Yet Another Disclaimer for yet Another Chapter: I don't own Harry Potter... and Ashlee Simpson owns the song (not my favourite singer, but the lyrics worked exceptionally well ).

Notes: This chapter has parts, and it is quite long. Chapter 8 was dedicated to Kacie 'cause I know it'll make her mad. Lastly, the song used in this story was not written by me (or Kathrin's character). I did, however, change some lyrics so that it fits the story better). The spell used to read Dyani's mind doesn't have anything to do with conversing with it as far as I know, but it fit as best as I could make it.

Chapter 9: Valentines Enchantment

Part One: New Songs, New Looks

Dyani, Raven, Elle, and Devi were sitting in the practice room waiting for Kathrin. The Room of Requirement had shown up with another set of instruments so they would be able to practice before their performance.

"Where is she?" asked Elle, as she looked at her watch. It was eight in the morning and the girls had to get ready for the ball at three if they wanted to look some-what presentable before punking-out for their performance.

"She said something about a new song or something," said Dyani, drinking her orange juice.

"We can't learn a new song the day of the dance!" said Devi.

"Well then you're going to have to try," Kathrin said as she walked through the door.

"It's about time you got here," said Raven. "We've only been waiting for an hour."

"Well, it takes a half an hour to get from the dungeons to the seventh freaking floor, and I had to finish putting the final touches on the music for the song I wrote."

"Lemme see the lyrics," said Dyani, putting down her bottle of orange juice. Kathrin handed them to her and the other three girls began reading over Dyani's shoulder. "Wow, Kat. This is really deep."

"Yeah, well it speaks the truth, that's all that matters."

"I really think we should play it tonight," said Raven.

"Well, we better get to practicing it," said Elle, as she picked up her guitar.

"Where the hell is Kathrin?" asked Dyani.

"She said she wanted to cut her hair before she came and got ready," said Elle, from inside a bathroom stall.

It was three thirty and four out of five of the girls were in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to get ready for the Valentine's Enchantment Ball. Elle was in the only stall that Myrtle hadn't flooded (she was disappointed that she didn't have a date for the ball—seeing as she is dead). Raven was getting her stage out-fit ready to change into before their performance, Devi was brushing her hair, and Dyani was leaning up against the wall where the door was, filing her jet-black nails.

"Well, how do I look?" Elle came walking out of the stall wearing a soft pink ball gown.

"Not bad for Muggle clothing," said Dyani. Professor Kramer, who was in charge of most activity choices, had decided, being a Muggle lover, that the dance-goers would be dressed in Muggle dress wear—meaning the guys would have to wear tuxedos and the girls, ball gowns.

"I like it, it's better than the dress robes."

"My turn, then." Dyani grabbed her black school bag and walked into the stall that Elle had just come out of.

The door opened and Kathrin walked in, green school bag in hand. "Well, what'dya think?" Her hair was still the same color—fire engine red—but it was slightly shorter, and flipped out.

"Why am I always the last to see things?!" said Dyani from inside the stall.

The girls laughed. Another ten minutes went by, the other four going about their own business. Dyani finally came out of the stall wearing a deep maroon strapless ball gown.

"Mark this day in history guys—I'm wearing a dress," she said.

"Yeah, but you're still wearing your converse," said Devi. As she stepped into the stall, she flicked her wand and Dyani's black converse turned into black stiletto heels—making Dyani stumble over to the sink.

When all the girls were dressed, they decided to do their hair and face.

"I think I'm gonna leave my hair down," said Dyani.

"Oh, hey, you know what would look cool?" said Devi.

"What?"

"We dye your hair loads lighter— as light as Draco's hair—and put little ringlets in it on top of the straight hair."

"Oh, hey, that would look cool." Dyani whipped out her wand and waved it. Almost instantly, her hair was no longer a dirty, dark blonde color- it was platinum blonde. "That's a little too bright." Instantly, her hair had light brown highlights. "You know what else would be cool?" She flicked her wand again and the ends of her hair turned red. "Awesome. My mum taught me that—that and a load of yoga crap."

