Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter SIXTY SIX - Hallowe'en

(Start this song directly after the page break to let the Slytherin party begin. ;) SHUM - Go_A)

Time crept quickly, barely giving me enough time to sneak away to Gladrags before Halloween. I was worried the shop might not have what I needed, but Augustus Hill was not one to back down from a challenge, though he did roll his eyes at my "inability to inquire in a timely manner".

He had taken a quick sip from his tea before placing both it and the saucer down on the counter with a small clink and pulling an oversized measuring tape and parchment pad from a deceivingly deep pocket of his trousers. He bustled me over to a small riser in the corner of the shop and began taking swift measurements and notes, humming or huffing occasionally.

"Come back in two days time. I'll have your gown ready for you."

And that was that.

I hadn't given him a single word of my thoughts aside from the simple request of

"Green."

Two days later, on the 31st itself, I hustled down the winding road to Hogsmeade with my fingers crossed tightly in my pocket. The cold nipped at my nose and I pulled Sebastian's hat down lower onto my head. I had since given him his scarf back and now wore my deep red and gold one tight around my neck.

My fingers stung as I pressed the door to the shop open and promptly shoved them back into my pockets for warmth. 

Augustus hill had smiled slowly, watching me with excited eyes.

"I trust you are ready to be utterly verklempt."

I have never heard that word in my life. Merlin please let it be a good thing.

I nodded hesitantly and he waved a hand over to a small dressing area divider near the back.

"Have a look."

With a deep breath, I clutched the strap of my book bag and ducked around the corner. 

And there it was.

I had never in my life been excited for a garment, let alone a dress

but this piece in front of me

there were no words fit.

Sebastian is going to love this.

Deep green.

The base dripped in heavy silk pleats falling from the waist to the floor. The bodice was crafted of thin boning in the style of a rich exterior corset. Thin, soft tulle and intricate lace twisted up from there and draped like fog over the shoulders and down the arms.

As I took a step closer I could see the detailed stitching across the silk and between the boning of the bodice. Tiny beads strung loosely over the waist and clinked gently against each other as I trailed my fingers around to the other side. Dark black ribbon ties curled up the entire back, waiting to be cinched.

The strings of beads continued over the back and slithered up to the shoulders like thin, heavy snakes. In varying shades of blacks, they wrapped gently over the chest of the gown and curled to a stop at the neckline which dipped a smidge lower than I had seen on any other dress in the shop.

"Try it on dear, so I can make any necessary adjustments." Augustus called from farther back in the room.

I couldn't haul my body into the gown fast enough. I tugged it carefully over my legs and the fabric slipped gently against my skin - tight where it should be, loose where it needed to. Were it not for the grin on my face, my jaw would have dropped.