Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well, except the plot, and these ahem, names that appear in this chapter.

Note: I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I was caught up in school. But now I'm out for the summer, and I should update more.

Dirty Tricks

This morning, she could get up on her own accord. There was no call, no buzz, no anything, just waking herself once the potion let her. When she did wake, but lay still in her bed, she glanced at the digital clock; 9:30 it shone. Groaning, realizing she had slept for twelve hours, she sat up.

There was no call from the boys, they didn't answer when she called them, nor did they answer their door. Once she pounded on the door, from hearing snoring inside, the boy with emerald eyes and tousled raven black hair answered the door. His eyes were blood-shot and he looked like he had a hang-over or was still drunk. "Oh for Merlin's sake!" she cried quietly. "Did you two go clubbing last night?"

He nodded, having too much of a headache to say anything. "Ugh!" she replied, walking away. "We weren't supposed to go clubbing!" stomping into her room, angrily. Since the two boys were going to be sleeping all day, she knew, she'd just go out without them. Shopping—that is what she'd do! But she shook with anger at them—how could they!

First, she unpacked all her things (she still hadn't done so), laid out her clothes for today, and went to turn the hot water on in the shower. Since it was already getting late in the morning, she hurried in her shower. Stepping out, she wrapped her towel around her and secured it, while blow drying her hair. It wasn't an easy job drying her hair, being it so curly. But she did, it taking her about forty-five minutes, and then dressed into tan skirt to the knees, a black turtle neck, and black boots, slipping her brown over coat on. She applied her make-up, grabbed her purse, slipped a note under the boy's door that read "Out shopping, see you two later," and left.

Once outside, she really didn't know where to go. Knowing there were some shops back on Main where the coffee shop was, she headed there first. The stores were expensive Muggle clothing—but they were quite nice. If she recalled, her mother shopped around here when her parents went into town. But since she never came with them, she did not truly recall. Stopping into each and every store, buying select things, she'd hold them up to her. One store in particular had a platform where you could see yourself from different angles. Selecting some different clothing, she held up a red dress to herself, when someone behind her spoke.

"That would look horrid on you. Red's not your color."

She gasped, dropping the dress, as she saw someone standing behind her in the mirror—him! Quickly, she turned around and stepped off the platform. "Oh it's nice to see you again!"

He smirked, "Same to you." He bent over and picked the dress up, holding it at arms length. "How could you even like this? It's ridiculous."

A light tint came over her face, "Oh, well, I just grabbed some clothes…"

"And by the way," he perked a brow at her, after hanging the dress on a hanging rack. "I thought you wouldn't be here long? It's been over a week since I last saw you."

"Uh…I did leave, but, something came up and my parents and my friend's mother suggested I take a different vacation. And I'm strictly on a no clubbing rule. I'm here to relax this time."

"What came up?"

She gulped, her head pounding, "I was sick, horribly sick. They gave me this potion—err—medicine to help me sleep. I … I had a bad sleeping habit ever since I returned, and I got sick from it. The medicine gives me dreamless sleep, but then again, it gives me a horrible headache during the day."

His eye brow stayed perked. "No one enjoys headaches. Why do you continue taking it? This was over a week ago, and you've been on that medicine for long enough. Tonight, do not take it."

"But, what if I get sick…"

"Then you take it as fast as you can and sleep."

"Alright, I'll try it," she replied, picking up the clothes she decided not to try on.

"Now that that is settled, put those away and come with me."

"What?" she glanced at him, narrowing her eyebrows.

"I said put those away and come with me, you'll see." She obeyed his orders and followed him out of the store. He lead her away from the main shops, to a store that stood three floors high that was professional and expensive dining outfits—such as ball dresses, expensive dinner gowns. But they were such beautiful dresses!

"This," he motioned to the store, "Is where the best shop."

"Oh but I could never afford one thing out of this store," she muttered glancing around at the clothing.

"That is why I brought you here. Even though it is a dirty Muggle store, they have quite some extraordinary clothing—"

"Did you just say Muggle?" she whispered to him.

"Why yes I did, now come along and pick some things out. We don't have all day."

"How can you afford such things? Don't famous people shop here?"

