Hello fair readers! Just a little one-shot that popped into my head late last night. Fear not, 'Must Love Dragons' and 'Refuse to Forget: Revamped!' are still getting written along quite nicely.
Title: Charms of a Midgen
Rating: T
RFR: Mentions of suicide, a few cuss words
Summary: "…She tried to curse her acne off…" "…I'd rather go alone than with- Eloise Midgen, say…" "…It will make Eloise Midgen's acne look like a few cute freckles…" For one sweet night, Eloise Midgen is much more than her skin.
Publish Date: June 5th, 4:01 am
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to the lovely J.K Rowling.
Author's Note: There are only a few lines spoken about Eloise Migden in the Harry Potter series. Her house is never mentioned, but in the 'Goblet of Fire' movie, she is depicted as being a Gryffindor. I am going to stick with that assumption. It is also never clear about when exactly Eloise tried to curse her acne off, though it is implied that it happened in fourth year. For the purpose of this story, however, I am going to have it happen in second year. Thanks!
Monday
The sun was creeping slowly over the grounds of Hogwarts, making the snow glisten like wet diamonds. The freshly fallen powder muted the sounds of nature, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The Hogwarts castle added to the idyllic scene, its massive stonework contrasting heavily against the pink morning sky. One by one, the windows of Hogwarts lit as its inhabitants awoke to start their day. One such window, high on the Gryffindor tower, was to a room in the girls' dorms. Unlike the serene grounds surrounding the castle, the scene inside this particular room was anything but.
"AARGH!"
Sputtering and coughing, Eloise Midgen of the Gryffindor house awoke harshly to the feeling of cold water splashing over her face. As she came to her senses, she could hear the tittering of girls around her. Her hair soaked and heavy against her skin, Eloise sat up straight in her bed. Steffie Hunt, a fellow fourth year girl, stood over Eloise's bed with a smirk on her face and a wand in hand. A gaggle of girls in various states of undress surrounded her.
"Rise and shine, sweetheart," Steffie said snidely, sliding her wand back into her robe pockets. "I thought give you some help with that oily face of yours."
Eloise could only stare up at the girl in disbelief, water dripping off her nose and down her chest. The other girls laughed and exited the room to attend breakfast, leaving Eloise alone. The door slammed shut behind Steffie, making Eloise flinch. After a moment of silence, she fell back into her pillows, ignoring the water that now soaked it through. Why did her life here have to be so miserable?! She hated having to share a bedroom with the other girls. Most of the time they weren't too bad- they just ignored her- but every now and then they got bored and targeted Eloise for a bit of fun. The water bit was a new one, though.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
With a huff of frustration, Eloise threw her now soaked blankets off of her and peeled her nightgown from her skin. Grabbing her towel and soaps, she ducked into the adjoining bathroom, and stepped into the shower stall farthest from the door. Fifteen minutes later, she was standing in front of her wardrobe, her hair twisted into the towel. With a sigh, Eloise grabbed her skirt and shirt, fastened her tie and pulled on her stockings. With a wave of her wand, she dried her hair and slipped into her black Hogwarts robes. With one last grimace at her reflection, she shrugged and seized her book bag.
The walk to her first class was usually a nice one. Eloise often left before the breakfast hour finished, and she was free to roam the halls without fear of ridicule from other students. It wasn't as if the whole school was against her- that wasn't it at all. She just happened to be the girl that people liked to make fun of. Eloise smiled as the sun shone in through the large windows of Hogwarts. It was a cold winter, and the sun was usually grey this time of year. It was nice to have a bit of warmth. Her footsteps echoed quietly in the large corridors, and she nodded a greeting as Nearly Headless Nick passed her.
Turning right at a large suit of armor, Eloise entered her first class of the day, Transfiguration. Her steps slowed as she moved farther into the room and took in the environment. All of the desks had been pushed to the side if the room, leaving a large space in the center. Puzzled, Eloise moved farther into the room, towards Professor McGonagall. The professor had her back turned to Eloise, and it looked like she was tinkering with something.
