Quicksilver

Quicksilver
(title subject to change)
story rating NC-17
pairing: DM/HG

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, etc. are the sole property and copyright of the lovely J.K. Rowling. This story is for entertainment purposes only and is in no way affiliated with the original Harry Potter novel series or the Warner Bros. films.

This story contains minor violence, some adult language, and overt sexuality.

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Chapter 5
You Better Shop Around

It was two weeks before Christmas holidays and the Yule Ball. Many of the young witches were buzzing with excitement, as it had been announced the previous month that the dress code for the Ball would be muggle formal wear, just for a little extra novelty and fun. To many Hogwarts students, this was almost the equivalent of a costume party.

Hermione\'s father had sent quite a bit of money to her as sort of an early part of her Christmas gifts, so she bought two train tickets to London so that she and Ginny could shop for dresses. She was also taking along Ron and Harry\'s measurements so as to rent them each a tuxedo. Neither boy was up for a shopping trip, and since Ginny was Harry\'s date and Hermione was Ron\'s, they trusted the two girls in their choices.

They had a cozy train compartment and Hermione stared dreamily out at the passing scenery. The recent snowfall had blanketed the English countryside and it seemed to be pure, unadulterated heaven from her window\'s view.

Ginny was inspecting a suspicious green-colored candy from her box of Bertie Bott\'s Every Flavour Beans and idly announced, \"I hope this isn\'t Brussels sprouts flavor. Merlin, how I hate Brussels sprouts. But this would be a lovely color for a dress...\"

Hermione looked up at Ginny and laughed. \"That was, perhaps, the strangest set of thoughts I\'ve ever heard put together at once.\"

\"I\'m a Weasley, what can I say.\" Ginny sighed. \"Oh well, bottoms up.\" She tossed the bean straight up into the air, then caught it in her mouth and began chewing while Hermione clapped. \"Ah, kiwi. Lovely. Much better than I expected.\"

\"You\'re right, though. Green would be an excellent color choice for you, Gin,\" Hermione remarked. \"It would complement yhairhair nicely and make Harry\'s eyes stand out as well.\"

\"I thought you shunned that sort of \'girly\' stuff, \'Mione. Hmm, carrot. Haven\'t had that one before,\" Ginny rep thr through the now orange candy in her mouth.

\"My mum is a color-coordination guru. Even with her dental scrubs. If I learned nothing else about \'girly\' stuff, I was bound to learn from that,\" Hermione countered with a grin, then pointed at her friend\'s face. \"You\'ve got carrot bean on your chin, love.\"

Both girls erupted into giggles as the conductor announced that they would be arriving in London in ten minutes.

***

They were in the cute little dress boutique for what seemed like forever when suddenly Ginny announced, \"This is IT. There is no more perfect garment on the face of the planet!\"

She stood in front of the dressing mirror in a forest green velvet dress, with an empire waist and beautiful glittery black ivy-like designs all over it. The green was the perfect shade for her ivory skin and flaming red hair and even seemed to put a little green into her dark eyes. She looked angelic.

Hermione grinned. \"I love it. You look smashing. The spaghetti straps will be a bit cold, but you have that heavy black dress cloak at Hogwarts, yes?\"

\"Yes, I do indeed. I\'m glad I remembered to pack it for school. so hso have that exquisite string of black pearls that Mum gave me for my birthday, the ones that Gran gave her when she turned 15. Those will be the perfect addition to this dress.\"

\"Harry will be floored, just you wait. We\'ll just pick up some black shoes for you and then find a good complementary tuxedo for him, and you\'ll be all done. I still have to try on some of my choices, so give me a moment.\" With that, Hermione disappeared into a dressing room stall.

Ginny was nearly finished putting back her rejected dress choices when Hermione emerged once more from the fitting area. The younger girl froze in place and dropped everything that had been in her arms. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

Hermione was clad in an irridescent deep purple halter gown that clung to her like a second skin. The back dipped low, near her waist, and the skirt nearly grazed the floor. Ginny could not believe that a conservative dresser like her would give that sort of dress a second glance, let alone try it on. It seemed, however, to have been tailor-made just for her.

\"I\'m making the decision for you. You have to buy that dress or else!\" Ginny said firmly, then began to collect the things she\'d dropped from the floor.

\"Don\'t worrywillwill. I love it.\" Hermione gazed in awe at herself in the mirror. She looked fit to be Queen. She turned this way and that, examining every detail. Her thoughts wandered and suddenly she found herself wondering what Malfoy would think when he saw her. She grinned to herself, then returned to the dressing stall to change back to her street clothing.

At the cash register, she shooed Ginny\'s hands away from her pockets and said, \"Happy early Christmas, Gin. I\'m buying your dress and Harry is paying for Ron\'s tux. We knew you two were worried about gift shopping after Yule Ball expenses.\"

Tears filled Ginny\'s eyes and she threw her arms around her friend. They took their parcels and headed toward the men\'s formal wear shop.

***

\"Ouch!\" Draco winced as the clerk accidentally stuck him with a pin. His tuxedo trousers had been just a tiny bit too long so the store offered to hem them for him for free. The clerk apologized and told him that the real shop tailor would be with him in a moment to finish. He picked up a small tin of shoe shine out of curiosity while he was waiting and was reading its ingredient label when he heard a pair of female voices near the door of the shop.

