WHEEEEW!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

And as predicted, the banquet bore down on the students suddenly like a lightening bolt, shocking them through the nerves merely 10 days beforehand, reaching their minds that the banquet really was going to happen and it was going to happen very soon. The atmosphere in Hogwarts changed overnight as the ten day mark before the banquet was set and the frenzy of so and so asking so and so and the gorgeous dress robe featured in Witch Weekly's settled in among the students, reigning like a totalitarian ruler, coming to power instantly with no progression. (a/n: that was a looong sentence.)

A plethora of chocolate boxes and wilted flowers became a daily ritual as boys found unoriginal ways to find their date, their trophy of excellence. The music of girly giggles tickled Draco's ears, making him shiver and shudder, old nightmares haunting him once more.

Just outside his classroom, as Draco was setting off for some peace, a shaking Billy Joe was asking a blushing Sally Anne to the banquet, his feet never shuffling and his eyes never meeting hers. They were third years, Hufflepuffs in Draco's Wednesday classes, which was the minimum set for the banquet because first and second years would merely run around chasing each other and creating a havoc of immature catastrophe.

"Well, Sally Anne… I was just… well…" Shuffle shuffle. "You've been really nice to me and all in Charms this year and well…" Billy Joe stopped, blushing ever so furiously.

"Oh go on, Billy Joe, you were just getting to the good part!" Draco exclaimed excited with a broad smile, ear to ear.

Both of them turned, eyes wide, mouths open to see Draco leaning over, listening into Billy Joe's proposal.

They were officially scarred for life and it was very unlikely that Billy Joe would ever ask another girl to any banquet in his life again.

And so the beautiful blissful days continued, the students more high strung and the professors tired of the constant, feverish whispering behind books.

Yet there remained a group of students who had no mind about the banquet gossips. The ones planning and coordinating it and the ones who truly did not give a shit. This group was derived of the heads and prefects, and Gaby Weasley, who had been invigorated by the mantra of Oliver Wood on steroids for the upcoming game which happened to fall the day before the banquet. And being the ruthless captain, her team was not let off as well. When they were not in class, they were in the Quidditch fields practicing, and when they were not practicing, they were stuffing their faces with as many Calories as possible, and when they were not stuffing their faces, they were passed out in deep sleep that would last at the most six hours before Gaby came slapping them awake with even more strategies and plays to learn.

"What I just don't get is how they just don't appreciate what I do. They just sit there with blank looks in their eyes whining and complaining. I mean, don't they play Quidditch to win?" Gaby ranted at her normal Friday tutoring session that had been substituted with scrubbing the Great Hall for detention that Professor Malfoy had thrown at them for waking him up.

Mike chuckled. "Sure, they want to win, but I think they'd rather want to live a little. Maybe you're being a little too harsh."

"I'm not being harsh! That's what I keep hearing. Gaby Weasley, the anal Oliver Woods replica times 5000 and half the size. I am not Oliver Woods! He's notorious and I know I can't be as bad as him." Gaby furiously scrubbed harder at a sticky spot in the corner that would not come off for some reason.

"Or so you might think. Really, Gaby, you know you have a flawless record. Ever since you even joined the team, Gryffindor hasn't lost a single game, even if every other player plays like Filch. You don't have to work your team the moment they step out of a classroom until curfew."

"Yeah, but here's the main difference, our seeker SUCKS this year!"

"Then why don't you play seeker? It's the most important player isn't it?"

"The most important but not the most necessary! You can have a world-class seeker but still lose the game if your chasers are top-notch. I mean, look at the Bulgaria versus Ireland game like a dozen years back. Viktor Krum is hands down the world's greatest seeker and still Bulgaria lost because Ireland chasers are unbeatable. That and the fact that Bulgaria has THE weakest defense ever, but still…"

Mike sighed. "If I gave you a year, you can list me the two teams for the Quidditch World Cup that played, the score, every single player and position, and an exact play by play of the match. If I asked you to name me three characteristics of a werewolf, you'd tell me that they howl at the night of a full moon."

