The Girl Who Was Forgotten

Chapter 32.

Magnolia felt like George and Malfoy had snuck up on her. But thinking back, had they? Or had she just been ignoring things, naïve to what had been happening around her. Thinking back on all the things she hadn't put too much thought into over the years, all the ways the boys had shown her that they cared.

Magnolia stretched as the memories floated through her mind. She picked up her bag from the floor, putting everything back in it as she smiled and stood up. Malfoy had given her time. He had given her the time he knew she needed. As she was walking back to her dorm, Magnolia couldn't help the smile on her face.

The next morning, Magnolia woke up to Pansy squealing about a diamond bracelet her parents had brought her to wear for the Yule Ball. Tracey looked towards Magnolia from her bed, smiling as she groaned at the loud awakening.

"Merry Christmas, Maggie."

"Merry Christmas." Magnolia mumbled back, still half asleep. "Oh, presents."

Magnolia was still surprised every Christmas morning she awoke to a pile of presents by her bed. She had been so used to Christmas being a dreaded day, that it still shocked her how jolly everyone was at Hogwarts during the season.

Tracey laughed, "Look on your bedside table first."

Magnolia glanced at the table; a large mug filled with steaming tea sat there. She loved how the magic worked here, that cup could've been sat there for hours and it would still be warm enough to drink. She looked back at Tracey with a questioning look on her face.

"Don't ask me." Tracey shrugged, "A house-elf turned up not that long ago with it-"

"It just popped right in here! No warning, no permission from us. The filthy little thing just told us that it had been told to bring you tea." Pansy interrupted in disgust.

"Who would have done that?" Magnolia asked.

Pansy quickly went back to the way she had been behaving the last few days and ignored Magnolia's question. She sighed, picked up the mug and shuffled to the end of her bed. Kaida trotted over to her from Daphne's bed, where she had been playing with the wrapping paper and bows from Daphne's presents.

Magnolia softly stroked Kaida as she stretched out next to her, whilst she sipped on her tea. She carefully balanced the mug on her leg and pulled the closest present towards her. Magnolia smiled at the new charms from her friends, placing them on her bracelet that was filling up every year.

After opening the rest of her presents, Magnolia pulled the last box towards her with a small frown. She had already opened presents from all her friends and Harry. This present stood out from the rest of the colourful, patterned presents she had unwrapped. It was covered in a simple glittery white paper.

Magnolia ripped the paper off, revealing a sleek black shoe box. She grinned and pulled the lid off, chuckling as Kaida immediately jumped into it and curled up in the lid. Looking back into the shoe box, Magnolia gasped.

Tracey glanced over as Magnolia pulled one of the shoes out of the box and gasped too. In Magnolia's hand was the most beautiful heels she had ever seen. The shoe was black, with a silver high heel that had a gem encrusted green serpent wrapped around it into the back of the shoe.

Magnolia couldn't speak, she could barely breath. She placed the shoe back in the box, looking for a note that may say who the stunning shoes were from. She frowned when she couldn't find one. Who would have brought her such an expensive looking pair of shoes and not put a note with them?

She pushed the thought aside as she admired the shoes, noticing that Pansy had stopped mid- sentence and was also staring at her gift. Magnolia gazed at them in awe as well whilst she drank the rest of the tea.