Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Stephanie.

I love you people! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and keep em coming!

AN: Just picture the guys attire, they are the exact replica of the disney characters. (If you don't like the fact they are going as disney characters then you don't have to read it.)

Chapter 18: Before The Dance

"I am so glad that Dumbledore allowed us to continue with the idea of having costumes for the party," Hermione replied, sitting down in Ron's lap.

"I'm not," Ron scoffed. "You have me dressing up in something called a bloody tuban."

"Turban," she corrected. "Besides, I think that you will look cute in it." A light blush crept onto his cheeks.

"Really?" he asked and then pouted. "Why can't I be hot...or even handsome?"

"We...well," she stammered. "You're already very handsome," Hermione said, blushing prettily.

"Well, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on," Ron stated seriously, looking into her doe brown eyes.

"Wow," she breathed, "where did all these poetry like words come from?"

"What do you mean? I've always thought that you were beautiful, Mione. Never doubt that for one second," replied Ron, burying his face into her hair.

She smiled against his neck and kissed it lightly. "Okay, I won't. I promise."

"Good." Ron moved back and winked suggestively, "now why don't I show you just how much I love you?"

"Ron!" Hermione yelped, giggling. She squirmed in his lap and he groaned.

"Mione, you're killing me here."

She blushed again. "Sorry, but we aren't going to do...well...you know..." she said.

He pouted. "And why not? You didn't mind what we did yesterday." He grinned. "I remember, because you starting moaning and..."

"Ron!" Hermione cut him off by placing her tiny hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!" He mumbled something behind her hand. "You promise you won't say anything?" He nodded. "Okay," she replied before dropping her hand.

"Oh Ron, Ron, please don't stop!" He mimicked in a girly voice.

"You promised that you wouldn't," she cried, jumping up.

"You know I'm just teasing, Mione."

'Teasing?' Hermione thought to herself and grinned inwardly. "Teasing," she whispered quietly and walked towards him slowly. "Do you like it when people tease you, Ron?" she asked, running the tip of her tongue across his bottom lip and he shivered.

"Well," he replied, smiling, "I do like it when you tease me."

"Oh really?" she asked, grinning evilly. "So you won't mind if I do this." Hermione pushed him back and straddled his hips.

"Of course not," he squeaked.

"Or this." She pulled her tank top over her head and pulled her hair down.

"Definitely not," he croaked.

"Good," she replied before ravishing his mouth with her own. He tasted like blue raspberries. Hermione had always hated blueberries before, but now she couldn't get enough of the taste.

Ron loved this side of his girlfriend, it was new, exciting, and a complete turn on. He stilled as Hermione's hands reached his belt buckle. "Umm, Hermione," he started.

"What's wrong, Ron?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Not a thing, it's just...you do realize that we're on my bed and...well...you're on top of me and.."

"Oh my God!" she interrupted.

"What?" asked Ron, concerned at her outburst.

"Look at what time it is." She pointed at the clock on his nightstand.

He nodded. "Yeah, I can see that its two o'clock. What about it?"

"Duh, Ronald," she replied, exasperated. "The dance starts in five hours."

"Yeah..."

"Well I have to go get ready," she said, stating the obvious.

"Hermione! The party doesn't start for another five hours."

"I know." She put her shirt back on hurriedly. "Not nearly enough time. I was supposed to meet Ginny about half an hour ago."

"Not enough time! Are you bloody insane?" He paused. "Wait...Gin's going?"

She snorted. "Of course your sister is going, Ron."

"Who is she going with?" he asked in a demanding tone.

Hermione muttered something under her breath.

"What? I didn't hear you, Mione."

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and started towards the door. "Ginny's going with Malfoy." She said in a rush. "I love you so much Ron! And remember what I said about letting people run their own lives and making their own choices," she called to him before leaving.

Ron's mouth began opening and closing, making him look like a gaping fish. "Bloody Malfoy and Anderson and all them damn Slytherins. What is wrong with the Gryffindors nowadays?" he asked an empty room.

"So, have you decided who you're going to the dance as?" Ginny asked Stephanie, looking towards the lake.

"Yep, I'm going as Wendy and Potter will be Peter Pan."

Ginny giggled. "Why are you still calling Harry by his last name?"

"Because, I;m already going on a date with the guy, which is very weird I might add, and it gives me the shivers when I say his namem" Stephanie replied.

She snorted. "Shivers? That's really.." She trailed off at her friend's glare, "not funny at all." Ginny finished firmly.

Stephanie laughed and nudged her with an elbow. "So, what's going on with you and my dear cousin?"

"Nothing at all," she said, trying to convince herself. "He just kind of tricked me into going to the party with him and of course, since I'm a Weasley, I don't go back on my word and he obviously knows that."

"Yeah, okay," she replied, doubtful. "And I am a big fat mouse." She shook her head. "Gin, do you honestly think I believe that there is nothing going on with you two? Draco came back last night with an actual smile on his face." She shuddered. "I mean, do you know how damn creepy that is?"

