... Ginny.." Neville mumbled

Just as Ron said "Hermione, can I have a word?"

And Harry began "Uh... Erm... Rose..."

Those three girls all went a bit pink and smiled. "Yes?" They said as one.

All the other girls giggled, and got up. "See you back at the castle." Opal said as she walked off with Kylie and Luna... The others all sort of stared at each other. That is, till each of the girls headed off in a different direction, trailed by whatever boy had wanted to talk to them.

Neville and Ginny stood by Zonko's. "Ah... Erm... G...Ginny... W..ww.ould.. Would you.... wouldyougotothedancewithme?" He said, finishing very fast.

"What?" She said, honestly not having understood what he'd just said.

"Would... Would you, go to the dance with me?"

"Of course, Neville." She smiled and stood on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. Shyly, he slipped his hand in her's and they started walking back up to the castle.

Ron looked down at Hermione. "Uh... Hermione, would you go to the dance with me?" He said, looking unflustered. But the tips of his ears were bright red.

"Yeah, alright." Hermione said, sounding unexcited. But she was grinning from ear to ear. They too began to walk back up to the castle, though they weren't holding hands.

Rose waited as Harry stumbled around for words. "Ummm.. Erm... Look... We don't know each other too well but... Erm..." She looked up at him.

"Do you want to go to the dance together?" She said, rescuing him, not even considering the fact he might not like being asked. He looked startled 'God I wish girls would do that more often... Takes the bloody pressure off.' His face broke into a huge, goofy grin.

"Yeah, I do."

She smiled happily. They walked up to the castle together. At some point, her smaller, paler hand slipped into his, and they smiled at each other.

Rose bounced into the common room, grinning in a starry eyed sort of a way. Much to the dismay of everyone in the common room she skipped up the stairs and into her room. She collapsed on the bed at 6:05, Hogsmeade visit over, heart beating wildly at the prospect of going to a school dance with HARRY POTTER! Opal was no where to be seen. Infact, the room was empty. She drew her curtains and lay on her back staring at the ceiling and imagining dancing every single dance with Harry. Amazingly, in this little dream sequence, no one's feet got stepped on, and no one blushed at the feeling of hands on hips.

Ginny came in about five minutes later, grinning. "Neville?" Rose asked. Ginny nodded.

"Harry?" Ginny asked. Rose nodded.

Ginny collapsed on the bed next to Rose, and they both day dreamed together, side by side, on the bed. Opal came in, looking fairly starry eyed herself, dreamily pushed Ginny and Rose further along on the bed and collapsed next to them. "Guess what?" Opal said. Before they could answer she countinued, sounding so unlike Opal they both sat up and stared. "Dean Thomas asked me to the dance!" Opal gushed in a rushing torrent of excited bubbliness.

"Who are you and what have you done with our best friend Opal Patil?" The other two asked as one. Opal sat up and smakced them both in the head with a feather pillow, informing them both that Lucy Portford had not taken over their friends body. " Brat!" They shouted at her and tackled her to the bed, yet another pillow/tickle fight ensuing. Kylie came in, sat on her bed and started reading. Being ignored was her speciality.

Meanwhile Neville, Harry and Ron were all sitting in the common room, on a couch, looking pleased with themselves. They ALL had very pretty dates for the ball next Friday. Dean Thomas came up to them.. "Erm, Neville, I was wondering, would you ask Kylie to the dance...?" Neville's cheeks went pink.

"Well, Dean, I can't... I'm taking Ginny." Neville stammered. Ron glowered. Dean looked at Ron and Harry. Harry answered for both of them, as Ron was too busy glaring at Neville, who had picked up a pillow like it was a sheild.

"Sorry, Dean. We've both got dates." Harry said apoligetically, secretly jumping for joy that he'd ask Rose. Or, rather, that Rose had rescused him and asked herself. 'Kylie may be sweet, but she seems a few feathers short of a hippogriff. And she's a little chubby.' Harry thought. 'not that that's why I don't want to go with her.'

"S'alright Harry." Dean turned as if to go.

"Hey, Dean." Neville said. "Why don't you ask Creevey? He seems to like your sister alright." Dean smiled.

"Yeah, I will."

He turned again. Ron looked up from his glaring. "Oy, Dean! Who're you taking?"

"Opal Patil." Dean grinned and went off to talk to Colin Creevey, who could seen nodding and smiling not long after.

Harry, Ron and Neville were deep in a discussion about the looks of every girl third year and up, in Gryffindor. The three girls got up at around 6:30 and wandered down to the common room. Hermione was there, and, somehow, 'magically' several of them paired off. Opal and Dean went off together. Rose was willing to bet they'd be a couple by next Saturday. Ginny walked down with Neville, much to Ron's chagrin. Rose was fairly sure they'd be a couple by TOMORROW.... They'd been writing each other all summer. Rose went down, in a group, with Hermione, Ron and Harry. Hermione and Ron weren't sure HOW to be a couple, obviously. And Harry never seemed to go anywhere without those two. Rose sighed inwardly and told herself she didn't mind. She'd only known him for a few days, after all.

