Discovery

32.

***

"Hey, Ella? I think you forgot to open a present!" Hermione called as I jogged up the staircase.

"What are you talking about?"

I made my way over to my bed. There was a small gold gift box sitting on my pillow.

There was a tag on the top, which read:

Happy Christmas Ella! I hope you enjoy your present, your mother helped me pick it out.
Talk to you soon,
Sirius

I opened the small box and found a pair of silver earrings in the shape of butterflies.

"They're gorgeous!" I exclaimed.

"Come on, Ella, let's go do our hair before everyone gets to the bathroom." Hermione urged.

"Okay, give me a second."

I took the earrings from the package and put them on before running down the stairs again and into the bathroom.

"Here, Ella, take the earrings off and hand me that brush." Hermione said.

Hermione was kind enough to fix my hair for me. She put it in tight curls and pinned it back with a silver butterfly pin I had found in my trunk.

"Are you keeping your hair purple?" she asked. "It will really compliment your dress, but I think brown would also look lovely."

"I don't know, I'll probably just keep it how it is." I said, pinning down a few stray hairs.

After Hermione did her own hair, we headed back up to our dorm to get our dress robes on.

I slipped on the silver dress and stepped in front of the mirror.

"You look amazing," Hermione mused.

"This is coming from you," I said, my eyes fixed on her elegant periwinkle dress. "You look like a princess, Hermione."

The ball was now in less than twenty minutes. I put on my heels and went to grab my earrings, but they weren't there.

"Have you seen my earrings?" I called to Hermione.

"You mean the ones you just got today?" she replied. "Don't tell me you've lost them!"

"I didn't lose them," I said defensively. "I just simply misplaced them."

Hermione and I searched the dormitory top to bottom. No sign of the silver butterflies.