Chapter Twenty Six
Hermione was sitting in the library looking at a complex Ancient Runes translation, thinking not at all about school work.
Daphne dropped her bag next to her and dug out her books, "Are you all right?"
Hermione looked up, "What? Oh yeah I'm fine."
"What's on you mind?" Daphne asked.
Hermione sighed, "I'm just not sure that I'm… well… good enough to go out with someone like Viktor. Look at me."
"What are you talking about?" Daphne asked.
"My hair, and my teeth and everything." she sighed, in truth she'd felt nothing but sick at the thought of being on show with Viktor Krum, it was the main reason she hadn't told anyone.
"You really are much more pretty than you realise." Daphne said, reaching for her hand.
Hermione smiled, "I just don't know what to do without making me not look like myself. And I really do hate my teeth."
"You know what; don't like your teeth? Just shrink them!" Daphne said, "I know your parents don't want you to but it's your body."
Hermione sighed, "I don't even know the spell."
"Madam Pomfrey will." Daphne pointed out.
Hermione nodded, it would make her feel a lot better if she didn't constantly feel like a rabbit, with Tracy Davis sticking her teeth out to mock her every time she got the chance.
"And for everything else you have me and Pansy." Daphne grinned, "Why don't you come dress shopping with us day after tomorrow?"
Hermione nodded, "I would love to. I do already have a dress though. Could I get your opinion on it?"
Daphne smiled, "Of course. Meet me and Pansy here tomorrow, just after lunch and we'll have a good girly talk."
Hermione grinned. She felt a lot better already and could finally set her mind to her school work.
The next afternoon, Hermione took her mother's old dress into the library to find Daphne and Pansy waiting.
"You went to Madam Pomfrey then?" Daphne asked, "Feel better?"
Hermione nodded, "Much. It's actually made a huge difference to me eating as well. I never realised just how often I bit my tongue before."
Madam Pince glared at them for making to much noise.
"Lets find an empty classroom." Pansy suggested, grabbing a large bag.
It wasn't difficult to find an empty classroom, it being a Saturday, and they went inside. Daphne and Pansy moved the desks to the side of the room so they had plenty of room to walk.
"So lets see the dress!" Pansy said excitedly.
Hermione waved her wand and a set of table cloths turned themselves into a screen. She slipped behind and pulled on the dress.
It was a beautiful periwinkle blue with slightly puffed sleeves and very floaty. It had been her mother's, some after school dance that she'd been to when she was a couple of years older than Hermione was. As a result, it was slightly to long and a little baggy at the waist.
"What do you think?" Hermione asked, pulling at a stray bit of hair.
"You look really nice." Daphne smiled.
Hermione just wasn't sure, "It was my Mum's."
"We could take it in to fit better if you wanted?" Pansy offered, seeing Hermione pulling at the spare fabric.
"I just don't know. I don't want to change it." Hermione said, "It just… it doesn't feel like me. Does that make sense?"
"Maybe we could look for something else tomorrow?" Daphne suggested kindly, "If you wanted something a bit different?"
Hermione smiled and nodded, "Thank you. I'm not sure what I want."
Daphne waved her wand and turned the small hand mirror she'd brought along into a full length one.
"You really do look very pretty." Pansy assured her.
Hermione nodded, "Thanks. I just don't want to upstage anyone you know but at the same time I don't want to look too-"
"Hermione, this is your night!" Daphne said, "Apart from Fleur you should be the centre of attention."
Hermione blushed.
"We mean it." Pansy said, "You're a guest of a champion, which means that the centre of attention should be Harry, Viktor, Fleur and Cedric followed by whoever Fleur is taking, Daphne, Cho and you!"
Hermione looked unsure, "It's just… I've never been any good at the whole 'girl' thing."
Daphne and Pansy laughed gently.
"Don't worry about it." Daphne smiled, "That's what you have us for."
Hermione grinned, "So what should we work on first?"
Pansy pulled out a full length petticoat and heels, "Time to change again."
Hermione took them and took off her dress, putting her shirt back on and the petticoat. Even with the heels it still brushed the floor.
"How high are these?" Hermione said, feeling very unsteady.
"Only three inches." Pansy said, "Even I'm allowed to wear them."
"You need to walk more confidently," Daphne said, changing into a higher, and thinner, pair of heels herself, "like this."
She walked up and down the classroom, head high and wiggling her hips.
"Pretend like you've just come best ever in a test." Pansy grinned, hopping up to sit on one of the desks.
Hermione laughed and tried to wiggle her hips like Daphne. She thought she was going to fall flat on her face but it really did make it a lot easier.
