Friends Close, Enemies Closer
.:Angelgrl185:.
((I don't own the Harry Potter Series of any of its components))
Chapter Eleven: Secrets, Costumes and Rejection
Gray hazy smoke drifted through the black night sky as three figures stood outside blanketed from prying eyes. The moon reflected off the smoke-like fog casting a strange illumination upon the three. The leader, known from his proud stance and dominant presence, was in the front talking quietly to the other two. Hisses and whispers filled the silence of the night as it drew to a close and morning began to dawn.
"The time is drawing neigh, my Lord," a deep voice spoke.
"Three days left until the prophecy is fulfilled," a replying hiss said.
"What is your will, milord?" a third melodious voice chimed in.
"Tonight," the voice hissed, "Tonight you will get her."
Ginny walked languidly outside Hogwarts castle enjoying the cool breeze teasing her skin. For being the middle of winter it was relatively warm outside. The wind whipped the green grass as she walked through it towards the glistening lake. A black haired head appeared in her vision as she neared the lake causing Ginny to break out into a grin.
"Blaise!" she called loudly alerting the other girl's attention. Blaise flashed Ginny an answering grin of her own as Ginny joined her by the lakeside.
"How's it going, Gin?" she asked as Ginny plopped down dramatically next to her.
"All right I guess," Ginny replied softly as she stared out into the water.
"Things any better between you and the dimwit?" Blaise asked.
"Not in the least," Ginny replied grimly and then proceeded to recant the details of her last encounter with Draco.
"Ugh, what a complete idiot!" Blaise moaned placing her head into her hands.
"I've told him that much already," she added. Ginny looked up sharply at her
comment.
"Blaise, what did you say to him?" Ginny asked warningly. Blaise shrugged nonchalantly as she fought to keep a grin from adorning her face.
"Blaise!" Ginny groaned falling back against the grass.
"Really, Ginny, it wasn't much," Blaise assured her.
"What did you say?" Ginny demanded.
"Nothing really. Just that he was being a bloody git and that he should listen to what you were saying to him and stuff," Blaise replied. Ginny lifted her head and stared at her friend.
"There is something you aren't telling me, Blaise," Ginny said accusingly. Blaise mumbled something that Ginny couldn't quite catch.
"What was that?" Ginny asked giving her raven-haired friend a look.
"I said that I might have mentioned what happened your first year and how it was all his dad's fault." Blaise admitted sheepishly.
"BLAISE!" Ginny screeched as she immediately sat up. Blaise cowered, raising her arms to her head in order to fend any blows that Ginny might send her way.
"I also might have said that he was harboring feelings for you and that he shouldn't be scared of them," Blaise added ducking even further when Ginny began to screech again and hit Blaise repeatedly.
"Malfoy does not harbor any "repressed" feelings for me," Ginny said seething.
"Oh, so we are back to Malfoy now, huh?" Blaise observed with a smirk.
"Shove it, Blaise," Ginny replied.
"I'm not doing anything except being observant," Blaise defended herself.
"That and telling Malfoy things you shouldn't be," Ginny added.
"Ok, maybe that is something I shouldn't have done, but it will turn out ok in the end!" Blaise admonished.
"Whatever, let's talk about something else," Ginny said dismissing the topic.
"Ok, let's talk about the ball then," Blaise suggested a mischievous look appearing in her deep blue eyes.
"Ugh! Blaise!" Ginny groaned rolling her bright green eyes.
"So, Ginny. Who are you going with?" Blaise asked scooting closer to her friend.
"Not like I'm going to tell you. The whole school will end up knowing by dinner," Ginny scoffed.
"Aw, come on, Ginny! I won't tell anyone! Promise!" Blaise pleaded. Ginny couldn't keep the grin off her face.
"Ok, fine. I'm going with Tristan," Ginny admitted. Blaise's eyes grew wide.
"Tristan? Really? Wow, Ginny, he's so cute!" Blaise squealed.
"I know!" Ginny agreed with a squeal of her own.
"Wait a minute. What about Draco?" Blaise asked with a frown.
"What about him?" Ginny asked in annoyance.
"Well you two definitely need to make sure he doesn't know about this," Blaise advised.
"What not? I don't care what that overstuff pompous idiot thinks," Ginny stated.
"He's not going to be too happy when he hears one of his Slytherins and quidditch teammates is going to the ball with Ginny Weasley," Blaise informed her.
"It doesn't matter if he's happy or not. I'm going with Tristan and that's that," Ginny sniffed.
"I'm just saying you two should keep it on the down low. It would be less trouble for the both of you," Blaise warned.
