𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙. // 𝙜.𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮

.xiv.

Daphne woke up to the sounds of soft whimpers and someone struggling, she worriedly looked around and found Aurora sitting on the bed pulling her hair but half of her hair seemed oddly tangled, and she quickly got out of her bed to sit next to her friend to see what was wrong. The sight made her eyes widen as she tried to comfort her friend, Aurora's hair wasn't tangled but it looked like someone had glued it together using some sort of gum.
"I'm going to kill that bitch" Aurora said angrily through tears, "and just before the ball!"
"Shh, Aurora, it's okay. We'll fix it, let's try washing it with cold water" Daphne said comfortingly rubbing Aurora's shoulder who was shaking her head and wiping the tears.
"I tried but it didn't work-"
The door of their dormitory swung open and three girls entered looking highly amused about something, Milicent Bulstrode and Vivian Nott were following Pansy Parkinson who was looking at Aurora with mock sorrow.

"Aww, Potter, hair got stuck?" she said in fake concern and the three girls erupted into shrieking laughter that boiled Aurora's blood and she was just about to lunge at them but Daphne held her back and she watched the three girls leave the dormitory. Aurora sat back on the bed with a loud huff and buried her head in her hands, Daphne knew that the only way to fix her hair was to cut it and she didn't want to go to Madam Pomfrey either.

"We'll have to cut it" Daphne said plainly while looking at Aurora who looked at her in disbelief.
"What? But-"
"Aurora, it's just hair. It'll grow out" Daphne said coolly with a reassuring smile, Aurora had to pause and think for a moment before she nodded in agreement and sat in front of the mirror with her back towards Daphne who was standing with scissors. Aurora had never had short hair, she never got them cut and Aunt Petunia never wanted to waste any money or effort on cutting her hair so to say that she was anxious was an understatement.
"I'm going to look hideous" Aurora mumbled under her breath, the next she heard was a snipping of scissors as she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips.
"Done" Daphne said with satisfaction and set the scissors down, Aurora slowly opened her eyes and gaped at the mirror. Her hair was just merely touching her shoulders and she blinked at how short it was.
"Thank you, Daph" Aurora said and hugged her friend then the two made their way out of the dormitory, and Aurora followed down the path to Gryffindor Tower. Getting more and more nervous as she began to get closer, she could see people who she knew gaping at her because in all three years, her hair had never been this short.

She entered the red and gold common room and instantly spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting by the fire talking indistinctly as she made their way over to them. Ron was the first to notice her presence.
"Aurora, we were just- what the bloody hell?" he exclaimed and looked at her, his mouth slightly agape which made Harry and Hermione's head to snap in Aurora's direction which made Hermione gasp while Harry mirrored Ron's reaction.
"I knew I'd look hideous" Aurora said miserably. Another set of footsteps could be heard and Aurora knew it was Fred and George coming down the stairs, their chattering was growing louder by the second and she waited for another set of reaction from them as they saw her and quickly made their way to her, their smiles turning into a surprised face.
"I know I look bad, okay. Just-"
"No, no, Rori. You don't look bad at all. You look...wow" George said airily but Aurora wasn't convinced and stomped her foot.
"You're only saying that because you're my best friend" she said.
"No, I promise you I'm being honest" he said with a reassuring smile, cupping her face in his hands.
"But look at them, they look stupid" she said while gesturing irritably towards the trio who were now recovering themselves and Fred chuckled at their faces.

Once they had all settled down and talked, and Ron had expressed that Aurora looked like a girl version of Harry without glasses, she was just about to make her way out of the portrait hole following after George who was led by Fred when he noticed the bracelet he had given to Aurora last Christmas, it looked just as new as it did when he gave it to her.
"You're still wearing it" George said taking her hand, a smile was beginning to form on his face and Aurora nodding earnestly.
"Of course, I am. Come to think of it, it actually matches my dress" Aurora added with a grin as she gave George's hand a squeeze before he let it go.
"Yeah, it does" he said softly.