Authors Notes: Guess what folks? It's time for chapter 13! Yipee!

'Dirty Work'

The Hunt for Hermione's Dress

"They fought?" Hermione said incredulously, as she sat on her couch in the early afternoon.

"Yep," Ron answered easily.

"As in... a physically engaged fight?" Hermione continued.

"Yep," he said again, with his hands in his pockets.

"...Who - who started it?" she wondered out loud.

"Malfoy did, except Harry provoked him." Ron answered, knowing because Harry had explained everything back at the hotel. Ron wasn't too pleased about it, especially since he had to clean up Harry's vomit and then listen to him whine the entire night.

Hermione looked up at him angrily. "The nerve of them!" she exclaimed unhappily. "When was this?"

"Two nights ago... I couldn't find you at work, and I was busy at the hospital, so I could hardly find any time to tell you until now."

"I can't believe them!" she said, over and over again. "And Harry didn't even bother to tell me... or Draco for that matter! Argh!"

"Don't be upset, Hermione, I'm sure they're both over it. Besides, I think Harry would have told you if he was in a better mood, and the same goes for Malfoy; if you actually showed up for work." he added, with slight impatience in his tone. "And by the way, was quitting the ball just a way of avoiding Draco? Because that would be really unfair to him, Hermione."

She looked at him angrily. "No, it wasn't just a way of avoiding him... I don't think I could have worked beside him, knowing what I had done with him, and that it ruined my relationship with Harry..."

Ron sat down beside her. "He's in a right state, you know. Malfoy hasn't been too happy, and I find it odd to say that that just isn't normal."

"You've seen him?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I went over to see if he was okay yesterday because of the other night. His bruises are gone and he's not seriously injured. But he's pretty sad."

"He should join the club," Hermione said dully.

"A club you and Harry are already in? Sorry, Hermione, but I think that would make things worse," he said with a chuckle. Hermione smiled weakly.

"And what about Harry? Have you seen him lately?"

"It's been tough with work, but I drop by every now and then. He's upset but he's working through it. He misses you though, I can tell."

"Great," Hermione said dully once more, without the slightest hint of happiness hearing that Harry missed her. "Well, this just gives me a reason to eat more ice cream tonight, Ron. Thanks." she said, with fake amusement.

He looked at her with surprised eyes, and shook her. With a start, Hermione pounded him once on the arm and gave him a reproving look. "Now what was that for?" she asked.

"Have you forgotten already?" he asked her, with real surprise.

"I don't think I've forgotten anything..." she said honestly. "Why?"

"The ball!" he blurted with bulging eyes. "You're not going?" he asked her.

Her eyes went oval. "The ball?" she asked. "That's tonight?" she bellowed.

"Of course! It's all over the papers! And it's why I've been so busy! Running around, finding a damn tux... but, you've forgotten all about it?" he asked her, with great surprise. "After all you've planned for it?"

She gave him a skeptical look. "Well, I haven't really been attending the last few days of preparation have I? No wonder I've forgotten!" she stood up quickly from the couch. "Ginny's going, right?"

"Of course," Ron said, with curiosity in his eyes. "Why?"

"And Parvati, is she going?" she asked again.

"With me of course," Ron answered again, with more curiosity. "But why in Merlin's name would you need them right now?"

"I have to go!" she said, suddenly very alarmed. "There's hardly enough time..." she muttered with a high pitched voice, as she quickly went over to her coat hanger and pulled a coat over top of her. She was muttering to herself more and more. "This is going to be terrible!"

"Where the bloody hell are you going?" Ron asked, very surprised at her reaction to the news of the ball.

"To prepare with the girls of course!" Hermione said, as she opened the door. "You didn't think I was going to ask for your help, did you?" she chuckled, which made Ron smile a little. Hermione shut the door on him, leaving the red haired man all to himself.