"Ok." Daphne smiled, "Now pretend I'm Viktor for a moment, take my arm."
Hermione did, clinging onto Daphne, "Well this isn't right." she said, "How come I'm more unsteady now?"
Daphne smiled, "Because you're holding on. Simply place your arm on top of his, you should barely touch him."
Hermione nodded and tried again, this time hovering her arm over Daphne's and walking forward. Pansy clapped well done, after a couple of laps of the classroom it was looking much better.
Pansy went over and put a book on Hermione's head before taking her seat again.
"Really?" Hermione asked, the book wobbling precariously.
"You keep dipping your head a little." Pansy said, "It's how I learned."
Hermione straightened her head and tried walking once again. It was a lot to remember, wiggle your hips, head straight, keep the book still, arm strong and straight. By tea time, Pansy and Daphne declared that Hermione was walking as well as any well born lady.
Hermione felt very pleased with herself as she changed into her normal clothes, buzzing with excitement over dress shopping the next day.
In fact, she hardly slept she was so excited, she didn't even really want to admit she was getting so excited over a dress that she would only wear once.
The thing was she'd never been dress shopping, she'd never even had a girl's day out.
Daphne and Pansy met up with her at the Entrance Hall after breakfast and they trudged through the snow to Hogsmead. Daphne lead them quickly inside a plain looking shop, the shutters still closed.
Hermione blew on her fingers to warm them as the small bell tinkled over head. A smart looking witch dressed in white came over and greeted Daphne and Pansy,
"Lady Daphne, Miss Pansy, a pleasure to have you today." she smiled, "And who is this?"
"This is our friend, Hermione Granger." Pansy said, "Hermione this is Madam Nancy Owens, she runs the dress shop here."
"Mama and Papa arranged for the shop to be closed for the morning so we could shop." Daphne explained.
Hermione was too stunned for words at that really, "You closed the shop?"
"So you could shop in peace my dear." Madam Owens said kindly, "So what sort of things are you looking for?"
Both Daphne and Pansy pulled out bits of paper and handed them over.
"Prepared as always." Madam Owens smiled, "You do take the fun out of my job."
Daphne laughed, "Well we wanted to leave plenty of time for Hermione."
"I'll take these to the girls in the back, they should be done in just an hour or two." Madam Owens said, disappearing behind a rich, velvet curtain.
Hermione looked over several of the dresses nearby and felt the colour drain from her face, "Daphne, Pansy, I'm sorry but there is no way I can afford these." she whispered.
Daphne waved her hand, "Don't worry about it."
"Madam Owens has agreed to supply us with three dresses." Pansy smiled, "It's all taken care of."
Hermione felt her insides squirm a little, "Are you sure? This is more than my months allowance. I will pay you back though."
Daphne walked over and took her hands, "Hermione, please let us do this for you. It's nothing to our parents but we had so much fun yesterday and you're our friend."
"This is what friends do for each other." Pansy smiled.
"But…" Hermione didn't know what to say.
"It's already been paid for." Daphne told her, "If you don't get a dress it's not going to cost any less."
Hermione nodded, she knew Pansy and Daphne weren't going to back down on this issue and she didn't want them to feel uncomfortable. The idea of having such a beautiful dress filled her with joy.
"Right, your orders are in, ladies." Madam Owens returned, "Now for you!"
Hermione held her arms out straight as Madam Owens took a tape measure and took detailed measurements over Hermione.
"How old are you?" she asked.
"Umm, fifteen." Hermione said.
"Excellent." Madam Owens said, "What sort of feel do you want your dress to have?"
Hermione thought, "Like I'm a princess. Like everyone will be looking at me, but they wont even recognise me." she blushed.
"Perfect." Madam Owens said, "And what a beautiful princess you will make. Your date, what is he like? Handsome or plain? Tall or short? Age?"
"Handsome, tall-ish and eighteen." Hermione said.
"And he'll be wearing red." Pansy added.
"So you should also be wearing red?" Madam Owens smiled.
Hermione didn't know.
"Won't the carpet be red?" Daphne said.
Madam Owens shook her head, "No, it's Hogwarts purple. I should know, I've made it. Ooo red will look good, you will be such a striking couple."
Hermione smiled as Madam Owens quickly sketched out a design. It only took a few minutes before she handed the drawing pad to Hermione.
"If there is anything you want me to change just say." she smiled.
Hermione looked down at the drawing and felt her breath catch, it was the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen. The sweetheart neckline on the bodice clinched in at her waist and then flared out in a ball gown skirt. The bodice was covered in white embroidery which was mirrored on the outer layer of organza that made up the skirt.