Gaby blinked blankly a few times. "Well, they do, don't they?"

"Yes, but that is not the only thing that you should know about werewolves. Don't you see? You put so much time and thought into Quidditch and you have never sat down for over an hour and actually read a book."

Gaby rolled her eyes. "I'm not at detention to hear you lecture me about my studies again, Mike. Give it a rest. You're a good tutor and all, how you're always on my back about doing my homework or something but you've got to just accept that I really don't care about werewolves or such. So if you want to get academic on someone and try to make smart conversations and everything, go to your genius Head Girl, who, I have to say, is totally into you."

At this Mike laughed. "You mean Anna?"

"Yes, yes, your precious Anna who you never stop talking about. I swear you two are going to have babies and their first words would be the procedure to brewing a perfect Polyjuice potion." Sighing, Gaby turned from the sticky spot, giving up and turned around to face where Mike was scrubbing.

"I 'never stop talking' about her because you should really follow her example. She's someone that even I admire."

"And loooooove."

"Gabrielle Weasley, I'm warning you, get off that subject."

"So, so, you're asking her to the banquet?" Gaby asked, with a suspicious glint in her eye.

"Well, I'm not asking, but it's sort of a given we're going together. I mean, we're the heads and all and Hogwarts tradition is that the heads start off any kind of ball or banquet with an exception of the Yule Ball."

"Excuses! You really like her!" Gaby whispered loudly, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Gaby! Really! Stop nosing into my business and worry about your own date. Are you even going?"

"Well of course I'm going!"

"How do you know if you haven't been asked yet?"

"They'll come around. Trust me." Gaby grinned broadly.

"Who's 'they?'"

"My fan club."

Mike dropped his washcloth. "You have a fan club?"

"Of course I have a fan club!"

Mike fell down into fits of laughter. "You have a fan club!"

"Well, it's not like you don't either."

Immediately, Mike shut up and went back to scrubbing. "That's different."

Gaby smirked and stretched. "But I won't stoop down low enough to go to the banquet with a fanboy. I've got my eyes set on Caleb Libby." (a/n: I just love all these last names. XD)

Mike stared blankly back at her. "The sixth year Hufflepuff prefect?"

"That's the one."

"Why him?"

"He's the most wanted sixth year in this school, Mike, and I like a little challenge."

"Then why not go for the most wanted fifth year in the school?"

"Because that would be my brother and that would be incest."

"Ah."

"So you see, Mikey, I always get what I want."

"Quite ambitious, aren't you? Why don't you try putting some of that…"

"Into my studies. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking." Gaby rolled her eyes. "We'll never get done with cleaning the Great Hall… seriously, don't people know anything called table etiquette?"

Mike dropped his sponge and stretched out his shoulders, scanning the room. On the other side of the Great Hall, Spencer worked diligently, being the clean freak and perfectionist he was, while Ophelia pranced about him with a duster, not really dusting anything at all (nor was there anything to dust in the first place.) Mike chuckled. "You brother seems to get along very well with Ophelia."

Gaby looked over at the two of them too and laughed. "He's blowing the hair out of his face. That means he's getting agitated. But in my opinion, I'd say Spence needs an Ophelia kind of figure around him. To loosen up, you know? He practically hates all people of the opposite sex other than my aunt and me. Even though all of said female gender in our grade is in love with him."

"Seems like you Weasley twins have quite a bit of a fan club."

"Well of course! We're one eighth veela and my father's Bill Weasley. What more is there that this school can't handle?"

"Me?"

Gaby snorted. "Oh, you flatter yourself so."

"Hey, it's only the truth."

"Well if it interests you, might I add that the other day, I was almost murdered by these two girls in the bathroom for stealing you away from them?"

Mike turned to face her with a look of slight curiosity. "No, really?"

"Uh huh. Accused me of failing class purposely so I can get tutored by their precious Mikey. Hey, is it true your real name isn't Mike?"

