Weasley Charm | Fred Weasley

Chapter 4-14: The Dress

"Hermione, where do you want to go first?" Delaney asked as the two girls walked with Ginny to the village of Hogsmeade.

"I'm not sure. I mean there isn't really a place that would sell dresses," Hermione said.

"Hey look! It's a dress store," Ginny said, pointing to a shop that had not usually been in Hogsmeade.

"Wow, they must have come when they heard that Hogwarts was going to have the Yule Ball," Delaney surmised as the girls walked into the crowded dress store.

"Oh but Ginny won't you be bored while we look for dresses since your mum sent you one?" Hermione asked.

"I wanted to come with you guys to see you try all of them on. It's exciting!" Ginny shook her head, looking at Hermione and then at Delaney.

"Alright, where should we start?" Delaney asked.

"How about over there?" Ginny asked, pointing to a small corner where nobody stood.

"Perfect," Hermione nodded.

As the girls began to look through the dresses, Delaney found three dresses she wanted to try on. Hermione found just two dresses to try on. The first dress Delaney tried on was a long, blue, fitted dress that paired well with her eyes. The second was a silver ball gown with lace on the top that went along quite nicely with her skin tone. The third dress was a long yellow, fitted dress much like the blue one, that paired quite nicely with her blonde hair.

"They were all so pretty! How are you going to decide?" Ginny asked as she and Delaney waited for Hermione to step out in her first dress.

"I don't think I want those," Delaney said as she looked from her friends back to the dresses.

"What? Why not?" Hermione asked from behind the curtain she was changing behind.

"I just feel like they're missing something," Delaney shrugged. "But enough about me. Hermione, it's your turn. Come on out."

"Hold on, I've almost got this zipper up," her voice carried through the curtain again.

"Ginny, who are you going to the ball with? You said you were going with someone but you never said who," Delaney asked as they continued waiting for Hermione's first dress.

"Don't tell Ron because who knows how he'd react but it's Neville," Ginny said.

"Oh, that's wonderful, Ginny! I know he's been quite excited for weeks," Delaney smiled excitedly.

"What's wonderful?" Hermione asked, stepping out of the dressing room in a baby blue dress that fell just to her ankles.

"Not that dress," Ginny said jokingly. Delaney and Hermione looked at Ginny and then at each other before they burst out in laughter.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I didn't like this dress anyway," Hermione laughed.

"Okay next one, come on!" Delaney grinned. As they again waited for Hermione to put on her second dress, Delaney turned to Ginny, "You are much more like Fred and George than you are Ron."

"That just means I add more excitement," Ginny laughed until her attention was brought back to the curtain of the dressing room, "Wow."

"What is it- Wow," Delaney said, awed as she saw Hermione walk past the door in a beautiful periwinkle gown that seemed to fit her perfectly.

"Do you guys really like it or are you just saying that?" Hermione asked, running her hands down the fabric of the gown.

"Hermione, you look beautiful in that," Delaney responded.

"I think it's safe to say you've found your dress," Ginny smiled.

"I think it is," Hermione said as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Delaney, are you sure you don't want to look around more?" Hermione asked as the girls walked out of the shop.

"Not today, I'll think about the three that I found today and make my decision before the ball," Delaney nodded.

"We only have a week," Ginny reminded her.

"If I still don't have a dress by Tuesday, I'll come back and get the silver one," Delaney surmised. Like she said earlier, it was missing something, but it was still her favorite gown out of the tree she tried on.

"We'll come with you! I mean it's not every year we're allowed to go to Hogsmeade this much," Hermione insisted.

"Sounds like a plan then," Delaney laughed as the girls began their journey back to the castle.

By the time the three made it back to the castle and Hermione put her dress in her's and Delaney's room, it was time for dinner in the Great Hall. Delaney saw Fred already sitting at the Gryffindor table with George when they entered.

"Ah there they are, Ron looks like you lost," Fred laughed.

"Lost?" Delaney asked as she sat down at the table next to Fred and Hermione.

"We all made a bet about when the three of you would come back. Ron said it would be after dinner but Fred and I decided to give you all the benefit of the doubt," George laughed.

"Well you never know how long they'll be," Ron said defensively as Harry laughed.

"It's okay Ron you'll learn eventually," Fred laughed.

The rest of dinner carried on as usual, conversation lasting the entire time they ate, laughter breaking out at unexpected times. The group even continued their conversation back in the common room.

"So did you manage to find a dress?" Fred asked as he took a seat next to Delaney, away from the crowd.

"I found one that I like but I felt like it was missing something so I didn't get it," Delaney responded. "I should probably write Lupin, I told him I would tell him if I found something. I'll be right back."

As Delaney made her way back up to her room, she found a large parcel laying on her bed as well as a letter. She quickly grabbed the letter once she recognized Lupin's handwriting on it.

I know you said you wanted to try to find a dress of your own and I've already sent you some money, however, I thought I would at least send you this to give you the option. This was your mother's before she died. She wore it to a ball she attended with your father. This is one of the few things we were able to keep of hers. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to but your father and I thought it would be a good idea to send it to you.

-Remus

Delaney then opened the large parcel to find a deep red gown inside. She held the gown up against her in front of the mirror and smiled. She couldn't explain it but she felt as though this was the dress she was meant to wear all along. It had that something that was missing from the others. This was the closest she had ever felt to her mother in her entire life.