CHAPTER 4

'Hey Hermione,' Ginny said, as her friend walked into the Great Hall at lunchtime. 'How are you feeling?'

'Fine,' Hermione said, somewhat untruthfully. 'I- uh- a lot better, that is. I'm starving.'

'That I can understand,' Ron said, wisely. She sat down and he passed her a dish of roast chicken.

'Thanks,' she said, quickly helping herself. 'How was your snowball fight, guys?'

'Uh- way-shing,' Ron exclaimed, his mouth full of mashed potato. He withered at the disgusted look Hermione sent him, and quickly swallowed his food. 'I mean- amazing.' he ended, somewhat lamely.

'What are your plans for the afternoon?' Harry asked his friends, digging into his salad. 'Ron and I are going to the pitch to practice some Quidditch. We nicked a snitch and we're planning on playing with it.'

'I'm going to Hogsmeade.' Ginny said, decidedly. 'We're allowed this whole week, because of Christmas.' she turned to her friend. 'Why don't you come, Hermione? I need to go shopping and we both need gowns for the ball.'

'Ball?" Hermione asked, puzzled. 'What ball?'

'Oh, didn't I tell you?' Ginny asked, excitedly. 'They're holding a Christmas Ball this year, and all students are invited.'

Hermione thought over it, and finally decided that shopping would take her mind off all the problems she was going through just then.

'All right,' she agreed. 'When should we leave?'

Ginny glanced at her watch. 'How about three?' she suggested. 'Then we can be back well before it turns dark.'

Hermione nodded. 'All right, then. I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall at about three, all right? I'm going to my room to do some reading just now.'

When she entered her room, the first thing she did was kick off her shoes off and slip out off her clothes. She stood in front of the mirror, eyeing her pale white skin, punctured by deep red marks. Her long fingers gently slid across the marks on hers skin, flinching when they brushed over a particularly sensitive part. They looked so guilty, she felt, like they're job was to remind her of something she wanted to forget.

Shaking her head, she slid on her powder blue dressing gown, and cast a heating charm in the room, so it instantly became comfortably warm. She flung herself onto her bed, and pulled her duvet around her ankles.

Her mind began wandering, as she remembered the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she walked away from the library.

FLASHBACK

She stared at the name written in a bold, slanted handwriting on the parchment.

'Noite Dofogo.'

'Noite Dofogo?' she murmured to herself, raising an eyebrow.

'What was that you said, dear?'

She wheeled around and saw Madam Pomfrey looking curiously at her.

'Nothing,' she said, quickly. 'Nothing.'

She quickly flipped the page over and signed her name.

END FLASHBACK

She rolled over in bed, and stared at the ceiling. Her eyes teared up. She felt dirty- so dirty and used.

If only she could find out who he was…

'There you are,' Ginny said, as Hermione walked into the Entrance Hall. 'You're so late I thought you weren't coming?'

'Would I ever ditch you?' Hermione murmured, hoisting her large brown leather bag over her shoulder.

'For a book yes,' Ginny grinned. 'And you're even dressed for Christmas!' she pointed a finger at Hermione's bright red tight-fitting polo neck, and light blue jeans. 'All you need is this.' Ginny slipped off the green scarf she was wearing around her pale blue jumper, and strung it around Hermione's neck.

Hermione giggled, and wound it off.

'Idiot,' she chuckled, 'Come on, let's go. And pull your scarf tighter, it's a cold walk to Hogsmeade.'

'Yes mom.' Ginny mocked, her face breaking into a smile. She tweaked a strand of her bright red hair as they exited Hogwarts, and stepped into the chilly wind outside. The ground was blanketed with a soft, crisp layer of snow that sparkled in the afternoon sunshine, but someone- perhaps the House Elves- had melted a path to the gateway.

As they passed the wrought iron gates, a sudden thought struck Hermione.

'Ginny…?'

'Yeah?" Ginny asked, looking at the spidery trees, encrusted with frost and glimmering. 'My God they're so pretty…'

'Listen to me. Do you know a boy named Noite?"

Ginny looked at her, puzzled. 'Noite?"

'Noite Dofogo.'

Ginny's brow crinkled.

'I don't think so.' she said, slowly. 'Which house?'

'I don't know.' Hermione replied, frankly.

Ginny glanced up, her eyes a little suspicious. 'Is this something to do with a crush?'

'No,' she replied, stressfully. 'He borrowed the same book I did from the log book.'

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'Now that's the beginning of a killer relationship. I have never heard of him. He probably didn't want to be associated with borrowing such a nerdy book. and gave a false name.'

Hermione shot her a deadly look. 'It was a good book, Ginny.'

