Ready to steal the show // Rosalie

[Liliya Eira Zdravkova]

31 October
6pm
before the party

"Which one do you think is better?"

Eira was holding up a dress in each hand, showing them to Rosalie. "I like this one a lot but it's a little boring." She held the one in her right hand a little higher, indicating a strapless black, velvet dress that had a white, satin underskirt peaking out from beneath which ended at about mid thigh length. "Or this one?" Her left arm raised an inch, the red dress shimmering in the evening glow.

Both dresses had been thrifted during the summer in some shop in Hogsmeade. And still those clothes were the prettiest things Eira had ever possessed. The muggle orphanage hadn't provided their children with any money ever and every piece of clothing had been either handed down from older children having outgrown them or received through donations and then handed out if needed. When she had transferred over it had been the first time she had ever owned any money, given to her by the orphanage as a very, very small pocket money wich Eira had topped up with what little she had earned from tiny jobs done throughout the village.

And those dresses had been the first things she had ever bought for herself. Now it was time to show one of them off.

"I think the red one would look better with my hair down maybe."

Eira hadn't know how much fun it could be to get ready for a party with Rosie until they had started getting ready together. Eira had never done anything like this and her heart fluttered with excitement at the outlook for the evening. Maybe Wyatt would be there too. Eira quickly shook her head to erase the thought.

[Rosalie Laurence]

"They're both so pretty."

Rosalie's eyes flicked back and forth between the two dresses as she tied off a chain of flowers into her hair. She watched Eira's face as she presented both of them and she gave her a little smile. "But definitely the red. I have some little hair gems that will match."

Rosie dug deep into her accessory bag, biting on her bottom lip and her eyes squinting as she felt towards the bottom of it. Ah! There they were. She pulled out an even smaller velvet bag and handed it to Eira. "They look like rubies but they're just little glass pieces. They're small enough to use a lot if you want!" She smiled at her friend and turned back to her reflection, inspecting her face for any blemishes.

The girl was excited. This was the first party she'd ever attend that were just for people her age, and her parents wouldn't be there to supervise. She could just be herself and have fun. Cassian and Nael said they would meet them ahead of time and they could all go together. Not as dates. Rosalie felt that ugliness in the pit of her stomach again.

She hoped Kate and Oliver wouldn't be there, but she knew better than to hope. Kate and Oliver were everywhere. Maybe they'd stay in a corner to themselves and snog or something.

She pulled out her mascara and began swiping upwards across her lashes. "Try the dress on! I want to see it on you. You'll be the prettiest one there for sure." It was true. Eira was beautiful - all the boys knew it too. She smiled in the mirror at her, and capped her mascara again, standing up straight and fixing her two-toned bohemian flowy dress. "Don't rush. No one ever wants to be the first one to show up at a party anyway."

[Liliya Eira Zdravkova]

Eira looked between the two dresses again but eventually she had to agree with Rosie. Definitely the red. Careful not to wrinkle the fabrics, Eira hung the black dress back into her closet and laid out the red one onto her bed.

Something inside her chest was fluttering with anxiety and excitement at the idea of dressing up. She had never done so before. Eira was either wearing her school uniform or some casual version of it outside of lessons. Going out all dressed up was entirely new to her and brought with it an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness. What would the others think? No one had ever seen her wear anything fancier than a sweater. Herself included.

Rosie's gems glittered beautifully inside Eira's palm. "Those are perfect", she said happily, grinning at her friend. "Thank you." She delicately returned the glass stones to their pouch. Her hair would be last and she would likely need some help with it too.

Eira couldn't help but feel impressed and grateful for all the pretty things Rosie kept conjuring out of her bags and purses. If Eira couldn't be rich herself and own all the cool things, she at least had someone to provide her with them, if only for a short time. "Can I use some of that mascara you have?", she asked after a moment of watching her friends apply it to her own lashes.

Makeup was a new thing too. With no money and the weight of her last residence heavy on her mind, things as such had been on the bottom of Eira's worry list. But now that she felt strange changes within herself and her biggest worry had been left in the past, new interests were blossoming like flowers in spring.

"Try the dress on! I want to see it on you. You'll be the prettiest one there for sure."

Eira almost blushed. It was true that she had always rather liked the way she looked, her long blonde curls, her eyes, the way she carried herself. But she had never considered that others might think the same. "Don't be stupid", she said with a grin and an eyeroll, overplaying the abashment she felt while simultaneously revelling in it. "We'll both be the prettiest there." Still she did as she was told and quickly changed into her dress of choice, admiring herself in front of the floor length mirror from every angle. This was perfect, she thought. She should do this more often. "I like it", she stated to no one in particular, but still smiling at herself in the mirror.

