The Dark Lord's Daughter [FW - Book One]

Hogsmeade

AN: I'M BACK! My writer's block has been cured, lol! Thanks for waiting, sorry you had to, now on to the real reason for this author's note: Okay, so I'm just going to say right now that I have absolutely no idea if you can actually purchase any of the things listed in this chapter in Hogsmeade, but in my story, you can. So... yeah. Next chapter is the yule ball and it should be up next Saturday, I'm going back to my regular update schedule. Also, I included the fruit cake dress, which will make no sense if you haven't read this chapter. Enjoy, and remember to vote and comment!

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"Vanessa May Redwood, get your lazy bum out of bed!" McKenna yells in my ear.

"It's Saturday, why should I?" I groan, wanting to stay in bed, avoiding the taunting from my fellow Hogwarts students, but mostly wanting to avoid Fred.

"Because it's a Hogsmeade day! We can buy our dresses for the ball, and go to Honeydukes, and get butterbeer! Come on, get up!" McKenna yells in my ear once again.

"Fine, I'm getting up." I say, knowing that I won't have a chance to buy a dress before the ball if I don't go.

"Yes! hurry and get dressed, everyone else has already left. Lani and I have been waiting for you." McKenna says, walking away from my four poster bed.

I sit up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, and walk to the end of my bed, opening my trunk and digging through my clothes, finally pulling out some black jeans, a pink knitted sweater, and some black leather boots. I then cross to the bathroom, take a quick shower, and get dressed.

When I emerge from the bathroom, McKenna grabs my hand and drags Lani and I out of first the dorm, then the common room. I'm glad for the empty castle halls, that means I can avoid being tormented by other students at least until we get to Hogsmeade. I stay silent as we walk down the snow covered path to the wizarding village, listening to McKenna babbling on and on about the ball, and George Weasley.

When we finally reach the village, Lani says that we should get our dresses last, so we won't have to carry them around in the snow, so we go to Honeydukes first. I leave my friends by the cockroach clusters, as they bring back all too recent memories from Dumbledore's office, and cross to the other side of the shop, picking up some acid pops, a few packages of sugar quills, and finally, a few fizzing whizbees.

"I see you like sugar quills." Someone says from behind me. I jump, and turn around to see Cedric Diggory watching me with a smirk. "A bit jumpy, are you?"

"A bit." I smile, relieved to see a friendly face. "So how did it go?"

"How did what go?" Cedric asks with a confused expression.

"Did you ask the mysterious girl you like to the dance?" I ask eagerly.

"Oh, yeah, I did. She said yes." Cedric smiles.

"That's great! So who is it?" I ask.

"Cho Chang." Cedric answers.

"Ah, the Ravenclaw? She seems nice." I say. Out of the corner of my eye, I see McKenna waving me over to the checkout stations. "Well, I've got to go. It was nice talking to you again."

"It was fun scaring you." Cedric smirks and turns away.

I smile briefly before walking over to the checkout station where Lani and McKenna are paying for their items. When they finish, I set my sweets on the counter and pay for them, then we leave the shop together, and start towards the three broomsticks. Halfway there, the Weasley twins run out of Zonko's, and run over to join us.

"And where are you three lovely ladies going?" George asks, looking at McKenna.

"The three broomsticks. We're going to get some butterbeer, then go dress shopping." McKenna answers.

"Mind if we join you?" Fred asks.

"Strictly for butterbeer." George adds.

"Come on then." McKenna says, grabbing George's sleeve and running towards the three broomsticks, Fred and Lani taking off after them.

I watch as my friends disappear into the three broomsticks, and slow to a walk, wanting to take as long as possible as to not be forced into an awkward conversation with Fred, even though dumping gravy on his head did help my mood, I still feel awkward around him. I watch the faces of passing students turn from a carefree, happy expression, to a glare filled with hatred when they see me.

When I finally enter the three broomsticks, I find Lani and Fred sitting in awkward silence while George and McKenna stare at each other. I sit down next to Lani.

"What took you so long?" Fred asks, turning to look at me.

"I was just enjoying the fresh, freezing air." I say.

"Ah, well we ordered you a butterbeer." Fred says, glancing back at his twin and wrinkling his nose.

"Thanks." I say, looking down at my hands that have turned a light shade of pink from the cold.

"Are you okay? You haven't been yourself lately." Fred says.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine, it's just the rude comments and glares can kind of put a damper on your mood, I guess." I mutter almost unintelligibly.

"Oh, well we'll have to find a way to lift your spirits." Fred smiles.

Just then, Madam Rosmerta brings over five steaming mugs of butterbeer, and the tension disappears.

*

"Ooh! You should get this one!" McKenna squeals, pointing to a moving picture of a beautiful witch with a short hot pink dress on that goes to just above her knees.

"Pink? No way, and that's way too short." I say, shaking my head and turning the page.

"Okay, I'll get it then." McKenna says, showing the woman behind the counter the picture in the corner of the dress book.

"That one, dear? Alright, that will be sixteen galleons." The woman says.

McKenna hands the woman a handful of gold coins. The woman waves her wand, and the pink dress appears. She hands it to McKenna.

"Now back to the search for Vanessa." McKenna smiles at the woman. "It's going to be hard to satisfy her, she's very picky."

"Alright, dears, let me know if you find what you're looking for, then." And with that, the sales woman disappears into the back room.

"Hey, Nessa, I think you'd look lovely in this one, don't you?" McKenna asks, drawing out the word 'lovely' as she points to a multicolored gown that is probably the ugliest dress I have ever seen in my life.

"It looks like a fruit cake." I say, making McKenna giggle. I turn my attention to Lani, who usually has better taste.

"What have you got?" I ask

"Hmm... What about this one?" Lani asks, pointing out a witch wearing long, beautiful flowing dress that is white and has lace flowers around the waist and a gold skirt.

"It's beautiful, but it's not really my color." I say, slowly.

I ring a small bell on the counter, and the sales woman reappears.

"What colors does this dress come in?" I ask

"We can make it in any color, dear." The woman behind the counter says.

"Alright, I want this one then, but in light blue instead of gold on the bottom." I smile.

"Alright, that will be twenty-two galleons." The woman says.

I hand her the gold, and she waves her wand once again, and my blue dress appears.

"Thank you." I smile.

"No problem, dear." She smiles back briefly before turning to Lani. "Anything for you?"

"No, thank you. I already have a dress." Lani says.

"You do? What does it look like?" McKenna asks.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Lani smirks, which is very unlike her, and we leave the shop.

AN: I know this chapter isn't very exciting, but the next one is the Yule Ball, and it WILL be.