Suddenly, Mike flushed a brilliant shade of red. "Where'd you hear that?"

"The girls! They were like, 'You don't know anything about Mikey! You don't even know his real name! Blah, blah, blah.' Made me very curious for a while."

"Ah, well, you know, Mike is a nickname of course."

"But your name's not even Michael!"

"There are other ways to derive the nickname 'Mike.'"

"Well, I'm going to find out somehow."

"No you won't. Nobody but McGonagall knows my real name." Mike said, as if it solved the problem.

"Oh, no, no, I'll find out."

"Okay, let's strike a deal. The day you come back with a perfect test score, I'll tell you my real name."

"UN-FAIR!"

"Quite fair! Do you want to know my name or not?"

"Oh, head boy, you're going to regret you ever made this deal. Shake on it?"

Mike stretched out his hand. "I'm an honest man, Gaby. I would never go back on my words."

Gaby took it, shook, and sighed. "Oh, you just wait. After the game, you have no idea…" She leaned her head back and cackled. "Watch out, Mikey!"

"Yes, now, enough chit chat; get to work." Mike said, handing her the mop.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That Hogsmeade weekend, with content pockets jingling of money, the procrastinators (everyone) set off hurriedly to the nearest robe shops to purchase their dress robes and chocolates. The following week was the banquet and the hype of the party grew and flourished

"Spencer Weasley!"

Spencer turned around, but too late, as he toppled to the ground by the force of the zooming figure that ran into him.

"Wha-"

"I have just realized that the banquet is next week. And I am in desperate need of dress robes."

"Ophelia! What the hell, you nearly killed me!"

"Anyways, since you're the only person I know who'd give me an honest opinion, I need you to go dress robe shopping with me." Ophelia said, with an evil glint in her eye, ready to shoot down any protests he had.

Spencer looked at her incredulously but surprisingly shrugged. "Works for me. I need dress robes too."

"Really?! You'd go with me?"

"Well if I said no, would you have let me go?"

"Of course not!"

"Well then, there we go. I was supposed to go with Gaby but she's ditching Hogsmeade for Quidditch practice. I really pity her team."

"Quidditch? She's playing Quidditch in the most important weekend of the year? Ludicrous!"

"I know, and I'm supposed to be related to her. If I could I would have stayed and gotten ahead with the grand staircase decorations because we're so far behind and the Hufflepuff prefects aren't doing any of their duties but no, I have to go dress robe shopping because it's just so mandatory that the prefects waste their time there when we've been living around the Great Hall for the past days."

"Yes well, trust me, I'll make this shopping experience quick and easy for you. You have a date yet? Do you know what she's wearing?"

A few eavesdropping fifth years coughed rather loudly from behind them.

Ignoring the group of girls, Spencer shook his head. "Are you kidding me? Do you think I'll waste my time going out and intricating myself in a tangle of this superficially ridiculously absurd carnival of meaningless roses and dates? No, not I."

The girls, immensely dejected, burst out into sobs and ran into the nearest shop.

Ophelia glanced at the retreating girls and smirked. "Too cool for the flow, eh?"

"No, too… preoccupied for the flow. You know what I could get done in the time it takes for a guy to try to find a date?

"Oh, I don't know, maybe next week's Potions homework?"

"Not only that, but probably a month's worth of Potions homework! And in this grand establishment of education, the kids just sit there and moan about their cruel teachers who give them scrolls to write and pages to read, when if they didn't inundate their brains with mindless thoughts of this preposterous dance, they'd see that the professors have actually been giving out less and less these past several days. Did you not realize it too?"

"Oh, Weasley, you need a life."

"Seriously, we're here to learn, not frolic around in little dresses and ties. I just don't understand Professor Malfoy's philosophy. He's the one who forces this idea to take place, then shuts his door and bitterly spits at the sight of the pre-dance mayhem."