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," Eloise said pleasantly, "Why are the desks…moved…" as she spoke, McGonagall had turned towards her, revealing the object. It was an old fashioned record player, with a large horn sticking from it. It was dusty and covered with cobwebs, as if it hadn't been used in a while. Suddenly, Eloise's memory of Friday's class came flooding back to her.
Christmas was at the end of this week. And that meant that today… was dance lessons. The blood drained from her face. Oh how she had meant to avoid today! Eloise shuffled over to a desk and dropped her bag down on the table. Miserable, she sat on a bench, and waited for what was surely to be a lesson from hell itself.
"As you all well know," Professor McGonagall said loudly, addressing the class that had assembled, "The Yule Ball is soon upon us."
The girls in the class whispered excitedly together, while the boys bemoaned this fact to each other. From her spot in the back, however, Eloise could see a few boys edging closer to the girls they wished to dance with.
"As such," McGonagall continued over the chatter, "It is my job to instruct you on the basics of the waltz. It is the traditional starting dance, and I will not have you lot embarrass Hogwarts in front of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons."
McGonagall then split the class in half- girls on one side, boys on the other- while she demonstrated in the middle. Eloise tried to hide from view behind all the other girls, but she was rather tall, and she still stuck out like a sore thumb. From her position, she could see Ronald Weasley whisper something to Seamus Finnigan. The pair looked back directly at her before snickering to themselves. Eloise felt herself grow hot with embarrassment. She did get some satisfaction, however, when Ron was pulled from his peers to demonstrate the waltz with Professor McGonagall. Eloise hid a smirk behind her hand. She instantly let it fall when she saw that she had been caught by Ron's friend, Hermione Granger. However, instead of the frown she expected, Eloise saw a broad smile cover the bushy haired witch's face.
Hermione winked back at her before turning her attention to the spectacle before them. Ron was quite visibly uncomfortable, and kept treading on McGonagall's toes. Eloise allowed herself to laugh along with the others this time, relishing in the free feeling it gave her. Her happiness was short lived, though, when Professor McGonagall motioned for the students to pair up and practice the waltz. Eloise tried to hide, but was caught by the professor, and paired with Seamus.
Blushing furiously and shaking like a leaf, Eloise kept mumbling apologies to Seamus as she bumped into him and went the wrong direction. Seamus hardly touched her, and when the bell indicating the end of class rang, his hands dropped from her waist immediately. Eloise darted to her book bag and left the room as quickly as her feet would take her.
The rest of her classes progressed similarly- though without the torture of dance lessons. Professor Snape gave her a particularly violent tongue lashing when she nearly added the wrong ingredient to her potion.
"Do you want to create noxious fumes, you silly girl?" he growled, yanking her hand away from the cauldron. There was a bright spot, however. Charms- her only afternoon class- was always a delight for Eloise. She was particularly gifted at Charms, and Professor Flitwick had taken notice. At the end of the class, he had taken her aside.
"My dear that was a most wonderful Accio charm!" he announced in his squeaky voice. "You know, I have been meaning to tell you how gifted you are at charms. Have you ever considered following a career in it?"
Eloise was so flattered and taken aback that she only managed to stammer out a slew of incomprehensible words. Flitwick patted her hand gently. "Ah, you have time to figure it out, my dear. After all, it is only your fourth year." Flitwick hopped down from his stack of books and walked her to the door. "In the mean time, would you like to do some assistant work for me?"
At this, Eloise managed to find her tongue. "Yes, of course! Professor Flitwick, I would love the opportunity!"
"Well my dear, let's plan for next term- after the holidays are over." Professor Flitwick chuckled before opening the door to usher her out. "Have a good day, my dear."
Eloise practically skipped back to Gryffindor tower. She met Hermione halfway up the stairs. She had on her heavy outer cloak and was pulling on some thick gloves. At Eloise's approach, she smiled and stopped on the stairway.
"Hello, Eloise," Hermione said cordially. "How are you?" Eloise, still riding high from the news from Flitwick, gave her a broad grin.
"Wonderful! You?"
"Ah, just going to Hogsmeade to pick out a dress for the ball," Hermione replied. Eloise quirked her head.
