Author's Note: Odd, as I usually don't write these. Be that as it may, if you are reading this fic I ask you pretty please to review! Even if you didn't like it, negative feedback gives me something to work with. So there, you have your assignment. Read and review!
Fifteen more minutes passed, and then Hermione and I were dressed and ready to rendezvous with the guys downstairs. Hermione had surprised me – she'd dressed in a pair of low-rise jeans, paired with a turquoise halter-top with lace on either side that tied with a shimmery ribbon. Her eyes were lined in black and dusted lightly with glitter the same color as her top. A swipe of lipgloss and a low messy-but-stylish bun completed her look. She did, however, have to borrow shoes from me – despite that they're incredibly impractical and I am well aware that I'll almost never have the opportunity to wear them at school, I have a growing collection of high heels. Given this, Hermione borrowed a pair that matched her shirt.
"'Mione, I'm surprised. I never knew you could dress… so up yet down! You look great." She gave me a look.
"Just because I don't, doesn't mean I don't know how, my friend. You look fabulous as well, by the way." I surveyed my own appearance in the mirror – I had to admit, I didn't look half bad. I wore a short black skirt that was straight over my hips and flared out as it got lower, which was adorned with a black satin ribbon just above where the skirt got looser. I'd paired it with a one-shouldered, multicolored top that – as so many brightly colored clothes did – complemented, rather than clashed with my auburn hair. I'd let it hang loose, only using a simple beauty spell to make it flip out at the ends. Lastly, I'd chosen a pair of silver, heel-less shoes in the style of ballet shoes, as they'd be much more comfortable when I was sure I'd be on my feet for several more hours. A reddish-gold lipgloss and black eyeliner composed my entire makeup choice; once both of us had grabbed coats and bags we headed down to meet with Harry and Ron.
I must say, I was impressed by both boys' appearances. Though they hadn't dressed up to quite the extent Hermione and I had, they'd cleaned up well, and both looked good. As Ron's eyes bugged out at Hermione, Harry and I shared a look, willing ourselves not to laugh hysterically. Bidding Mum farewell, the four of us flooed to Diagon Alley, where we walked for about five minutes before finding The Diamond Lounge, the place, so I'd been told, that was sweeping the English wizarding community as the top nightspot for the under-thirty set. This, I figured, was stretching the truth, but Lia and several more of my friends had raved about the place, so I had decent expectations.
Walking in the door, I took in the highly polished black dance floor, which stood out against the bright sapphire blue of the walls. Towards the back of the main room was a bar, also black and circled by blue stools with black cushions. The surrounding fixtures were done in complimentary colors, creating a very sleek, modernized look. Off of the dance floor was a true lounge area, raised slightly on a platform and surrounded halfway by white curtains that remained mostly open. There, arrangements of chairs and tables were artfully arranged so that varying styles and colors created a pattern on when one looked on from a distance. Even from the décor, I was impressed with the place.
Once we'd gotten a table, Hermione and I decided to go dance – Ron and Harry claimed they weren't quite confident enough, but I had a safe bet that they were actually discussing when it was Ron should admit that he really was madly in love with Hermione. After about a half hour's time, both of us were ready for a break, and so headed over to our table. Though Harry greeted us normally, Ron looked incredibly nauseous, leading me to believe my suspicions about their earlier conversation were right.
"So, have you boys been having fun being wallflowers?" Teased Hermione good-naturedly.
"Actually, I'm about ready to go out," responded Harry slowly, giving Ron a sideways look. As Ron flushed angrily, I tried my hardest not to laugh, but finally I gave in to my impulses.
"Consider it my right as youngest sibling," I said breezily, responding to the look of extreme irritation Ron was shooting me. Choosing to ignore me and talk with Hermione, he commented, "See, this is what you get for befriending my little sister." She laughed, making Ron ease up a little bit. Sensing the upcoming moment, I asked Harry if he'd come dance with me, to give them some private time.
"So how'd you get him to do it?" I asked while dancing, yelling slightly to be heard above the music.
"Do what?" replied Harry, in a manner I can only describe as coy.
"Give up, Potter, we both know. How on earth did you convince Ron to admit he is head over heels for Hermione?"
"Elementary, my dear Ginny," he said, putting on a wry face and stilted accent. I looked at him quizzically.
