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The morning of Saturday was full of bittersweet joy. Millicent had stolen one of her roommate's old hair bows, and charmed it to sit at her neck instead. It shone in vivid rainbow colors, a very expensive and high-quality ribbon indeed. Millicent felt like she had to display some sort of patriotism. If she was coming… out… as a queer (a queer? was that the right word? she had no idea and thinking about it too hard made her want to sink into a puddle of goo) she might as well make a whole-hog effort at it.

Speaking of a whole hog effort… she'd been unable to stop eating since asking Hermione out on their date, and she had gained about half a stone in the week. The extra weight made her feel a trifle off-balance, and it had settled mostly in her belly. At least that was a refreshing change from where it usually landed, her back-breaking breasts.

Of course this impacted her self-esteem frightfully, and while she was wearing her favorite jumper and brushed every cat hair off her robes, had her roommate trim her short hair, and otherwise made herself quite presentable, the feeling of being less than svelte made her feel insecure.

Honeyduke's was open at 9, and Millicent was there at that precise moment. As she followed Professor Sinistra from the castle to the village, Millicent breathed in deeply the cold fresh January air. This was the first Hogsmeade trip since before Christmas, and there was leftover Christmas money burning a hole in peoples' pockets, Millicent's included.

She enjoyed the smell of the air, which was sweet and clean. The sun was bright and warm, and as it brushed against the limbs of the bare trees, it cast bleak shadows across the ground. It had snowed the night before, and there were deep banks on either side of the path, which had been cleared for the day's journey. As the fifty or so students who'd gotten up early for the first trip to the village marched, their voices chipper and cheerful as they crunched along in their boots, Millicent watched as startled birds took off from the branches, sending slushy piles of snow to the ground from the trees.

She'd gotten up early because Hermione had said they were meeting at Honeyduke's, and candy was serious business for her. Millicent didn't intend to purchase her usual vast assortment in front of Hermione, in front of whom she fully intended to demonstrate restraint.

Imagine her surprise and frustration when, after purchasing and sipping a hot chocolate from a small stand in the square, she saw Hermione sitting on the stoop of the candy store, a book in her gloved hands as she waited for the proprietor to open the door.

"Ah, good morning," Millicent said, trying her best to really act the part. "Seems you couldn't be more excited to see me, eh?"

Hermione cast an appraising look at Millicent, and nodded. "About right," she said, and her smile was cautious, but warm. "Is that hot chocolate?" she asked.

"Yes," Millicent said, and thrust the cup at Hermione. "Have some if you like."

"Don't mind if I do," Hermione said, and took the heavy mug, and she sipped it. "It's really good," she murmured after a generous swallow or two. There was a bit of whipped cream on her upper lip.

"You've, erm," Millicent began, and reached up to wipe away the cream.

Hermione, in the same moment, raised her own sleeve to wipe it away. Their hands bumped awkwardly.

"Oh, sorry," they both said, and then both laughed nervously.

"What are you reading?" Millicent asked, trying to deflate the tension.

"Nothing special," Hermione said, and MIllicent knew immediately this was a lie. Hermione Granger didn't read 'nothing special,' she was fascinated by everything and anything.

Millicent, in response, gestured for Hermione to raise the book so she could see the cover.

Fortifying herself with another sip of the hot chocolate, Hermione flipped the book closed. "Potions and Oxidation: Practice and Applications," she read aloud the title, and then took another sip of the hot chocolate. Then she proffered the cup back to Millicent. "Thank you for sharing, that was sweet of you."

"Eh," Millicent said, and hazarded, "Glad you like it."

She proceeded to put her lips on the rim of the cup, exactly where she guessed Hermione had put them.

It gave her a rush of pleasure to notice that, just like her, Hermione didn't wear makeup - no lip gloss or lipstick at all. How beautifully uncommon. It made Millicent want to press her lips to Hermione's just to taste and see what it was like to kiss her.

Yes, well, that sort of experiment wasn't exactly uncalled for during a date. Just not quite yet. Millicent knew better than to push her luck.

As it happened, as she threw back the final dregs of the hot chocolate, the thick whipped cream that hadn't melted slipping down the sides into her waiting cavernous mouth, the door jangled. "It's a bit early, but it's cold outside, girls," said the proprietress, a short fat dimpled woman with bright pink hair. "Do come in. I won't be having you catch your death of colds on my doorstep."

The proprietress opened the door, and motioned for them to enter.

"Erm," Millicent said, and didn't have a chance to answer as Hermione stood up, brushed a bit of snow off her well-rounded arse, and slipped in the door gently opened for them.

Millicent had no sufficient response in time, so she followed Hermione into the candy store.

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