Slytherins, Kisses and Other Disasters
Copyright© 2026 by Caroline Stanton
Chapter 8: A Little Colour
The situation, Victoria decided, had officially got out of hand.
Georgina was standing in front of the mirror wearing a fitted burgundy jumper and a dark skirt, surrounded by six girls offering conflicting opinions about whether she should try a different colour. Draconia had settled comfortably on the edge of Victoria’s bed, apparently enjoying the spectacle, while several other girls were sorting through the astonishing quantity of clothing that had accumulated over the past hour.
Victoria herself had managed to reclaim a chair and was sitting in it, watching Georgina suffer. It was wonderful.
“Turn around,” one of the girls instructed.
Georgina scowled.
“I’ve already turned around.”
“Other way.”
“For fuck’s sake.”
“Just do it.”
Georgina turned. Victoria grinned.
“Very pretty, Georgina.”
“Shut up, Vic.”
“No, seriously. Lovely. You should wear that to Hogsmeade.”
Georgina gave her the finger. Victoria laughed. Then someone said the words that would change the entire afternoon.
“Wait. I’ve got my makeup.”
Victoria looked up. A girl near the door had produced a small, battered case from her belongings. Draconia became interested.
“Oh, what have you got?”
“Quite a bit, actually.”
The girl set the case on a desk and opened it. Inside were several little pots, brushes, pencils, lipsticks, and a collection of eyeshadows in different colours. Half the room converged on it. Victoria watched suspiciously.
“Oh, no.”
Georgina looked over.
“What?”
Victoria pointed.
“That.”
Georgina saw the makeup. Her expression changed.
“Oh, fuck no.”
The girl with the case smiled.
“Come on. It’ll be fun.”
“No,” Victoria said firmly.
“Absolutely not,” Georgina agreed.
Draconia examined a lipstick.
“Actually, I think this would suit Victoria.”
Victoria stared.
“Draconia!”
“What?”
“Don’t you bloody start!”
Draconia smiled sweetly.
“I’m merely making an observation.”
One of the other girls held up a small eyeshadow palette.
“Crabbe’s got gorgeous green eyes. We could do something really nice with them.”
Victoria immediately folded her arms.
“My eyes are fine.”
“Of course they are.”
“Then leave them alone.”
“We’re not changing them, Crabbe. We’re putting a little colour around them.”
Victoria looked at Georgina.
“Help me.”
“Sorry, Vic. You’re on your own.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes.
“You’ll be next.”
Georgina’s grin disappeared. The girl with the makeup case clapped her hands.
“Right. Who’s first?”
Every girl in the room looked at Victoria. Victoria stared back.
“Oh, you can all piss off.”
Ten minutes later, Victoria was sitting in front of the mirror with a towel around her shoulders. She had absolutely no idea how this had happened.
One moment she’d been refusing to let anyone touch her face. The next, Draconia had pointed out that she could always wash the makeup off if she didn’t like it, Georgina had called her a coward, and Victoria had made the fatal mistake of declaring that she wasn’t afraid of a few bloody brushes.
Now she was surrounded.
“Hold still.”
“I am holding still!”
“You’re moving your head.”
“Because you’re poking me in the bloody eye!”
“I’m nowhere near your eye.”
“Feels like it!”
A girl behind her laughed.
“Crabbe, honestly, you’re worse than my little sister.”
Victoria scowled.
“Your little sister doesn’t play Quidditch.”
“No, but she manages to sit still while I do her makeup.”
That earned several laughs. Victoria muttered something extremely rude. Draconia, watching from the bed, was thoroughly enjoying herself.
“Victoria, stop threatening the poor girl.”
“I’m not threatening her!”
“You just told her you’d break her fingers.”
“Only if she sticks that thing in my eye!”
“It’s an eyeshadow brush,” the girl explained patiently.
“Don’t care what it’s called.”
Georgina was laughing so hard she had to sit down. Victoria pointed at her.
“Keep laughing, Goyle. You’re bloody next.”
“I know. That’s what makes this so funny.”
The girl applying the makeup stepped back.
“All right. Eyes closed.”
Victoria closed them. A soft brush moved across her eyelids. That wasn’t actually unpleasant. She relaxed a little.
“There,” the girl said. “See? Doesn’t hurt.”
Victoria grunted. Another girl leaned closer.
“Try a bit of brown in the crease.”
“Not too dark.”
“Gold would be nice.”
“She’s got green eyes. A little plum would bring them out.”
“Don’t make it too dramatic.”
“Actually, dramatic might look fantastic on her.”
Victoria opened one eye.
“Are you lot arguing about my face?”
“Yes,” several girls answered together.