They all sat down together, after Rose, Opal and Ginny had said hi to Luna. Apparently even Luna had a date, she was going with a sixth year Hufflepuff named Kyle Smyth. Their 'little' group was not so little tonight, because it seemed to have expanded to include Dean, Kylie and Colin Creevey. Colin, however, left Harry alone. He seemed to have asked Kylie to the dance while they were walking down to dinner (they were fairly good friends) and Kylie was positively beaming.

That night the two Trios studied together along with Kylie, Colin, Neville and Dean. They were the ones that were really only in the group by association. It was surprising, really that Ginny, Opal and rose had been excepted so readily. But Rose was gorgeous, Ginny was Ron's sister and Opal, besides being damn near as smart as Hermione,was their friend. They were also all very easy to get along with.

Rose yawned. It was hours after dinner, nearly ten o' clock. "Ugh..... Why are we even studying!?! It's a weekend."

"We're studying because if we get our homework done now we won't have to do it tomorrow." Opal answered, just as Hermione had opened her mouth. Hermione shut her mouth again, looking like she was stuck somewhere between annoyance and admiration.

Ginny tossed a book at Opal, but missed, and it went flying at Harry, who caught it neatly. "Nice catch Harry." Opal said, without looking up as she finished her potions essay with a flourish Gilderoy Lockhart would've been proud of. Romance was getting to her.

Rose finally finished her own potions essay an hour later. She breezed through her charms and transfiguration work, being second only to Opal and Hermione in those classes and then spent the remainder of the time trying to steal Neville's herbology work to copy off of. "Aww Neville? Just give me the answer to ONE question?" He shook his head. "Come on Neville I bloody well don't know what the three uses of fire plant are! How do they expect you to learn anything in that class anyway? I spend the whole time defending myself from vicious plants!" Neville sighed and was just about to hand his homework over when he was interrupted by Hermione.

"Can't let you do that Neville. Rose, why don't you just get him to tutor you?"

"Can't I just copy off his work and be done with it?" Rose whined. Ginny and Opal, having finished their homework, were looking amused. Harry looked like he didn't know what to think. "Argh. It's 11 o' clock." She announced, glancing at the clock "I'll do the damned essay tomorrow."

Hermione shook her head as Rose left. "Don't you dare give her those answers Neville. She'll never learn a thing in that class if you do." Neville nodded, rolled up his parchment and went upstairs, followed by Ron and Harry. At around 11:30 Hermione went to her dorm and Ginny and Opal went up to theirs. The other girls were already in their beds, fast asleep.

During the weekend they all hung out, were pestered by Opal and Hermione to study, and had several more tickle and pillow fights, involving various members of the group, including, once, Luna, who proved too wonderful with a feather pillow. All in all the weekend passed rather uneventfully, until Sunday dinner.

They were all sitting together, all being the two trios, Neville, Dean, Kylie, Colin and even Luna, because people from different houses were allowed to sit at other tables on weekends. Suddenly Rose got up, remembering that she still hadn't done her herbology homework, and it was due tomorrow. "Damn... Oh damn...." She shoved the remainder of her dinner into her mouth and rushed out of the great hall.

Ginny gave Opal three knuts. "I really thought she wouldn't realize till she got all the way to Herbology and Sprout asked..." The group burst out laughing, then looked guilty.

Rose, meanwhile, had been in such a rush that she had forgot about one of the trick steps and was sinking into it. By the time she heard footsteps behind her she'd managed to get the other foot stuck also and was sunk up to her ankle on one foot and her calf on the other. "Help whoever you are!" She pleaded. She shivered when she heard that farmiliar cold drawl.

"Well well well.... Quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into." Draco Malfoy said from behind her. She could HEAR the smirk in his voice.

"Malfoy, just pull me out... Please?" The please came easier than she was comfortable with. She metally shook herself.

"What'll you do for me Clarkson?" He drawled, throughly enjoying himself. He hopped nimbly over the trick stairs and stepped infront of her, far too close for comfort, silver eyes cold with malevolent amusement.

"Malfoy, don't be a prick! Just pull me out, please?" She said, the please again coming far too easily. But she figured calling him a prick probably balanced that out.

"Calling your rescuer a prick?" He smirked. "Where-ever have your manners gone?"

"They sunk down the stairscase along with my feet. Look, Malfoy, what'll I have to do to get you to pull me out?" By now her legs were totally numb, one covered to the knee, the other to the calf. She was standing lopsided. She pushed the other foot down a bit so she could at least stand normally.

"Oh, let me think about it for a bit...." He said, taunting her.

"Malfoy get me the fuck out of this goddamn staircase! NOW!"

"Language, Clarkson." He said, coldly amused. "Do you kiss your precious Potter with that mouth?"

She glared at him. "Malfoy, please pull me out of here. If you leave me here, I'll only get pulled out by someone else." She paused. "And we've just started on transfiguring others." she smiled. "I heard you made a very nice ferret."

