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"Harry, you look divine, if you weren't such a horrible date last time I would be the luckiest lady here with you by my side." Salem spoke as she greeted Harry toward the east corner of the Slughorn christmas party. It had been nearly a week sense the mark had appeared on her face, it seemed as though it would scar but on the bright side Draco had taken her words seriously and has stayed away from her.
"Red suits you." Harry said with a grin, his lips nearly disappearing as he did so, "I can imagine who you've ask to be your date this time is much better then I was."
"Date?" she asked before she realized nearly everyone here had brought a date, even her grandfather had a bloody date while she was to caught up in her own self pity to ask anyone, "Oh, yes, much better, showed up on time and everything."
"Lucky lad." Harry spoke to her with a smile, frowning his eyebrows as he took in the sight behind her of Hermione hiding behind the curtains, "Excuse me a moment, Salem."
"Dragon ball?" Neville asked as he stood beside Salem now, bearing the platter in her face.
"No thanks, you know who would probably like them though?" Salem asked as she waved him closer making Neville lean his ear toward her, "My dear granddad, what a laugh that would be."
"On it." Neville said with a grin as he stumbled away toward the man, leaving Salem alone in the room of people again.
Alone.
She'd somewhat felt that way with the many people around her, as odd as she thought it was. She'd felt different after the vanishing cabinet, she felt more on edge and scared then what she usually did. Salem gave up her private room, moving into the girls dorms to bunk with Hermione who made sure to wake her before she could have a sudden scream in her sleep. Salem felt better then, she didn't feel like anyone, specially whoever was behind the black coat that gave her the mark on her eye, could get her.
"Looks painful." a somewhat familiar voice spoke up making Salem turn, blinking at the boy behind her.
"Hello, Blaise." she said with a small sigh, sure he wouldn't give her a hard time at her own families party. He hadn't bothered her much sense she told Draco to stay away, no one had actually which was odd but Salem could imagine he was behind most of the bullying she was met with before, "You look lovely."
"As do you, forgive me but I can't imagine your grandfather did all this alone." Blaise said as he looked around at the christmas decorations in the large room, taking a sip of his drink.
"Course not, but neither of us have ever been very creative... a wave of a wand goes along way apparently." Salem said as he offered her a small grin, something new to her but she didn't miss the chance to give it back.
"What happened anyways?" he questioned while nodded to her eye, Salem put her hand on the scar as if she was thinking it had gone away, knowing it was there this morning though.