"Well, I'm ready," said Raven. Her dress was navy blue, and strapless.

"Same here. I like my dress," said Devi, swishing the skirt around playfully. Her dress was orangey, but not too orange, and had a collar, but remained sleeveless.

"I painted my nails yesterday, and now I'm covering them up with these glove things," said Dyani as she pulled on the gloves that came up slightly past her elbows.

"You still have to change thirty minutes to the end of the ball—remember? You won't have your gloves on then," said Kathrin while strapping on her silverish heels. Her dress was a deep emerald green, which made her eyes stand out and accented her red hair.

"No one can see far enough to look at the drummer's nails anyways."

"Shall we go then?" asked Elle.

"I think we shall," said Kathrin.

The five girls walked out of the bathroom with their arms linked, holding their patched and pinned school bags for changing later. They walked towards the rear entrance to the North Garden. The decorations were marvelous. Sheer fabric had been put up going from one of the four posts to another, and all four posts had fabric running from them towards the middle of the dance floor. There were hundreds of tables around two edges of the area, on another side, a stage, and directly across from that, the North Garden.

Part Two: Poor, Poor Marissa... wait, did I say Poor? I meant YAY!! SHE'S GONE!!!!

"Look at the fairies!" said Dyani, pointing out to the actual garden part. All through the maze of rose bushes were soft glowing lights.

"Oh- girls you're here, good," said Professor Kramer.

"Umm... yeah," said Raven. "Where can we put our stuff?

"On the other side of the stage. That's all you need to do really. Students are being let in to the garden at promptly six fifteen—do you happen to have the current time?"

"Umm... six," said Elle, looking at the pink and silver watch she had on.

"Crap!"

The girls stared at their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in awe. This was as close as they had seen one of them to cussing.

"Sorry, girls. Go, run along now—meet your dates. They should be in the Great Hall."

The girls quickly put their stuff behind the stage and went to the Great Hall.

"Speaking of dates—Dyani, who're you going with?" asked Kathrin.

"I'm not telling you," she answered.

"Ok—I see we're going to have to do this the hard way—I'm not very good at this, but here goes!" Kathrin said as she whipped out her wand. "Legillimens!"

Dyani all of a sudden could hear two voices inside her head.

Who're you going to the dance with? Said the visitor's voice.

Not telling. She answered.

Tell me, I can keep a secret.

I don't care—I'm not telling.

Not even to your friends?

It's supposed to be a surprise.

What if they don't like surprises?

Too bad for them then.

Tell me!

No!

TELL ME!!

FINE! I'll tell you! You're starting to annoy me. I'm going with—

"Dyani, are you ok?" said a voice from behind her.

Anyone would ask this question- Dyani was gasping for air.

She turned around to find Jett.

"Damn!!" said Kathrin. "It cut me off just as I was about to find out!"

"Yeah- I'm fine," said Dyani.

"Are you sure? I mean, if you're not feeling well—"

"I'm ok, really—Kat was trying to find out who I was going to the dance with... it must of tired me out a bit. I'm fine now, really."

"If you're sure. You look great by the way."

"Thanks," Dyani blushed.

"Oh, I wanted you to meet someone—is it ok if I steal her from you guys for a bit?" Jett asked Dyani's friends.

"Yeah, go ahead," said Raven.

"But—" started Kathrin.

"We don't need her at the moment," said Devi, trying to hint something at Kathrin.

"But we didn't find out—" Elle stepped on her foot. "—OW! What the hell was that for?!" Kathrin yelled.

"Potter, don't be a potty mouth!" said Snape from across the room.

"Kathrin—is it not obvious who Dyani's going to the ball with?" said Elle.

"Well—n-- OH! Now I get it!"

"God, sometimes you scare me," said Dyani.

Jett took Dyani's arm and led her over to a girl who was sitting with a friend. Her friend had a date; however, the girl had no one by her side.

"This is Rose, my sister," said Jett. The girl stood up. And shook Dyani's hand.

"Hi," she said, shyly.

"Hi, I'm Dyani. It's nice to meet you. Do you have a date to the dance?"

"Yeah, I'm going with Goyle."