"In here, Weasley." Ophelia said with amusement as she pushed him through the door of a sketchy looking robe shop. While every other robe shop in Hogsmead was bustling with hordes of students, somehow, this dusty, mangy, rusted shop, isolated from the main of the town was completely empty.

"Mr. Greenspan? Are you in?" Ophelia called. After a moment of hesitation, the ratty curtain was cast aside and a very stout man in a tailored suit and greasy mustache came out.

"Oh, yes, Ophelia, it's been a while. How are you?"

"I'm very well. We are looking for dress robes."

"Dress robes, eh? Well you sure do know where to come. Come on in."

The man hustled them in behind the curtain. Spencer stepped over hesitantly.

"Look around if you must."

Spencer trudged along behind Ophelia as she shuffled through the abundant racks of cloth. He thoughtlessly flipped a tag, and then squinted to look at the price better.

"500 GALLEONS?!"

"Is there a problem?"

"500 Galleons! Do you really think I have this much money?"

"Keeps the commoners away. If you must, you can look through the clearance pile over there." Mr. Greenspan said coldly, pointing at the pile of robes at a corner table.

Spencer glared at Ophelia. "Oh, you rich aristocrat."

"I'm a Slytherin. What'd you expect?"

Spencer sighed and lazily shifted through the robes.

"Look if you want, I can buy one for you." Ophelia muttered, examining each robe carefully

"Oh, no thanks. I can't give you another reason to pester me about something else for ages."

"No really. I come from a house made of gold. Our family have gold coming out of our ass as shit. Just find whatever suits you best and pay as much as you can and I'll cover for you. 500 Galleons is like a weekly allowance for me."

"Oh yes, Phelia, just rub it in."

She shrugged. "Or not… I just don't want you to be wasting your time, scavenging around for the cheapest ones."

"Then, whatever, why don't you pick one out for me? I'll just sit in the corner here and wallow in my destitute sorrow."

Ophelia laughed and threw him a vividly charcoal cloak. "Matches your heart."

"Very funny." Spencer took off his coat and asked the shopkeeper, "Where do I change?"

"Does it look like I have a changing room in here? Who cares? Has your girlfriend never seen your bare chest before? Merlins, Ophelia, you never told me you're dating a prude."

Ophelia snorted. "No, no, he's not my boyfriend. But Mr. Greenspan has a point, you know, Weasley. It's not like I've never seen a man's skin before." Spencer flashed her a fierce look. "But if it troubles you so… I can turn around. I'm sure there's not much to see anyways." Giggling, she turned back to the rack.

Spencer gave them both a cold look before turning around and slipping on the ebony cloak. He stepped in front of the full view mirror and took in what he saw. The cloak and suit set under it were made of fine silk, casting a dramatic shadow. For the price, he had to agree that it was quite worth it. However, the entirely black attire slightly depressed him as he looked as though he was attending a funeral… a very expensive funeral.

"Don't you think that this is a bit too dra- oh for merlins sake, Ophelia, warn me beforehand if you're going to change!" Spencer exclaimed, as he met the sight of Ophelia zipping up a pale yellow dress on the other side of the room.

"Didn't think you were interested enough to turn around. Oh God, you look miserable. What do you think of this one?" Ophelia hopped a bit, making a little spin. The satin material flowed down completely naturally from chest down. As she twirled, the bottom swirled gracefully on the ground.

"It looks… nice… but it's a bit too much yellow to handle at once."

"That's true. Yellow might be a little too bright."

Ophelia threw Spencer a vibrant red robe as she turned around and began unzipping.

"I would never wear this."

"We'll see. Try it on, try it on. The sooner you do, the sooner we can go back to the castle and the sooner you can hit your beloved books."

Sighing, Spencer slipped off his robe and forced his way into the stiff red dress robe. His inner suit was completely black with a red bow tie that matched his blood red cloak with an intricate pattern of flowery imprints.

"Are you done?" He asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yes, yes, turn around. Let me see."

When she saw the fit, she nodded a little, inspecting him carefully. "It looks very nice. Very sexy."