She closed it again.
“Oh, bloody hell.”
The trouble with makeup, Victoria discovered, was that everyone had an opinion. One girl wanted a natural look. Another thought she should have darker eyes. A third insisted that a little colour on her cheeks would be perfect. Someone suggested red lipstick. Someone else objected that red would be too much with the green jumper. Then a debate began about whether Victoria would look better with her hair completely loose or partly pinned back. Victoria sat in the middle of it all, increasingly bewildered.
She’d faced Bludgers travelling at terrifying speeds. She’d been knocked off her broomstick. She’d fought boys twice her size. None of those experiences had prepared her for twelve Slytherin girls arguing about lipstick.
“Right,” the girl with the makeup case said. “Open your eyes.”
Victoria did. A small mirror was placed in her hands. She looked. And stopped.
“Oh.”
The room fell quiet. Her reflection was unmistakably her own. Her high cheekbones were still there. Her green eyes were still the same shape, her face still strong and striking. But the subtle colour around her eyes made them appear brighter. A little blush brought warmth to her cheeks, and the soft rose colour on her lips complemented her complexion. It wasn’t excessive. She didn’t look painted. She looked ... Victoria leaned closer.
“Bloody hell.”
The girl who’d done most of the work smiled.
“Good?”
Victoria tilted her head. Then turned slightly. Then looked straight into the mirror again.
“Yeah.”
Draconia approached.
“Oh, Victoria.”
Victoria glanced at her.
“What?”
“You look beautiful.”
Victoria felt herself smile. Georgina came over and looked. For once, she didn’t immediately make a joke.
“Bloody hell, Vic.”
Victoria grinned.
“That’s what I said.”
Georgina leaned closer.
“Your eyes look amazing.”
Victoria looked back at the mirror. They did. She’d always liked her eyes. But she’d never thought about making them stand out.
“How long does this stuff take to put on?” she asked.
The girl smiled.
“Once you know what you’re doing? Not long.”
Victoria looked at the collection of brushes.
“Looks complicated.”
“It’s mostly practice.”
“I can show you.”
Victoria looked at her.
“You know how to do all this?”
Draconia raised an eyebrow.
“Of course.”
Victoria stared.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Draconia laughed.
“You never asked.”
That was irritatingly reasonable. Victoria looked at her reflection again. She smiled. And this time, she didn’t feel the slightest need to hide it.
“Right,” Victoria announced, standing up.
Georgina took a step backward.
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Vic—”
“Your turn.”
Georgina looked towards the door. Several girls moved, quite casually, into her path. Georgina stared.
“You traitorous bitches.”
One girl laughed.
“Come on, Goyle. You’ve got lovely features.”
“Then leave them bloody alone!”
Victoria folded her arms.
“Funny. That’s exactly what I said.”
Georgina glared at her.
“And you were right!”
“Georgina, it’s only makeup.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one they’re trying to paint.”
Draconia looked amused.
“Would you prefer I went first?”
Georgina hesitated. That was a mistake. Victoria immediately seized on it.
“She’s scared.”
Georgina turned.
“I am not!”
“Terrified.”
“Fuck off!”
“Little brushes. Very frightening.”
Several girls giggled. Georgina’s jaw tightened. Then she marched towards the chair.
“Fine!”
Victoria grinned.
“That’s my girl.”
Georgina dropped into the seat.
“But if any of you make me look like a bloody clown, I’m hexing the lot of you.”
The girl with the makeup case smiled.
“Understood.”
Victoria leaned against the bedpost, thoroughly delighted. Watching Georgina sit through the same experience was even better than she’d expected. Her friend complained about everything. The brushes tickled. The powder smelled funny. The lipstick felt strange. She kept opening her eyes when told to close them, and once nearly knocked over a pot of blush when she tried to scratch her nose. Victoria laughed until her sides hurt.
“Oh, this is brilliant!”
Georgina pointed at her.
“One more laugh, Vic.”
Victoria laughed again. When Georgina finally looked in the mirror, she went very still. Victoria watched her. She knew that expression. She’d worn it herself only twenty minutes earlier. Georgina leaned closer. Then turned her head slightly. The makeup was different from Victoria’s. The girls had chosen warmer colours and a slightly darker shade for her lips, complementing her own features rather than simply copying what they’d done for Vic. She looked lovely. Victoria smiled.
“Well?”
Georgina stared at her reflection.
“Bloody hell.”
The room erupted in laughter. Victoria threw up her hands.
“That’s three of us!”
Georgina smiled. A small, rather shy smile that Victoria almost never saw.
“Yeah,” she murmured. “I like it.”
