She rinses her mouth, applies her lipstick and grins at her reflection again. Much better.
After she has put on rouge extensively across her cheeks, Daphne looks up from the mirror. "So, what do you think?"
"Now you look like Lavender," Millicent says, taking cover from the makeup brush Daphne throws at her.
As every Friday, the girls hold their wellness evening in the dormitory to reward themselves after a busy week of school. They apply face masks, use hair treatments and test the latest makeup products Tessy sends them (along with the liqueur chocolates, from which they end up lying on their beds and laughing about the silliest things). But today, one of them doesn't seem to be in the mood for it.
"Huh? Is this the character or heart number's chart?" Tracey murmurs, hastily flipping back and forth in her Arithmancy book.
"Poor Tracey," Pansy sighs while painting her toenails blue. "If only you had chosen Divination, you wouldn't be so stressed right now."
"I'm not stressed!"
"You already have ink stains on your nose from staring at that book."
"Well, Arithmancy requires more than just swirling teacups."
"You'd just be afraid to see your future. Not everyone can handle that."
"Why would I? Trelawney's waffle can't be taken seriously anyway. She clearly has smoked too much of her tea leaves!"
Instead of answering, Pansy puts a chocolate in her mouth. Tracey has a point, Professor Trelawney lives in her own world. She always seems to float around, is hung with colourful jewellery and scarves, and, regarding her hairstyle, strongly competes with Hermione. She also likes to ramble on about her inner eye (which can't be very sharp-sided considering her huge glasses), or the planetary positions, which, in her interpretation, always mean the same thing: death and destruction for humanity. She's the quirkiest person Pansy has ever met (and that's saying something, as she has a great-aunt, who talks to her handbag named Abigail and constantly asks for her advice).
Millicent giggles. "I love Divination! Last week, a horseshoe appeared at the base of my mug, so I'll be lucky. And today it was definitely a diamond. Trelawney says, someone will give me an expensive gift soon. Pretty cool, huh?"
Pansy smiles at her. "Technically, that was my mug."
"You just say that because you had a bat, which represents disappointment."
"Believe me, I swapped our mugs when you were looking for your book."
"Wait," Millicent says suspiciously. "There was a piece broken out, that's why you planted it on me, right?"
"Rubbish. I only did it because your mug was gold-coloured, and mine was green. And I know green is your favourite colour."
"My favourite colour is pink."
"If you say so ... hey, did you know that Trelawney predicted Harry Potter's death? Padma told me."
"Oh, no," Daphne whispers, biting off from her chocolate.
Tracey waves aside. "Allegedly, she lets one of her students die every year."
"Whatever." Millicent smears seaweed paste on her face. "We have to tell Draco first thing in the morning, it will cheer him up."
"Is he still mad about the Boggart?"
"Oh, he shouldn't make such a fuss," says Pansy. "So his father had something to do with this Death Eater stuff, so what, it was ages ago."
Daphne nods. "Daddy said, Mr Malfoy was one of the first to be acquitted."
"Exactly, and everyone knows someone who was on trial back then. Like it's such a big deal."
"Besides, they're all just talking about what happened to Neville," Tracey points out.
Pansy laughs shrilly. "You mean that his Boggart took the form of Snape wearing his grandma's clothes?"
"You can feel sorry for Neville sometimes," says Daphne.
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, he reminds me of that boy in Astoria's class."
"The one she beat up the other day?" Millicent asks.
Tracey lowers her book. "Your little sister did what?"
"I know." Daphne rolls her eyes. "Tori's just unbearable. The poor guy came to her with Liquorice Wands and a bouquet of daisies and asked if she wanted to be his girlfriend. And what did she do? Punch him! And told him, if he wanted to keep playing Gobstones and collecting snails with her, he should stop grossing her out with that drivel. Then she called him a flower murderer and insisted that he put the flowers back on their stems. But at least she accepted the Liquorice Wands, as a token of his apology, of course."
"Ha ha, I bet she made him cry," says Pansy, reaching for the next chocolate, while Tracey returns to her book, shaking her head. "First-years these days."
Millicent shrugs. "She has just the right attitude, if you ask me. My mother always says, I should not even start this nonsense about falling in love. It's unhealthy."
"At least you don't have to follow Daphne's example and develop a crush on someone new every five minutes," says Tracey.
"I am not doing that!"
