Chapter Five

Hermione regretted her outburst the moment she stepped inside her tent. Growling under her breath, mainly at herself, she flung herself on her bed and stared up at the coloured cloth above her. Her ever faithful companion jumped up next to her and butted his head against her cheek, making her turn to smile softly at his attempt to comfort her.

"What am I going to do with him, Djali?"

A bleat was her only answer. Almost wishing she could speak goat, Hermione dragged her hand over her face and was about to get up when someone burst into her tent. Abruptly sitting up, Hermione was surprised to see that practically all the women in the Court had congregated inside her tent. They were all muttering under their breaths in French but Hermione was able to catch some of what was being said. They wanted to help Hermione get pay back on their King.

"Don't worry about it, dear. The King's a pain in the arse on a good day." Kezia said calmly as she stepped towards Hermione. The witch gave her a small smile.

"I'm just pissed that he lied to me. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so colourful in my threat though." Hermione blushed slightly but heard a loud snort come from Selina.

"Hell no! He deserved to be brought down a peg or two, Esmeralda. It was hilarious!"

The women in the tent laughed at the Selina's comment. It was true, they had all found it funny when their King had been threatened so wonderfully. Kezia shook her head as she sat down next to Hermione, taking her hand.

"He's an arse. There's no denying that, mon cher. But, don't give up on him. He's a work in progress." Confused by this, Hermione remained silent as she saw the other women nod sagely at her. Selina snorted again when she spotted the confusion on her face.

"Esmeralda, it's as clear as day that the pair of you like each other. This is a lover's tiff is all. Now, we need to figure out how to get him back for that stunt on the tight rope and for lying to you."

Hermione turned a bright red. She hadn't realised she had been so obvious but shook her head at the idea that Clopin might like her back. He was just being nice. Sighing, Hermione was snapped out of her sombre mood by Kezia squeezing her hand.

"I have known Clopin since he was born. I was there, helping his mother through it. I know that man better than he knows himself. I have never seen him act the way he does with you, Esmeralda. This I can promise you."

A small little ray of hope grew in Hermione's chest. Could it be true? Biting her lip, she gave the older woman a small smile before a young boy burst into her tent.

"We're finally having a celebration for Esmeralda!"

In a flash, he was gone. The women began to chatter amongst themselves as they left Hermione's tent, having been given a new task to complete to keep them from messing with the Gypsy King's love life. Blinking in confusion, Hermione was left with Kezia and Selina, who were grinning at each other. The young witch wondered what the hell they were up to when they turned to Hermione.

"At each celebration, we dress up and dance, drink and eat with one another. It's a huge party, time to get drunk!" Selina cheered in excitement. Kezia rolled her eyes at the woman as she made her way out of Hermione's tent, calling back to the two women.

"I'll be back in a moment."

The women in the tent stared at the exit for a moment before shrugging at each other. Selina went rooting through Hermione's wardrobe, not that she had much, before huffing in irritation.

"Do you not have anything for a party?"

Hermione remained sat on her bed as she shook her head. Djali moved his head onto her lap, prompting her to gently pet his head. Selina stood up and folded her arms as she paced the small area. Just when Hermione thought that her dance instructor was about to burst with frustration, Kezia came back.

In the older woman's arms was a bundle of fabric. Kezia stepped towards Hermione with a grin on her face.

"I'm glad I kept these from my youth. The skirt should fit you but I'm not sure about the top as I wasn't quite as endowed as you are, mon cher."

Hermione blushed slightly but rolled her eyes at the woman. She supposed she should be used to the comments about her chest by now. She was sure she received at least one a day. Kezia handed her a black piece of fabric with gold thread stitched in swirls and flowers. Looking up at the two women as she held it up, she was confused as to how this piece of fabric was a skirt. Selina rolled her eyes and took the fabric from her.

Stepping up to her, Selina wrapped the fabric around Hermione's hips and tied it in a knot on her right side before pulling her purple skirt down. Hermione's eyes widened as she realised just how much leg she was showing. Blushing brightly, she tried to get support from Kezia but found the woman just beaming at her.

