Katie Harper had known from an early age that her existence had been unexpected, although, as her mother would be quick to reassure her and others to whom she told the story, certainly not unwelcome.

Witches didn't have the technology muggle women did for their pregnancies. If a witch missed a few cycles and felt that she was becoming larger, she'd cast a charm to detect any other life within her. Some witches brewed potions that, after they left your body, would change the color of what left. Both were considered to be accurate, but the potion could be brewed after the first missed cycle (although it was rather complex and could kill the unborn child if brewed incorrectly), and the charm to detect a pregnancy had to wait until after the third missed cycle.

No charm to detect twins, triplets, or any other amount of babies beyond the usual one. There was also no charm or potion that could detect the sex of the baby, which might be a good thing, because some pure blood families preferred to have males first, or only.

After Katie's mother preformed the charm, not trusting her knowledge of Potions to accurately brew it correctly, she knew that she was pregnant with her brother (although she didn't know it was a boy until after he was born). She didn't know about Katie until after she'd delivered Brian.

Katie had heard the story of her birth on numerous occasions. Her mother had been given all the necessary potions to allow for a delivery that would be, while far from painless, certainly a great deal more bearable than without any potions at all. She and Katie's father had gone to St. Mungos, as was customary for a first birth. After being doused with the usual potions to make the birth more bearable and quick, her mum had been able to deliver her brother in under an hour, and was holding him in her arms when she felt the next set of contractions.

She yelled in pain, and one Healer immediately took hold of Brian, while another checked that area.

"You have another baby, ma'am!" the second Healer exclaimed. "Amelia, another dose of potions, please!"

It was a half an hour between the last swallow and the delivery of Katie. Katherine was her full name, but no one ever called her that. The Healers cleaned her up, double checked to make sure there wasn't a third child hiding in her mum's body, and then allowed Mrs. Harper to rest and nurse her twins in peace.

Brian had been born at 3:42 in the afternoon on Monday, April 30th. Katie had been born at 4:25.

Her mum would say that, of the two, Katie had been the more difficult baby, and later, toddler. She'd slept as well as could be expected for someone so young, and eaten just as well, but Katie seemed to have an aversion to clothes. Wizarding robes for babies and toddlers weren't remotely restrictive, mostly just tunics, but it had been Katie's goal to get hers off and keep it off.

"I couldn't figure out what you hated about it," her mum had explained, years later.

Katie, of course, had no memory of such events. By the time she was a small child, robes no longer bothered her, and her mother had long since stopped needing to apply Sticking charms to keep her from taking them off and running around the family home almost naked. All the same, Katie knew that she was unusual in that she preferred to have plenty of space around her. A small room, or people she didn't know well hovering over her, was enough to make her very uncomfortable. Generally, she could explain this to friends and family, and they would find it unusual but deferred to her wishes of remaining a few feet away. Teachers were another matter, as they couldn't be told, but most did learn from experience (or instinct) and would remain rather farther away from Katie than they would from other students.

Yes, even Professor Snape.

Katie was happy enough as a child, and her very hard work ethic-mirrored by her twin brother-had been enough not only to sort them into Hufflepuff, but secure them the best marks of their year. Katie was incredibly studious, and had she attended Hogwarts nearly a decade later, when Hermione Granger became a first year, she might have been able to give the muggle born a run for her money. Katie had the sense not to sign up for five additional lessons in her second year, only two. Brian had signed up for three, and the ones she hadn't signed up for, so if they wanted to, they could study each other's notes.

About a month before her thirteenth birthday, Katie experienced her first cycle. As she'd been prepared beforehand, she was a bit taken aback, but not as scared as some of her roommates had been. She simply used a wad of toilet paper until she could return to her house tower and replace it with the cloths her mum had given her. Then, she took to keeping them with her in her school bag, just in case.

"Well, you're nearly a teenager," her mum reminded her, when she told her about the experience during their Easter holiday. "Before long, we'll set about training your waist." After giving Katie a once over, and then looking at Becky (who was sitting beside her), she added, "You're not ready yet, but you will be before long."

