After Pansy and Hermione had bought their dresses, they met up with Crabbe and Goyle. After checking out the accessory stores, and finding absolutely nothing that would go with the girls' outfits, they walked into the Three Broomsticks to use the Floo. Crabbe and Goyle went first. Then Blaise pulled Pansy with him to side-Floo. Draco offered his hand and Hermione took it. He quickly pulled her close to his side and stepped into the flames. "The Leaky Cauldron."
Hermione felt the world turn around her and she held onto Draco tighter. She felt him chuckle and tighten his hold around her. They soon stumbled out of the fireplace and into the pub. Pansy waved from the back door, where the rest of the group was. Draco made his way through the crowd, his hand still linked with Hermione's. She stayed close to his back and, thankfully, they didn't get squished as they made it out the back door.
Goyle raised his wand and tapped the stones and they gave way to show the alley. The roads were covered in snow and so were the roofs of the businesses. The small group made their way down the street and took in all the festive cheer. Wizards knew how to celebrate Christmas.
Hermione looked around. A few vendors were selling singing Christmas tree bulbs, others were advertising trees that never shed their needles, and others were selling hot beverages and sweets from their booths. The street lamps had wreaths hanging from them and tinsel. It was all so bright and sweet smelling.
"Where to first?" Blaise asked.
Pansy spotted a shop and said, "There. Mistress Joy's Accessories for the Young Witch. It's the place to go for anything."
Hermione looked at the shop. It was relatively new and had a few displays in the window. They walked in and were greeted by the sweet smell of roses and lavender. "Velcome," a Russian accent said. Hermione looked up as a thin woman walked over to them. Her hair was up in a bun and she had the body of a dancer. "I am Mistress Joy. How may I help you?"
Pansy smiled and said, "My friend and I need help picking out some accessories for our outfits. We're throwing a Christmas party for some kids at school and we need to look perfect."
Mistress Joy smiled and said, "Of course. Bring your outfits this way." She walked to the back where two dummies were standing. They looked like the kind you used when you needed an outfit to be displayed.
Pansy handed over her dress. It was hot pink and had a black floral pattern embroidered around the skirt. Mistress Joy fitted the dress over the dummy with the same colored hair as Pansy, and turned to Hermione, who handed over her dress and the woman did the same thing with the other one, which had the same colored hair. She studied the two for a moment, then said, "Do either of you prefer a certain accessory?"
"I like necklaces and rings," Pansy said. "Hair ornaments are cool, too. I like flair."
Mistress Joy nodded and turned to Hermione. "And you, miss?" she asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I like plain things. Something that's simple and nice."
The woman nodded and went to wander the aisles. She picked a few things up, examined them, then either put them back, or kept them. She did with with the hair ornaments, necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelet sections. Hermione watched as she came back and fixed the ornaments onto Pansy's dummy first. The end result was casual and sweet.
The hair of the dummy was pulled back and secured with a headband that had a small hat sewn onto it. A jeweled and metal necklace rested around the throat, and the arms had large bangles and flashy rings. It looked like the dummy was ready to party.
"I like it," Pansy said, looking the dummy over a couple of times. . "I'll take it."
Mistress Joy nodded and waved her wand. Quickly, the accessories were packed away and the dress back back in its bag. Then, Mistress Joy turned to Hermione's dress. After a few seconds, she decorated it, flipping something here and fitting something there. She stepped back and Hermione took in the sight.
A simple string of pearls was placed around the neck, a silver clip kept back some of the hair back from the face. The only thing on the wrists, was a charm bracelet with golden stars and moons. It was simple and made the whole ensemble seem night themed.
"I like it," hermione said.
"Vhat about you, sir," Mistress Joy said to Draco. "Do you like your girlfriend's outfit?"
The two paused and looked at the woman. "We're not together," Hermione said, blushing slightly.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "That cannot be," she said. "You two have not stopped holding hands since you stepped into my shop."
Hermione looked down and saw that Draco still had a hold of her hand. She blushed even more, but didn't move. Slowly, she looked up until she met his gaze. Draco smiled and said, "I like the outfit. It makes you look even more like a smurf."