"All right, fine. We'll make sure Malfoy doesn't find out," Ginny agreed.
"Good. I'll tell Tristan the next time I see him," Blaise decided.
"Ok, enough about me. Who are you going with?" Ginny asked her curiously.
"Uh, well, I…" Blaise trailed off and began studying a flower that was blooming beside her.
"BLAISE!" Ginny screeched once again.
"Dean Thomas," was the rushed reply. Silence.
"Dean Thomas?" Ginny repeated in shock.
"Um, yes," Blaise affirmed.
"What? How the heck did that happen?" Ginny asked bewildered.
"Erm, well, Dean and I were both in the library and he was complaining all loud that he didn't have a date to the ball. Seamus told to just ask someone already so Dean looked up and saw me, came over and asked me to go with him," Blaise explained.
"And you agreed? That's so unromantic, Blaise!" Ginny chided.
"I'm not looking for romantic, Ginny. I just wanted a fun date and we all know how much fun Dean is. Even if he is a Gryffindor," Blaise added.
"Hey, I resent that," Ginny said pretending to be offended. Blaise rolled her eyes and picked at the grass.
"What are you going to wear?" Blaise questioned Ginny.
"Oh I don't know. I figured that I'd come up with something later tonight," Ginny said.
"Ginny, the ball is tonight," Blaise pointed out.
"I know," Ginny replied.
"I heard it was a masquerade," Blaise continued.
"Really? That should be fun!" Ginny said cheerfully.
"Hey, do you want to get together later and figure out our costumes and get ready and stuff?" Blaise asked.
"Definitely. We better do it in the Gryffindor tower though," Ginny said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, good thinking," Blaise agreed.
"Great. We'll I'm gonna get going, I'll see you later tonight," Ginny said before jumping up and heading back towards the castle.
"Hey Hermoine! Wait up!" Ron Weasley bellowed as he ran down the hallway towards the brunette. Hermoine stopped and stamped her foot impatiently on the stone floor as she waited for Ron to catch up.
"Ah, thanks," Ron panted as he walked alongside her.
"No problem," Hermoine said as she quickened her pace.
"Why are you walking so fast?" Ron questioned as he tried to keep up with her.
"The library is releasing its new books today and I want to be first in line to check them out," Hermoine explained as she hurried along.
"Are you serious?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermoine slowed her pace momentarily to shoot Ron a withering look.
"Yes I am, Ron," she snapped.
"Hey, hey. Sorry," Ron said holding up his hands as if to ward off an attack.
"Is there something you wanted, Ron?" Hermoine asked irritably.
"Well I did want to ask you to that stupid ball, but you're being so snappy I don't think I will," Ron said his temper starting to rise at Hermoine's own display of temper.
"What?" Hermoine said pausing mid stride causing Ron to bump into her.
"I said that I wanted to ask you to the ball," Ron shouted.
"Well, then ask me already," Hermoine said with a pointed look.
"Oh, ok," Ron said calming down.
"Hermoine?" he said.
"Yes?"
"Would you like to go to the ball with me?" Ron asked with a grin.
"No," Hermoine replied before continuing her original route.
"What?" was the shocked cry that followed her.
"I said 'No," she repeated over her shoulder.
"Yeah I heard that," Ron said through gritted teeth, "Now I would like to know why you said that,"
"You must be pretty daft if you think I'm going to accept your proposal when it was shouted at me," Hermoine said with a sniff.
"Good God, Hermoine. It's not I'm asking you to marry me or anything," Ron said rolling his blues eyes. Hermoine's eyebrows up at his comment and she huffed before turning back and storming off. Ron stared after her retreating back in bewilderment as Harry came up behind him shaking his head.
"Way to go, Ron," Harry said clapping his best friend on the back.
"Harry, what just happened here?" Ron asked.
"I don't know. Being a girl I guess," Harry shrugged.
"Well what did I do wrong?" he questioned.
"Everything, Ron. Everything," Harry answered before leaving Ron standing in the middle of the hallway replaying the events that had just occurred.
Draco sat stiffly in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room as he sulked. The room seemed to reflect his brooding mood as the lights were out and the only source coming from the soft glow of the fire. Pansy came bounding down the stairs the stairs groaning in protest as she descended. She looked up in surprise when she noticed Draco sitting sullenly on the coach and bounded over to him.
"Hey, Draco," Pansy said with a flirtatious smile. Draco grunted in reply.
"So, who are you going to the ball with tonight?" she asked batting her eyelashes at him. Draco looked her up and down before replying.
