Dora woke up to her parents softly singing the "Happy birthday" song, and her mother holding a tray with three plates, all containing her favorite foods. All in small amounts, of course, because they would have her favorite chocolate cake with lunch, and Dora wanted to have plenty of room.
"I thought we could all have breakfast in bed, if you like," Andromeda offered.
"Sounds lovely!" Dora said, happily.
"Shall I help you out of your corset, or would you like to stay laced up to eat?" Andromeda asked, glancing at her daughter.
"I'd prefer to stay laced up," Dora answered, grinning. "Sit next to me, Mum? Dad?"
"Very well," Andromeda answered, with a bit of a laugh.
"Of course, honey," her dad answered, grinning. "How does it feel to be fourteen?"
Dora considered. "Not much different."
They climbed into her bed, and she happily nestled against them. Fourteen or not, she still loved being held and cuddled by her parents. While they ate the meal, her parents regaled Dora with stories of their childhood (interspersed with memories of Dora as a child). Dora savored their attention, as well as their affection. Her father, of course, finished eating first, and he wrapped a free arm around her as she nibbled away at her food. There were no presents yet, as those would come with her birthday cake. But after they had finished eating, they went to shower and get dressed. Dora couldn't wait to put on her dress robes again.
Having gotten her waist back down to seventeen and an eighth the day before, and having slept at eighteen and a half inches the previous night, she knew she would feel very comfortable at the seventeen and a half inch measurement of her green robes. There would be plenty of room for birthday cake later, too, as long as she ate slowly.
A half hour later, Dora stood in her chemise, having bathed and washed her hair with particular care. She looked up as her mother entered the room. Andromeda, already dressed in a pair of her own dress robes from her school days, looked as beautiful as Dora remembered when she had modeled them that summer. The pair of robes she'd chosen for Dora's birthday were a lovely pink, looking rather like roses. Decorative lace trimmed the top of the gown as well as the sleeves. At least a foot up to the hemline included the same decorations, but Dora was quite sure that diamonds or some other shiny stone had been added, because the gown actually shone.
Not that it surpassed her mum's beauty or grace. Dora had seen pictures of her mother as a teenager, and knew that she had been even more stunning back then. It was little wonder that her grandmother had tried to get Andromeda's waist down to fourteen inches--in her mind, that would have made her look perfect.
All the same, Dora thought her mum looked flawless and not a great deal older than her in those dress robes.
"Oh, Mum! You look amazing!" Dora praised, with a small sigh.
Andromeda drew her to her. "And you're lovely as well, Dora."
"You're so small," Dora observed, glancing at her mother's sixteen inch waist once they let go. Her robes always showed it off, but the cut in these robes especially emphasized it. "Do you really think I will get to sixteen inches?"
"Oh, certainly. At fourteen years of age, you are nearly at seventeen inches. You're well ahead of me, there. I should think that by next Christmas, or perhaps next Easter, you will be at sixteen." Andromeda beamed at Dora. "I know it feels like ages when you're on the brink of a measurement, but if you're patient and persistent and don't push yourself, you will find that it's worth the effort."
Dora laughed. "Most days, it doesn't feel like an effort. Just a warm hug that I never want to take off."
Her mum's eyes shone, just for a moment. "I remember that from training down after you were born."
"When you could go at your own pace?" Dora asked, softly. "And not feel uncomfortable?"
"Yes."
The word conveyed so much, and Dora hugged her mother again. A part of her wanted to go back in time and hex her grandmother, find a way to make it so that her mother's corset would never be able to lock, and allow her mum to always breathe freely. But even with a time-turner, this would have disastrous result. So, she contented herself with hugging her mother fiercely.
When they separated, Andromeda smiled. "Are you ready to be laced in now, love?"
Dora grinned. "Definitely."
She took her usual deep breath, then thoroughly savored the feeling of her mum gently, slowly, laced her into one of her day corsets. When she was finished, although Dora still felt the familiar hug around her, she rather thought that seventeen and a half felt almost loose compared to seventeen and an eighth. Well, this would mean more room for cake and other birthday treats. Next, Andromeda lifted Dora's green robes, and carefully lowered them onto her frame. Dora sighed happily as the extra fabric seemed to dance around her legs. Even through her soft chemise, she could swear she felt the softness of the fabric. She caught a glance of herself in the mirror, and smiled.
