The last enemy

Chapter 12: Hogsmeade shopping

- Do we really need to do this? I have an essay to write!
- Hermione, how many times will I have to tell you! It's El's birthday, her sweet sixteen! You're with your girlfriends and we're going dress shopping! It'd be really selfish to miss out just because you have homework. I do too and I'm not dying from it!

Mione rolls her eyes. Ginny, Luna, Hermione and I are at Hogsmeade. With the Yule ball approaching, going to get dresses is something we all forgot about. Luckily, we still have a month to get every thing ready by then. It's also cool that my birthday coordinated with our monthly Hogsmeade trip.

We turn around the corner of the street and see the first dress shop. Ginny looks all excited.

- Aaaaaaah!!! We have to go there!

We all laugh at her expression. She pulls us in by the arms and we are forced to go through the door. A young lady comes to us.

- What are we searching for today? Let me guess...ball at hogwarts?

Hermione chuckles.

- Is it that obvious?
- No, we have just seen a lot of girls all about that recently. What colours are we looking at.

Gin instantly says:

- Green. Mione will go for red, Luna for blue and El, I'll let you decide since it's your b-day.
- Oh wow! You're going to let ME decide what colour of dress I will be wearing. How thoughtful of you!

I say sarcastically. Mione is rolling her eyes.

- Actually, I'm sorry Gin but I intended on wearing something that is not red or pink...
- Nope, uh-huh. You're going to wear red Hermione Granger. It's just going to look awesome.

The lady whistles and some of her coworkers immediately shows up, each one taking one of my friends with them in a different corner of the shop. The original seamstress comes over to me.

- Hi! I will be the one helping you with your search today. So it's your birthday?

I nod. She looks at me fondly.

- Sweet-sixteen, huh.
- How did you know I am sixt...
- I guessed.

Today has been a pretty crazy birthday. I've received gifts and cards and everyone has something to say to me. I have never before seen that in my life. I guess it's like that at hogwarts.

Earlier in the day, we gathered around the fireplace to open some presents. I was overly excited by Mione's; which turned out to be a cellphone! Being the only one besides me and Harry that grew up in the modern world, she's the only one that understood how badly I wanted it. When I saw the little box, I almost wanted to cry!

We tried explaining to Ron what it is but he still hasn't shown any sign of progress. He repeats the same argument over and over again (which is not a very good argument, by the way): What the bloody hell is it for!

The lady looks to me as if she is analyzing my body and traits. I stand awkwardly not sure if I should spin or something. She finally says:

- What colour do you see yourself in?
- I don't know. Just something that fits me, that is not too tight, that is comfortable and also not the same kind as my friends'.

She agrees in a slight move of the head. The seamstress lifts up her wand from her pocket and flicks it. The hangers that used to be on the racks moments ago start to move and place themselves in a circle around us. Dresses surround me and in this instant, the only thing I can think of is how am I going to pick?

The lady goes around feeling the fabric and looking at some of the clothing. After a moment, she takes a dress that I do not have the time to look at properly and puts it in a bag. She gives it to me.