Kidnappings and Dates
Dumbledore, Tonks, McGonagall and Moody ran all the way to the Shrieking Shack panting when they arrived. They called out for Harry and Draco but received no answer. Frantically they began to search for clues; it was Tonks that found it.
"Look here!" she shouted as she found a letter written with a muggle device Tonks explained to be called a pen.
To Dumbledore:
The cows were fools. Like, far too easy to follow, you know. So once they were done with them, we like took them instead! Because they are so hot in their leather outfits, that we just couldn't allow the cows to scare them out of it.
There is no need to look for them. We have like the perfect place to keep them because my daddy is like really really rich and we….stop it Ma…see you almost made me say you name. We have to be like careful and stuff. Oh, right! Got ya.
So anyway, get used to them being gone, because we're keeping them!
By y'all! Have a nice day.
The Order was stunned. Harry was gone, kidnapped and they wouldn't get him back.
"At least he's safe from Voldemort!" said Moody in an attempt to liven the mood.
"That is true, but this will still have a horrible effect on the spirits on Hogwarts," said Dumbledore picking out a bag of chips from his pocket.
"How horrible it is to be written by an author that doesn't even know that it's called crisps --not chips-- in Britain!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall suddenly, before she remembered that Harry and Draco were actually kidnapped and that they had more important problems on their minds. "Parents will be worried," she then added. "It is serious if we cannot protect our students from kidnappings," she stated plainly. The rest of them nodded as they shared the bag of chips-- sorry Professor – crisps. (A/N: Sour cream and onion by the way. They were always my favorite.)
"Maybe if you distracted the students?" Tonks suggested hesitantly.
"That isn't a bad idea, Miss Tonks," Dumbledore answered pulling out a bottle of Coca Cola from his other pocket, taking a sip. "Maybe a ball to cheer them up…A Thanksgiving ball perhaps," he said with a twinkle in his eye.
"But Albus, do you really think that is advisable? We are in Britain after all and Thanksgiving is an American holiday. I mean the person writing this isn't even American? How is she going to know anything about Thanksgiving?"
"I think it's a wonderful idea!" exclaimed Tonks. "I'm sure the other writers can write the ball part, and Thanksgiving is earlier than Christmas at least. The fact that the students don't know anything about it either will only distract them further."
"I do believe you're right Miss Tonks," said Dumbledore. "I'll announce the Thanksgiving ball at breakfast, after I inform the students about the disappearance of Harry and Draco," he concluded, and put the litter back in his pockets. Together they headed back to Hogwarts, where the students were already gathering for breakfast.
Harry and Draco woke with a terrible headache. Confused they looked at each other, both repulsed at the thought of waking up next to one another. Gross, this will be the rest of my life soon, Harry found himself thinking.
"What are you staring at, Potter? Try keeping your eyes in your sockets!" Draco snorted, annoyed by the repulsed look in Harry's face, even if he would never admit it openly even to himself.
"Girls, I think our two most dreamily hunky guys just woke up," a light flattering voice called behind them. Quickly, both Harry and Draco turned around to watch the stunningly beautiful girls standing behind them in very dramatic poses.
"Who're you?" asked Draco haughtily. The very pretty girls looked very offended.
"Wait-- I recognize you," Harry exclaimed, making a few of the girls look at him with anticipation. "You were the anno…hm, the girls at the train station," he said holding his breath until he realized that the girls hadn't noticed what he almost said, which was quite a while because he really found it hard to judge from the screaming if they were upset or happy. After turning completely blue in the face he finally decided that they were happy he recognized him and started breathing again.
"Why am I here?" asked Draco still annoyed. "And where is here – by the way?" he then added.
"Where here is, is none of your business," one of the pretty girls, a brunette with curly shoulder-length hair and large chocolate eyes, said. "As for why – you are here to please us and our friends. For as long as we want you to!"
