Chapter 14:Girls Night Out ,and Sleepovers

The clock chimed, telling students that their curfew has ended. Only a handful of students were up, specifically seven female students. No matter how hard they tried, they could not sleep. They were too nervous and excited to meet their respective fiancés when dawn breaks.

Five of those awake were Gryffindors—Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. They were all sat on the couches in the common room. Alicia and Angelina were sharing a couch; Katie on one; Hermione and Ginny on the floor near the fireplace. They all watched the flames in the silence. Even after they shared their fiftieth pot of hot chocolate, they were still awake. Maybe they shouldn't have had so much…

"I'm bored to death," Ginny groaned as she lied on her belly with a glass of pumpkin juice in her hand.

"I don't think we should have taken hot chocolate, I'm more awake then ever!" Katie sighed.

"Well, I s'pose it's the nerves for the announcements," Alicia pursed her lips nervously. "You don't think they'd change their minds, right? I mean, we chose who we want, but what if…they decide to ignore it?" she said nervously.

"Merlin, this isn't doing us any good," Angelina moaned, pulling her legs up, resting her chin on her knees and played with her fluffy bunny slippers. They looked funny with her zebra printed pajamas. "I think we should go out since curfew's over. I doubt they would think anyone's still up."

"I think I have an idea," Hermione looked up from her book.

"We're not doing research, are we?" Katie dreaded.

"Yeah, we love you, 'Mione, but no more research," Alicia grumbled.

"I wasn't about to say that," Hermione defended. She loved reading, but she wasn't going to suggest that for the early morning.

"What is it?" Ginny questioned.

"Well," Hermione bit her lip, "a muggle karaoke bar just opened at Hogsmeade…"

"You know this how?" Alicia interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

"I uh… I found out last week. They have a karaoke singing contest, you know."

"Still, how is the question? We haven't had our Hogsmeade trip yet." Alicia narrowed her eyes.

"I couldn't sleep last week after I studied for my potions exam. Too nervous, I think…so I snuck out," Hermione blushed.

"You what?" Katie gasped

Hermione sighed in frustration, "I said-"

"No, no," Katie raised her hand up, "I just…didn't expect it, that's all. I mean…Hermione Granger snuck out!"

"It's not my first time," Hermione grumbled, annoyed that her friends were shocked.

"And you weren't bothered to bring me?" Ginny pouted at her best friend.

"I wanted to, but you were muttering Blaise Zabini's name in your sleep," Hermione chuckled at her reddening friend.

"Hermione's all grown up! What are we even…Oh, I think I'm going to cry," Alicia teased, pretending to wipe her tears away.

"Alicia!" Hermione exclaimed at her friend's comment.

"Are we going or not?" Hermione asked even though she knew her friends would agree.

"There's a price isn't there, if it's a contest?" Angelina asked.

"Of course, the winning group wins a 150 galleon gift certificate each at The Three Broomsticks and 250 galleons per member for winning," Hermione said.

"So basically we sing and get free things if we win?" Ginny summed it all in excitement.

"What are we waiting for then?" Alicia squealed.

"I don't know what to think of you, Hermione, but I think I like this new you !" Ginny hugged her best friend.

"We should go now so we don't come back late," Alicia hissed as she quickly changed her clothes, instructing everyone to do the same.

While the Gryffindor girls were changing, the other two students awake were down in the kitchens, trying out a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake.

"Millie, do we really have to try it tonight?" Pansy scowled tiredly as she plopped down on the counter, facing her friend, "and why can't we do it in the kitchens in the common room."

"Yes, we do. I want to send something to my fiancé," Millicent commented as she measured her ingredients, "and because I don't want everyone to eat these."

"Whatever, I guess I'll just…find something to do," Pansy sighed as she accio-ed her poetry book and quill.

"Say, I didn't know writing another Potter-inspired poem was called 'something'," she teased.

"Shut up," Pansy snapped, her eyes flicking around their perimeter, making sure no one heard it, "just pay attention to your cooking."

Millicent chuckled and as she prepared her first batch of pumpkin cheesecake. She then began to sing a song.

"I can hear the bells, well don't you hear 'em chime," Millicent sung and Pansy groaned.

"Not again, Millie!" Pansy mocked bang her hand on the table. Her best friend paid her no mind as she continued her song.

