Title: Little Spark of Madness
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in anyway, that belongs to JK Rowlings. I don't make any money from this either. I just do it for fun :) All original characters are my own, those would be the ones that you don't recognize from the books.
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Forget romantic fiction, a survey has found that most women would rather read a good book than go shopping, have sex, or sleep.
Janet Street-Porter
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3rd Week of December
Hogwarts
Hermione stood over her trunk as she looked through her items making sure she had everything that she would need for the winter holidays. It was mostly just her clothing and a few gifts that she had bought during her last Hogsmeade trip. Her hands brushed over Lily's gift and she remembered how hard it was to get Harry letters or anything else when he was at home. She knew that her sister hated the magical world and she didn't want the other girl to think that she forgot her.
Picking up a small package she walked over to Lily who was the only person in the room besides herself. "Lily?"
Lily's head shot up and Hermione could tell that she most likely interrupted a list process that the other girl was going through. Smiling the red head laid down the item in her hand giving Hermione all of her attention. "Yes?"
Holding out the red and green wrapped gift as she smiled, "Happy Christmas Lily. I just wanted to give this to you now. I don't know how owls and packages work in your home."
Lily smiled and took the gift gently, "Thank you Hermione. I can't wait to see what is in it on Christmas morn. James already gave me his gift as well, although I am a bit nervous it might turn my hair green or something. I usually get them alright, but sometimes my sister does misplace things." Reaching into her own trunk she pulled out a gold box with a green ribbon, "Here this one is for you. Happy Christmas."
Laughing a bit as she took the gift, "Oh I wouldn't worry about that. James wouldn't prank you at Christmas. Will you see anyone over the holidays?"
Lily nodded as she placed her gift in her trunk gently, "Severus and I live very close to one another actually. I think he is going home today so I'll see him a bit. But other than that I don't live near anyone."
Hermione's eyebrows shot up and she walked back over to her trunk pulling out red and green box before walking back to Lily, "Would you please give this to Severus? He has helped me quite a bit in potions. I just wanted to thank him."
The reg head slowly took the gift nodding her head with a pensive look on her face, "I will, but don't be surprised if he gives it back to you unopened. He doesn't accept gifts very well. I have tried."
Sitting on the corner of Lily's bed she gave a sneaky smile, "Noted. Just let him know I am good with a bat boogey hex and I am not afraid to use it if he declines my gift."
The taller girl burst out laughing as she tucked Severus gift in her trunk as well, "Oh wow. You know I might have to try that with him too! I will have to go and get him something!"
The two girls laughed as they talked about other harmless hexes that could be used on their mutual friend should he try to deny their gifts to him.
As Hermione finally snapped her trunk shut Lily walked over and sat at the foot of her bed, "Are you going to that Ball thing with Sirius?"
Hermione nodded although a frown marred her face as she pulled her hair up into a messy bun, "Yes. It is more of being forced to, but I am. My Aunt is taking me out dress shopping in Diagon Alley tomorrow for new dress robes. I didn't find anything to match the gift that his mother gave me in Hogsmeade."
Tilting her head as she put on a hat to cover her head from the cold outside, "Why did she give you a gift? You never told me."
Hermione bit her lower lip as she tried of thinking of a way to tell her something without betraying that Sirius was forced to put a marriage request for her. When finally the easy solution came to her, "She is hoping that one day Sirius will marry me. Pureblood try and plan everything you know. She was just trying to butter me up."
Lily frowned and Hermione knew the idea of being betrothed was as foreign to her as it was to herself when she had been in her fifth year the first time, "You guys are 15, why is she worried about it now?"
Her voice was caught in her throat so she just shrugged and looked away. "No idea. Oh and Sirius is 16 actually. His birthday was on the 3rd of November. Remember they had a huge party and smuggled fireworks into the common room?"
The red head bobbed her head up and down as she finally closed her trunk, "Oh right James kept bugging me about it. You and I were revising in the library and we came back at the end of their party. I didn't know that is what it was for though. Why didn't they invite you?"
Hermione sighed, "My brother told me about it, but you see how Sirius acts around me. I didn't want to spoil his birthday. It was better that I wasn't around."
Lily just frowned as she watched Hermione glare at the old wooden floorboards. "There is more to it than just his mother wanting you to marry him."
She knew that it wasn't a question so she just stood and walked to the door knowing the Hogwarts elves would get her trunk to the train station. "Let's go Lily. I want to get a good compartment for the trip back."
The two girls left their dorm room and headed down to the carriages. Neither one offered to go up to the boys dorm and help the boys pack.
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The next day
Minerva and Hermione walked down the the street in Diagon Alley to Twilfitt and Tattings.
Hermione was glancing around at the different shops, the street was buzzing with people doing their holiday shopping. Seeing her Aunt stop she looked up only to be standing face to face with Abraxas and Lucius Malfoy. "Good Morn Ladies.
Minerva nodded her head in acknowledgment, "Good Morning Lord Malfoy, Young Mister Malfoy. Lucius, how are you taking your first day of not being a student?"
Hermione notice he gripped a cane in his hand, a silver serpant donning the handle as he answered, "Quite well thank you Professor McGonagall. We just finished our trip to settle some buisness for the Malfoy Ball." Lucius turned to look at Hermione, "I have heard you will be attending."
She smiled and tried to put who he was in the future from her mind. "Yes, Mrs. Black invited me. I hope you don't mind."
Lucius kept eye contact with her as he shook his head, "Not at all. I do hope I might steal you away for a dance."
