"I write her a letter
just a few short lines,
and suffer death
a thousand times."
Asteria O'Connor, sole heir of a prestigious wizarding family,
has other plans when the self-proclaimed Marauders decide to
torment her and her housemates.
It's abo...
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aster
"Be ready to greet the guests in ten minutes, Asteria," my father instructs coldly. He looks at my eyes in the mirror and then turns to Regulus who sits on the swivel chair behind my desk. Only moments ago he was seeing how many spins he could do without setting his feet on the floor to push off again. "Regulus, your parents tell me of your Quidditch victory against Ravenclaw. Good man."
"Thank you, sir. I really do have to give the credit to our Capt—"
Pierce shuts the door behind him before the youngest Black can finish his sentence. I scoff and continue applying some light mascara, with slightly harsher strokes now.
"He's unbelievable," I mutter, shoving the stick into it's container rather forcefully.
Regulus gets up from his chair and stands behind me, placing his hands on my upper arms and resting his chin on my shoulder, looking at me through hooded eyes.
"You're beautiful," he compliments.
If he knew what was under the Illusion Spell that I cast on myself every morning then he definitely wouldn't be saying the same.
I turn to face him. "It's impossible for me to not look beautiful, Reggie."
"That's what you think," he mutters. I mock gasp and swing at him with my hand. He ducks quickly and manages to escape my wrath. "Just saying that you look especially nice tonight."
"Well, your mother sure does know how to pick a dress."
I face the mirror once more and admire the fabrics and colours with a sigh. Walburga Black was certain to buy it for me the second she saw it on the rack. The strapless garment has a corset-like bodice and a layered skirt that goes down past my toes. From far away you would think that it is a simple purple colour, but in the right light, it shimmers like a thousand suns. Each layer of the material is in fact a different shade, ranging from lilac to boysenberry. No designs clutter the dress, making it appear elegant and breathtaking.
My hair is pulled back away from my face in a bun to show off my bone structure and give a mature look. I was informed to look like this because I'm now an 'engaged woman'. I can't be looking like I'm up for grabs. One of my mother's necklaces is fastened around my neck. The chain is delicate and thin with a small sea shell resting between my collarbones.
"Would you mind doing up the back?" I ask, swaying slightly to see the dress change appearance.
Regulus begins to tighten the structure as the back, the ribbon flowing gently through his fingers. He's done this for me almost every ball and is well used to the actions by now. The first time you'd think I asked him to recite me the entire Hogwarts school song in Russian. He fumbled and messed up so much that he had to restart several times.