Dyani wondered why Goyle would be going to the dance with a younger person, and then realized that she must be talking about his younger brother.

"Oh, Dyani! Hi!" said the girl next to Rose. It was Cristina; she was sitting with her date. "Um, this is Owen."

The boy sitting next to her stood up.

"Owen Cauldwell," he said.

"Umm... hi," Dyani responded.

"We'd better get back to your friends," said Jett, looking behind them, "the rest of the guys have shown up."

The two walked back to the rest of the group. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in tuxes (Crabbe and Goyle looked like giant gorillas dressed up for a performance) and Elijah was tugging at the collar around his neck. Raven was standing next to Adrian, who was talking to one of his friends that Dyani had never seen before, and he was standing next to Elle. Kathrin and Draco were standing arm in arm—much like Dyani and Jett were at the moment—and Devi was no where to be found.

"Where'd Devi go?" asked Dyani.

"Ron came and said that Hermione and Harry wanted to see her. She'll be back—they're going to spend the evening with us," said Elijah.

"And where's Marissa?"

"We broke up. I got stuck with Millicent." He pointed to Pansy's group of friends behind him. "Apparently she's liked me for a long time."

"Ahh... I see. Who's Marissa going with?"

"I don't know. Last I saw her she started bawling on the spot."

"She's here by herself," said Devi. Her and Ron had just shown up.

"Serves her right."

"What did she do?" asked Kathrin.

"She tried to tell me I couldn't hang out with you guys anymore!"

"I always knew she should rot in hell," said Dyani.

Part Three: Living in a Shadow

The tables were set for four people each, so the group found an area by the stage where they could all be pretty close together. Dyani, Jett, Kathrin, and Draco sat at one table, Adrian, Raven, Elle, and Unknown (as Dyani had began referring to him by) sat at another, and Elijah, Millicent, Crabbe and Goyle sat at another (Millicent didn't like the arrangements too well).

Professor Kramer got up from the teachers table and stepped onto the stage. Immediately, all of the students in the room looked up at her.

"Hello and welcome ((to , it's dot com! lool, j/k)) to the Valentine's Enchantment Ball. We'll be having entertainment by three different performers: The Weird Sisters, Lee Jordan, just to D.J., and our own, band of Hogwarts girls, The Psychotic Pineapples! (at this point, boys sitting with the Pineapples began clapping rather loudly). The Pineapples will be playing at seven and the Weird Sisters at seven thirty. The dance ends at ten, and Jordan will be playing requests and other music in between the bands. And now, Professor Dumbledore has a few words he'd like to say." Professor Kramer walked off the stage and Dumbledore got up.

"I'd just like to say that I am hungry and that the Weird Sisters are awesome man!"

(-record stopping sound- -Ashley's voice- That's what I wanted him to say, however, it isn't what he's going to say. –record rewinds-)

Professor Kramer walked off the stage and Dumbledore got up.

"To quote what I have said before, there is a time for speech making, and this is not it. Enjoy the food!"

He sat down, Jordan began to play, and the food appeared in front of the students.

Half an hour later, everyone was up dancing (aside from Marissa, Crabbe, and Goyle, and the other occasional person without a date). At 6:45, Jordan put out a call for the Pineapples to come get ready for their performance.

Backstage, the girls had totally punked out—ripped shirts and punker bracelets and all. There was a man backstage, who had on a shirt that said "W.S.P." Elle asked what it meant, and he responded with "Weird Sisters Pyrotechnics." He then told them that they would be getting show effects just as good as the Weird Sisters. This totally psyched out the girls.

"Ya ready?" he asked them.

Kathrin looked at her friends, who nodded. "Yeah," she said, rather nervously.

"Follow me." He led them to a stairwell that went down to a door. They went through the door to find a room. Inside the room were five x's in tape on the floor. He told each of them where to stand, and they did so. "When that light'" he pointed to a light that was currently red "-changes to green, make sure you're standing on the x. You're going to be lifted up into the stage."

"Awesome!!!" the girls said together.

"You'll then need to walk to your instruments, where you need to start playing quickly."

