"Why are you packing? The train doesn't leave until Saturday." Lily said, as Loralei packed her bag.
"I'm leaving after the last classes tomorrow." Loralei told her, as she packed her things. "By floo powder, my mum wants us to have a final fitting and such before Christmas Eve and how we're going to react about me and Sirius, who's coming with us. He's getting robes made too, he wants to look good apparently." Loralei smiled.
"Of course he does, they'll be taking pictures of you all night." Lily rolled her eyes. "Send me a picture from the fitting."
"I will." She promised. "I'm happy I don't have any more homework to do tonight."
"Because you did it all last night." Lily said. "You were awake until one in the morning."
"Well worth it, I got to take a nap during my free period." Loralei smiled, pushing everything she could need in her bag.
"What did you get Sirius?" Lily asked her.
"I got him these mirrors that you can use to communicate with someone. I'm pretty sure he's going to give the other to James." Loralei told her. "What did you get me?"
"Not telling." Lily laughed.
Loralei rolled her eyes. "I hope we get a blizzard so James doesn't try to make me train over break."
"Just shoot him one of your death looks." Lily told her. "He'll get the message."
"He better, or I'll slap him."
"You're so physical." Lily shook her head.
"I'm a physical girl!" Loralei paused. "That came out wrong."
"It always does with you. 'Cause you're a physical girl." Lily teased.
Loralei laughed. "You know it, babe."
Lily pouted.
"What?" Loralei asked, as she folded a pair of jeans.
"You're leaving me early." She said. "I we wont be able to share a bottle of butterbeer and toast to the midterms."
"I'm sorry." Loralei told her. "Mother's orders. We can share a bottle of butterbeer tonight though." Loralei went under her bed, and tossed one of the glass bottles onto Lily's bed.
Lily laughed as she pulled out the cork. "At least there's tonight." She raised her glass to Loralei before taking a sip.
Loralei held out her hand for it, and Lily gave it to her so she could get a sip.
"We're getting old." Loralei sighed as she put her hand on her back and leaned back, making her back pop.
"I could hear that from over here." Lily laughed, taking the bottle from Loralei. "You should get that checked out."
Loralei laughed. "I'm perfectly healthy, thank you very much."
Lily smiled, handing her the bottle. "Until you get on that quidditch pitch."
Lily rubbed her eyes, and looked at the clock on the wall of the Gryffindor Common room. Loralei had left four hours ago and she had been reading since, even at dinner that night. She got out of the armchair and made her way to her dorm room, to find half a bottle of butterbeer and a note from Loralei.
Did you really think I'd forget our tradition?
Love,
The Crazy Loralei
Lily laughed, before pulling the cork out and taking a sip, smiling the whole time.
"You're ridiculous." She said aloud, like Loralei could actually hear her.
"Suck in," Gustav told her, for his name you'd think he was a large man, but he was in fact small in stature and spoke in a Scottish accent.
"I am!" Loralei said, leaning on her vanity. "I can barely breathe."
He tied it off with little difficulty, before she stood up straight, her breath showing as her chest rose and fell. Gustav put her cloak on her shoulders, the silver clasp at the hollow of her throat and put the hood on her head.
She looked into the mirror, and gasped.
If someone thought she was beautiful before, it was nothing now. The skirt didn't poof out at the end of her corset, just hung around her in a black curtain. The red flowers on the dress matched the hood perfectly, though she didn't have any makeup on that she didn't usually, she could tell what kind of makeup she would get. Her long hair was in front of her shoulder, coming out of the hood, and she didn't look like a little girl anymore, like all the dresses before did. She was a woman.
"Merlin." She muttered, taking a spin in the dress. "This is beautiful."
"Worth the sucking in?"
"Definitely." She handed him a camera. "Picture please." She posed, smiling with a hand on her hip, as he snapped a picture.
There was a knock on the door. "Lore?" It was Sirius.
"Come in," she called.
"I'm going to go do your mother's fitting." Gustav told her, leaving the room as Sirius entered.
His dark blue eyes widened. "Wow, Lore."
She smiled, and did a little spin, her skirt flying around her. "How do I look?"
"Gorgeous." He told her. "Absolutely stunning." He put one of his hands on her waist, which was hard form her corset. "You're not wearing pink or blue this year."
"Thank Merlin, I wouldn't be able to handle it again." She told him, as he pulled her closer to him for a kiss.
"I like you better in black and red too." He told her after they broke apart.
She laughed. "I'm happy to see someone agree with me. I helped design it, the flowers are me." She said, tracing a vine on the bodice. "I didn't want to look like I had just come from a funeral."
"I'm sure you would look good even if you did." He told her.
She smiled. "I love you."
He smiled too. "I love you." He leaned down to kiss her lightly. "I knew you did, it's taken you long enough."
She laughed, and mock-hit his arm. "Come on, at least you know I'm not saying it."
"You don't say anything you don't mean." He said.
"Unless I'm being sarcastic."
"Unless you're being sarcastic."
