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Lucy takes a deep breath, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. It isn't the end of the world. It's not some great tragedy that will be her end. It's just blonde hair. Too blonde. Platinum. And she can't help but feel her pale, freckled skin is not made for such a shade.

She could ask Dominique to fix it. Dominique is talented when it comes to those sorts of spells. It's why you might think her older cousin is a Metamorphmagus with the way she changes her hair color. But Lucy doesn't have time to find Dominique, explain everything, and get her hair the right color. She has plans, though now those plans feel more like a burden, and she can't shake the feeling of dread that washes over her.

With a groan, Lucy slips out of the bathroom, casting one last glance at her platinum curls in the mirror. It's like some sort of nightmare, but she knows it's her reality, and she hates it.

As she stalks through the castle, Lucy keeps her head down. Maybe people stare at her. Maybe they whisper. She doesn't know, and she tries not to care, but it's so bloody hard. Why can't she be like James or Fred? They never seem to care what anyone thinks of them. But Lucy? Lucy's stomach is in knots, and she's afraid she may vomit.

Lorcan is waiting for her by the lake, tossing vegetables into the water. A few ducks swim by, gulping down the healthy treat.

"I thought they like bread," Lucy says.

"They do, but it fills them up and doesn't give them any adequate nutrition," Lorcan explains, turning. He stops short, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. "Oh."

Oh. Lucy wants to jump into the lake and let the Giant Squid take her. The idea of anyone judging her is terrible. But Lorcan? Lorcan hating anything about her breaks her heart.

"You look different."

"It's terrible, isn't it?" Lucy groans in frustration, shaking her head. "Vanna Nott said you liked blondes, so I…"

She realizes what she's said and quickly clamps her hand over her mouth, like that one gesture can erase the confession. Her cheeks burn with warm color and she looks away, watching the ducks swim like they're the most interesting things in the world.

"You did this… for me?" Lorcan asks, surprise heavy in his voice. He moves closer, taking her hand. "Luce, why would you do that?"

The heat in her face only grows hotter. Why can't he just put two and two together? Why does she have to spell it out for him? Merlin, don't make her say it out loud. Let him understand what he means to her without the words.

"Because I…" she swallows dryly and looks him in the eye. He's always had such pretty brown eyes, the sort she could so easily get lost in them. "I fancy you."

It's his turn to blush. A dusty pink stains his tan skin. Lucy doesn't like the silence that follows, and she wonders if she's said too much, if she should have kept it to herself.

"Maybe I should go."

"No." His grip tightens ever so slightly on her hand. "You did all this just because you fancy me? Lucy… I love the way you are, silly."

"You… You do?"

"I think you're beautiful. I always have," he tells her. "I just never knew how to tell you."

Lucy laughs and shakes her head. It really isn't a tragedy. Maybe she's ridiculous, and dying her hair to impress a boy was a bit of an extreme gesture she'll never do again, but, in the end, it worked. Without her platinum mess, this moment wouldn't have happened.

Maybe, just maybe, love will always find a way.