As Night Falls (Third Book in the Things Not Seen Series) *Completed*

Chapter 2

All of the students filed into the Great Hall and sat at their designated tables. All that is except for Aria, who sat with her sister at the Slytherin table. She had always fit in with the Slytherins. It was almost as if she were meant to be in the Slytherin house rather than in Gryffindor.

Dumbledore came to his usual podeum and began his regular back to school speech. He began in a different tone however. His voice was more solemn than anything else.

"Good evening students and welcome back once again to Hogwarts. I am sure that you will enjoy the feast that we have prepared for you today but before we begin I would like to make an announcement. This year we will have a new Potions teacher. Allow me to introduce Professor Slughorn. The post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, shall be taken up by none other than, Professor Snape."

Dumbledore gestured to a small man sitting at the staff table behind him. The man waved his hand and was about to stand but he slumped back down onto his chair.

"Now I trust that you will all enjoy the feast. Welcome back once again and I hope that you will all have a successful year at Hogwarts!"

The feast appeared on the tables in front of the students and they immediately began to stuff their faces with food. Aria turned to Christina and looked at her for a few minutes with an odd look.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a bit of a laugh.

"Oh nothing I was just wondering something but it's silly," she said solemnly.

"Ok then," Christina said dully.

Aria continued to stare at Christina hoping that she might ask what she was wondering but Christina couldn't have been less interested in what her sister was wondering about. Aria was trying to drop hints to her clueless sister. She flexed her left hand and held her ring out right in front of Christina.

"Okay what's your issue?" she asked in a concerned tone. "You look like you're having a spaz attack."

"Oh it's nothing. On a completely different note do you think my ring looks okay?"

"Okay, I get it. You want to talk about George don't you?'

"No not entirely. I want to talk about the wedding however."

"Ok then. Whatever. Go ahead."

"Ok so we are definitely holding the wedding as soon as I get out of 7th year and it's going to be huge. Everyone at Hogwarts will be invited..," she began.

"No. Absolutely not. I will not stand for you inviting Harry or Pansy. You can feel free to do it but you can count on me staying at Malfoy Manor while that happens."

"Christina! Harry's my friend and you may not like him much but you're going to have to put up with him just this once for the wedding. Now I want you to be the maid of honor and I have a few ideas for your dress."

Aria handed Christina a piece of parchment with a few different frilly pink dress designs on it. Christina looked down at the paper that Aria had shoved into her face. She examined it for a few minutes but a look of concern crossed her face.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked worried.

"This can't be right."

"What?" Aria asked in a panic.

"Surely it must have escaped your mind that I do not wear pink."

"For the wedding you do."

"Absolutely not! I will not wear pink to your wedding!"

"Christina this is ridiculous!"

"I agree so its settled. I am not wearing pink."

"Christina..."

"Save it. I'm not wearing pink and that's official."

Christina stood up and walked over to the other side of the table for pudding. When she got back to her seat at the table, Aria seemed more quiet. It seemed that Aria had no need to talk to Christina about anything else. The girls finished the rest of their food in almost complete silence. After everyone else had finished their dinners they went up to their dorm rooms and turned in for the night.