"Can't 'cha feel my heartbeat keeping perfect time? And all because he...bumped me,"

'He bumped you because he was in a hurry for class, dimwit,' Pansy shook her head goodheartedly. She knew Millicent wouldn't stop singing unless something strange happened, like say, if she mixed something wrong… Therefore, Pansy didn't bother interrupting and tried to concentrate on writing, but her mind wasn't co-operating. Millicent was too much of a distraction. Just because she loved Millicent like she was the sister she never had, doesn't mean she liked it when Millicent starts to sing something that reminded her of the redhead. Instead of forcing herself, Pansy sat back and just listened to her friend.

"He looked at me and stared, yes he touched me," Millicent sang.

"Touch you? Millie, you were in his way!" Pansy shook her head.

"My heart was unprepared when he tapped me And knocked me off my feet," Millicent sang until Pansy hushed her quiet.

"Millicent, someone's heading this direction!" Pansy hissed when her charm picked up somebody.

Millicent turned off the oven and opened the door silently. Both herself and Pansy saw five Gryffindor girls heading their way, "Should we follow them?"

Pansy nodded and stepped out of the portrait. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she folded her arms in front of her chest. Millicent used the extra time to wrap Ron's food up and had an elf to place it by his bedside, along with a note.

"You're out of bed too, Parkinson," Hermione replied, glacing at her curiously.

"Well, I guess that's none of your business then, Granger," Millicent commented as she stood beside her fellow Slytherin.

"Then the same goes for you," Ginny scowled, slightly annoyed that they were delayed from their planned journey.

"No need to fight," Angelina chastised.

"Shouldn't we take them along then? They might tell," Katie wondered aloud purposely.

"Take us where?" Millicent narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing, we're just heading down to Hogsmeade. It's nothing new," Alicia waved it off.

"Won't you get caught?" Pansy raised an eyebrow.

"We wont," Hermione said determinedly. "I've done it before."

"You?" Pansy cast a doubtful glance at Hermione.

"She's best friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley," Ginny scoffed, "they break rules all the time."

"It does sounds exciting," Millicent said in a low voice to Pansy.

"You're not scared, are you?" Angelina asked, a genuine smile on her face.

"It'll be fun," Alicia tempted.

"So, you've done this more than once?" Pansy asked for assurance as she gave them a nervous glance.

"Yeah, we have sleepovers in the Room of Requirements every Friday." Katie boasted and was excited to have done something Slytherins haven't.

"What's sleep over?" Pansy frowned. She had never heard of it.

"Sleeping above the room?" Millicent tried.

"You haven't!" Ginny gasped.

"It's a muggle term," Hermione explained, "where you and your closest girl friends do something fun and don't part until morning next. It's like erm… all girls night."

"That sounds fun!" Pansy nodded, still weighing the options, plus, it'd be nice to know Harry Potter's best friend since they'd have to be friends anyway.

"How much is this…sleepover?" Millicent asked, her hands searching for spare galleons in her bag.

"Oh, you don't have to pay," Angelina chuckled, "it's just like hanging out with friends. And since you're with friends, no fees needed."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's tons of fun! Join us, I have no doubt that we'd have to mingle soon enough," Ginny winked meaningfully at Hermione, who shook her head in amusement.

"Alright, I'm in," Pansy grinned excitedly, "I never had much close friend anyway."

Millicent gave a curt nod, a thoughtful look on her face as she looked at the five Gryffindors in front of her.

"Good, good," Angelina smiled.

The seven girls stood awkwardly, facing one another as they contemplated what just happened.

"So," Pansy cleared her throat, "what do we do now?"

"Oh, right," Hermione shook her head, shaking away her thoughts, "we were just about to head down to Hogsmeade, to the karaoke bar."

"Now?" Pansy asked incredulously, "You can't be serious! I thought we'd be heading straight for the Room of Requirements!"

"Ah, well, change of plans tonight, we weren't up for anything normal," Katie explained. "Plus, we're Gryffindors, you can trust us."

Pansy and Millicent looked at each other and nodded. They've never done it before, it felt exciting.

"Oh, right well, since we're here, we should change," Hermione chuckled, looking at everyone's pajamas.

"Right," Pansy agreed, looking at Hermione's rainbow coloured bottom. Hermione blushed in embarrassment.

"Come on, don't waste time," Ginny spoke, "you all know the spell."

As she spoke the words, Ginny waved her wand over herself. Her old Quidditch shirt and her shorts transfigured into a burgundy-colored halter top that tied together behind her neck and a denim mini skirt which showed her long legs. In place of her simple black flip-flops were four inched blood-red peep-toed stilettos.

Hermione changed her thin, grey colored long sleeve shirt into a green-striped off-shoulder crop tee, with a white colored tank top underneath. Her rainbow bottoms transformed into light-blue skinny jeans and her slippers into a pale green strappy two-inched wedges.