"Not you," he sneered before turning back towards the fire. Pansy's eyes widened as his answer and she whimpered before rushing out of the common room. Draco rolled his silver eyes as she departed.
"Draco, man. This is really gloomy even for you," Tristan's voice loomed into the common followed by his tall frame and spiky hair.
"I like is this way," Draco replied evenly.
"That's cool," Tristan replied with a shrug.
"You going to that thing tonight?" Draco asked him suddenly.
"Uh, yeah," Tristan replied becoming a little nervous.
"With who?" Draco asked curiously.
"Some Gryffindor. Pretty face, but not anything special," Tristan said hastily before asking who Draco was going with to get off the subject of his date.
"I don't want a date. I'm going solo. With a date you have to spend the whole evening with her. Solo I can get a bunch of girls. More fun that way," Draco drawled lazily.
"Good idea, man," Tristan agreed before retreating out of the room as fast as he could to avoid anymore prodding. Draco fixed his gaze to the fire the burning embers reflecting in his hazy gray eyes.
"I can get a bunch of girls," Draco repeated himself as if trying to assure himself of something.
"I don't need to tie myself down to one," he added staring hard into the flames. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't place a finger on it. A flash of fire tinted auburn hair filled his mind causing him to snarl in annoyance before dousing the fire with his wand. He didn't want to think of her. She was nothing to him. Or so he kept telling himself.
Hermoine sighed and leaned her head into her hand as she flipped through the pages in the book in front of her. She had been in the library for a while now and was getting relatively bored. There was one more book that she was going to look through before deciding which ones she wanted to check out. Pushing aside the current one, Hermoine grabbed a maroon leather bound book and pulled it in front of her. Grasping the sides, she opened the book and gasped as what she saw inside.
A bright crimson rose lay perfectly in tact in between the pages of the new book. Hermoine placed a hand over her mouth as she picked up the rose with the other one. Its long green stem was devoid of any prickly thorns and there was a trace of dew droplets on the soft petals giving it a mystical look. Hermoine looked up and glanced around the room, but no one was paying any attention to her. Frowning, she sat in the chair puzzled as to how a beautiful red rose got into one of the library's new books. A piece of parchment paper caught her eye and she took her hand off of her mouth to read it.
My Dearest Hermoine,
Meet me in the Gryffindor common room as soon as you receive this.
There was no signature. Hermoine felt her heart begin to flutter and a million questions began to run through her mind. Picking up her wand and bag, Hermoine, for the first time in her life, left the library without any books. She ran all the way to the Gryffindor tower and gasped out the password to the Fat Lady. Composing herself before she went in, Hermoine stepped hesitantly into the Gryffindor common room. Her soft brown eyes grew wide at the sight that met her.
Beautiful white candles filled the room in a sea of light, bathing her in its iridescent glow. A rustle of cloth alerted her attention to the corner that was masked in shadow and the faint outline of a figure looming in it. Hermoine tilted her head and squinted in order to get a better view as the figure stepped into the light. The candlelight reflected off of natural fiery red highlights as Ron stepped into her view. He strolled over to Hermoine with a confidence not usually known to him and bent down on one knee when he reached her. Grabbing her small, creamy hands into his own large ones, Ron stared up at Hermoine with bright blues eyes as she gazed back with dumbfounded chocolate ones.
"Hermoine."
"Ye-ye-yes, Ron?" Hermoine stuttered unable to take her eyes off of him.
"It would honor me and give me great pleasure if you would consent to be my date to the ball tonight," Ron said in a smooth voice before bringing her hands up and pressing a light kiss to the back of them.
"Ron?" Hermoine asked in a small voice.
"Hmm?" he answered as he continued to press light kisses trailing up her right arm. Hermoine breathed in deeply before answering as Ron stood up and turned his assault onto her neck.
"I would love to, uh, go to the ball with you, Ron," Hermoine answered a little more confidently causing a grin to spread across Ron's face. Without warning, he captured her lips with his own in a sweet kiss. When they drew apart, Hermoine grinned slyly.
"For once in your life, Ronald Weasley, you did something right."
Later that evening, Hermoine joined Ginny and Blaise in the common room of the Gryffindor tower in order to get ready for the masquerade winter ball that was being held that night. Hermoine was still flustered about what Ron had done that she couldn't keep from bursting out into random giggles. Blaise and Ginny eyed each other at Hermoine's strange behavior before pouncing on her and making her spill. A half an hour later, Blaise was rolling on the floor laughing; Hermoine was pink in the face and Ginny looked like she was about to be sick.
