Apples and Snakes

Promise Ring

"Is three hours really necessary?" I heard my brother ask as me and Hermia walked up from the snowball fight on Christmas Day.

"I don't understand girls at all," Weasel King said. I then scooped down, grabbed a snowball, and aimed it. The look on his snow-covered face was perfect. Serves you right, I thought as I stormed up to Mum's office to get ready.

I had my hair styled in about fifty different positions, until Mum finally decided on this bun with sparkly clips all through it. Then I had my earrings attached to the lobe, which tugged a bit, but nothing I couldn't handle. Then, I swear that two bourse were spent on makeup. First came foundation, then concealer, next came blush, then eyeshadow. Eyelashes got mascaraed and curled, and my eyebrows were plucked, colored in... And then came lip gloss. A purplish magenta full of glitter. It seemed I was wearing glitter everywhere.

When I finally got my dress and purple pumps on, I felt like a Barbie doll, which just really was not my style.

"You look gorgeous, honey," Mum said, looking at me in the full-length mirror. I didn't know what to say. I hadn't ever looked any less like myself. Ever. I almost didn't recognize the girl in the mirror.

"Thanks." The purple princess muttered with my mouth.

Mum looked up at the clock. "I think you'd better wait for your date at the carriage line," she said. I nodded, and I stumbled down to the line for the little carriage rides around the school. Wesley was there, waiting for me in royal blue robes trimmed with gold.

He instantly widened his eyes upon seeing me. I rolled my eyes in response, gaging his response.

"You look beautiful tonight," he said, and he kissed my hand. I smiled.

"Thanks." I looked down at my dress. "Feels a bit unreal."

"You look unreal." He said.

I laughed nervously. "I guess we should get into the carriages."

We awkwardly sat down in the carriage, and the invisible horses began trotting.

"So, what bands do you like?" Wesley asked.

"I like muggle artists, Pat Benetar, Joan Jetts, Blondie," I explained. "Females with attitude."

"Attitude suits you," he said.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I like muggle bands, too, particularly Broadway soundtracks," he said, turning a bright pink that usually belonged to cat vomit.

"Nothing's wrong with that!" I replied, punching his shoulder playfully. "People focus way too much on wizard rock, anyway."

"Maybe that's partially why the pureblood system is as screwed up as it is," Wesley said. "There's so much crap you get if you want to go into muggle jobs, or like muggle pop culture, just because we're so lucky to get into some exclusive world."

"I want to work like a muggle, so that I can just escape the magical world forever. I have better chances dating muggles anyway," I said.

"I thought this was going well," Wesley said, sounding hurt.

"Yeah, but admit it, Wesley, you asked me because I'm Harry's twin, or befriended me because of him, not because I looked particularly interesting or talented- you didn't become friends with me for me," I said.

"Is that how you think all friendships work for you?" Wesley asked. I was about to snarl back a response, when I heard pity in the voice. Like I was some caged bird with clipped wings. Not that that's a bad comparison.