"It isn't the weekend…"
"Special permission. A lot of girls haven't gotten their dresses yet, so McGonagall arranged a special trip." Hermione leaned conspiratorially in to Eloise. "She knows how a lot of boys tend to wait until the last minute to ask a girl to a dance." Eloise laughed.
"Are you going to the dance?" Hermione asked, shifting slightly. At this, Eloise grew uncomfortable.
"Er, no… I haven't been asked." She replied, feeling her face go hot. Hermione smiled.
"You don't have to have a date to go- you're a fourth year. Besides, who needs a boy to go to the dance?"
"So you're going alone then?" Eloise asked. Hermione's grin diminished somewhat.
"Well, no, I have a date- but plenty of girls are going in a group together!" She said brightly. "Or you could ask a handsome Durmstrang boy to accompany you."
Eloise blushed. "That's not really... I haven't even spoken…"
"Why don't you come with us to Hogsmeade," Hermione interrupted gently. "You might find a dress you like and decide to go after all- with a date or not."
Eloise shook her head. "I don't know…" Hermione touched her arm lightly.
"C'mon. It will be fun."
Eloise sighed, but relented. "Alright. It might be a little fun to shop around." Hermione smiled triumphantly.
"We'll wait for you while you gather your things."
Eloise felt extremely out of place amongst the gaggle of girls and flurry of fabrics. Mistress Pennyfeather, the owner of the fancy dress shop in Hogsmeade looked extremely harried as she ran from the back of the store to the dressing rooms. Eloise was pushed violently aside by a particularly determined girl. Eloise looked over at Hermione, who looked equally as frazzled.
"Oh, Heavens me!" Mistress Pennyfeather exclaimed as she tossed a gown over a dressing room door, "A Yule Ball hasn't come in ages!"
As a girl tread on her toes, Eloise finally gave up and motioned towards the door at Hermione. "I'm going for some air!" she said over the hustle and bustle. Hermione nodded and threw herself into the fray. Outside the shop, it was equally frantic. Shop masters were making last minute preparations for the ball- running about in the snow like chickens with their heads cut off. Eloise fought against the crowds to the edges of Hogsmeade, where she found a tiny bit of peace.
Wandering aimlessly amongst the shops, Eloise let herself imagine what the Yule Ball would be like. Probably grand decorations and wonderful food. Everyone would be dressed in such lovely clothes, and in good cheer. Eloise felt herself wishing- no wanting to be apart of that magic… but it would never be. Pulling her cloak tighter about her, she shivered violently. Looking around, Eloise made her way to a nearby shop to warm herself for a few minutes.
A tiny silver bell tinkled merrily as she entered. An elderly woman at the front counter smiled at her in greeting, but went back to her paperwork. Eloise gazed about her in interest. It seemed to be a bit of an antique shop. Wares of all kind were stacked against the walls, and hanging from the ceiling. The aisles were a crooked array of mismatched odds and ends. Grateful to be out of the cold winter air, Eloise was content to wander among the knickknacks. She ran her hands along the spines of some dusty tomes with no names, and let her fingers drift lazily over the keys of a piano that made no sound.
She stopped, however, when she came upon a section of the store filled with clothing. It was mostly muggle clothing- old and new. As a pure blood, Eloise had to admit that she was among the majority of witches and wizards who held some small fascination with muggle items. She pulled a few dresses and shirts off their hanger and examined them with interest. They were, however, small change compared to the next item her eyes fell across.
It was a stunning dress. Hung from a tattered mannequin, it was a lovely sight to behold. Eloise edged closer to examine it.
"It's from the thirties," a voice said from behind her, making her jump slightly. Eloise turned to see the elderly shopkeeper. "The white fabric is chiffon- and since it's from the thirties it's perfectly aged." She turned to Eloise. "All white gowns tend to look like wedding dresses, but the age of the chiffon makes it not so in this case."
Eloise nodded in agreement. The gown was belted at the waist with glittering silver beads. The fabric flowed down from the belt in a layered fashion, and the whole dress was held at the shoulders by four straps. It really was a charming gown.
"Would you like to try it on?" the shopkeeper asked. Eloise felt alarmed and shook her head vehemently.
"Oh, no- it won't fit, I couldn't possibly-!"
