Oh my! It's chapter 18 already! Did you know I plan to end this on chapter 25? If everything goes well, it should. If not the next estimate is 28. Oooh… I love the number nineteen as I was born on the nineteenth. So I will try to make chapter 19 nice… *sigh* however I have already decided what is going to happen… and it's not what I would like…
Although I love this story, my first fic!! My baby! I also can't wait to end it, I can't wait to complete it to be exact! Then read it in one gulp. I have already planned my next fic… the idea popped into my head and wouldn't go away… I love the idea and can't wait to start on it. It's going to have a more horrible draco… *muahaha*
Ooh and one shameless plug, for a funnier fic go read 7 Days of Hell. Ok, end of shameless plug… to the chapter! ^_^
Chapter 18 : Hermione Plays Cinderella
"Draco?" A very sweet feminine voice cried out to Draco before we could enter the Great Hall. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
"Alone."
Ooh, I guess she meant go away Hermione.
I shrugged my shoulders and was about to walk away, only 3m of course, when Draco tapped my shoulder.
"What's the matter, Pansy? I'm hungry, and when I'm hungry, I'm grouchy and when I'm grouchy, I'm hungry. So the bottom line is I rather be talking to my breakfast at this moment," Draco scowled.
Pansy frowned at me as she
stepped forward to Draco. "But it's private!"
"I think I already got that," Draco yawned. "Anything else?"
Pansy glared at me venomously.
I smiled back sweetly.
God, this is not my fault.
She's looking in the wrong direction!
"I heard you haven't asked anybody to the dance," Pansy smiled coquettishly at Draco. "So I was wondering if we could go together."
"Well, you can continue wondering," Draco smiled insincerely at Pansy and started walking into the Great Hall.
He missed my tiny gulp.
Pansy quickly chased after Draco," But you don't understand…"
"Pansy, I'm not going to the dance with you," Draco said without even looking back. "I'm stuck with brown head here, remember?"
Pansy smiled nastily at me. "I don't mind, we can just leave her in the corner."
Oh please continue insulting me as if I wasn't there.
"Ok, Pansy. Don't blame me here," Draco turned around coldly. "I tried to do it the nice way. (Yeah, very nice indeed) But you don't get it. I won't dance with you even if I'm not stuck with Boring Granger."
"But…" Pansy faltered.
"Yes, I don't like you, Pansy. You are annoying and not even that pretty. Ok, don't give me that look." Draco sighed.
I frowned at him, Pansy was about to burst in tears.
I didn't like Pansy, but still she didn't really deserve such a harsh reject.
"Ok, ok," Draco rolled his eyes. "Pansy, if you get a brain transplant, I would consider going out with you."
Pansy's eyes beamed with new hope. "Yes sir."
"Now go away before I change my mind," Draco said, looking pointedly at me.
I laughed as Pansy ran away.
"I haven't met a girl who was so happy to give away her boyfriend," Draco said as I tried to control my laughter.
"I'm sorry, but when have you become my boyfriend?" I said, shaking my head.
"Oh, so you just kiss everybody huh?" Draco smirked.
"Yes, what do you know? I'm a kissing slut." I said and burst into giggles again.
Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to talk to you any longer, you are in this weird laughing fit."
I took in a deep breath. "Wait, I have something to say to you."
Yes, I was going to tell him about Harry.
He just rejected a date!
I have to!
Sorry, Harry, I will buy you a wheelchair.
"Wow, everybody has something to tell me today," Draco said dryly.
"What is it this time? You don't like white lilies anymore?" Draco said in an amused tone.
I shook my head. How do you expect me to tell him?
When his like that?
"Well, first answer this question. Do you ever vomit?" I asked seriously.
Draco blinked at me. "Maybe Pansy is not the only one needing a brain transplant."
I paused. I was wondering if it was better to tell Draco the news before or after breakfast.
"Well, Harry is going to the dance with us," I said quickly.
"Repeat," Draco said firmly.
"I'm not going to when your eyes look like they want to murder me," I said walking away. "Maybe you should cool down first."
"Trust me, me cooling down is the least of your worries," Draco said icily.
"Ok, I'm sorry. Remember that Coco girl? Well, I guess I was jealous and I sort of asked Harry to be my dance date. And I tried! I really tried to break the date… but it's impossible when your date is Harry," I said weakly.
"Hmm… how many legs do you think are needed to be able to dance?" Draco mused with a cold smile.
"Don't you dare!" I cried. "I will kill you if you hurt Harry!"
"Don't you think our relationship is psychotic enough with any murders?" I said, half joking.
"Oh, now you admit we have a relationship." Draco said maliciously.