"I'll pretend you just did," he said, a sneaky grin on his face.

xxxxxx

Hermione sat in front of an oval mirror and a vanity table with make up, hair care products, perfume, and other female items one would use to prepare herself for an event very important. Ginny and Parvati stood behind her, fumbling with make up in their hands, and testing out colours on their wrists. Hermione continued to sit patiently on the chair she was on, waiting for there magic to apply itself on her face.

"Honestly, how could you not know that your own ball was tonight?" Ginny asked, very exasperated, as she took some eyeliner and began putting some on Hermione's eye. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she bit her lip at the feeling.

"I don't know! I've been so caught up with my sticky situation with Harry and Draco and everything, I guess I just forgot!"

"You're supposed to be the smartest witch of our age, Granger, honestly," Parvati said with a laugh, as she applied a light red lipstick to Hermione's lips.

Hermione giggled, appreciating the feeling of her close friends. She had been very down lately and knew that she needed a little time out with the girls to help her get better.

Ginny stopped with the eyeliner, and stared at Hermione in the mirror. "Is that what you call the mess you've created, Hermione?" she asked, very amused. "Your 'sticky situation?'"

Hermione sighed. "Well, it is. I can't seem to get myself out of it."

Parvati looked like she might have wanted to say something when she heard that. "Er... have you spoken to either of them lately?" she asked, changing what she was about to say, Hermione thought.

"Nope... I don't think I will either, even if I see Draco, and the off chance that I'll see Harry."

Both girls snorted and laughed loudly after hearing Hermione say that, and stopped with the make up for a moment. Hermione opened her eyes and looked at them confused, as if wondering why in the world they would be teasing her for not talking to two men who were both mad at her at the moment.

"What's so funny?" she asked almost angrily.

"The off chance that you'll see Harry? Hermione, are you kidding me?" Ginny asked, the laughter dying away.

"What? I don't understand," she whined. "I don't think Harry would want to see Draco and me there. Besides, reporters and everyone will be swarming him! Why would he want to come?"

Parvati stopped her giggling. "You've gotten very thick, Hermione. Harry's the guest of honor! Of course he's got to come and of course you'll see him there!"

Hermione looked at both girls in surprise. "The guest of honor? Since when?" she bellowed. They looked at her with amused faces still.

"Since the news of his return of course," Ginny said matter-of-factly.

"Mr. Hanks and basically all of the Ministry kind of forced it, and Malfoy couldn't do anything else but let them do it." Hermione nodded in understanding.

"And you haven't been attending work, reading the paper, or even paying much attention to the real world for a while so it doesn't surprise me you don't know this. But... wouldn't Harry have told you?" Parvati asked, as she began with the make up again.

Hermione shook her head sadly. "No... I suppose he wouldn't. After all, he did just find out I'd been going out with a man he very much dislikes since he's been away. I don't think he even wants to see my face."

"Uh, yes, he does." Ginny said wisely. "I've seen him."

"And?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"He's done a lot of ranting about you and Malfoy, but he misses you. I can tell."

"Ron told me the same thing," Hermione said sullenly, knowing that that was probably all the information she could get on how Harry was feeling about her. She wanted something more. Something more than "he misses you."

"Have you both got dates?" Hermione asked, half wanting to change the subject, the other half really wanting to know.

"I've got Ron of course," Parvati smiled, as she glanced at Ginny, who was doing something with Hermione's hair. "I don't know about Ginny." Hermione looked at her expectantly.

Ginny sighed. "What's it to you two?" she asked, with some amusement.

"We want to know!" Hermione prodded her.

"She probably doesn't have one," Parvati said teasingly to Ginny. The red head slapped her lightly on the arm.

This continued for a while, Hermione and Parvati trying to find out who Ginny's date was, or even if she had one. After much prodding, bribing, blackmailing, and make up threats towards Ginny, they were able to find out that her date was Dean, who she had been going out with now for the last week, but had been doing so in secret.

"How come you never said anything?" Hermione bellowed.