"I think it will look ravishing on you, my dear." The woman interrupted. She had already waved her wand at the mannequin, and the dress came off it with a flourish. Before Eloise could protest any further, the old woman pushed and prodded her to a nearby dressing room, the gown floating after the two of them. What followed was a series of embarrassing moments for Eloise- especially when she found herself stripped to her knickers in front of a complete stranger. She was practically forced into the gown by the woman- who was a lot stronger than her age gave her credit.
The woman stepped back and opened the dressing room door to let in light. She smiled at her handiwork and motioned for Eloise to step out as well. Tentatively, Eloise shuffled from the cubicle. She had to admit, it fit well over her body- as far as she could tell without looking at it in the mirror. She looked down at herself and admired the light feeling of the fabric. Tsking loudly, the old woman waved her wand again, and a large, gold adorned mirror hanging from the ceiling dropped in front of Eloise.
Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon herself. The dress was a perfect fit. The cummerbund waist glittered in the lights, and slimmed her hips in a way she couldn't believe. The white fabric brightened her whole image. Eloise knew that she was no beauty, but in this dress, she could almost believe herself to be… pretty.
"Ah, a perfect fit!" the shopkeeper said. "You must have this." With a wave of her wand, Eloise was out of the gown and back in her school uniform. Eloise raced after the woman, as she was headed for the front counter.
"No, I'm sorry… I don't need it." She apologized breathlessly. "I have no need for a dress such as this." The old woman smiled knowingly.
"My dear, I saw the way you looked at yourself when you put this on. Trust me, you need it."
Eloise shook her head. "No, ma'am. I am sorry, but I cannot purchase this."
The woman's smile diminished. She stopped wrapping the package up and nodded her head. "I apologize, miss."
Eloise hurried from the store without a backward glance. She ran back towards the village. Eloise was in such a hurry, that she failed to notice a man stop directly in front of her. She crashed into him, and the pair fell heavily to the ground.
"Owww…" Eloise rubbed her head as she struggled to sit up. "I'm sorry sir, I didn't see you."
"It is qvuite alright, miss." Came the heavily accented reply. Eloise jerked her head to see who she had hit, and was surprised to see a boy sitting on the ground next to her. He wore the Durmstrang colors. Blushing, she scrambled to her feet, stammering a reply.
"Are- are you okay?" She said, shifting from foot to foot. The boy stood slowly, brushing the snow from his furs and cloak.
"Yes, yes- haff no fear." He replied with a crooked grin. Eloise noticed that he was quite handsome, which made her blush harder. It was silent between the two of them- and horribly awkward. Eloise remained for a moment more, before turning to leave.
"Well then- goodbye!" she said over her shoulder as she darted off. She heard the boy call to her, but she couldn't hear over the rush of the wind. Ignoring it, she made her way back into the village, determined to find Hermione and go back to Hogwarts.
Thursday
"I still think you should go, Eloise." Hermione said, biting into a crunchy apple. "I think you would have a lot of fun."
Eloise stabbed at a piece of bacon on her plate. It was now Thursday, three days after the Hogsmeade trip. She and Hermione had gotten to know each other a bit in that time, and Eloise was finding it easy to talk to her. She was still a bit reserved around the outspoken witch, however.
"It's just not my thing, Hermione." Eloise repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. "I'm just not right for balls and gowns and dancing." She had been thinking nonstop about that dress in the shop, but had refused to go back and get it. Hermione still didn't know about it, and if she did, Eloise was sure the witch would drag her to the store.
"Is it because of your reputation?" Hermione asked quietly. Eloise nearly choked on her bacon.
"What?!"
Hermione looked apologetic, but continued anyway.
"Everyone know about what happened to your nose, back in second year…" she said delicately. "Your skin really is much better than it used to be, and-!"
Eloise stood up abruptly. "I don't want to talk about this, Hermione." She said quickly. She grabbed her book bag and a pear for the road. "I'll see you later."
"Eloise! Wait!" Hermione called after her, but Eloise was already gone.
Eloise considered herself to be a mild tempered girl, but she was positively fuming at this point. Who did Hermione think she was? She paced back in forth between the stacks in the library- between 'Charms for Hair Loss!' and 'What to do if Charms Work too well'.
