Life and Love

‘Now I have all your essays, I would like you to get to work on your potions, I will mark your essays, then come round and mark your potions and give you your marks at the end of the lesson. Get started.’ Snape said. It was first thing Friday morning, and you were in your usual double potions with Draco, you and Draco set to work. You and he got on well now, and it was showing through in your work. It was nearing the end of the first lesson and you and Draco just had to sit and wait, so you carried on talking like you had through the rest of the lesson.

‘So have you got a date for the ball now?’ you said sitting on one of your legs.
‘Yeah, some girl called Serina, very pretty, but got no brains at all.’
‘Sounds perfect for you then.’
‘Oi!’ you both laughed.
‘So do you know what you are both going as yet?’
‘Well I told her I was going as prince charming, so she could go as what or who ever she liked as it fitted in with everything else. She just nodded and walked off.’
You laughed. ‘Sounds like you really like her.’
‘Yeah well since my first choice was snapped up, it was her or pansy.’ He said, you both looked over at pansy that was very close to Ron who was looking very uncomfortable. ‘What about you and Fred?’ He asked both turning your attention back to your convocation.
‘Well, we are thinking of going as either Sleeping beauty and the prince or Cinderella and the prince, either way, I would have to turn my hair blonde, would be interesting as I have always had dark brown.’
‘Make sure you do it properly then, you love that colour.’
‘Exactly, so I’m thinking of just going as a prince and princess or Fairy instead, so I don’t have too.’
‘Yeah, I’m sure you will look stunning whatever.’ He smiled making you blush.

‘Well done… A’ Snape said sounding surprised. This was your first ever A in potions, you had only just scrapped a C before.
‘Draco!’ You said turning and leaping onto him as a hug.
‘Hannah it’s just a grade!’ He laughed. You looked ahead to see Ron looking disgusted at you before turning away. ‘Oh bugger.’ You thought.
‘Well yes Mr Malfoy it is just a grade but Miss Warren was barely a C before the new seating arrangements.’ Snape said overhearing the convocation. You sunk back down into your seat.
‘Oh no, what am I going to do? Ron knows that I am friends with him. I will have to catch him at the end of class.’ You thought to yourself.
‘Class dismissed.’ Snape hissed. You snapped out of your thoughts and grabbed your stuff together, Ron had already made out the door and was well along the corridor.
‘Ron!’ You shouted running after him.
‘What?’ He snapped at you, you still having to jog because he was walking so fast.
‘Wait for me.’
‘Why don’t you just go and walk with your buddy Malfoy.’
Just then you walked past a corridor and Hermione emerged into you two.
‘Hermione help me.’
‘With what?’
‘Hannah hugged Malfoy in the middle of potions.’ Ron said for you.
‘Oh…’ She said realising what was wrong.
‘I got an A’ you explained.
She nodded in understanding.
‘Ronald you’re just going to, Look Stop!’ She shouted grabbing his arm and turning him around. ‘Will you just listen?’ Ron made a grunting noise.
‘Hannah and Draco are friends, and he’s been really nice since, he hasn't called me a mudblood once. Please Ron, just leave it.’ She said, you both making puppy dog eyes at him.
‘Urgh ok. But only because I love you both. And I am going to be the one to tell Harry.’ He replied looking stern.
‘Ok, but make him see it the way Hermione does, he hasn’t been mean to any of you since.’
‘Fine.’ And you all carried on up to the common room without a word.

That night you were worried about having the dream again, but you were happy as Harry had taken you being friends with Draco a lot better than Ron had. Harry said since you had got him and Cho to go to the ball together, and you didn’t like her as much as he didn’t like Malfoy, he would let it go.
To try and stop the dream from recurring you did what you used to do to stop it when you were little. You got your ipod and ipod speakers, and put them securely at the end of your bed, put it on shuffle and put them on. You then closed all your curtains and used a silencing charm to stop the music from getting out, and also your screams if the dream reoccurred.
You had told Hermione to undo the silencing charm in the morning and wake you up, so that you could go to Hogsmeade together.

