A/N
Firstly, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who reviews good or negative! I love to get the feedback. You guys are the reason I update so quickly, the reason I push myself and that I write down ideas, conversations, and other things on post it notes at work.
Harry and Neville sat in the Head's office in silence for a long moment. Neville had asked Harry to come see him, though when Harry arrived he was suprised to find that Neville needed help with quite a different thing than patrolling. Harry hadn't seen Neville looked so nervous in a long whilte.
"So, what do you think? Is it too much?" Neville smoothed out his suit swallowing as he looked at Harry. Harry had become Neville's best friend. True they hadn't been particularly close before but, after studying' together, building an army together, fighting together, and now patrolling together, they two had grown quite close. Neville hated to admit it, but he had quickly begun to replace Ron in Harry's life.
"Neville." Harry had one hand on his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully as he looked at the young man before him.
"I can do more, if you think that it needs a little bit more." Harry quickly shook his head.
"No, no, Neville this. This is." Harry smiled at the taller boy. "This is awesome! I didn't know you could do charms work this well. In fact, I didn't know anyone could. You certainly fit the criteria of a mask." Harry stared at the young man he was proud to call one of his best friends. Neville was impressive. Instead of buying a simple mask, he had created one, using his own face.
"Do you really think so?" Neville asked smiling, flashing white canines, his feline nose upturning happily. Harry nodded looking at what he had accomplished. Successfully Neville had changed his face slightly, using charms as well as transfiguration, so that his features resembled that of an anthromorphic lion. "It was something Professor Langdon said off handedly in class. I guess I took it a little literally." Neville laughed along with Harry who nodded.
"Yeah, yeah you did mate. Did Professor Langdon help you?" Harry finally got the nerve the touch Neville's face. His fingers hitting the whiskers, touching one of Neville's now furry ears on top of his head, peaking out from a dark mane of hair.
"He pointed me toward the correct spells I would need, as did Flitwik, I really wanted to do this on my own though. I want to impress her." Even through the spells and glamour, Harry saw the way Neville's furry cheeks darkened.
"Ah the elusive 'her' are you ever going to tell me who she is exactly? Did she say yes to your invintation?" Harry asked curiously. He felt sorry for Neville when he'd told Harry he planned on asking someone. Not that Harry that a girl would turn him down, but that he still got the nervous jitters. Having a stead girlfriend helped with that, plus Ginny had to be original and she had asked him to go with her.
"Yes she did accept and I'll tell you who she is, if you don't recognize her at the party. She's going as a type of fish. I can't remember what it was called, Beta?" Neville shook his head. "The way she described it, I'm sure she'll look lovely."
"I'm sure she will. I'm happy for you mate." Harry clapped his friend on the shoulder, looking around for a minute, as if they weren't the only two in the office. "Say mate, do you think you could do all that to me? I'd love to know what I'd look like as a lion." The Head boy laughed though quickly nodded setting off to work on turning Harry into a lion as well.
That was how Hermione found them, the pair of them had taken turns standing in front of a mirror using charms to make themselves roar like lions, seeing at who did it the most convincingly. They didn't even notice her when she walked into the room. Hermione blinked, once, twice, three times, and shut the door walking away from them. Though there was no doubt in her mind, she'd be sharing that memory with Ginny later.
Hermione had a date with Ginny to be exact, her stomach churned. They had exactly six hours before the Masque. Hermione had been up since the crack of dawn with last minute plans. Making sure all the decorations were in place, that McGonagall was sober, the woman had taken a liking to wine lately it seemed, Hermione felt positively worn out, though that had just been the start of her day. The first of the week, Hermione had spent it meticulously, avoiding Draco. Even going so far as to make up excuses to Professor Langdon, and Slughorn, that she had important Head duties to attend. Now, she had to go through the hell that would be Ginny doing her hair, makeup, and getting her into her dress.
"Hermione!" Ginny all but assaulted the girl as she entered her room.
