An Unexpected Twist of Fate || Dramione

CHAPTER 30 - Dress Shopping

The ball was tomorrow evening and Hermione, Ginny and Luna were out dress hunting in Hogsmeade.

"What about this one?" Ginny was holding a magnificent yellow ballgown much like the one Belle wore in beauty and the beast. Hermione looked at the dress in horror. It was beautiful but not something Hermione would ever wear.

"Not happening, Gin. I'll look like an oversized fat banana." The girls laughed at her description and Ginny put the dress back where she found it.

Luna and Ginny had already found their dresses but Hermione was still searching for the perfect one.

"I think you'd look beautiful in blue, Hermione." Luna suggested as she held out a knee length baby blue dress. It was short in the front and a bit longer at the back but something about it just didn't seem right to Hermione.

"It's a gorgeous dress, Luna, but it's not quite my style." Luna nodded and put it back.

They'd been at it for at least an hour and after finding and trying on about a million dresses, the girls were starting to lose hope and were about to give up.

"I don't know, maybe we should head back. I'm sure at least one person will have something for you to wear." Ginny sighed in frustration as she sat on the shop chair with her head in her hands.

"Yes, I'm sure someone will have a stunning ballgown just hanging in their school cupboard. Seriously?" Hermione said sarcastically. Luna nodded in agreement and turned to look at a few more dresses.

Their search was interrupted by a small cough. The girls looked up and there, standing in all her glory, was Pansy Parkinson.

"I've been here for a while now and no offense, but your dress choices are terrible." She spoke with her nose held high.

"Look, Parkinson, as much as we love your charming little insult sessions, now is really not the –"

"Actually, I want to help." The girls stared at her with wide eyes filled with unbelief. "Uh...OK." Hermione answered as Pansy pushed past them and began raiding the shelves. It took her less than a minute to find a dress that left them all speechless.

"How's this one?" She said sweetly. It was a long black dress that had an open back and a sweetheart front. The design was simple and tight-fitting.

It was beautiful.

"Here, try it on." Pansy gave Hermione the dress and pushed her into one of the dressing rooms.

The girls all gasped and watched as she walked out of the dressing room. The dress clung to her body like a second skin, emphasizing all her curves. It fit her like it was made for her. Her body demanded the attention of everyone around her, stunning them all speechless.

"So? What do you think?" Hermione gave a small twirl. She smiled as she flaunted the dress, striking a few poses for her audience of three. She felt amazing in the black gown.

"You look stunning, Mione!" Ginny squealed as she looked at her friend. Luna was smiling and Pansy wore a proud grin on her face.

"Now that is how you wear a dress. Granger, all eyes are without a doubt going to be glued on you and that dress. It doesn't leave much to the imagination, you know." She winked and gave Hermione a thumbs up. Hermione's confidence level was about to explode as she gave herself a once over in the full-length mirror.

"Pansy, you sure know how to choose a dress." Hermione whispered and twirled around again. The others noticed Hermione using Pansy's first name but said nothing about it. Things were slowly piecing themselves back together again.

***

"Granger! I've been looking for you everywhere. Where the hell have you been?" Draco sounded both relieved and frustrated. Hermione had just returned from Hogsmeade with her hands full of bags. Draco hurried off his dorm bed and helped her with the bags.

"I went dress shopping for tomorrow's ball." She huffed out in exhaustion.

"Come on, I need to talk to you." Draco grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her out of the dorm. They hastily walked through the corridors and out of the castle. He was taking her to the dark forest because he knew no one would see or hear them there.

"What do you want to tell me?" Hermione asked softly. She knew it was about the ministry but what baffled her was their plan. Draco leaned against a tree and watched Hermione pace around.

"The ministry have a plan to stop the prophecy." He sighed out and Hermione stopped to look at him.

"Why would they want to do that! Isn't it the prophecy that will save the world? Why on earth would they want to stop it?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"That's what I don't understand, but they want to prevent us from falling for each other. They think that by forcing us into a relationship or marriage, any chance of a true love between us will be destroyed." Draco said to Hermione as he looked up to the sky. He was annoyed by the ministry's pathetic plans to stop whatever he and Hermione had to do.

"That's why the minister was so upset when Dumbledore told us about the soulmate thing. He didn't want us to know about that." Hermione gasped in realization.

Draco nodded and stood up straight again.

"Bingo. The ministry thinks we don't know about this, though, so they assume that we still hate each other." Draco continued.

"We can't let them know that we are aware of the prophecy, but how do we go about their plan?" Hermione quickly added. She knew it would be bad if they were to find out that she and Draco already knew about the prophecy. They had to come up with a plan of their own to stop whatever it was the ministry wanted to do.

"We give them what they want." Draco shrugged as if it was obvious. Hermione looked at him incredulously.

"What! You want us to give them the satisfaction of ruining the world." She shouted. Hermione couldn't believe that Draco would just let the ministry get away with such a thing.

"No! Don't be daft, Granger. We act as though things aren't working out." Hermione looked at ease again but she still didn't agree with it at all.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Malfoy." She said nervously. Hermione didn't want another outburst from Draco, not again.

"And why not?" His voice was both offended and upset. He rolled his eyes and stared at her. "I suppose you have a better idea?" Draco looked at her accusingly.

"Actually, Malfoy, I do. I say we give them what they don't want. We get along and act all lovey-dovey. They'll hate that." Hermione offered her plan and it seemed as if he considered it for a while. Draco nodded in agreement, a devious smirk forming on his lips.

"So how do we do that?" He asked her. Hermione knew exactly how to do it but she didn't like her ideas at all.

"It's simple. We act like a couple would, dancing, laughing, smiling and overall just looking like we're happily in love." Hermione's voice sounded pained at the words she was saying. She liked the idea no more than Draco did.

"So, basically we fake it till we make it?" Draco looked hesitant but decided it was a better plan than his.

"Exactly." Hermione nodded, looking proud of her plot against the ministry. They were going to destroy all hopes the ministry had of succeeding with their plan against them.

The ministry was in for a shock.

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A/N

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