"Well, I wanted you to both see me enter the room with my handsome date and then watch me as I danced with him on the centre of the dance floor and watch me with half open mouths." she said teasingly.

"We can still do that," Parvati added.

"I was just joking," Ginny said. "It was really just a surprise."

"Well, we're surprised," Hermione said supportively to her. Ginny laughed.

"On the topic of dates, Hermione, who are you going with?" she asked.

She snorted. "No one. Absolutely no one."

"No one?" they asked together.

"Who exactly am I to take?" she snarled angrily to herself, "Harry? Perhaps Draco? Oh wait, I can't. They're both ignoring me."

Again, Parvati looked like she wanted to say something, but instead, changed her mind. "You can still go with somebody," she insisted with a supportive smile instead. Hermione eyed her suspiciously, and then changed her mind.

"Usually in a situation like this I would take Ron, but you've already got him covered," Hermione said sadly, as Parvati smiled to herself.

"Ah, forget it," Hermione said to them, as she turned around from the mirror. "I need a dress," she said anxiously, trying to change the subject once more. "I suppose all the good ones are taken at all the clothing shops and I wouldn't dare rent my gown... so have you two got any available?"

Ginny and Parvati looked at each other, with nervous looks. "Well... actually, no."

Hermione raised her eyes in alarm. "Are you serious? I can't go to a ball without a dress!" she exclaimed.

Parvati bit her lip. "Don't worry! I'm sure we can find an old one somewhere around here... and maybe one back in my old house..." she reassured, while looking all around her flat with Ron. "Let's just hope we can find one..."

"I've got a few back at my flat and some over at Mum and Dad's," Ginny chimed in, "I could just apparate to both places and bring back whatever I can find."

"Oh, would you?" Hermione said, almost relieved. But she wasn't completely out of the bushes yet. "Okay, I'll go rummage around my place for something too, and I'll meet you all back here in five!" All girls nodded to one another.

One by one, they all stood up and apparated at the same time, beginning the hunt for Hermione's dress.

xxxxxx

"I've brought a few back!" Ginny announced as she popped in, silk and cloth overflowing her arms. "What about you guys?" she asked hurriedly.

"I found a couple," Parvati said, as she walked out of her bedroom with three or four dresses.

"What about you Hermione?" Ginny asked, eyeing Hermione's box.

"There's three in here. They're all I could find at my parents house and mine." All the girls sighed with relief.

"Well, thank goodness we've found a selection," Parvati said happily, as she placed the dresses on the couch carefully.

"The hard part... choosing." Ginny said, with a bracing tone. She looked at both girls very determinedly and began arranging the dresses in order on the couch. While doing so, she threw the first one in the order at Hermione, who barely caught it.

"What did you chuck this at me for?"

"Well, we have twelve dresses to choose from and only five hours till the ball starts, so start trying them on!"

Hermione looked very surprised at Ginny, and nodded quickly, stumbling on her way over to Parvati's bedroom, where she tried it on very quickly, careful not to ruin her make up. Ginny and Parvati waited patiently outside, waiting to see how it looked on her.

"Well?" Hermione asked, as she walked out of the bedroom. "Is it... good?"

The two girls eyed her as she twirled in the orange pink-ish gown that did not twirl when she spun. It was dying out of colour and even had a few open tears at the bottom and all around it. They looked uncertainly at each other.

"That dress... is just not flattering," Parvati said, eyeing the back of it, which did not show off Hermione's slender body.

"Not only that," Ginny said disgustedly, "It's ghastly." Hermione sighed sadly at the dress that made her look very poofy. That wasn't her fault however, for the dress looked like balloons were stuck in every part of it. "Try this one," Ginny said, throwing another at her.

Quickly, Hermione was off into the bedroom again, trying on the new dress. She walked out casually, in a tight red dress.

"How do I look?" she asked, with barely any breath. "Good?" she asked.