Ginny laughed. "I happen to think that he's very sexy when he smiles."

"Ugh, Gin, I so did not need to know that," Stephanie replied, groaning in disgust. "And what would dear old brother think about all of this?" She asked.

Ginny jumped up. "Oh my God! Ron...Hermione! Hermione!"

"What in the hell are you on about?" Stephanie asked, looking at her like she had grown two heads.

"I am supposed to meet Hermione in thirty minutes."

"Okay...well that's in thirty minutes. What's with the being panicky?"

"It's not that," she said. "It's the fact that in about five hours, everyone will see a Weasley and a Malfoy. Together. As in with each other. As in..."

"Yeah, yeah, Ginny, I think I got it now" Stephanie said in annoyance.

"Sorry," she said in a slow, sarcastic voice. "Aren't you even a little nervous about going to the dance with Harry?"

"A little," Stephanie admitted. "But I also haven't slept with this guy when he was drunk off his ass." She pointed out.

"Who was drunk off their ass?" asked Draco, who had suddenly appeared from behind the boulder.

"Where the bloody hell did you come from?" Ginny squealed in surprise.

He smirked. "From inside the castle, where else? So," He turned his attention to his cousin, "who was drunk?"

"Nobody," said Stephanie, scowling. "What do you want? Or better yet, why are you even here?"

"Ooo, somebody is in a bitchy mood," he taunted. "Is it because you realized how stupid it was to tell Potter that you would go to the dance with him?" he asked hopefully.

"Nope," Stephanie said with a smile. "I happen to like him very much."

Draco snorted. "Right, because a Slytherin and a Gryffindor being together is such a great thing." he said, sarcastically. Ginny cleared her throat at this and Stephanie smirked. "Oh well," he stammered, "except for...oh bloody hell," he replied, rolling his eyes. Ginny laughed and his heart gave a little jump at the sound.

"Well, I should go meet Hermione," she said, nodding towards the castle.

"Okay," said Steph, "I am just going to stay here for another few minutes and enjoy the light of the sun."

"Alright, I'll see you later," Ginny said, turning to make her way back. She smiled slightly at the sound of footsteps behind her. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked when he came into view.

"What, no goodbye for me?" he asked with a pout.

Ginny grinned. "Sorry, I didn't know you wanted one."

Draco shrugged. "I didn't. So, I forgot to ask you what you were going to the ball as."

"Esmerelda." She stopped. "But I won't tell you what my outfit looks like," she said and continued on.

"Esmerelda?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. "So, what am I supposed to wear then?"

"Green dress robes."

"Green? I think I like your outfit already." She laughed at his reply.

"Oh right, I forgot that Slytherin's colors were green."

"How could you forget something as important as that?" he asked in mock outrage.

Ginny began to laugh so hard that she couldn't breath and Draco looked at her weirdly.

"What's with all the laughing?"

"Nothing," laugh, "It's just that," breath, "you looked so funny," laugh, "when you did that."

Draco smiled. "Good to know that I can make you laugh."

She smiled at him and shuffled her feet nervously. They had been standing outside of the Gryffindor portrait for the last five minutes. "Well," Ginny began awkwardly, "I guess I'll see you at seven."

"Right," he replied, "seven o'clock on the dot. I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairwell near the doors of the Great Hall."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you then." She stood up and kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Bye," she murmured and left before he could see the light blush that crept on her cheeks.

Draco smiled at the empty hallway and then sighed in defeat. This was definitely going to be the hardest bet he would ever have to win, and it wasn't going to be easy.

"Do you know who Ginny's going to the ball with?" Ron asked Harry as he placed the small purple hat on his head.

"No, I never had the time to ask her," Harry said, surveying himself in the mirror.

"You look dashing," the mirror flirted with him.

Harry blushed. "Thanks."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," Ron continued after telling the mirror to shut up.

Harry grinned. "Let me guess. She's going with Malfoy."

"How did you know?" Ron asked in amazement.

"Well they have been hanging out alot, and she did almost save him when he got knocked over by that bludger," Harry replied.

"But he's a Malfoy, Harry! And he's probably a damned Death Eater too," Ron said angrily, concerned for his sister.

"Ron, I think that you should let Ginny do things on her own. You can't interfere with her life anymore." He shuddered. "I definitely don't want to go through another night with you two screaming at the top of your lungs."

"Yeah, sorry about that mate." He grinned sheepishly. "But back to the important part of this conversation. I just don't think that it's a good idea for my little sister to get involved with a Malfoy."

"I don't either," Harry agreed, "but you should let her do what she wants. Ginny isn't dumb, Ron, and she's old enough to make her own decisions."

"Are we still talking about Ginny?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know," Harry said, sighing. "Do you think that I'm doing the wrong thing?"

"What? Oh, you mean by going out with Anderson." At Harry's nod he continued, "I don't think she's that bad, I mean she did save your life after all." He smiled. "Anybody who saves my best friend can't be that bad."