Victoria felt unexpectedly pleased. Georgina had been just as overlooked as she had. Six years at Hogwarts, and no boy had ever asked her out either. Seeing her friend admire herself in the mirror was strangely satisfying.
“Looks good on you,” Victoria said.
Georgina looked over.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
Georgina grinned.
“Thanks, Vic.”
For once, neither insulted the other. The moment lasted approximately five seconds. Then Victoria added, “Still got a face like a troll, though.” Georgina grabbed a cushion.
“YOU BITCH!”
The room dissolved into laughter. By early evening, the gathering had become something resembling a small party. The girls had stopped concentrating exclusively on Victoria and Georgina. Now everyone was trying something. One girl was experimenting with a darker lipstick. Another was attempting to braid her friend’s hair. Two girls were arguing about whether a particular shade of eyeshadow was flattering or made its wearer look ill.
Draconia had joined in as well, allowing one of the girls to try a different hairstyle on her while offering opinions on nearly everything else. Victoria sat cross-legged on her bed, still wearing the fitted green jumper and short skirt, watching the scene with considerable amusement. She couldn’t remember ever having spent an afternoon like this. There had been plenty of evenings with Draconia and Georgina, of course. They’d talked, laughed, complained about teachers, and made fun of their classmates. But this was different.
Half the Slytherin girls in their year seemed to have gathered in one room, and everyone was getting along. Nobody was competing. Nobody was trying to impress Draconia. Nobody was frightened of Victoria or Georgina. They were simply having fun. Victoria looked around. One of the girls caught her eye.
“Enjoying yourself, Crabbe?”
Victoria considered pretending otherwise. Then she grinned.
“Yeah. Actually.”
The girl smiled.
“Good.”
Victoria glanced at her reflection. The makeup and clothes suited her, but she still looked and felt like herself. Georgina dropped onto the bed beside her.
“Bloody exhausting, this.”
Victoria laughed.
“Yeah.”
Georgina examined her fingernails. Someone had persuaded her to try a dark-red polish.
“How do girls do this every day?”
“Practice, apparently.”
Georgina shook her head.
“Madness.”
They sat quietly for a moment. Then Georgina glanced at Victoria.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“We look bloody good.”
Victoria looked at her friend. Then at their reflections in the mirror. Two tall, strikingly beautiful girls who’d spent six years being treated like the muscle behind Draconia Malfoy. She smiled.
“Yeah.”
Georgina grinned.
“Bloody gorgeous, actually.”
Victoria laughed.
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Too late.”
They laughed together. Across the room, Draconia caught their eye. She smiled at them. Victoria smiled back. She felt something she’d rarely experienced outside her friendship with those two girls. She felt included. Not feared. Not merely tolerated. Included. And it was rather wonderful. Later, as the gathering finally began to break up, the girl who’d brought the makeup case approached Victoria.
“Here.”
She held out a small eyeshadow palette and a brush. Victoria stared.
“What’s that for?”
“You.”
Victoria blinked.
“What?”
“Keep it. I’ve got another one.”
Victoria looked down at the little palette.
“You sure?”
“Of course.”
Victoria took it carefully.
“Thanks.”
The girl smiled.
“You’re welcome.”
Then she hesitated.
“Crabbe?”
“Yeah?”
“You should come and sit with us sometimes.”
Victoria looked up. The girl shrugged.
“You and Goyle, I mean. We don’t bite.”
“Neither do we.”
The girl raised an eyebrow.
“Well...”
Victoria grinned.
“All right, fair point.”
They both laughed. Then Victoria nodded.
“Yeah. Maybe we will.”
“Good.”
The girl left. Victoria turned the little makeup palette over in her hands before setting it carefully beside her bed. Georgina came over.
“What’ve you got?”
“Makeup.”
“More?”
Victoria grinned.
“Apparently.”
Georgina shook her head.
“Merlin help us.”
Draconia joined them, looking pleased.
“Well, that was an unexpectedly enjoyable afternoon.”
“Yeah.”
Georgina glanced at the mirror. Then at Victoria.
“Wonder what Potter would think if he saw you now.”
Victoria froze. Draconia smiled. Georgina grinned.
“Oh, there it is.”
Victoria scowled.
“Shut up.”
But she couldn’t stop herself from glancing at the mirror. Her long black hair. Her green eyes. The fitted jumper. The skirt. The subtle makeup. She looked beautiful. And for one brief, embarrassing moment, she imagined Harry Potter seeing her. She imagined his smile. His green eyes meeting hers. And his voice saying, as it had before: I think you’re beautiful. Victoria felt warmth rise into her cheeks.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Georgina laughed. Draconia shook her head affectionately. And Victoria, despite herself, began to laugh too.
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