He peered around the corner and saw Ginny Weasley looking at a green tux vest. Then, Hermione Granger appeared beside her, handing a small slip of paper to the clerk. They were talking excitedly, pointing at different things with a few \'ooh\'s and \'ahh\'s here and there. He realized with surprising disappointment that the only reason Granger would be in here would be to purchase or rent a tuxedo for a date.

He watched her inspect several styles of tuxedo vests and cummerbunds and wondered with an annoying amount of jealousy whose body they would soon grace. He then noticed the parcels the two girls had set down at the store counter, obviously things they\'d already purchased. Dresses, he assumed. He started to imagine what sort of party frock Hermione had picked out. Imagining her in something skimpier than the prim, conservative outfits she wore under her robes sent his mind into a frenzy.

The clerk summoned him once more, breaking his daze. Draco hastily ran his fingers through his hair--a nervous habit--and went to join the clerk and the tailor. While the two men fussed over the length of his pants, Draco\'s mind drifted through several possibilities for Hermione\'s Yule Ball dress...then later, to the young witch wearing nothing but a smile.

***

It didn\'t matter how much Pansy Parkinson whined, Draco decided he was absolutely not going to the Yule Ball with her this year. Social events such as these were somewhat boring to begin with...having some vapid girl chattering inanely the entire time would ruin whatever was left. So he attended alone, amusing himself by watching Crabbe step on his date\'s feet several times a minute. Goyle was in the hospital wing after his earmuffs slipped slightly while repotting half-grown Mandrake plants in detention.

He looked devilishly handsome that evening in a classic cut black tuxedo with navy blue accessories. Hlt tlt the strange need to wear something other than Slytherin colors. He was already tall, nearly 6 feet and nowhere near done growing and his frame was lean but not skinny. His hair was perfect and he making a conscious effort not to run his fingers through it. He had arrived in a black cloak and gloves, making him look mysterious. It would be an understatement to say that he\'d turned a few female heads.

He was dying to know what Hermione was wearing and had scanned the room over a few times, figuring if nothing else he could spot her by finding the Weasley siblings\' hair. His searches only turned up a few sightings of Susan Bones, also a redhead, but no Weasleys, no Potter, and no Granger.

He decided to stand closer to the door, while still maintaining a view of Crabbe\'s two left feet. It was only seconds, however, after he\'d begun to head in that direction that the door opened once more and in walked Potter, with Ginny Weasley on his arm. Draco stopped in midmotion, almost dizzy with anticipation. The door was stopped before it fell shut again, and Ron Weasley came into view, holding the hand of some girl whose face Draco could not yet see as her back was turned to him. Was that...? The brunette needed only to turn slightly and show her ple ale and he had his confirmation.

And promptly dropped his drink on the floor.

Hermione Granger, the Hogwarts epitome of \"goody-two-shoes\", was wearing a slinky violet gown with an open back. The straps fastened around her neck, exposing her graceful shoulders. It was clingy, showing every curve he never knew she had. Her wild curls were piled on top of her head and glittered when she moved. Her bright cinnamon eyes were surrounded by this silver stuff that made them seem like gemstones set in fine jewelry. Draco was frozen in place.

She and Ron moved toward the refreshment table and Draco was able to shake himself out of his stupor. Deciding that he did not want to spend the night obsessively watching her with Ron (which he knew that he would, despite himself), he grabbed his cloak. He paused before leaving, handing Colin Creevey a few galleons in return for his promise to take some pictures of the goddess in purple.

As he lay in bed a few minutes later, preparing to ease the swelling in his groin, he decided that he would never be satisfied until Hermione Granger was his.

***

The day had been wonderful. Those who had stayed for Christmas from Gryffindor House had had a snowball fight for hours earlier. Ron and Ginny happily gave Hermione and Harry presents as a thanks for their Yule Ball garb. Together, they all went down to the kitchen and gave Dobby several pairs of socks and a pair of extra-large earwarmers.

Then Hermione and Ginny giggled away as they dressed for the Yule Ball. At first, they tried to do their hair....Ginny\'s long, straight copper locks and Hermione\'s impossible brunette whirls...using Muggle methods in the spirit of their outfits. Whn hon hour passed and neither head of hair looked much different, they looked at each other and sighed....then went to get their wands.

Ginny tamed and separated Hermione\'s curls into graceful spirals, then piled and twisted them onto her crown. Hermione gasped...it was the first time her hair had looked good without cheating with straightening potion. Then, Hermione looked Ginny and her dress over for a moment and smiled. In a style reminiscent of complicated medieval braiding, Ginny ended up with a pair of intricate twists on each side of her head, meeting at the knape of her neck and then twisted eloquently together into a fancy bun. Hermione put a curling charm on the tiny loose tendrils around Ginny\'s face and ears. A few makeup spells and they were done, looking amazing and ready to knock dead a few Gryffindor boys.

Ron and Harry weretingting in the common room. Harry was making a last-ditch effort to flatten his notoriously rebellious black mop while Ron fidgeted with his bowtie, unsure of what to make of the odd Muggle garb. Both boys looked absolutely dumbstruck by the two young (and now giggling) witches and it took a moment for all to gather the courage to don winter cloaks and head out.

Despite the obvious adjustment Ron was making to his outfit, he looked quite handsome. But Hermione was awaiting the fully decked out appearance of a certain blonde Slytherin. Her curiosity about his reaction was eating her alive. Draco Malfoy barely went a single moment without wearing expensive, slightly more dressy than average clothing and robes, but she knew he wouldn\'t be used to her.

She was wildly disappointed when she didn\'t spot him for a single moment the entire night.


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