"Got it," said Kathrin.

"Good." He left.

"Are you nervous?" Dyani asked Raven, who was standing next to her.

"Nervous as hell," said Raven.

"Smae here."

The light turned yellow.

"I think that means we have a few sec-" started Elle.

The light turned green and they started going up.

They got on the stage and did as the man said.

Dyani counted the song off when she got the ready signal from her band mates and Kathrin started to play her guitar.

A few seconds later, Kathrin swung her guitar to her back, grabbed the microphone and started to sing:

"I was one year old

When my parents went away

I was stuck inside a broken life

I couldn't wish away

He was well known

He had everything and more

And my escape was hiding out and running for the door

Somebody listen please

It used to be so hard being me"

Kathrin picked up her guitar again "Living in the shadow

Of someone else's dream

Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me

Living in a nightmare

A never-ending sleep

But now that I am wide awake

My chains are finally free

Don't feel sorry for me" (guitar down again)

"All the days collided

One less perfect than the next

I was stuck inside someone else's life and always second best

Oh, I love you now 'cause now I realize

That it's safe outside to come alive in my identity

So if you're listening

There's so much more to me you haven't seen

"Living in the shadow

Of someone else's dream

Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me

Living in a nightmare

A never-ending sleep

But now that I am wide awake

Then I can finally be

Don't feel sorry-"

Kathrin played a solo (with just the basic drum beat behind her guitar) that lasted fifteen seconds, then put her guitar back down.

Kathrin began to whisper: "Mother, brother, father, brother, mother

Everything's cool now

Mother, brother, father, brother, mother

Everything's cool now

Oh, my life is good

I've got more than anyone should

Oh, my life is good

And the past in the past

She picked her guitar again and began to yell: "I was living in the shadow

Of someone else's dream

Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me

I'm living in a new day

I'm living it for me

And now that I am wide awake

Then I can finally be

Don't feel sorry for me

Don't feel sorry, don't feel sorry for me

"Living in, living in, living in the shadow

Living in, living in, living in a new...... day"

As Kathrin finished the song with a single chord, the whole room filled with loud applause and yells. Kathrin and her band mates looked at each other in awe. They didn't think they'd be that good.

"Thanks, that means a lot to us," she said into the microphone. "That's "Shadow," a new song, we just learned and wrote today... practiced for quite a few hours to get it sounding that good too. Umm, I'm Kathrin Potter, on guitar, we have Devi Wood and Elle Malfoy, on bass, we have Raven Granger, and on drums, Dyani Malfoy.

"Ok, we're going to play a few more songs, some are our original works, some are covers ((a cover is when you play a song written and already recorded by someone else, in case you didn't know))."

The Psychotic Pineapples continued to play for the rest of their half hour.

After their half hour was up, the girls went back stage, freshened up, and changed back into their gowns. They fixed their hair back to the way it was before they played and drank some ice cold water before returning to the ball.

Later that night, around nine, Jett and Dyani decided to escape the craziness of dancing, yelling over the loud music and autographing napkins with lipstick and went for a walk in the garden. They reached the center of the maze, which was deserted, for everyone else was either lost in the maze, or begging Kathrin for an autograph. There was a fountain in the center, and Dyani and Jett sat down on the edge for a rest.

"You guys were awesome up there," he said to her.

"Thanks."

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you wear a dress before."

"I hate them—and for good reason—it's freezing."

"Oh, here." He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

"Thanks."

"Do you think maybe after the dance—we could do more stuff together, you know, as like—"

"A couple?"

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Cool."

Suddenly, out of the blue, he leaned in a kissed her. They ended up making out for the next five minutes, after which, they decided to head back to the dance before anyone noticed they had left. Only this time, they walked back hand in hand.

The rest of the dance was kind of a blur to Dyani. She danced with Jett, Draco cut in at one point. Pansy and Kathrin almost had an all out wrestling match, until Draco took Kathrin out to the garden to cool off. More autographs, Colin Creevey snapping pictures, and Kathrin actually danced with Harry. Dyani went to bed later than her friends that night, and drifted to sleep almost immediately.