"Beautiful, I thought it would look good on you, Esmeralda." Selina stepped backwards to assess her, slowly nodding in approval. Hermione assumed this was normal attire so figured she had better get used to it. Taking a deep breath, she shot Djali a glance whilst the other two conferred about what top she should wear once it was clear that Kezia's wasn't going to fit.

"I think I might have something, one moment."

Just like that, Selina disappeared from the tent. Hermione took the opportunity to beg Kezia for a different skirt.

"Kezia, I appreciate your help more than you know, but I'm really not comfortable showing this much leg!" Kezia smiled gently at her.

"This is traditional attire for the guest of honour, Esmeralda. I'm sorry your parents died before they could teach you anything."

Hermione tried not to let the guilt show in her eyes. In order to cover up the fact that she knew practically nothing about gypsy culture, she and Clopin had come up with the idea that her parents had been killed when she was only four and hardly remembered them or their teachings. Sighing, Hermione shrugged and just accepted that she would have to have a few pints before she felt comfortable enough.

Meanwhile, Kezia had moved to a small jewellery box that Hermione had and was looking through it. Taking a small ankle bracelet and slipped it on Hermione's right foot before passing her two more bracelets to put one on each wrist. Once that was done, Kezia sat on Hermione's bed and had her kneel before her. Taking a brush to her hair, the old woman set to work. Smiling at the gesture, Hermione closed her eyes and was reminded of when her own mother used to do the same thing for her.

Willing the tears down, Hermione snapped her eyes open when she heard someone enter the tent. Selina held up a piece of turquoise fabric up with a triumphant grin. Hermione looked at it critically and quickly noticed that it would hardly cover up anything. Groaning quietly, she waited for Kezia to finish her hair before standing up. The old woman had tied it up in a high ponytail, having the ends of her hair dance across her back whenever she moved her head. Although, she had left the pink scarf Hermione used to hold her hair back in.

Stepping forward, Selina pulled out a few strands of hair to frame her face. Hermione's teacher then had her remove her white blouse and corset before she helped her tie the new top on. Hermione mentally patted herself on the back for casting a glamour on all of her scars that morning before realising that she was right. Staring down at the top, she let out a long breath. The fabric was thin and floaty, it wrapped around her back like a jacket and tied up at the bottom of her cleavage, offering only minimal coverage. The long sleeves flared out a little to her wrists whilst the fabric fell off her shoulders. Hermione felt as though if she merely touched the knot then everyone would get a real good show. The whole outfit made it so that her shoulders, cleavage, most of her abdomen and right leg were on show. She was definitely feeling exposed.

Hermione couldn't help but think Ginny would be so proud of her friends for forcing her into such an outfit. Smiling softly at the thought, she resolved to give herself this one night. Just this night, she wouldn't allow herself to become embarrassed or blush, unless it was from the alcohol she intended to drink. It's what Ginny would have wanted her to do anyway, probably even Luna now that she thought about it. Taking a deep breath, she gave the two women before her a warm smile.

"Thank you both, so much." The two grinned back at her.

"We'll come get you when it's time. We'll just go get dressed. Although, it might be a good idea if you're a little late, so you can make a grand entrance." Selina tapped her lip thoughtfully as she left the tent, leaving the two women to chuckle at her. Kezia took Hermione's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Don't fear. Everything will be alright. There's a mug of ale on the side if you want a bit of liquid courage." Kezia winked at her before she too left.

Hermione slumped back down onto her bed and sighed. Turning to Djali, who had made himself comfortable on her pillow, she raised an eyebrow.

"You ready for this, Djali?" The goat just snorted.

"Yeah, me neither."

Sparing a thought for those she had left behind, Hermione downed the ale that had been left for her just as Kezia and Selina stepped into her tent once more. The older woman was dressed a lot more modestly than the two younger woman. Kezia was wearing a navy-blue skirt with a dark pink tunic over the top whilst Selina had gone all out. Wearing a bright orange skirt, the woman had paired it with a red top that was similar to the one Hermione was wearing.

