It took Ginny a lot of time to convince Hermione to come to Hogsmead. She
begged, pleaded, bribed and threatened for hours before Hermione finally
agreed. Ginny had a plan. She would take Hermione to as many different
shops as she could. Nothing drastic of course, just a few little changes
here and there. She knew better then to try and overhaul Hermione's
personality. She would wind up with hundreds of curses plastered on her in
seconds. First, she was going to get Hermione's hair cut. Ron had always
talked about how much he loved Hermione's hair, frizzy curls and all. So
one way to remove all thoughts of Ron from her life was to chop off some of
that hair. The rest was just simple little things, a new diary, one with no
hint of Ron anywhere in its pages. She would also get her a new pen, since
the one she used now had been a birthday gift from Ron. Then it would be on
to the dress robes, since the last pair Hermione had worn had been during
the Yule ball in the sixth year, one that she had attended with Ron. Wow,
it was amazing how many parts of your life one person could affect, thought
Ginny as she waited for Hermione in the main entrance way. She had met
Draco early that morning, when he had given her a bag full of coins, and
had threatened her to never tell anyone about this, ever. Ginny promised
him she wouldn't, and he stormed off to join his fellow Slytherins before
anyone could see him talking to the Gryffindor girl.
Finally, when most other students had already left, Hermione came down the staircase towards Ginny.
"It's about time! What on earth were you doing up there for so long?" shouted Ginny.
"Nothing, and you can't say that I'm late because you never gave me a time." laughed Hermione back, the first real laugh Ginny had heard her utter in quite some time.
"Well, I'm glad your in a good mood today, because this was the last day that you will every morn for my stupid brother." Ginny nearly hit her self for her own stupidly at the suddenly sad look on Hermione's face at the mention of Ron. "Hey, none of that moody silence, that's not aloud today, or ever again really. Today you become somebody new"
"I'm almost afraid to ask what you have planned, but somehow I think it's not just a leisurely stroll around Hogsmead."
"Right you are! I always said you were to smart for your own good," replied Ginny. "Come on, we've got a long day ahead of us."
"What have I gotten my self into," commented Hermione. But today she couldn't help but to fall into Ginny's happy mood and she too began to smile.
They arrived in Hogsmead and Ginny immediately pulled Hermione toward one of the newer shops that had opened up, Madame Nicole's hair boutique.
"But Ginny, I really don't think that..." protested Hermione, only to be dragged harder.
"Hermione, we are going to have something done with your hair, even if I have to tie you to the chair," replied Ginny. When they walked through the door Hermione saw that it looked just like any normal muggle hair salon. They were greeted by a petite woman with long, strawberry blonde hair.
"Hello my dears, how can I help you today," she said in a soft, sweet voice.
"Hi, I'm Ginny and this is Hermione, Hermione has come to have something done with her hair."
"Well my dears, you've come to the right place." Nicole turned to Hermione, "How would you like your hair to be stilled today?"
"Oh, well maybe if you take just a little off the bottom," Hermione said before she was interrupted by Ginny.
"Don't listen to her, Madame Nicole. I want her to have a completely new look."
"But Ginny, I" Hermione protested.
"No buts Hermione, we are going to give you a totally new look."
"All right my dear," said Nicole. "Just come and sit down here and well begin."
Hermione went to sit in the chair; she took one last look at her hair and then shut her eyes. She felt scissors clipping and she could hear Ginny giving Madame Nicole instructions. A few minutes later the scissors stopped, and she felt something cold and oily being poured on her head.
"Ok Hermione, open your eyes," Ginny said. When Hermione looked in the mirror, she found that her hair now fell halfway down her shoulder blade, and was perfectly strait.
"Now, putting a small amount of the contents of this bottle on your hair will give you this perfect straightness," said Madame Nicole while pointing at a blue bottle, "And the contents of this bottle will leave your hair in perfect curls," she continued while pointing at a green one. "You can mix the two in any combination to get waves." She set them down on the counter as she calculated the total. Hermione couldn't stop running her hands through her hair, it was so smooth, so strait, so strange. But really, it didn't make her look that much different, just sort of more polished.
Ginny finished paying and called for Hermione. "Come on Hermione, we've got lots more to do today."
"Oh Ginny, how much was it, I'll pay you back right now."
