Chapter Two
My eyes light up
See the lights
See the party, the ball gowns
The next day was Saturday and as such Hermione slept until about nine a.m. whilst late for her was awake before most of Gryffindor tower.
She headed to the common room where she saw Ron and Lavender curled together on the largest armchair. She smiled at them, despite Lavenders' excitable nature she was committed to Ron and they made a lovely couple. Ginny was dating Harry and had been for over a year. Hermione loved both girls dearly and thought both her best friends had made good matches she did however sometimes feel isolated. There was only so many times that you could tag along to double dates before you start making excuses. Hermione had instead thrown herself into her head girl duties and organisation of the upcoming ball. Although she herself was not particularly enthusiastic she knew what it meant to many of her friends, Lavender in particular.
Today would be particularly long day, it was the day Madam Malkin was visiting Hogwarts with the masks and clothes for the ball. Hermione would have to sit through hours of dress tried on by a hundred girls. Although Hermione liked clothes she had to confess three hours would be a bit of a stretch. She looked at her watch she had an hour. The dresses were lain out all over the hall. Hermione wondered how Madam Malkin had got so many beautiful dresses in such a small case without incurring even one crease. Hermione opened the doors of the hall to be met by a stampede of seventh year girls in reality there was probably only twenty but there screaming and shouting made her think the hall was full.
"One at a time," Madam Malkin cried at the excitable girls.
"Right you dear," she pointed at Lavender who was incredibly excited to be chosen to pick a dress first. Suddenly there were tape measures flying around her measuring everything from her head size to the length of each arm.
"Purple I think dear," Madam Malkin smiled at her this one will be splendid. Madam Malkin passed her a dark purple dress they fitted Lavender splendidly a gold mask covered her face perfectly. So a few hours went on Madam Malkin measured each girl before choosing a dress that matched her appearance personality and preferences perfectly. Each time Madam Malkin told them that at midnight the mask would vanish and with it any hopes of anonymity. Occasionally Hermione could have sworn that the dress did not existence but Madam Malkin had just created them out of thin air.
"Thank you," Hermione said to Madam Malkin a few hours later. Both were exhausted although Hermione had done little she still felt exhausted.
"The Head Boy will be taking over in a hour."
"You haven't a dress." Madam Malkin said it wasn't really a question but rather a statement.
"I am going to wear a dress that I already own." Hermione replied. In truth she hadn't even a second thought to it but she supposed that she hadn't grown much since her fourth year.
"I think this one will be perfect," Madam Malkin passing her a mint dress that came to her ankles. It was quite possibly the most beautiful dress that Hermione had seen and that included the ones she had seen in the last few hours. She would never have chosen it green was avoided at all costs by members of Gryffindor house. However as she looked at this dress she decided she could make an exception. Leaving Madam Malkin to dress the boys, which she suspected would be much less exciting.
The ball was less than twenty-four away and the head boy and girl were supervising the decoration of the great hall. Glass chandeliers took place over the normal candles, balconies were created on both sides and the hall now devoid of tables became a huge dancing hall. A full orchestra was setting up in one corner and a barman conjured a full ice bar.
"I think I better leave Draco," Hermione said only a few hours before the ball. Draco was about to make a cruel barb but he held his tongue. When it got out he wasn't taking the dark Mark enough people wouldn't be talking to him he didn't need to add to the list himself.
"Bye then,"
"Bye,"
Hermione looked at her unmanageable hair in the mirror and hoped the spell she paid good money for would work it claimed to softly curl her hair not just for the ball but also for the rest of her life. Opening one eye she looked up and saw her hair was perfect it had indeed curled softly ending just past her shoulders. She then turned her hair color to a soft but dark brown before placing her mask on. She was barely recognizable and that was the point.
"Hermione?" Ginny asked through the door "are you ready?"
"No I'll be ten minutes you go on I'll see you down there."
"Oh see you later." Twenty minutes later Hermione crept through the Gryffindor common room that was fortunately empty. As long as no one saw her before she got to the stairway leading to the great hall it was ok. She could have come from any direction and it was unlikely anyone would recognize her. Hermione had not planned it but with Madam Malkin gave her that dress she thought a night dancing herself away not thinking about who she was dancing with or what she looked like forgetting the war outside or her parents living blissfully in Australia unaware they even had a daughter. Wiping away a tear that threatened her make up Hermione placed her mask on. Despite changing her hair and some aspect of her face (bar polyjuice potion) magic could only do so much. Walking down the stairs Hermione saw how beautiful the hall looked. She recognised some people instantly Harry and Ginny for example had done little to change themselves physically.