Grinning at the women, Hermione was ushered out of the tent. She could hear the cheers and laughter from where she was stood. Taking a deep breath, she tried to walk with confidence, just as her friends would have urged her to. Slowly growing closer to the large crowd, Hermione looked over her shoulder at the two women who she had become so close with. They gave her encouraging smiles as she took a deep breath and walked through the crowd.

Slowly, everyone calmed down as they saw the guest of honour step forward. Men and women could appreciate how good she looked, whilst the children thought she was really pretty. That didn't stop some of the women smacking their husbands jokingly for looking.

Hermione didn't realise she was searching for Clopin until her eyes landed on him. Smiling at the sight of his jaw practically touching the floor, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously. Unsure what to do now, Hermione bit her lip and waited to be told what to do. It took Duke nudging Clopin to snap him out of his trance and jump up high onto a wooden beam.

"Mesdames et messieurs, boys and girls! We're here to celebrate Esmeralda joining us here in the Court of Miracles!' He paused for a moment and let the cheer take over as Hermione blushed. 'Now, it's time to eat, drink and dance! Be merry and let the night flow with laughter."

Taking a bow, he jumped off the beam and grabbed a drink. Hermione watched him and slowly made her way towards the alcohol herself. She was grateful that it was a warm August night but needed the extra warmth that came with the drink, not to mention the courage. Grabbing a stein, she wasn't surprised when she found a lot of men trying to talk to her. Subtly rolling her eyes, she spoke to them about mundane subjects but didn't let them try to take it any further. She just wasn't interested.

Hermione was surprised at the anger on Clopin's face whenever a man came up to speak to her though. Biting her lip, she wondered if Kezia could have spoken the truth. But then, why didn't he say anything to her? Confused, she did her best to pay attention to the conversations she was having.

Beer after beer found Hermione quite warm but also rather buzzed. She was laughing louder, smiling wider and even talking faster than normal. Selina had stayed by her side at the beginning, company that Hermione was glad to have. But, once she spotted someone, the young witch had been abandoned. Following the young woman with her gaze, Hermione couldn't help but chuckle as Selina made a beeline straight for Duke.

Smiling at the pair, she turned her gaze to the man who was currently speaking to her but found that he had paled considerably whilst looking over her shoulder. Turning to follow his stare, she wasn't surprised to spot Clopin looking at the pair of them. Why the young man was pale, she had no idea but she gave Clopin a warm smile before turning back to the man before her.

He was quick to make his excuses though. Confused, Hermione shrugged it off before grabbing another mug of beer. She hadn't been a fan of the taste in the first month of her stay but considering it was pretty much all there was to drink, she quickly got used to it. Despite being buzzed, Hermione was glad she wasn't like Ginny when she got drunk, otherwise everyone would know she was a witch. Her red-haired friend couldn't keep a secret to save her life whilst drunk.

Chuckling under her breath, she downed her drink. Before she could get a top up though, she found a hand on her shoulder. Grinning, she turned to find Selina. Admittedly her smile did dim slightly but she was still happy to see her friend. Even if Hermione had been hoping that it was someone else. Selina grinned knowingly at her.

"C'mon, it's time to dance."

Not really wanting to dance whilst she was buzzed, Hermione tried to convince her not to but she was interrupted by Kezia appearing out of nowhere.

"The guest of honour starts the dancing, Esmeralda. However, considering your background, the King has said that Selina can dance with you."

Blinking slowly, Hermione turned her head towards Clopin and found his gaze was already on her. Sending him a thankful grin, he raised his stein her way with a smug smirk. Hermione couldn't explain why, but something about that smirk ticked her off. Cursing under her breath as she trailed after Selina, hoping she wasn't about to make a tit out of herself.

Standing to Selina's left, Hermione continued to curse right up to when they were stood a few steps away from the bonfire. The crowd had moved so that there was a circle around the fire that the two women could use. Selina grinned at Hermione before whispering in her ear.

