Hermione Granger and the wishing stone

I suppose the marauders have darkened my thoughts to their entire family. Despite the fact that the eldest Weasley currently attending Hogwarts is nothing like his younger brothers. Not that he’s any more likable. Percy Weasley may not involve himself in pranks but he lords his position as both Prefect and the son of the Minister over everyon’s head. Honestly at the beginning of last year when I saw that there was yet another Weasley being sorted into Griffindor my heart sank. And as I have stated in previous entries, my initial thoughts on Rebekka Mirielle Black was that she was a self centered egotistical twit.

Today however I find I must take back everything I have ever thought or said about the two girls. I have never really liked the way I look. My hair is dull brown and frizzy, my eyes the same dull as my hair, and my front teeth are a little too long. Or at least they were. Weasley had been making fun of my teeth, for probably the hundredth time since we started school together, so I hexed him with Densaugeo to show him what having big teeth would really be like before I escaped to the girl’s dormitory to read in semi-peace.

That hadn’t lasted long of course, I had been expecting Brown, since she hangs off Weasley like he’s some sort of god, but instead Ginny and Bekka found their way to my side. They didn’t throw insults or curses, didn’t tell me what a horrible know-it-all I was. They laughed at how stupid Weasley looked and then before I could protest Bekka had drawn her wand, shrunk my front teeth to a size she said ‘fit me just right’ and cast a relaxing spell on my hair.

Being doted on by two girls who should have been my enemies was strange enough, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get use to Bekka’s attention. Her mother is half Veela, which gives her that unnatural beauty that draws every man who sets eyes on her. But despite how pretty she is, and that her father is a high ranking Auror with almost as many awards as Potter’s, she’s really very sweet and very nice.

Butterflies thundered in Hermione’s stomach as she looked one last time in the full length mirror that hung on her door. The wings, that before had shoulder straps to keep them in place, had been spelled so that they acted as if they were real, opening and closing when she thought about them and were attacked with nothing more then a simple adhering spell.

“You look absolutely stunning.” Came a soft whimsical voice from behind her.

The younger girl had decided to take an almost muggle interpretation on dragons with her costume, she wore a long shimmering black dress that clasped behind her neck, leaving her shoulders and back bare, hugged her curves and fell to the tips of the matching stilettos that wrapped her otherwise bare feet. Her skin had been charmed to look like it was covered in opalescent scales that shimmered and changed in the light. Small horns curled around her raven locks that had been pulled from her shoulders into an elegant twist. “I think Luna did a fabulous job. The costume fits you perfectly, and just like at the Yule ball you are going to be admired by everyone there.”

The blush intensified.

“And if Draco sees you dressed like this and doesn’t make a move then he’s out of his mind.” Ginny chimed in from where she sat at the edge of Hermione’s bed. The red head had decided she would dress as phoenix, her long flowing dress had been made of feathers which had been charmed to glow like fire, matching feathers had been layered into her hair, which seemed to writhe like flames around her head. In the low light of her room Hermione felt that the youngest Weasley looked more like the physical incarnation of a Fyrefiend spell then a Phoenix, but both fiery creatures fit the red head’s personality perfectly in the older girl’s opinion.

“He’s just trying to find the right way to show her how much he likes her.” The dreamy quality in Luna’s voice seemed to have been intensified by her costume. Her long gold locks had wisps of cerulean and cobalt running through them, matching glittering powder sweeping around her eyes giving the girl an almost ethereal look. The dress she wore was little more then an Azure corset of satin adorn with gossamer cloth at the shoulders and hem, the sky blue fabric falling against the cream of her thighs and forearms. Long glittering blue stockings were pulled up over her knees, and like the other girls in the room she wore a pair of heals that made her legs look longer and more slender then usual. A set of fairy wings, that had been conjured to appear as if they were made of soft blue light fluttered of their own accord on her back.

“How about ‘I love you’? Or, ‘I adore you’? Or at the very least; ‘I want to jump your bones’?” Ginny offered.

Clearing her throat Hermione did her best not to blush farther as the red head once again brought the subject to sex. “We should get going.” She offered as she moved to pull open the door. “After all Ginny, I’m sure Neville is pacing the Great Hall by now.”

Ginny and Luna stood from where they had been seated, the red head grinning broadly. “Don’t be silly ‘Mione. I told him that once he was finished getting changed he should swing by and pick me up here. He’s probably downstairs with Draco right now.”

The brown haired girl’s desire to escape the conversation turned into a sense of urgency. Draco didn’t get along with any of the Marauders and being alone with Neville for any length of time would only sour his mood. Throwing open the door she didn’t bother to wait for the others as she swept down the stairs toward the common room.

She had expected to see the two boys verbally, if not physically at each other’s throats. Instead she found them standing on either side of main door, their eyes trained on her as she stepped from the last stair.

Had she not known it was Neville, she never would have recognized him. His entire body had been transfigured, turning him from the tall wide shouldered young man he was into an even taller, if not slightly less stocky, merman. His skin was grey and scaly, shinning in the fire light as if it would be either wet or slimy to the touch, his eyes yellow and far set from his wide flat nose. Long dark purple tentacles, fell from his head and curled around his shoulders almost limply and small fins ran down the length of his spine, his calves and his forearms. He wore a pair of ripped, frayed jeans that barely hung on his hips and nothing else. She could only guess the pants were more out of the need to not be ejected from the social then modesty, but she was still grateful for it. He smiled when he saw her, jagged yellowed teeth glinting in contrast to his thin gray lips. “Looking good Hermione.”

Draco glanced to the other boy, his features darkening for a moment before he turned his full attention back to her. “You look stunning.” He corrected. The costume he had bought the weekend before had been modified, the crest on the front of the black linen tunic transfigured to the Slytherin crest, the fake chain mail worn underneath had been turned into the real thing, black dragon hide boots were pulled over the tight black pants he wore. He looked every bit the part of the knight, ready to run into the thick of battle to defend her honor.

“Thank you.” She stated, blushing softly. “The others are right behind me.” She added, even as the remaining three girls made their way past her and into the common room.

“Will you two just get on with it already?” Bekka’s voice broke through the haze that had filled Hermione’s mind.

Blinking a few times she realized that all eyes were on her, clearing her throat she forced herself not to look back at Draco and instead concentrate on moving toward the door. “Looks like we’re all ready. Shall we go?”

The others gave small nods or murmurs of affirmation before following her into the hall and heading toward the great hall.