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Chapter 23 'Slughorn's Christmas Party'

Chapter 23 ‘Slughorn’s Christmas Party’

Evanna was pacing at the start of the staircase which would lead straight to Slughorn’s office where the Christmas party was being held. It had been half an hour that she had been waiting for Seamus to show up but still there was no sign of him.

At every tiny bit of a sound, Evanna would jump and see towards the source of it but always it was not Seamus. A lot of couples had passed her and went to the party, looking at her with creepy expressions as they passed.

How did she end up with Seamus? It is a long story full of pain and grieves. But in short words; Evanna had decided after a good hour of crying that whoever would ask her next to the party, she’ll go with him. And the next person who came up to her in the morning and asked;

“I was thinking if you’ll like to go to the party with me? I know I’m not from the Slug Club and I shouldn’t be the one inviting you but I guess you know what I mean...” was Seamus.

She made quite an effort to make it clear that they were going just as friends and she hoped he had gotten the message.

Evanna was starting to lose her elegance and grace with her temper and patience as time went by. She kept on rubbing her hands together in nervousness. She wanted to drag Seamus out of the dorm and into the party because if he didn’t come in five minutes then she would have to go alone as ‘going in time’ was compulsory and going alone would be a very big insult to her especially her Malfoyness would be boiling in antagonism.

Evanna heard a sound from her back;

“Seamus must be coming,” she thought, a thought she had been thinking at every sound that she heard.

She hurriedly straightened her electric blue frock and checked her black jacket that she was wearing only for one purpose; to hide the dark mark. She also checked her black heels and turned towards the corner where the sound of footsteps was coming from.

From around the corner came in view Luna and with him... Harry.

Evanna turned away, gave out a low frustration sign and then turned back to greet them.

“Hi Evanna,” Luna said cheerfully.

“Hi Luna, hi Harry,” Evanna replied, forcefully smiling. It was not like she had started to dislike Luna, it wasn’t Luna’s fault; it was his. Luna was one of her really close friends and a wonderful person, Evanna won’t just let her go on such a stupid thing. Yes, she had finally thought of it as a ‘stupid’ thing.

Harry, without looking at her and acting like he hadn’t heard her, walked right pass her.

That was like a stove had been burned underneath Evanna and she was getting nearer and nearer to her boiling point. She thanked God that she hadn’t brought her wand with her or she must have done again something that she would have regretted afterwards.

“He must have gotten the point that we’re just going as friends,” Evanna thought, judging Seamus’s delay and keeping her mind off Harry’s action as she saw both of them entering Slughorn’s office at the far end of the corridor.

She slumped into a sitting position on the start of stairs and started noticing every little inch of the now empty corridor as a time pass. Again sound of footsteps reached Evanna’s ears. This time she didn’t bother to check herself nor turn to see who was coming.

“Hi Evanna!” this time it was Seamus.

Evanna got up without saying a word and dusted her dress.

“Sorry for the delay,” he continued as both of them started walking towards Slughorn’s office, “I couldn’t get rid of the black powder and ash which got stuck to my face.”