Did Something Happen?

In the beginning, Hope was worried Sylvia might bring up some sort of infatuation she had for Newt. Though, it seemed she only wanted to talk about dress styles and invading Poacher camps. Syliva would alternate topics, asking Hope what kind of chest cut she'd feel most comfortable in, then ask her habits of some of the Poachers to get a read on what to expect of them.

Answering to the best of her ability, she tried to find more of a reason to dislike Sylvia. Maybe it really had just been a little green monster getting the better of her. Why should she assume she was a bad person for having a crush?

Enough of that; women needed to stick together. Otherwise, men would think they had the upper hand.

"What do you think?" Sylvia held up a strapless gown that seemed to shimmer with silver sparkles, set with diamond stones along the hem.

"It's gorgeous," Hope looked it over, "but I don't know if it feels like me."

Syliva nodded as she looked it over. "How about this- I'll pick some things and hand them to you in the dressing room. We can see which one looks and feels best."

Nodding in agreement, Hope managed a smile. It was a genuine one this time.

Gown after gown, they went through racks and racks of different styles and colors. It wasn't that the dresses weren't beautiful, they were, but they just didn't feel right. This felt similar to when she went to Ollivanders and embarrassingly left with nothing, thinking she had no magic.

Then again, that wasn't such a horrible day. After all, it was the day she and Newt shared their first kiss.

A warm bubbly feeling lifted her spirits as she sipped the champagne offered by the matron and tried on another dress Syliva handed over the door.

Hope paused and looked herself over. "Oh…" she murmured in soft surprise.

"Oh?" Syliva asked from the other side of the door.

Hope opened it and stepped out, letting her see the gown on her.

The way her jaw dropped filled Hope with a glimmer of glee, and she couldn't help but grin.

"Oh, indeed. You look spectacular," Sylvia grinned, "Newt is going to love you in that."

Grinning, Hope spun to see how it flared out for dancing. "Do you think?"

Sylvia nodded, giggling. Hope could only assume she was a little tipsy from the drinks. "Yes, he will."

Hope's gown could have been designed for some regal event at Buckingham Palace. Maybe it was a little much, but she'd never felt more beautiful. The gown's hem swept the floor just at her feet, set into three sections so that the two sides could overlap the front tastefully. Champagne gold was the base color, while rose gold sequins descended from her bodice to the hem in vine-like patterns. The shimmer of glitter reflected when she moved and made her forget that the corset was yet to be tightened.

Sylvia stepped behind her and fastened the back with harsh pulls that tightened past what she thought possible, making Hope gasp. She held her hand to her ribs as the air was squeezed from her chest, though she had to admit. It did make her figure look lovely. Her breasts were covered modestly, but Newt knew the hidden gold underneath, and that's what mattered.

It was perfect. Beautiful for Newt and appropriate for a school setting.

"Newt really is going to love it," Syliva smiled as she gave Hope's shoulders a light squeeze, "but I will warn you, you may want to steer clear of his Niffler while you have this dress on."

They both laughed.

"I still haven't recovered a couple of Galleons I left out by mistake." Hope nodded with a little laugh as Syliva began undoing the corset.

It was a relief to breathe again.

"Now for shoes."

Finding matching shoes to go with the ball gown took far less time, and soon Hope was paying the price at the register. It wasn't too bad, given how little she spent on average anyway, and this was a special treat for a special day to come. It was okay to splurge when you could on occasion, especially for the sake of building memories.

"Syliva…" Hope glanced over at her as they made their way to the emporium, where she was set to have her fixed. She had cut it reasonably even, but she still needed help smoothing out some rough spots.

"Hm?" She asked, taking a bite of a nugget cluster she'd gotten when they stopped at Honeydukes for a quick pick-me-up of sugar after dress shopping.

Hope swallowed. Wow, this was harder than she thought it would be.

"I just- I'm sorry."

Sylvia looked over at her with a frown. "What do you mean?"

Shrugging with a sigh, she bit her lower lip. "I wasn't exactly fair in my thoughts about you when we met at the Three Broomsticks. I kind of got the impression maybe you…might like Newt. The way that I like Newt."

Hope watched Sylvia cringe a little and offer a sheepish smile. "What's not to like?" She sighed softly. "Truth be told, I do…did, but I waited too long, and I missed my chance." Sylvia glanced over at Hope. "I've known Newt for a very long time. We started at Hogwarts together as first years. We ran about the castle trying to save creatures of all types, even at eleven," she laughed, fond of the memory she recalled, "but I never acted on it. He never seemed the type to share his life with more than his creatures, and I…was too afraid to ask."