Katie paled. In the back of her mind, throughout her life, she'd known that she'd be expected to wear a corset and train her waist down to-at most-eighteen inches. It was part of being a witch in a pure blood family. Some half bloods wore bras, or only took their waist in by a few inches, but standards were higher if you were a pure blood. Only a very few families went against this tradition, and they were often so traditional (or, in cases, non traditional) in others that it didn't matter. Her own mother's waist had been fourteen inches upon her marriage, but she could "only" lace down to fifteen, and generally only did so for special occasions. Mostly, for everyday wear, she laced to a bit below sixteen inches, and slept at eighteen.

Katie couldn't deny that her mother was beautiful. Even in her thirty's, she looked almost young enough to still be at Hogwarts. Part of this was because of the size of her waist, which was smaller than the mothers of her other classmates.

But Katie didn't think she'd be able to cope when it was her turn. The idea of steel pressing into her frame at all times sounded about as appealing as sleeping on a bed of nails. Besides, were she to sleep on one, she'd be awake during the day, and not subjected to the pain. Waist training would mean having a tight corset pressed on her upper frame during every moment Katie wasn't bathing. She wouldn't even be free to move or breathe freely when she was in bed.

"S-some witches wear bras," she said, meekly.

Katie wasn't exactly afraid of her mother, but she was afraid to refuse outright.

Perhaps her mum knew that her comment must have hurt, because she smiled, gently took Katie into her arms, and promised that they could try that when the time came.

"In the meantime, you don't need to wear anything, and who knows? It could be as much as another year. Just enjoy...er..." Katie's mum faltered. "Try not to worry."

Katie was determined to do just that. She was in no hurry to grow up, and couldn't understand why some of her roommates were. They'd be adults before they knew it, she was sure, and then they'd miss being kids again.

But grow up, Katie did. At least, in that area. It was small at first, and what was likely cause for excitement among the other girls her age filled Katie with denial. No, they weren't growing, and no, they weren't that large. Certainly not large enough to require support, whether from a bra or a corset. As she looked at herself in the showers, she thought she could manage to convince her mum to let her go for at least another year without needing to buy anything.

And after that, perhaps she could convince her that she'd be so small that she wouldn't need anything, ever. Katie remembered that her grandmother had been like that. In spite of a fourteen inch waist, she'd lamented that the "rest of her figure" had been nothing to notice.

Straight as a wand, her grandmother had been in her youth. While her tiny hips had been the envy of her more curvaceous friends, and her fourteen inch waist had been perfectly acceptable within the confines of pure blood society (there were girls who got down to thirteen, even twelve, after all), no one would have said her "upper body" was lovely, or even pretty. She'd been forced to use padding in her corsets, and even that could only go so far.

Little did Grandmother know that Katie was praying for what she considered her greatest flaw.

By the time exam results were posted (Katie received full marks in all of her lessons, with the exception of above 100% in half, as well as Brian) and the end of term feast celebrated a Slytherin victory in securing the House Cup, Katie knew that her mum would be on her as soon as she was home. She tried to enjoy the feast, the last moments with her friends before the summer holidays, and the treats on the train ride home. But she was also counting down the minutes until she saw her mum, and knew that her mum's keen eye would miss nothing. Katie had not, as her muggle born roommate Laura had told her, stayed below what muggles sized developing females.

"Before you develop breasts, if you want to wear a bra, you pick out a training bra. It does nothing except get you used to wearing one, and maybe feeling a bit grown up." Laura had rolled her eyes. "My sister Sarah, the one who's a muggle? Well, she started wearing one when she was eleven. All of her friends were, you see. She claimed that by the time she was an A, she was used to wearing a bra. But you," she added, inspecting Katie's upper frame, "are definitely bigger than an A. You might even be a B."

Katie had sighed. "I'd hoped to take after my grandmother," she'd confessed. "I don't know what muggles would size her as, but I reckon she would have been an A before she had kids."

Laura's eyes had creased in sympathy. Aside from Brian, the muggle born had been her closest friend, and the only person she'd felt comfortable confiding in this way.