"Is that a threat, Clarkson?" he asked. She was hoping that the look that was so unfarmiliar on his beautiful, cold features was discomfort.

"Indeed it is, Malfoy."

"Why should I help you out?"

"Alright Malfoy, what is it you want?" Rose asked, sounding defeated.

"Hmmm.... How about you kiss me Clarkson." It wasn't a request.

"What in &%?!?!"

"You heard me."

"Why?" She was still in shock.

"Because whatever else you might be, Clarkson, you are quite a speciman." He drawled, stepping down onto the step that had stood between them so he was far, far to close for comfort. Rose was sure she'd heard wrong. Surely Draco Malfoy hadn't just told her she looked good. 'I think I might be dead.' she thought. "Yes, you'd make a lovely trophy wife. If you had silencing spell on you, of course." He said, looking her up down in the most leisurely of manners, till she was sure he was seeing right through her robes. She turned a brilliant shade of pink, then quickly, before he could stop her, she'd slapped him so hard she'd left a clearly defined red handprint on his pristine white cheek. He also lost his balance and fell, landing on his back on the stairs.

"I wouldn't kiss you even if it was the only way to save myself from a pack of ravening Dementors!" She told him hotly, green eyes flashing, cheeks flushed, wavy aubrun hair all over her shoulders. He looked up at her. And smirked.

"Oh, but Rose, you don't have much of a choice..." He said menacingly, slowly beginning to rise. "No one smacks a Malfoy and gets away with it..." She had to control herself mightily not to shake at the way he said her name. As if it was a curse word. But definitely his favorite curse word. The kind you enjoy saying, even if it's only to piss everyone off. But Rose heard footsteps behind her, though she couldn't tell who it was. Then she heard Harry's voice.

"Maybe no one's ever smacked a Malfoy and gotten away with it before." Harry said.

"But there are stranger things happening." Hermione's voice put in.

"Everyday." Ron finished, as he and Hermione each grabbed on of Rose's arms and lifted her out. She tried to stand and her knees buckled. All the strength in her legs was gone. Hermione knelt down next to her while Harry and Draco glared at each other over their heads. Harry had a tight hold on the back of Ron's robes.

"How long were you stuck?" Hermione asked her softly.

"Maybe ten minutes. But it was both legs. I can't feel either of them from the backs of my knees down." Rose replied. She was glad that the trio had most obviously not heard anything about the kissing.

"What I want to know," Ron said through clenched teeth, "is how a Slytherin ended up on the oppisisite side of the castle. And not even in the dungeons on this side, but in the towers."

"I wanted a bit of a walk, Weasel. Why? You fancy Weed over there?" He asked, obviously meaning Rose. Ron turned a brilliant shade of pink that clashed horribly with his hair. Somehow blushes were much more fetching on Rose. Malfoy shouldered past them, Harry barely stopping Ron from trying to disembowel him.

"Let's go." Hermione said firmly, taking charge. She and Harry each took one of Roses arms, as harry finally let go of Ron's robes. They helped her up the stairs and into the Gryffindor Common room, finding a tucked away corner.

"Rose, what did he do?" Ron asked angrily, straightening out his robes.

"Nothing. He was just taunting me, and refusing to pull me out." She lied smoothly, but her cheeks were pink. Hermione looked at her sharply.

"Then why'd you slap him?" Ron asked, in a sudden fit of un-Ron-like perceptivity.

"He called me something." She said, which wasn't a lie. He'd called her a trophy wife. Harry looked quite mad, but Ron looked livid. Now he was just looking for excuses to hurt Malfoy. "I'm tired." Rose said abruptly. "I think I can stand now."

"What about your Herbology paper?" Hermione asked.

"Bloody hell..." Rose muttered lividly under her breath. "I'll have to do it upstairs. Bye." She finished, got up, wobbled and then headed up the stairs, trying not to fall over.

"Something isn't right there." Hermione muttered. Harry silently agreed.

Upstairs, in her room, Rose Devine Clarkson angrily did her paper, brushing off her friends brusquely and quite soon going to bed.

The week passed fairly uneventfully after that. Except that Malfoy seemed to be waiting for her around every single corner. And that was always bad news. If she was alone, he'd make comments. If she was with her own friends, or the other Gryffindor trio, as she often tended to be, he'd pass by with little more than a leer. She wouldn't tell Opal and Ginny about the staircase incident, and eventually they went to Hermione and got the details out of her. They weren't happy they hadn't been told. They talked to Luna, who said that Rose was hiding something. Hermione had come to the same deduction. All six decided to get to the bottom of Rose's secret. On Thursday night, the night before the dance, all the girls of their little group, plus Kylie, and Luna (students from other houses were allowed in the common room as long as it was a weekend and they weren't told the password), all sat on the bed. The girls acted naturally towards Rose. But they were listening for any clue.

It was funny, that the only one who knew her darkest secret, was the one she could never trust.