"She doesn't even know the half of it!" she muttered to herself.
"Haff ov wat?"
Eloise squawked loudly and turned quickly on her heel. Her foot caught in the strap of her book bag where she had dropped it on the floor. Unable to catch herself in time, Eloise went tumbling down tangled up in herself.
"You are very clumsy, no?"
It was with complete and total mortification that Eloise realized the voice belonged to the same Durmstrang boy she had crashed into at Hogsmeade three days earlier. He stood above her with that same crooked smile upon his face. He reached out a hand, which after a moment's hesitation, Eloise took and allowed him to pull her up. She brushed the wrinkles out of her skirt as she tried to collect herself.
"You startled me." She said as way of explanation. "I don't usually make a habit of clumsiness." She stepped forward to pass him by, and her foot caught again on her book bag. She tripped once more, but instead of hitting the ground, the Durmstrang boys' strong arm caught her.
"Forgive me if I don't beleef you." He replied. He released Eloise and bent to retrieve her bag for her. Eloise watched in disbelief as he walked down the long row of books and into the central area of the library. After a moment of confusion, Eloise followed. When she exited the stacks, she saw that the boy had sat at a table. His things were sprawled over the surface, and she realized that he must have seen her enter that row of books. He placed her bag on the table, and then motioned for her to sit across from him. Eloise complied.
"I haff been looking for you." He said. "When we ran into each other, you dropped your gloves." He pulled Eloise's gloves from his bag, and placed them in front of her. "I haff been trying to return them."
Eloise blushed and took them, placing them in her bag. She had put them in her pocket when she entered the antique store and had completely forgotten about them.
"Thank you for returning them." She made to stand up, but the boy's hand stayed her.
"I am Desislav, but you can call me Desi." He said gently. Eloise sat back down and shook his proffered hand.
"Eloise," she replied hesitantly. Desislav smiled.
"Pleasure to meet you, Eloise."
Eloise looked at all of his things on the table. Quills and ink pots were scattered about, along with bits of parchment. "What are you working on?" she asked curiously. Desi looked to his things and straightened them up a bit.
"Schoolvork," he replied, "Specifically, Charms." Eloise perked up at this.
"Charms? I love Charms!" she exclaimed. "What are you studying?"
As a member of the delegation from Durmstrang, Desi was a year or two ahead of her in schooling, but she was still able to understand a bit of the theories he was working on. The pair discussed the merits of various charms, and argued the usefulness of certain spells. An hour passed, then two, and before she knew it, the bell for lunch was ringing.
"Oh!" she gasped. "I've missed Potions and Herbology!" Her hand flew to her mouth in disbelief. She had never skipped a class before in her life! Desi laughed at her expression, and gathered his things together.
"Then I shall let you go now," he replied, standing with her. "I hope to see you again, yes?"
Eloise didn't know what to say. "Uh… yes, of course."
"Actually… Eloise," Desi said quietly. "I vas vondering if you would perhaps accompany me to the ball?"
Eloise felt her heart begin to pound so hard she feared it would fly from her chest. "Uh, what?" Desi slung his bag over his shoulder.
"Unless you are going with someone else?" he inquired. Eloise shook her head frantically.
"Er, no. I'd- I'd love to go with you!" she blurted before she could think. Desi smiled broadly. Stopping, his placed a kiss on her cheek and slid past her.
"Then I vill see you Saturday night, yes?"
Eloise could only nod mutely. Desi nodded his goodbye, and left the library. Eloise stood there a good three minutes after, her hand slowly coming up to touch the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her.
"Goodness."
With a goofy grin on her face, Eloise practically bounced back to Gryffindor tower to dump her stuff off for lunch. She burst into her room and was about to throw her bag on her bed, but stopped when she realized something was already on it. Curious, she moved closer. It was a plain brown package tied with twine. Suspecting it might be one of Steffie's tricks, she prodded it with her wand. Nothing happened. Throwing caution to the wind, Eloise carefully opened the package.
Her jaw dropped. It was the gown from the antique store. Laughing in disbelief, Eloise ran her fingers up and down the creamy white of the chiffon. She pulled it up completely and then ran over to her vanity. Holding the dress to her body, she twirled around in front of the mirror. A note fell from the folds of the gown. In loopy, curly writing, it read:
Now didn't I say that you needed it?