‘Come on sleepy head.’ Hermione said opening your curtains. ‘How was your night?’
‘Peaceful.’ You smiled, you hadn’t had the dream and it was one of the best nights you had had in a long time.
‘Good, I’ve already had my shower and Pavarti and Lavender are at breakfast so you can go in now. I was also thinking of skipping breakfast here, and we will just go and have something in one of the coffee shops when we get there, what do you think?’
‘Sound’s perfect to me.’ You smiled, grabbing your towel and going into the bathroom.

You came back out and Hermione had left a note on your bed saying that she was ready and was down in the common room and just to come down when you were ready and you would leave. You put on a dress, cardigan, plimsolls, and necklace, found a bag and put your hair up in a messy bun, and grabbed your bomber jacket and put it in your bag for if you got cold. You checked your make up and gave yourself a quick glance over in the mirror and left.

Hermione was sat on the sofa talking to Fred.
‘Hey guys.’ You said taking a seat next to Hermione.
‘Fred and I were just talking about what to get you, Fred was suggesting a shorter dress so that you don’t have trouble dancing, seeing as you will be doing a lot no doubt.’ Hermione told you. You did always do a lot of dancing at parties and balls, no matter what type, always dancing with different people.
‘That sounds like a good idea.’ You said flashing Fred a smile.
‘Great. And I already have mine, well I don’t have it yet but I have ordered it.’ He told you.
‘And I’m picking up Ron’s when we get ours.’
‘Cool, let’s get going.’ You leaned over and gave Fred a hug and left for the long walk to Hogsmeade.

‘So I’ve got a feeling you have got a secret place to take us to.’ You said as you sat down at a table with your hot chocolate and muffin.
‘What would make you say that?’ She asked taking a sip of her coffee.
‘’Because, you said you were picking Ron’s up, but then to some of the other girls asked us where we were getting ours from you said we were just going to wander and see what we could find.’ You said raising an eyebrow.
‘Ok, well, my mother’s best friend is a witch, and she owns an expensive dress shop here in Hogsmeade.’ She whispered. ‘Anyway, she said that we could borrow a dress for a quarter of it’s price, that’s why I couldn’t let the other girls know.’
‘Ah. Hermione I do love you some times.’
You both finished your drinks and muffins and walked to the shop; it was down a small alleyway that had lots of small shops along it. Right at the end, there was a shop with a lilac sparkly banner that said ‘The Fairy Godmother’ on it.
‘This is it.’ Hermione smiled and she led you inside.
‘Hermione!’ A tall middle aged woman with flowing blonde hair ran up to Hermione kissing her on each cheek.
‘My how you have grown up.’ She said holding Hermione at arms length and looking her over, and they carried on with the usual banter.
You looked at the shop; despite the small outside, inside it was big and airy, with beautiful ball gowns all along the walls in rainbows of colour. Long shelves of shoes and bags above the dresses sparkled in the light.

‘And this is my best friend Hannah Warren.’ You heard Hermione as you turned your attention back to the two of them.
‘Hannah! The woman said attacking you with the same kisses that Hermione had had.
‘Nice to meet you.’ You said.
‘And you, I’m Penelope Pleasant.’ Penelope replied. She took a step back so she could look at you and Hermione, ‘Now you two take as long as you want, try on as many as you like, and I will be around if you need any help, and just tell me when you are done and I will help you and put the unwanted dresses back, and get you Ron and Harry’s from the back, ok?’ she smiled widely.
‘Yes, thank you very much.’ You and Hermione said, and Penelope walked off into a back room.
‘There are the changing rooms through there, so we can go and put are bags down, there are also some long rails, so when you find a dress that you want to try on you can put it on the rail and then when we are both done, we can start trying them on.’
‘Sound’s like a plan, so lets get started.’

