The Dark Mark (The Girl Who Lived part II)

A Very Harry Christmas

"How do I look?" I twirled around in the Gryffindoor Common Room, showing off the scarlet tea dress with a black ribbon around my waist made of taffeta that contrasted with my eyes, that I had found in my closet earlier that night. It was within a neatly wrapped box with a note from the Death Eater's. The note was scribbled in Bellatrix's cruel handwriting. "The end is near". There was no need for her to make a threat. Because I knew that as long as she remained here at Hogwarts and was watching me like a hawk, she would do anything to ensure that I cooperated in her favor. I put on the dress. It had fit me perfectly. Not one uncomfortable spot. It made me shiver when I thought of how my size had been determined right down to the tee. "You look amazing". Said a nearly breathless Neville. He was the only other person in the Common Room. Everyone else was preparing for the party, or was asleep. "Thank you". "What about the..." Neville didn't need to say it directly. I knew what he meant immediately. "I've got about a pound of concealer on my arm". I said.

The flats that I wore were black to compliment my hair and the ribbon around my waist. I fixed the thick bracelet cuff on my left arm and then looked up at Neville who seemed to be fumbling with his buttons. He wasn't a member of the Slug Club like Harry and Hermoine, but he was allowed entry to the party only if he worked. Neville wore some sort of a white contraption of a shirt that required a lot of tedious buttoning, white gloves, black pants, and shiny black ballroom shoes. When I finished buttoning his shirt for him, I tucked a piece of his hair that had fallen out of place. His face was a pinkish hue. "What do you think?" He asked me, walking around in a circle to showcase his outfit. Well, it wasn't so much a circle. His pants and shirt restricted his movements, so it was more of an awkward square than a circle. "You look like any girl's prince charming". I said to him as I straightened his collar. "Come on, Scarlet! We're late!" Said Hermoine who scrambled down the staircase as she fixed her hair. She grabbed my arm as she ran out the door, giving me enough time to grab Neville's hand and pull him with us. Neville and Hermoine scurried inside Slughorn's office. Hermoine muttered something about her date being inside. Though, I was curious to see who she had brought with her. From what I last recall, she still hadn't invited Ron as her partner. So who did she ask? Well, I suppose I'd find out soon enough.

I just waited in the Entrance Hall for Harry. We agreed to meet here. I only had to wait a brief moment before he arrived, panting. "I'm sorry I made you wai-" He panted this with his hands on his knees, looking downward, and then up at me when he finally had caught part of his breath. I gestured for him to continue. "You look......... Wow....... That dress is...Wow...." Harry struggled to formulate even the smallest sentence. He was flustered. Harry continued to babble on as he reached into his pocket and tied something around my wrist. A corsage made of roses. "You look beautiful, Scarlet". "You look pretty handsome, yourself" I teased, tugging at his scarlet tie that somewhat matched my dress. "Shall we?" He asked me, holding out his arm to me. "We shall". I held his arm and we entered Slughorn's office. The room was rather large, and the lighting was horrid. I nearly had to squint to see the faces of people who stood just a foot away from me. "Drink?" A familiar voice asked me. A voice that kept me sane when I teetered on the edge of sanity. "Neville". He held out a medium sized tray that carried many wine glasses filled with water. "Neville? What are you doing here?" Asked a puzzled Harry.

"I couldn't get into the Slug Club, but he allowed me to help work the party". He said. Someone tugged on Harry's suit from behind. "Harry! Glad you came! You must meet....." Slughorn's voice was drowned out as he dragged Harry away with him. Harry looked back at me a few times. "Sorry". He mouthed. I simply waved it off, signifying I didn't mind.

"Now that we're alone, what do you think she's up to?" We hadn't had time to discuss my encounter with Bellatrix. Well, we'd had time, but the two of us were never truly without Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, Luna, Draco, or any of his thugs. Here, we could have our conversation without Harry or Hermoine overhearing us. "Your guess is as good as mine. But I'd say that she's here to keep an eye on us. To ensure that we cooperate". I couldn't disagree with his hypothesis. "I heard that Draco's got some new responsibilities and that he's got an important task. I don't know what, though. I plan to find out. That's surely connected with her appearance". We couldn't simply say Bellatrix's name willy nilly. We couldn't forget where we were. Who was listening. We needed to be discreet.