"Yeah, I know. Sirius told me to send him a picture of her," Harry grinned, "he said that if I was going with a Slytherin, she had better be a beautiful one. The only thing is that she's related to Malfoy," he replied.

"I guess that's the only thing bad about her then," Ron said, smiling.

"So, how do I look?" Harry asked, holding his arms out.

"Well the mirror thinks you look dashing, but I think you look like a bloody girl." Ron snorted, "I can't believe you are going to wear that."

"Me?" he cried and pointed at Ron's outfit, "You do know that you look like a sissy boy as well. I can't believe Hermione got you to dress up as Aladdin."

"It looks better than Peter Pan."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"Okay, it kind of does," Harry replied, sighing in defeat.

"I know it does," Ron grinned.

"Doesn't," Harry added after a minute of silence.

"Ha, bloody ha. We have to go wait for the girls now, Peter Pan." Ron snorted again.

"Okay, lead the way, Aladdin."

"Tell me again why I agreed to wear this," Hermione said, covering up her stomach.

"Because if you didn't have an outfit that looked similar to mine, Ron would make me change. And we can't have that, now can we?" Ginny asked.

"I guess not, but remember that I am only doing this for you and partially for Ron," she replied.

"Right." Ginny grinned. "Are you ready to go, Ms. Granger?"

"Of course, Ms. Weasley," she said, taking her arm.

"Then let us go meet our prince," Ginny replied and Hermione snorted.

"I wouldn't exactly call Malfoy prince charming."

"Well I wouldn't call my brother that in a million years, so I guess our dates aren't all great."

"Of course not. They are males, aren't they?" Hermione joked.

Catcalls could be heard throughout the Slytherin common room as Stephanie descended the stairs.

"Hey, all eyes off of the cousin now!" Draco demanded. He grabbed her and pushed her out of the room into the hallway. "I thought that you were supposed to be some damned goody-two-shoes, not a bloody whore."

Stephanie smiled innocently. "What? I just thought that the outfit needed a few adjustments."

"A few?" he asked in sarcasm.

"Why dear cousin, I didn't know you cared."

Draco scowled. "I don't. We should go, its almost seven o'clock and I told Gi...Weasley that I would meet her at the stairwell."

"Isn't that weird? Potter told me to meet him there as well," she replied.

"Whatever, I don't care about Potter. Lets go."

Ron's breath caught in his throat at the sight of his girlfriend walking down the stairs. Hermione had on a turquoise pants set, with a matching shirt that hung off the shoulders and the bottom stopped at the belly. Her usual frizzy hair was now tied in a ribbon and it remained sleek and straight. The little make up that she had applied brightened her natural beauty.

"Mione, you look gorgeous," he replied when she reached him.

"Thank you, Ron. And you look very sexy," she whispered seductively in his ear and he reddened.

"You know, you can't you do that or I might have to take you upstairs, and then we won't even reach the Great Hall," Ron grinned.

"Right," she blushed. "We should go then."

"Well, you look very handsome. Harry." Ginny said, taking his arm.

He smiled. "Thanks, and you look very pretty."

"Thank you," she replied.

"Your welcome. Look, Ginny, if...well...if Malfoy ever does anything or...if he..." Harry turned to her and replied in a serious tone.

"I know what you are trying to say, Harry."

He looked relieved. "Good."

'Oh wow! Potter does look yummy in green,' Stephanie thought as Harry walked down the stairs with Ginny in tow. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all.

'This was not a bad idea at all,' Harry thought as he looked his date up and down. Her reddish-brown skirt flowed to her bare feet and the split reached above mid-thigh. Her matching silk shirt had splits in various places and it reached above her abdomen. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and that was no lie.

Ginny gasped out loud at the sight of him. He looked like a Greek god, or better yet, he looked like a prince that had stepped out of a fairytale. Part of his blonde, tousled hair fell in front of his eyes, and his said grey eyes bored into her brightly lit brown orbs. His dark green robes billowed out behind him at the movement of cool air and she let out a breath.

She seemed to be moving in slow motion and he had to gulp. She had her hair curled and hanging low, the light glinting off her auburn tints. Earth element colors graced her face and big silver hoops hung from her ears. The light purple skirt reached her sandled feet and the white, long-sleeved top cut off at the belly button, showing her creamy white skin.

When she reached him, neither said a word. They stared into each others eyes, but the moment was broken by his comment.

"I didn't know that a Weasley could look this good," Draco said, giving her an appreciative glance.

She smiled. "I didn't think that a Malfoy knew how to be polite."

"Well, you do bring out the best in me," he replied, smirking.

"That's obviously a good thing," said Ginny, taking his hand in hers.

"Are you ready, Weasel?"

"I'm ready, Ferret."

And with that said, they made their way into the Great Hall.

If you review, I will love you forever and ever and ever...(yeah I think you get the picture)

LILYK