Restricted

Chapter 41. Discoveries

Fred had never been so bored in his entire life.

Though for the good of his friends, he painted on a happy face as Katie and Alicia took their turns in trying on what felt like the entire shoppe of Madam Malkin's. One bloody dress at a time.

The click of a metal handle sounded over the instrumental lull of the shoppe's music.

Katie bustled out from one of the dressing rooms, clutching the exceedingly long train of the electric lime green gown she wore. As she approached the platform before the mirrors and seating, Fred withheld a grimace.

On the couch beside the armchair he sat in, Angelina pursed her lips, nodding contemplatively. At her left, Lee's eyes were as wide as could be, a painful grin stretched across his face. George, seated on Angelina's other side, poorly hid his curled lip and concerned stare.

Katie reached the small elevated platform and dropped the train of the obscene bogey-coloured dress, and slowly she began straightening out the fabric over her stomach. Sewn across its front were a collection of iridescent gemstones the size of scones in the shape of a star smack dab over its centre.

No one said a word as she looked down at the dress, grinning.

"Horrid," Katie said simply.

The four of them released a collective grateful sigh.

"Why did you even try it on then, love?" Angie asked, her date looking to be the most relieved of all of them.

"To see if anyone would be honest," Katie replied, crossing her arms over the abhorrent gemstones. "You all failed."

Angelina levelled a glare at her girlfriend.

"That's not even fair!" Lee scoffed. "Besides, I just think it's just..." he gave the dress another once over, "not your colour..."

Katie stuck her tongue out to the gallery, and turned sharply on her heel. She wobbled on her toes once before shucking up the gown's train and marching back toward the dressing room.

"Thank the gods," Lee sighed, tearing open the corner of a chocolate frog.

Angelina, seated at his left, smacked his arm, nearly making him drop the package.

"What?" he hissed. "We were all thinkin' it—Ooh!"

Lee stared intently at the frog's card, sporting a proud grin. He then extended the card toward Fred.

"Hold onto this for me, Freddie—"

"Why me?"

Lee rolled his eyes. "Cos' you've got pockets, obviously."

Fred assessed his friend's trousers, smooth and pleated black, high waisted and holding up the faded red of his knitted jumper tucked into its waistband.

The things he did for his friends...

Fred pushed up on the worn armchair, its leather squeaking as he accepted the card.

"Thank you," Lee breathed, and quickly, the conversation steered towards colour coordination, a topic Fred couldn't say he was the slightest bit interested in.