Hermione nodded, "It's beautiful. I'm just not sure I'm going to be able to pull it off."
"Hermione stop putting yourself down!" Pansy said, "You will look amazing."
"You just have to think about it logically. You're nearly a grown up women now so showing off a little cleavage isn't the end of the world. The red will match Viktor and you wont be matching any of the other champions or their guests." Daphne said.
"How do you know?" Hermione said, "What the others will be wearing I mean."
"Well Cho won't wear red as it's the Chinese colour for marriage, it would completely wash Fleur out with her being so pale, my guess would be ice blue or silver there and Daphne is wearing green." Pansy said.
Hermione looked at them and laughed, "How do you know all these things?"
Daphne and Pansy smirked.
"You learn after a while." Madam Owens said, "So shall I order this?"
Hermione nodded, "Why not? It's only one night, might as well make the most of it."
"You also will need to pick out shoes and a head dress." Madam Owens said, she handed over a book filled with a hundred or more different types of shoes, "Just pick the pattern you want and step into the box just over there, it will measure your feet so they fit perfectly. Then we will have them made in the fabric to match the bodice of the dress. Head dresses are over there."
Hermione opened the book as Daphne and Pansy huddled round. Hermione had never ever seen so many types of shoes and didn't know where to start.
Daphne picked a pair of elegant strappy stilettos while Pansy went for some simple Mary-Jane court shoes.
Hermione, after much deliberation, pick a pair of Victorian mid-calf lace up boots and a holly and red berry coronet to complete the Christmas look.
The foot measuring box felt like Hermione had just stepped into a warm bowl of slightly thick water and was very pleasant.
They ate a few small cakes and sipped elderflower wine while talking about make-up for the next hour, watching the snow fall outside. Hermione could hardly contain her excitement when Madam Owens told her to step into dressing room three.
Hermione was expecting the small poky dressing rooms that most Muggle shops had, but this was bigger than her dorm room. Madam Owens helped her step into the dress, the mirrors covered for the time being.
"As I'm sure you can feel, the dress is fully boned so you wont need a bra or corset with it." Madam Owens explained, helping her into her new shoes, which were by far the most comfortable Hermione had ever had.
"Are you ready?" Madam Owens said, holding onto the corner of the curtain covering the mirrors.
Hermione's nerves failed, and she shook her head, "No. I want my friends to see me first, please."
Madam Owens smiled and nodded, "Of course." She was used to people being a little nervous of how they looked all dressed up.
She helped Hermione down from the small stool she had been standing on and lead her back through to the show room.
Pansy and Daphne were already there, wearing their own dresses.
"You look… wow." Daphne said, as Hermione came in.
Hermione blushed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, "Thanks."
"We mean it Hermione, you look amazing." Pansy said, "I'm kind of jealous."
Hermione laughed, "Thank you both, so very very much."
Pansy took her hand and lead her over to the mirror. Hermione felt her breath catch as she saw herself.
The bright red of the dress matched her pale skin and the brown of her hair. The corset bones in the bodice smoothed and nipped in her waist before the skirt flared out giving her a perfect hourglass figure.
"Do you like it Hermione?" Madam Owens asked, "How do you feel?"
Hermione smiled, "Like a princess. It's perfect, thank you."
Madam Owens smiled, "It's my pleasure." she checked her pocket watch, "I do hate to rush you but I need to open in half an hour or so, would you like to take the dresses with you or shall I send them up to the school."
"Send them to the school please." Daphne said, "I wouldn't want them to get damp in this weather."
Madam Owens smiled and nodded before leaving them for a few minutes to show the dresses off to one another.
Hermione sat down with a surprising amount of ease to look over Daphne and Pansy.
Daphne looked very grown up, wearing an emerald green gown that hugged her figure before becoming looser from her knees and gently falling to the floor with a small train. It showed off her long legs and curvy figure without showing much skin; even her arms were covered in a matching lace to a point at her finger tips.
Pansy had gone in a different direction, her dress was lighter, more silvery green and made her look like a Tudor court lady. The skirt flared from her waist at the side and back while a stiff point at the front of the bodice added shape and style to the gown. She had a panel of bead work along the middle of the bodice that was mirrored around the bottom of the skirt.
They both looked amazing.
Hermione was very sad to take her dress off and saw it packed away in a box with her new shoes and headdress. It was by far the most beautiful dress she's ever owned and even the idea of Viktor seeing her in it made her feel like smiling.
They left the dress shop, buzzing with excitement. Hermione had never been so excited since she'd gotten her Hogwarts letter. The Yule Ball was going to be amazing, she couldn't wait for Viktor to see her in her dress.