It had been three days since Estella had last spoken to Ernie. All her news of him came from her friends who couldn't understand why he'd lashed out like that.
But Estella had only told them part of the story. She had failed to mention, for instance, Ernie's last words to her before he turned and left the corridor.
"Do you support him because he is innocent, or because you like him?"
Those words haunted her like invisible ghosts, floating eerily through her mind and penetrating the barriers she had so carefully put up.
Was Ernie right? Were her feelings towards the situation entirely manipulated by her... fondness towards Harry?
She didn't want that to be the truth. She wanted her support to be entirely truthful and sincere, not because of some silly crush.
But she couldn't help but think, that if she hadn't paid so much attention to the green-eyed boy in the first place, she wouldn't have noticed the little things that so purely convinced her of his innocence: the crinkle of his eyes as he smiled, the way he fidgeted with his hands when he was nervous, or how he seemed to blaze with determination when speaking up about something he cared about.
But it was all true! Estella knew it!
Harry was innocent, regardless of her feelings or not.
Clearly, Ernie was wrong!
But then, the news came to her, courtesy of Lavender and Parvati: Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly-Headless Nick had been petrified, and the last person to be seen with them, was Harry.
The double attack turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic.
Curiously, it was Nearly-Headless Nick's fate that worried people most.
What could possibly do that to a ghost? people whispered in the corridors, What could do that to something that was already dead?
Estella herself was in a sort of stunned daze. In most people's minds, this attack solidified what little 'proof' they had of Harry's guilt into full-on fact.
Estella stayed resolute, trying to convince her fellow peers of his clear innocence. It helped, she supposed, that she knew and was friends with most of the people in her grade. Those little, meaningless conversations had turned out to be the turning point in a few students' perspectives.
Still, even her closest friends were wary, and there had been a stampede of students hurriedly booking their spots on the Hogwarts Express.
Besides, she was only a second year and people would not be clambering anytime soon to listen to her over the rumours coursing through the school.
She did, however, see Cedric Diggory, a fourth-year Hufflepuff student who was quite popular within the school trying to convince his friends to keep the peace whenever Harry walked down the corridor.
Estella appreciated his fairness and open-mindedness. She wasn't sure if it was a Hufflepuff thing or simply his good morals, but his actions persuaded her of his good nature.
She had talked to Harry a couple of times, finding excuses to seek him out in the crowd and sit near him at lunch. She had reassured him and he seemed glad of her company.
Estella did her best to cheer him up and a few times it worked, and she was rewarded with that brilliant smile that made his green eyes light up.
But most of the time, the jeering taunts and badly-hushed whispers got to him, and he excused himself to solitude.
At last, the term ended and a silence deep as the snow on the ground descended upon the castle.
The lack of bustling students hurrying to class and the occasional shouts across the hallway made Estella feel empty, as if her boisterous manner had left with the others on the scarlet express.
Still, she reserved this feeling to herself and herself alone, locking it away in favour of smiling fondly after Harry as he revelled in this newfound peace.
Their days were spent leisurely, ending most of the time with the Weasleys and Harry playing Exploding Snap by the fireplace and Estella providing a light hum of music with her guitar, Hermione chatting mindlessly beside her.
The melody was always punctuated with occasional shouts of joy or disappointment from the boys.
Ginny often sat beside Estella and Hermione and they welcomed her. The attacks had frightened her and Estella could tell that she was in a more subdued mood.
They told her stories of their time before Hogwarts and their adventures last year. These chats had the effect of cheering her up, and a plate of sugary iced cookies placated their stomachs as they talked into the night.
The time flew by, day after day, and Estella could almost convince herself that everything was normal.
Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Estella was shaken away by a lively Hermione, who pulled open the closed curtains, effectively blinding her as she sat up blearily.
"Merry Christmas!" she sang.
Estella rubbed her eyes and looked around.
The twins were the only two left in their dorm; Lavender and Parvati had gone home for the holidays, muttering about how it would be better to stay at a safe distance from Harry. The thought made Estella scowl, and she shook her head, focusing instead on the fresh sheet of snow that coated the grounds of Hogwarts like a layer of paint.
A stack of varied presents made a border around her bed and she smiled when she saw the note on the one nearest to her: Lots of Love, Mum & Dad, it read. It was a finely wrapped box: Mr and Mrs Granger had always excelled when it came to wrapping presents - Estella supposed it was a side-effect of being dentists and needing steady hands.
Hermione bounded over and sat down beside her, sitting on her own bed so that the pile of gifts sat regally between them. It was a tradition for them to always open their presents together - birthdays, Christmas - they shared it all.