Abraxas looked slightly bored and impatient as he stood straighter, "Ladies, it was a pleasure. However we must be on our way."
With that both men went on their way after a slight bow. Hermione looked up at her Aunt, "That was awkward, I didn't expect them to stop and speak with us."
Minerva looked at her out of the corner of her eye, "I don't think Lord Malfoy expected it either. We will be late dear, lets go." As she hurried her off down the street.
As they approached Minerva did not look as if entering bothered her in the slightest. Trailing behind her was Hermione wringing her hands tightly having never been in the upscale clothing boutique.
Sighing in relief as they entered the shop and Hermione was able to lower the hood on her cloak without the bitter winds hitting her face and neck.
Her cheek bright red and stinging slighting in the warm air as she followed her Aunt through the clothing racks to the counter. "Hello, my niece needs to be fitting for the Malfoy Yule Ball."
Two of the sales ladies walked over. The tall, gaunt looking woman with grey hair eyed Hermione over quickly before turning back to Minerva, "Name and any special accommodations?"
The short plump looking woman with black curls took Hermione's arms as she led her to a pedestal in a private fitting room.
"Yes, she will be wearing a silver hair comb with emeralds." Minerva answered as she pulled the box containing the hair comb as she showed the woman. "Also, my niece is 15. She is not to be in anything short or overly revealing."
The short woman became rather handsy as she palmed Hermione's chest and hips quickly, "She has the beginnings of a woman's figure. We will want to show it to some extent. I am assuming this is a courtship?"
The red stain on Hermione's cheeks was no longer from the cold, but from humiliation and anger as she crossed her arms, "Don't grab at me like that, I am not a doll or some empty headed girl. Also, I don't need to show anything a green sack will do fine."
The gaunt woman look as if Hermione had slapped her personally, "We don't do sacks…." and with that she turned and stormed from the fitting area to gather gowns.
An hour later Hermione was still standing on the pedestal although her legs and patience were waning. She had been forced into so many dresses that she had lost count. The last few were horrible, one of the necklines went lower than her bellybutton and another barely covered her rear.
Her Aunt was standing with the gaunt woman that she had mentally decided was Voldemort's long lost sister, Volda. Although, she was sure Voldemort at least let his victims sit or lie down. Cower in a corner possibly.
Suddenly her aunt threw her hands in the air and left the private room, Hermione's head snapped to the now empty doorway as she wondered if she had just been sacrificed. She barely even registered when Wormtail's long lost sister ripped the lastest dress disaster up and off her head leaving her once again in nothing but her undergarments.
Suddenly she was alone as she sat for the first time in her plain nude colored bra and panties right where she had been standing. Rubbing her feet slightly as she looked at the mess of discarded dresses as she sat on the pedestal.
Suddenly her Aunt emerged from the doorway holding a emerald dress folded over her arm. "Up dear, they apparently missed this one and I do think it will be suitable."
Stumbling to her feet once more as her Aunt used her wand to lift the dress in the air and slid it down over Hermione slowly so she could slid her arms into the sleeves. Looking down she almost starting crying that they had found the dress even though it hadn't been done up in the back yet.
As Lady Wormtail came waddling into the room she immediately got to work on tightening the dress to fit Hermione.
Once everything was in place everyone turned to look into the mirror.
The dress was a emerald green satin with a lace emerald green material over it. The satin top stopped at a tube top but the lace over it had a high boat neck that went to the tips of her shoulders and down three quarters of her arms. Giving her plenty of coverage.
The waist was rather tight with a single black ribbon tied into a bow at the back, but nothing was showing so she guessed it was alright. The dress went down halfway down her calves in a flowing A-line so she wouldn't need to worry about revealing anything when she sat or danced.
Looking up at her Aunt she just nodded her head as she swung her hips back and forth letting the material flow over her legs.
It only took another thirty minutes to find a black dress traveling cloak to match her dress. It came with a delicate silver clasp that almost matched her hair comb perfectly.
Voldemort's sister came over to her while she was fully dressed and looked her up and down with a stern eye, "Do you even know what type of shoes you are looking for?"
Hermione bit her lip and thought about it for a moment as she eye'd the dress. Looking back to the woman, "I think black with a low heel, maybe only an inch?"
The woman just nodded curtly before leaving the room, she returned almost immediately with about 10 pairs trailing after her. Flicking her wand all of the boxes opened and the shoes came out for display. "These are all of our black shoes with a single inch heel. We also include cushioning charms to prevent your feet from aching too horribly."
Hermione glanced at each pair: Too long, heel too stubby, toe too pointed, too shiny, too dull. Finally at the second to last pair she smiled and reached for the shoes. They had a stiletto type heel an inch high, the toes were covered and it was nicely rounded, at her ankle there was a black ribbon that would tie as the back of her ankle in a bow similar to her dress.
They were definitely fancier than anything she had ever owned, but she couldn't help but feel the same giddiness that she felt in her fourth year when she got ready to go to the ball with Viktor Krum.
She only hoped this Yule Ball ended on better emotional times. She felt herself deflate a bit as she remembered who she would be going with. Sirius wasn't bound to make this night special for her willingly.
Squaring her shoulders she vowed to herself that she would make the best of it, no matter if he ignored her or not. Looking to her Aunt she gave her a smile and raised her hands so the cloak and dress could be removed. She suddenly felt the pressure that had built up in her chest dissipate knowing that their time out shopping was done and she could go home and curl up with a good book.
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Short chapter I do apologize but I am trying to get things rolling for the ball :)