A bejeweled Susan Bones haunted Harry, giving a coy wink as she kissed him. He let out a moan, before they lay back on the bed, Susan to his right.

"Harry." A breathless voice murmured into his left ear.

"Susan." He replied.

Wait a secound. Susan was to his right, fluttering her eyelids, and yet her voice was in his left ear . . .

"Morning." A cheery voice said, barely hiding the laughter threatening to spill over. "Nice dreams?" Neville Longbottom teased.

"Shut up. It's not like we didn't hear you the other day, moaning over bloody Padma Patil." Harry threw a sock at his friends head.

Over the last couple of weeks Neville had been a great friend. In a way, almost more so than Ron had ever been. They had become almost brothers, and Harry thought that perhaps if his parents wishes had been obeyed, they would of found this companionship earlier in life. Shaking his head Harry gave a grin at neville's blush. Although Dumbledore would most certainly pay, he did not want to be thinking about that on a day like today. A day when they had very important things to do.

"Neville, what were you coming to wake me up for anyway?" Harry asked, a faint gin still on his face as the other boy scowled.

"Hermione has a fitting, and you know as well as me that if we let her go alone she'll come back with a sack." Neville rolled his eyes.

"Let Merlin help us." Harry rolled his eyes, jumping up and chucking a pair of Muggle jeans on.

The two boys walked down the stairs, teasing each other about their interests and neville ribbing Harry about some mail that he had received, but was yet to open.

"Guys!" Hermione gave the boys a look. "Why didn't you tell me that Mademoiselle Estee was coming today? Your grandmother had to tell me and it was humiliating that my friends did not!" Hermione gave them a glare, and placed her hands on her hips.

"Hermione if we told you, you would of faked sick or something." Neville stepped forward, for once showing his 'Gryffindor courage' and surprising his fellow companions. "Don't lie. We all know it's true."

"Well excuse me if I don't want to be a charity case!" Hermione exclaimed, giving Neville a frosty glare.

'Hermione, as much as you hate it you're my charge." Harry gave her a glare. "I'm not going to have you wearing the same thing everyday. That would be a disgrace. And also I want, we all want you to show society exactly what you're made up of. Now are you going to be okay and not give us trouble?"

"Fine." Hermione returned Harry's glare, still not happy he was her legal guardian. "But this issue is not over."

The boys exchanged bemused looks, before walking to the breakfast table.

"What's your new fashions?" Lady Longbottom asked Mademoiselle Estee, who was practically bouncing on her feet.

Augusta Longbottom had volunteered to help, as she was a society matron, and she did have a bit of a grasp around fashion and fashion Houses, and therefore might be more useful to Hermione than either of the boys would.

"Well, the Japanese rage at the moment is high collared-" Estee was cut off immediately.

"I'm not an idiot Mademoiselle. High collars belong in the sixteenth century." Lady Longbottom said in a clipped tone.

"Well, I thought that that might be the case. The Americans have devised this wonderful material that can cling at certain areas of the body and float in others. It's like a silk." She picked up a couple of gowns.

"Go on." Lady Longbottom gave her assent, slightly intrigued.

"Well, you want Em Granger to be . . . sophisticated, yet not stuffy, so I think that these robes are the perfect combination." She gave a quick smile, before moving on. "They are my latest. Personally I think that the blue would be best." She pointed out a deep blue, with a shimmer through out it. "It will grasp at the . . ."

She continued on, as Harry turned to Neville. "I'm so bored."

"Well, that was fairly obvious." Neville rolled his eyes, flicking his wand at a plant, changing it's colours.

As Harry had found out, in magical households wizards did not have to be over age to use magic. They could simply use another's wand, or (if one was willing to pay a hefty fee) get the traced removed. All they needed was a magical guardian to vouch for them.

Or in the case of Neville and Harry, there was a registered adult wizard or witch in their household and therefore all magic would be seemingly performed by then.

In effect, the only people who couldn't use magic at homes were muggleborns.

It was a system for tracking and oppressing them as Harry had realised. It gave an unfair advantage to pure and halfbloods. they could practice year round, and gain an advantage on the others. However there really was nothing he could currently do about it.

"Let's do something fun!" Harry gave a whine, much to Neville's annoyance.

He was purposely doing it. Neville knew that. harry knew that. But no one was going to say anything. It was an unspoken rule.

"What do you want to do?" Neville sighed, pulling his wand back towards him.

"I don't know!" Harry despaired.

"You have to go get ready soon." Lady Longbottom called out.

"What for? It's three hours away!" Neville shouted back, much to his strict grandmothers annoyance.

"In those three hours you need to help Hermione. Don't argue with me. Go get dressed." She glared, causing the boys to practically wet their pants, before they scampered away.

Neville was allowed to grow some back bone. She wanted him to. But he definitely was not allowed to show it to her.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry acted like a teen boy for once, moaning and whining.

It was good for him. Lady Augusta noted. Good to him. Both of them. They had teased each other, acted like brothers. Neville was happier than she had seen him in a long time, and although she doted on his childhood playmates, Neville did need another who was bright, cheerful, playful.

"She's still getting ready. Sit up straight." The matron of society snapped.

"How does it take two hours to get ready for a bloody ball?" Neville swore.

"Neville Longbottom! I do not want to hear you utter a curse again in your life!" Lady Longbottoms eyes heated up at that, showing her anger. "But as you would not know, a proper young lady takes a considerable amount of time. They don't just chuck on their robes and use a charm to flatten their hair quickly."

"Yes grandmother." Neville rolled his eyes, before muttering a curse under his breath (to Harry's amusement), that though his grandmother definitely heard, she did not call him on it.

"Harry can you help me with this earring? None of us can quite get it, and you are the star Seeker." Hermione teased, her voice calling down the stairs.

Neville gave a grin at that, before Harry rolled his eyes at the teasing and walked up the stairs. "What's with the earr - oh wow."

If Harry thought that Hermione looked beautiful at the Yule Ball, it was nothing compared to how she looked now.

The dress she wore was a deeper blue than her Yule dress, making her appear older, more mature. It was low cut, with a long flowing skirt, and the robes' arms were long, flared and the dark silk was enchanting.

Mademoiselle Estee looked on in delight, taking in the girls half up hair, in loose curls and the dramatic jewelry of diamonds and sapphires, that no one had the heart to tell her were real yet.

"Thanks I guess." She gave a self conscious smile. "Looking dapper yourself."

Like most of the men at the Ministry Ball, Harry wore dark robes, and had attempted to tame his hair in honor of the night.

"Now you gonna help me or what?" She held out the earring and Harry found the ear piercing, and slipped it into the hole.

Ezza the elf gave a clap of joy. "Miss is ready!"

"You look beautiful Mione. Really." Harry grinned, happy to be with his sister.

"Thanks." She smiled shyly.

"You ready to go impress Theo?" Harry grinned.

Hermione's mouth dropped open before she gave a slight grin and elbowed him lightly in her stomach.

"And this years newcomers!" The announcer called. "The charming Lord Harry Potter and his beautiful companion, Em Hermione Granger!"

You could of heard a pin drop.

okay. wow.

15000+ hits. 123 followers. 69 (heehee) favs. EIGHT CHAPTERS.

thankyouthankyouthankyouthan kyou!

big shout out to some regulars - Professor (Em) Grey, god of all, dault3883, and more but i dont actually remember you as of now! :/

some action next chapter - as in we see the Weasleys and Dumbledore! oh oh.

longer chapters - its a weekend, so i have more time, and i try to update daily.