"I can't breathe. This thing is made of cardboard."

"Mm, and I can tell. What do you think of this? I thought it'd match yours."

Ophelia smiled innocently as she turned around in a circle in her skimpy scarlet dress. Unlike the yellow dress, it stuck closely to her body, like a second skin, and rose scandalously up her thighs.

"I'm sorry, Ophelia. You look very 'hot' and everything but you will kind of pass off as a slut if you wear that."

"Ah, well, the school won't be disappointed."

"Well, I will be. We both know that you're better than that. Find something… appropriate for this occasion."

Ophelia gave him a small smile and passed over a white suit.

Tugging the red dress robes off, Spencer sluggishly buttoned up the achromatic robe. The suit under the robe was a plain, comfortable black with an ivory tie and matching snowy white robe. Snug, rich and pleasant, Spencer smiled contently for the first time that day.

"Turn around." Ophelia said from behind him. He obeyed, turning to face her. Simultaneously, they beamed.

Ophelia had picked out a violently blue dress, an ambiguity of cobalt, sapphire, and royal blue, both dazzling and simple. It was a very clean cut design, not overdone like the red or too bright like the yellow. Her navy blue eyes never seemed bluer and her raven black hair teased the stooping backline.

"I think we have ourselves a winner." She muttered, checking the price tag. Remembering the budget he was on, Spencer checked his and was only moderately depressed, it being 300 galleons.

"If you both buy, I can give you a discount. It'll be a special favor for your father from me." The tailor said, coming back in to observe their dress robes.

"Thanks. I'll cover for whatever Spence can't pay."

"Well, that's fine. The total will come around to be 600."

"I've got a hundred fifty." Spence said, pulling out his pouch of gold.

Ophelia handed the man a banknote, took the robes, and they both exited into the heavy sun.

"Ophelia, I swear I'll pay you back within next month once I get my money from my aunt." Spencer mumbled, figuring the paycheck for the years of work he did for her shop in his head.

"Weasley. I know this hurts your ego and everything but don't stress it. You can pay me back any time in the next ten years."

"You don't get it, Phelia, I can't take this kind of charity from you."

Ophelia frowned. "Why?"

"I'm just… not very good with it."

"Because you're borrowing money from someone like me?"

"No… where'd you get that idea? No, it's just… I don't know if I can thank you enough."

"It's nothing. You helped me pick out my dress. That's good enough for me. Just pay me back by the time we're 25 or I will track you down."

Spencer chuckled. "Well then… thanks."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A week in school had never been longer as seconds inched by until finally, after what felt like eons, it was Friday, the day before the banquet. Classes had just ended and the students filed out, sighing. The only thing left for them to do now, was look forward and on to the banquet.

But not for Gabrielle Weasley.

As soon as the last class of the day was dismissed, and rather abruptly by an impatient Professor Malfoy, she took off to the Quidditch field to warm up for the game that was to take place in two hours.

Already her adrenaline was pumping and her mind was racing. With an exciting, stress free weekend to look forward to, the rest of the student body already began to file into the field as the seven Gryffindors and the seven Slytherins looked onto the green grass and majestic hoops for the toughest, rowdiest, and dirtiest opening game of the year.

Draco looked down from his seat in the faculty box and shuddered at the memories, mostly bad, he had from the same stadium. When he was young and still a death eater, his father had bribed Draco's way onto the team but had been analed pretty badly by Potter. And for his utter years of failure as a Quidditch player, he hoped his house's team would be able to make up for Slytherin's loss of face in Quidditch, even though he knew they had no chance against the little Weasley.

"Nostalgic, eh?"

Draco turned around at the all too familiar voice. "Weasley! What are you doing here?"

Ginny smiled from behind him, and then plopped down in the seat next to him. "Gaby owled me last night and told me that she needed a dress robe desperately. She's always so last minute, but she had stuffed every free time she had into this game. So I came to bring it for her and ran into McGonagall who ushered me here. Never saw the field from up here before, though. Brings back so many memories… good ones for me, at least."