"You'll definitely need to wear a bra. Or a corset, if you go that way." She'd wrinkled her nose. "I can't believe your kind still wears them! Doesn't it hurt? Or make it hard to breathe?"

"I have no idea," Katie had answered, honestly.

Sure enough, once Katie had been at home for a day, her mum had told her that it was time.

"You said that I could wear a bra if I liked," Katie reminded her. "And Laura says she and her mum can get me sorted with one."

Her mum frowned, just a bit. "I don't know, honey."

"Please! At least, let me try!" Katie practically begged. "You know how I am with tight spaces. I don't think I could manage wearing a steel cage all day."

In spite of herself, Katie's mum laughed. "Oh, sweetheart, it hardly feels like a steel cage."

"It would for me," she insisted.

Still smiling, Katie's mum drew her into a hug. "All right. Write your friend, and we'll arrange it. If you do find a bra to be comfortable, I won't say another word about corsets."

"Thank you, Mum," Katie answered, relieved--at least to an extent.

After all, she didn't want to wear either.

She wrote to Laura the following day, and received a response almost immediately. Katie felt rather annoyed at her friend's promptness, as it would have been better to have a reason to put off the trip. Instead, less than a week after her summer holidays began, she and Laura and her mother spent the better part of the day at what her friend called, "the shops."

Some of the muggle shops looked quite intriguing, but Laura's mother rushed the two past those, and in the direction of a shop for ladies' "intimates." Katie felt rather embarrassed to be inside. Her mum had charmed her long robes to appear like a muggle blouse and knee-length skirt, and when Katie had seen her reflection in the mirror, she'd wanted to hide at the sight of seeming to wear so few clothes. But this was what muggles wore, and often, far less.

Things went from awkward to worse when the sales lady fitted her and brought out an assortment to choose from. Price wasn't really an issue--her mum had given her twenty galleons, which when transferred to muggle currency, would be plenty. But her mum had also noted that a good corset, back in her day, was less than one galleon.

All of the bras were unbearable. No sooner than they were placed on her bare skin than she had to force herself not to tear them off. Katie ended up purchasing two sports bras, simply because they were the most bearable, but that only put them a shade above outright torture. By the time the day was over, Katie knew that she'd have to at least try a corset, because she'd never be able to stand wearing a sports bra for five minutes, much less an entire day.

"They get more comfortable over time," Laura insisted, as they ate lunch.

"I suppose," Katie answered, trying to smile.

"How did it go?" her mum asked, once Katie was home again.

Katie slumped. "Awful. I don't know if I can manage wearing a bra."

Her mum put an arm around her shoulders. "Shall we look into corsets?"

She swallowed, hard. Then, nodded.

How bad could it be?

The answer was "dreadful" but through no fault of anyone's except herself. The following morning, Katie, Becky, and her mother went to Diagon Alley, even though it was far too early in the summer to purchase school supplies.

"Why are we here so soon?" Becky asked, looking around.

"Madam Malkins has family who sell corsets for women and young ladies," her mum explained, with a smile. "It's to the side of her store, for privacy. Of course," she added, "while we're here, we can get you sorted with your school robes."

Becky, who would be starting at Hogwarts that year, positively beamed.

"Have you been to this woman before?" Katie asked, as they moved to the waiting area.

"Not the current corsetiere, as she's very young. Experienced, of course, as she's worked in the business while growing up. But the entire family is very kind, very friendly and supportive," she explained. "There are many different models of corsets, Katie, and I'm sure she can find something you'll find comfortable."

Katie swallowed hard, hoping this would turn out to be even half true. But as she looked through the fashion magazines, seeing the witches with tiny waists, she couldn't help but think it would be extremely uncomfortable at best.

By the time Madam Barnatte came out, Katie had rather worked herself up almost into a panic. Even though the woman looked perhaps ten to fifteen years older than her, and was smiling kindly, Katie mostly saw her tiny waist, and kept thinking that this would be expected of her. How would she be able to move freely, how would she be able to move, encased in that?