"You're not? And what about John Bletchley, Cassius Warrington, Anthony Goldstein, the Weird Sisters' bass player - oh, and let's not forget the paperboy from King's Cross station."
"Wait! I just said they were cute, nothing more."
"Uh oh, we don't want Gilderoy to get jealous." Millicent grins, until a pillow hits her head. "Hey, stop throwing things at me!"
"Fall in love with whoever you want, except for Roger, he's mine," Pansy explains cheerfully. Padma found out that Roger likes to flirt, but doesn't actually have a girlfriend.
"Although he's really cute, too," Daphne says with a wink, but Tracey curls her lips. "I don't know, that guy is kind of ... smarmy."
Pansy glares at her.
"Don't listen to her, you'd make a great couple," says Daphne and turns to Tracey. "So tell us, who do you like?"
"No one. And if I did, I wouldn't say."
"You're a bore!" Daphne shouts, throwing another pillow in Tracey's direction. But she raises her hand in defence, so Lady, the cat, gets hit and jumps up with a puffed-up tail.
"I need to use the little witches' room," Pansy says over the laughter, heading for the bathroom.
There she closes the door, leans on the basin and looks at herself in the mirror, forcing her mouth into a smile. Quite okay. She grins, showing her teeth. Looks weird. Kind of grotesque.
She remembers her mother's words. "Oh, darling, of course I think you're pretty. But please pay attention to what you're eating. You look quite … feminine for your age."
How many chocolates did she have? Five? Six?
Too many.
She turns on the tap, opens one of the cabins and kneels in front of the toilet bowl. Carefully, she slides her middle and index finger into her mouth and down her throat, so she has to gag. And finally she throws up, until colourful spots are dancing in front of her eyes. Everything comes out: the chocolates, the pudding rice from dinner, the salad from lunch, the croissant from breakfast. And even though it hurts, and is disgusting and embarrassing, she suddenly feels better.
Pansy sits up, flushes the toilet, and, while washing her hands, thanks Merlin that her face doesn't look puffy. Only her eyes are a bit watery. She rinses her mouth, applies her lipstick and grins at her reflection again.
Much better.
Back in the dorm, no one notices Pansy sitting on her hands to hide their shaking.
"Hey, beaver!" Pansy calls out to Hermione, who walks past her table with Ronald Weasley, "how's everything going at the dam?"
Daphne, Millicent, Tracey, Padma and Lisa start laughing, while Weasley shoots them a dirty look.
They sit outside the Brews and Stews Café, watching the other students who are allowed to visit Hogsmeade for the first time today, on Halloween. So it's no surprise that the picturesque village with its few shops is completely overcrowded. It's less than half the size, but much more charming and cleaner than Diagon Alley in London, where you can barely avoid stepping in owl droppings.
Before Pansy came to Hogwarts, she and her father spent many afternoons here trying out the latest joke items at Zonko's, and filling their stomachs with marzipan cakes at Madam Puddifoot's.
And today, while most students crowded into Honeydukes, Pansy and her friends started with getting a fresh haircut. Afterwards, they fooled around at McHavelock's Wizarding Headgear (Daphne bought a hat that resembled a turned-up tulip), and then shopped at Gladrags Wizardwear at a special discount, because they carry Gemma Parkinson's label Spellbound Couture. Then Padma and Lisa wanted to have a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, but Pansy advised them not to, because of the high fat content. So now they enjoy the low-calorie option surrounded by fresh air and the autumn sunlight.
Just as they're making fun about Susan Bones' ugly horse sweater, Pansy gets aware of Roger Davies and Bryce Turpin walking down the main street.
"Oh no, how do I look?" she hisses, seriously considering to hide under the small, rickety coffee table.
"Stay cool," Tracey whispers.
"Hey," Bryce says as they walk by, gesturing at his little sister's shopping bags. "Does Dad have any idea you're blowing three months' worth of pocket money at once?"
"No," Lisa replies spitefully. "Just as he doesn't know about the detention you got because they caught you and Amy in the broom closet."
Millicent splutters her white coffee back into the cup, and Pansy can't help but giggle. Roger studies her with his brown eyes, and she feels herself blush. Super embarrassing!
"Come on," Bryce murmurs.
Roger gives Pansy a mischievous smile. "You're pretty when you laugh. See you," he says before they move on.
Pansy holds her breath. As soon as they're out of earshot, she lets out a high-pitched squeak and throws her arms around Padma. "Can you believe this? Roger Davies thinks I'm pretty! Tell me how much you envy me, come on!"