"I can't believe Ron did that. That's so unlike him," Ginny said with a grossed out look on her face.
"I think it's cute," Blaise countered with a wink at Hermoine who smiled happily.
"Eh, enough talk about my darling, yet very clueless, brother," Ginny decided.
"Agreed," Blaise said with a nod, "So, what are you guys wearing tonight?"
"I'm going as a gypsy," Hermoine spoke up only to receive to wide eyed glances.
"What?" Ginny gaffed.
"Hermoine, you are going as a gypsy?" Blaise repeated dumbfounded.
"Yes, I am," Hermoine huffed.
"You do know that gypsies hardly wear any clothing right?" Ginny questioned as she studied Hermoine's frumpy gray wool sweater, long maroon plaid skirt and gray knee socks.
"I know very well what they wear," Hermoine snapped back giving Ginny a glare.
"Ok, ok. Just making sure," Ginny said raising up her arms.
"Well I'm going as a tavern girl," Blaise voiced.
"Are those the ones with the short puffy skirts and basically are a really slutty waitress outfit?" Ginny said sweetly.
"Yup," Blaise affirmed with a grin.
"Wait I want to see it. Put it on now," Ginny ordered. Blaise rolled her blue eyes, but complied with Ginny's demands. Lifting up her wand, Blaise muttered a few words transforming her normal clothes into her wench costume.
The skirt was a little past her thigh and blood red. It was underlined with many petticoats giving it lots of volume. A brown leather corset was tied on top of a silky white blouse with all the buttons left open. Blaise's bust was protruding provocatively out of the top of the corset. Her black hair was caught up in a red handkerchief and gold hoops dangled from her ears. Ginny let out a hoot and punched her fist in the air causing Blaise and Hermoine to crack up.
"Man Blaise, you look hot!" Ginny screeched. Blaise raised an eye before turning to Hermoine.
"All right girl, let's see what you got," Blaise said throwing her a wink. Hermoine shyly took out her wand and muttered a spell before transforming her clothes. A tight white blouse adorned her upper half with leather strings tying together. A rich purple skirt cascaded down her legs at an angle showing almost all of her right hip, but growing longer as it curved around her body. Bright pink, orange and yellow sashes were tied around her waist as gold bracelets jangled on her wrists and hoops appeared in her ears.
"Nice Hermoine," Blaise said with a smile, "Ron's not going to know what hit him."
"What about you, Ginny? What are you wearing?" Hermoine asked turning her attention to the red head.
"Oh I don't know. I'm not sure what I want to wear yet," Ginny admitted.
"Really?" Blaise questioned. Ginny nodded her head.
"Hmmm. What about a genie?" Hermoine suggested.
"Naw, that's too slutty for me," Ginny replied.
"Indian? Hippie? Clown? Little red riding hood?" Blaise threw out suggestions.
"Blaise, you are not helping," Ginny said rolling her eyes.
"I know, but it was funny seeing your reactions to my ideas," Blaise said with a grin.
"Oh hey! I know what I'll do!" Ginny said suddenly. She muttered a few words before transforming herself. Blaise and Hermoine's eyes grew wide at her appearance while a pleased smile spread across Ginny's face.
"Wow Ginny. You look gorgeous!" Hermoine complimented her. A knock at the door alerted the girl's attention to the guys waiting for them outside. One by one they left the common room and joined the guys out in the hallway. Dean was dressed as a pirate. A red bandana covered his dread locks and gold hoops were in his ears. A black patch was over his eyes and a black curly mustache was above his lips. He wore blue pinstripes for pants, a ripped white t-shirt and a sword tied around his waist.
Harry was dressed in all black, as a stealth ninja while Ron looked somewhat like an idiot in his jester outfit. Hermoine however and for whatever reason, thought it was completely adorable and completely Ron. Tristan was dressed like a courtesan from the Shakespearean era. Excited, the group headed out of the hallway towards the Great Hall where the ball would commence. Ginny was startled for a moment when she felt a hand slip into hers, but Tristan gave her a reassuring grin causing her to relax. Tonight was going to be fun and it was going to put all her troubles out of her mind, only if for a night. Something however was brooding in the back of her mind that something just wasn't right, that all wasn't well in Hogwarts. Something was going to happen.
Finally, the next chapter! A lot more dialogue then usual. I was expecting to get to the actually ball in this one, but that just didn't happen. Don't worry. The ball will definitely be next chapter and it is going to be a pretty intense one at that. I'm so excited for it! I hope you liked this one however. Please review!
.:Angelgrl185:.