You and Hermione searched for a good 45 minutes before you both had a collection of six or seven dresses. You both went into the changing room with the first dress and tried it on, showing each other when you were both ready. You did this with all the dresses before putting them back on the rails, you discussed each dress of each person and eventually got down to the perfect two.
‘Finally. Are you going to go and find her then?' Hermione got up and found Penelope, who came out with two dress bags and two suit bags, and placed them on the desk.
You paid for the lease on your dresses and Ron and Harry’s costumes, thanked her for her kindness and told her that you would return the dresses the next chance you got after the ball. She tapped your purchases with her wand so that they would be in your dorm when you got back and she told you she trusted the both of you with them and you left.
‘Two hours, but we did it!’ Hermione said relieved, taking in the fresh air.
‘Yeah, are we going to go and get our shoes now too?’ you asked hopeful.
‘Yes! It’s only 12.30 you know! Unless you want to get lunch first?’ she asked.
‘Nope I can wait.’ And you both went off excitedly to buy your shoes. You would have got them from Penelope’s shop, but you both agreed that you would rather have some to keep so you would buy a cheaper pair from one of the other shops.

After looking in two you found a good shop and quickly picked a pair each, bought them and went off for lunch.
‘Hey do you mind if I sit with you?’ Draco said walking over. ‘It’s that or Pansy’s lap as there are no spare chairs, apart from your bench chair.’
‘No of course go ahead.’ You replied and Hermione smiled at him moving over for him to take a seat next to her.
You three broke into convocation talking about various casual things as you waited for your food, that you had ordered shortly after Draco had arrived. Draco and Hermione even seemed fairly comfortable with each other, and had a short convocation which had been purely the two of them talking, which you liked, even though it had been very formal and as if they had only just met each other, which to a certain extent it was, as they had never given each other a chance to show who they really were, which you new was completely Draco’s fault.

A short while later you were finished, you said goodbye to Draco and went back up to the school.
You carried on the rest of the day, after you had put your purchases in a wardrobe to stop them getting damaged, mostly with just Ron as usual, seeing as to be honest Harry seemed to not be around quite as much, but you didn’t mind, the four of you didn’t have to stay together 24/7.

‘Well, we ought to be getting to bed, it’s 11 already.’ Hermione said glancing at you.
‘We’ll see you in the morning guys.’ You said smiling at Harry and Ron and leaving up the stairs, getting ready for bed, and sitting on yours as you always did before bed now, as you and Hermione had become especially close recently.
‘Today was really good.’ Hermione said finishing up and sitting on your bed. You noticed she had glanced over at Pavarti and Lavender, who were also chatting.
‘Yeah it was, I’m surprised at how Draco was though.’ You said making a shocked face.
‘Yeah right.’ She said closing a pair of curtains on the non-wall facing side of the room, blocking the other two out, as she often did when she wanted to talk about something private or just between the two of you.
‘You two actually seemed to get on.’
‘I know, he can be quite pleasant, if you’d told me that I would be saying this now in second year I think I would of fainted.’ I let out a giggle.
‘Yes I think I would have too.’
‘Well now he’s got my potions grade up, so we are getting multiple things from this!’ she giggled.
‘Hannah you shouldn’t be worrying about your grades, you’re the one in the group who cruises along in class not having to do anything but still does alright.’
‘Wow, didn’t think anyone would ever say that. Most people just say I don’t do any work.’ She giggled. ‘Did I tell you about him asking me to the ball?’
‘Who? Draco?’ she said slightly shocked.
‘Yeah, weird isn’t it, I would have thought one of the Slytherin girls would have gone with him but maybe they have already been asked.’
‘So what did you tell him?’
‘That I was sorry, as I was going with Fred, and that I would save him one of my three dances.’
‘What was his reaction?’ Hermione seemed very interested in this.
‘He just said ok don’t worry about it then. Why?’
‘Hannah, I was wondering…’
‘Yes…’ you said encouraging her to go on.
‘Do you think the reason Draco is being so nice is because he likes you?’ she questioned.
‘Oh no, I highly doubt it.’ You replied, sure that that was not why.
‘Mmm… just seems like it.’
‘Oh well, we don’t really know what he’s like as a friend, so we can’t judge.’
‘I suppose so.’
You two talked for another half an hour before settling in your own beds and falling asleep.