𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑾𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒚

chapter sixteen - the yule ball

MARNIE STOOD IN front of the large mirror that sat beside Clem's bed as she stared at herself. Her hair was curled loosely, falling to her waist and her face was painted neatly with makeup she'd never touched before. The black, strapless satin dress she wore which touched the dormitory room floor contrasted yet complimented her piercing green eyes, however, the heels she had slipped on had already begun hurting her feet.

The feeling of her stomach turning once again reappeared as she quickly darted towards the bathroom, throwing up for the third time that day. Despite her appearance on the outside, Marnie felt dreadfully sick.

    "Maybe you shouldn't go." Clem sighed softly as she rubbed the girl's back, helping her clean up.

    "No." Marnie coughed, standing up from where she knelt beside the toilet, "I can't let George go alone, that wouldn't be fair."

Clem sighed, placing her hands on either side of Marnie's arms as she turned the girl to face her.

    "You're sick Marns." The blonde, sending her a pointed look, said.

    "Never too sick for a party." Marnie winked before her face contorted, scrunching up in pain due to her headache. "When's Nott meeting you anyway, we should get going soon."

    Shaking her head at her friend's stubbornness, the blonde headed out of the bathroom, "He said he'll meet me there, Theodore supposedly wants to check out the 'punch'."

Clem rolled her eyes, patting her Scarlett red gown down before reaching for her earrings.

    Biting her lip, the blonde turned towards Marnie who had retreated from the bathroom, "What about George?"

Marnie smiled sadly at the girl.

    "We agreed to meet in the corridor leading towards the stairs, and something tells me he'll be a bit preoccupied goggling at a certain Clementine Yaxley." She giggled, winking at Clem whose cheeks had turned a slightly pink colour.

    "You know, it's not too late to go with him, I won't mind." Marnie nudged her, with a smirk upon her lips.

Clem shook her head slowly, her eyes finding the floor.

    "Theo wouldn't like that." She mumbled sadly as Marnie nodded her head, understanding her conflict.

Marnie wasn't a fan of the Nott boy. Once upon a time he was all Clem would talk about, he seemed to make her happy which made the raven-haired girl temporarily change her opinion of him. However, in the last few months, Nott seemed to be the core of Clem's distress. They weren't together say, they were what Clem described as 'complicated'. Nonetheless, she cared for the boy, and Marnie had begun to believe that was her biggest downfall.

"I still don't understand why Fred didn't ask you." Clem chimed, perching on the edge of her bed.

Marnie choked on her own breath, whipping her head around to face the girl.

"Fred? Fred Weasley? Why on earth would he ask me." She asked wide-eyed, she didn't think their friendship was that obvious.

"Do you take me as stupid Marns?" Clem scoffed, receiving a raised brow from the girl, "I see the way you are with one another. I hate to say it but I guess you could call it 'cute'"

Marnie's stomach fluttered slightly, and it wasn't the nasty type of flutter she had become accustomed to that day. Awkwardly chuckling, Marnie began slowly walking around the dorm, fidgeting with everything in sight.

    "Me and Fred Weasley are just friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

    Clem rolled her eyes before dragging the girl out of her fidgeting trance and pulling her in front of the mirror.