"By strutting for us in those hot leather suits you've got on there," giggled another of the girls, this one with long wavy blond hair that fell in cascades down her back and complemented her deep blue eyes perfectly.
Surprised Harry looked down to realize that he was wearing his black leather pants and tight black T-shirt that he had the day they went to Hogwarts. Giving Draco a glance, he realized that he too was dressed in what he wore on the Hogwarts Express.
"And why would I do that?" snapped Draco. "I can turn each and every one of you into toads if I want to!"
"Not when we have your wands," a short Asian girl with shiny black hair giggled as the brunette held up both their wands. Harry gulped. Without their wands they were stuck doing what ever these crazy girls wanted to.
Draco's next comment seemed to tell him that Draco thought along the same lines. "You just wait until my father finds this out! He's not going to be happy!" he pouted.
Seeing his pouting lower lip the girls almost went crazy swooning and giggling all over the place. I don't see what's so special about it, Harry thought, annoyed.
"But girls, like, where are our manners? I mean, like, we have to, like, introduce ourselves," the brunette said. "I'm Marilue Susan, this is Mary Sue," she said pointing to the blonde girls with the very pretty blue eyes. Mary Sue waved and smiled a very pretty smile showing her very even white teeth. "That is Maria Suzanne, Maryanna Suzette and finally Marie Suzie," she said pointing to the rest of the girls in the room.
Harry waved sheepishly back to the girls, whostarted jumping up and down immediately screaming when he did.
"Outside that doorare some of our closest friends," the Asian girl said pointing to a door .
"There is Magdalene Susanna," the red-head Marie Suzie said.
"And Marianne Sukie," Mary Sue said.
"And Maire Suse," continued Maryanna Suzette. They then went on giving the names of at least ten more girls all named Maria/Mary/Mariann and Sue-something. This was all very confusing.
"Now they've all come to see you strut!" said Maryanna Suzette.
"So you'd better do a good job!" added Marie Suzie.
"At least if you want your wands back!" added Marilue Susan tossing her hair in a very attractive manner. Maria Suzanne walked over to the door to open it, Mary Sue walked over to what Harry recognized as a stereo.
"Now before we begin, take your positions," Marilue Susan directed pointing to a huge runway that Harry hadn't noticed before. Not seeing another option ,Harry walked over to the runway and climbed up.
"If you think I'm going to strut together with that looser, you are very mistaken!" said Draco with a disgusted look on his face. "I strut alone, thank you!"
"You'll strut together if you want your wand, sweetie," giggled Marilue Susan in the most enchanting ,yet demanding, way. Grumpily, Draco climbed up on the runway.
"Eat my dust Potter! You know nothing about the art of strutting!" Draco said venomously as he struck a pose.
"That coming from someone who can't even hear Voldemort's name without twitching!" Harry responded, happy to see Draco cringe at the name.
Suddenly the doors opened and a large group of very pretty girls filled the room, screaming and giggling and swooning when they spotted Harry and Draco staring angrily at each other. When the beautiful girls had taken seats in the chairs placed around the runway, Marilue Susan nodded to Mary Sue who started the stereo.
Draco started to strut the moment he herd the tune of I'm too sexy for my shirt filling the room. Harry was a bit slower, but mostly because he was surprised to hear a muggle song Dudley used to listen to when he strutted his pork around the house, here of all places. Taking a deep breath he pushed the image of Dudley out of his mind and started strutting as Draco turned at the front of the runway.
Hermione was sitting in the Great Hall nibbling on the toast in front of her. Ron was sitting next to her talking about something, but she didn't listen. She was far too busy getting lost in how Zabini's raven-black hair glistened as it caught the light of the rising sun this beautiful autumn day.
She wished he hadn't been a Slytherin, or that he paid some attention to her at least. She had secretly been wishing he would ask her to the ball since the Thanksgiving ball was first announced. Who cared what anyone else thought? Who cared that he was Slytherin? Who wouldn't want to be held tight by those strong muscular arms in a dance?
