Our story

Dresses

—Caroline's POV—

    While Hermione and I were walking up the stairs I said, "Ok, let's forget about Ron for a minute, the Yule ball is coming up soon and we need dresses. We can go to Hogsmeade tomorrow and there is a small dress shop, we can go there,"

    "That sounds great, thank you," She hugged me, "I'm tired I think I'm gonna go to bed,"

    "Ok, goodnight," I said. I left and walked down to the common room with homework and a quill. I started on my charms homework and got halfway through it before I felt a hand on my shoulder.

    "Well look at that, you're doing homework," it was Fred he sat down at the table across from me and took a piece of parchment from me. "Need help?"

    "Okay just because you don't do homework doesn't mean I don't, and for that very reason I don't really want your help. I'm actually trying to pass my N.E.W.T.S," I said taking back my homework. "Oh, by the way I asked Hermione to go dress shopping with me I didn't think you would care I hope that's alright?"

    "Yeah that's fine, I don't wanna sit in some stuffy dress shop for hours waiting for you to pick a dress," he confessed. For a while he just sat there while I did homework. When I was finished I stood up and gathered my books to go back to my dorm when Fred took them out of my hands,

    "Hey! What are you doing?" I said looking up to him. He grabbed my hand when I reached back for my books and he pulled my face towards his and kissed me. When the kiss ended he looked away and said,

    "I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that, I'll go," he turned away but I grabbed his shoulder, turned him around and pressed our lips together. A whistle came from the stairs, it was George and Lee watching us. I turned away from them and laughed and Fred was laughing too.

    "How long has that been going on?" George asked still laughing at us.

    "About three whole seconds," Fred said glaring at him.

    "Ok sorry, I'll go, you two carry on, bye," he said walking back up the stairs pulling Lee with him. I turned back to the table and grabbed my books. I looked at Fred for a second before I stood on my tiptoes, kissed his cheek and went back up to my dorm.

    When I made it to my room I put my books away and went to sleep. The next day I got dressed and walked down to the train, I looked for Hermione but I couldn't find her so I got on the train without her. I found a compartment that was empty, halfway through the ride Hermione found my compartment and sat down. "Hey! Finally you found me," I said.

    "Yeah sorry, I ran into Luna and we got to talking. So what kinda dress are you looking for?" She asked.

    "Hmm, I don't know maybe something red, you?"

    "I have no idea. I don't dress up much," she said. When the train stopped we hopped out and started walking towards "Selwyn's dress shop". The ground was icy and slippery. When we opened the door to the shop a small bell rang above our heads and someone in the back of the shop said, "I'll be with you in a moment," there were dresses as far as the eye could see and almost no walking room between racks.

    "Ok, where do you want to start?" I asked Hermione.

    "Um... over there," she said pointing to a rack of long dresses, "I've always wanted a long fancy dress," We walked over to the rack and started to sort through the dresses when a small woman came up to us and asked,

    "Find anything you fancy ladies?"

    "We don't really know what exactly we want," I told her.

    "Well the best place to start is a color. You... hmm... pink!" She said to Hermione. Then she turned towards me and said, "Oh I have the dress for you! I've been saving it for the right person and I think you're her!" She walked to the back of the shop and came back with a dark red dress, it came up to just above the knee in the front and down to floor in the back with a shiny thin gold lace around the bottom edge.

    "It's perfect!" I said taking it from her, "How much?"

    "No charge, you can have it," she said.

    "Are you sure?" I asked she didn't respond, instead she said,

    "I have a beautiful dress for you deary," she walked over to a box and opened it, taking out a long pink ruffled dress, "This one is yours if you want it, no charge,"

    "The dresses are beautiful but we can't take these from you," I said.

    "Oh but of course you can, please take them!" She said enthusiastically.

    "Thank you so much!" Hermione and I said together. We left the shop and were walking back to the train when Hermione saw Luna.

    "Luna!" She said. Luna turned around and walked over to us,

    "Hello!" She said. "Did you find dresses?"

    "Yes we did," we showed her our dresses and she said,

    "Wow those are lovely! This is mine, my father sent it to me," she reached in her bag and pulled out a deep blue dress with stitched stars and moons on it. "It's beautiful, I just hope that the cantaters don't get to it,"

    "What are cantaters?" I whispered to Hermione while Luna watched a bird.

    "No clue," she said back to me. "Hey Luna, why are you shopping if you have a dress?

    "I'm looking for a circular piece of wood," she said as if this was normal.

    "Um... why?" I asked.

    "To make a necklace of course," she said. "Well, I should go find the wood, bye," She walked away looking off into the distance.

    "She's a strange one," I said when she was out of earshot. We went back to the train and rode back to Hogwarts. As soon as we walked into the castle we were stopped by Professor McGonagall,

    "Oh good you're back I was afraid I had missed you," she said.

    "What do you need Professor?" I asked.

    "Professor Dumbledore has asked if you would sing at the dance," she told me.

    "Oh my goodness! Really?" I exclaimed.

    "Yes! So, will you?" She asked.

    "Of course!" I said.

    "Perfect! Meet Professor Flintwick tomorrow to sort out your song," she said before leaving