The Dark Lord's Queen||Tom Riddle

Chapter 10~Winter and Warnings

Gales of wind blew in my face, making me feel as if my face was frozen.

"It's so co-o-o-o-ld," Aly said, her teeth chattering. I just wrapped my Ravenclaw scarf tighter around my neck, hoping I wouldn't catch hypothermia. Beside me, Tessa pulled her white beanie lower over her ears, a look of pain crossing her face.

Usually, I loved the trips to Hogsmeade, but today, the weather seemed to be trying to kill us, dark clouds covering the sky, gusts of wind blowing angrily, hail whipping in our faces.

"In here!" Penny suddenly shouted, grabbing my arm and yanking me into a small shop. Surprised, I trailed behind her, the others following behind us as I pushed open the door. A little bell rang, signaling the shopkeeper over to us.

"Hello!" she exclaimed, smiling. "You lot must be freezing! Come in, come in, come around by the fire!" She was a short woman in a long, grey robe who didn't stop smiling as she urged us towards a central fireplace, burning brightly and cozily.

While we all shuffled towards it, I took a minute to take in our surroundings. It was a small shop, with a low roof and narrow paths, but the whole place gave off a very, antique, sort of look. Mannequins were standing all over the store, with a variety of fabric strewn all over the place. Mirrors were placed against every wall, and I could see about thirty different "me's" all over the store. My hair was sticking to my flushed face, and I hastily ran my fingers through it in order to look presentable. There were also a variety of magical thread, needles, scissors, and pincushions. Enchanted tape measures came by us, uncurling to measure our heights. One wrapped around Tessa's waist, and she shrieked, startled.

"Oh, darling, there's no need to worry!" The woman said, chuckling. "They're not going to harm you, they're just taking measurements for your dresses!" Tessa looked up, confused.

"My- dress?" The woman's eyes widened.

"Why, of course! That is why you're here, isn't it?" The shopkeeper turned to Penny, as if asking for confirmation.

Penny nodded, smiling. "Of course, Loranne! You see, my three friends here, Tessa, Aly, and Melissa-" She pointed to each one of us. "-Are in need of a dress for a formal Christmas party"

Lorna gleefully clapped her hands together and looked each of us over. "Oh, well if it isn't my lucky day! Three gorgeous girls, all in need of dresses! I insist on creating one for each of you, from scrap!" Tessa, Aly, and I lightly protested, but anyone could tell that we were intrigued.

Loranne waved off our objections. She leaned forward and took Aly by the arm, and started pulling her towards a small door in the corner.

"I shall get started right away! Please, while you wait, take a look around the shop. If you see anything you like, and I mean anything, feel free to let me know. Penelope, if your friends show interest in anything, tell me, so I can add it to their dresses." Shooting me and Tessa a wink, she disappeared with Aly into the room, shutting the door behind her.

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We had bumbled around the store for about half an hour. Aly had come out of the room beaming, while carrying a white silk bag. We all begged her to give us a peek, but she adamantly refused to, saying she would show us the day of Slughorn's party. Tessa had disappeared inside with Loranne, and I eagerly awaited my turn.

Suddenly, while running my hands over a collection of velvets, I heard Tessa's light laughter come from behind me. Whirling around, I saw her emerge from the room, chatting merrily with Loranne, holding a similar bag as Aly. She caught my glance and shot me a large thumbs up, mouthing 'She's amazing.'