Look at the Stars

Hermione was turning through the racks of dress robes at Gladrags Wizardwear in Hogsmeade when she clumsily ran straight into Sirius Black.

"Still don't have anything to wear tonight?" Sirius asked.

"Well, no. . . it's just so hard to decide. . ."

"Women!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I still don't have anything to wear, either," Sirius grinned.

"Men!" Hermione mocked. "I'm sure you'd look stunning in this yellow robe," she pointed to a feathery contraption that resembled an engorged canary.

"Oh, yes!" Sirius said, apparently without sarcasm. "This is perfect!" He then proceeded to pick up the yellow robe and carry it toward the check-out counter.

Hermione stared at him. "You must be joking," she yelled after him.

"No, I'm completely serious," he punned badly, eliciting a snicker from Hermione. "Though, actually, now that I see this gray set here, I'm beginning to change my mind." Hermione looked at the simple, elegant gray dress robe that Sirius had selected. The inner suit consisted of plain gray pants, a crisp white shirt, a burgundy tie, and a vest made of faintly shimmery material. The outer robe was made of the same silvery material as the vest, and the cut of the entire suit would complement Sirius's still-slender frame without making him look too thin.

"It's perfect. . ." she remarked.

"Great! I'll take it."

As Sirius paid for his clothes, Hermione sifted through more stacks of women's dress robes. Gladrags had begun enchanting their clothes to automatically fit the wearer, making Muggle-shopping infinitely more frustrating by comparison.

Hermione was surprised when Sirius came back to look at the clothes with her. "You're back," she said simply.

"I have to make sure you don't wear something that'll embarrass your dashing date," he replied with a smirk.

Sirius, who seemed to have an eye for design, finally came across the perfect dress. It had a delicate gold silk inner dress that flowed gracefully into a full skirt, with outer robes of more muted gold. It blended beautifully with the slightly golden sheen of Hermione's brown hair, and it made for a striking combination with Sirius's silvery-gray suit. "Hermione, what do you think of this?"

Hermione looked over a stack of rejected clothes to the shining robe that Sirius held up. "How do you do it? We'll match perfectly!"

"Indeed," he smiled.

"You must like shopping," she said.

"Hate it," he told her as they walked together to the counter. "Unless I'm with the right people."