"Don't even think about it Hermione, today, money is no object." "But, Ginny I"
"Hermione really, I'm not aloud to say anything about it, but none of this money is mine, and that's all you need to know." Ginny saw the look on Hermione's face, and realized that it wasn't going to be that easy to convince her friend to stop worrying. "Look, maybe I'll tell you after were done shopping. Once we've finished, we can go to the three broomsticks, and you can dig for information all you want." The next stop was Flourish and Blots, where they got a new pen and new notebooks. Ginny also picked up a new diary and slipped it into the pile when Hermione wasn't looking. The next and final stop was Madame Malkies Marvelous Magic, the best robe store in Hogsmead.
"But Ginny, I really don't need new dress robes. And I hate trying on clothes."
"Oh honestly Hermione, you act as if it's some sort of horrible torture. And besides, you know that Dumbledore has decided on holding a Halloween ball after the feast to lift school sprit. That's coming up in a few days, and it's the perfect time to make your reappearance into the social scene of Hogwarts."
"But Ginny, I'm not going to the ball, there is no way."
"You have to, as Head Girl it is your duty. So, you've got no choice in the matter."
"Hello and welcome to Madame Malkies Marvelous Magic, are you looking for anything in particular today," said a tall sales woman the second that they walked in the door.
"No, were just browsing," replied Ginny. Hermione spent the next hour in a changing room as Ginny shoved more and more styles for her to try into her arms. The dress that she picked was more like a muggle ball gown then a dress robe. It was made to look like a typical princess style dress, and was made of a delicate shimmery red fabric, laced with tiny bits of silver that could be seen when the light hit them properly.
"Oh Hermione, it's gorgeous, you have to take that one!" Exclaimed Ginny the second she saw Hermione wearing it.
"But Ginny, don't you thinks it's a little too much?" she asked, turning around to look at herself in the mirror from all angles.
"Of course not, that settles it, well take this one." Hermione changed back into her uniform as Ginny took the dress to the sales lady.
"Ok Ginny," Hermione said as they stepped outside. "Is that it for our little shopping experience?"
"Yep. Now we'll go to the three broomsticks and then we can head back to school."
"Good. I'll never understand why you seem to find shopping like this so much fun." "Well, it's more fun then spending the whole day in the bookstore, which is what we would have done if you had been aloud to choose."
"There's nothing wrong with books," Hermione exclaimed. They arrived at the three broom sticks, ordered two butter beers, and found a table near the back, away from most of the students. "Ok, now you have to tell me what this is all about," she said as soon as their drinks were ready.
"I never said I would tell, I just said that you could try to dig for information. I have no intention of telling you anything," Ginny said with a smug look on her face.
"But Ginny," protested Hermione.
"Lets just say you have someone how's taken quite an interest in you."
"I'm not going to be getting anything else out of you today am I?"
"Nope."
"Fine, but I'll get it out of you eventually," Hermione said a she sat back with a pout on her face.
"Oh please Hermione, I grew up with six brothers, I've become very goof at keeping secrets, even from my Mother."
They spent the rest of their time in chatting, and once they had finished with their drinks they got up and started on there way back to Hogwarts.
Finally, when most other students had already left, Hermione came down the staircase towards Ginny.
"It's about time! What on earth were you doing up there for so long?" shouted Ginny.
"Nothing, and you can't say that I'm late because you never gave me a time." laughed Hermione back, the first real laugh Ginny had heard her utter in quite some time.
"Well, I'm glad your in a good mood today, because this was the last day that you will every morn for my stupid brother." Ginny nearly hit her self for her own stupidly at the suddenly sad look on Hermione's face at the mention of Ron. "Hey, none of that moody silence, that's not aloud today, or ever again really. Today you become somebody new"
"I'm almost afraid to ask what you have planned, but somehow I think it's not just a leisurely stroll around Hogsmead."
"Right you are! I always said you were to smart for your own good," replied Ginny. "Come on, we've got a long day ahead of us."
"What have I gotten my self into," commented Hermione. But today she couldn't help but to fall into Ginny's happy mood and she too began to smile.
They arrived in Hogsmead and Ginny immediately pulled Hermione toward one of the newer shops that had opened up, Madame Nicole's hair boutique.
"But Ginny, I really don't think that..." protested Hermione, only to be dragged harder.
"Hermione, we are going to have something done with your hair, even if I have to tie you to the chair," replied Ginny. When they walked through the door Hermione saw that it looked just like any normal muggle hair salon. They were greeted by a petite woman with long, strawberry blonde hair.
"Hello my dears, how can I help you today," she said in a soft, sweet voice.
"Hi, I'm Ginny and this is Hermione, Hermione has come to have something done with her hair."
"Well my dears, you've come to the right place." Nicole turned to Hermione, "How would you like your hair to be stilled today?"
