Last Chapter

"Well, Ginny and I had better go so we have time to get ready. See you in the Entrance Hall." Hermione stood and hocked arms with Ginny and together they walked up to the castle.


"I hope we'll have enough time to get ready." Ginny said nervously as she looked at her wrist watch.

"How long do we have?" Hermione asked as they passed the still closed doors of the Great Hall.

"Three hours." Ginny said as they passed a few giggling first year girls.

"We'll have enough time if we hurry." Hermione said with a glint in her eye and with that she took off in a dead run up to Gryffindor tower. Halfway though one of the hidden passages they ran into Lavender.

"Oh thank – gasp - heavens I – gasp- found you." Lavender said in-between gasps. She bent over placing her hands on her knees. "I need your help I can't decide what dress I should wear to the ball tonight. I like them all but I just don't know which one Ron will like." Lavender sat on the stair and looked at her feet. "How do I even know that Ron is even going to dance at this dance? What would be the point of even going if Ron does not dance?"

Hermione sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Trust me Lavender I think that this dance is going to be totally different from the Yule ball." Hermione smirked at Ginny who also sat down next to Lavender.

"Yeah this dance will be great you'll see." Ginny looked at her watch and jumped up. "Bloody hell Hermione we only have two and a half hours left to get ready." Ginny grabbed Lavenders hand and together the three of them raced up to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Where did she go?" Lavender asked as she looked at the empty portrait.

"Of all the times she could go wondering around." Ginny scowled. "She could have chosen a better-ARRGH!"

A large, yellow, chocolate pudding-filled balloon dropped from the ceiling right onto Ginny's head and exploded. Ginny stepped backwards right into Hermione as a second and a third balloon dropped narrowing missing Lavenders head.

"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves get down her right this minute."

Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, had come dashing down the hall with five other students, all of whom were covered in chocolate pudding.

"Peeve get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.

Peeves popped out from behind the empty portrait of the Fat Lady and threw another pudding balloon at the group of second year girls who were standing behind Professor McGonagall, who screamed and dived back down the hall.

"I'm warning you, Peeves I shall call for the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall.

Peeves stuck his tongue out and threw his last pudding balloon at Professor McGonagall, who gave her wand a little flick and the students watched as the balloon turn around and flew right back at Peeves who gave a small cry of surprise and zoomed off down the hall with the balloon hot on his tail.

"Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply as she waved her wand and cleaned the pudding from the floor. "Only two hours or so till the ball and you eight aren't even ready yet." Professor McGonagall turned and headed back down the staircase towards the Great Hall.

"Professor." Hermione called. "How are we to get into our dorms if the Fat Lady is gone?" Hermione pointed to the still empty portrait.

McGonagall turned back, pointed her wand at the portrait and whispered a few words. The portrait opened and they were allowed to enter.

"Thanks professor." Hermione, Ginny and Lavender crawled through the portrait hole and ran up to their dorm. Ginny went to the bathroom and looked at her reflection.

"The next time I see Peeves I'm going to kill him!" Ginny yelled as she grabbed a towel from the shelf to wash her hair.

Lavender and Hermione giggled at Ginny as she let her hair out of its ponytail.

"What are you laughing about?" Ginny spun around sending pudding flying everywhere.

"Nothing." Hermione laughed, "It's just funny that you want to kill Peeves when he is already dead." Hermione and Lavender collapsed into a fit of giggles as Ginny thought about what she said.

"Grrrrrrrrrr." Ginny slammed the bathroom door and jumped in the shower.

"Hermione do you think this dress makes me look fat?" Lavender asked as she spun in front of a full length mirror a half hour later. Hermione looked over to see Lavender wearing a gorgeous Pink peau de soie satin dress gracefully swept over layers of white tulle and a stunning Austrian crystal necklace and earrings. Her hair was curled slightly to frame her face.

"You look beautiful Lavender. What do you think of my dress though? I think mine might be too tight." Lavender didn't answer but stood staring at Hermione.

"Wow, Hermione, you look…", but she was interrupted when Ginny came in from the bathroom.

"What do you guys think? Think Draco…" Ginny stopped and stared at Hermione and Lavender.

"God Hermione that dress looks ostentatious on you!"

Hermione blushed and put her hands over her bright red checks.

"Yeah you look sexy, Hermione." Lavender finished.

"Really?" Hermione put her hands back to her side and turned back to the mirror looking at herself again. It was a tight fitting dress, but not too tight. The dress was a combination of black and turquoise peau de soie satin (Lavender and Hermione had gone shopping together over the summer) giving her a stunning majesty look. The sides were lace-up spaghetti to add detail to the breath taking design. Her hair was hung in gentle curls that swept down to the middle of her back.

Suddenly an owl swept into the room. It flew around the room before landing on Hermione's bed.

"Oh look its Storm!" Hermione raced over to the Eagle owl that was now sitting on her bed.