After a moment she snapped out of it. "Oh!", she said, face bright and turning around to grin at Rosie again. "Can you help me with my hair? I thought to have it down and the sides pulled back maybe. And then we can scatter the gems everywhere! I'll help you with yours!"

[Rosalie Laurence]

Privilege came in many different forms, but Rosalie was under no illusion that she benefitted from the highest sort.

Wealth and status were privileges that opened doors that most could only dream of. Opportunities, material possessions, connections, comfort, safety...these were all things that came with the life and family she had been born into. They were also things that she knew, like all the other women in her family, she would be expected to pay for one day.

There were different ways. But in the meantime, she would soak up the fun and was happy to share it with her sweet friend. While Rosie didn't know for sure, she had an idea that perhaps Eira was not nearly as fortunate as she was. She smiled, handing over the mascara, "You don't have to ask. You can use any of my makeup whenever you want." Another mental note to be stored away for later. Rosalie found she had different boxes in her mind for different people, where she stored little ideas and memories. 'Compartmentalizing', her mother had called it.

"Don't be stupid. We'll both be the prettiest there."

Rosie smiled, as she unscrewed the cap to her perfume and she nodded her head back and forth. "Duh," she said playfully, spraying the cherry scent all over her and recapping it quickly. "The blonde bombshells of Slytherin? Who could compete?" She was kidding of course. Rosie didn't think herself anywhere near one of the prettiest girls in the school. She glanced over her shoulder at the clock, knowing they needed to hurry, and her eyes caught a flash of red in her peripheral.

"It's perfect!" Rosalie said, seeing Eira check herself out in the mirror, and she dabbed her soft pink lipstick across her bottom lip and then swiped it over the top evenly. Popping her lips together, she nodded and beckoned Eira to her. "Okay so  the front back? Did you want tendrils in the front?"

She got to work gently sweeping her fingers through the girl's soft yellow strands and reached for a few pins on the counter. Holding one between her teeth, she pushed the pin up, twisted it slightly and then pushed it back down. Taking the other pin, she did the same to the other side, ensuring it was even. "Are you hoping anyone - special is there?" she asked with a little smile. She knew Cassian liked Eira, as did pretty much every other boy in their year.

She reached for the enchanted hair gems, placing them gently and randomly throughout Eira's hair. As soon as they touched her strands, they sparkled brilliantly, sending a pretty red shimmer through her hair. "I think I just need to make sure the flowers stay if you can pin the rope around the crown of my head?"

Placing the last of the gems, she grinned and nodded her friend towards the mirror. "What do you think?"

[Liliya Eira Zdravkova]

"You don't have to ask. You can use any of my makeup whenever you want."

Eira smiled at her friend, nodding once in acknowledgement. It wasn't easy for her to accept any kind of help, however well intentioned it might be. Eira had learned to be highly independent out of need. It had its advantages to be able to handle her own stuff without anyone's help, but there were situations in which she simply had no other choice than to either accept help or even ask for it herself. Eira avoided it as much as possible. With Rosie it felt different though. Rosie always just seemed to be genuinely happy to share and help, and Eira was okay with that. Accepting Rosie's help oddly felt like the easiest thing to do, a feeling Eira couldn't quite place yet.

"...Thank you", she added after a moment and joined Rosie so she could help with her hair, undoing her usual braid and shaking it out. The girl's fingers swept gently through her locks, tingling her scalp as she pinned strands of hair down with pins, leaving a few strands to frame Eira's face.

"Are you hoping anyone - special is there?"

Eira's gaze briefly shot up to catch Rosie's, a devious smile spreading on her lips. "Maybe", she answered with a glint in her eyes. Eira hadn't told Rosie about the kiss Wyatt and her had shared that one day in the East Bailey or about any of the other times they had kissed since. In fact, Eira hadn't told anyone and intended to keep it that way. For now at least. Until she knew what to make of the whole situation.

Once Rosie was finished with her hair, Eira in return carefully pinned down her friend's flower crown atop her head. "What about you though?", she asked, grinning at her friend. "Anyone you like? Going to dance with someone?" Eira had no idea whether Rosie was into someone or not. She hadn't mentioned anyone and Eira hadn't asked. To Eira, Rosie seemed like the kind of girl that could effortlessly wrap around her finger anyone that she wanted to. But maybe she didn't know that yet. Or maybe she just didn't want to.

Once they were both done and finished with their hairstyles, Eira admired Rosie's work in the mirror. "That looks amazing", she said, turning slightly so she could see the back of her hair cascading down her back. "And those flowers look really nice on you!"