Hope wasn't sure she liked this conversation but knew she'd asked for it. She needed to hear it.

"But," Sylvia continued, "I want you to know Newt is mad for you. All he's talked about in his Owls to me is about you, and I'm glad he's happy. Even if his happiness isn't because of me."

Hope's face flushed. "Hm," she pursed her lips as they neared the emporium, "I just made this conversation very awkward, haven't I?"

"Yes, you have."

They burst out laughing before entering through the doors, and the scents of hair tonics almost made them gag.

While, yes, a very awkward conversation, Hope was glad she got her suspicions off her chest. It felt nice having a woman friend her age around the castle.

It took nearly an hour for the hairstylist to fix Hope's hair. She'd given a half lie to explain the fried patches, telling her she'd had an accident in the kitchen and fire was no longer a friend of hers.

Looking in the mirror, Hope smiled. Her brown hair was softer and shinier than she'd ever seen, and the light wave of curl to the nape of her neck gave just enough body without it being flat. There seemed to be some reddish tints through her hair she hadn't noticed before, and Syliva mentioned they really stood out in the natural lighting.

When they returned to the Three Broomsticks, they laughed about Syliva's story of Newt in the Amazon jungle.

"He did not."

"I swear to you he did." Syliva giggled as they sat down at the table where Newt and Albus already were.

Newt's face was flushed. "Who did what?"

Sylvia grinned at him. "When you thought you stumbled upon a giant wasps nest in the Amazon and jumped into a mud puddle to deflect their stingers only to find out they weren't wasps. They were butterflies."

Hope giggled as Newt smacked his forehead with his palm.

"That was supposed to stay in the camp." He laughed, shaking his head.

Sylvia pretended to pout. "I'd say sorry, but…" she shrugged, "anyway. Take a look at your girl." She gestured to Hope as if presenting her as a model.

Albus and Newt raked their eyes over her, and while Newt beamed, Albus' eyes flashed a little. Somehow Hope knew she'd be subject to how much he liked her new look later.

"You look gorgeous," Newt smiled, gazing at her as if she were a galaxy of her own, "I take it you also found a dress to your liking?" He gestured to the neatly wrapped box she held on her lap.

Hope nodded with a smile. "Hm, I did, and it's a secret." She grinned.

"Let me just say. You will love it," Syliva smiled, "and it is time for me to head upstairs. I'm exhausted from the travel and the fun." She winked at Hope. "I'll be around."

They all bid their goodbyes, and when Syliva was out of sight, Albus eyed Hope with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"You had a good time then?"

Hope nodded. "I did, actually. I know I'm surprised too."

Newt frowned, then. "You're surprised? Why?"

Biting her lip, Hope looked at him. "Do…you want the nice pretend answer or the not-so-nice true answer?"

Searching her with curious eyes, he nodded slowly. "Truth, I think, would be better…"

"This is as best as I can put it," Hope murmured and leaned forward, hearing his heart stutter as her lips grazed his, "much like a wolf, I mark my territory." Her lips ghosted his, smirking as his breath hitched, and she stood. "Ready to go?"

Newt nodded slowly. "I…might need a moment."

Hope laughed lightly and looked over at Albus, who was trying to hide his own smirk as he started his way to the door. "We'll be right outside." She ran her fingers through his hair before exiting with Albus.

"You are certainly something," Albus said with a chuckle as he leaned against the shop's brick wall, looking at her with a knowing smile.

Giggling, Hope glanced over at him and gave an innocent shrug. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Mmhm…" He chuckled deep in his throat. "And you're really alright with Syliva having feelings for Newt?"

Hope shrugged and looked over at him. "I'm alright with you having feelings for Newt, right?"

His skin flushed a little, and his eyes darted to the side to see if anyone was nearby. "I do think that's a little different." He said through a thick swallow.

"I know."

Albus glanced at the door, and his heartbeat quickened a little.

"Did I miss something important?" Hope asked suddenly, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him.

He met her gaze with his own and shrugged. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Hope tilted her head to the side, eyeing him with a growing smirk. "Newt looked awfully flushed when we returned, and your heart betrays you every time you look at the door. You're waiting for him with excitement. So…what did I miss?"

Albus pursed his lips and pulled a smile as he pushed his hat further down on his head to avoid the snow falling more earnestly now. He gave a simple shrug.

"Not the foggiest idea of what you're referring to." Though, as he left the steps to wait at the street, she could see the hint of a smile and blush forming over his cheeks.

If Hope was sure of anything in the past twenty-four hours, it was this.

Something big happened while she was gone.