Tainted

Chapter 12 - Being a Girl has Never Been so Much Fun

This morning I awoke with a new feeling inside me. I awoke with excitement. Remus and I did a little planning in the weekend before he went to have his little bonding session with Harry. I’ve always been a bit of a tease but never quite as openly as this. It was usually behind closed doors so this was new territory for me, but it was territory I was fully capable of conquering.

Today I ditched my usual cloak and opted for a black, off the shoulders kind of dress. It had a tight corset type of bodice that accentuated my tiny waist and reached the floor. It was a fairly simple design with red string to tie it up at the back and red swirl designs on the A – line skirt that flared.

I summon my make up and walk over to my full length mirror, my bare feet exposed to the cold floorboards. I don’t usually put make up on but what the hell? Why not?

I put some mascara on making my eyelashes longer and curl, exposing my brown eyes. This was going to be a little tricky. I want to make the most out of them but at the same time it’s got to look appropriate. This isn’t a special occasion, it’s just another school day so I have to tone it down. Rose pink would look pretty good. I start to apply pink eye shadow in the corner of my eyelid and spread it over, making sure to fade it out.

I took a step back and nodded in approval. It looks good – just enough to say I’m putting in a little effort but not enough to make it look unnatural. I didn’t use the mascara that adds volume to my eyelashes because that would have been too much so it literally looks like I’ve only curled it. Next on my list were my lips. I opted to go completely natural and just use some scented lip balm opposed to just regular lip balm. This was so that it would look natural but if he got close…then…well, a girl can hope, right? I went with a mango lip butter which smelt and tasted amazing.

Smiling at my reflection, I did a little twirl and watched as my dress flew out and a little bit up. Pleased with how I look, I grabbed the hooded cape I had laid out on my bed. I would have worn my cloak but I didn’t want to hide my dress. The cape settled on my shoulders and was secured by a button just under my neck. It flowed to the ground and clung to my body but, unlike my cloak this was enchanted and was surprisingly not black. Instead it was a brilliant, snow white that allowed me to breathe underwater as long as I activate it with the incantation first.

My hair was in soft curls that cascaded down to about an inch above the middle of my back. I pulled my hair into a half up do. The front pieces of my hair was pulled back to the centre and secured with red flower pins. I felt for a loose curl and pulled it out so it could hang in front of me. Summoning one of my only pairs of heels, I sat down on my bed and slipped on simple, black stilettos.

I let out a sigh, I could feel the doubt settling in. Honestly, is it even worth it? Remus had reasoned that if he really couldn’t care less, he wouldn’t look. I, on the other hand had argued that he just like any man so yes, he would look but since he is Severus Snape, if he cared he would try even harder not to look. Sufficed to say, we had agreed to disagree.

What happened? I was so confident just a minute ago and completely ready to take on the world. Where is that Allyce? The one that seemed fearless and untouchable. The girl who was supposed to be the one they all envied, just for one day. She’s still here somewhere, I decided. Still right here, somewhere. I stood up and walked into the corridors, making my way to breakfast and hoping that I would regain that confidence soon.

“Professor!” I turned around to find Hermione running towards me, leaving Ronald and Harry in the distance.

“You look amazing!” She exclaimed, once she had caught her breath.

“Thanks! I wanted to try something new.” I grinned, grateful for the confidence boost.

“There’s um, something I was wondering…”