"We're going to do the second routine I taught you. That'll get him going."

Hermione's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets before she threw her head back and laughed. Nodding in approval, Hermione knew exactly what her instructor was trying to do, and the tipsy witch approved wholeheartedly. She took a deep breath as Selina nodded to the man who had a set of drums on his lap.

Starting up a slow beat, Hermione and Selina nodded to one another before taking four exaggerated steps forward. Hermione made sure to swing her hips just how the other woman had taught her before raising her arms above her head. Turning to her left she leant back and brought her right arm down, so that she was almost turned towards the fire.

Hermione was able to keep up quite well with Selina and she was really proud of that fact. Beaming brightly, Hermione's breath sped up alongside the drum beat. Swaying her hips just as Selina had taught her, she wasn't all that surprised to hear cheering and whistling from the men as the two women danced around the fire. The women were shouting out encouragement whilst the children danced their own tamed version on the side-lines.

Clapping her hands above her in time to the music, Hermione's gaze finally landed on the one person who she wanted to see. Clopin was staring at her, mouth open. Grinning, she rolled her hips and ran her hands up through her hair just to get even with him. It had been Selina's suggestion after all. Giggling, she saw the result immediately. Clopin's gaze was heated as he stared at her with a wicked grin on his face.

Feeling as though her blood was on fire, Hermione heard the beat abruptly stop, indicating the end of their dance. The witch grinned at Selina as they both ended in the final position of being back to back with one another.

Laughing, Hermione found her hands full with another mug of beer as the other gypsies joined the two women and began to dance themselves. Taking a breather, Hermione moved towards Kezia and plonked down on the cushion next to her, almost spilling her beer. The older woman smiled at her.

"You were amazing out there, Esmeralda. Truly stunning."

"T-thank you, Kezia." Hermione flushed red but tried to hid it by taking a deep gulp of beer.

The two sat there for most of the evening, chatting away and drinking. Hermione had to admit, that whilst she hadn't had so much fun in a long time, she was drunk. She knew it but still accepted each cup given to her. She really didn't want to be rude and figured only the once wouldn't be so bad.

It was early hours in the morning when most of the gypsies decided that they'd had enough. Leaving after welcoming Hermione once more, they all headed off towards their beds. A couple more hours of drinking and Hermione was definitely ready for bed. Yawning, she stood to leave but was called for by Selina as the last of the drunks also decided to head off.

"Esmeralda! Do me a favour? Help the drunken arse to bed, will you?"

Hermione turned to see Selina was busy holding a very intoxicated Duke up as she shook her head at him. Hermione followed her pointed finger towards a swaying Clopin. Chuckling, she just nodded and sent Selina on her way. Staggering over, Hermione grinned and looped her arms around Clopin's neck, scaring the crap out of him. Grabbing his hat, she plonked it on her own head.

"Come on, pisshead. Time for bed." He smirked down at her and wrapped his free arm around her waist as he downed the rest of his beer. Smacking his lips, he threw the mug behind him without a care and then threw Hermione over his shoulder, forcing her to keep a hand on the hat.

"Very well, chérie. Let us go." Hermione giggled as he staggered towards his tent, not Hermione's.

"Oh Lord, Clopin! I'm gonna be sick." Hermione bluffed. But she really was beginning to get dizzy from being upside down. Clopin ignored her though and kept walking until they had arrived inside his tent. Gently setting her down, Clopin had her sit down on the bed. Hermione's head spun but she beamed as he sat next to her. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she felt herself become rather giggly. A sudden thought came to her that forced her to lift her head.

"Where's Djali?" Clopin chuckled and shook his head at her.

"You would think about that goat at a time like this. He's fine, probably went to bed earlier." Hermione frowned and turned to face the man who had been on her mind all night.

"Time like this? What do yo-." Hermione hadn't registered Clopin's hands cupping the sides of her head, brushing strands of hair away with his thumbs until it was too late. She barely had time to take a breath before his lips were on hers.