Katie was removed to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries the following day, by which time the news that she had been cursed had spread all over the school, thought the details were confused and nobody other than Estella, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Leanne seemed to know that Katie herself had not been the intended target.
"Oh, and Malfoy knows, of course," said Harry to the three, who continued their new policy of feigning deafness whenever Harry mentioned his Malfoy-Is-a-Death-Eater theory.
That night Estella found herself at Slughorn's dinner party, sitting between Ian and Hermione at a large round table where Slughorn sat at the head. Hermione wore a short, but formal, black dress and Estella wore a formal powder-blue bodycon dress and they both still felt underdressed as all the guys were wearing their best robes and the girls beautiful (homecoming-short-like) dresses.
Ian was handsome, to say the least; his normally messy brown hair sat neatly on his head and he wore an inviting smile.
"I'm so glad you two could finally make it," said Slughorn, beaming at Estella and Ian.
"Thank you for having us," Estella said politely, silently wishing he'd stop inviting her.
"Lovely manners, that one has," said Slughorn, before turning to speak with a few of the newly invited students.
"This is mental," said Ian with a slight shake of his head.
"I can't believe you came. Mione said you haven't been to any except the first one," said Estella, as she sipped her pumpkin juice.
"I heard you were coming. I couldn't conjure another bullshit excuse and I knew if you came it'd at least be bearable," Ian said truthfully.
"Ah, yet another thing we have in common," joked Estella. "We've run out of excuses and it's only the third meeting!"
Ian laughed at that, drawing attention to the pair of them.
"You two know each other?" asked Slughorn, looking surprised.
Estella nodded.
"More like he has-" Blaise began, but grew silent with a grunt.
"We've had classes together since first year," said Ian, glaring at Blaise.
"Makes sense. Two of the best in the year would take the same classes," Slughorn said quite proudly.
Estella blushed as eyes across the table glared at her.
She didn't ask Slughorn to take a fascination with her. If she were anyone else Slughorn wouldn't even notice her.
"Where's Harry," asked Ian, as the main courses of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and broccoli and salad were served.
"He has a meeting with Dumbledore tonight," she said.
"Any plans afterward?" he asked calmly, cutting into the beef.
"Yes," said Ginny quickly from beside Hermione. "We're going to study, right?"
Estella looked at the girl. They made no plans to study and she knew Ginny didn't need help in any of her subjects.
"What-?"
"Yes, we've got to finish that Arithmancy assignment and then help Ginny with her Transfiguration essay," said Hermione, adding to the blatant lie.
"I guess I do have plans," said Estella, looking between the two girls.
The rest of the dinner went surprisingly fast and was actually quite enjoyable. They even met a famous Quidditch player by the name of Gwenog Jones. Estella recognized her from the posters in Ginny's room at the Burrow.
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Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic
Fanfiction"He'd do it again if it meant she got the chance to live." "He looked at her, actually looked at her, and wondered how anyone who saw her, didn't fall in love with her." "A trade was to be made." "Friendship was going to be the only way to get throu...