Alicia rolled her eyes at Hermione's modesty, she herself had a leopard printed strapless mini on her in place of her nightgown and a six-inched leather stiletto boots in replacement of her slip-ons.

Katie went out of her comfort zone and tried out an outfit she had always pictured in her fantasy. A deep, sapphire-colored corset wrapped around her upper body, lacing together behind her, giving her a very attractive looking chest and waist. The black leather pants she had on showed off her perfect behind. On her feet were her favorite Louboutin heels.

Angelina, like Hermione, also dressed a bit more reservedly compared with the others. Her zebra-printed pajamas was replaced by a black turtleneck tank top that hung loosely down her torso, but hugged her hips and a pair of white jeans clung her legs. She had a pair of snakeskin flats on.

Pansy had changed into a snakeskin printed long sleeved top, which tucked into leather short-shorts and wore her favorite five inched gladiator sandals. She rolled her sleeves up to her elbows and looked over to Millicent.

Millicent's clothes were similar to Katie's. A black corset with orange leather pants replaced her Slytherin top and hot pants. The only difference between the two girls was the shoes. Instead of heels, Millicent had a nice pair of sandals on.

"The two of you are so embarrassing!" Ginny moaned, looking at Angelina and Hermione. "Can't you try something like us?"

"Shut up Ginny," Hermione scowled, "I just so happen to like my clothes. Now, let's go before someone comes along."

"It's a cold and crazy world that's ragin' outside; Well baby me and all my girls are bringin' on the fire," Hermione hummed as the group exited the castle and headed towards the apparation point that would bring them to Hogsmeade

"Underneath the city lights;/ There is a world few know about;/Where rules don't apply, no; And you can't keep a good girl down," Alicia sang along when they arrived at Hogsmeade.

They turned left when they reached the Three Broomsticks and headed down the alley until they've reached the door that will bring them to the muggle pub. Since no one under the age of eighteen were allowed in, Hermione confounded the muggle who guarded the entrance to allow them in.

"This is amazing," Pansy breathed as she looked around. The place was filled with people and the colored neon lights were dimmed. It was like no other place Pansy and Millicent had been in.

"How come we've never seen it?" Millicent questioned as she and Pansy trailed behind the Gryffindors to an empty table.

"Well, the main door's at the entrance of Knockturn Alley and this one we've just passed is actually just a couple blocks down the Three Broomsticks." Katie informed her new friends, "the witches and wizards who created this cast a spell on it, so only muggle-borns and magical beings in touch with muggle inventions can see the doors during the day. It's open for everyone at night, especially after everything in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade is closed."

"Oh," Pansy nodded, "what is she doing?" Pansy asked as she watched Hermione by the front, filling up something.

"There's a karaoke contest tonight, the winning group gets a one hundred fifty galleon gift certificate for each member and each member also get to take two hundred and fifty galleons home!" Katie said excitedly.

"But I thought this is a muggle bar?" Pansy frowned confusedly.

"Right, but it's managed with witches and wizards, the bartenders are all muggle borns and half-bloods," Ginny said, "So basically, if you're a wizard or a witch, just inform them when you fill up the form. Aren't the bartenders fetching?"

Pansy laughed. "I think we need to come here more often."

"Alright Angel, Leesh, Kate," Hermione looked at Angelina, Alicia and Katie, "you three are up first."

"'Mione!" Katie groaned, "What are we singing?"

"I Love Rock and Roll," Hermione chuckled and the three older students nodded reluctantly and headed towards the stage.

Angelina took the lead as the lead singer, with Alicia and Katie as her support singers. The lights dim more, and spotlights were on the three Gryffindors on the stage. When they began singing, Ginny ordered some coke and Hermione ordered some buffalo wings.

When their food arrived to their table, Pansy and Millicent each took a glass of coke but stared at the red wings and a quarter moon shaped things in the basket in front of them.

"Uh…what is that?" Pansy asked as she pointed at the red food in the platter.

"Buffalo wings and potato wedges," Hermione answered while helping herself to one.

"Muggle buffaloes have wings?" Millicent frowned confusedly as she took in the information provided.

"Oh! No, no, no," Hermione shook her head. "It's just a name, they're actually chicken wings coated in spicy sauce. We call the sauce buffalo sauce, hence the name." She popped another potato wedge into her mouth, "you have got to try these- they're amazing."

"What's this?" Pansy asked as she took a sip of the drink in front of her. She winced when the concoction burned down her throat. It was a different feeling if compared to Firewhiskey.

