AN: Aww, you GUYS! You flatter me too much! All those happy thought reviews! They make me want to write another chapter really fast so I don't make anyone lose interest! SO here I am...trying to write a new GOOD chapter!
AN2: I don't know how beta readers really work...but I read my chapters I posted on the Internet and realized I really need one ((I think?)) yea! So if anyone wants to be one, say so in your review!
AN3: Oh yes, I would LOVE to thank all y'all, but I'm too lazy right now, so next chapter, ok? I promise! THANKS Y'ALL!
AN4: Oh yea! the day of the week this is on is...Tuesday! So, just thought I'd let you know!
Disclaimer: If it's good enough to sue, it's sure as heck good enough to review! ((only too bad it's not mine --))
LAST TIME ...:
...(Hermione blacked out):...
Hermione stiffly sat up from her spot on the starched sheets of the hospital bed, almost colliding heads with three other people.
"Oh Hermione! You're awake!" Ginny squealed, flinging her arms around Hermione's neck and almost snapping her neck in half with brutal strength.
"Yes, but not for long if you don't let me breathe!" Hermione said, prying off her friend's arms to see slightly swollen eyes that could only have been caused by tears.
"I was very worried about you, Hermione. You've been asleep for seven hours! Draco said it was lucky he was there or else you'd be in a comma for at least two months!" Ginny said, saying the name 'Draco' as if she'd just had a vomit flavored Berny Bott's bean.
"Yea, Hermione, you gave us quite a scare...especially when we each got two owls, one from Malfoy's old eagle and from your own owl Ashes," Harry Potter said, running worried fingers through a wild jungle of hair. Hermione smiled. She had been given Ashes, her Australian Sooty Owl, for her birthday last year.
"Yes! Ashes almost bloody bit my fingers off when I was trying to help Sandra figure out a new cleaning spell!" Ron said, gripping his golden wedding band on his left ring finger and trying to adjust it. He looked up and saw everyone looking at him oddly, then quickly dropped his hands and blushed.
"Oh you know Ashes doesn't mean any harm, Ron," Hermione said, her voice a bit croaky from staying out of use for...seven hours. Ron grunted. He's always had problems with Hermione's animals.
"Well, do you know when I'm allowed out of this prison?" Hermione said, rubbing her left arm gingerly. She had once again over exerted herself, and her body wasn't taking it very kindly.
"I'm not sure, but you're a mediwitch here, don't you know?" Harry said, glancing at the door with a look of hope on his face. Hermione felt that same wistful feeling as her stomach grumbled in defiance, reminding her she hadn't eaten since breakfast.
"Yes, I suppose your right, Harry. Let me go check with the boss and see if I can go home," Hermione said, standing up sorely from her bed, winking, then appearing again in a bright office.
"HERMIONE! So you've come around, have you? Oh you poor dear, I thought you'd be out longer than 7 hours! Honestly, you were so blind not to send for another master right away, especially after not knowing what you were getting into! But oh well, you saved that little girl's life, and you are a lucky unicorn that Mr. Malfoy was there to assist you or you would've been in a comma for, what, three months?" A curly red head said, laughing at her last remark. Hermione sighed inwardly. Her boss, around 65- years-young, had falsely dyed shocking red hair, cut prim and short around her ears, leaving it to look like a red afro. Her choice in clothes...well, let's just say they aren't very flattering.
"Excuse me, Madame Yates, but could I have the rest of the day off?" Hermione asked tentively.
The woman stood, revealing her outfit of the day. Her bright purple robes were made of pleather, too tight in the wrong places. She had fake gold bracelets, trailing from her elbow to her wrist, all a shiny conjunction of fakeness. "Oh doll," she said, "of course you can have the rest of the day off! You can have the rest of the week off!"
Hermione's eyes grew large. Her boss never let anyone off of work, despite her falsely cheery attitude.
"But ma'am..."Hermione started, tucking loose strands of curly hair behind her ears.
"Don't ma'am me! I read both Witch's Weekly and that other silly Wizard's magazine. I know you have a big date Friday, and frankly, I think you need to go freshen up! You look pale, and I noticed it's all because I keep you in here while the sun's up, and let you go when it goes down! Oh, and your clothes! Well, darling, you have no sense of fashion to be bold. You need to go shopping! You have plenty of money to do it with! So go, SHOO! And I want to read that article saying that you, my dear, were the prize of the date!" She said, flashing a white smile at Hermione, maneuvering around her desk to push Hermione out of her office.
"Thank you, Madame Yates," Hermione said graciously, lowering her head in respect of her elder.
"Your very welcome dear. Just consider it a big thank you for all you've done. Now, no work and all play now, dearie, and win all those bachelor's hearts!" She said, slamming the door in Hermione's face. Hermione sighed out the tensed breath and openly laughed. Taking one last look at the door, she turned on her heel and apparated back to Harry, Ron, and Ginny.
.-:/the next day:-.
"Ginny! I've spent too much money already! Not one more step!" Hermione said, planting both feet firmly on the cobblestone pavement. Ginny squinted in the mid-afternoon's light.
"Hermione, you've managed to buy one pair of jeans and a simple, boring blouse. You promised me I could pick out your dress for the date on Friday!" Ginny wined, tugging on Hermione's arm and stamping her foot, her blazing red hair bouncing as she did so. Hermione sighed.
"Ginny, you'll be the end to my well-saved fortune yet," Hermione said as Ginny squealed, pulling her towards a flashing looking store that sported both Muggle fashions and the crazes of the Witches of today.