She was crying before she could introduce herself.

"I'm s-s-sorry," she stammered, as Madam Barnatte soothed her and handed her a mug of tea that contained a Calming Draught. "I'm--I'm just so scared. I--"

Fortunately, her mother spoke up. "She never liked clothes as a small child, although Katie's outgrown that, and she likes to have plenty of space around her. I allowed her to try bras, of course, but it didn't go as well as Katie had hoped."

"Of course, I understand," Madam answered, soothingly. "That's hardly unusual, really. Most girls enjoy their corsets once they've adapted to their bodies, as they need to be broken in, first. For others, it's more of a challenge. Today, dear, I will just measure you, and craft a corset that's three inches below your current waist." She turned to Katie's mother. "I don't suppose she'll be needing a sleeping corset?"

Fortunately, she shook her head. "Perhaps later, but certainly not today."

Madam Barnatte nodded. "Yes, certainly. So, for now, just two corsets with measurements three inches below your starting waist. And once I've measured you, Katie, you can decide on the designs. Won't that be nice?"

"Yes ma'am... I mean, Madam," Katie answered.

The corsetiere smiled. "Oh, either is fine, dear. Now, once you've finished your tea, we can get started. Would you like your mother to be there? She might be able to assist with choosing a good model."

"Yes, please," Katie replied, already feeling calmer.

It wasn't so bad, at least the measuring part. Madam Barnatte had to stand close, of course, but she didn't hover over Katie. Also, Katie could tell that she was careful with her measuring, taking each one twice, and didn't poke or prod her. Well, not too much, anyway.

All the same, Katie was relieved to be dressed once more. Madam showed her some fabric samples, then, as well as pattern designs.

"Cotton's my recommendation for beginners," she began, "although some mothers purchase silk or satin for dress corsets. Not something you'll be wearing anytime soon, as they're more restrictive," she added. "Whatever fabric you choose won't feel like much of anything, as you'll wear a chemise against your skin."

Katie nodded. The previous night, her mum had showed her what a chemise looked like, and had her try on one of hers. It had felt lovely against her skin, far softer than her robes. Mrs. Harper had put in an order via owl post that very morning for a dozen that would be Katie's size.

In the end, they chose a simple model, an overbust that only extended to the top of Katie's hips, and to the middle of her breasts. This would allow enough support for them without covering them with fabric. It would also push them up, just a bit, which would give them a larger appearance. Instead of the usual three layers of cotton over the bones, there would be two--the minimal needed to prevent the steel from cutting into her skin, but would add less pressure than traditional ones. As far as the fabric went, Katie went with a daisy print for the first, and roses for the second.

By the time it was finished, Katie felt much better. It didn't hurt, either, that the corsets would take a week to be completed.

"I'll give you a Floo call when they're finished, and we can schedule a time for you to pick them up. If there are any final fittings needed, I can manage them in person," Madam promised. To Katie, she added, kindly, "I'll make them as comfortable as possible, dear."

They thanked her once more, and all that remained was to wait for Becky to be fitted for her school robes.

Katie rather viewed the upcoming week as her last week of freedom. Once the corsets came, she knew that no matter what her mum or Madam promised, they would be bearable at best. More likely, for all of her waking hours, Katie would struggle for a full breath, and feel imprisoned in a steel cage. It might not be as firm of a cage as what other girls wore, but it would be a cage all the same. She even wondered if she should have chosen a pattern that she didn't like. She might grow to detest daisies and roses before the summer holidays were over.

She chose to make the most of her freedom by both moving as much as she could, and getting all of her summer assignments finished. The second was not exactly unusual, as she and Brian often made it a priority to finish their summer homework well before the middle of July. But Katie assumed that she would be unable to concentrate once the majority of her breathing ability was robbed from her, and it was already nearly the beginning of the month. With their schoolwork about halfway complete, she and Brian worked for most of the next three days to finish the rest. With her essays written and the assigned pages read, they were free to review until the booklist came out for the next term.

Or, in Katie's case, for as long as she could do so while still able to breathe with ease.