"Ginny, how long have you been in my room?" Hermione asked though the girl didn't give her a minute to breathe before she pushed her into a chair, already running a brush through Hermione's hair. Though she didn't have to pull it, Hermione had used George's potion again that morning, much to everyone's surprise. Hermione barely had a moment to look at her friend. Ginny was already dressed herself, done her hair and makeup. As Ginny tugged at her hair Hermione had to settle for looking at the girl's dress.
The dress had a sweetheart cut, the top had little tuffs of fur. The dress a violent, vibrant shade of red, the bottom of it curling in flames of white, Ginny wore heels to match the beautiful white. Strictly a a type dress, it was floor length, though not poofy in the least. As Ginny finished with Hermione's hair, she washed the girl's face, instructing her t close her eyes.
An hour later, Hermione finally got to open her eyes. Ginny backed away from her friend, a wide smile spreading across her face. Ginny's own hair was up in a high ponytail, a darker red as she said with the end a vivid white. A little bump at the top hit the elegance she'd been seeking. Ginny went for simple, yet classy make up. Black eyeliner, catlike, with nothing but gloss on her lips.
"You my dear, you are perfect." Ginny took a wide brush, burshing on gold shimmer over Hermione's entire face. She'd given the girl full ruby lips, and dark, shadowed eyes that would blend in with her mask. Though her hair had looked glorious straight, Ginny had pinned it back in an elegant knot at the nape of Hermione's neck, to show off the girl's wonderfully sleek neck.
"Oh come on Ginny, you look great. There's no way that." Hermione's words stopped as Ginny held a mirror. Hermione barely recognized herself. Her brown eyes looked huge, with more green than she had ever seen in them. Though Hermione was sure it was because of the gold Ginny had dusted around her face. With the red on her lips it made Hermione's skin almost glow, a beautiful opalesque white. "Ginny, what have you done? I don't even look like me."
"Of course you do Hermione." Ginny laughed picking up her mask and tying the satin string carefully, as to not mess up her masterpiece. "Just, a butterfly type of you." The feathers on Hermione's mask minded together curling up, painted elegantly into butterfly wings. "Come on 'Mione stand up, we need to get you into your dress." Ginny pulled Hermione's dress out of the closet, she'd sprayed perfume in the bag, letting the light, floral and vanilla scent build on the material.
"I'm still not sure why we went with a corset Ginny." Hermione grumbled as Ginny used the side zipper before beginning to tug and pull at the ribbons on the back. Hermione sucked in a breath as the girl tightened it. Though it hadn't been too tight, Hermione could still take breaths. They had also added sleeves to Hermione's dress, though the sleeves hung off her shoulders, on the tops of her arms and were made entirely of lace, much like the design in black on her dress.
"Remember Hermione, corset's make your waist look small and your breasts look bigger, though I don't think you really needed help with that." Ginny smirked a little finishing with the corset and backing away from her friend. "Really 'Mione you shouldn't keep those puppies in all the time. Guys love them after all." Hermione blushed popping Ginny on the hand softly. "What?" Even in her sexy dress, and daring makeup,Ginny some how looked at her friend innocently.
"What would your Mother say Ginny." Hermione muttered darkly as Ginny swept down quickly, picking up each of Hermione's feet, one at a time, placing her shoes on her feet.
"My Mother would say that I'm a pervert, but she would also say that I shouldn't worry, my own breasts will surely blossom when I have my first child." Both of the girl's giggled, though both of them knew that it was true. Ginny would keep her figure for awhile, but parts of her would certainly bloom after pregnancy, all in a good way though.
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked as they left Hermione's room.
"Oh, Harry is planning something special, he told me that he wants to meet me on the dance floor." Hermione's brow arched as Ginny placed the flat white mask over her eyes. Simple had been Ginny's overall theme. She didn't worry if Harry knew who he was dancing with.
"He wants to meet you on the dance floor? That's quite romantic of him."
"It's weird I know but hey, who am I to stop the man I love from doing romantic things for me." Ginny smiled delightfully as the two made their way down to the dungeons, passing others as they did. Some heading toward the dungeons, others toward the Great Hall. Ginny's heels clicking softly on the floor, Hermione's dress shuffling.