Friday
"Desislav? That's his name?" Hermione asked gleefully. Eloise blushed and ducked her head.
"He goes by Desi though." She replied. Hermione roared with laughter. It wasn't directed at Eloise directly- merely her embarrassment.
"Oh, Eloise, that's wonderful!" Hermione said. The pair were sitting on Hermione's bed, flipping through Ginny Weasley's various witch magazines. Neither Hermione nor Eloise were that interested in make up and hair styles, but they felt they needed to brush up a bit before tomorrow night. They were silent for a few moments, comfortably sifting through the pages of the magazines.
"Hermione?" Eloise said tentatively. Hermione looked up, smiling. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I shouldn't have been so abrupt with you."
Hermione sighed and closed her magazine. "No, I should be sorry, Eloise. I was way out of line. I'm not good enough friends with you to bring things like that up."
"I would like for us to be friends, Hermione." Eloise replied softly. "I just don't have many, and I don't know how to make them that well."
Hermione straightened at this and stuck her hand out. "Hermione Granger. I would love to be your friend." Eloise grinned and took the hand.
"Eloise Midgen. Likewise."
The pair laughed at the absurdity of the situation, and went back to their magazines. Hermione gave Eloise a sly look and giggled.
"Can I ask you about you're nose now, then?" she asked good- naturedly. "I've been curious about the curse you used…"
Eloise knew she meant the question in good humor, and couldn't blame the witch for asking. She sighed and stood from the bed.
"Hermione, I wasn't trying to curse away my acne," she said, pacing back and forth. Hermione's smile vanished, and she sat ramrod straight.
"Eloise?"
Eloise shrugged her shoulders. "I've never told anyone this." She said. Hermione said nothing, her silence encouraging Eloise to go on. She took a deep breath.
"I was… trying to commit suicide." Eloise looked to Hermione, who had a stunned look upon her face. Eloise sighed and sat back down on the bed. "It was in second year, and I didn't know any real curses. I was too chicken to try anything the muggle way…" she laughed bitterly at herself. "All I succeeded in doing was making my nose fall off my face. Steffie walked in at that point and I had to make up an excuse. So I just told her I was trying to get rid of my spots."
Hermione placed a hand on Eloise's knee, trying to comfort her. "Eloise…why?" Eloise brushed a few tears away angrily.
"Like I said, it was second year. I was having a hard time and wasn't thinking straight. Thought I'd take the easy way out." She looked back at Hermione. "It was stupid, and I've regretted it every day since then. I kind of made it worse for myself too. Steffie spread the rumor that I was cursing myself, my nose was crooked, and my acne was worse than ever. The self esteem never got better, as cheesy as that sounds."
Hermione shook her head. "I don't think it's cheesy." She too had a few tears in her eyes. "You really are a beautiful person, Eloise." Hermione grinned slyly. "Desislav thinks so too!"
Eloise laughed and wiped her eyes. "He kissed me on the cheek too." She replied. Hermione gasped.
"You didn't tell me that!" she chuckled. "You know, you and I will get ready for the ball together tomorrow. I'll have Ginny make sure you have Desislav drooling all over you, and have Steffie regretting that she was ever mean to you."
Eloise laughed at the prospect.
"Sounds like a plan."
Saturday
Eloise awoke around ten o'clock in the morning, feeling refreshed and better than she had in years. The talk with Hermione had really helped get her unsolved issues off her chest. She pulled back the curtains around her bed, and encountered a war scene. Clothes were flung about the room. The four girls she shared a dorm with were sprawled out in various places. From her bed, she could see that the adjoining bathroom was covered with cosmetics, magical remedies, and steam from whoever was showering.
Eloise slowly slipped from her covers. Her foot caught in the strap of a red stiletto that belonged to one of the other girls.
"Sweet Merlin…" Eloise said. "What happened?" Standing fully, she flinched as a silk scarf fell from her canopy into her line of sight. She flicked it away.
