Falling For

Fishing my legs out of a garish, pouffy blue dress, I let out a very strangled sigh to let Angelina know that I was not happy. She gingerly pulled the curtains back to see me in my underwear, staring unhappily at myself in the mirror with a rather expensive dress around my ankles. She rose her brow and placed her hands on her hips.

"Not happy?"

"To be completely serious here, can I ask if there's a spell to reduce chest size?" I grabbed myself and held the skin tiredly, annoyed with the irresponsible proportions my mother had blessed me with. "None of the dresses fit my top half."

"You know we can just make it bigger, right Min?" She comforted me gently, our eyes meeting through the mirror. I looked at her sheepishly, freeing my blushed skin from the harsh grip of teenage-confident fingers.

"But I don't know how." Pushing in my hips with my flat palms, I took a look over my body and sighed again. "Do you?"

Her lips quirked with a smile and she shook her head.

"I've never really had the issue." She tapped her chin with her finger and disappeared, leaving me to stare at my body in peace. As my name predicts, I am quite a small girl. With my bust the largest thing on my frame, I stood 5"4 with the shape of top-heavy pear. I got my little body from my mother and my fathers colouring; blonde hair, blue eyes, Irish skin.

Pushing the small bubble of fat that sat right on my hips, I let out a very mopey groan and began to tug my jeans back on. Pulling them to my middle, I looked up into the mirror and grabbed my chest again. By that point in time, I had not met a boy that did not like them. The soft silk of the bra felt cool under my fingers and I frowned, snatching up my shirt and pulling it over both arms. Tucking it into the jeans, I let my unimpressed eyes scan over my clothes.

Out of Angelina, Alicia and I, I was the only to not have a dress. With my girly-girl friendships and numerous trips to Hogsmede on the weekend, I had proven unlucky in any sort of category. But, to be honest, the more I spent with my new friends the more I began to realise that inter-house bonding was actually my thing.

In all honesty I should have been dress shopping with Gwen and Florence, but because their mothers had already sent them some exotic robes I had found myself shut out of the loop. Mother would have sent me some robes but in her monthly letter she let me know that it would be more fun to choose my own.

And there I was, staring at a dark blue dress that sat around my ankles while I cursed my breasts and hated my hips.

"Alicia doesn't know, Min." Angelina frowned and I threw my head back, stepping out of the dress and hanging it back up on the hook. I tugged the curtain across and grabbed my jacket, tugging it over my shoulders and smiling softly at the two girls.

"You know you could just make a dress." Alicia suggested. "Pince might have some sewing books. It'd be easy with just sealing and cutting."

"You think I could make my own dress?" I asked, suddenly breathless with possibilities and widely interested.

"Well, there's no chance of any other girl having it." She smiled cutely and I let a tiny grin slip out.

"Should we be buying some material then?"



"Can I ask what all that is?"

Buried under a sea of deep blue silk, I was curled in the Gryffindor common room by the fire as Alicia, Angelina and I fawned over a collection of musty library books. Fred and George had collapsed in the chair behind us, a box hiding in their laps as they stared down.

"Can I ask what that is?" Fred shot back cheekily, giving me an excuse to roll my eyes.

"I asked first!" Bundling the silk, I placed it gingerly beside me and crossed my legs. They smiled down at me before opening the box.

"Want one?"

The small cream tart that won me with the aroma of lemon made me chew my lip; the boys mouths curling into wicked grins that made me doubt my hunger.

"They've got that creepy twin smile going on, Min. I don't think it's a good idea." Alicia withered by the firelight and I evened my eyes. Nodding, I pushed it away.

"Calories." Mumbling, I leant back on my palms to stare up at them. "You have them."

"But we already know how good they are." George pressed, innocently pushing the tart back at me. I just shook my head.

"Don't be such sneaky prats, boys." Tutting, I turned back around as Alicia and Angelina just smiled. "So," I continued, barely above a whisper as I ran my finger down the page. "if I just-?"

"What are you doing?" Fred leant forward, resting his elbows and cocking his head at Angelina. Perking up, I looked bright-eyed at Alicia who nodded with a grin, both understanding each other regardless of Fred's interruption.

"Making a dress for Mignon." She stretched out her quidditch toned legs, gazing up at her half of the twins with a sly grin. The boys frowned at us momentarily, equally as confused as each other.

"But why are you making it at midnight?" He asked again, genuinely concerned for our mental health. Everything went silent for a moment as we all realised that the common room was completely quiet.

"Oh wow." My face wiped blank and I forced myself up, stumbling a little under the weight of fatigue. "I actually am rather tired." Stretching, I gathered my books and material and flattened out my shirt. "Um, so, I will see you all tomorrow. Thanks for letting me use your common room." Smiling, I shifted uneasily before toddling off.

"Night Mignon!" Angelina called after me and I turned and waved shyly as I backed towards the door. Everyone else chimed in after that and the swell of happiness burst through my ribs and an ache between my lungs was felt.

"I'll walk you to your commons." George suddenly jumped up after a small kerfuffle and followed me quietly. I stopped a second to wait for him and we stepped out from behind the fat lady, shifting off into the dark halls of Hogwarts castle.