Disclaimer - If I was J.K you can bet that Chloe would be an actual part of the Potterverse, and not just a product of months worth of boring lectures, and this would have already happened.
A/N - I know, the title sucks. So sue me! I couldn't think of a better one!
The Ball Awaits
The day of the ball finally arrived, and Chloe, Tonks, Hermione, Ginny and Angelina were all getting ready together at the girls' house. Ron had finally plucked up the courage to ask Hermione to the ball, Ginny and Tonks were going with Harry and Remus, and Chloe and Angelina were going alone.
"We'd better get dressed," Ginny remarked after noticing the time, "The boys'll be here in about an hour, and all we've done all day is drink wine and discuss eye shadow colours." Chloe snorted.
"Speak for yourself Ginevra Weasley, I have been food shopping. I have done something useful!"
"Whatever!" Ginny retorted, smiling. "We need to get dressed, regardless of who's done what all day!"
Forty-five minutes later the girls were once again gathered in the living room. Hermione was wearing a pale pink, floor length dress, with small spaghetti straps. Her hair was tamed, and fell down her back in a crowd of honey brown ringlets.
Ginny wore a strapless, deep purple dress, which complemented her flaming hair beautifully. The dress was fitted down to her hips, where it flared slightly before falling to the floor in soft folds.
Tonks had turned her hair to a deep, chocolate brown for the evening, and it was twisted into an elegant knot at the nape of her neck, and wore a strapless, shimmering blue, knee length dress.
Angelina had straightened her shoulder length black hair, and wore a mid calf length, vivid fuchsia dress, with small beads embroidered in a pattern along the top and bottom of the dress.
Chloe had lengthened her hair slightly, and it cascaded down in loose copper curls. She wore a black, knee length dress, slashed to the waist in the front, with a slightly full skirt.
"I don't know how you manage it," Angelina mused, taking in Chloe's dress, "but you're wearing a dress that has more or less no front to it, and you still look classy!" Chloe frowned.
"But I feel dead uncomfortable! I don't think I've worn heels since Bill and Fleur's wedding."
"And we all know what happened that night." Ginny added, winking at Chloe suggestively.
"Ginny Weasley you are entirely too much like your brother!" Chloe laughed. "Anyway, I'm sure I'm gonna fall off these heels, probably as I'm walking in, or going to collect the bloody Order of bloody Merlin. Why I have to get up in front of everyone dressed like a bloody girl is beyond me…" Chloe mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. Angelina raised an eyebrow.
"Chloe you are a girl." Chloe snorted.
"Some of my closest friends are blokes, I spent my teenage years playing quidditch rather than chasing boys and practising the latest glamour spells, and I have what is universally believed to be a mans job Ange. I think it's safe to assume I'm missing some kind of female gene somewhere!"
"Whatever," Hermione sighed, "but whatever gender you may or may not be, the boys are here, so stick this on and don't let George see what you're wearing."
"Why not?" Chloe asked, warily. Tonks groaned in exasperation.
"Chloe Andromeda Thomas, you can be so thick at times. Just do not let him see. Then watch the expression on his face when we get there. It'll be a classic, I assure you." Chloe eyed the other girls, while fastening her 'good' cloak over her dress.
"Are you lot planning something?" Ginny and Angelina nudged each other and grinned, while Hermione looked innocent.
"No, no. I've been busy enough working out how to get Ron to ask me to this ball, and how does this blasted thing do up!" She exclaimed, fiddling with the clasp on her new cloak. Tonks gently slapped Hermione's hands away, and did the cloak up for her. The boys entered the room, wearing their dress robes. Harry greeted Ginny with a kiss, and Ron gave Hermione a shy smile, before offering her his arm. She blushed slightly, and took it.
"How sweet are those two?" Angelina asked Chloe quietly. Chloe sighed.
"Wouldn't it be great to be that age again and have the chance to do things differently?"
"We're only two years older! We've got plenty of time Clo, remember that." Angelina replied, shooting Chloe a look that plainly told her she knew that Chloe was talking about George.
"C'mon," Harry said, "Let's get going. From what I've heard around the Ministry, it's going to be amazing."
"Better than the Yule Ball?" Fred asked sceptically.
"Much better." Ron replied absently, gazing at Hermione. Everyone's heads whipped around to stare at Ron, and realising this he rearranged his features into an expression of bemusement. "What?" Chloe smirked.
"C'mon, are we flooing or apparating?"
"Chloe Thomas!" Angelina said, appalled. "We are not flooing wearing these outfits you weirdo!"
They apparated into the atrium of the Ministry building, and were greeted by a young wizard in formal robes.
"Good evening, do you have your invitations?" He asked. The group produced their invitations, and after having them checked were directed towards the ballroom. Outside the ballroom was a cloakroom, and Ginny pulled them towards it. The girls took their cloaks off, and as Chloe turned around, she caught George's eye, and laughed inwardly at his expression.
"What George? Do I look stupid?" she asked innocently.
"What? No. No, definitely not stupid."
"Then why are you standing there with a face like one o'clock half struck?" George hastily tried to erase the shock from his face, but failed miserably.
"Well, I just, you never wear dresses, and you look, wow."
"Told you!" Tonks whispered smugly. Chloe rolled her eyes.
"I wore a dress to Bill and Fleur's wedding you freak!" she laughed. At the mention of that night, the tips of George's ears turned red, and noticing that, Chloe flushed.
"Come on!" Ginny cried, grabbing Chloe's arm and pulling her through the double doors that led to the ballroom. Upon entering, the girls gasped.
"It looks beautiful," Chloe breathed, "absolutely gorgeous!"
The candles that flickered softly on tables that were scattered around the large dance floor lighted the room, and there was a stage at the front of the room, on which a band played soft, romantic music.
"There's the bar, lets get a drink, eh Clo?" Ginny said, nudging her gently in the ribs.
"Definitely!"
The girls led the way to the bar, closely followed by the rest of the group. The girls all ordered champagne, while the boys drank firewhiskey. They bagged a large table next to the dance floor, and sat for a while, no one saying much, just soaking in the atmosphere. George's gaze strayed to Chloe frequently, and she spent most of her time sneaking small looks at him over the rim of her glass. During one of her glances at George, Angelina nudged her none too gently, and whispered,
"Toilets. Now."
Chloe, Angelina, Ginny and Hermione all made their way across the room, and Chloe was awarded many admiring glances along the way.
"Merlin," she whispered into Hermione's ear, "you'd think they'd never seen a woman before." Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing Chloe couldn't see her do so.
"They've just never seen you in a dress before Clo."
Once the girls were safely ensconced in the gigantic women's toilet, Angelina stated brusquely,
"What are you going to do about George? The way you two keep staring at each other is so, so…" she trailed off, searching for the right word.
"Irritating?" Ginny supplied, laughing. Chloe looked offended. "Oh calm down Chloe, it's just that it's blatantly obvious that the two of you are crazy about each other and you're both too bloody chicken to do anything about it."
"You'd think," Hermione said casually, checking her makeup, "that after facing Voldemort and all that, telling George you're in love with him would be a piece of cake. Especially when you know exactly how it's going to turn out this time!" Chloe sighed.
"Alright, I promise, by the end of the night I will tell him! Happy now?"
"Deliriously." Angelina grinned.
The girls walked back into the ballroom laughing, when Chloe stopped abruptly and stared across the room in shock.
"What you looking at?" Ginny asked, following Chloe's gaze across the room. "Oh…"
There was Rachel, sat on George's lap, laughing gaily. She looked around the room, and seeing the four girls, waved at them, and laughed harder.