"Gaby is quite talented. I really wondered where she could have possibly inherited her flying abilities."

"Oh, you shut up. You know I was a far better seeker or chaser than you'd ever be." Ginny snorted.

"Hey, that's not fair to compare with me. You barely even seeked!"

"Which is just far more humiliating for you, isn't it? The Gryffindor chaser winning her team the cup for two years in a row."

Draco frowned. "You didn't come here to taunt me, did you?"

"Ay, I would never dream of that. I'm here to see the game. To see what all this 'Gaby Weasley' craze is about."

"You never saw your own niece play? She's amazing! Her broom is almost like an extra limb to her."

"Mm, and I taught all of that to her."

"Don't flatter yourself."

Ginny chuckled, hugging the bag with Gaby's dress robes closer to her. "Are you ready for the banquet tomorrow?"

"Me? No. I've been so busy preparing for it and all that I didn't get a chance to."

"Do you have dress robes?"

"I dear God hope so."

"Didn't you buy them?"

"I stayed back Hogsmeade weekend because the damn Hufflepuff prefects didn't do any of the grand staircase decorations… but… you… have… yours… right?" He asked awkwardly, remembering how he and the twins left rather suddenly without a definite confirmation of Ginny's invitation.

She beamed. "Of course. And I'm really sorry about Jake being an ass and all. It's that 'minister's son' thing in him and all."

"Ah, well, I've caused him quite some distress back in those years… I really can't argue with him. So… shall I… pick you up tomorrow or something?" Draco asked, scuffing the bench with the sole of his shoe, looking down.

"I could make it to Hogwarts just fine…"

"Oh… right… okay…" Draco looked away, feeling the eyes of McGonagall behind him.

"But… if you want, I wouldn't mind being escorted." Ginny replied, trying to ease the extreme discomfort between their twisted conversation.

"OH! Oh, oh, yes, okay. I shall come by around seven, then. Is that all right?"

"That's lovely. Thank you!"

"And… uh… Jake doesn't mind this… right?"

"Oh… Jake… well he doesn't really know about this banquet but… I'm sure he won't mind. I mean, it's been so long since I last got to wear my dress robes. I got new ones too when my brothers made it big with their joke shop and bought Zonkos."

"Ah… okay, then…"

And they were saved at the height of their awkwardness by a blaring sound of a horn and roaring of the school as the game began.

"Welcome everyone to the opening game of the season! Today we have last year's first and second place teams, Gryffindor versus Slytherins! To prevent any commentary bias, Professor McGonagall has assigned a prefect from each house so that the Gryffindors won't feel ashamed when I say… GO SLYTHERINS! I'm your host, Ophelia and my broody mate here will be the Gryffindor team captain's twin brother… everyone boo with me here… SPENCER WEASLEY!"

The crowd, especially in the Slytherin's side boo-ed with fervent tremor running across the crowd. Draco, his Slytherin pride catching up with him let out a small 'boo' before Ginny stomped on his foot harshly.

"Now, let the teams come out and let the game begin. Come on Spence, say something!"

At the very bottom of the faculty box, Draco could see Ophelia push Spencer awake as he put down his book, glared and reached for his mike.

"Everyone, remember school rules still apply in the games. That is, no negative enthusiasms or obscene comments are allowed. And… go… Gryffindors…"

Madame Hooch came onto the field with the case. "Captains, shake hands!"

Gaby stretched out her hand, which looked miniscule as the six foot five caveman of the captain that the Slytherins bred grabbed it and shook firmly. Gaby looked up almost a foot and a half at the man-beast, not quivering at his size.

"Ready… BEGIN!" The crowd went wild and all 14 members shot up in the sky, a tiny fireball of red attaching herself to the quaffle almost at the millisecond of its release.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco had slept through the day, ignoring the cries, banging and pleas of students in desperate need of help on their homework. Blast the kids! They could ask a friend if they wanted!

