2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝓉𝓌ℯ𝓃𝓉𝓎-𝓉𝒽𝓇ℯℯ\

"El, I'm warning you now," Bea called as she applied foundation to Phillipa's face. "I'm going really dramatic with yours to match your dress."

"Whatever you want." Eleanora tried to sound excited. Beatrice cast a worried look in her direction, but didn't say anything. There was a little knock on the door. "Who is it?" Eleanora asked.

"It's just me." Hermione slipped through the door and nodded hello to Bea and Phillipa. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor. "Eleanora, I was wondering if you could help me with my hair? I've been reading up on spells to make it stay in place, but I can't figure out how to style it." She looked so tired and irritated, Eleanora took pity instantly.

"Of course." She stood up and started towards the door. "I'll see you two in a minute," she called over her shoulder.

Hermione sat down at the vanity in her common room and Eleanora pulled out her wand, remembering all of the hair spells Mrs. Weasley had taught her over the years.

"Alright..." She ran her fingers through the bushy mane. "Frizzo reducto." Hermione's hair tamed into a long, silky sheet.

"Blimey," Pavarti Patil said from where she was applying Lavender Brown's eyeliner. "You look like a different person." Hermione smiled shyly.

"Hold on, I'll be right back." Eleanora hurried out of the room and was back in a moment with a bottle of clear liquid. "It's a potion I created in my fifth year when I was bored in Snape's class. It'll make your hair all shiny and nice-looking for days, I swear." She put a bit of the potion on the palm of her hand and ran it through Hermione's hair.

"Hey, Eleanora," said Lavender. "Do you have any of that potion to spare?" Eleanora grinned at her.

"You guys can have the rest of this bottle. I'll make more." She tossed the bottle onto an empty bed. "Alright now," she said, moving to look at Hermione from the front. "How d'you want me to style it?"

"I dunno. Up?" Hermione gave her a hopeless look and Eleanora laughed.

"I've got an idea. Pavarti, can I borrow your curling iron?"

~

An hour later, Eleanora had twisted Hermione's hair into a glamorous updo, leaving strands out to elegantly frame her face. She gave it one last look and nodded in satisfaction. "That should do it. Does it look alright?"

Hermione was staring at herself in the mirror. "It's... beautiful." She reached up to touch it.

"Ah, careful. Might want to do that sticking charm now."

"Right."

There was a knock on the door and Phillipa poked her head in, makeup fully done. "Bea says if you don't get in there right now she's going curse all of your textbooks to make the letters look all scrambled up to you, but not anybody else."

"Got it." Eleanora sprang up and patted Hermione's shoulder, saying, "See you at the ball!" then hurried out of the room after Phillipa.

Beatrice sat Eleanora down in the chair and began on her makeup.

"Want me to do your hair?" Phillipa asked, trailing her fingers through the long waves.

"Sure."

~

Twenty minutes before it was time for Eleanora to meet Fred in the common room, her hair and makeup were done and she was ready to put on her gown. She helped Beatrice and Phillipa into their dresses, fastening the complicated buttons in the back and helping them make small last minute adjustments.

"Your turn," Phillipa said when they'd finished. Eleanora pulled off her robe and reached for the silky blue gown. It slid over her head easily and settled loosely around her body, cinching at the waist. The v-shaped neckline was lower than she was used to, but but it made the dress look more elegant and graceful.

"You look stunning," Beatrice murmured.

"Thanks, love."

"Here, wait," Phillipa said. "I've got something-" she hurried to her trunk and came back with a long gossamer silver shawl. "I think it goes nicely."

"Oh, Phil." Eleanora took the scarf and draped it over her arms. "I love it."

"Me too, so don't you dare let it rip." The girls laughed. Eleanora felt like she was missing something. She scanned her bed and bedside table, thinking. Then, she saw it. It was the little necklace from Bill. She hadn't worn it in awhile, so it buried under a small pile of clutter. She pulled it out and fastened it around her neck, staring into the mirror. It went with her dress perfectly.

Just then, her eyes filled with tears.

"No, no, no, no," Bea hurried over to help. "Don't cry, you'll smear everything."

"What's wrong?" Phillipa asked more gently.

"It's Bill..." she said, then trailed off. She took a deep breath and composed herself. "It's just... Bill." She couldn't explain it. She didn't even fully know what she meant.

Beatrice and Phillipa exchanged a confused look. "Alright... then," Bea said. "You're running late to meet Fred." Eleanora nodded and dabbed at her eyes, careful not to smear any of Bea's work.

"Yeah... yeah. I'll go do that." She forced a smile. "I'll see you two at the ball."

~

Fred and George were standing in the common room together, waiting for their dates to join them.

"Think we can get away with setting off some of our spare fireworks at the ball?" asked Fred.

"We could put them off right by Malfoy and then run away as fast as possible. Make it look like it was him." The boys chuckled to themselves.

"We could- woah."

Eleanora was gliding down the stairs leading to the common room. When she noticed the twins staring at her, she gave them a luminous smile.

"Well, don't you two clean up nice."

"El, you look beautiful," Fred said. "Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen you this dressed up before."

"Yeah, you look amazing," said George. Fred pushed him away, laughing.

"Go find your own date, G. El's mine."

"Yes, yes, fight over me," Eleanora chuckled. "Come on, Freddie." She took his arm and they walked out of the common room, towards the Great Hall.