Formalwear

Formalwear

"I hate you for making me do this, Mum."

Ginny and her mother were in a unique little shop that had opened recently, one of the few formalwear stores in Diagon Alley. Mrs. Weasley had bullied Ginny all week into shopping with her for a gown to wear to the steadily approaching Yule Ball. In an attempt to raise the morale of the students, Dumbledore had proposed the idea of another ball this year to be held over the winter holiday, and parents had been more than willing to leave their children at Hogwarts. There was no place safer in the wizarding community, especially ominous times like these; however, it was still July, and although it was really Ginny's last opportunity to shop, winter was still a ways off. This year was going to be Ginny's sixth at Hogwarts, and, "For Merlin's sake, I'm not going to satisfy that Malfoy boy by letting you flounce about at that ball in one of my old dresses!" her mother had said. Ginny had been surprised, and quite a bit amused, at the extreme change in her mother's view of financial management ever since Fred and George's business had left their family more than well off. She'd also been surprised that Draco Malfoy had been brought up. Her mother hated speaking of the Malfoys, but Ginny supposed she had been complaining an awful lot about him this summer.

Leaving the dressing room as slowly as she could, Ginny revealed one of her mother's dress selections: an extremely unflattering purple gown. With a hateful glare, she said, "I really don't think rhinestones and sequins are in this year, mother. Nor have they ever been." She picked irritably at the ruffled high collar. Mrs. Weasley protested as Ginny returned to her dressing room to try on another.

"But it makes you look so thin, darling!" Mrs. Weasley shouted after her daughter, readjusting her mink shrug.

"Now, this one, I like!" Ginny shouted from the dressing room. When she came out again, she was wearing a ridiculously low-cut pink gown, skin-tight to the waist with a puffy, shredded skirt made of thin, almost see-through material; it left little to the imagination. As soon as Molly saw her daughter in it, she cast a spell that hid Ginny's body within a large, opaque cloud. Only her head and feet remained visible.

"Mother, was that really necessary?" she shot at Mrs. Weasely angrily, her cheeks red with embarrassment. Molly gave Ginny a severe look that had her silenced and walking toward the dressing room in an instant. "Bloody values," she grumbled as she made her way back.

The next time Ginny came out, Molly clapped both hands over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Even Ginny seemed rather entertained. Her gown was floor length and flowed over her body awkwardly, with a grass-like texture. The dress was green with a variety of differently colored polka dots that danced around the skirt excitedly. "I don't blame you entirely for this one, Mum. It didn't become animated until I put it on." They both laughed as they watched the dots circle her dress, until the sound of the shop's door opening caught their attention.

Draco Malfoy drifted into the store, his eyes scanning the room; his icy glare locked upon Ginny almost immediately, and a devilish expression formed across his face. Confidently, he made his way over to the two Weasley women.

"Why, if it isn't the littlest weasel," he said. "What a classic gown. It looks as though Father Christmas has drunkenly vomited all over it." A proud sneer played about his mouth.

"Pardon me, Malfoy, but what exactly are you doing in a women's dress shop?" Ginny retorted. "Finally realized you're too girly to be wearing men's clothing?" She was secretly hoping her mother would cast another cloud around her outfit. The dots were now accelerating in speed, making Ginny rather dizzy. She attempted to cover her body with her arms.

"The sign outside," Draco said, pointing a lazy finger to the banner in the window, "simply said formalwear. But I assure you, I would have, without a doubt, avoided this shop had I known you'd be here." The two of them stared ferociously at each other until jumping at the sound of a gasp from Mrs. Weasley. She'd spotted a store across the street with a sign reading, 'Shoe Clearance: Reduced Prices,' and was zipping through the door within the second. Both Ginny and Draco watched after Molly wordlessly. After a minute or so, Draco turned to Ginny again, shaking his head.

"Your family will always be cheap," he said, mildly amused, "even when they've got money."

Her cheeks flaming, Ginny scowled at Draco and said, "Yes, well, you're disgustingly pale. Did you know?"

"I'm fair, and it suits my coloring!" he responded defensively. "And so what if I am pale? It's still much better than being freckled. And red," he added as an afterthought. With a menacing look, Ginny stomped into her dressing room, slamming the door behind her. She'd one more dress to try on, and it was the one she'd been saving for last. A deep, rich brown, the gown formed around Ginny's body perfectly, curving in all of the right places. In the back, it tied together from the top with sand colored ribbon, criss-crossing and ending in a delicate bow at her waist. The skirt puffed out slightly, flowing elegantly to the ground. It was as if the dress was designed to fit Ginny, accenting the warm brown of her eyes and the rich color of her hair.

As Ginny stared admiringly at herself in the mirror, she heard a light knock at the dressing room door. She opened the door to a smug looking Malfoy, whose eyes flickered with stupefaction before quickly pushing his way past her. Once Ginny closed the door, Draco extended a hand to her, and she took it. He led her to the mirror, bringing her body in front of his. They looked at each other thoughtfully; Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist, kissing the top of her head softly. She smiled and turned her body to face him, still in his embrace. Tilting her head upward, she asked, "So what do you think?"

He leaned his head down to kiss her lightly. "You look stunning," he almost whispered, "but you'll have to change the color or your dress. I look terrible in brown."

Ginny chuckled. "It's not as though you'll be wearing my dress, Malfoy. Don't be fooled. This dress doesn't make everyone look good." She kissed him again.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was actually referring to the fact that we will be going to the dance together. I thought you'd want to match in color."

Ginny beamed, a look of utter delight and shock on her face. "Really, Draco, do you mean it?" He shook his head, and she squeezed him tightly, resting her head on his chest. "Finally, we can tell everyone," she said, more to herself than to him. She looked up at his face suddenly, her smile fading. "Do you think it will change everything, letting them all know?"

After a few thoughtful seconds, Draco answered. "Yes."

Then he kissed her again, this time for much longer, lifting her slightly off of her feet as he held her tightly. They remained there, wrapped around each other, hoping to kiss away the fear and anxiety of what was to come.