Daphne and Millicent clap delighted, but Lisa pulls a face. "You don't want to hear that, but anyone who's friends with my brother must be an idiot."
But Pansy ignores her. She feels like she's floating and indulges in a Roger daydream, in which he spins her around and kisses her in front of the whole school.
*.*.*.*
There are situations where Draco secretly curses his parents. For example, when they're waiting on the platform in front of his compartment window, until the Hogwarts Express finally leaves. Or when his mother insists on holding his hand in family photos. Or like now, when, next to his breakfast sandwich, the eagle owl Perseus drops a large bundle of envelopes containing invitations to the New Year's ball at the Malfoy mansion.
Draco now has to distribute them at the Slytherin table, even though no one has asked him for his opinion. Otherwise, neither the cackling chicks from his class, nor the entire Quidditch team would show up at his house. But they will, so he'll have to memorise even more names from the miserably long guest list.
Shortly afterwards, all students rush outside towards the Quidditch pitch, right through a downpour. But even after taking their seats in the spectator stands while huddling together under their umbrellas, they keep bombarding Draco with questions.
"Do we have to dance?"
"Can I come without my parents?"
"Can my parents come without me?"
"What does cravate blanche actually mean?"
"Are Hufflepuffs invited, too?"
Irritated, Draco looks at Tracey. "My parents are giving a ball, not a freak show."
Daphne grins. "Tracey likes Cedric Diggory, you know."
"I don't, I just like looking at him," Tracey replies, her eyes wandering over the field, where the Hufflepuff Seeker Diggory is searching for the Snitch just as intently as Harry Potter. Because of the storm, both have difficulty keeping their brooms on track, but unlike the lanky Potter, Diggory's athletic figure comes in handy here.
When lightning illuminates the sky, Oliver Wood, the Gryffindors' captain, asks Madam Hooch for a timeout.
"Such a shame your arm's still giving you trouble, innit, Malfoy?" Crabbe chuckles.
A wry smile crosses Draco's face. Gryffindor was supposed to play against Slytherin today, but Marcus Flint had managed to postpone the Slytherin matches due to Draco's serious injury (just as long as the bad autumn weather continues and they have studied the other teams' tactics).
Even in the grey, rainy mass of students, Flint and his beaming grin cannot be missed. And Snape, on the teacher's tribune, looks pretty happy as well. He had fully supported Flint's plan, although last week, when the students had to spend the night in sleeping bags in the Great Hall, he rejected Draco's request to sleep in the hospital wing. So Draco was racked with back pain the next morning, and everyone else had to suffer from Potter's special status again, just because Sirius Black had broken into the castle.
He sighs heavily. "You know what I'll miss most when my arm gets better? Being served by Potty and his Weasel in Potions class."
"Anything new about the Hippogriff thing?" Ted asks.
"Like I said, Father complained to the Board of Governors and the Ministry. Hagrid can hang up his job, and as for the bird, well ... it'll soon be nothing but chicken ragout."
Before anyone can laugh, students can be heard screaming from all sides. Down on the grass, hundreds of Dementors have appeared out of nowhere. A shiver runs down Draco's spine.
"What are they up to?" Daphne asks uneasily.
"Keep Sirius Black away from us," Blaise replies.
"Black is only after Potter," Draco interjects. "He's also my mother's cousin. The day he becomes dangerous to us, the giant squid climbs out of the lake and mates with Dumbledore."
"There's a giant Squib living in the lake?" Goyle asks horrified, but Pansy cuts him off, pointing at Harry Potter, who is being chased - and finally caught up - by one of the Dementors. "Look! It's going to suck him dry!"
Seconds later, Potter seems to lose consciousness, as he slips off his broom and falls free towards the ground. The girls scream, covering their eyes, while the Nimbus gets blown across the pitch and ends up in the Whomping Willow, which promptly smashes it to smithereens.
Impossible to survive this height, Draco figures. He averts his eyes, but at the very last moment, Dumbledore prevents Potter's collision with a levitation spell. Then he chases away the Dementors with the same dazzling light that Lupin had summoned on the Hogwarts Express before.
The relieved crowd applauds the Headmaster, while Ted explains something about a Patronus Charm.
And Draco is actually quite happy that his archenemy survived. So he's going to find out that he has not only lost the game against Hufflepuff, but also his beloved broom.