The twins looked at each other and grinned.
"Ready?" Estella asked, pushing her curls behind her ear.
"Set," Hermione continued, leaning forward eagerly.
"GO!" And they both lunged at their presents.
A little while and a lot of torn wrapping paper later, the girls sat in a pile of books, candy, music sheets and enchanted hairbrushes.
"That was fun," said Estella, slightly breathlessly.
"My presents are better," Hermione teased good-naturedly.
Estella laughed. "You wish."
"Come on," said Hermione, pushing a stray ribbon into the rubbish pile with her foot, "Let's go see Harry and Ron."
Estella nodded and leapt up off her bed.
She hummed a faint tune under her breath as she got dressed. Hermione waited impatiently by the door for her, clutching two neatly wrapped presents.
Wrapping one more scarf around her neck, Estella scooped up the presents that she herself had wrapped and joined her sister.
They stepped carefully down the stairs, relying on the dark indentations on the stone floor to guide them down.
"By the way," Estella said absently to Hermione as they trudged across the common room, "Why were you up so early? Not doing homework, were you?" She sent her a teasing grin to which Hermione responded with an eye roll.
"No," she disclosed, lowering her voice although they were the only two in the common room, "I was adding more lacewings to the Potion."
Estella widened her eyes. "Does that mean-?"
Hermione nodded, a grin sliding over her features. "It's ready."
Estella didn't know what to feel. On one hand, she was excited to finally confront(at least according to Harry and Ron) Malfoy so that the mystery could be solved and the attacks would finally stop.
On the other...
Well, Estella liked hanging out with them. Harry, Ron and Hermione; they were such a close-knit group that one often felt like a third party around them. Estella didn't want them to return to just sending the occasional smile when they caught eyes in class or sharing notes.
Sure, she could still talk to Hermione- she was her sister - but when would she talk to Harry? And Ron, she added hurriedly in her mind.
Hermione overtook her on the stairs leading up to the boys' dormitory and Estella sought a second to just stop and breathe.
Harry was 'The Boy Who Lived', the one who had defeated Voldemort when he was only an infant. How could she, Estella, a mere Muggle hope to talk to someone like that?
It was silly, she knew. Harry wasn't like that. Still, she couldn't help but think that he deserved so much better. Someone, who isn't me...
They reached the dormitory and Hermione barged in without a second thought, racing to the window and pulling at the curtains. "Wake up," she said loudly.
"Hermione- you're not supposed to be in here," said Ron, shielding his eyes against the light.
Estella hesitated, trying to make herself smaller as she dropped off their presents by their beds.
"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Hermione, throwing him his present.
Harry scrambled for his gift as Hermione chucked it towards him, catching it just before it hit him in the face. He reached for his glasses and rubbed his eyes, pushing the jet-black hair that was obstructing his vision away.
"Oh," he said as he spotted Estella, "Hey Stella!" He waved groggily, though quite cheerfully.
Estella felt her cheeks warm and she hoped the bright morning light would shield her from view. "Hey, Harry. Merry Christmas."
"Oh yeah," Harry brightened as if he had just processed this thought, "It is! Merry Christmas." Estella smiled and knelt down beside his bed.
"I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the Potion," Hermione cut in. "It's ready."
Harry sat up straighter. "Are you sure?"
Estella frowned slightly at his eagerness and then felt entirely horrible afterwards. Of course, he was eager; they had been working on the potion for months! Don't be silly Estella, now is not the time.
"Positive," said Hermione, shifting Scabbers the rat so that she could sit down on the end of Harry's four-poster. "if we're going to do it, I say it should be tonight."
At that moment, Hedwig swooped into the room, carrying a very small package in her beak.
"Hello," said Harry happily, as she landed on his bed, "are you speaking to me again?"
She nibbled his ear in an affectionate sort of way and Estella smiled once more, reaching out to stroke the snow-white owl's feathers. Hedwig didn't show any signs of objection and only leaned closer to her.
The snow-white owl really was beautiful. That reminded her: Estella needed to go visit the owlery to see Alora and give her a few owl treats as her present for the day.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the small, sad-looking package in Harry's hands.
"From the Dursleys," Harry replied, and the parcel seemed to wilt. He tore open the paper and pulled out a toothpick and a note. "Ah, behold, my present."
Estella scrunched up her nose. "A toothpick?"
"How generous."
Estella and Hermione sat with the boys as they opened their own presents. Hermione took to herself to pick up the trash and pile it all into one corner of the room, much to Ron's amusement.
