The snow is falling thick and fast from a pearly-white sky, the dainty snowflakes twirling down from the sky like dancing ballerinas, settling on the Hogsmeade houses and icing them like gingerbread confections. The pristine, white ground is marred by the marks of our heavy footprints as we trudge through the snow. "Whyyyy did it have to snow so heavily todayyy???" wailed Natasha, brushing snow out of her bushy brown hair. "I thought snow didn't happen, because of that thing called... global heating or something??" "Oh, shut up, Nadia," I pull my pink overcoat more tightly around myself. "Or whatever your name was. We're almost there, anyway," "My name is Natasha..." Natasha grumbles. I do know her name. I just refuse to acknowledge it. Mei rolls her eyes behind me, thinking I can't see it. Oh, I can see it, dear Mei. I spent my whole life looking for the slightest inkling of other emotion in my parents' adoring gaze. Maria is looking at her feet, her smile curved into a frown. Anyone who spent five minutes in the same room with her can tell she's upset - she is always happy and buoyant, speaking excitedly in her adorable Irish accent while sometimes squealing in Spanish. She hasn't even mentioned her favourite Quidditch player, Oliver Wood, once since we set out this morning - very strange behaviour... We stop outside a brightly coloured shop. The walls are painted a luminous blue, with a golden sign over the door, with words engraved in the plaque: Patil and Patil: Prestigious Plumage For Balls, Weddings and other Special Occasions We step inside the shop, out of the snow, and are met with vividly blue walls inside the shop, with pink hangings the colour of cotton-candy-flavoured Every Flavour Beans draped across the walls. A smiling girl around 13 years old sits behind a counter, her long black plait swinging behind her back and her shining brown skin shining by the light of a candle as she sticks pin after pin into a tiny square of fabric. "Oh, hello!" the girl smiles at us. "I'm Pari Patil!" "Oh, hello," I shake my blonde hair back, informing the girl that although I am younger, I am a much higher social status than her. One of the perks of being rich. "I believe we have an appointment with Miss Patil and Miss Patil. Dresses for the Yule Ball?" "Oh, of course!" Pari Patil turns away and calls up the stairs, "MUMMM?? MAMA???? CUSTOMER DOWN HERE!!!" "Coming, sweetheart!" I sigh. Mere sentimentalities. There were gowns to buy, and I was going to exit the shop with a lighter money bag (though still a heavy money bag) and the most gorgeous gown in Hogwarts. Two identical women, one dressed in pink and one dressed in blue, come down the stairs and smile at us. "Hello, dears," simpers one. "I'm Parvati Patil, and I'll be making your dresses! My sister, Padma, does shoes and accessories, and-" "Never mind," I hold up one hand. "I believe my appointment is first?" "Very well..." the first Patil lady huffs, exchanging a look with her sister, as if to say, "Rich girls..." We exited the shop, dress bags in hand and smiles plastered on our faces, even Maria's. "Wait-" I notice something, and I glare at Maria. She falters under my cold blue gaze. "Maria. Why are you holding two dress bags? You only need one dress." "I-I... um..." Maria sighs, giving up. "I bought a dress for Jamie... I mean, it would look nice on her..." "It doesn't matter..." Mei looked at Maria pityingly. "She can't go to the ball." "Why not???" Natasha gasps, obviously eager for a little bit of gossip. "It's the full moon, Tash," sighed Mei. "That's-" "That's werewolf night," I laughed. "I mean, at least the mutt will be tame. Something about that Wolfsbane potion of hers..." "Wolfsbane potion, huh?" Natasha's eye glints with something that almost looks like intelligence. Impossible. I dismiss it at the time. Mainly the thought pops out of my mind as Natasha bumps into a second-year boy, dropping her dress bag and falling to the snow. "Hey! Watch it!" the guy steps out of the way. He then looks up to face me. His eyes are blue - like mine, except mine are more pale, and his are deep as the dark ocean. Black waves of hair falls over his eyes, and the only thought that penetrates my mind is, "Oh god, I have to get to know him." "Hey," he smiles, and my heart seems to melt into my chest. I look in the nearest window. My hair is perfect, and my lip gloss isn't smudged. As usual. "Hi," I absentmindedly (or not so absentmindedly) twirl a golden ringlet of hair around my index finger. "I'm Serenity," "Zachary Gideon," he seems to puff out his chest, not seeming to notice Natasha at his feet, sprawled in the snow as she tries to hoist up her dress bag, which is incredibly heavy. I hold out my hand for him to shake it. Instead, he takes my hand and lightly kisses it. "You going to the Yule Ball?" he speaks like a commoner, but this is the first time I've wanted to be like a commoner, if only to have another thing in common with him. (+)