"You see, sweetheart? You're beautiful," Andromeda murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Now, let's style your hair."
Dora smiled again. "Thank you," she said, softly.
The task of styling her hair didn't take nearly as long as when Polly had done it. Or, perhaps, because it was her mum, it felt more pleasant. Polly hadn't hurt Dora, of course, but Dora had been very aware of having to keep her head still at the time. The end result had been worth it, of course.
Her mum began by slowly combing out her hair, careful to work out the knots without pulling on her scalp. As her mum worked her way from the ends onto the scalp, Dora rather felt as though she was getting a head massage, not unlike when she washed her hair in the shower. She sighed and closed her eyes, savoring it. Then, her mum separated the strands for the braids, and slowly, began to weave the strands together. Even this felt nice.
And then, her mum gave her a light pat, and urged her to look in the full length mirror.
Once again, Dora saw herself looking as she had on the night of the dance, and jumped up to throw her arms around her mum.
"Thank you! It's perfect!" she squealed, knowing that she didn't look or sound particularly ladylike, and not caring at all.
Andromeda squeezed back. "You're most welcome. Oh, you're lovely, Dora. Absolutely lovely."
They walked downstairs, and her dad nearly did a double take when he saw them. At first, Dora assumed his reaction was towards her mum, and maybe a bit of it was. But he was staring at her with a look she would soon come to realize as him seeing her mature before his eyes.
"Any boy who wasn't clamoring to dance with you was a right fool, Dora," he told her, first hugging her fiercely, then placing his arms on her shoulders. "I saw how lovely you looked in the pictures, but seeing you like that right now..."
He coughed, then cleared his throat. "You could be your mum's double at that age."
Dora hugged him again. "I love you, Daddy."
The rest of the morning was far less solemn. Dora's gifts included some more jewelry, recreational reading, spending money, sweets, and more. Just as she thought she'd opened everything, she saw her mum holding a box.
Inside was a brown kitten with white fur along his paws. He looked up at her with clear blue eyes.
"I saw her at a shop while I was buying your gifts at Diagon Alley, and I couldn't resist. I know you've never been one for cats, and I can certainly return him or give him away, but would you like to give her a try?" Andromeda's voice sounded uncertain, and Dora knew why.
She'd never wanted a pet after the death of her mouse. Even though first year students could bring pets, she'd declined even an owl, saying that she could use a school one. Her parents hadn't insisted.
Buying a kitten had been rather a risky decision. But, as Dora studied the small animal who was purring loudly, she carefully raised a hand to pet her.
The kitten purred even louder, and began to lick her hand. It tickled, and she giggled.
"Well, let's see how we get on," she said, softly. "But I don't think I shall name you, just yet."
The kitten opened her mouth in rather a yawn, and then moved as though to climb onto Dora.
"Oh no," she lightly scolded. "Not on my dress robes, you silly kitten."
The kitten, as though understanding, glanced around as though hoping to be held by another adult.
"I'll take her, if you like," Ted offered.
So, while they sat down for lunch and cake, the kitten made her home on his lap, purring loudly. He scratched behind her ears, causing the purrs to grow in volume before they disappeared--the kitten had clearly fallen asleep.
If Dora decided not to take the kitten back to school, it appeared that she had already burrowed her way into her dad's heart.
The lunch was delicious, but Dora knew to eat slowly. She might have more room in her stomach than she was accustomed to, but there was still cake, and she really didn't want to have to unlace. Her mum, too, took small bites and ate slowly.
"Would you like to wait a bit before we enjoy your cake?" Andromeda asked, afterwards. "You'll have more room to enjoy it if we wait a bit."
"That's a good idea," Dora agreed.
She wasn't hungry, after all, and waiting would make it taste better.
"We could go for a walk, if you like," Ted offered. "Although we'll need to wear cloaks, and the two of you ought to raise your robes."
"That's easy enough to manage." Andromeda smiled at her. "Dora, would you like to?"
"Definitely!" she agreed.
So, her mum performed a charm to temporarily shorten their robes to a few inches above their ankles, as well as Dora's long chemise. Once they'd donned their winter cloaks, they walked outside, and Dora was met with the familiar scent of salty air. She breathed in deeply, happy for the warmth of her cloak, as they strolled along the sandy beach.
When they returned, a good hour later, Dora wasn't feeling ready for cake, so she asked if they could play a board game.