Ron was hardly looking at Hermione. He was too nervous. He was going to ask her to the Thanksgiving ball, he had decided. So why was he so nervous? She had told him to ask her next time, and not as a last resort. Well this wasn't a last resort. Just looking at how her hair flowed down her back like a waterfall of curls almost to her slim waist he felt his stomach jolt. She had really filled out in all the right places during the last few weeks and she was no longer a girl but a beautiful woman that made his heart beat faster.
Ron was still babbling about something, but Hermione no longer tried to listen. She only had eyes for Zabini. Her hearts beating blocked out all sounds from the world as he lifted his deep blue eyes from his breakfast plate and looked straight at her. She could drown in those ocean blue eyes, completely drown, and she didn't even mind. She felt the heat rise in her face, but she did not take her eyes of Zabini, not for a second. If she could get lost in those eyes for only a second longer, heaven waited her there.
She was blushing! Whatever he was saying made her blush. He wasn't aware of what he was saying because he was so caught up in looking at her delicate porcelain skin, which wasturning the most delicate shade of pink. If he had been aware of what he was saying he might have found it surprising that a conversation about how Snape made him collect rat-droppings for two hours during last nights detention would make her blush, but since he wasn't paying attention to his own rambling that didn't bother him at all. Instead he focused on the lovely pink shade on Hermione's apple cheeks and on how she wouldn't even meet his eyes, but stared out in the Hall without even noticing that she was looking straight at Zabini.
He was so handsome. How could anyone be that handsome? She would never turn her eyes away from him again, she thought as she faintly heard the owls filling the Great Hall. She didn't even react to the owl sitting down in front of her until it nibbled her finger hard to get her attention.
Annoyed at the interruption, she looked down at the owl in front of her. She stretched out her hand and untied the letter it was carrying and gave it a piece of bacon before it flew off again. Looking at the letter she saw it was from the Ministry, and with great curiosity, she opened it up and began to read.
Dear Miss Granger
We hereby inform you that the Ministry of Marital Affairs after vast research has found out that you in fact are a pureblood witch of a very noble lineage. As such you by law (Marriage Act 3934, section 376k, paragraph 637-7584) are no longer free to choose a husband for yourself but one will be appointed to you in order to preserve the heritage of lineage. A suitable husband has therefore been appointed to you. The name of the man in question is Theodore Augustus Zachary Nathanial Nott XIII. Consideration have been taken to both lineage, age and inter-house co-operation.
In accordance with the law (Marriage Act 4534, section 826q, paragraph 643-6519) the engagement will last for no less than 3 months and no longer than 1 year. We expect to hear from you about the date of marriage no later than October 1.
With best wishes
Rechnalia Bertobia
Ministry of Marital Affairs
PS: For further information about your lineage contact the Gregoria Noseia at the Ministry of Family Affairs.
Hermione was stunned. She was a pure-blooded witch? Of noble lineage? But how? She didn't understand. All she knew was that if this was right then she would never get to feel Zabini's strong masculine arms embrace her. She would have to make due with Nott's stingy ones. She suddered. Then the thought hit her as a lightning from a clear blue sky. A prank! Yes it was all a prank. It was probably the twins pulling her leg.
She looked at Ron, ready to scold him in his brother's place, but realized that he was as stunned as she was. Not to mention furious. He was ranting above what the letter said in a almost amusing manner Hermione thought, still convinced it was a prank.
She was just about to tell him it was all a prank when she saw in the corner of her eye Nott and Zabini bent over a letter just like hers, staring at her from across the hall. As she looked across the Hall into Zabini's ocean blue eyes filled with pain and she knew it was true. She was going to marry Nott.
"No more, please no more. I can't strut any longer! We've done nothing but strut for you and your friends for the last two weeks!" Harry pleaded.
Maria Suzanne smiled one of her very pretty smiles, but did not fall for his begging. "If you want your wands back you'll strut for us as much as we want you to!" she just said giggling.
