Chapter 840 - Prepping Ⅱ

Finished admiring her reflection, Petunia turns around and flounces over to the adjacent door that connects the adjacent bedroom. "I'm coming in, Lils," Petunia loudly announced her presence, before she stepped into the guest chambers occupied by her younger sister.

Standing in the doorway, Petunia came to a halt letting out a quiet gasp. Seeing Petunia's expression Lily's already nervous expression worsens as Lily begins biting her rose-colored painted lips. Lily anxiously grips her skirt as she sees Tuney's frozen expression. "Do I look that bad?" Lily blurted out in a panic. She just knew that her fiery red-colored hair was going to clash horribly with her cream-colored dress! White was just one of those colors that redheads were not meant to wear!

Lily almost buries her face in white-gloved hands before remembering her makeup. She lets out a desperate mȯȧn as panic begins to fill her face. "Please Petunia," she pleaded, "I swear I didn't do my makeup. I pleaded with Mrs. Abbott that the rosebud lip shade would make me look like an insane clown or a horrible bloody monster! But she insisted that it would look good on me!"

Seeing her younger sister blabbering in panic, Petunia awakens from her stupor and wryly smiles at Lily. Lily's ginger hair was pulled back with diamond hairpins. Her emerald eyes sparkled full of worry, but she looked ever so lovely. It was one of the things that Petunia was most envious of Lily since Petunia didn't always feel very feminine at times thanks to her height.

"Severus won't know what hit him," Petunia smirked with glee.

Lily's mouth snaps shut in shock and flushes a horrible splotchy pink. "You're just saying that to make me feel better, Petunia," she protested gazing at her older, taller sister with an envious look. "You look so elegant and tall like a Queen." She turns to glance at the mirror behind her and sadly murmurs, "But look at me, I'm short and stout."

Petunia flushes a bit in embarrassment and pride at the compliments from her younger sister. "Nonsense, you're every bit as lovely," she muttered as she reached for her fan and flourished it dramatically just as she had been taught to. She quickly fans her red face to cool it and changes the subject. "Well, do you have everything?"

"Mm," Lily hastily said as she pointed to the beautiful silver pin in the shape of a wyvern with sapphire jeweled eyes that is pinned to her dress. "Rowan explained that I was to wear the broach at all times since Severus would be wearing a matching broach."

"Excellent," Petunia murmured snapping her fan shut with a furl. Glancing at the time, she said, "We best head downstairs. Mr. Abbott said that we would need to floo early to the Verninac Manor prior to the presentation ball."

"Right," Lily said as she hurriedly reached for her gloves and crookedly slipped them on.

Petunia rolls her eyes and motions to Lily to raise her hands. She carefully straightens the gloves and steps back with a pleased head nod. "There, perfect," she said in satisfaction. "Now, you look picture perfect."

Lily weakly smiles and looks a bit faint. "Petunia, what if I embarrass, Severus? Or what if I trip and roll down the stairs and rip my dress and make a fool of myself! Or what if while dancing I step on-," Lily is unable to speak as Petunia presses a finger to her lips to stop her from speaking.

Petunia arches her brow at Lily, who wilts and removes her finger from her younger sister's lips. "I can't say all of those won't happen, Lily," Petunia said causing Lily to let out a sickly whimper. "However, there is magic to fix your dress and I doubt Severus will let you fall nor will he say anything if you step on his feet. The boy's been absolutely head over heels since the first you met, and even after you nearly punched him in the face and told him not to call you a witch!"

Lily flushes scarlet at the reminder causing Petunia to let out a chuckle. "If you haven't scared him off after all these years, well, then nothing else will."

"I guess," Lily weakly replied in embarrassment. "Still, I wish mum and dad were here."

"Me too," Petunia quietly agreed. "But I think they would have felt uncomfortable, and they understood that maybe this wasn't the public outing to make their debut considering the importance of the event. I'm certain that there will be no next time."

"Yeah," Lily visibly perked up. "Then we can show mum and dad all the neat stuff, we've learned."

"Exactly," Petunia approvingly said, before intertwining her arms with that of Lily. "Shall we go?"

"Mm," Lily replied feeling much better. The two sisters head downstairs to where the Abbott family are congregated to wait.

The round-face figure of Andrew is the first to look up and gasp upon seeing the breathtaking visage of his girlfriend. He shyly blushes that caused his silky blond hair to appear in sharp contrast. Several of his male cousins let out appreciative whistles and teasingly poke him in the ribs as they knew that Petunia Evans was his sweetheart.

The Abbott couple both share pleased glances of approval. They had not been certain about their son dating a muggle, but after meeting the girl, they had come to approve of Petunia Evans. She had a certain sense of reservedness that they were delighted to find, and her current proper appearance only served to confirm their decision.

Andrew's little sister, a pink-faced girl with silky blond hair in pigtails pouts. "Please can't I go, mummy and daddy?" Anna complained to her parents. She made her eyes big and wide and pleading. "I promise I'll be good!"

The Abbott couple sighs in exasperation and proceeds to explain that they couldn't bring her along, but that they would take her out to play the following day. Still a bit unhappy, Hannah rushes off to play dollies and other games such as Exploding Snap with her cousins.

With Andrew and Petunia coyly gazing at each other, Mrs. Abbott warmly says, "You both look so elegant, my dear's," she genuinely said to Lily and Petunia.

"Thank you, Mrs. Abbott," Lily flushed happily and thanked Mrs. Abbott for the sincere compliment. Her nerves had been more appeased knowing that the pureblood witch approved of her appearance.

Glancing at his golden pocket watch, Mr. Abbott says, "We best leave now. Do you remember where we are going, girls?"

Petunia and Andrew continue to gaze into each other's eyes, not that is until Lily painfully nudges Petunia with her foot causing Petunia to flush a bit in embarrassment and come too. Rapidly covering her embarrassment, she smoothly replied, "Verninac Chateau which must be spoken clearly."

"Correct," Mr. Abbott said and gestured for the ladies to follow him. They had to depart early since they are escorting the Evan girls and Lily Evans needed to arrive early since she was the companion to Severus Prince. It was a right honor to stand in as the parents of Lily and Petunia Evans.

The rest of the Abbott family calls out to them wishing them luck as they wait for their wives, daughters, sisters, and cousins to finish dressing before departing for the ball. They would all meet up soon enough again at the ball.. The husbands, brothers, and cousins return to chatting or playing a quick round of cards to pass the time.