VERDANT OUTCASTS | cedric diggory

¹³ | the perfect dress

CHAPTER THIRTEEN,
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"I don't want to go to Hogsmeade!" Katarina whines, tilting her head back and closing her eyes in dramatic protest.

"Stay still!" Isadora snaps, pulling Katarina's hand closer. She had graciously offered to repaint Katarina's nails following her detention with Snape.

Katarina pouts, jutting her bottom lip out, but obediently sits back upright. She tries to hold her hands steady, but the subtle trembling persists, no matter how much she focuses.

"You will go to Hogsmeade," Seraphine states matter-of-factly, walking out of the adjoining bathroom. The moment she speaks, Katarina feels her hands shake even more violently, and a soft curse escapes Isadora's lips as the nail polish brush smears across her fingers.

"Merlin's sake, Katarina! Hold still!" Isadora says.

Katarina winces, her eyes flicking down to the smudge of white polish streaked across her skin. "Sorry," she mumbles, trying to suppress the tremor in her hands. But the more she tries, the worse the shaking gets.

Isadora sighs dramatically, setting down the brush. "This isn't going to work if you keep trembling like that."

Katarina tries to laugh it off. "Maybe it's a sign I shouldn't go to Hogsmeade."

"Oh, you're definitely going," Seraphine insists, crossing her arms. She glances at Katarina's hands and raises a brow. "Why are you shaking so much anyway? It's been forever."

Katarina's heart skips a beat. The truth is... She doesn't even know herself. Medi-wizards had assured her that the tremors would subside within a few months as she healed, but it's been over four months now, and they've only worsened. "I don't know," she mutters, looking away. "I guess I'm just tired."

"Right..." Seraphine narrows her eyes. "Well, we're going whether you like it or not. The Yule Ball is in a month, and we still haven't found our dresses!"

Katarina huffs in defeat, her hands still shaking slightly. "Fine. But I'm not promising I'll have fun."

Isadora grins, picking up the nail polish brush again. "Don't worry. We'll make sure you do."

Isadora returns her focus to Katarina's nails, carefully maneuvering the brush to repaint over the earlier mistake. Her brows are furrowed in concentration, and she keeps muttering under her breath, "Stay still, or I'll have to start over."

Katarina glances toward Seraphine, watching her kneel by the trunk at the foot of her bed. "Hey, what are you—" she starts, but Seraphine silences her with a raised finger. She continues to rummage through Katarina's trunk, tossing aside skirts, robes, and blouses with little regard. Clothes land in a heap around her feet, but Seraphine is too focused to notice the mess she's creating.

"You can't wear just anything to Hogsmeade," Seraphine says, half to herself. "It has to be perfect."

"Why does it matter?" Katarina mumbles, though she's mostly distracted by trying to keep her hands steady as Isadora works. Her fingers twitch involuntarily, causing Isadora to curse under her breath again, and she holds Katarina's hand tighter.