Diem Mortis | Dramione

Thirteen.

Sorry for taking so long to update. Life got in the way. Enjoy!

In the mirror, Hermione could picture herself as a goddess. She could see herself doting long white robes made of silk and gold thread with a crown of berries and jewels sitting on top of her hair. She could imagine herself sitting on a throne in the sun, lions at her side with titans kissing her feet, calling her vasílissa - Queen.

But she knew she was no goddess. The closest to a god Hermione could ever be would be to dress like one of Circe's lions, curly mane bared with gold thread and golden teeth, teeth cleaned of the blood from its kills.

Hermione laughed and dropped her hands, studying herself further. She was hopeless, pitiful almost. No Halloween costume would make her feel comfortable, make her feel desirable or interesting or scary. Maybe if the words above her head shone freely then people would scream. Maybe then they'd go running.

"I told you, just be a vampire," Theo said, crossing his legs at the edge of her bed.

It took a lot of cheating the school's jinxes to get him up here. She only agreed to do so because he wouldn't stop begging to join her. That and the fact everybody else was in class, this was one of the only times she was grateful her classes were cut in half.

"A vampire is boring and incredibly dull," Hermione said, feeling a twinge of guilt at the twitch against Theo's brow. "Only because several others will dress as a vampire too, it's a very common costume to wear."

Theo pursed his lips. "I guess it is a very common outfit."

"I just won't go." Hermione brushed her hair back over her shoulders once more and continued to study herself. She ignored the way her cheeks had hallowed, and the way her eyes sat holding two purple clutches beneath them. "I don't care enough to attend."

"You're going to the Halloween party." Theo groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration. "You don't have to dress up. Just go as a Slytherin, my tie will look lovely on your neck."

Hermione scoffed, but it wasn't an awful idea.

"And what are you going as, may I ask?" Hermione held a white dress up to her neck as she spoke, but cringed and threw it back to the floor. "And don't tell me you're dressing up as a vampire."

Theo clapped his hands together like he had been waiting for Hermione to ask.

"As a muggle-born, I'm assuming you have definitely watched The Wizard Of Oz," Theo said, waiting for her to nod before continuing. "I'm going as Dorothy, and unwillingly, Neville is dressing as the scarecrow."

Hermione laughed, a real laugh. The first real laugh all week.

"As ridiculous as that is, I think it will go down a treat." She spoke as she brushed her hair over her shoulder, letting it fall down the nape of her neck. "There's no doubt everyone will swoon at you in your little blue dress."

Theo puffed out his chest and waved his hands royally, taking the compliment in its stride despite how sarcastic Hermione may have sounded.

"Heels too, I assume?" Hermione added, waving her hand to pull out a trunk from beneath her bed. "Dorothy dotes black heels if I am remembering correctly?"

Hermione bent to open the trunk, revealing the mountains of shoes piled inside of it using an extension charm.

"It's funny you'd assume I don't already have a pair of my own." Theo snickered with a click of his tongue. Despite his words, he was sliding down to the ground next to her to take a better look. "Not to sound rude, Mione, but I didn't take you for the type to have so many -"