"I explained that, while it's evident now that she reciprocates his feelings she won't wait for him to get a spine forever," he said simply. I raised my eyebrows in an expression of agreement, and then suddenly realized how comical this whole exchange must look – two people dancing and discussing their friends' love lives at the same time; I couldn't suppress a laugh, and it only grew when Harry gave me a look of utter confusion.
"Nevermind," I said, and the two of us danced without talking for a while. We must have been on the floor for about a half hour before Ron and Hermione joined us. To avoid wounding my brother's fragile ego, I spent about fifteen more minutes pretending I had no idea what just happened before claiming I had to use the rest room as an excuse to ask Hermione what had went on.
To my (slight) annoyance, she played dumb.
"We just had a conversation. Between friends. Who are nothing more than friends." I squealed in delight. This is absolutely not something I ordinarily do, but I couldn't help it this time.
"Did he ask you out?"
"Maybe," she said, twisting a stray piece of hair around her finger.
"Bloody hell he did didn't he! Oh this is so exciting!" I jumped up and down, and finally Hermione loosened up enough to jump up and down with me. As excited girls tend to do, we continued our jumping and squealing routine for a few minutes more before returning to the dance floor. Ron, having clearly learned to use his brain while we were gone, glared at me in a way that plainly said "Say anything and I'll kill you."
"Don't worry, Ickle-Ronniekins, I won't tell anybody. Yet…" Despite Hermione's flushing pink, we all burst into laughter. All, that is, except Ron.
A few minutes later, I decided to go get a drink. Grabbing a few coins from my purse, I made my way through the crowd to the bar, where I perched on a stool as I waited for something called "The Diamond Lounge Sparkler" – peach juice, ginger-ale, and ice drink was about the only thing I could find that didn't have Firewhisky or something in it, so I ordered without much concern for what it was going to taste like. Once about five minutes had passed, I began not-so-subtly sending signs of my impatience. It should so not have taken that long to make a drink that simple. At last the clear pink stemmed glass was set in front of me, and I placed the ten knuts it had cost on the bar, ready to head back for our table, where my three friends were now seated.
I'd made it nearly all the way there when I noticed another familiar face – that of my boyfriend, much to my surprise. He looked incredibly hot dressed in a black dress shirt left unbuttoned over a black tank top, both paired with black jeans. I began making my way over to him, but once I was about ten feet away I saw another familiar face – that of Katie Manning. She was dressed in a very short, very tight, red dress adorned with sequins. Initially, this didn't bother me. It could very well be coincidence that they were both here, and I knew quite well how she viewed Draco. Just for a minute, I watched them both to make sure she didn't try to pull anything. Nothing went on, just as I'd assumed, so I kept walking. But in those ten seconds, I saw her grab his shirt collar, seductively pulling him towards her and kissing him. It took mere seconds, but Draco then began kissing her back. I froze to the spot, unable to move and yet desperately wanting to. Once they'd finished their miniature snogging session, they started to dance together in a way that doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination.
Finally I wrenched myself away from the scene, starting to head very quickly back to our table when I felt somebody tap me on the shoulder. To my incredible surprise, I turned around to a very recognizable face.
"What do you want?" I yelled, unable to keep myself under control.
"I just wanted to come say hi, I didn't know you were here." He played it cool, maintaining this aloof, sophisticated aura. It made me want to burst into tears on the spot – it was so endearing, and yet it was the very thing that had made me into the fool who believed she'd stopped Draco Malfoy from his love 'em and leave 'em ways.
"Don't! Don't stand there and talk to me that way! Do you really think I missed your display with Katie?"
"You… I…" he suddenly got very uncomfortable.
"You what? Weren't thinking? CLEARLY!" I screamed, turning on my heel and starting to run away.
"It was a mistake! It wasn't a big deal! It meant nothing to me, really!" He yelled after me, but as he finished we both knew it was an empty apology and its only real purpose was to stop me going completely ballistic. He didn't care, and this probably wasn't the beginning of his interactions with Katie. God dammit! Pansy had been right, and I'd been too much of a prick to listen to her. I reached our table in a fury, setting down my drink and grabbing my coat and purse in one motion. I didn't bother to say anything; I think my silence said enough.
I flooed home from The Leaky Cauldron and immediately locked myself in my room. I heard my friends and brothers knock on my door, but I was in no state to open it. Some mix of fury, hatred, betrayal, and sadness boiled within me, and I had to figure it out for myself before explaining it to anybody else.