"It's Coke, Pansy, a muggle gas drink," Ginny said as she took a sip of hers and grabbed a napkin to put her wing she was about to eat.

"I love rock n' roll; So put another dime in the jukebox, baby," Angelina, Katie and Alicia sang. Pansy and Millicent clapped excitedly as they watched the three older girls rock the stage. Ginny wolf-whistled as the three girls danced on the stage whilst they sang. "I love rock n' roll; So come and take your time and dance with me!"

After all the other contestants sang on stage, they announced the winners, who were Angelina, Katie and Alicia. Excited, the seven were given their prizes as one of the bartenders congratulated them for being a loud cheer and fantastic participants. By then, Pansy, who had never had Sprite, was tipsy after her fifth glass. The girls thought this was a good sign for them to return to Hogwarts.

~Room of Requirements~

Hermione, Ginny, Alicia, Katie, Angelina, Pansy and Millicent sat on the floor, laughing as they shared a joke among themselves. Within the last hour, they had formed a sort of bond between themselves.

"I can't wait to see Ron's reaction when he realizes we've 'fraternizing with the enemy'," Ginny giggled as she quote Ron's words to Hermione during their fourth year.

"What's next?" Pansy asked excitedly as she snuggled with a stuffed deer.

"We could watch some movies or talk…or we can play a game of truth or dare," Alicia suggested as she plopped down on the couch.

"What's a move-y?" Pansy asked confusedly.

"A movie. It's…" Ginny frowned, searching for words to explain. "A play…but the actors aren't acting in front of you, it's prerecorded. I s'pose it's sort of like the moving portraits around Hogwarts, but with a story line."

"That sounds interesting," Millicent exclaimed. Then all of them gathered together and faced the wall. Hermione casted a spell on the muggle projection invention-which they had borrowed from their Muggle Studies' professor-to start it up.

"Oh, Mr. Darcy," Ginny sighed dreamily as the ending played before them, "call me Mrs. Darcy."

"Mr. Darcy's perfect isn't he?" Hermione murmured. "Handsome, smart, funny, loyal, mhmm."

Ginny shook her head as she chuckled, "I'm sorry, sweets, but I called dibs."

"I was the one who made you all watch the movie!" Angelina exclaimed, "He's mine first!"

"Does it matter?" Pansy questioned, her eyes dazed, "I mean, we'll all have our Mr. Darcy soon enough, I hope."

With their thoughts still filled with Mr. Darcy, the girls just hummed in response, agreeing with the Slytherin's statement.

"So, what now?" Katie shook her head, clearing her thoughts after they had all spent a couple of minutes in quiet. "Anyone up for Truth or Dare? I would suggest we play the wizarding version, but neither of us have Veritaserum."

"Alright then," Hermione agreed as the group sat in a circle. Alicia conjured a bottle and placed it on the floor.

Angeline had the privilege to start since she was the first one. It spun and stopped, the bottle head faced Alicia. "Leesh, truth or dare?"

"Uhh," Alicia hesitated, "truth."

"Whose proposal did you accept?" Angelina asked as everyone's attention turned to Alicia, awaiting her answer.

"Terrence…I couldn't possibly choose George-Sorry, Gin," Alicia said quietly at the end.

"It's alright Leesh, he's a prat," Ginny smiled assuredly, patting her friend's hand. Alicia nodded and spun the bottle, which pointed at Millicent.

"Okay Millicent, truth or dare?" Alicia asked.

"Truth?" Millicent said, but it came out as an answer.

"What's your guilty secret of the month?" Alicia asked curiously, leaning forward, as if interrogating a suspect.

"I've been…um…" she blushed, "baking things for my new fiancé."\

"Lucky man, he must be," Ginny giggled.

The girls laughed. After a few moments of spin the bottle and truth or dare, it was Ginny's turn. The bottle pointed at Millicent, like Ginny wished. She looked up at the blonde and grinned wolfishly.

"Truth or dare, Millie?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Truth," the Slytherin said confidently.

"Who is your fiancé?" Ginny blurted out immediately. She was very curious about who had petitioned for the shy, curvy blonde from Slytherin.

"It's…it's uh," Millicent reddened, "your brother."

"Ron?" Hermione asked shocked. "Ronald Weasley?"

"Yeah, him," Millicent nodded hesitantly then hastened to explain herself, "I know you two dated before, I hope you don't mind."

"Oh! It's alright Millicent, really!" Hermione laughed, "I was just shocked that's all, I love him like a brother, really. I'm happy for you."

"That's good to know," Millicent said in relief.

"What about you, Hermione?" Katie asked intrigued. "Who's your fiancé then, if Ron didn't petition for you?"

"Ah," now, the game was all forgotten, all the girls wanted to know whom each other were about to marry. Hermione blushed, "Draco Malfoy and McLaggen."

"You what?" Ginny gasped. "No! I can't believe he had the nerve to-"

"Why? Who? What happened?" Pansy asked with concern as she popped a peanut butter chocolate in her mouth.

"McLaggen almost raped her," Alicia explained in the simplest way possible.

"Merlin!" Millicent and Pansy gasped. "We thought it was just a rumor!"

"It's alright," Hermione shrugged, wincing at the memory, "Malfoy saved me though-"

"Prince Charming to the rescue," Ginny giggled.

"Shut up," Hermione reddened.

"What?" Ginny exclaimed, "Can't you feel the sexual tension between you two? Merlin, we even had bets to when you two would sha-"

"Ginny!" Angelina and Katie scowled. "You weren't supposed to tell!"

"YOU WHAT?" Hermione shouted, mortified. "I can't believe this!"

"It's alright, sweets, they're not the only ones who think that," Pansy chuckled then sobered, "Draco's a good man, just forced into all the bad choices, that's all."

Hermione nodded, "He did save me the other day," she blushed, remembering how protective he was of her.

"I bet he would have done more than save you, bruise Cormac's ego or something," Angelina said comfortingly. "Good thing he didn't though, now we can have our do when we see him."

"Ha!" Ginny snarled. "We'll see if there's any guts left in him after I give him the full blow of my bat-bogey hex!"

All the Gryffindor girls, except Hermione were grumbling under their breaths about the later's incident with Cormac McLaggen.

"I think Draco has feelings of you," Katie said quietly, smiling at the bookworm. "I mean, he does sound quite concerned about you that night.

"Trust me, Draco has more than just feelings for her," Pansy giggled, "He didn't know what to think of you when you slapped him in third year, then, there's the Yule Ball in fourth year. You'd think he caught all the flies in the world with his mouth open for the entire time."

"How come I've never heard of this before?" Millicent pouted.

"Well, it wasn't really mine to tell," Pansy shrugged, "and it's not as if Draco's father won't hear about this."

"Ah, well, I don't think Harry can top that, don't you think?" Hermione asked, still red from the discussion of Draco's heroic action and possible romantic feelings for her. She wanted to change the topic. Fast.

"Hmm? Oh yes!" Ginny gushed. "You won't believe what Harry did when he saw you that night during the Yule Ball."

"What are you on about?" Pansy frowned, a bit confused.

"They're saying that if even you think that Malfoy's in love with Hermione, Harry is more or less, feeling pretty much the same about you since Yule Ball," Katie explained.

"Harry? Harry Potter?" Pansy said stunned. "You can't be serious!"

"I don't think there's more than one person called Harry in this school, darling," Alicia grinned.

Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Ginny, Hermione, Pansy and Millicent discussed about their future husbands, who happened to be all Slytherins. With Millicent and Pansy guaranteeing, the girls were all comforted with the fact that the guys they were marrying were decent.

"What is it, Ginny?" Millicent asked when a slow, mischievous smile crept up her face.

"I know we only have a week to know our fiancés," Ginny started, "we know we'll like them, and possibly learn to love them in the future, but they don't know what will happen. Shouldn't we make them worry a bit?" Ginny waggled her eyebrows suggestively

"Oh! I think it's wonderful! I'd love to do that!" Katie grinned.

"I'm in!" Millicent laughed. "Merlin, your brother's going to freak out!"

"Ah, I'm sure everyone's got a shock in for them!" Angelina chuckled.

"But isn't is a bit mean, I mean, they haven't done anything!" Hermione argued.

"It's a 'yet'. They haven't done anything to us…yet. Don't be a buzz kill, Hermione. We'll come here every night for a week to plan, no discussions," Pansy concluded and the girls all agreed, even Hermione, though hers was a bit reluctantly.

With their game plan in mind, they wished each other goodnight and went to bed.

They couldn't wait until the morning!

Hello Everyone so sorry fro the long update, been busy with my my grandpa in town and work,

I hope you enjoy this chapter !

Thanks for all the wonderfil reviews! and Don't forget to drop me a line on what you think before leaving this page :)

Thanks , Lilac

References:

Song Verses:

Hermoine - Express-Burlesque

Alicia –Show Me how to Burlesque –Burlesque

Katie ,Angelina,Alicia – I love Rock and Roll – Britney Spears version

Millicent verse – I Can Hear the Bells-Hairspray