Capítulo 38: If You Are I Am
Draco ran his fingers appreciatively over the piece of art that covered the ugly black mark.
It had been about a week since they'd gone to the tattoo parlour, and the Christmas Ball was coming up relatively quickly. In fact, Draco was relatively sure that Hermione had a shopping date later today with Pansy and Astoria to find something to wear (not like Hermione didn't have anything to wear, but they were taking her anyway).
The brunette in question was currently at the apartment-library, sorting through the various books and arranging them by favorites and origin, and then after that by genre, and then after that by alphabetical order. Draco shook his head at the thought; there were so many layers of organization that he wasn't sure how she remembered it all.
He Apparated into the apartment, suddenly surrounded by stacks of books- most were volumes that they had recently bought from various wizarding and muggle bookstores, others gifted to them by his mum, others still that had been Hermione's before the apartment had been transformed. Hermione was humming an unfamiliar tune as she sorted through the piles of books scattered around the apartment, sunlight streaming wholeheartedly through the large windows and casting rays of light on the white bookshelves that had caught Hermione's eye. She'd nearly hexed Draco for buying them (they really were expensive).
"Hey." Draco glanced around the room. "Want any help?"
"If you want, I suppose." She skimmed her fingertips across the first bookshelf she'd finished, smiling, before moving on to another pile.
"So how is this-" Draco gestured wildly around the room, "going to work?"
"Well, I have wizarding authors here, half-blood authors here, and muggle authors here. In the wizarding authors section, I have two bookshelves for magical theory and then half a bookshelf for reference and another for history. Plus another for historical accounts from the point of view of magical beings that are not wizards. In the half-blood authors section, I have loads of biographies written by werewolves and people who have grown up in both the muggle and wizarding worlds, and their account on history. In the muggle authors section, I have two bookshelves for reference, information, and non-fiction, another for history and historical fiction, and then one more for science-fiction with one shelf dedicated to each fantasy and dystopia and the last one for both favorite authors and novels."
Draco chuckled. "How do you remember it?"
"I'll put little signs up at the top of each shelf so that you know what's what, how about that?" Hermione grinned at Draco's scowl.
"You're evil."
"I know." Hermione danced around, moving books from stack to stack to shelf to shelf, at least a ghost of a smile constantly on her face as she picked up each book, putting it in its place.
"Well, I'm glad this is making one of us happy."
"Aren't you happy?" Hermione furrowed her brow.
Draco grinned, picking her up and swinging her around, higher than the stacks of books.
"If you are, I am."
***
"Where are we headed?" Hermione felt herself being dragged by Pansy to Merlin knows where.
"One of the more prolific and high-end fashion designers. She does mostly personal designing and stuff of that sort for pureblood women. Narcissa, I know, has some of her pieces." Astoria explained.
"Ah. Okay then." Hermione had seen Narcissa's wardrobe- she knew exactly how high-end they were talking now.
"Yeah, she's really good." Hermione finally regained proper footing outside the store- a huge thing that nearly took up half the block. It definitely carried a very feminine aura- gold and white accents, light pink chairs, ballgowns and wedding gowns on display everywhere. A tall, slim woman stepped out from what appeared to be a back room- long brown locks piled high on her head, a haughty expression- but her face split into a large smile as she saw Pansy and Astoria. Hermione blinked. Pansy smiled sheepishly.
"I may have had some of her pieces in my closet as well. Hermione, this is Léonine; Léonine, this is Miss Hermione."
"Ah. The famous Miss Hermione." She smiled kindly, a twinkle in her eye. "I'm sure we'll find exactly what we need. I believe you are looking for dresses for Narcissa's Christmas Ball?"
"Yes."
Léonine nodded curtly towards the back of the store.
"Well then. This way, if you please."
Hermione followed the others curiously to the back, where a myriad of mannequins stood, along with a large circular stool in the center. She gestured to Hermione.
"I already have measurements for Astoria and Pansy, now I need yours, so that the dress can be fitted exactly to you, no matter the size of the dress you choose."
The tape measure flew around Hermione's body and it could only have taken a few seconds before all her measurements were written on Léonine's paper.
"Excellent. Now, what are you looking for?" Astoria gestured to Pansy, who complentated.
"Something emerald green, I guess. Slytherin to the core, I know,' she grinned at Hermione's eye roll,' but that's what it's gonna be. Something fitted and full-length."
Léonine nodded. "Very well." She led them up to the second floor of the shop- the first, apparently, was all ballgowns and wedding gowns- and she led them to an empty rack.
"Here's one of my favorite strategies: you two,' she gestured to Astoria and Hermione ,'go look for three dresses each for Pansy. Then we can narrow it down from there and we can figure exactly what Pansy wants."
Astoria and Hermione grinned. "All right then."
Hermione wandered over to a group of dresses with chiffon and tulle while Astoria gravitated towards the lace, both girls finding their three picks within seventeen minutes.
"Here." Hermione hooked her three dresses onto the no-longer empty rack, and Astoria followed not too long after.
Pansy grinned. "I already see stuff I like. Why are you so good at this?"
"I dunno." Astoria and Hermione glanced at each other before bursting out in laughter.
Pansy came out in one of Astoria's dresses, a pretty thing with lace all over it. Pansy scrunched her face up.
"You don't have to like it."
Pansy sighed. "I like it, but I don't love it. And it itches."
Astoria shrugged. "Perfectly fair."
Pansy tried on a few more before hitting on one that she felt was perfect: one of Hermione's, a floor-length gown that swept over the floor, made of chiffon and tulle, with an empire waist.
Astoria grinned. "Okay, my turn: something with sleeves, off-the-shoulder, sapphire."
Once again, Hermione and this time Pansy set off into the dresses, the search now turning into a bit of a game. This time, Hermione yielded victory to Pansy- Astoria had picked one of hers, a gorgeous, tight-fitting dress with a lace bodice and small lace sleeves.
"Alright, Hermione, what do you want?" Astoria grinned.
Hermione pursed her lips. "Something silver, not super sparkly or girly or anything like that. Off-the-shoulder, preferably, and lace sleeves."
Pansy nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She smirked at Astoria before bolting off into the racks.
***
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder