Chapter 5

Hermione put her Ministry Law textbook back in her desk. She pulled her quarter term essay from the top drawer. She sighed and put the quill to the paper. She held it there for a second, then slowly pulled it away and put her head facedown on the desk. She groaned.

"Writer's block?" Dahlia asked, sitting on her bed reading the latest issue of Teen Witch.

"Mmmm." Hermione grunted, motionless.

"You are way too stressed. I'm almost finished with my potions essay. I just have to write a conlusion about why you can't substitute troll snot for troll sweat. I'm going to a party tonight to celebrate my success." Dahlia gasped. "You should come with me! Oh my gosh! It would be so fun!"

"Mmmmm-mmm." Hermione shook her head and laid it back down. She lifted up her quill.

"See, your vocabulary has already dropped below mountain troll dialect. You have to get out more. You only have to take one year of this place. Live it up!" Dahlia put down the magazine and went to her closet. She pulled out several dresses. "This is what I'm wearing." She held up a satin red coctail dress. But you can borrow one of my others" She rummaged through the pile she had placed on her bed. "Blue would look absolutely stunning with your hair color."

Hermione turned around. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't. I have to study." Dahlia held up a dress. "No way," Hermione responded.

"At least try it on. It would be a short study break." Hermione slowly got up. "That's a good girl..." Hermione glared at her. "I'm only kidding! You really need to relax. Here, try this one on." Hermione slowly walked into the bathroom. Dahlia sat on her bed and picked her magazine up again.

"Are you happy now?" Hermione asked. Dahlia looked up to see her. She smiled.

"I knew it was the perfect dress for you!" She looked at her handiwork. The turquoise halter dress looked perfect on her figure. The strings around the neck connected at a silver metal ring right above her chest. The dress accented her figure without being too obnoxious. It was cut the same length as Dahlia's own, about six inches above the knees.

"Thanks but really –," Hermione started.

"Hermione dear, you really need a break. PLEASE go with me! Oh, these go with that dress." Dahlia interrupted, handing Hermione silver heels. "Now for your hair... which reminds me..." Dahlia jumped across her bed excitedly. She landed with a bounce that almost threw her to the other side. She reached into the top drawer on her desk. "Professor Shlurpskin said I could use his unused closet, which is huge by the way, to make a few personal items. He also said I could purchase ingredients from him for half the usual price. He and my mother used to be good friends...really good friends apparently..." She continued to search her drawer. "I don't know how they met exactly. It may have been school or... AH! Here it is!" She pulled a vial from the back. "Drink this!"

Hermione took the vial. It was a turquoise color, maybe a shade or so lighter than her dress...well, Dahlia's dress. She popped out the cork and chugged the drink. "This is disgusting..."

"Nobody ever said that beauty tasted good!" Dahlia laughed. Hermione began to feel dizzy. All the blood rushed to her head and she almost dropped to the floor. She caught her balance using Dahlia's bedpost, but her head was pounding. "It only lasts a second; at least that's what my mother told me."

"You mean you don't know!" Hermione cried. Suddenly her head was clear again. She stood up straight, still holding on to the bedpost just in case she was attacked again.

Dahlia pulled out a bag. "Just a little bit of eyeliner...mascara... and a little gloss. YES!" Dahlia clapped excitedly. "Please go with me!"

"Why do you want me to go so desperately?"

"A couple reasons. Just because we're roommates doesn't mean we are friends, but I want to be your friend, mostly because you are good at studying," Dahlia giggled. "And... I want everyone to see what I can do!"

"Huh?" Hermione glanced at Dahlia suspiciously. Dahlia put her bag down and pushed Hermione to the floor-length mirror. Hermione gasped.

"Aren't I good?" Dahlia smiled questioningly.

"Oh my god! Is that me?" Hermione stared at the image in the mirror. Dahlia was right. The dress did look good on her. The heels made her look taller and the halter made her shoulders look strong, but not in the bad way. Her hair hung in perfect curls draped over her shoulders. Her hair was amazing. Not a single strand was out of place, and it caught the light in all of the right places. There was a turquoise strip running down the front, right side. "I thought a little color closer to your eyes would make them pop. I added a little royalrose to the mixture. So what do you think?"

"There is no way I am going to that party..."

Ron and Harry stood outside the door. There were already a lot of people having fun inside. Harry looked at his watch. Where was Dahlia?

"Who is this guy again?" Ron asked. "Do we even know him?"

