MEMENTO MORI | DRACO MALFOY

TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE

The dreaded day arrived. Not only did Ophelia despise Christmas, for obvious lack of family warmth reasons, she now had to pair her hatred of the holiday with the Yule Ball. She understood why the other girls were so excited; gowns, elegant hairstyles, getting to wear extravagant makeup that would just be too much for everyday classes. She got it, but she didn't share the same feelings. These elements that made the girls so excited were the same ones that made Ophelia want to vomit. The only thing making it even remotely bearable was that she'd be spending the evening with Cassius. She knew he'd look good in dress robes.

     The girls started getting ready almost too early after lunch on Christmas Day, and instead of joining them, Ophelia lay in bed on top of her covers all while staring up at the elegant, satin green gown hanging from her four-poster to avoid wrinkles. She ignored their chatter for the most part, she was too busy manifesting the will to roll out of bed and join them. Soon, she promised herself.

     "Did Draco get you anything for Christmas?" She heard Millicent ask Pansy loudly.

     There was a brief pause before Pansy's shrill voice responded. "No, I expect he wanted to wait until tonight to give it to me. In person is so much better than under the tree."

     Ophelia rolled her eyes. Draco didn't get Pansy a damn thing, unless perhaps he had the brain to buy her a corsage for the evening, but that would be it.

     "Do you think he'll kiss you tonight?" Millicent continued, a hint of excitement in her tone.

     "He'd better, I'm spending hours perfecting my look. If he doesn't drop unconscious at the mere sight of me, I expect he'll snog me by midnight."

     Ophelia chomped down on her cheek, biting back the urge to call Pansy delusional, and rolled out of bed with an amused grin across her lips.

     "Oh, look. She's alive!"

     "Oh shut it." Ophelia muttered, joining Daphne to look at herself in the bathroom mirror. She poked at her skin. It looked duller than usual, a paleness that only came with the dread that accompanied her. Not to mention the dark circles rounding her lower lash line. She had some work to do.

     By the time Ophelia was ready, the other girls were just finishing up. She glanced confidently at herself in the mirror, checking her floor length gown for any imperfections and wrinkles. Green suited her, she thought. Her dark hair was pin straight down her back, and she added some earrings and a dainty bracelet that Draco had given her in their second year. It was her favourite, but she had stopped wearing it when he decided to stop speaking to her, and even though they were getting on fine now, she never put it back on. However, it matched her gown perfectly.

     "Wow, O." Daphne gushed, joining her to look at her blush pink dress in the mirror. "We look hot."

     Ophelia chuckled, smoothing out her dress some more. "Let's just get this over with, yeah?"

     Daphne sighed and nodded. When no one she was interested in had asked her to the ball, Ophelia knew Blaise had been turned down by Fleur Delacour, so she worked her magic and convinced Blaise to take Daphne. Daphne wasn't unhappy with her pairing, but was disappointed she wasn't going with Blaise because he wanted to go with her, but because he had no one else either.