I've been listening to Imelda May while typing up this chapter, so hopefully it's got some extra pizzazz… I don't know, I was just very excited when I realized that her album is now available State-side. Pictures of the girls' shoes are up in my profile (and I want them!), so check that out. And, of course, enjoy this installment of The Man Behind The Mask!
- Lorraine
CHAPTER 10
The rest of the afternoon went relatively smoothly, as the girls vacated the bathroom about an hour after their interlude with Sirius. This left time for James, Remus, and Peter to shower while Sirius stood in front of the mirror, carefully styling his hair so that it was "the perfect combination of mussed and immaculate," he informed them. To the other Marauders, it looked the same as when he woke p in the morning, but they dared not mention that on pain of death. Any derogatory comments about "The Hair" were considered the worst of all blasphemy.
Meanwhile, Lily and Lucy were holed up in the Head Girl's room, primping and occasionally succumbing to fits of giggles about how Sirius had screamed like a girl when they'd walked in on him. By six o'clock, the girls had painted and dried their nails, applied various perfumes, lotions, and blemish-removing potions, and checked their dresses over for any flaws or wrinkles. Lucy had already done her hair in an elaborate twist at the back of her neck, and was now trying to style Lily's riotous red locks into a messy bun. When the third hair elastic snapped, unable to hold the sheer mass of Lily's hair, Lucy gave up and pinned part of it aside, leaving the rest tumbling down her back. (Lily smiled; she hated having her hair up. She thought it made her head look several sizes too large.) With the hair question attended to, Lily went to begin getting dressed.
"Hey, Luce, d'you think I need a slip with this dress?" the redhead asked over her shoulder as she rummaged through her dresser drawers.
"Hmm, I don't know about a slip, Lils… but I think these will do just fine."
Lily turned around to see her best friend standing with an evil grin on her face, holding up a decidedly lacy burgundy-colored panty set. To herself, Lily admitted that the undergarments were gorgeous, but outwardly she blushed and rolled her eyes.
"Lucy. Really? What need do I have of fancy underwear? Nobody's going to see it."
"Firstly, Lils, it's called lingerie. Second of all, it's really always better to be prepared in case you meet that special someone…" she wiggled her eyebrows, looking alarmingly Marauder-esque for a moment. Lily just scoffed and turned back to he bureau, looking for her go-to skin-toned demi bra. "Lily, come on. You'll have so much more fun tonight if you wear this!" Lily turned and raised an eyebrow. "Ugh, no, I don't mean 'you'll have more fun' as in 'you'll have more sex.' Sheesh. I just mean that you will feel fun, and sexy, and self-confident. That's the whole point of tonight, isn't it?" Lucy narrowed her eyes at Lily's pointed lack of response, and she marched over, slamming the girls' underwear drawer shut. "Lily Marie Evans. I bought these for you. You are going to wear them and you are going to like it. Understood?"
Lily recognized Lucy's 'I'm not taking no for an answer' face, and decided to accept defeat rather than run the risk of arguing with her best friend just before this momentous occasion. "Fine," she muttered, and stripped, slipping the silky material over her body before stepping across the room to her wardrobe to fetch a dressing gown. From behind her, Lucy wolf-whistled, pulling on her own cornflower blue lingerie.
By now it was almost seven, and Lily had to been in the Great Hall at 7.30, so the girls decided to get dressed and put the final touches on their ensembles. Lily carefully stepped into her velvety teal dress, stretching it over her hips and smoothing the straps on her shoulders. The back of the gown was so low that no zipper was necessary. The redhead turned to help Lucy into her rust-colored silk dress, admiring the cool texture of the fabric. She fastened the back of Lucy's gown (an elegant system of satin-covered buttons), and the blonde spun around to grin at her friend, looking her up and down before glancing at herself in the mirror.
"Hot DAMN, we are hot!" she proclaimed, fastening a glittering crystal pendant around her neck. Lily smiled at this comment, putting on her own sparkly silver earrings before stepping into her similarly spangled shoes—modest two-inch heels, the bodies of which were cut intricately so that it was like her feet were encased in silver latticework. Behind her, Lucy was enchanting her high satin pumps to match the exact color of her gown.
Thus outfitted, the girls each applied a light layer of makeup—both were secure enough with their features to go for the natural look—and turned to each other for a last once-over. They smiled, both excited and, suddenly, a bit nervous. They shared a brief hug, grabbed their purses—Lily's silver, and Lucy's gold—and masks—similar white-and-gold half-face affairs—and headed downstairs. The Marauders were, mercifully, absent by now, so the girls met no one in the Head common room. Once outside in the corridor, they clasped hands, before Lucy returned to the Gryffindor common room and Lily went to the Great Hall to survey the final preparations.
When she arrived, the sight almost took her breath away. Floor to ceiling, the Great Hall had been transformed into a gorgeous ballroom, complete with glittering chandeliers and polished wood flooring. There were several tables along two of the walls, outfitted with crisp white tablecloths and elaborate colored glass centerpieces. Surveying the room, Lily gasped when she saw the magnificent fountain that had replaced the table where the Headmaster usually sat. It was intricately sculpted from what appeared to be rose quartz, and the thin trickles of water from each of its three tiers sparkled in the incandescent lighting. She was so engrossed in the intricate carvings that she didn't hear her fellow Head arrive.
Did you know that it's actually pretty difficult to keep track of your own stories? I had to read the beginning chapters twice to make sure Lily wasn't doing anything out of character. Oh, the things I do for you readers… Show your gratitude and REVIEW, please!