"You just wait until my dad finds out about this!" complained Draco moodily. For once, Harry wished Mr. Malfoy would find out, he didn't know how long he could take this. His feet were killing him by now.
And why should he be afraid of Mr Malfoy? He would be his father-in-law soon enough anyway. That's an in-law problem if any…he thought, sniggering to himself remembering the advice column in Witch Weekly he used to read when he could manage to get a hand on Ginny's copy. Dear Emma – I have a problem, my future father-in-law keeps trying to kill me. Any advice?
"Oh, stop whining and start strutting, sweetie!" Mary Sue giggled as she jumped up and down in the most delightful way.
Groaning Harry and Draco stood up on the runway as the next swarm of friends were let in through the door and I'm too sexy for my shirt started playing again. Draco and Harry began to strut. Again.
"I don't know why they want you here," Draco snarled to Harry while they were making a very sexy pose that made the girls scream. "I mean--you haven't got the faintest idea how to strut!"
"Oh, yea? Then why are you the boy that cries for daddy al the time?" Harry retorted.
"Because I have one!" snapped Draco right back at him. "And when he comes for me we just might leave you behind. Get me out of the nasty predicament of having to marry you!"
"You wish! That was a magically binding contract – there is no way of getting out of that!" Harry responded with a rather mean grin on his face. He couldn't help but to feel happy to know something Draco didn't.
"What are you talking about?" Draco asked haughtily.
"That us being voted the hottest bachelors had nothing to do with this," Harry said with a lopsided smile as he struck a pose at the end of the runway.
"Now I know you're insane!" Draco snapped.
"Oh, really?" Harry said grinning as he listened to the girls swoon around him. "Then I guess you don't want to know then."
"Very funny," Draco answered sarcastically flashing his chest making two of the girls faint with excitement. "Spill it!"
"Alright, since you asked so politely!" Harry mocked. "The reason we are forced to marry is because our parents made a magically binding contract stating that we would before we were even born."
"Nonsense! We are both boys! Why would they do that?"
"Apparently you were going to be a girl…so I guess that means that you will be the wife of our marriage," Harry mocked and watched as another girl fainted at the sight of Draco's bare chest. With a sudden inspiration and without listening to the nonsense coming from Draco, he ripped his T-shirt open and watched as at least 7 girls fainted as a response.
Draco watched as the girls fainted at the sight of Harry's chest. Jealously filled him as he realized that only 3 girls had fainted from looking at him. Annoyed, he ripped his leather jacket from his body and spun around making 2 more girls faint with excitement. Ruddy hell! He was still short by one.
His silver eyes locked against Harry's emerald ones and he wondered how he would get more girls to faint that the arrogant git standing in front of him. His pants perhaps…or…
They both got the idea at the same time. In a very dramatic movement they sat down and grabbed a girl next to the runway and kissed her. The screams followed by several loud thuds told Harry that the rest of the girls had fainted as well.
Quickly, he grabbed the head of Mary Sue whom he was kissing and turned it to watch Draco snogg Maryanna Suzette, making her moan most delightfully. Looks like he's actually quite good at that, Harry thought with some surprise as Mary Sue fainted in his arms. Before Maryanna Suzette had any chance of noticing Harry threw himself after Marilue Susan and grabbed their wands. Two seconds later he stunned Maryanna and tossed Draco his ownwand.
"Let's go before they come to their senses!" Harry ordered and took the lead out of the room. Draco seemed rather annoyed that the kiss had ended, but followed Harry out of the building nevertheless. This was not the time for animosity but for co-operation. (A/N: J.K. Rowling may not know this, but Draco can be very good at cooperation if he needs to be.)
When they reached the fresh air they heard the girls coming behind them, screaming. They quickened their paces just as it hit them – they were on an island! There was no way out. The only thing present besides the house and the girls coming after them was an albino moose, and Harry couldn't see how that could help.