"No. Dahlia said he was her cousin. She told us to wait for her and he would let us in."

"Why are we even here if we don't know the guy?" Ron asked.

Harry looked at Ron. "Because Dahlia asked you to come. You couldn't say no and you dragged me here with you." Ron has been acting so strange around Dahlia lately. He didn't know how to feel about it. On one side, Hermione might get hurt if it kept up, but on the other Harry didn't know if Ron and Hermione would last. Hermione was always so organized and busy while Ron was just, well, Ron.

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late!"

"What took you so long?" Harry asked Dahlia. He turned to see her walking with another pretty girl. Figures, he thought. Is Ron going to have a hard time with this one too?

"Well, Hermione wasn't ready yet. I didn't pay attention to the time. We were having too much fun! Well, from a man's perspective, what do ya'll think?" Harry turned to the stranger. That was Hermione? She looked completely different.

"Wow, Hermione you look amazing! I didn't think you would come," Harry admitted.

Even Ron's attention turned from Dahlia. "Hermione," he breathed.

Hermione answered hopefully, "Yes Ron?"

"Hi." Ron continued to look at her. Dahlia laughed. Hermione smiled.

"Well, we can't just wait around outside. Shall we?"

For the first time since school had started, Ron rarely left Hermione's side. However, during those few times, other gentlemen took advantage of his absence. Many offered her a drink, others asked her to dance. Hermione continued to blush and decline their invitations. When Dahlia noticed this, she decided to help.

"Why not?" Dahlia asked. "If I had this many guys asking me to dance, I would."

Hermione let out a small laugh. "For one thing, you're probably used to many guys asking to dance anyway. Second, you actually know how to dance."

You don't?"

"Not really. I picked up a book on it once, but the only time I actually danced was at The Yule Ball when I was 14."

"Do you remember that dance?" Dahlia asked.

"A little..." Hermione replied.

"Then you have nothing to worry about! Now, the next guy that asks you to dance, you are going to say yes. Understand? Surely Ron won't care about a dance." Suddenly a tall, blonde boy came up to them.

"I know you've been asked several times, and you've said no each time, I was wondering," He flashed a warm smile. "Would you please dance with me?" Hermione looked at Dahlia. She was smiling. She winked at Hermione. Hermione turned back to the boy.

"Sure." He pulled her to the floor and grabbed her hand.

"I'm not much of a dancer." Hermione admitted to him.

"That's ok, just follow my lead. We'll move slow at first, then we can catch up to tempo." He moved his feet slowly. Hermione thought about the books she had read and tried to count in her head. She ended up stepping on his feet.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped.

"Don't think so much about your feet. Just talk to me. My name is Actovious. And you are Hermione, my cousin's roommate."

"You're Dahlia's cousin?" Hermione was shocked. This was the guy who could have such large parties and know almost everyone in the room personally.

"Yes, and you are actually a pretty good dancer when you relax." Hermione turned away and blushed. She saw Ron standing by the doorway. He didn't look too pleased. "You should get Dahlia to show you a few moves. She is the best dancer I've ever known."

"Really?" Hermione saw Dahlia walk up to Ron. He stopped glaring and turned to talk to her. He took her hand and they started to dance as well. That jealous jerk! Hermione didn't realize that they were moving faster.

"You're really getting the hang of this. We're up to normal pace and you're doing really well."

"Thanks." She smiled.

Harry sighed. He saw them both dancing, both jealous. Every once in a while he caught them glare at each other. Dahlia and the other guy didn't seem to know what was going on. They just continued dancing and chatting while their partners only half listened. He could already tell this was going to end in disaster.

"It looks like Hermione is having fun dancing with my cousin," Dahlia said.

"Yeah," Ron muttered continuing to looking in their direction. Dahlia noticed this. Why couldn't he pay attention to her? She was the one talking to him. She was the one dancing with him instead of some stranger that she had never met. I'll get his attention. "Ron?"

He turned to her. "Yeah?" She kissed him.

Harry's mouth fell open. Did he really just do what Harry thought he did?

Ron couldn't seem to pull away. He thought about Hermione, but... Dahlia? He kissed her back.

Hermione stopped dancing. She gaped. She couldn't move a muscle. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to Harry, who was trying to comfort her. Her shock turned to anger. She marched over to Ron and slugged him in the nose. "YOU IDIOT!" She ran from the room and out the front door. Everyone started muttering to each other. Nobody noticed Dahlia's smile.