On occasion, alone in the bathroom, she pinched in the sides of her frame, trying to imagine how she would feel once the corsets arrived. She felt the pinch, of course, but her mother claimed that what she felt was closer to a hug. Katie had her doubts--her mum was thirty, and had been lacing since she had turned twelve. She might have thought it was unbearable at first, but wouldn't say as much to Katie.

Then again, Madam had claimed that most girls enjoyed wearing a corset, once it adapted to their body. Surely, she wouldn't lie.

Well, she was a corsetiere, after all. She might exaggerate.

"It might not be so bad," Becky whispered, later that night. "Mum likes hers, and didn't Madam say that most girls your age do, too?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Katie muttered, rather crossly, from her bed. "Just leave me alone."

Either hurt or taking it literally, Becky left their shared bedroom to (Katie assumed) sleep in one of the spare bedrooms. The two shared a room because they wanted to more than out of necessity--they weren't from a pure blood family with a house elf or who could trace their lineage back to the Middle Ages, but they followed the tradition of a family house that had expanded in size long past generations lived together--and when they got on each other's nerves, another bedroom became theirs for the night, or longer.

Katie knew she had been rather cross, especially since it was hardly Becky's fault that she now had breasts. Becky was also extremely quiet and rather sensitive, so her older sister's rudeness likely hurt. Katie rolled over on her other side. She'd apologize the next day.

Long before Katie would have liked, Madam Floo called to report that the corsets were ready. She was free the entire afternoon, and would they like to come by? Mrs. Harper agreed, and they made plans to come after lunch.

Perhaps, this would be for the best. Katie now knew that her waist measured twenty-three inches, and with two meals in her stomach, perhaps it would be a bit larger.

Becky wanted to come with them, and Katie didn't want to say no, so the three females took a pinch of Floo powder to go to Diagon Alley. Katie tried not to drag her feet, but she felt as though she were headed into Azkaban.

Madam Barnatte greeted them with a smile, and then put an arm around Katie's shoulders.

"It's lovely to see you again, dear," she said, gently. "Are you ready to see your new corsets?"

Katie took a deep breath, then nodded.

"We'll take everything very slowly," she assured Katie, then flicked her wand and two corsets entered the room before landing neatly on the table. "Would you like to hold them, first? Get an idea as to how they will feel against you?"

"All right," Katie managed, then picked up the one with the daisies. The pattern was very pretty, there was no doubt about it. The cotton felt soft against her skin. All the same, she could not ignore that it felt rigid in her hands. She could feel, if not the steel itself, certainly the inflexibility of the back and the busk. At least the sides felt relatively flexible. Not like her robes, but not as severe as the back.

After a few moments, Katie held it against her frame. Yes, it started around the middle of her breasts, and ended by her hips. A rather shorter model, although not as short as an underbust. But she couldn't wear an underbust without a bra, and that seemed like the worst of both options. Finally, hiding a sigh, Katie handed the corset back to Madam.

"I suppose I ought to try it on," she said, reluctantly.

"The new chemises arrived this morning," Mrs. Harper interjected, with a smile, "and I brought one over."

"Good, very good. Thank you, Mrs. Harper," Madam Barnette praised, with a smile. "Katie, dear, if you and your mother and sister will follow me..."

They walked to the same area where Katie had been measured a week ago. A mirror stood in front of her. Katie saw her reflection, a pretty but scared looking girl, wearing blue robes that did not quite hide her developing breasts. She hid a sigh when she saw this. Perhaps, they had even grown since her measurements had been taken.

She pulled off her robes and accepted the chemise her mother gave her. Once it was on, Katie could feel herself relax a bit. The smooth fabric felt like her bed sheets or her nightgowns--unbelievably soft against her skin. The gown was loose and had a full skirt from just below the waist, full enough to puff out in a circle if Katie gave it a twirl. She briefly wondered why she'd hated wearing clothes as a baby and toddler. Robes were not restrictive in the least, and children's robes were nearly as soft as her chemise.