He turned and tried to figure out what to do, when it hit him. An albino moose? What would an albino moose do on an island? Once again, he turned and looked at the moose, who now lifted its head and watched the two boys with naked chests and the many girls running towards them.
Suddenly, the moose seemed to make a decision.
"Hop on!" it said to Harry's great surprise. "I'll fly you out of here." Draco screamed almost as high pitched as the girls behind him, but Harry grabbed him and dragged him towards the moose.
"You can fly?" Harry asked. He watched as the moose unfolded great wings from his side as he nodded.
"Do you know where Hogwarts is? Can you take us there?" Harry then asked. The moose nodded again and Harry realized that this would be their only way out. He climbed the moose, dragging a sobbing Draco on behind him.
The moose took off as soon as he felt them both sitting securely on his back.They rose to the air just as the pretty girls caught up with them and started reaching for them. Harry held on tight across the neck on the moose, wishing that Draco would release his grip on his waist some since he could hardly breathe and started to fear bruises.
"How long will this take?" Harry asked the moose.
"A few days," answered the moose, as they soared out over the water.
Nott stared at the letter in front of him. Marrying Granger? She was a mudblood, for crying out loud…well apparently not, but still, she was raised with Muggles. How on earth would a woman raised with Muggles be able to be a suiting mother to the 12 children the Nott family always had? And would she bring strange ideas about child rearing into the marriage? Things like raising them yourselves or other weird ideas like that.
He looked over at Luna Lovegood sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Her blond locks falling across her shoulders as she gazed dreamily up on the ceiling. He had secretly been hoping that she would be his appointed wife. She was a pureblood. And although her father had disgraced the lineage by founding a paper like the Quibbler, he was convinced that she could learn to live according to the traditional ways. Learning to become a trophy wife, bearing the 12 mandatory Nott children and then leaving them to the nannies to bring up. Yes, she would have been perfect. But now he was stuck with Granger instead.
Zabini looked across the Hall, meeting again the mudblood's, well Grangers eyes. He had worried how he could find her chocolate eyes so intriguing. He had been scared because she was a mudblood--and he wasn't supposed to be attracted to mudbloods--but now she wasn't one after all – but instead engaged to Nott.
She didn't look happy about it, and the red head guy she was always with was apparently very upset. Idiot, like he would stand a chance with someone as delicate and beautiful as the sad goddess beside him. He had liked it better when she spent time with Potter. True the guy was an idiot, but at least he was a famous idiot, and therefore more in her league than Weasley.
Since Potter's and Malfoy's kidnapping, however, Weasley and Granger had been inseparable. Still, the way she looked at him from across the Halls at meals, or the way she regularly dropped things in front of him allowing her to show of those delicious curves as she picked it up, told Blaise that she really wasn't into Weasley at all. He would have sniggered if Nott wasn't engaged to her.
He looked over at Nott and saw him staring at the Lovegood girl over at the Ravenclaw table. She looked just as dreamy and weird as ever, but for some reason Nott seemed to find it attractive. Suddenly, a scheme formed in Blaise's mind. If Nott was going to get his hands on the woman he wanted, then he would take the one Nott wanted. He would seduce the Lovegood girl with his blue eyes and his black hair that fell dangerously into his eyes until she agreed to be his date to the Thanksgiving ball. Depending on how that went he might just get Nott back properly by proposing to the girl. He wouldn't make her happy, nor did he want to. But he would make Nott miserable for stealing Granger from him
Luna looked up at the ceiling of the classroom, while Binns continued his ramblings. Luna, however, didn't pay attention to what he was saying. She was daydreaming about Theodore Nott and/or Colin Creevy – she really couldn't decide.
On the one hand there was Nott. He was tall, different, calm and definitely interested, she knew that. They also had many things in common. They both lost their mothers, they were both pureblood of rather noble decent, and they were both the odd one out in their houses.
