Petals of Oleander

Chapter Four: Gin and Win

"No. I am not going to a quidditch match." Avalon protested, blotting blush onto her face at her vanity. "I am sneaking out to Hogsmeade for a party, and whoever joins me will be cool by association. Whoever joins Elle will be desperate by association."

"Desperate for what?! Draco asked me to go, and said it would mean something to him. He just wants to feel supported." I fought. 

"Have you considered," Begun Kitsune, also pampering herself "That maybe he is trying to make Pansy jealous, since he knows you're a sore spot for her?" 

"Absolutely not, he called her 'vile'. Plus, Draco isn't like that." I persisted. 

"oOoOh, dRaCo iSn'T LiKe tHaT" Ondie baby-voiced at me, sitting down and joining the vanity party.

"Miri?" I pleaded, "Come with me?" 

"No." Miri said, glancing up momentarily from her book. 

"But you're not going to the party, right?" I walked over to her bed and sat down by her, lightly stroking her hair, "and you don't want to sit here reading all day, right?" 

Miri sighed, "How about this, you take my laundry with yours for a week AND fold it, and I get all your desserts until Christmas." 

"Deal! Deal, deal, deal!" I squealed, hugging her. "Let's get ready." 

The trick with quidditch match attire is to find the balance between supportive, and obsessive. I've seen some Ravenclaw girls have blue-stained faces for weeks as the result of an over-the-top quidditch look, and that is simply not it. 

Miri wore her the oversized jumper she had found in the common room, with her school skirt rolled a few times for maximum flattery. I decided to go with a simple back turtle neck and slacks. Kind of boring, but it was the best I could come up with. 

"To face-paint, or not to face-paint, that is the question" Miri pronounced, holding her green and black eyeliners in hand.

"No face-painting. Absolutely not."  I insisted.

"If I were going," Avalon said, still distracted by her own makeup "I'd draw just like a little snake or something."

"Wait, cute." Miri said 

"Yeah, cute." I agreed, grabbing the black liner from her.

I drew a simple little snake on my cheek, just under my left eye, and it was indeed, cute. Miri erased her Bindi and replaced it with a little snake in a coil, so cute. Then, we headed to the field. 

As we walked down the cobblestone steps, I noticed a familiar red blur up ahead. 

"Is that Ginny?" I squinted.

"Who?" said Miri

I grabbed Miri's hand and ran, pulling her behind me until we caught up. 

"Ginny! Hey!" I said.

"Oh my god! Winnie!" She exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. Suddenly, she let go and made a face at me "Where the hell have you been?" 

"Where the hell have YOU been?" I challenged. Friendship is a two way street. I wasn't the only one who hadn't made an effort. 

"I dunno, busy, I guess" She shrugged

"Me too."

"Let's hang out after the game then?" She perked back up

"That sounds lovely!" I smiled and gave her one last hug before she ran off to meet back up with her Gryffindor friends.

"Who was that?" Miri asked. I had almost forgotten she was even there.