Unhappy Endings

80: Preparing For The Ball

"Come see me tonight, before the ball. Let me know if you feel that you can do such a thing." You sighed. "For now, please just go, Severus..."

And that he did. For if Severus was one thing, it was respectful of your wishes.

Agreeing to go to the Yule Ball with Severus had previously opened up a whole new world for you and you finally began to understand why the girls in your class couldn't stop talking about how excited they were. They couldn't stop talking about it, and you couldn't stop thinking about it. You were hoping that this evening would finally let you to take the next step with Severus and bind you together as a couple. Would he be able to finally show you that he returned your feelings and that he didn't want to let you go? Could he let go of her?

After having a long and detailed conversation with Rolanda and Sybill about the goings-on, they both stayed to help you get ready. If Severus was going to break your heart, they thought you ought to look so stunning that every person in the ball would gaze upon you.

You wanted this night to be perfect and you did everything you could to assure that it would be. Every day prior to your quarrel, you had looked at your dress and smiled. Eventually, you did move on to finding your heels before you began worrying about your hair. When did you become a girl who would worry so much about appearance? As a metamorphmagus, the way you looked was always the least of your concern. But it seemed the idea of this Ball had completely warped your mindset and you could no longer recognize the girl blinded by love staring back at you each time you looked in the mirror, nitpicking all your imperfections. The nervousness slowly turned into endless insecurities you had never noticed until now, hoping they wouldn't stop you from looking the part of the elegant date any guy would love to have at the Ball.

It was just before the start of the ball and Severus was just as skittish, not wanting to mess this up again. As it got later, Severus still hadn't appeared. At first, you thought he was avoiding you, trying to come up with the words to tell you he no longer wanted to date you, but Rolanda quickly reassured you that was not the case. You genuinely had no idea what he was up to.

The time finally rolled around, and excitement filled the entire castle from every fourth, fifth, six and seventh year of each house and even to the professors. You checked yourself in the mirror a third time before you finally reached for your dress. Sybill had done your hair in a special style and your makeup as simple and dark; you were never one for vibrant colors or heavy creams-- they clashed with your rainbow body. You focused most of your attention on your eyes and had picked a dark style that made them pop. The thin layer of mascara is what really brought the look together as it lifted your eyelashes, elongating them enough to soften the glimmer in your eyes.

You stepped into your dress and Rolanda slowly zipped it up, watching it take form around your body. You smiled as you ran your hands over the black fabric, loving how glamorous you looked. Twisting your body, you admired the subtle shine it emitted. Your sister must have known you better than you thought, as it complimented your silhouette so well. Your fingers grazed the soft lace of the sleeve that blended so elegantly into the rest of the dress. It was a bit bold, you couldn't lie, but it just looked so good on you, and more importantly, it made you feel like the most stunning woman to ever walk down the halls of Hogwarts.