We Are Golden (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

The Halloween Reprise

The yearly Marauders Halloween party was a massive tradition throughout the school, and was certainly something that most people looked forward to. An invitation to the biggest unofficial event of the year was coveted, but for some reason, sitting there at my desk, lipstick in hand, I could feel nothing but dread. My stomach had tied itself in knots, and it felt as though I couldn't take a breath deep enough to fill my lungs.

"Earth to Elle" Mary called, walking by the back of my chair and touching my shoulder lightly. Her touch indeed snapped me back to earth, and I turned around to face the rest of the room. Kat was sitting on Sasha's bed, leaning backwards as Sasha twisted an intricate French braid into her hair. Lily was busy painting her toenails, and Mary was carefully unravelling the rollers from her hair. "You okay, love?"

I sniffed, weighing whether or not I should lie, or disclose my nervousness. "Uhm, I don't know" I bit my lip, placing the lipstick tube down on the table. "I'm feeling a bit sick. I don't know if I should go."

Lily and Kat exchanged a sideways glance before Lily rose from her bed, waddling on her heels to avoid smudging her paintjob. "Elle" Lily sighed, crouching down beside my chair and looking at me through the mirror on my desk. "It's going to be fun. You should come, and this is me talking. You know how much I dread these things."

I shrugged, looking down at my hands in my lap. "I know I should be excited. It's our last Halloween party of the year! I just... I don't know. I just can't get myself in the festive spirit."

"Do you think that maybe it has something to do with Bradley?" Mary whispered, and Sasha made a hiss of disapproval.

"Mary, come on. You know we don't talk about that."

Mary shrugged, fluffing her perfect curls in the mirror beside me. The image reflecting back at us was something out of a magazine. A raven-haired beauty, a blonde, and a ginger pressed cheek to cheek.

"Well, maybe we should. What he did was absolutely rotten, and he deserves to be locked up with the dementors in Azkaban." She pressed her lips together firmly and clapped a hand more firmly on my shoulder. "And you never deserved to be treated like that. Never."

With those words, it was like the water-gate shattered. The past half hour of make-up application went entire down the tube as I began to sob massive, rib breaking sobs. Lily and Mary tightened their grips on me, and Kat and Sasha sprung from the bed to further press me into the middle of the group hug.

"Sometimes it's like... it's like I can still feel his hands on me, you know?" It felt like all of the air had gone from the room as I gasped between words. "And every time any guy, even Sirius, tries to touch me, it's like I can't help it. I just freeze, or jump, or something. I feel so bad but I can't help it."

"You do not, absolutely do not, need to feel bad, Elle" Lily said firmly, stroking my hair. "He nearly killed you. Of course it's going to take a while to open back up again. It's called TRAUMA, and no one would blame you for that."

I sniffed, my river of tears slowly starting to dissipate. "And of course you're going to feel a bit iffy about going to the party. It's where you met that piece of dung. We absolutely understand" Sasha chimed in.

"But don't let that monster ruin your last Halloween party at Hogwarts. Don't let him take anything else from you" Lily finished. I looked up at her, knowing that after the passing of her mum, Lily needed this party just as much as any of us. I wiped my eyes, no doubt smearing my mascara and ruining my face further.

"Thanks guys" my voice cracked as I said it. I looked up, taking in the love radiating from the girls around me. "You're right, I should go."

Mary rocked up on her toes, her smile nearly blinding. "Good" she leaned down, wiping a tear from my cheek lightly. "Now, let's get you fixed up, shall we?"