"How about Monopoly?" her dad asked.
"That takes ages. We might need to play in shifts," her mum cautioned.
They agreed to do just that. Dora was in the lead--which was either beginner's luck or her dad going easy on her--when they stopped for cake. Once again, they sang the Happy Hour song to Dora, and then her mum cut three pieces of cake. They were smaller than she remembered from last year, but she had less room in her stomach, and there would be plenty of time for more later that evening. And in the days to come, thanks to Preservation charms.
She ate slowly, savoring every bite, letting the chocolate fill her mouth and sit on her tongue before swallowing it. Her mum, she was sure, was doing the same.
Dora felt pleasantly full afterwards, not wanting to eat more immediately, but hardly feeling like she had to loosen her laces or she'd be sick. She let out a contented sigh, and even allowed her new kitten to sit on her lap as they watched an episode of a muggle TV show. She hadn't realized she'd drifted off until she awoke to find the show had changed, and the kitten was fast asleep.
So, in fact, was her dad.
Andromeda beckoned her closer. "I'll give you a real back rub later, if you like, but would you fancy a shoulder one now?"
"Yes, please," she whispered, lest she wake her father.
Her mum positioned her so they were both sitting comfortably, and then her hands began to knead her neck. By the time her dad woke up, Dora felt very relaxed, indeed.
They finished Monopoly (Dora won), took another walk outside, and then ate dinner, which consisted of all of her favorite foods. Afterwards, they each had another slice of cake. Even so, they had barely eaten a third of it by the end of the night.
Dora would have liked to stay up longer, but after an hour or so, she could feel herself starting to drift off. Also, in spite of the care she'd taken, she knew she wouldn't feel comfortable if she fell asleep laced to seventeen and a half inches.
She yawned. "I reckon it's time for bed. Mum, can you help me with my hair?"
"Of course. And I haven't forgotten about the back massage I promised you," Andromeda reminded her, tone almost teasing.
Dora perked up a bit at that. "Good night, Dad!"
Ted responded in kind, as well as with another bear hug.
Once upstairs and in Dora's room, Andromeda helped her out of her dress robes and corset before turning her attention to her hair. With care, she undid the braids and combed out Dora's hair before she headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Dora glanced at herself in the mirror. She looked like her regular self once more. Dora felt a little disappointed to be out of her finery, even if she had been able to stay in them for a full day, instead of just an evening.
"You might have done well in a pure blood family like mine," Andromeda said, with a light laugh, once she voiced this sentiment. "Oh, not with my mother, but when you mingle with pure blood families since childhood, you dress up whenever you get together. And some of the friendships can be lifelong, as long as you don't marry outside of those lines," she added.
"You lost more than your family when you married Dad," Dora realized, climbing onto her bed, joined by her mum.
She supposed she'd known it, based on the fact that her parents rarely visited other families, nor did they often have guests over. While a child, she'd assumed it had been because of You Know Who, and everyone trying to keep to themselves. Besides, he had killed so many...
But her mum had spoken of childhood friends, and they couldn't all be dead.
"You can lose friends in more ways than one," her mum answered, wrapping her arms around Dora. "Sometimes, you move on. Sometimes, they die. And sometimes, there are ideas they have, ones you can't get past, because they're so wrong and misguided that you simply can no longer allow yourself to be exposed to it. Or your husband or child."
"You and Aunt Narcissa exchange letters," Dora pointed out.
"Yes, and only because she's my sister, and she reached out first. I haven't exactly invited her over to tea, honey," her mum reminded her. "Cissy might not agree with everything You Know Who tried to do--he happily murdered children, and tried to murder the Boy Who Lived--but she still believes in the superiority of pure bloods. I might respect our culture and our history, but Ted is every bit of a wizard and a good man as her husband. More so."
"Definitely more so," Dora agreed.
Andromeda laughed, then hugged her daughter once more. "Come. Let's get you extra comfortable."
Dora smiled as she climbed into bed and lay on her stomach. Nearly immediately, her mum's hands were on her shoulders, gently kneading them until Dora felt herself relax completely under her care.
Yes, it had been a lovely birthday.
Author's note:
As always, if you're enjoying this or have ideas for future chapter, PLEASE let me know. I appreciate all constructive feedback.
Next up:
The end of holidays approaches, and Andromeda has ideas for the Easter holidays. Because it's always important to plan ahead!