Estella stayed by Harry's side as he beamed with excitement; the toothpick lay forgotten on the floor, long lost in the tide of endless paper and Hermione's scrutinous gaze.
"Wow! Thanks, Stella!" Harry held up a red, hardback copy of Quidditch Through the Ages.
"No problem," Estella replied calmly, though she felt her smile widening. "I know Hermione lent you it to read last year and she said you liked it so I thought I should get you your own."
Harry smiled. "Well, I love it." He made to put it to the side but Estella stopped him.
"Hold on, you haven't even seen the best part!" she gestured to the book. "May I?"
He handed it to her and she opened it to a page somewhere in the middle of the book.
As it opened, a 3D image of a chaser speeding towards one of the three goalposts spread out, projected into the air like a hologram.
"Woah," Harry breathed, taking the book gingerly from her hands. His hands brushed hers and she bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from smiling too much. "This is so cool."
"It was being advertised in the Daily Prophet and I thought you might like it."
Harry nodded eagerly. "I do!"
Estella's eyes crinkled as she smiled some more and handed him another present from his pile.
✰♪
No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts.
The Great Hall looked magnificent. The tables were bordered by the usual dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossed across the ceiling, making slivers of red and green that broke apart the star-filled sky.
Enchanted snow was falling, though it felt warm and dry.
Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed.
They all sniggered at a very bewildered Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read 'Pinhead.'
Estella was halfway through her second helping of apple and rhubarb crumble when Hermione nudged her rather harshly.
Estella turned, frowning slightly. "Hey! What was that for-" she started, only to be cut off by the significant look her twin sent her.
They had always been good at reading each other's emotions and as Estella watched Hermione tilt her head meaningfully towards the entrance to the Great Hall, she understood perfectly what she meant.
Sighing, Estella shoved one last, big spoonful of the crumble into her mouth before following an acquiesced Harry and an indignant Ron, who looked longingly after his Christmas pudding.
"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione matter-of-factly, as though she was sending them to the supermarket for apples. "And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe and Goyle's; they're Malfoy's best friends, he'll tell them anything."
I'm not sure 'best friends' are exactly the right word, thought Estella privately as she chewed on the remains of her dessert.
"And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him."
Estella perked up. She and Hermione had discussed this briefly in the dorms. If she was right and they were going to follow through with the plan...
"I've got it all worked out," Hermione went on smoothly, ignoring Harry and Ron's stupefied faces. She held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. Estella?"
Estella hastily swallowed the last of her apple and rhubarb crumble and nodded. "I'm on it."
"Er," Harry said hesitantly, "What exactly are you going to do?"
"I'm going to lure Crabbe and Goyle to these" - she gestured to the cupcakes in Hermione's outstretched hands - "and once they eat it and fall asleep, you two come over and pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom cupboard."
Harry and Ron looked incredulously at each other.
"Hermione, I don't think-"
"Stella shouldn't. That could go seriously wrong-"
But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye. "The Potion will be useless without Crabbe and Goyle's hair," she said sternly. "You do want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?"
"I'll be fine," Estella added, "perfectly out of sight." She mimed waving her wand and mouthed the words "Wingardium Leviosa".
"Oh, all right, all right," said Harry. "But what about you two? Whose hair are you ripping out?"
"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Duelling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas - so I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back."
Estella frowned. "I thought you said I could go."
"I did not!" Hermione retorted, pulling the vial back so that it was out of Estella's reach. "I got the hair: I'm going."
"But-"
"We need someone to guard Crabbe and Goyle anyways and make sure they don't wake up and blow our cover," Hermione continued.
"So you want me to act as a security guard while you three have all the fun?" Estella cried indignantly. "Absolutely not!"
"It won't exactly be a picnic mate," Ron said grimly.
"Come on Stella," said Harry gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. Estella stiffened. Her heart pounded louder in her ears. "We don't have any more hairs. Besides, guarding those two is really important."
"I-" she faltered under his hopeful gaze. "I guess," she mumbled."
"Thank you," Harry beamed so that the corners of his eyes crinkled. "This will really help us."
The way he said it, the way he looked at her: Estella couldn't say no. He was too kind, too thoughtful, too... well, Estella didn't know, but he was Harry and for him, she would do anything.
This is bad, she reprimanded herself, You told yourself not to. Don't get attached, don't get hurt. You're supposed to focus on your studies. You can't get distracted. Prove yourself first. That's what's important.
But it was hard, so very hard, as he gave her an encouraging hug and his classic smile, effectively sending another stream of butterflies tumbling in her stomach as if they were all dancing in staccato.