Dora and Becky were still seated in the sitting room when Andromeda returned, engaged in conversation, but they looked up with interest when she arrived.
Becky's face, as Andromeda could tell, had a slight look of fear, not unlike Dora's when she knew she had angered her parents.
Andromeda gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she took a seat in the chair in front of them.
"It's all settled," she said, gently. "Your mother understands, and has given her permission for you to lace according to your comfort level."
"E-even at night?" Becky asked, her own voice soft.
Andromeda put a hand on the girl's shoulders. "Especially then, my dear."
Becky swallowed hard, and Andromeda felt as though her own corset was suddenly too tight.
"Thank you, ma'am," Becky murmured. "I-I thank you."
Andromeda gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We are not as old as we may seem," she said, lightly, "but we may have forgotten the initial waist training process. I don't believe your mother means to be hard on you, Becky, dear."
The girl nodded, and Andromeda withdrew her hand. "Have you been managing all right?" she asked, turning from Becky to Dora. "Do you need anything?"
"I was thinking we could show Becky how to play a muggle game," Dora offered. "Perhaps Clue?"
Andromeda laughed. "Goodness, I haven't played that in ages! Let's see if I can find it..."
They passed a light and very enjoyable afternoon, and Andromeda found herself getting to know Dora's closest friend rather well. In spite of her shyness, Becky showed a good sense of humor, and similar competitive nature to her own daughter. Before long, it was time for dinner, and Andromeda took care to avoid too much dairy within the meal. She'd have to get an official list of foods to go light on, at least for the first week or so, as Becky tried to acclimate to the reduced room in her stomach.
"Do either of you need help preparing for bed?" Andromeda asked the girls afterwards, as they read quietly.
Dora looked up, rather surprised at the question, but then looked at her friend in understanding.
"I could use help," she answered, and Becky nodded.
"I know how to unlace, but still have some difficulty lacing up," she explained, reddening a bit. "I expect I am a slow learner."
"Not at all!" Dora protested. "It took me nearly a week, and I over laced myself at least once."
"It can take awhile to perfect," Andromeda answered, sympathetically. "I'm happy to help you, Becky. But, perhaps, if you would like to bathe first?" At their nods, she added, "Very well. Dora, why don't you come to my room when you girls are ready?"
Almost an hour later, Andromeda entered Dora's bedroom, taking a moment to inhale the fresh scent of flowers and biscuits they had placed in the room earlier. The biscuit tray was mostly full, although she could detect a few missing ones. She would have to add more the following day.
Both girls wore long white nightgowns and had damp hair, although Becky had braided hers down her back. The nightgowns hid their figures, of course, but they both stood straight, rather more so than they would have at the beginning of the summer.
They also held their corsets in their hands, and Dora looked eager to be laced into hers. Becky, Andromeda must admit, looked rather less so. Andromeda knew she would have to take the same care with Becky she had with Dora during the first few days.
"Who's first?" she asked, cheerfully.
"Dora can go," Becky answered, her voice taking on a soft tone that nearly hid a tremor.
It was all Andromeda could do not to take the girl in her arms and hold her tightly, to reassure her that everything would be well, now.
Such would be inappropriate, as they had only just met. Still, Andromeda felt a strong sense of protection for the girl, and resolved to make lacing up a pleasant experience.
"Very well," she answered, with a smile.
Dora, of course, told Andromeda that she was at 18 and 1/8, and asked to be laced to 19 and 5/8's. Andromeda obliged, working slower than usual, and making sure her daughter was faced so that her friend could see her face. Dora's stance relaxed as the corset tightened around her, finally letting out a contented sigh as Andromeda tied off the laces and did a final measurement.
"All right, honey?" she asked, straightening her nightgown and checking for any problems.
"It feels lovely, Mum. As usual," Dora reassured her, grinning.
Andromeda kissed the top of her head before turning her attention to Becky.
"Are you ready, dear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Becky handed over the corset. "I was nineteen and a half today, so perhaps, twenty-one and a half to sleep?"