Parvati and Ginny nodded happily. "Well, this definitely shows off your body and it's just a very nice colour. It looks a bit small though and - Hermione, are you okay?" Parvati asked worriedly, as Hermione tried to straighten her back in it. And plus, her breath was short.

"Too - small. Can't - breathe." she spluttered, as she continued to stand straight.

"Then it's no good," Ginny said sadly, as she picked up the third dress. "Let's try again." she threw Hermione the next gown, which she caught standing straight. Immediately, when she did so however, the dress tore in the middle, showing Hermione's stomach. The girls shrieked and Hermione quickly repaired it while running into the room.

The trials continued with Hermione walking in and out of the bedroom. Some dresses looked nice, some were just plain horrible. But the ones that looked nice, weren't Hermione's style, therefore forcing her to try on dress after dress. It was a frustrating thing for Hermione, and the girls were getting very tired of judging.

One dress seemed perfect for Hermione. A blue gown that flowed to her very feet and swayed when she twirled. She turned around to the back only to have Ginny and Parvati tell her that it had moth balls all over it. Hermione took it off immediately while shrieking and ran off to try another dress.

It was just no use. No dress made her look like she wanted, and they were up to their last numbers. Hermione was beginning to get worried that she would actually have to wear one of the dresses that they had already passed. She sighed, as she walked out with the last one.

"How does it look?" Hermione asked for the millionth time to the two girls seated in front of her.

"No." Ginny said sternly as she looked at it while lying down on the couch. "It's just not you! It's not right." she stated. Parvati shook her head from side to side.

"She's right. Besides, it makes your butt look like a pumpkin." Hermione sighed and plumped herself down right beside the girls in a sad way.

"It's useless. I can't go to the ball with one of these dresses," she said sadly, looking at all of them splayed around Parvati's flat. They were all truly very terrible. "Are you guys sure you haven't got anymore?"

"I've just about emptied my flat of all dresses and same with my parents'," Ginny said dejectedly, as she looked at Hermione apologetically. "What about you?" she asked Hermione.

She shook her head sadly. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even one extra." She looked at the silent girls and sighed, but tried to smile at them.

"Well, thanks for doing my make up anyways, girls... I'm sure I would've looked nice in whatever you did to me. You guys should get ready for the ball yourselves now. I'll help you," she said with a weak smile. Ginny looked at her sadly and nodded.

"Alright... I suppose we shou -"

"Wait!" Parvati interrupted, looking at Hermione happily. "We've got one more dress!" she shrieked happily. "I'll be back in a moment!" Parvati jumped up from the couch and ran to her bedroom, disappearing behind the door. Ginny and Hermione looked at each other with surprise, and silently waited for her to come out.

Parvati emerged from her bedroom happily, holding a plane white box in front of her. She brought it carefully towards the two girls, and placed it on her coffee table, as if it were a diamond that would shatter if it fell to the floor. She looked at Hermione with excitement.

"I can't believe I forgot about this one!" she muttered to herself, as she came.

"What is that?" Hermione asked her.

"Do you remember the wedding?" she asked Hermione, as she sat on the couch with them.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. But that's absurd, I can't wear my brides maid gown - "

"Yes, I agree, you can't," Parvati said, with a glint in her eye, "but what about the would-be brides maid gown?"

"The would-be brides maid gown?" Ginny said. "What's that?"

"Well, my dress designer sent me all the designs she had for the brides maids. I asked for a few samples, and I ended up with two final choices!" she said excitedly to both girls. "I ended up picking the other because it was much more elegant, but this one, you will love Hermione!"

With care, she opened the plane white box, to reveal a folded, lavender dress that was lean and slender when she pulled it out in front of them. The silk ran all the way to the bottom and it had the perfect shade of light blue chiffon going around the back and middle. It was absolutely gorgeous.

Parvati held it up in front of Hermione and sighed at it's beauty. "So, how do you like it?" she asked, giving it to Hermione as she held out a hand to touch it.

"It's... it's..." Hermione said, not able to find the words to describe it. "It's..."

