The Buddy System. *Complete*

New styles and stories

By the afternoon, Mrs Weasley had bid us goodbye and Andromeda had shown up. She practically bounced into the house when she arrived, hugging us both and then went off to speak to Mrs Weasley privately before she left. 

After seeing Mrs Weasley to the door Andromeda came back in. "Alright girls, what do you want to do this afternoon?"

"I have no clue," Azaleah said shrugging. 

"Well how about a haircut. That hair just looks flat and unhealthy. Let me see what I can do to give it some life again."

It was true. Azaleah usually had beautiful blonde hair that hung down about two inches past her shoulders. In school she always took the longest to get ready as she was forever brushing and re-styling her hair. 

This was not Azaleah. Her hair was dirty and greasy, clinging to her face in clumps and it looked like it hadn't been brushed...well for 6 months.  

Azaleah gave half a smile. "My hair?"

"Yes dear. Having great hair can instantly lift your mood. Plus I hear Theodore Nott is coming here this afternoon to see you finally. You might as well look your best for when he does. Make his jaw hit the floor."

She knew she couldn't get out of it. There was nothing to say or do. So instead she gave a sigh and nodded.

And so Andy got to work, washing her hair - I lost count after the 7th wash, styling it, trimming it, blow drying it (with some muggle contraption) and snipping the last few loose strands. 

I sat and watched the whole time. They say that for every girl - her hair stylist is like her therapist and the saying never rang more true than watching Andy at work. 

She had Azaleah smiling. No. Actually beaming. She chatted away like here was nothing wrong. Like she had been at school for the past few months and not locked in some hell hole. 

It took most of the afternoon and when she finished her hair, she moved on to her nails and makeup. 

When Azaleah finally stood up she looked more like herself than she had since before the battle. Since before 6th year probably. 

He blonde hair was now sleek and shiny, glowing in the sunlight. Loose curls gave her hair extra volume. She looked great. A LOT healthier than she looked in the early hours of this morning. She seemed brighter too. Less tired and frail. She looked like she had pulled an all nighter studying but it wasn't press stoppingly shocking.

Now even I found myself looking forward to seeing Theo's face when he saw her. 

I was sitting at the table watching as she stood and hugged Andromeda, who on her part looked like she might cry. 

"So how do I look?" she asked giving me a twirl.

"Gorgeous," I smiled as Andy left the room to fetch the vials that Azaleah needed to take. When I knew she was out of ear shot I giggled. "Theo will bloody cream himself when he sees you." 

She blushed and came to sit down next to me, lifting a biscuit off the table and biting off the edge. 

"I am sure you are sick of hearing it but how are you?" 

She sighed, choosing her words carefully. "Conflicted. On one hand I am so happy to be out of that awful place. It was cold, damp and miserable. We weren't in the tight security cells meaning that Dementors didn't roam the floors sucking all the happiness out of me. We had actual security guards but they were always outside. 

You couldn't see anything out the windows...just choppy waves. Except for the hooded figures that floated in the air."

She took another bite.