"Oh, well maybe if you take just a little off the bottom," Hermione said before she was interrupted by Ginny.
"Don't listen to her, Madame Nicole. I want her to have a completely new look."
"But Ginny, I" Hermione protested.
"No buts Hermione, we are going to give you a totally new look."
"All right my dear," said Nicole. "Just come and sit down here and well begin."
Hermione went to sit in the chair; she took one last look at her hair and then shut her eyes. She felt scissors clipping and she could hear Ginny giving Madame Nicole instructions. A few minutes later the scissors stopped, and she felt something cold and oily being poured on her head.
"Ok Hermione, open your eyes," Ginny said. When Hermione looked in the mirror, she found that her hair now fell halfway down her shoulder blade, and was perfectly strait.
"Now, putting a small amount of the contents of this bottle on your hair will give you this perfect straightness," said Madame Nicole while pointing at a blue bottle, "And the contents of this bottle will leave your hair in perfect curls," she continued while pointing at a green one. "You can mix the two in any combination to get waves." She set them down on the counter as she calculated the total. Hermione couldn't stop running her hands through her hair, it was so smooth, so strait, so strange. But really, it didn't make her look that much different, just sort of more polished.
Ginny finished paying and called for Hermione. "Come on Hermione, we've got lots more to do today."
"Oh Ginny, how much was it, I'll pay you back right now."
"Don't even think about it Hermione, today, money is no object." "But, Ginny I"
"Hermione really, I'm not aloud to say anything about it, but none of this money is mine, and that's all you need to know." Ginny saw the look on Hermione's face, and realized that it wasn't going to be that easy to convince her friend to stop worrying. "Look, maybe I'll tell you after were done shopping. Once we've finished, we can go to the three broomsticks, and you can dig for information all you want." The next stop was Flourish and Blots, where they got a new pen and new notebooks. Ginny also picked up a new diary and slipped it into the pile when Hermione wasn't looking. The next and final stop was Madame Malkies Marvelous Magic, the best robe store in Hogsmead.
"But Ginny, I really don't need new dress robes. And I hate trying on clothes."
"Oh honestly Hermione, you act as if it's some sort of horrible torture. And besides, you know that Dumbledore has decided on holding a Halloween ball after the feast to lift school sprit. That's coming up in a few days, and it's the perfect time to make your reappearance into the social scene of Hogwarts."
"But Ginny, I'm not going to the ball, there is no way."
"You have to, as Head Girl it is your duty. So, you've got no choice in the matter."
"Hello and welcome to Madame Malkies Marvelous Magic, are you looking for anything in particular today," said a tall sales woman the second that they walked in the door.
"No, were just browsing," replied Ginny. Hermione spent the next hour in a changing room as Ginny shoved more and more styles for her to try into her arms. The dress that she picked was more like a muggle ball gown then a dress robe. It was made to look like a typical princess style dress, and was made of a delicate shimmery red fabric, laced with tiny bits of silver that could be seen when the light hit them properly.
"Oh Hermione, it's gorgeous, you have to take that one!" Exclaimed Ginny the second she saw Hermione wearing it.
"But Ginny, don't you thinks it's a little too much?" she asked, turning around to look at herself in the mirror from all angles.
"Of course not, that settles it, well take this one." Hermione changed back into her uniform as Ginny took the dress to the sales lady.
"Ok Ginny," Hermione said as they stepped outside. "Is that it for our little shopping experience?"
"Yep. Now we'll go to the three broomsticks and then we can head back to school."
"Good. I'll never understand why you seem to find shopping like this so much fun." "Well, it's more fun then spending the whole day in the bookstore, which is what we would have done if you had been aloud to choose."
"There's nothing wrong with books," Hermione exclaimed. They arrived at the three broom sticks, ordered two butter beers, and found a table near the back, away from most of the students. "Ok, now you have to tell me what this is all about," she said as soon as their drinks were ready.
"I never said I would tell, I just said that you could try to dig for information. I have no intention of telling you anything," Ginny said with a smug look on her face.
"But Ginny," protested Hermione.
"Lets just say you have someone how's taken quite an interest in you."
"I'm not going to be getting anything else out of you today am I?"
"Nope."
"Fine, but I'll get it out of you eventually," Hermione said a she sat back with a pout on her face.
"Oh please Hermione, I grew up with six brothers, I've become very goof at keeping secrets, even from my Mother."
They spent the rest of their time in chatting, and once they had finished with their drinks they got up and started on there way back to Hogwarts.