"All in order?" Madam looked around, no doubt checking to make sure all of the folds hung neatly. "Good. Now, I'm going to put the corset around your waist, and before we lace you in, I'll fasten the busk. You see, over here?" At Katie's nod, she added, "You'll need to make sure they're all fastened properly before you or your mum or one of your roommates pulls the laces in. Otherwise, it will be terribly uncomfortable. Some women do leave the top clasp or two unfastened, but I discourage this, as it means it's not a proper fit. The way you're growing, you might need extra room up there, but it's nothing to worry about now. Very well. Are you ready for the first part?"

The first part, as Madam called it, was not exactly comfortable, but it was far from dreadful. Once the busk was secure, and Madam adjusted Katie's chemise to give her extra room, she asked how it felt.

Katie considered, looking in the mirror. She knew the corset wasn't laced up by the feel, but she guessed that with it just resting on her, she looked at least a few inches larger. Some girls might feel proud, or pretty, in their first adult garment. Katie was just glad that while she could feel the metal on both sides, she could still breathe freely, and she wasn't terribly uncomfortable.

"I suppose it's all right, so far anyway," she answered, truthfully. "But I'm rather dreading the next part."

Madam put a hand on her shoulders. "I'll just take you in two inches, nothing to worry about. Some girls beg their mothers to let them lace tighter, but two inches is best for a beginner. And if you think it's a bit too snug, I can loosen you up a bit." At Katie's nod, she asked, "Shall I begin? Good, now stand up as straight as you can, and take a nice, deep breath. Don't let it out until I give the say so."

Katie rather thought that she was about to jump into a body of water as she did what the lady beckoned. Looking into the mirror, she saw the concerned faces of her mum and sister.

Then, she felt the pulling.

It was so unexpected that she nearly let out her breath, but managed not to. She could see Madam working slowly, and the laces coming out further and further from her sides. She knew the corsetiere was trying to be gentle, yet as fabric and metal of the corset pressed into her, forcing her even more upright, and her waist kept creeping inwards, Katie felt her ability to move freely diminish, and wondered if she would have any breath left afterwards.

Finally, Madam stopped pulling, and as though from far away, Katie heard her say that she could release her breath.

Katie obliged, but when she tried to take another deep breath, she felt the pressure preventing her. Another attempt, but it was even harder.

Then, Madam came around in front of her, hands on her shoulders.

"Like this, see? Watch me, dear."

Katie tried to mirror her, but with each attempt, it became more difficult. The corset was strangling her, and even the sides felt like they were crushing her. She placed her hands to the busk, determined to free herself, at least a bit.

"Please... I...can't...breathe...please!" she begged, fighting to get out each word.

Mrs. Harper stood, her face showing her concern. "Madam--"

"Not to worry, just a minute. You'll be able to breathe freely in just a moment, dear," she soothed, and Katie felt her untying the laces.

Madam murmured comforting words as she loosened the laces, then undid the busk. Once the corset was off, Katie gasped and gasped for air.

"I couldn't breathe," she managed, and felt the tears come. "It was awful!"

A moment later, and she was still sobbing, but at least the corset was off her. Madam had Katie sit beside her mother on a plush couch. While Mrs. Harper ran a hand along Katie's back in a soothing fashion, Madam waited, then handed her a mug of tea.

Probably has another Calming Draught, she thought, but sipped at it gratefully.

After somewhere between a quarter hour and a half hour, Madam hesitantly suggested that they try again.

"Just an inch this time," she assured them, but Katie in particular. "Her frame is small, and two inches can feel like far more in these cases. An inch might be sufficient for today, and even for the next week or to."

"Of course," Mrs. Harper agreed. "I don't want Katie to feel any pain."

It hadn't been pain, exactly. Just the overwhelming inability to breathe. Was it truly because she was small, or was the corsetiere just being kind?

In any event, surely a mere one inch reduction would be far easier than two.

It was--but barely. Katie still felt herself struggling to breathe. She tried to persevere, but as her face reddened in panic, Madam Barnatte mercifully unlaced her once more.

"Now what?" Katie moaned, sitting miserably in a chair, her mum's arm around her shoulders once again. "I can't even manage a measly inch reduction!"