But then there was Colin. He was everything that Nott wasn't. He was funny, cute, eccentric and brave. Oh, he was very brave. She still remembered how he in their first year actually had tried to photograph the Basilisk. That was so courageous. Dreamily she imagined what it would have been like if he had been in Sweden with her this summer, walking in the mountains hand in hand, looking at the never setting sun, looking for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
Suddenly it appeared in front of them, it was absolutely beautiful. Big curved horns on top of its head, a big hump on it's back. Almost afraid to breathe of fear of scaring it of Luna held her breath as Colin picked up his camera from his wallet and unfolded it. He snapped a picture of the beautiful creature.
Suddenly, the animal roared in anger. It turned on Colin and Luna and lowered its horns – stomping it's foot before it charged after them. Terrified they turned and ran, but the Snorkack was too fast. Giving her the camera Colin pushed her away and started waiving his hand at the end of the cliff. The Snorkack charged, but when it reached Colin he grabbed its horns and dragged it with him in the fall of the cliff. Screaming at her to publish his pictures, he vanished from sight.
"Luna! Luna!" someone said and pushed her. "Luna, wake up!" the voice said again.
"Look, Loony Lovegood is sleeping!" she heard a boy laugh behind her. Suddenly realizing where she was she sat up and looked around. Buggers! Even in her dreams it didn't work out the way she wanted it to, she thought, annoyed.
Slowly she got up and started walking. She followed the rest of the class to the Transfiguration classroom. She only half listened to the girls giggling and whispering behind her until she heard them mentioning Nott's name. She sharpened her ears and started walking more slowly to hear what they said.
"It can't be true! Everyone knows Granger is a muggleborn!" one of the girls whispered.
"Apparently she's not. She's apparently of a very noble wizarding family, and now the Ministry has decided that she should marry Nott," another girl filled in.
"Poor Harry," she heard Cho Chang whispering sadly, and Luna remembered that she always imagined that Harry fancied Hermione. Ridiculous, but then Cho was still very fond of Harry. Then it hit her! Nott was going to marry Hermione! Suddenly the world went dark. If he was, then there was no hope for her to ever get together with him. Colin was now her only option, but would the Ministry allow her to marry someone that wasn't pureblood? Was he even interested?
Colin was standing in the corner of the room watching Luna. She was really everything he wanted in a girl. If only he had the courage to ask her! He'd face the Basilisk any day to get out of being the one that had to ask. Oh, she looked at him! Quickly he turned away his head and looked at Ginny instead. Safe! He thought.
Luna glanced over at Colin. He was staring at Ginny. With a heavy heart she started to realize that it would never happen. He did not like her. He fancied Ginny Weasley. He and the rest of the school, she thought as she looked at the beautiful young woman. She frowned and turned her eyes to the ceiling again. At least I have my dreams, she thought while walking away towards the Great Hall.
Colin watched Luna as she walked away. Stupid, stupid, stupid! he thought. There was another chance ruined. He would never get to ask her to the ball if he started staring at Ginny everytime Luna shot him a glance. He sighed and hung his head as he watched her back.
Suddenly, Luna crashed into someone. Walking around staring at the ceiling did have its disadvantages. She bent down to pick up her books. She was surprised to see Blaise Zabini sitting down in front of her and starting to help her. He gave her a lopsided smile, tossed his black hair and winked with his right eye. Confused Luna looked at him as he handed her her books.
"I could carry them for you," he said and winked with his right eye again.
"Why?" Luna asked confused.
"Ehm, I dunno. So you won't have to, I guess," Blaise responded somewhat confused, but then he smiled and winked again.
"I'm fine, thank you," answered Luna and started to walk away. "Oh, and you should really get that eye checked out I think you might have gotten a Turgoat in it."
"A Tur…what?" Blaise answered even more confused.
"A Turgoat! My dad says they are really common this time of year and the way you're blinking I think there is a risk you have on in your right eye," Luna offered helpfully before she turned and started walking off again.
