Chapter 13

The Wig Jig

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"Can I get you any more tea dear?" Asked Madam Puddifoot.

"Yes thank you." Hermione said as her teacup magically filled up.

"Why on earth did Lavender choose this place?" Ginny aksed. "I mean, isn't this a place to bring dates, is this her idea of a sense of humor?"

"I can't begin to fathom her sense of humor, you're the one who set up the meeting, you tell me. Isn't her office above this place or something?" Hermione asked. "What I want to know is why she is late?"

Ginny seemed to be wondering the same thing. "Yeah, I hope she gets here soon, it will ware off soon."

Hermione looked at her curiously, "What will ware off?"

Ginny was saved the trouble of answering because Lavender had just walked into Madam Puddifoots. As she made her way over to Hermione and Ginny's table she had a smug look apon her face as if she knew something they didn't. She also looked different, her hair was long and a reddish-brown color. Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she remembered their last encounter which left Lavender completely bald, it wasn't hard to tell that Lavender's new locks must be a wig.

Lavender sat down at the table with the air of a queen sitting down to meet her servants. She seemed repulsed to be there but just couldn't resist hearing what Hermione had to say to her. "Hello ladies, before we get started would it be rude of me to suggest that we all place our wands on the table so that we can keep an eye on each other? You see our last meeting didn't go so well." Lavender said as she nodded in Hermione's direction.

Ginny and Hermione smiled sweetly and complied with her request. They placed their wands on the table and then each took a sip of tea. Hermione wanted to get this over with, and she had a plan. "Thank you for meeting with us Lavender, I want to get to the point here. We would like to make you an offer."

"Oh yeah, what would that be?" Lavender said.

"We would like to work with E.N.U., we would like it if S.P.E.W. could join forces with your organization. We propose that we combine the two companies and make one large organization all with the same goal." Hermione said in her most business like manner.

"And why would I join forces with the woman who wants to steal my husband?" Lavender spat.

"Who, Ron…oh no…I'm over him, after I found out he was married that was it. I mean its pointless going after a married man isn't it." Hermione proclaimed.

"Yes it is, especially one who loves his wife so much." Lavender agreed as she batted her eyelashes viciously.

It was everything Ginny could do to keep herself from laughing. "Well, see we have nothing stopping us. What do you say Lavender, with you and Dean, plus Hermione and I, we could make a great team."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. "We could really do some good for house elves if we all put the same effort into one project."

Lavender it seemed was thinking very hard because her forehead was wrinkled and she was squishing her nose as hard as she could. It looked like it caused her real pain to think this hard. "Where would this combined office be?"

"Oh, we could move here to Hogsmead, you do have the better office." Hermione said trying to lay it on thick.

Lavender smiled, "Yes that's true, your little hole in the wall could hardly hold all of us. What are we going to call this venture?"

"I think we should keep the name E.N.U, we like it so much better than S.P.E.W." Ginny said, taking a page out of Hermione's book.

"Yes, spew is such a horrible name." Lavender said, still thinking hard. "Oh, why not, it would make headline news if we joined forces. Let's do it."

Ginny was so ecstatic that her plan was working so well she just wanted to jump up and dance around, but she avoided the temptation. She pulled the envelope off the floor under her and sat it on the table. "Excellent, then there is just the nasty issue of making it legal." Ginny pulled out the trick contract and placed it on the table in front of Lavender. "All you have to do is sign here."

The contract was labeled Business Contract and to any person who didn't know better it would just look like an ordinary legal document, way to confusing to read or understand. However, Hermione and Ginny knew better, the moment Lavender placed her signature on it, it would reveal its true identity as a Divorce paper. Hermione and Ginny were now waiting with bated breath as Lavender scanned the document.

Lavender frowned at the paper as she scanned over it. "Do you take me for a fool? I may be ditzy, but I'm not stupid." She picked up her wand and pointed at the paper and said, "Specialis Revelio!"

Ginny was sure they were done for, but to her amazement the charm concealing the true identity of the paper remained in tact. She could have given Hermione the worlds biggest hug right then. She was sure that Hermione made it so the paper couldn't be revealed that easily.

"See, we were being honest Lavender." Ginny said. "Now will you sign it?"

Lavender looked truly surprised, "Oh…alright, I'll sign it."

Ginny handed her a quill and placed a small bottle of ink on the table. Lavender picked up the quill, dipped ink onto it and hovered over the signature line on the paper. She gave Hermione one last look, placed the tip of the quill down and scribbled a very loopy signature.

To Ginny's shock and Lavender's, the paper instantly burst into bright pink flames. It burned for a few moments, gave a feeble sizzle then plopped back onto the table, perfectly unharmed. Hermione was beaming as she snatched up the parchment and rolled it up. "Well, thank you Lavender you are no longer needed here. You may go."

"Wait, why did that do that? What did I just sign?" Lavender looked panicked as she stood up and reached for the paper in Hermione's hand.

Hermione was too quick for her as she backed away just in time. "Oh no you don't you evil cow. That paper you just signed, it was Divorce papers. You are now free from Ron and you just gave all rights of E.N.U. over to him as well. You don't mess with me or Ron and not pay for it. And let me tell you, that if you ever try to mess with us again, it will be a lot more painful than loosing a few hairs."

Lavender lunged for her wand only to realize that Hermione had beat her to the punch. Hermione had her wand point directly at Lavenders heart and was eyeing her with all her mite. However something funny was happening to Lavender. Hermione hadn't muttered a single word and yet it seemed that Lavender was unable to move.

"Lavender?" Hermione said.

Ginny started to laugh; she put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and smiled at her. "Just watch Hermione, a little extra precaution I added to that paper. It started when she touched her wand."

Lavender it seemed was turning colors. First it was her shoes, and then the color traveled up her legs and shirt. Before long the only thing on her that wasn't a violent shade of purple was the lurid red wig she was wearing. The moment the color stopped spreading her sense of movement seemed to have returned to her.

Lavender put her hands out in front of her and realized what had happened, Lavender had turned…lavender. Her eyes slowly filled with tears, she tried to say something but all that came out was a whimper. She turned and ran out of the Tea Room so fast that her wig fell off her head and landed with a soft thud on the ground.

Hermione and Ginny, along with the few people sitting in the Shop busted up laughing. It was one thing to see a purple person running down the street, it was quite another to see a bald purple person running down the street. And Ginny didn't help matters any, she bewitched Lavender's ugly wig to dance a jig while chasing her down the streets of Hogsmead, every now and then smacking her in the back of the head. Hermione and Ginny continued to watch Lavender run, crying down the street until she turned into a small potions shop, no doubt to ask the owner how to fix her current situation.