"Perfect! She'll take it." Ginny interrupted, snatching the dress from Parvati and examining it herself. Hermione laughed, and so did Parvati. "Here," she said, handing the dress back to Parvati and pushing Hermione inside Parvati's bedroom very roughly.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, very surprised.

"We're going to get you into that dress! And God help you if it isn't right, because you're wearing it anyways!" Parvati giggled behind them. "We're getting you ready for this ball, Hermione Granger, and we're gonna make you look beautiful."

She smiled at Ginny as she continued to be pushed to the bedroom. "No matter how hard that is," Ginny added with a smile, that Hermione couldn't help but return. The girls entered with laughs and smiles, now looking forward to the night that lay ahead of them.

xxxxxx

"Okay... wait... just wait!" Ginny said excitedly as she positioned Hermione in front of a mirror and held her by the shoulders. Parvati stood beside her.

All girls by now were dressed and prepared, ready for the ball that was already in less than an hour. It took them longer to prepare than usual, especially since they had to help Hermione with the dress and her make up. All they were doing now were last minute touch ups and waiting patiently for their dates; except Hermione, of course.

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Hermione asked anxiously, as Ginny let go of her shoulders.

"Wait," Parvati said, spraying a little something into Hermione's hair. She ignored it, and waited patiently for their approval of her to open her eyes.

"Okay... open!" Parvati said happily with Ginny, as Hermione's eyes thrust open. She looked at herself in the mirror as if she hadn't seen herself before.

"Is that... me?" Hermione asked, completely stunned by the girl who was staring back at her from the mirror. They looked nothing alike.

"Yes, that's you!" Parvati said happily. "You like what we've done to you then?"

That girl was not Hermione Granger. She looked beautiful the way she just stood there, not doing a single thing to show it off. Her make up wasn't too much, it was just enough to make it look almost natural. Her dress flowed by itself, without her having to move at all, and the way it fit on her perfectly was amazing.

"I love it!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down lightly so as to not ruin her hair.

"We knew you would!" The girls said happily, as they too examined themselves in front of a mirror.

Parvati was wearing a light blue dress that had a dark blue bow at the back that showed off her slender body. It went narrow as the dress came to the bottom, showing off her legs and the front of it was plain and simple. Just her style.

Ginny stood with a pink gown, resembling that of Cinderella's. The bottom was layered with another shade of pink that showed off her hair, which gleamed elegantly in the room. Her hair was drawn up so that it was kind of like a bun, and it kept up, no matter how much she moved. They all looked beautiful.

"We look amazing..." said Parvati, awed by their looks. The girls nodded numbly, too busy staring at themselves in the mirror.

This continued for only a short while, because all three girls heard a soft knocking on Parvati's bedroom door. She jumped out of her reverie and quickly went over to the door and held it open, to show Ron in a traditional dressing gown. Nothing like the one he wore in his fourth year. It was handsome and elegant, and even had white frills at the v-neck.

"Wow..." he said, dazzled by his wife. He looked around at Hermione and Ginny. "Amazing," he said to himself, as he eyed all of them. "My three favourite girls are all here," he said, as he walked in, holding Parvati's hand.

"Looks like you two pulled Hermione together quite well," Ron commented, as he looked at Hermione. "Are you all ready then?" he asked, particularily Hermione.

"Yes," Parvati answered. "I think we are."

"I should get back to my flat," Ginny said, "Dean should be on his way." she winked at Hermione and Parvati, and waved goodbye to her brother, only to leave him spluttering as she apparated away.

"She what?" he bellowed.

"Oh Ron," Parvati said, slapping him on the arm. "Let's just go, hmm?" he nodded at his wife. "Are you going back to your flat, Hermione?" she asked kindly.

"I don't know. I suppose I'll just be leaving with you two and then go my seperate way at the ball, if that's alright with you guys," she said.