"Whose owl is that?" Hermione asked as Ginny stroked his head and handed him an owl treat.

"That's Draco's Eagle owl. His name is Storm. I'm the one who named him. When Draco and I first started dating he just called him 'owl'. Plus he reminded me of a storm cloud." Ginny took the letter tied to Storm's leg and began to read it. A single tear fell down Ginny's check as she finished reading the letter.

"Ginny what's wrong? Has Draco dumped you because if he did…" Hermione mad a fist and punched it into her other hand. "He'll be dead meat."

"No Hermione it's nothing like that. It's just that I forgot today was our one month anniversary and Draco just sent me an anniversary card and a rose." Ginny walked over to Hermione handing her the card as she sat on the bed next to Hermione, placing her head in her hands. "How could I have forgotten about our anniversary? And I have nothing to give to him! I can't believe I forgot!"

Hermione and Lavender read the card as Ginny cursed herself.

'For My Girl "I fall In Love All Over Again Whenever I Think Of The Time We First Met, When You Seemed Too Special To Ever Forget, And I Felt You Changed My Life Even Then…I Just Fall In Love All Over Again. Whenever I Think Of The Times you've been There To Talk With Me, Laugh With Me, Show Me You Care, And Be A Real Friend…I Just Fall In Love All over Again. Whenever I Think Of My Time Spent With You, When So Many Beautiful Dreams Have Come True, Whenever I Think Of How Happy I've Been…I Just Fall In Love Again. Happy Anniversary."

Ginny looked up at Hermione and Lavender. "Do you guys have any ideas as to what I could get him?"

"Hmmmm." Hermione handed to card to Lavender and walked over to her trunk, opened it and began to dig through it. "Dam where did they go?" Hermione dug deeper into her trunk then came up with an envelope. "Got 'em!" Hermione walked back over to Ginny and handed her the envelope. "I bought these at a store in Paris last year. I was going to give them to Harry on our one year anniversary but I think you need them more then I do."

"I can't take this Hermione." Ginny handed the envelope back to Hermione.

"No Ginny I want you to have them. I can always buy more. Besides, Harry already beat me to it." Hermione pulled on a chain around her neck to reveal a heart cut zig-zag down the middle. "He gave it to me for my birthday."

"Are you sure you want me to have them Hermione?" Ginny pulled two gold necklaces out of the envelope and read the inscription. 'The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another.'

Hermione examined her reflection in the mirror. "Naturally, you are my best friend and want you to have them because you are my friend. But most importantly you are like a sister to me."

Ginny placed the envelope in her purse and rushed over to Hermione. "Oh thank you Hermione. And I have too always thought of you as my sister. From the first time I…" Ginny stopped and looked at her watch. "Bloody hell Hermione we're late meeting the boys!" Ginny grabbed her purse and rushed down the stairs, through the common room, out the portrait whole and down the stairs with Hermione and Lavender hot on her heels.

As Ginny rounded a corner she ran into something solid and fell backwards onto the stairs. "What the hell was…Oh hello Harry!" Ginny looked up to see Harry standing in front of her with Draco and Ron on either side.

"You should slow down Ginny you could have sent us all flying down the stairs." Harry joked as he extended his hand to help her to her feet.

"Thanks." Ginny took his hand and let him pull her up.

"Did you guys have to make your dresses or something? I though you would have been down to the Great Hall 15 minutes ago." Draco joked as he placed his arm around Ginny's waist. "You look magnificent." He placed a kiss on her check then turned to Harry and Ron. "Shall we escort our ladies?"

Harry grinned like the devil himself as he gave a mock bow to Draco. "After you good sir and lady."

"Oh no, no, no after you and your lady." Draco bowed lower then Harry and offered Hermione his hand to place in Harry's.

"No I insist you go first." Harry took Hermione's hand from Draco and proceeded in front of Ginny and Draco.

"Not at all good sir." Hermione bowed to Draco and Ginny. "Tis the anniversary couple that should go first." Hermione winked at Ginny, whose checks grew red as Harry insisted they must go first.

"Ok you four if we're going to be at this the rest of the night then Ron and I will go first. I wish to get there before dinner is over." Lavender laughed at the stunned faces of Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Draco as she took Ron's arm and walked passed them.

"Harry, Hermione, Draco and Ginny burst into fits of laughter as they made their way down to the Great Hall following Ron and Lavender.


Authors Note: (Friend found something's that could have been improved so I am reposting this chapter Now that school is over and I have graduated I will be able to write more often!)

I am so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up and that it is a little dull but as some of you seniors in high school may know it's about time for graduation and things have been very busy for us all. I PROMISE that my next chapter will be much more interesting and longer too.

And just so everyone knows I wrote this story before the sixth book came out so things are a little weird right now. I'm still trying to get a few things into it from book six so if anyone has any ideas please let me know. Thanks for being so patient with me now I'm going to go now so I can write the next chapter and get it up soon!

Love you all Kristina