He stopped, turning towards her. "Yes, they do. So do you wealthy people."

Blinking, she thought a moment. "You seriously are going to pay for anything I want?"

Now he smirked, "As long as you hold up your end of a bargain."

"What bargain?"

"The bargain I haven't told you about yet."

"I won't touch one thing unless you tell me what it is."

"Then you won't get one thing."

Setting her jaw, she crossed her arms. "What's the bargain?"

Jokingly he laughed, "Attend a formal dinner and ball with me, and you can get anything you want."

"What!" she gaped. "But I barely know you."

"Correction, you don't know me at all. But I want you to attend it with me."

"But…"

"Would you, if you knew who I was?"

Staring blankly at him, she blinked a couple times. "Well… I suppose," she glanced at the dresses. "But what for? Don't you have a girl to take?"

"If you go with me, then I will, but if you mean such as a girlfriend, or a fiancée, or even a wife—no. I'm single, and have been since I left school."

"A handsome guy like you?" she laughed.

Perking a brow, he smirked, "It's quite scandalous to know you think I'm handsome."

"Oh!" she cried, burying her face in her hands.

"Don't be so shy and embarrassed," he took her hands away from her face, and held them in his own. "But will you attend with me?"

"I don't even know your name."

"I myself am Darian … Darian Malton," he said, "And you are?"

She hesitated. The name sounded so false, could she trust him? "I'm Hannah Grayham," she replied, looking away.

He smirked, seeing right through her, "Well, Miss Grayham, would you attend this dinner and ball with me?"

She sighed, giving in. "Yes, I will."

Dropping her hands, he turned and motioned his hand to the dresses. "Now, go and hunt whatever you'd like."

Squealing like a little school girl, she rushed off between clothing, eyeing quickly things she liked or didn't and grabbed them. He followed at a slower pace, holding the clothing she picked. But once in awhile, she would pick things that he utterly refused to buy, and quickly stuck them on the racks again. Once she got through half the store, he pointed out that she had better try the ones she had picked out already first.

"Right," she said, kind of not paying attention.

"I said you should try these on, now," grabbing her arm, and pulling her towards the dressing rooms.

"Oh but!" as he lead her into one, hung the dresses and outfits up on the hooks, and stepped out.

"Try that blue one on first," he said lazily, leaning against the wall opposite the room she was in. He heard the noise of clothing against clothing and could tell she was changing now. There was a slight glow from inside, and he smirked. She was cheating—how wonderful. After a few moments the door clicked and she stepped out in the blue dress.

"Turn about," he ordered, and she did. "Hmm…" smirking, "It shows off your figure quite nicely. But since it's just plain silk, you can see your underwear line," which made her turn around quickly to face him, "But I think it's quite nice."

"I'm not buying anything that shows my panty line!"

"But you aren't buying it, go on try on another."

She went back into the changing room, changed, was examined, went back in, changed, was examined, back in, change, examine, change, change, change—oh it was tiresome. She went through the first stack, found some more, went through all of them, and was about to give up when he handed her some more dresses. "Just try these," he suggested, and so she did. None of the dresses suited her, but she tried on the last one anyway. It was a silk, dark green evening gown. At the chest it gathered into a V shape, and so did it at the lower back. The hem was a fishtail hem, and was longer in the back.

Stepping out of the changing room, with a glum look on her face, she noticed his reaction quite quickly. He had straightened, eyeing her with a hunger. She did not like that feeling, as she felt small goose bumps start to form on the back of her neck, she turned back into the changing room.

"Wait!" he called quietly. "Come back out here."

Hesitant at first, she stepped out again. Standing there before him, she eyed him—that look was gone, it was the same face he had used for the other dresses. Maybe she had imagined it or not.

"Why are you afraid?"

This startled her, she didn't see that coming. "I… I thought I saw something," she lied.

She knew he didn't believe her, but he did not say anything more about it. "Do you like this one?"

"I love this one, actually."

"It's quite becoming on you, do you want this one?"

"Oh yes, please!"

"Well hurry up, change back into your clothing and we'll go finish up."

She smiled and turned back into the dressing room—but not before seeing something in his face. Why did it seem familiar… shrugging it off, she closed the door and slipped out of the dress into her clothes.