HEATHENS - Harry Potter ✔

CHAPTER FOUR

"Ah, you look beautiful," gasped Mrs Delacour, looking over Kiera's shoulder in the mirror. "I just need to tighten ze waist a bit," she continued as she pinched the black fabric between her fingers and took out her wand. "Even us French girls get bigger as we grow older." The woman laughed, tossing her beautiful silvery hair both her daughters had inherited.

"I don't know..." said Kiera. "Isn't it a bit ... too much?"

Apolline Delacour laughed again. "Too much! Zhere eez no zuch thing! Besides," she said wiggling her eyebrows, "I'm zure 'Arry will like it."

"What," spluttered Kiera. "Why would I care what," she cleared her throat, "Harry thinks?"

"Ahh, don't pretend," said Mrs Delacour. "I'm sure it was coupe de foudre."

"Coupe de foudre?" Kiera repeated. "What's that?"

"Eez French," Mrs Delacour said, standing back after she finished the modification of the dress, "for 'love at first sight'."

Kiera blushed again and looked away to break the eye contact with the woman.

"Voilá," she said. "Eez perfect."

Mrs Delacour was right; the dress was perfect. It was a long black, one sleeved dress. The hem had a long slit so that her right leg was seen from under the fabric when she walked. The sleeve that covered her right arm was made of a vintage lace, a few golden rhinestones sewn into the fabric, reflecting the light and making her look even more beautiful. "Are you sure you don't mind me borrowing this, Mrs Delacour?" Kiera asked. "I wouldn't want to spill anything on it or rip it or -"

"Borrow?" Mrs Delacour asked and laughed again. "You can 'ave it. I am much too old zo wear eet anyway."

"Oh, but I can't -"

"Eet will be put zo much better use wiz you than in ze back of my closet," she insisted. "I zink your 'air looks amazing az eet ees ... eef I just brush eet." Apolline grabbed her hairbrush and began to work it through Kiera's curls. The girl looked at her reflection in the mirror. Even she had to admit that she looked quite nice. Mrs Delacour knew just what to do to make the dress flatter her the most. All Kiera had done was express a worry that she had nothing to wear to Hermione at lunch, and Mrs Delacour had heard her and immediately rushed the girl to the room the Delacours were staying in. Rummaging through her suitcase, Kiera saw that the woman had brought at least seven elegant gowns for their stay. Before Kiera had managed to say a word, Apolline had shoved the black fabric into her arms and told her to change. Mrs Delacour had already changed into a gown of her own, styled her hair and applied light make up, and now looked brilliantly elegant behind the Slytherin girl, tugging at her hair to style it in a way she was satisfied with. It was strangely nice to have the woman work with her hair, pulling at it and muttering to herself in a very motherly fashion.

A few minutes later, Apolline had styled Kiera's hair in a half-up half-down do, and seemed satisfied as she backed away and studied the girl from afar. "Now, all we need ees shoes," she said and bent over her suitcase.

"Oh no," said Kiera, seeing the heels that Apolline had pulled out. "Oh no, no, no ... I don't wear heels, never have. I doubt I even know how to walk in those, they're like ten inches!"

"Ah, but zat is the thing with magic," said Mrs Delacour happily, "zey might look very igh, but zey will be just as comfortable and easy to walk een as any ozer shoe." She placed the shoes in front of Kiera so that she could easily step into them. "And zey are not ten inches, zey're seven."

Kiera was extremely nervous as she walked down the one flight of stairs, looking closely down at her feet to make sure that she didn't trip. It was already half-past-three and most of the guests had started to arrive at three o'clock.