"You'll have no reduction, then, while you adjust. Remember that your corset is still new, and stiff. If you can manage to wear it for a few hours a day, you'll soon find it to mold to your body. That alone will make it easier. Then, you will have to wear it a bit longer, making your way up to a full day. Once it begins to feel loose, you or your mother can lace it a bit tighter. Perhaps a half and inch. Your journey will be a more difficult one than most girls, I'm afraid, and you may never get to eighteen inches. But you will find it more comfortable, over time," Madam promised.

Wearing it home will no reduction still felt stiff and uncomfortable, but at least Katie didn't struggle to breathe deeply. She was always aware of the corset, though, especially the pressure on her back and front, forcing her upright. She managed until dinner, and then, mercifully, her mum released her. Katie slouched, savoring being able to do so.

Mrs. Harper opened her mouth, and Katie expected to be reprimanded, but her mum simply said, "I'm sorry this is so difficult for you, honey."

Then, she pulled Katie into a long hug.

That night, Katie felt incredibly stiff and tired by the end of the meal. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to eat in a corset. That, at least, was still a bit far off. Her mum had promised that she could limit her hours to from after lunch until before dinner as long as she was still breaking in her corsets. Since Katie had two, it would likely be a week until they didn't feel so stiff against her body.

"How are you feeling, Katie?" Mrs. Harper asked, once the meal was offer.

"Terribly stiff and tired," Katie answered, honestly. "Can I go to bed early?"

"Of course. You don't need to ask for permission for that." She studied Katie. "I'll draw you up a nice, hot bath, and we'll see if that doesn't help with the stiffness."

A quarter hour later, Katie lay in the hot, soapy water, her eyes closed. It had been one of the worst days ever, she knew, but this wasn't such a terrible ending. She shampooed and conditioned her hair, then rinsed thoroughly before drying off and putting on her nightgown. When Katie began to come through her hair, she saw her mum had come into the room.

"May I?" she asked, quietly.

Katie nodded, and her mum began to ease the comb through her waist length tresses, over and over until Katie felt herself relax. Once it was finished, her mother led her to her bed, and had her lay on her stomach so she could rub her back.

"The stiffness will go away," she promised, "and before long, you'll feel at ease. It just takes some girls longer than others. You've always been so quick and hardworking. I know you'll adjust to corsets soon."

"I hope so," Katie murmured, half asleep.

Moments later, she felt herself being tucked in, repositioned so she was on her side, and then a kiss being placed on her forehead. Before the door closed, Katie was fast asleep.

The rest of the summer holidays were marked by slow progress, far slower than her friends were making. After a week, Katie could wear the corset with no reduction, but without feeling dreadfully stiff afterwards. (Every night that first week, her mother rubbed her back for at least ten minutes.) By the end of July, Katie could wear the corset at a 1/4 inch reduction. By the time she returned to school, she had a half inch off her waist.

It was never comfortable, only bearable. Every morning, Katie looked at her corset the way someone might view a harmless snake or a spider, knowing it would not kill her, but wishing it gone all the same. There were two pieces of good news, relatively speaking. Katie mastered self lacing within a day. Also, her waist seemed to diminish more quickly as time passed.

By the beginning of the summer before her OWL year, she even achieved nineteen inches. Perhaps especially because it had been so difficult, Katie was far more pleased with this achievement than she would have thought she would be.

Then, just before Becky was due to be fitted for her first set of corsets, Katie and her mother received a letter from Madam Barnatte which changed everything.

Dear Mrs. and Katie Harper,

If you are agreeable, I would like to schedule a visit to share some information that may help Katie. Please contact me by return owl or Floo call. If you prefer Floo, I can be reached between the hours of 12 and 4 next week.

Sincerely,

Madam Barnatte

Katie and her mother exchanged confused looks as they finished the letter.

"What information could she have, I wonder?" Mrs. Harper murmured. "Well, shall we call today?"

Katie nodded. "If she wants us to visit, perhaps it can be when Becky gets fitted."