(+) However, his well-dressed air of importance suggests he may be of a higher social status, much like me. "I am, can't you tell?" I giggle, hefting the bag carrying my beautiful gown onto my shoulder. "Maybe I'll see you there," he says nothing else as he strides away. I turn to the girls. "Oh my stars, I have just met the love of my life!" Mei nods politely, while Maria offers me a half-hearted smile. Then they both help Natasha up. Now, dearest reader, I am not used to being... a second priority. In my mansion back in Great Hangleton, my needs were always first. They were first priority for my maid, Hilda, who always brought me my meals on a silver tray at 8 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 6 o'clock, on the dot, otherwise she would be sacked. They were first priority for my mother, who knew if she did anything wrong I would stick her in a nursing home when she is 70. This is not ideal. We made our way up to our dormitory, laughing and discussing our accessory choices, when the door opens and Jamie glares at us. "What have you been doing?" she lets us in begrudgingly. "Shopping for the Yule Ball!" Natasha laughs. "What have you been doing, chewing your fleas?" "Ha, ha. Very ingenious, Natasha. In fact, I wonder how your shopping went. Did you find anything that doesn't make you look like some form of raw vegetable?" Sarcasm is the lowest form of comedy. It seems that Jamie's witty retorts have no end. How adorable. The night of the Yule Ball arrived all too soon. Months flew by as if they were days, and soon it was December. Snow fell from the sky, but it fell lightly on the shoulders instead of drenching the students. Hogwarts was bedecked with Christmas trees every ten feet, garlands of holly and mistletoe hung about in random places, ready to catch the unseen student. "Guys, I am soooo EXCITED!!" Natasha squeals as she gets changed into her dress. "Really, Natasha? I never would have guessed," I roll my eyes, then turn around to look in the mirror. My sleeves are short, curling around my shoulder then falling off in an elegant bow. The bodice of my pale pink dress is in the shape of butterfly wings, gentle dustings of golden glitter shimmering on the hem. The skirt is large yet not too huge - folds of pink and white fabric extend from my waist to the floor, rustling as I walk. There are all sorts of embellishments - a real pink rose attached to the skirt with pearl strings and gold clasps, and jewels scattered over the skirts. I'm wearing adorable pink and silver high heels, and my hair is pulled up in a beautiful loose knot at the back of my head, my hair decorated with pearls and flowers, and my silver earrings dotted with pink rubies hang from my ears. My neck is adorned with a golden necklace, and my wrists with a silver bracelet, and I truly feel like this will be the best night of my life. Mei is standing next to me, looking stunning. Her long, shiny black hair is pulled to the top of her head in a neat bun, adorned with a white lily flower. She is wearing a long, elegant dress in shades of mint and jade, a small cloak adorning her shoulder with wisps of tulle coming off the edges. The bottom of her skirt is embroidered with pink cherry blossoms, climbing like vine up the hem. A long train of silk comes down to her toes, translucent sage green material glittering in the candlelight. Meanwhile, although I hate to say, Jamie was right. Natasha does look like some form of raw cabbage. Her skirt is obnoxiously huge, a disgusting mauve pink colour. Her puffy brown hair is puffed in every direction, giant flowers crowning her head. She wears little white gloves, but those can barely be seen over her skirt. The skirt is GARGANTUAN. Around five layers of fluffy tulle formed the biggest dress I have ever seen, filling up around a quarter of the room. Maria's dress is formed of a gold overskirt, folds of gold and brown overlapping a golden petticoat with white and beige flowers crawling up the hem. A pearl belt hangs from the bottom of her gold bodice, and her long wavy brown hair is hanging down her back. Her neck glitters with a long silver necklace. "Bye, Jamie!" Mei calls kindly. Jamie is sitting on her bed, looking at the blossom of a plant that blooms in brilliant colours, only to shrivel up into a withered husk, until it suddenly blooms again, fiery red petals lighting up with a streak of gold. Jamie gives Mei a half smile, then turns back to her plant, documenting something in a black leather notebook. "Maria, come on!" I try to take Maria's hand and go down the steps, but Maria plants her feet. "Give me a minute," Maria mutters. "Ok, ok!" I close the door on her. Through the window, I can see Maria turn to face Jamie. I didn't mean to spy. Truly, I didn't. It was accidental overhearing and... overseeing. I didn't mean to see Maria rush over and pick up the spare dress bag that she had bought. [continued in other project: will put url here]