"Of course. And, as you saw, I'll work slowly, to give you time to adjust. If it feels uncomfortable at any point, let me know, and I will stop," Andromeda promised.
"Yes, ma'am."
She stood up extra straight and took a deep breath. Andromeda placed a hand on the girl's shoulders for a minute.
Then, she first fastened the clasps of the corset over the girl's nightgown, checking that there was plenty of space over the nightgown for Becky to move her arms freely. It was a lovely nightgown, made from the same material as the chemises she'd given Dora. Andromeda would have to find out where Mrs. Roberts had purchased them. She would love to surprise Dora with several, and see the look on her face when she tried them on. Dora loved soft clothes...
Becky's stance stiffened as Andromeda began pulling at the laces, even though she worked with particular care. It would do little good to tell her to relax, just as it wouldn't have when she'd first laced up Dora. But perhaps when when she realized that she could still breathe freely...Andromeda was pleased to see that the girl's stance relaxed a bit after the first inch or so, and Andromeda slowed down once she reached the last inch. Finally, she asked Becky if she was comfortable before tying off the laces.
"Yes, I'm ready for the final tightening," the girl answered.
Andromeda laughed as she tied off the laces. "You're finished, dear."
She faced Becky, who had a look of wonder on her face.
"Really? But it feels so...comfortable."
Andromeda hid a sigh. "That's how it's supposed to feel. Like a secure hug, not like you're struggling for breath. Certainly not right before you go to bed."
Becky nodded, but still looked almost bewildered. She took a few deep breaths, clearly amazed that she still could, and there was a rather wide smile on her face after a minute.
Andromeda drew back the covers to both beds with her wand, and then warmed the beds within uttering a word. Dora looked utterly blissful as she wrapped the covers around her, and Becky let out a surprised laugh.
"If you need any more blankets, they're in the closet over here," she said, pointing to a spare wardrobe. "Becky, if you're uncomfortable during the night, wake Dora, or me, all right?"
"Yes," Dora answered, turning over to glance at her friend. "Definitely wake me."
Becky nodded, her head peaking from the covers. "Thank you, Mrs. Tonks."
"You're most welcome. Sweet dreams, girls."
Andromeda returned to her bed that night feeling hopeful. Becky had been sleeping laced (too tightly) for long enough that she ought to be past the point of waking up and unable to breathe. Surely, the extra inch would allow her to sleep even better. All the same, she modified the wards to alert her if there was any disturbance, not simply disturbance in Dora's sleep. It might be a bit much, but Becky was in her care for another thirteen days, and it was her duty to make sure that she was looked after mentally as well as physically.
"You're an excellent mum," Ted told her, after she alerted him of this change.
She just laughed as she began changing out of her robes. "Well, I will tell Dora you said so the next time I do something to put her off."
Ted pulled her into a hug. "You are wonderful, Dromeda. Besides, the two of you have been getting along very well this summer."
Andromeda rested her head against his shoulders. "It's lovely, but you know that our Dora is a teenager. She'll be moody and embarrassed by us soon enough."
Ted chuckled, and ran his hands over her waist. "I reckon all daughters are like that, wouldn't you say?"
Andromeda laughed as she nodded.
The next morning, everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Becky's face had taken on a rather rosy tone, while she had looked-by comparison-a bit pale the previous day.
The two girls had entered the kitchen with smiles on their faces, and Andromeda could hear Dora chatting her friend's ear off.
"Good morning, girls," Andromeda said, upon seeing them. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, very," Dora grinned, reaching out to give Andromeda a hug.
"Very," Becky echoed, with a smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Tonks."
Andromeda placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad."
Becky's smile widened for a minute before returning to a slightly more muted one, and she followed Dora to the table.
"What are your plans for today?" Ted asked, putting down his copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Becky thought we might take turns on her broom," Dora said. "May we, Mum?"