"We're getting ready for the dance, dummy." A snotty voice said. Eloise turned to see Coral Lewis, another member of Steffie's posse. She was lounging on her vanity stool, her foot on the glass table. A jar of red nail varnish was in her hand. "Not that you need to worry about that."
Normally, Eloise would have flushed at this comment- ducked her head maybe. Instead, she rolled her eyes and grabbed the scarf from the canopy, throwing it at Coral.
"No. I guess not."
Eloise quickly threw on some sweats and a t-shirt. She met Hermione down in the common room, and the pair headed down to breakfast. It was there that Eloise got to meet Ginny Weasley. She was a bit too energetic for Eloise's taste, but still a sweet girl. She took a lock of Eloise's hair between her fingers.
"You have fabulous hair, girl!" Ginny said excitedly. "It will be really easy to style." She glanced back at Hermione's bushy mess. "Yours, not so much."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ha. Ha. I have a plan for my hair, thank you very much." She took one last bite of her oatmeal before standing. "I'm going to hang out with the boys for a bit, but I will meet you later."
Ginny and Eloise waved goodbye, before finishing their breakfast's themselves and heading back to the dorms.
"So, you get anything good for Christmas?" Ginny asked as they entered the common room. Eloise stopped.
"I forgot!" She raced up the steps, with Ginny hot on her tail.
"You forgot you had presents?" Ginny asked in disbelief. He eyes widened as they entered the war zone that was Eloise's room. "Wow…"
"Yeah… I know." Eloise replied. She looked to the end of her bed, and was surprised to see a small pile of gifts. Usually she just had one from her father. Curious, she sifted through them. From her father, she received a beautiful silver bracelet with gems that changed colors in a different light. From Hermione, she received a leather bound journal and a glass pen. The last gift had no name, but Eloise had her suspicions as to who it was from. It was wrapped in the same brown paper and twine that her dress had come from. Ripping the paper off, she smiled at what was inside. Behind her, Ginny gasped.
A beautiful crystal flower lay in a box of velvet. It was large, and meant to be worn in the hair. Eloise kept turning it over in her hands. Ginny gently took it from her and held it up to Eloise's head, picturing a particular hairdo.
"This is going to look brilliant!"
"Wow. Are you actually going to the Ball?" the girls turned to see Steffie and Coral examining them with some interest. Ginny stood and squared her shoulders.
"Yes, she is. Got a problem with that?" she said aggressively. Steffie smirked.
"Not at all. Good luck turning her into something presentable."
Eloise quickly grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and dragged her out of the room, taking the gown and the crystal flower with her.
"God, what a bitch!" Ginny said vehemently. Eloise looked at her with some surprise. Ginny shrugged. "Well, she is!"
The pair returned to Ginny's dorm, where Eloise met Padma and Parvati Patil, the twins who were going to the ball with Ron and Harry. Eloise found them to be nice, if not a bit shallow. As the four of them laughed and giggled the afternoon away, Eloise found herself wondering why she had never gotten to know these girls before. They were certainly a lot nicer than Steffie's lot!
Eloise was once again out of her element. Ginny saw this and took complete control. Even Padma and Parvati contributed. Eloise allowed them to paint her nails a pretty pale pink color, and let them do her hair. As it turned out, her hair had to set in curlers for a few hours- something Eloise hadn't been prepared for. Hermione entered their little spa party later on, and was satisfied to see all of them getting along. She oohed and ahhed over the crystal flower, and gave Eloise a hug when she thanked her for the Christmas gift.
"So, what's this plan for your hair, 'Mione?" Ginny asked, a grin on her face. Hermione reached into her vanity and pulled out a blue jar filled with some sort of hair smoothing potion. The other girls chattered excitedly. From what Eloise could ascertain, the hair potion was very expensive, and very, very effective.
A few hours and giggles later, the five girls put the finishing touches on their looks. Hermione transfigured a pair of Eloise's shoes into some silver heels. Eloise was a tall girl, so she made Hermione keep the heel to a minimum height.
"You look lovely, Eloise," Hermione breathed, taking in the gown. Eloise smiled and thanked everyone. They exited the dorm one by one, but Eloise stayed behind. Hermione popped her head back in the room with an inquisitive look on her face. "Eloise?"
