wolf's tail ₍ ♡ ₎ g. weasley [1]

09 ㅡ DECORATIONS

₍ ♡ ₎ ㅡ E. THOMPSON

"I'm not going."

Elizabeth plonks herself down onto her bed, still in her pyjama shorts and vest but with makeup on. Her hair should be done by now, but she's currently wrestling with four clips and a spell that supposedly will curl her hair but doesn't seem to be working. She wanted to recreate this hairstyle that she saw on one of the paintings on the stairs but the woman in the painting wouldn't tell her how to so now she's been at it for nearly an hour and it's just not working. So, naturally, she just isn't going to attend the Yule Ball.

"I'll hide in here all night and just never see George again-" she stops. "Bollocks, we have classes together."

"You have to go, you wally." Amanda looks across to her from where she sits on the edge of her own bed, pulling on her tights, "If you're not there when it starts, Snape will drag you there by the ear."

She looks down at her attire, "Not if I'm sat here in my underwear, he won't." Amanda stares long and hard at her. Elizabeth realises, grimaces, "He'd send McGonagall in."

The majority of the girls in their dorm have gone already. Lucy Field raises her chin at the two girls as she walks out, "If you two cost us house points by being late, I won't be very happy."

Amanda pulls a face as the girl leaves. She gets up and moves over to Elizabeth's bed then, gesturing for her to spin around, "Come on, Liz. Let me have a look."

For once, Elizabeth isn't even bothered by the nickname because Amanda actually manages to sort her hair out and offers to help her with the zipper on her dress. She can be a bit full on but Elizabeth is kind of glad to have at least one girl friend for times like this. When they're both in their dresses and Elizabeth is standing in front of their shared mirror, she can feel her heart in her throat.

She sees Amanda raise a brow in the reflection, "What is it?"

"Don't laugh."

"Never."

Elizabeth scrunches up her nose, "I'm scared."

Amanda doesn't laugh, but she does roll her eyes and pull a face which looks like she wants to tell her to 'sod off', "Oh, bloody hell, Liz. You've known Weasley for years!"

"But he's never known me like-" she waves her hands up and down, "-this!" Amanda pulls another unimpressed face so Elizabeth turns around to face her properly, "I don't know how to act like a... date. I don't want him to stop liking-"

"Okay, stop." Amanda steps forwards, grabbing her by the shoulders. "He likes you for you. So, as long as you're you, it's going to be just like always."

Elizabeth smiles gratefully, "Thank you."

"However, he is twice the size of you," she grins, picking up a pair of shoes from the floor. The size of the heel is ridiculous. "So, you are wearing these!"

"I most certainly am not."

"Elizabeth!"

"I'm not prepared to break my neck on the stairs!"

Elizabeth settles into her much flatter shoes and makes her way out of the Slytherin dormitories, leaving Amanda there because she isn't happy with her lipstick, even though she's already been through three different choices. Outside the common room, a red-headed Weasley twin is waiting for her.

He smirks, head held high as he steps closer to her in the doorway, "Hey there, beautiful."

She stares at him, deadpan, "I know it's you, Fred."

"Worth a shot," he laughs. "Wait, so, you could actually tell us apart this whole time?"

"You hadn't noticed?"

"No, this is rubbish!"

"Is me seeing through your twin pranks really such an issue?"

He smiles, "No, it's actually pretty wicked."

"Fred, Freddie, I did it myself-"

George freezes as he comes around the corner, eyes landing on Elizabeth. He wears a dark red suit, similar to Fred's, but with a long tie instead of a bow.

"Hi," he says quietly.

Elizabeth smiles, "Hi."

"Right," Fred slaps his hands on the tops of his legs, backing away from her and past his brother, "I'm going to find my date."

"You found one?" Elizabeth questions.

"Angelina Johnson," he grins, "I told her it was me she danced with in McGonagall's class.

He jogs off down the hall and Elizabeth laughs, shaking her head. George walks over to her. He looks down at her dress - long and green, hanging off her shoulders.

"You look... really beautiful." He smiles before laughing slightly, "Of course it's green."

"Obviously," she smirks, "Got to let everyone know you're dragging a Slytherin around." She raises a brow, "I hope I'm not going to cramp your style."

He simply smiles, "Never."

George offers her his arm to link as they make their way to the Great Hall and Elizabeth tells him she's impressed and asks if his mother told him to do it. George blushes and tells her to shove off. She decides to take his arm.

The hall looks magnificent - ice sculptures and silver tinsel lining the walls, tables and chairs lining the floor and leading to two towering snow-topped fir trees. One of the walls has been bewitched to disappear, an ice bridge now leading out into the snowy courtyard. Elizabeth turns to George and grins. Hogwarts never fails to amaze her.

"Wow," George's eyes are as wide as Elizabeth's, lips grinning as he looks around the room.

She nods, "Yeah."

George nudges her so she turns to follow his gaze. Fred walks over to them from the entrance, Angelina on his arm. As he gets closer, he smirks, nods at Elizabeth's raised brows, "Yeah, I know."

"G'wan, Freddie," George lands a dig on his brother's arm, the two of them giggling as the girls roll their eyes.

"You look so pretty, Elizabeth," Angelina grins.

"Thank you, as do you." She looks down, "Oh, I love those shoes!"

"Thanks!"

Elizabeth takes a good look between the two Weasley twins. She smiles, "You two are looking rather dapper. Don't think I've ever seen you in suits."

Fred grins, "Cheers, Beth. You look really lovely."

George squeezes her arm.

When another couple joins the group, Elizabeth turns around and gasps, "Cho! You look so beautiful!"

Cho smiles, smooths down her golden dress, "Thanks, Elizabeth. You look amazing."

"Yeah, you do."

Elizabeth smiles at Cedric, "Thank you."

It's then that Elizabeth realises this is the most normal moment she's had since school started and they're at a ball. She can feel George's eyes on her so she gives him a smile. He leans down to whisper in her ear, "What is it?"

She shrugs, still smiling, "I'm just... happy. I think we're going to have a really good night."

George's cheeks go red as he nods, "I hope so."