Chapter 8

The prefect's bathroom

"Look, it will be okay, she just needs some time," Eliza sighed and slid into the big swimming pool-like bathtub. "Cassy is one of those people who don't dwell on such things, she will move on like that." She snapped her fingers and a bubble landed on her dainty little nose.

"Yeah, I suppose you are right," Beth said, but a strange feeling told her otherwise. She felt like Cassy and Black were meant to be together, some bizarre dreams had told her the same.

Both girls were relaxing in the hot water of the prefect's bathtub. Tom had given them the password, after Eliza had battered her eyelids at him. Of course her friend saw this as a victory, but Beth failed to mention that Tom had flashed a lopsided and very cute grin at her, after Eliza turned her back to talk to Avery.

They had the room to themselves now, the crystal chandelier glinted and a towering mass of bubbles threatened to suffocate them. Beth hadn't been able to stop her friend from opening every single tap aligning the big marble bath and Eliza looked content opposed to Beth, who saw the mass of bubbles more as a threat to her health than a relaxing remedy against all the stress.

"Well, Cassy has changed boyfriends as often as you do your socks. I know for a fact, that Miquel Thomas told Trevor Longbottom, that Bert Hallow likes her eyes."

Beth rolled her eyes, but not quite fast enough.

"Beth, seriously, you wouldn't understand what its like!" Eliza gasped exasperatedly.

"The embarrassment when someone turns you down, the mortification, the humiliation-"

Well, I doubt if you have much experience in that area either, can't remember anyone turning you down before!" Beth remarked.

"Well, I can imagine…"

"Oh please," Beth groaned. "I don't want this conversation right now, I am tired and a little stressed out because of Potions, please give me a break!" Beth closed her eyes.

There followed a long silence, which no one broke, except the occasional dripping of a tap, or the simpering of the mermaid in the portrait on the wall.

"Well, I think we should get started."

Beth opened her eyes and looked at her friend.

"Fine, what do you have in mind?" she asked a bit sceptically.

"First of all, we have to cut your hair a bit." Beth nodded silently which motivated Eliza to go on. "Then we should use some of my pimple-prim potion. And then, we could do your make up. You know, so we can figure out what works for next week."

Beth frowned but let herself be pulled out of the bath. She wrapped a soft, fluffy white towel around herself and sat on one of the chairs in front of the majestic mirror that covered one of the walls. She grinned, seeing the concentrated look upon Eliza's face.

"Well, how short do you want it?" Eliza asked.

"About here?" Beth indicated her left shoulder and Eliza nodded.

"Here goes nothing!"

Beth watched as Eliza slowly cut her hair. She did this with her wand, creating some amazing special layering effects, spells Beth hadn't a clue even existed.

"Shnideryo," Eliza muttered, as the last hairs fell to the ground.

"What do you think?" She asked. Beth scrutinized her hair; it felt good, being rid of it, somehow her old self started to fall to the ground as well, leaving a newer, cleaner and jumpier Beth behind.

"How about you cut some more?" Beth grinned and put her finger near her earlobe.

Eliza's mouth dropped.

"Are you sure?" She seemed doubtful, but excited at the same time.

"Of course, and if I don't like it, I can always use a hair-lengthening potion!" Beth replied.

"Okay, Eliza grinned and hoisted up her towel, which was slipping down slowly. Any boy at Hogwarts would have killed to see her at that moment, Beth thought, as she gazed at her friends' reflection.

Eliza continued the intensive operation biting her lip in concentration. Beth could see the hard work her friend was putting into this job and at the end she had a wonderful result. Beth's hair was short, shorter than any girl's at Hogwarts and she felt great.

"Come on, stand up and turn around," Eliza grinned and took a step back. Beth stood up and stepped over the blonde strands lying at her feet. She let her fingers run through her short hair and sighed. It felt so liberating and scary at the same time. Like you just jumped off a cliff and didn't know what was waiting at the bottom.

"Gosh," Eliza sighed. "It looks beautiful." Beth giggled and nodded, her friend was right, she looked completely different.

Suddenly Beth could see her cheekbones, her neck and ears. She touched the soft skin of her temple and grinned, this was revolutionary, this felt amazing.

"Everyone will talk about you," Eliza said, sitting on the rim of the bath, "Avery will notice you, I am sure!" She smiled.

Beth gazed at her own reflection. Her once so long dirty blonde strands where gone. She was left with short hair, standing out prickly at the back to all sides, and longer fringe which she could barely put behind her ears, so some strands fell sexily into her eyes. Suddenly she was aware of her own very blue eyes and shivered as the image of Tom's grey ones passed her mind.

"Eliza, I love it!" Beth exclaimed. She ran over and hugged her friend tight. It felt great to be there, right at that moment with her best friend by her side, nothing seemed impossible, no challenge too big, not even Tom Riddle seemed as completely untouchable as before anymore.

Suddenly the room was filled with a strange wailing. Both Beth and Eliza looked around in surprise at the portrait of the mermaid upon the wall.

"Well, I think it is an absolute hideous thing!" The mermaid yelled. "How could someone cut their hair, their beautiful long wonderful sleek, stunningly blonde hair?"

Beth huffed and turned towards her in a rage, "Did I ask for your opinion?"

"I need no invitation, I am the image of femininity. Look at yourself, you ought to be ashamed, you are no woman, your hair is as short as a man's" the mermaid called.

"What do you know, you stupid sardine. Go show your breast to someone else and fuck off!" Beth took a step towards the painting raising her wand in warning.

The mermaid continued to wail and tears fell from her eyes. "Women are meant to have long hair, you defy us all, you ruin our image, you are not worthy to be called a woman!" She started to call out. "Leave this room, leave!" And she began to howl so loud that both girls quickly packed up their clothes and ran out of the bathroom, into the corridor wearing nothing but the fluffy white towels.