Eloise smiled. "I just need a minute. How about I meet you guys at the ball?" Hermione nodded in understanding, and left Eloise to her own devices.
Eloise had not yet looked in the mirror to see herself. She was almost afraid. After years of low self esteem so focused about her image, she could hardly imagine she looked as pretty as the others said. Taking a deep breath, Eloise turned and stepped in front of the full length mirror in the corner of the room. She was shocked at what she saw. Her plain brown hair had been tamed into soft curls, with the crystal flower pinning back a section above her left year. Her face was flawless in terms of blemishes- thanks to the expertise of Padma and Parvati. In all reality, her skin had cleared up for the most part- but she had always seen the old spots and blemishes, no matter how she looked. The gown hung perfectly from her frame, slimming her slightly chubby body into a curvy silhouette.
And yet, despite all of the make up and finery, Eloise was able to see past it. For the first time, she looked past her exterior, and saw who she was on the inside. She felt beautiful, and was finally able to admit that she was a beautiful person- no matter what others saw. Smiling at her reflection, Eloise left the dorm, and made her way down to the dining hall, where the ball was being held. The corridors were empty- the students who could attend the ball were already there, and the students who could not where in their common rooms.
She stopped short of the giant oak doors to the ball, taking a deep breath, attempting to prepare herself. Desi's kind face entered her mind, and she smiled slightly.
"Eloise!" she turned at the sound of her name. A few feet down the corridor, the champions of the tri-wizard tournament were lined up with their dates. They were to enter in a few minutes from the side entrance. Hermione had called her name, and was waving at her. Eloise grinned broadly and waved back.
"Miss Midgen?" Eloise turned once more, and saw Professor McGonagall staring at her with a tiny amount of shock. "You look lovely, my dear."
"Thank you, professor," Eloise replied. She was surprised to find that the voice emanating from her was confident- solid. Not the usual stuttering or wavering. She turned back to the doors, squared her shoulders, and pushed one open.
Now, all of the students were already in the hall, chattering anxiously at the arrival of the champions. Since the door opened, they had all assumed it was their entrance. Imagine their surprise when it turned out to be Eloise Midgen instead. Tall, frumpy, crooked- nosed Eloise looking downright stunning. The students nearest her gawked openly, and as word traveled through the crowd who was at the door, more and more faces turned towards her.
Had she known what Cinderella was, Eloise would have found the moment horribly clichéd. As it was, she had no idea who that was, and the moment was as perfect as could be. Before she could move into the crowd, a familiar face separated from the mass. Desi. He approached her, and with everyone watching, took her hand and kissed it chastely before offering her his arm. Eloise gave him a dazzling smile before taking it and accompanying him into the crowd.
The headmaster and professors stood off to one side, observing the festivities thus far. Professor Flitwick waved her over. Eloise pulled Desi gently towards the small man.
"Eloise, you look simply ravishing," he squeaked. Eloise thanked him, and she and Desi returned to the ball. It was at this moment that the champions entered with their partners. The dance began with just them in the center, soon followed by Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. A few more students joined in.
Desi turned to Eloise. "Vell?" he said, motioning to the dance floor. "May I haff this dance?" Eloise smiled and nodded.
"I would love to, Desi."
The pair twirled and spun on the dance floor, and Eloise felt as if it was just the two of them. She managed to spot Seamus Finnegan eyeing her from across the floor with a confused look on her face. She laughed and allowed Desi to twirl her around.
It was just a dance, and it was only a ball. In the grand scheme of things, this night was fairly uneventful. The night would progress, and so would the days and years. The world would grow bleaker within that time, and the newfound friendship Eloise had found in Ginny and Hermione would fade. They were both drawn by their duty to Harry and Ron, and matters much bigger than Eloise. Eloise would soon find herself being withdrawn from Hogwarts due to the dangerous times. Her childhood would soon be over- forced by the darkness in the world.
But she would never forget this night. This was the night that she was able to be more than her skin. It was only for a few sweet hours, but those hours would allow her to become who she was truly supposed to be.
The End.
I've posted links to the gown and hairstyle I had in mind for Eloise. The model in the hair photo is not how I pictured, Eloise, by the way. ;)
Please review.