The news was very, very good. A convention of corsetieres, mostly muggles, met every year to share ideas. Generally, the topic was how to make waist training as comfortable as possible, with the understanding that girls' bodies came in all sizes, and the days of a single body shape were long past. Eighteen inches or below (for witches, not muggles) was still the goal, but hips and breasts could be any size without needing "improvement" with extra boning that was extremely painful.

Increasingly, though, these corsetieres were seeing girls and women who suffered from what Katie did. Any form was compression felt extremely uncomfortable, and the usual method of "treatment" was what Madam Barnatte, and the other corsetieres, had recommended to Katie.

However, new corsets were being developed to make waist training even more comfortable. Instead of two rods of thick steel inserted in the front and back, they were spaced out throughout the body of the corset, evening the pressure and even allowing for less use of steel. The girls and women who had volunteered found it a dramatic improvement, and Madam Barnette believed it could help Katie.

"I'll make the first pair at no cost," she promised, "and if you prefer it, then the second set will be the same as your other corsets."

This pleased Mrs. Harper, and Katie saw no reason to give it a try.

It was the first time Katie looked forward to a new corset. While she still considered hers to be bearable, everyone else in her year enjoyed wearing them. Loved it, even. Katie had resigned herself to neither reaching eighteen inches (although nineteen was smaller than either she or her mother ever expected she would reach), or finding waist training remotely comfortable.

When they arrived, she could feel the difference immediately. Yes, there was the initial stillness, but when Madam laced her down to nineteen, it felt more than bearable. Not comfortable, not yet, but aside from the stiffness of a new corset, she realized she had no complaints.

It was easier to break in for this reason. Katie only wore it during the day, because even a potentially comfortable corset would feel like a prison were she to sleep in one. All the same, by the third day, Katie discovered that not only could she lace down to eighteen and three quarters, she felt...comfortable.

So, this is what the hug people talk about feels like, she thought, studying herself in the mirror. Yes, there was pressure around her frame, but it was a pleasant kind. Her corset held her upright, yes, but more in a supportive way than by pushing her waist in and forcing the steel frame against her back and front. The steel was still there...in a comfortable way.

It was, simply put, like being wrapped in a warm hug.

Katie smiled. She looked at herself in the mirror, and a confident, happy, and beautiful young girl smiled back.

Maybe eighteen inches isn't entirely out of the question, she thought.

Then, standing straight and rather proud, she finished dressing and headed downstairs to eat breakfast.

Author's note:

Katie first made an appearance in the chapter where Dora and her friends go to the dance, and Becky tells her story the chapter before. While her "condition" is very real, I don't know if the solution I described exists. That is, while custom corsets are very much a real thing, and I suspect that you COULD spare out the steel, I have never heard of this being used as a means to divvy up the pressure. But this is fiction, and it's also a story with magic, so I am making that a solution for Katie and other unnamed girls.

From my personal experience, it was difficult to write Katie's initial lacing scenes with any accuracy. When I finally figured out how to get my corset to tighten, I felt the hug that people talk about. The idea of even an inch feeling too tight is beyond me, so I had to use my imagination. As such, I have no idea if people who struggle initially eventually find corsets bearable, or if they do get to a point where they enjoy wearing them for the sake of wearing them--as opposed to liking how their body looks. I have read various real life accounts of people who have either worn corsets off and on, or taken the plunge and worn them almost 24/7, and they generally like them from the start. So not only was Katie's experience pretty much the opposite of mine, it was the opposite of anything I ever read.

With that in mind, I wanted to show a balance between her and the other characters who generally like them from the start. Yes, even Andromeda, who only struggled after her mom had Bellatrix take her in four inches, and sleep at three. Too much for the first day for most people!

Any variances between this chapter and how Becky told it are due to the fact that two different people are telling their version of the story. Not that either is a liar or unreliable narrator, simply that they are both girls telling a story from their own perspective.

Finally. Feedback of the constructive sort, as well as ideas for future chapters and characters, would be most appreciated. Even a comment that you are enjoying this would make my day!