"As long as you're careful to avoid being seen," she answered. "We have some balls in the garden shed if you would like to practice Quidditch."
"You can borrow my Silver Arrow, if you like," Ted offered.
Dora's eyes widened, almost comically. "Are-are you certain, Dad?"
He chuckled. "Haven't flown it in ages, and while I don't hold onto the view that brooms lose their potency if they aren't flown, I don't think it can harm them. Poor thing looked almost morose the last time I saw it."
Andromeda laughed, and Dora giggled.
"I promise to be extra careful!"
Once the meal was over and the dishes were clear, Becky approached Andromeda tentatively.
"Would you-would you please help me lace up?" she asked, softly.
"Of course, dear," Andromeda answered, with warmth. "You're certain you wouldn't prefer Dora, though?"
Becky shrugged a bit. "I don't want to bother her, and I don't know if she...could..."
The girl's voice trailed off.
"How about if she watches and, perhaps tonight, takes a turn?" Andromeda offered.
Becky nodded, and murmured a thank you.
Andromeda was a bit concerned that the girl would experience some discomfort when she laced her into her day corset. It was an overbust, after all, and would likely be two inches tighter than her night one. However, Mrs. Roberts had given her permission to slow down, and Andromeda would be sure to remind her of this before lacing her up.
When she arrived in the girls' bedroom, Dora was beaming as she put on her robes. Andromeda gave her a questioning look, but her daughter just shook her head.
Becky had removed her night corset and put on her chemise, which hung a few inches longer on her than Dora's did. She wondered if this was a new style or an older one.
"Why don't you do up the clasps on your own?" she asked, kindly, and the girl nodded and proceeded to do so without any difficulty. "Now, I know your waist yesterday was nineteen and a half, but your mother did say you could go a bit easier if you liked. So, as soon as it's no longer comfortable, you just let me know and I will loosen the laces until you're at ease. All right, dear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Very good. This corset closes at eighteen inches, then?"
"Yes, ma'am, but I expect it will be ages until I reach that," Becky answered, with a bit of a sigh.
"Oh, how well I remember! Seems that the smaller you get, the longer it takes," Andromeda said, with a bit of a chuckle, as she straightened out the laces and the chemise with care. "Mind, if we could all spell ourselves a fourteen inch waist, it wouldn't seem so striking, would it?"
Becky laughed a bit. "I expect not."
Now finished arranging the corset, Andromeda gently instructed her to take a deep breath. The girl's stance stiffened, perhaps almost as much as the night before. Andromeda pulled gently at the laces, taking care, and slowing down after reaching twenty-one. Becky showed no signs of distress or discomfort, not even when she reached twenty, but Andromeda spaced out the final half inch over a few minutes.
"You're at nineteen and a half, dear. Is that all right? Too tight?" she asked her.
"No, it feels fine," the girl answered, and there was no strain in her voice.
Andromeda tied off the laces. When she had friends over, her mother oversaw their lacings, and if they were at all at ease by the time they declared themselves having reached their target, she would urge them to try to go "a bit further." No one ever fainted under her watch, but there was far less chattering between Andromeda and her friends. Their parents, especially their mothers, were always thrilled to have their daughters return home at least a half inch smaller than they had arrived.
She knew now that this had been one of the many ways her mother manipulated people, but as a Slytherin from a long line of pure bloods with beliefs of superiority, she could hardly have expected otherwise.
Still, she studied Becky as she dressed, eyes trained to spot any signs of discomfort. There were none, thank Merlin.
Andromeda knew that she would have to ask her where she found her nightgowns, and to do so when Dora wasn't there might be tricky. Perhaps, the next time her daughter went to the loo...
The girls went outside immediately upon dressing, each holding a broom and chattering excitedly. Andromeda smiled as they went, then headed upstairs to gather the dirty laundry.
Author's note:
Up next--Dora prepares to return to school, and Andromeda has some wise words of advice.
If you're enjoying this piece, I would appreciate it if you let me know!