Darkness and Light

Bruised pride and accents

"That one, definitely." Blaise points to a button down grey-blue top. I pull off the singlet I slept in and button the other one up, rolling up the sleeves to three quarters of the way. I smooth down my jeans and run my fingers through my hair, wrapping the curls around one finger and gently pulling it down towards the tip of my nose. In front of the mirror, I straighten my button down and brush down my shoes. Then I grab my Slytherin scarf and toss it loosely around my neck.

"Seriously, Malfoy. You look fine." I take a deep breath and smile at him,

"Sorry, I'm just nervous." He laughs, which puzzles me,

"At least you didn't have to build up the courage to ask her out." He grins.

Fleur POV:

Water pours down my back, soothing my nerves.

"Fleur!" Marietta's voice floats in from the tiny room the two of us share with May and Bella, two girls from our year.

"Oui?" I call back and she replies but the water muffles it.

"Pardon?" I ask and she sighs dramatically,

"D'accord, je viens!"

 I shriek and remember to speak in English,

"No, stop! Don't come in!" The door is flung open and May and Bella's giggles fill my ears. They pile into the room and I squeal again, hurrying to wrap the shower curtain around me, wincing as it plasters itself to my skin. Marietta holds out a bottle of conditioner and I raise an eyebrow,

"What eez zat?"

"Eet eez my favourite conditioner- eet makes your 'air suuuuper soft, so I've 'idden it from you because I love it so much! But you should use eet today!" She passes it to me and I smile, touched. Marietta is very...well there really is no other way to put it...selfish about her beauty products. And the fact that she is willing to share something so special to her with me is just...nice, it's nice.

"Thanks! Um...I'll wash my hair now...?" I trail off and she laughs,

"We'll be waiting!"

Soapy suds trickle to the floor as I run my hands through my hair. Then I step out of the shower, wrap a towel around my body and one around my head. Outside I am greeted by squealing girls. I allow myself to be tugged onto the bed and pushed back onto the covers. May squeezes some sort of cream onto her palm and rubs it into my calves and I giggle at the cool substance. Then Bella is whipping off the towel over my hair and brushing it out neatly, so that it fans out over my pillow. Then Marietta pulls an outfit off a bed and shows it to me. It features a cropped, pale pink sweater, white skinny jeans and beige ugg boots. I clap my hands together in excitement. Once I am dressed, Marietta crouches beside me to paint my nails a pale, shimmery pink. Then May and Bella run to the bathroom and return with a hair dryer and curling iron. Then my hair is being tugged and blow-dried and curled and spritzed. Half an hour later, my nails are dry and I am 'permitted' to look in the mirror.