'Hm, sure,' Ginny murmured, absently. 'The snow's so pretty.'

Hermione quickly ran over what Ginny had said. Something in it seemed to ring sense, and all of a sudden, she wondered if Noite Dofogo, whoever he was, had foreseen her footsteps to the library and written a false name in the log book. Someone who could cast a Partial Memory Charm couldn't be so stupid…

They walked for a few minutes in silence. Hermione glanced around her, at the bright sunshine, sparkling on the soft, white snow.

'We're reaching the village,' Ginny said, softly.

Hermione nodded. All around them were little brown and red houses, blanketed with snow, and swooping conifers whose green boughs were weighed down with white blankets. They took another turn down a gray cobbled path that had recently been swept, and whose surface was glimmering with frost.

'We're going to Patsy's Robes,' Ginny told her. 'There it is.'

She pointed with her slim white hand to a small, cosy looking shop, which had been built of out pink bricks. The door was a pale, creamy green, with a large yellow sign hung above proclaiming, 'Patsy's Robes.'

They walked up to the door, and Ginny pushed it open. A small silver bell tinkled overhead as they stepped in.

The air inside the shop was warm and slightly smoky. It was dark, and a low fire burned in one corner. The walls were lined with rack after rack, filled with the biggest assortment of dresses Hermione had seen. In one corner was a walnut desk with a tall, pale lady with bright red hair and green eyes hidden behind winged glasses. She stood up, and approached them. She was wearing a black dress.

'How may I help you?' she asked, a little curtly.

Ginny looked around. 'We're looking for gowns to a Christmas Ball.' she said.

The woman nodded. 'I have just the thing. My name is Patsy, by the way. Please follow me.'

She took them to the back of the shop, where she pulled out a dress made of pale green chiffon. It was a v-necked sleeveless. She handed it to Ginny.

'It's nice and bright, dear, very appropriate for Christmas, and I think it's going to go very well with your hair. A pair of black platform-shoes to match. Why don't you try it on?'

Ginny nodded, and taking the dress slipped into the trial room. Patsy turned back to the shelf, looking for a dress for Hermione.

'I think we might be a little bold with you, dear, since your hair color is quite neutral,' she said, pleasantly. 'And you have quite a nice complexion- I think you can carry this one off.'

She pulled a dress of shimmering gold from the shelf.

Hermione's eyebrows raised. 'Gold?' she asked, skeptically. 'Isn't that a little- bright?"

'Not at all, dear,' Patsy said. 'Worn correctly, it can make quite a statement. Matching with black stiletto sandals. Why don't you go try it on?'

A little hesitantly, Hermione took the dress and went into the trial room. She slipped out of her jeans and polo, and pulled on the dress. It was a strapless, that highlighted the creamy skin of her neck and shoulders- if she hadn't concealed them, she was sure the lovebites would have shown. It was tight at the top, and clinched tightly, low on her hips, where a fold of golden material hung loosely, looped around the waist line. The skirt was made of layered pieces of flimsy gold crepe. The dress ended a little above her knees. She looked up, and adjusted her hair a little, so a few curls settled at the base of her neck, and the rest fell down her back.

'Are you coming out?' Ginny called from outside. 'I'm done.'

Slowly, Hermione unlocked the door and stepped out.

'Wow, Hermione,' Ginny said, admiringly. 'You carry off gold well.'

'Thanks,' Hermione replied, running her gaze over Ginny's dress. 'That looks good on you.'

Ginny's dress was slightly high-waisted and ended at her calves. The green color brought out the red in her hair very well.

'Both of you look lovely,' Patsy said, rubbing her pale hands together. 'In fact, I suggest you come over here the night of the ball, and I'll take care of your hair and make up as well.'

'That would be wonderful,' Hermione said, throwing her a greatful glance. 'I don't have the faintest idea what to do with make up.'

Ginny laughed. 'That is just like you, Mione. Let's change out. Patsy, you'll keep the dresses for us, won't you?'

'Of course.' the old lady promised.

Ginny and Hermione quickly filled in their names for the dresses, and paid. After bidding Patsy farewell, they left the shop, and left the warm, smoky atmosphere to the cold, bracing one outside.

'Where to now?' Hermione asked, brightly. The dress had put her in a good mood, though something was still nagging the back of her mind.

'Three Broomsticks.' Ginny replied, promptly. 'And then we can head back to the castle.'

AN This was a slightly silly chapter…it didn't revolve around anything specific, it was just a sort of fill in chapter. And for those of you who actually though I was going to tell you who it was so early- PLEASE FORGIVE ME. That's really not me. I'd rather have you guys panting with suspense right till the last chapter!

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