The Weasley Mayhem {A Weasley Love Story}

|Chapter Thirty-One ~ Xesca Rosa|

"I'm so excited for tonight!" I squealed in excitement as Hermione and I (along with every other girl that didn't get sent a dress) made our way towards the small, quaint village of Hogsmeade about a ten-minute walk from the castle. "So what colour were you thinking of?" I asked, going into complete fashionista mode.

"Umm maybe a pink or a red colour?" Hermione said, slightly unsure since she's not really a girly kind of girl and not really into the latest trends. Honestly... What was I supposed to do with her?

"I think pink would look lovely on you." I said smiling at her, before dragging her into 'Bellesa' the best dress shop in Hogsmeade, if we don't find dresses in here we're doomed.

"Ah Ariella! Hermione! Shopping for the ball?" The young woman, Xesca Rosa the Catalan dressmaker's daughter, asked us from behind her work desk. She was currently stitching emeralds into a dark green cocktail dress.

Xesca Rosa had long brown hair and deep brown eyes and had gone to the Magegro Academia in Spain. She told me once that the boys wore black robes whilst the girls wore white robes, with the school crest on the breast pocket. The school was a beautiful Spanish palace that was high in the mountains away from any prying eyes of muggles. She said that the altitude was something that you had to put up with but it was much easier than hiding the magical activity that went on there. Xesca and her mother moved to England about four years ago, just as she had finished her last year at school, when her father got transferred to the ministry here in England.

"Yes... I guess you've had a lot people already come in here for dresses." I said, it was obvious really, you could tell by the lack of dresses on the rails that she had already been wiped out of all the good dresses.

"You know, I thought that you would be coming in here, you too Miss Granger, so I put a few dresses to the side that I thought you might like. Come, I show you." She said grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her into the back room that connected the house, that Xesca and her mother owned, to the shop, this was so they could keep a constant watch on the expensive clothes and accessories. "What do you think?" She asked, coming to a stop at a table, laden with dresses.

"I think I love you Xesca!" I said, smiling at the dressmaker's daughter. "Are you going to the ball?" I asked, as I picked up a handful of dresses, handed them to Hermione and pushed her towards the changing room.

"Ah Ariella, I think I have the perfect one for you." She said, smiling at me whilst she handed me a black dress and a pair of black platform heels and pushed me into the changing room. As soon as the dress slipped onto my body I knew it was the one, now it was just Hermione we needed to shop for.

The tight black bodice of the dress plunged into a low v that stopped just above my belly button and formed a body as the skirt was lace and see-through. The whole dress was encrusted in silver gems that glinted in the light. I slipped on black platforms before stepping out of the changing room. "Like I said before it's perfect. Oh I have the perfect necklace for it!" Xesca said, before disappearing behind a shelf emerging a few minutes later with a thin, silver necklace. I turned around and pulled my hair around onto my shoulder so that she could clasp it around my neck. "There." She said, smiling at me. A few moments later Hermione appeared donning a pale yellow dress.

"That dress has your name written all over it!" She said, picking at the dress that clung to her.

"I wish I could say the same for that dress." I said laughing at the colour. Hermione's face relaxed a bit as she went back into the changing room to try on a different dress.

"Hermione? Are you done?" I called into her changing room. She had tried on seven dresses in the last hour, thoroughly scrutinising each one (much to my dismay).

"Yeah." She said, emerging from the changing room in a frilly dress that cascaded with layers, which ranged from shades of soft pink to rich lavender.

"Impressionant..." Xesca whispered as Hermione stepped out of the changing room. If that dress wasn't made for her I don't know whom it was intended for.

"Krum is going to die when he sees you in that!" I exclaimed making her do a twirl so I could get the full effect of the dress. "Now you need some shoes!" I said following Xesca to the area where the shoes were kept.

"These!" Xesca exclaimed, holding out to me a pair of dark pink shoes that had a small heel and were completely Hermione's style. Taking to the shoes I handed them to her and watched as she slipped them on. "Now all she needs is accessories." Xesca said, smiling at me.

"I have some pink flower earrings that my mum got me for Christmas last year that would go great with that dress." I said smiling at my friend "Come on get changed." I instructed her as I picked up all of my items and carried them over to the till to pay.

"No, no, on the house!" Xesca said to me as I pulled out money, prepared to pay.

"Xesca, I really couldn't!" I exclaimed, shocked that she would even think that I could possibly accept a free dress never mind free shoes and accessories as well.

"You must! Mama wouldn't have any less of it! The amount of times you have helped us, especially when we had those break ins. I insist!" She said, smiling at me, before handing me my bag with all of mine and Hermione's items before ushering us to the door. "I will see you tonight! Save me a handsome man to dance with!" Xesca joked as she watched us walk away from her shop and back towards the castle that stood right at the top of the hill.

"So... How do you want your hair doing Hermione?"