" In a way I think she is a star.
She burns bright but at first she's faraway,
just out of reach until one day she hurtles into your life,
breath taking and beautiful,
full of secrets and mystery hoping that you'll catch her,
but if you blink,
yo...
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-Stella Hart-
My mother seemed to know about Slughorn's Christmas Party before I did.
When the post came on Sunday December 12th, I wasn't expecting the brown paper package tied up with string to be dropped infront of me. There was no letter this time, but the Hart family sigil had been branded into the soft brown paper, so I knew.
I was going to wait to open it, until I had a moment alone later tonight, but Bellatrix and Narcissa were far too impatient for that and I was too tired to put up a fight as they reached over and snatched the parcel.
It was a pearlecent white dress, floaty and lovely and gauzy and formal. Narcissa was the spitting image of jealousy and Bellatrix was holding it up to her body laughing.
"It's probably for Slughorn's Christmas Party!" Narcissa sighed, running a hand over the fabric.
"The invitations go out today, maybe the Hart's know something we don't." Lucius spoke up, arching a brow.
"Don't they always?" Dean laughed, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into him.
Dean and I decided not to talk about my birthday, or any topic that could cause discomfort. After I came back to the dorm that night, he smiled and kissed me and pretended that nothing had happened which I had appreciated. It was one of Dean's many (ha) talents, he had the ability to keep his mouth shut when it needed to be. It's what I like most about him.
"Try it on for me later?" Dean said lowly in my ear.
Lucius crowed, slapping his hands on the table, Narcissa laughed and Bellatrix threw the dress at us, which Dean caught easily.
Something that had changed since my birthday, Dean had stepped up the romance, the sexiness, the flirtation. This included a lot of improptu make out sessions with wandering hands and heavy breathing. I don't know, maybe he's attracted to smoking addicts who light people on fire. Okay- that's an embellishment- I didn't light him on fire but I did burn him, nothing that Madame Pomfrey couldn't fix in a second though.
I tangled my fingers in the flimsy fabric of the dress, gritted my teeth and tried not to set it on fire, despite the heat burning through my body.
This is how I stay for the rest of the day, the rest of the week, being very very carefull.
And when Potions class rolls around on Monday, and Slughorn hands me an envelope made of thick cream stationary, I take it very slowly like I'm afraid it will float away like ashes in the wind.
Lily and Remus both get an invitation too and for a second I catch Lily's eye and I think she smiles at me, but I can't be sure because I look away quickly.
The invitation is very extravagant in itself, and it smells faintly of cinnamon. It clearly states that the Christmas Party will be held on Saturday the 18th of December, in Slughorn's own quarters that are bigger than they look. We're also allowed to take a Date. I haven't asked Dean yet but he's already acting like he's coming, talking about dress robes and party favours.