"Are we having our first couple fight?" I asked Draco.
Suddenly, both of us realized we were at the entrance of the Great Hall squabbling with each other.
"It will certainly not be the last," Draco said as he noticed several students watching us. "I will get back at you later."
"And you are an IDIOT!" Draco cried loudly as he turned away to the Slytherin table. "You MUD…"
I laughed as I remembered his last sentence.
"And for your information, my dearest girlfriend, I do not vomit food. But blood, that's another question you will have to answer."
Harry and Ron looked at me, steaming with anger.
"We heard what that nitwit Draco said to you at the entrance," Ron said trembling with fury as he glared at Draco sitting 3m away. "Do you want us to beat him up?"
For a moment, I entertained the thought of having Draco beaten up.
"Nah," I shook my head and began digging into breakfast.
Harry blinked back his surprise, "You are taking this surprisingly calmly."
"Well, let's just say I have learned to forgive and forget," I said and stuffed my mouth so I didn't have to answer anymore questions.
"Wait, Hermione," Harry and Ron said sheepishly as they passed me two white envelopes with my name on it.
"What's this?" I asked and was about to open the envelope when Harry and Ron stopped me.
"Er… please read this only before you go to bed," Harry said, his face bright pink.
I paused and dropped one of my books. I was about to go to class with Draco and certainly didn't expect this.
"Are these love letters?" I gasped.
Harry and Ron laughed. "Er… no."
I tried to ask them what the letter contained but their mouth remained stubbornly shut.
"Hello, two-timing bitch," Draco smiled sweetly at me as we made our way to Charms.
"That must be the reason why I feel a warm glow passing through me today," I grinned back at Draco.
"Ok," Draco rolled his eyes. "I have decided, heck care! So what if Potter is going to follow us to the dance? He will be the third wheel."
"Wow, you are maturing before my very eyes," I said in mock awe. "Well, I don't think Harry would like me to dance with you."
"Ha, who cares what wonder boy thinks?" Draco snorted. "You know what I plan? We are going to ditch Potter as soon as we reach the Great Hall!"
I nodded. "Keep up the optimistic thoughts."
"I think somebody has a crush on Harry here," Draco said dryly.
"How did you find out?" I blinked my eyes in a bombastic fashion. "It's my deepest darkest secret. Now that you have found out, I guess I have to fall madly in love with you."
"Oh, by the way, I haven't forgiven you yet." Draco said. "And I haven't fully discarded thoughts of maiming Potter."
"And the maturity bubble bursts," I smiled.
"What I'm saying is you better get a damn gorgeous gown to keep my eyes off Potter's legs," Draco smiled deviously.
"Hmm… do you know I'm not exactly the pretty kind?" I said warningly.
"Do you expect me to say how gorgeous I really think you are right now, like a normal boyfriend?" Draco cooed sarcastically.
"Wow thanks, that was a real ego booster," I deadpanned.
Draco laughed and looked around. There was nobody as usual as we usually walk in the longer route so there will be less students to gawk at us.
Sometimes I wonder if we want our secret to be found out.
"I never thought you were pretty, Hermione," Draco said, his silver eyes twinkling lightly. "In my eyes, you were always beautiful."
And just like that, my heart swooned.
I chided myself mentally, I was turning to goo.
I smiled back, "Thanks, and you better get a dashing tuxedo too!"
"My mother is sending a new custom-made one for me," Draco said, shaking my head as if disbelieving that I would think he would rent a tuxedo,
God forbid.
"Well, why don't you rent one too?" I asked. "It's for charity."
"Another reason why I shouldn't rent," Draco said.
"Come on," I said shaking Draco's arm.
Draco clenched his teeth and glared at me. "Ok! And if I get some kind of skin disease from the tuxedo, you are coming down with me!"
Today was probably one of the few times I hardly paid attention to classes.
All I could think was gown, gown, GOWN!
Oh my god, I am turning into Pansy.
I need a brain transplant!
I consoled myself that I was finally having normal girl teenager thoughts.
Gown, Gown, GOWN!
See there it goes again.
Man am I annoying…
"Ooh… I have been thinking of this the whole day!" Parry gushed as she pulled me towards the silk tent the supplier has set up for the gowns and tuxedos.
There were two silk tents set up along the corridors. The pink velvety silk tent was for girls and the purple velvet silk tent was for the boys.
"I haven't," I fibbed.
I gasped when I stepped into the silk tent along with what seem like a gazillion of other girls.
There were rows and rows of gorgeous creations… chiffon, silk, velvet, lace….
I felt like I was in Barbie's play land.
"Ok! Let's start!" Parry cried like a woman Amazon, grabbing dozens of gowns and pulling me to the dressing stands.
