Lizzie's POV:

(2 days later. The day of the proposal party)

✿‧⁺˚*･༓☾✿☽༓･*˚⁺‧✿

I get rudely woken up by Cathy.

She's jumping up and down on my bed, and even poured water on my face.

"Wake up! Wake up! I want to see your dress!" I move my leg so she trips on it, and then kick her off my bed.

"Fine. But at least let me wake up normally." I yawn, untangling myself from the bed sheets, and sitting on the edge of the bed. I rub my eyes, because they seem blurry.

"What time even is it, you hyper child?" "6 am. I've been up since 5:30. Now c'mon stop being a lazy ass and get ready."

"How kind of you to call your sister that. No swearing until you're 16." I get up and untie my bonnet, letting my braids down.

"How's that fair? You've been swearing since your first words." She complains, passing me a towel and a bathrobe. "I'm older, that's how it's fair. Now read a book or something while I shower."

I walk into the bathroom, and lock the door with a swift flick of my wand. I turn on the hot water and before stepping in, I use a spell to make sure my hair won't get wet. I'm not going to dry it later.

I take a quick shower, shaving my whole body with a spell. Muggles could only imagine. I've seen their tools; how do they have time to run those over their whole body.

I step out, and dry off- using a spell again- before wrapping myself in the towel. I open the door and yell to my sister, "Catherine! Get me some underwear! Unless you want me walking around naked!"

I get a bra and panties thrown at my face. Pure kindness there.

I put them on and the bathrobe on top. I walk out, and see a bored looking Cathy sat reading a book. In French. Upside down. Show off much?

"Wanna go get Aurora to do our make up together?" She jumps up at the offer and sprints at the craziest speed out the door and down the corridor.

Barely a blink later she's back with our cousin.

Time for a girls' get ready with me.

✿‧⁺˚*･༓☾✿☽༓･*˚⁺‧✿

We do our make up, hair and put on our dresses and jewelry.

"We look great." Aurora compliments our trio, looking at us in the mirror.

✿‧⁺˚*･༓☾✿☽༓･*˚⁺‧✿

Aurora's outfit:

Cathy's outfit:

Lizzie's outfit:

✿‧⁺˚*･༓☾✿☽༓･*˚⁺‧✿

Once the clock hits 9am, someone knocks on the door. Enzo and Tom walk in. Enzo wearing a suit that matches Aurora's dress and Tom in black trousers and a dark green shirt, unbuttoned with a black tie loosely; very loosely tied around his neck. Slutty whore.

We sit on the couch and on the floor around it, drinking whatever alcohol we found in my cabinet.

Aurora is sat in Enzo's lap, having a flirty conversation with him. Her engagement ring sparkles on her left ring finger. It's a beautiful golden band with an opal in the centre. The details are so intricate it's amazing; the opal is carved into a rose, and the gold is a vine with leaves and tiny thorns.

I don't notice I'm staring until Tom snaps his fingers in front of my face. I flinch slightly and zone back in.

"You okay?" He asks, slightly concerned. "I'm fine. Just looking at A's ring. It's so pretty." My answer is a half lie, since I was admiring it but the thoughts in my head were something else.

Tom knows I'm not telling the full truth. He's known me too long to not notice. He gives me a look, if I want to talk about it, and when I nod he puts up a barrier spell, so the others can't hear or see what we're doing.

"Thanks."

"What's on your mind, I can tell it's something and it's not just how pretty Aurora's ring is. Spill it." He sits with his elbows resting on his knees, and his chin on his hands. He looks down at me, sat on the rug next to the couch.

"I'm jealous. Like insanely jealous." I sit cross legged, careful of my gown and look up at him. This feels like a therapy appointment.

"That much is obvious, your eyes were glaring so sharply that a blade would look dull compared to them. Now c'mon, jealous of Aurora why?"

I like how he doesn't judge me until he knows everything. Most people judge and for opinions when they know nothing, and that is a sign of stupidity.

I know I'll rant, so I take a deep breath and start talking.

I talk about how jealous I am that her life is carefree, with Draco being older and male so he's the family heir.

That she gets to marry someone she loves, while I'm being forced to marry a boy- no, a man who sees women as objects and who would laugh at my pain.

That I'm stuck as the heir to my family, but have no support. My father is off in France, my mother a lunatic and I can't rely on Cathy, I'm supposed to take care of her.

✿‧⁺˚*･༓☾✿☽༓･*˚⁺‧✿

I talk so much, that I don't even realise when I ended up on Tom's lap, with him holding my hands so I don't press my nails deep into my palms. I'm also shaking, slightly but still definitely shaking.

"-zie? Lizzie? Breathe."

I take a deep breath.

"Thank you. For being a great friend and therapist." My words are genuine, no sarcasm mixed in.

"You're welcome. Now do you feel better? I can tell you desperately needed that." "Yeah. Yeah, I feel better."

Tom takes the barrier spell down. The Cathy glances at us, but the couple are lost in their flirting. I give my sister a look, letting her know I'm fine and she goes back to drawing on the pages of an old book.

I check the time, 11:36. It's almost time to go. I fix up my make up where it smudged, and smooth out the layers of my dress.

Once I hear the grandfather clock in the corridor chime 12 times I take a shot of vodka for good luck and we go to the grand hall, where the 'proposal ball' is taking place.

Some servants open the doors for us and we walk in. Everyone goes to find their future spouse, as they're supposed to and I stand still staring at the full room.

Until someone puts their hand on my waist.

Word count: 1097

I feel so bad, and like I lied to you. I said I'd try update more often and then I don't. I didn't have writer's block, I didn't have any events except the last 3 days, and I still can't write. I feel kinda useless.

Merry Christmas, hope you got any presents you wanted, or saw a friend or family you haven't in a while.

I think I need a rant like Lizzie, so I'll write one. You don't have to read it, but telling someone or writing it helps.

I hope you like the outfits, because they take some time but I think they're useful for the story and imagining what they look like.

I'll appreciate votes, but seeing how terrible I'm being at this you don't need to. But I do like reading comments, so maybe leave one?

I almost forgot to thank you for 11k reads, wtf?! And were only 24 votes away from 200 votes!

Love you, random strangers I don't know.

- M ♥︎