Make Me Fall

4. Yuletide

Today I got a reply from Mum about going to the ball with Draco. She's delighted. She wrote me a big spiel about moving up in the world, connections, family ties. . . Is that how all adults see the world? That you become friends with people who will help you become richer or better known? I hope not. She mentioned something about marriage. I hope she doesn't mean Draco and I! We're only just friends. Hermione is telling me to come and help with her hair for the ball. We're going to get ready and go down to the Great Hall together. She finally relented yesterday and told me she's going with Viktor Krum. Looks like I won't be the only one dealing with jealous girls, but at least I'll only have Pansy to worry about.

Hermione is in the bathroom with a large bottle of potion.

"What's that?" I ask, hoisting myself up to sit next to the sink.

"Sleekeazy's hair potion," she says, handing me the bottle, "it's supposed to make your hair nice and silky. I hope it works."

I read the instructions.

"You have to soak your hair for an hour to an hour and a half," I say, "better get started."

We put the plug in the sink and fill it with potion. Hermione drags a chair up to the sink and sits with her back facing the sink. I scoop her hair together and put in the sink. She leans her head back and I make sure all her hair is under the potion. Lavender and Parvati come skipping into the bathroom.

"We've got face masks!" they announce proudly, "we're all going to have a beauty day together!"

"Oh, okay," I stammer, feeling shocked. I don't dislike any of the girls in my year, and we get along, but we usually don't spend much time together. Lavender produces a large container of what looks like grey mud while Parvati ties back my hair tightly so there's none on my face. They bring in more chair and sit me down in one. They slop the grey mixture on my face. It's cold and smells like dirt and avacado. Lavender spreads it around. I feel Parvati grab my foot.

"What're you doing?" I cry, retracting it.

"Your toe nails," she says.

"I have gross feet," I protest.

"Nothing I can't fix," she shrugs, grabbing my foot again and pulling the sock off. I feel my cheeks heat up.

"They're not that bad," she says. She fishes around in her draw and produces what looks like a cheese grater.

"What is that?" I ask.

"A ped-egg," she says, "to get rid of the dead skin."

"That's so gross!" I mutter as she scrapes it against my foot. Lavender laughs.

"You won't think that when your feet are smoother than a baby's bottom," she says. I seriously doubt that. I watch Lavendar working on Hermione's feet. This is a very strange situation.

"So, have you got a date, Autumn?" Parvati asks, "I heard you were going with Draco, but I thought Pansy would go with him."

"No, I'm going with him," I say, "he didn't want to go with Pansy."

"No wonder," Lavender says, "urgh, she's awful."

I feel a stab of vindictive pleasure.

"She looks like something died right under her nose," Parvati adds.

"I don't understand what you see in Draco," Hermione comments, "he's snide and up himself. And he thinks everyone is beneath him."

"He's not that bad, once you get to know him," I say, "he's under a lot of pressure from his parents. His father expecially."