Ron shook his head immediately. "Sorry. I've got the entire night planned out for me and Parvati only." he said, but Hermione sensed something else. "You should get back to your flat. Maybe wait there or something," he said.

"For what?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno. But I really have got the entire night planned, so... maybe going back to your flat is the best thing to do right now," he insisted. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and looked at Parvati, who shrugged. She nodded with a sigh, and turned to leave.

"I'll see you both there tonight," she said, with a smile to the couple.

Before Hermione could shut the door, Parvati ran out with her, Ron not at her heel. "Wait," she said, catching up with her.

"Yeah?" Hermione asked.

"You have to choose."

"...What?" Hermione asked, dumbfounded.

"You're going to see Harry and Malfoy tonight."

"...I know?" she said uncertainly. "What does that have to do with any - "

"You said you couldn't get out of this situation, but you can," Parvati said, with the wisdom of an old woman for some reason. "You have to choose. And I hate to see you like this, and I'm glad tonight made you feel better, but sooner or later, you must pick."

Hermione opened her eyes in realization. "Between... Harry and Draco?" she said.

Parvati nodded. "I know you have strong feelings for both of them, but Hermione, you can't have both of them."

"Is this what you wanted to tell me earlier?" she asked, with a kind of smile. Parvati nodded. "Well... thank you," she said, meaning it completely. Her friend nodded and gave her a hug, while patting her on the back. She pulled away with a smile, and entered the room once more to go to her husband. Soon after, Hermione left quickly, wanting to forget what she had just only realized.

xxxxxx

Hermione was sitting on her kitchen stool, holding a pack of of wizard money in her hands. She was hoping to be one of the top donators that night, and she was already prepared for some serious generosity on her behalf.

To be honest, Hermione was not thinking of donation. She was thinking of Parvati's words, echoing in her mind. "...you must pick," the voice told her, over and over again, in Parvati's voice. But Hermione didn't want too. She hadn't even prepared for a decision like this in her entire life before, and now was definitely not the time.

She sat on her stool, thinking why Ron might have wanted her to go back to her flat. She thought for a moment that he had a surprise there for her, but she found nothing inside. She waited for a while, and was seriously getting impatient.

Hermione stood up and kicked aside her stool. She did not feel like going to the ball tonight, knowing that maybe she would have to make her decision when she was there. Who said she had to pick either of them though? But who was she kidding. She loved both Harry and Draco, and either way she pictured it, she could not imagine herself without the other. It was torture even thinking about it.

Hermione looked at the clock, and saw that the ball started in thirty minutes now. People were probably all inside the hotel ballroom, chatting, talking and having a grand old time before donation started and the food was served. Looks like she was going there by herself.

As Hermione made her way to the door, a loud knock came from it. She looked at it with a raised eyebrow, and walked over, in slow strides. Who could be at her door right now for goodness sake? Right when she was about to leave, too. Hermione definitely did not want to wait.

Without bothering to look through the peep hole of her door, Hermione thrust it open, not caring who was on the other side.

Until she saw who it was.

"...H-Harry," she said, almost breathless for some reason. He stood before her, tuxedo and all. A complete, handsome package before her.

"Hello, Hermione," he said, with a slanted smile. "You look beautiful." She stared at him, not knowing exactly what to say.

"...What are you doing here?" she said, without even a thank you to his comment.

He looked at her with a smile, and took her by the hand. To Hermione's surprise, she didn't take it, just stood there, dumbfounded in front of the man she wanted to speak to for the last few days.

Harry, knowing she was confused, smiled and continued to hold her hand.

"Hermione... I'm your date."

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TBC.

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A/N: Yeah, it's true. Harry is taking her not Draco. Sorry to disappoint some folks... And for more disappointment, I'm sorry to say this will be over very soon. All I've got left to do in this story are a few things, and then I'm done. I don't want to say how many chapters are left, just in case I think of something more, but it's not much guys... I'm so sad! 8(.

Well, review if you read it! I love you if you do xD.

Yours truly,
Sevengee/Lina.