She laughed. "You don't even know what a smurf looks like," she said. "And it would be smurfette."
Draco looked slightly confused, but he shook his head. "You're blue and you're wearing white. You're a smurf."
Hermione relaxed and turned to Mistress Joy. The woman was waiting, a neutral smile on her face. "I'll take it," she said.
As her stuff was wrapped and she paid for it, Hermione couldn't help but wonder why she'd bought the dress and accessories. She liked them, yes, but anything from her closet could have done. But she'd chosen this dress...because Draco had liked it. She'd seen the approval in his eyes when she'd shown the dress off, and when Mistress Joy had mistaken them as a couple. It was then that she knew Pansy had told the truth. Draco did like her. And she'd wanted to please him because she liked him, too. Not because he was the first guy to give her attention, he was that. She liked him because he was nothing like she thought. He was kind, hadn't called her mudblood in over three days, and had taken the time to introduce her to his friends and make sure she was comfortable with them. This was a Draco she'd never seen before.
They left the shop and Blaise said, "Alright. If we have to go to another shop, I'm choosing this time. We're going to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." He didn't wait for their answer. He just walked across the street and to the door of the building.
Draco pulled Hermione with him and Pansy followed with Crabbe and Goyle. As they entered the shop, a bell over the door rang out "Customers! Customers!"
Two red heads appeared over the banister of the second floor. Hermione smiled and waved to them. They quickly came down the stairs, and pulled her into a huge hug that left her gasping for breath.
"Hermione," Fred said. "How did the capsules work?"
"Stop bothering her with stupid stuff," George said. "What're you doing here? And with Slytherins?"
Hermione smiled and said, "The capsules work fine, Pansy loves them. And I'm here with them because we're shopping for outfits for the Christmas Party at Hogwarts. Pansy shares my love of fashion."
"Why are you holding Malfoy's hand?" George asked.
Hermione blushed and said, "Well...I don't know." Draco chuckled and she gave him a look. He only continued to smile. She turned back to the twins and said, "Draco and I are now...friends. We're trying to turn over a new leaf."
"Ten Galleons says that it doesn't last the break," George grumbled.
Fred glared at him and said, "Well, Ron's been furious-"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't care," she said. "If he doesn't like it, then fine. He can kiss my-"
"Hey, Hermione," Crabbe said, coming over to them with a box in his hands. "Would these work for a gift?"
Hermione smiled softly at the boy. "You're not suppose to show anyone what the gift is, Crabbe. That's the point of a White Elephant gift exchange. Now you have to get a different gift." Crabbe made an 'ooooooohhhhh' noise and went back to the shelves.
George sent her a look. "That could have been a sale, Hermione," he said.
She only smirked. "Sorry," she said though her smile said otherwise. She wandered over to a section of the store that held new merchandise and started looking over it.
Draco reached around her and picked up a box. "Magical Fuzzy Handcuffs," he read. "Soft bondage that makes you smile." He caught Hermione's eye and said, "Interesting. Care to try them out?"
She snorted and shook her head. "In your dreams, Draco," she said.
He smiled wickedly. "It'd be a great dream. Want to join me?" he asked.
Hermione shook her head and laughed. "They'd be a great gag gift," she said, hiding another blush. She really needed to stop blushing. Silently, she slipped her hand from his and walked through the store, looking for anything that would be good for a present. She didn't find anything new that fit the budget, but she got a few good ideas to play on Harry when he got back.
They all left the shop, Fred and George giving her more capsules to sell. As they left, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand again. She looked at their joined hands and then up at him. "My hand's cold," he said. Right. It was a lame excuse, but she wasn't going to complain.
They headed to the Leaky Cauldron after visiting a few more shops, and then Flooed back to Hogsmead. This time, Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's waist, deciding that she needed to be a bit bolder. They headed to the castle and put their things away before dinner.
So, what do you think? Good, bad, indifferent? Tell me and I'll make you smile in the next chapter.