Finally, his alarm blared at six o'clock and Draco groggily slapped it off. Still lying inertly and sluggishly on the bed, Draco blasted open his closet door with his wand. Two winter cloaks, half a dozen of his normal cloak, a night cloak, and his invisibility cloak hung neatly in a color and size coordinated manner. Draco sat up. His dress robe was the only piece of clothing that he had failed to pack. Draco banged his head on his pillow. The banquet was in one hour and yet, the man who had proposed the idea in the first place was probably the only one who was not prepared.

Draco jumped out of bed, rummaging his closet once more to make sure he did not happen to miss it. He then ran to Professor Snape ("Did you THINK that I would have dress robes?"), Professor Flitwick ("I don't know if it'll fit you very well…"), Professor Binns ("Oh, yes, but they're from about 500 years ago… is that okay with you?"), and desperately, Professor McGonagall. ("It is not my responsibility to provide dress robes to a professor, Mr. Malfoy.") It was now half an hour before the banquet and Draco gravely regretted having started his "who needs stuffy collars" streak that year. All his cloaks were either fur or Egyptian cotton, barely suitable for a dance, and when he was about to give up and go in his cleanest cloak, he remembered one robe he always kept buried in his suitcase, as he swore to himself never to touch it again.

Draco lugged out his trunk and opened it, a cloud of dust filling the air. There were clutters of trash and papers inside but after fishing through, he found his item of desire rolled up in a ball in the deepest corner of the trunk. He took it out, slapped it so the dust would fly and unrolled it.

It was a deep black robe, made of the finest, lightest, and strongest silk in the world. There were no creases where it had been rolled, nor was it too small for him to fit even if it was almost a decade since he last wore it. It flowed so smoothly, so solidly that it never seemed to end. Slipping it on, he shivered, as his painful past pierced into his brain. The robe would seem no different from a top notch, high quality dress robe and only a trained, veteran professional would be able to tell what it really was: his death eater uniform.

Sighing, smoothing out his clean white collar and black tie, Draco fled to the passageway to Diagon alley. He ran down the cobbled streets until he screeched to a halt at Serendipity.

"You're right on the dot, Mr. Malfoy." Ginny said, smiling broadly as she came out from behind the curtain at hearing the poor wooden doors burst open.

"You have no idea what I've been through this past hour." Draco said, panting. He paused to take in the sight before him. Her dress was sleek and black, simple yet elegant in every way and every curve it made down her body. Her dainty fingers were gracefully covered by long, black, silk gloves that reached past her elbow. Her hair too had not been an object of troublesome hours and was just pinned with a black jeweled pin in a half up-do that looked effortless and chic.

"You look… nice." Draco choked out.

"Well, you don't look half bad yourself, Mr. Malfoy." Ginny said, beaming.

"Shall we go, then?"

"Do you want a drink? Perhaps an ice coffee? You're sweating like a madman."

"Oh, please, you're my date for this evening, not my barista. So put a little dignity in your smile, not customer service." Draco said, holding out his arm.

Ginny blinked, then flashed a brilliant, genuine smile, and placed her hand over his outstretched forearm. He led her to the door, and the walked down the bustling street of Diagon Alley, looking, and feeling like royalty in the clouds of bliss that they walked on. Strangers stopped conversations to admire the two of them walk with such sophistication, and little children tugged the skirts of their mothers.

Draco opened the door the passageway to the school. "Ladies first."

Ginny lifted her foot up, crouching to fit in someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back out roughly. Surprised, both of them looked to their right, and saw Jake, his eyes bloodshot and his hand still on Ginny's shoulder.

"Ow- Jake, let go! What the hell is your problem?" Ginny whispered fiercely, shaking her arm away.

"Where the hell are you going?" Jake asked in a tantalizing murmur.

"I'm sorry but there's a banquet at school and I had nobody to take and Weasley said she wouldn't mind…"

"I didn't ask you, Malfoy. Ginny. Do you not see that you're going to a school dance with a death eater?"