Revolting, completely revolting.
I looked at the rows and rows of tuxedoes.
Mother would faint if she sees me in one of these.
"Oh look, there's Malfoy… wonder what's his doing here. I'm surprise his wearing… gasp… something not custom made!"
I turned around to see who the owner of that disgusting voice was.
Weasley.
I rolled my eyes as I took a black silk tuxedo off one of the stands. I would look like a duck in this.
Then a thought flashed in my mind, what if I pretended my custom made tuxedo was a rented one?
I would donate as much to charity as that damn girl wants!
I could just imagine her face now, "But it's different."
I sighed. The things I do for someone I hate so much.
"Oh my, you are a good looking one aren't you?" I heard a feminine voice say beside me. "You must be a curse to all women! Oh my, look at your silver eyes!"
"Yeah, look at them." I said dryly as I turned to the old woman beside me.
She was plump and had a pleasant face with the most startling blue eyes. The way she looked at me made me feel uneasy.
"Ooh… maybe you could model for my store," The woman laughed as she started to pull me to another corner.
"What are you doing?" I said icily.
"Here," The woman smiled as she passed me a tuxedo carefully packaged in plastic.
"No other tuxedo will suit you better than this," The old woman winked. "Without this you are already a killer, but with this no girl or woman will stand a chance."
I looked at the tuxedo.
I must admit I was just a bit impressed.
"I'll take it."
The woman smiled knowingly, "Oh if only I was 50 years younger! I can only admire the lucky girl. Would you like to get a corsage too?"
The woman pointed to a catalogue book on the table.
I paused. "I will get white lilies."
Ron froze and looked at Harry.
"What's the matter with you?" Harry asked.
"Nothing…" Ron said, looking uneasy. "It's just that I heard Malfoy ordering a white lilies corsage… you know Hermione's favourite flowers."
Harry rolled his eyes, "God, you are paranoid!"
After trying, only god knows how many gowns, I had for the most given up.
I shall never look good in anything that resembled a gown.
I either looked like a muffin or a wedding cake.
"Wait, this one! This is the one!" Parry cried as she snatched a gown from the clutches of another raving predator like Parry.
I looked doubtful but tried it on.
Parry looked at me and gasped.
"What? I looked beyond horrible right?" I said, surveying myself in the mirror.
"Oh my god, this is the one!" Parry gushed, shaking my shoulders strongly. "Trust me, whoever he is, he will never let you go once he sees you in this gown!"
"Really?" I said as I looked myself in the mirror again. "Well I can hardly recognize myself, I guess that's a good thing."
And then the girl in the next dressing stand looked at me and gasped. "Who are you? How come I have never seen you before?"
Parry gave me a knowing wink, "He stands no chance."
Oh my god, I finally finished this chapter…
This special chapter…
My hand muscles ache like crazy… and I don't think I will be typing in a LONG time…
So I'm not answering anybody's wonderful comments today… I don't think it's physically possible..
On the bright side (not for my hand though which is sort of numb now)… this chapter is about 2500 words and a little bit more.
I really don't know if the next chapter will be as long… but it will be the dance…
I'm dedicating this inhumanely long chapter to:
JeanB, Bellethephilosopher'scookie, Evie-dugrey, eth, Dawniky, Pranksta27, Rae Black, Cassandi, hpdancer92, Magical Roses, Pyrefly, Fire Soul, Magical Soul, Vfoxy713, Amy O B, Ezmerelda, seirra81, Lady Coia, nfq-baby33, Angel125 (happy birthday!), juniper, D.A, vegetarianxtc, Deeta, Katherine, Pookyber, Cassadra, Mari, roswellbfan, Layde3 tr1n1ty Captain Pocky, Crack Head, Rei-Chan (00h I loved the dialogue!), Chocolat elf (heehee), piedermorts*bodyguard, Stormy Phoenix, crazy, Snowbear, Gandella Raye, Kai, krisleigh, Wyrm, Indill Elondili (good description!), Elluxion, Nina, some1, Red of Rose, Katina Wellson, Angel-kisses, venus725, Pampers, Kelli, Cherry, Miss Cassi (wow! Thanks lots!), qudditch-playa-lover, Naoko Ten'ou, princessatheart, Katterree Fengari (thanks 4 the feedback, I will be sure to improve!), sonic fan and sugarprincess!
*whew*
my hand aches even more.
I would like to say THANK YOU. This chapter was inspired by you guys and my weird insaneness.
Also extra thanks for those ppl who review every chapter, it warms my heart at the thought that ppl continue reading changing tides and liking it! I totally notice you guys! ^_^