Blaise stood staring after her not knowing what to do. That had been his most seductive wink! Then he realized that he needed to act fast, his plan was failing! He took to large steps to catch up and grabbed her. Luna just looked at him dreamily.
"Would you like to go to the ball with me?" Blaise blurted out, realizing that seduction wouldn't work with Loony Lovegood. Luna looked at him one more time, then shrugged her shoulders.
"Sure I have no one else to go with," she answered plainly. "But I don't dance!" she then added before she turned and left leaving a very confused Blaise behind her.
Blaise wasn't the only one that was staring at her when she left. Colin watched her too, feeling like someone had punched him in the gut. Blaise had asked so casually! As if he wasn't asking the most special girl in the school. And she had accepted. It was too late. He hadn't dared and now he would never get her. Heartbroken, he walked off swearing never to love again.
Ginny stretched out on her king-size bed in the Prefects room. It was really nice to have a room of your own, she thought, as she relished the luxurious feel of the red silk sheets against her soft white skin. Still, she wasn't happy. She was confused. The past few weeks' activities – Harry's and Draco's appearance at the station, seeing them both dressed completely in leather, the announcement of their engagement, their kidnapping, Hermione's upcoming marriage…Ginny felt her head spin; this was getting far too complicated.
She remembered Hermione's upset face from last night.
"They're making me marry Nott, Ginny! Can you believe it? And apparently I have parents I didn't know existed, and my parents are not really my parents." Ginny hadn't known what to say, it was sucha mess. Then there were Crabbe and Goyle.
In Draco's absence, they had found a new level of confidence. They walked around the hallways as if they owned the place, scaring first and second years and looking at girls as if they wanted to devour them. They had looked at her like that too, and although she knew she wasn't supposed to like it – Ron had been prepared to take them on right then and there for just looking at her, and Neville would probably have been to if he hadn't been to busy snogging Parvati, or was it Padma, sometimes she wasn't even sure he knew anymore. Still, she had liked it. She had felt her knees buckle with lust at one single glance from the two big, muscular beefcakes.
She had always just looked at them as goons. Big and lumpy. But now, she could see that the years of Quidditch training had toned their muscles to perfection and just thinking about having either one of them grab her made her groan. Sure Ron would hate it, but then he would just have to get over himself. It was not his problem who she dated. Besides he probably had enough problems on his own now that Hermione was engaged. And he couldn't take Padma to the ball--she was probably going with Neville – that was unless he was going with Parvati or Lavender. He had, after all, been dating all three of them lately.
It was really funny when you thought about it, but he too had gained confidence since Harry and Draco were kidnapped. And him turning up without a shirt on Care of Magical creatures with Ravenclaw had stunned her, Lavender, Parvati and Padma alike. (A/N OK, OK, I am aware of Ginny not being in the same class as Neville normally – but she is a very clever girl, and I'm sure they let her in because she is so advanced anyway.) She had never guessed that he had been hiding that sixpack under the boring school robes – if she had she would probably not have dismissed him so fast when they went to the Yule Ball together.
She might have taken up the fight with Lavender, Parvati and Padma if it hadn't been for Crabbe and Goyle. That had been the day when they first had looked at her as a woman. It was that day that she realized that she always had been attracted to them, that she do just about anything to get a date with them. Problem was which one did she want most? She just couldn't decide, and she still didn't know if either boy really wanted her.
She got up and took a good look at herself in the mirror. She had really filled out during summer she noticed, and she was pleased to see the way her black silk nightgown caressed those beautiful new curves. She also marveled at how silky and beautiful her red hair looked. For some reason it had darkened considerably during the last few days and it was now a deep shade of copper. It matched her big bright brown eyes perfectly. No of course they would want her – how could they not want this sexy goddess that was looking back at her from the mirror. She knew from looking at herself that there was only one thing to do – she would have to make them decide for her.