"Oh Hermione! This color would look so gorgeous!" Ginny said, pulling out a silky bold red dress that went down to her feet.
"Gin—"
"Nonsense, Hermione! Just go try it on!" Ginny said, grabbing the one shopping bag in Hermione's hands and pushing her towards the dressing room. Hermione reluctantly went in, closing the curtain behind her.
"This is so ridiculous!" Hermione muttered to herself, quickly stripping of her own cloths and putting on the strapless red gown. Hermione opened up the curtain to look at Ginny disapprovingly.
"Ginny, this kind of dress would look beautiful on you. It makes me feel uncomfortable," Hermione said, trying to tug the top up more to be more conservative. Ginny rolled her eyes and closed the curtain. Hermione sighed. 'She is such a harsh dress coach,' Hermione thought dryly as she pulled back her comfortable jeans and t-shirt.
"Now, Hermione, I've found three dresses while you were in there lollygagging," Ginny said, giggling at the nonsense of the word 'lollygagging.' Regaining her composer, she started again, "and you must pick from these three, no exceptions!" Ginny said, thrusting out three dresses and taking the red one. "Hurry! On you go!" Ginny said impatiently. Hermione once again stripped down and pulled on the first gown. Being made of a sheer silky material the color of pale sunlight, Hermione gasped as she saw she could see straight to her undergarments.
"This one will NOT do," Hermione said sternly, thrusting out the gown as she peeled it off, appalled Ginny had even considered it. Sighing, she pulled on the second dress, which was a heavy and shiny silver material, and turned to the mirror. Although very flattering, Hermione wrinkled her small nose at the too low cut. Pulling it off gently, she put it on the little stool as a 'maybe.'
"Third times a charm," Hermione heard Ginny said. Hermione blushed slightly as she put on the third gown. It's sparkling, yet light and silky material, she thought to herself as she turned to her reflection. She almost gasped, not recognizing herself in the gown. The sheer, baby blue material cascaded down from two thin straps, which criss-crossed into the low-dipped back to form a beautiful design as other straps joined across her back. The sparkling material looked as if the sparkles danced while she stood there, entranced by how nice her usually pale skin looked against the material. It ended in the front of her knees, but continued slightly in the back, giving it an uneven hem.
"Oh my goodness, HERMIONE!" Ginny squealed, causing Hermione to jump. "This is the one, and you know it! You look stunning! Your hair...oh just to think how simply I could do something and make it beautiful with that dress! Oh you'll look smashing!" Ginny said, taking one of Hermione's hands and twirling her around.
"Yes, I never knew my body was...well, so curvaceous until I put this on," Hermione said shyly, looking again in the mirror at how pleasantly the material settled on her curvy spots.
"And it doesn't make you look fat either! It makes everything look perfect without being skintight! Now hurry and change! I seriously doubt you have any shoes to match," Ginny said, a playful smile on her lips. Hermione shut the curtain quickly and carefully undressed, putting the material (which appeared to still be dancing with sparkles although it was off and put away) back on the hanger and quickly dressed.
Hermione walked out of the fifth and final store, her bags full of more stylish favoring jeans, as Ginny put it, cute tops that flatter her figure, three pairs of shoes, and more dresses for other occasions.
"Ginny, I think I spent half of my fortune just today," Hermione said wearily as she ordered an ice cream cone, then sat down at an outdoor table, basking in the warm evening sunlight.
"Ok, ok, I admit! I got you to spend more than even I would, and that's saying something," Ginny said, sitting down next to her with a double scoop chocolate icecream. Hermione's nose scrunched.
"My point exactly."
Ginny laughed. "Don't worry though, Moine! You'll be the best looking gal there, and draw all the attention to yourself, well, except from Harry..." Ginny said, her eyebrows now wrinkled in thought.
"You don't think that he would...well, he could...but, Hermione, should I be jealous?" Ginny asked, taking another lick. Hermione sat back, a serious face planted on.
"Well, depends. And frankly, this is one of those times, although very few, that I can't tell you I know a definite answer. But I don't think you have to worry much," Hermione said, throwing her barely eaten icecream in the nearby garbage bin.
"It's when you do things like that that waste away your fortune, Hermione," Ginny said in a mocking tone. Hermione stuck out her tongue and stood.
"Gin, let's go home now. I'm not in the mood to shop anymore. You know the saying, 'shot till you drop?' Well, if I walk anymore I wont just drop...but drop dead! My feet hurt!" Hermione said, pointing to her pedicure feet that were encompassed by old looking sandals.
"It's a shame. Tomorrow I have all day off, so we'll be getting a manicure and pedicure to match your dress."
"Oh Ginny, let's just go home!" Hermione said, picking up her many bags and apparating out of there. Ginny shrugged, tossed her ice-cream, and followed with a "PoP".
AN: Oh my that was a lame and boring chapter! I promise I'll make it up to y'all in the next one! HiNT: Next Chapter's title: The Date! YAY! We'll see if there isn't more D/Hr, but not too quickly! Can't have them rush into anything without being out of character, now can we? Nope! Ok, so review, PLEASE! The more reviews I get, the more motivated I am to write! (well, in the case of last chapter reviews, I was mind boggled over what would happen this chapter, but obviously not much!) Oh yea! don't forget about the beta reader I need! Thanks!
Thanks y'all!
R E V I E W F O R M E ! ! !
VBC