"He's not a death eater anymore, Jake. You know that. The war is over… it was over years and years ago."

"Yeah? Did you not realize that he's even wearing his ol' death eater robe, then? Well of course, you don't know, only the top ministry aurors can tell the difference between normal silk and death eater silk. Who knows what he'll do to you, Gin? Come on. Let's go." Jake took Ginny's hand and began pulling her away.

Ginny stopped, looked Draco up and down and snapped her hand back away from Jake's grip. "So what if he's wearing death eater robes? What is so significant about that? Do these robes give you dark powers? Do these robes make you evil? What is your problem? Mr. Malfoy is a respected professor at Hogwarts and is recognized nobly at the ministry. He's not a death eater! Relax, Jake. Merlins…"

"Death eaters never stop being death eaters, Ginny! Malfoy only got out because of Snape but you can never trust anyone so easily. What if he does something to you?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Jake! I can take care of myself! Maybe if you actually stopped trying to hide me and took me to one of your million ministry events once in a while, I wouldn't be so desperate to get out of this street for once!"

"How could you say that? You know I'm only protecting you!"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'll just say that if I'm going to attack anyone, I wouldn't do it in front of the entire school with the entire faculty watching. And I realized earlier this afternoon that I didn't have dress robes so this was my last resort." Draco said smoothly, not wanting to get in middle of something.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, MALFOY! You've already ruined me in everyway possible and taken everyone you could have possibly taken from me! I'm not going to let you take Ginny too!"

"Jake! Calm down!"

"HE KILLED MY MOTHER, GINNY. HE AND HIS BLOODY FATHER KILLED MUM. AND I REFUSE TO LET YOU GO TO SOME DANCE WITH MY MOTHER'S MURDERER." Jake exclaimed, his face turning to a violent shade of red.

Ginny gaped at Jake, then turned to Draco for some explanation.

"Draco…?" She whispered, softly.

Draco inhaled deeply, turned to Ginny and grinned apologetically. "I'm sorry, Weasley, but…"

Draco put his hand on her arm, then quickly and swiftly pushed her through the passageway, her figure disappearing completely. He then closed the entrance, and turned back to face Jake.

Alone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH

THERE GOES EVERYTHING!!!!

THIS WAS SURPRISINGLY A FASTER UPDATE IN MY OPINION COMPARED TO THE OTHER CHAPTERS. BUT IT'S BECAUSE YOU ALL WERE SUCH ENTHUSIASTIC, INSPIRING REVIEWERS SO I STARTED EARLIER. HEHEHEHEHE.

BUT I DIDN'T EVEN SEE THE END OF THIS CHAPTER COMING. IT JUST… CAME OUT. AND I WROTE IT AND I THOUGHT… HUH… NOT A BAD IDEA. SO WE'LL BOTH HAVE TO SEE HOW THINGS FIGURE, EH?

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH DRACO AND JAKE?

WHAT WILL GINNY SAY?

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE BALL?

Let me tell you guys that so far, what I have imagined in my head, if it actually carries out… A LOT OF SHIIIIITE HAPPEN AT THE BALL. LOTS OF DRAMA, JUST THE WAY I LIKE IT. TEARS, BLOOD, SWEAT, ALL THAT JAZZ.

HAHA, ACTUALLY I'M JUST EXAGGERATING. IT ACTUALLY WON'T BE THAAAT EXCITING, BUT THEN AGAIN, I'LL LET YOU GUYS BE THE JUDGE OF THAT.

EXCITING EXCITING! REVIEW REVIEW! HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER! IF YOU READ VERY CAREFULLY EVERY WORD, BETWEEN THE LINES, YOU WILL FIND A BIT OF ROMANCE BEGINNING TO BLOOM, ESPECIALLY WITH OPHEEEEELIA. MHM. MHM. MHM. HAVE FUN WITH THAT.

AND THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU. GOOD BYE!

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