𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧

ACT ONE, CHAPTER NINE
romilda vane & christmas parties.

WINTER HAD COME once again, and snow was swirling against the icy windows. Christmas was rapidly approaching, and Hagrid had already single-handedly delivered twelve Christmas trees for the Great Hall. Garlands of holly and tinsel had been twisted around the banisters of the stairs and everlasting candles glowed from inside of the helmets of suits of armor.

There were also great bunches of mistletoe that had been hung at intervals along the corridors. Couples were usually found kissing underneath them, and Venus and Harry were no exception — ⁠the only difference was that crowds of girls stood underneath the bunches every time Harry walked past, but Harry seemed to not notice them as he just kissed Venus. Venus would be lying if she said she didn't feel kind of smug knowing she was dating the hottest boy at Hogwarts, and she honestly didn't know how she had managed to get Harry to date her.

Ron also seemed quite less angry than he had been lately. Everything seemed to reconcile between the little argument about the Felix Felicis, and things were stable. Apparently, Penelope had also asked him to go to Slughorn's Christmas party, which was tomorrow.

Speaking of that, neither Venus nor Harry had asked each other if they wanted to go. They pretty much already assumed that they were going together, which Venus was fine with. Sure, it would've been nice to be asked, but she wasn't going to make a big deal about it. She, of course, could've asked him herself, but every time she tried, words failed her for some reason.

Currently, Venus was sitting in the library with Harry, Hermione, and not so surprisingly, Elijah. Ever since that little chat Charlotte and Venus had with Elijah before the Quidditch game, Elijah had been spending more and more time with Hermione. Venus could tell that he was slowly becoming happier, now not pining after someone who had a boyfriend. Him and Hermione were laughing quietly together as they did their homework. Venus and Harry shared a look, smile smiles on their faces.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione began, making him look up from the Half-Blood Prince's book. "I just wanted to tell you to be careful."

Harry sighed. "For the last time, I am not giving back this book, I've learned more from the Half-Blood Prince than Snape or Slughorn have taught me in—"

"I'm not talking about your stupid so-called Prince." Hermione gave the book a nasty look. "I'm talking about earlier. I went into the girls' bathroom justbefore I came in here and there were about a dozen girls in there, including that Romilda Vane, trying to decide how to slip you a love potion." Venus instantly raised an eyebrow. "They're all hoping they're going to get you to take them to Slughorn's party, and they all seem to have bought Fredand George's love potions, which I'm afraid to say probably work—"

"Why didn't you confiscate them then?" Harry demanded.

"They didn't have the potions with them in the bathroom," Hermione replied scornfully. "They were just discussing tactics. As I doubt whether even the Half-Blood Prince could dream up an antidote for a dozen different love potions at once. I don't know why they think they have a chance, though, you're literally taking Venus."

"Maybe they're just getting desperate," Elijah suggested. "I think I should have Charlotte discuss with them about what's morally right."

"Oh, please do. I want to see the look on Romilda Vane's face." Hermione looked back at Harry. "Well, just be careful what you drink, because Romilda Vane looked like she meant business."

Venus tapped her fingers on the table in thought. She finally made her decision ⁠ — she was going to ask Harry right now, just to fully solidify it. Venus turned towards Harry, only to see him already looking at her.

"Will you go to Slughorn's Christmas party with me?" the two asked at the same time.

Venus' face instantly burned, and she let out a small laugh. Harry let out a small laugh as well.

Elijah glanced in between them. "You two hadn't asked each other? Seriously?"

Harry shrugged. "I mean, there was nobody else I would rather go with." He looked back at Venus and kissed her cheek, making her smile. "Yes, Star, I will go with you."

"And I'll go with you," Venus agreed.

Harry then paused for a long moment. "Hang on a moment. I thought Filch had banned anything bought at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?"

"And when has anyone ever paid attention to what Filch has banned?" Hermione countered, focusing on her Arithmancy essay.

"But I thought all the owls were being searched. So how come these girls are able to bring love potions into school?"

"Fred and George send them disguised as perfumes and cough potions. It's part of their Owl Order Service."

"You know a lot about it," Harry noticed.

"It was all on the back of the bottles they showed Ginny and me in the summer," Hermione responded coldly. "I don't go around putting potions in people's drinks . . . or pretending to, either, which is just as bad . . ."

"Yeah, well, never mind that. The point is, Filch is being fooled, isn't he? These girls are getting stuff into thes chool disguised as something else! So why couldn't Malfoy have brought the necklace into the school—?"

Elijah sighed. "Not this again."

Harry stared at him. "Come on, why not?"

"Because of the Secrecy Sensors," Elijah explained. "They detect jinxes, curses, and concealment charms to find Dark Magic and Dark objects. That necklace was so obviously cursed, so they would have picked that up within seconds. They wouldn't have registered something put in the wrong bottle. Besides, love potions aren't — well, besides for Romilda Vane's use — dangerous. That means it would be down to Filch to decipher it, and he wouldn't be able to tell—"

Elijah stopped dead. All of them froze — Venus had heard it too. Somebody had moved close behind them among the dark bookshelves. They waited for a second, and a moment later Madam Pince appeared around the corner. She was holding a lamp that was making her skin look like parchment.

"The library is now closed," she announced. "Mind you return anything you have borrowed to the correct — what have you been doing to that book, you depraved boy?"

"It isn't the library's, it's mine!" Harry insisted, snatching away his copy of Advanced Potion-Making as Madam Pince made to grab it.

Venus' eyes widened. She hastily stuffed all of her things into her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Despoiled!" Madam Pince hissed. "Desecrated! Befouled!"

"It's just a book that's been written on!" Harry protested, tugging it out of her grip.

She looked like she was about to have a seizure. Venus then took Harry by the hand and dragged him away, Hermione and Elijah trailing behind them. They all said their goodbyes to Elijah — Hermione's eyes lingering on him just a little longer — before they started to make their way to Gryffindor tower.

Venus nudged Harry in his side. "You're going to get yourself kicked out of the library, love."

"That's not my fault, she's absolutely mad," Harry stated, a small smile on her face. "Or maybe she heard Elijah being rude about Filch? I always thought there was something going on between those two . . ."

"Oh, ha ha . . ." Hermione commented.

The three of them started to enjoy the fact that they could speak normally instead of in whispers. So as they walked along the deserted, lamp-lit corridors, they argued freely about whether or not Filch and Madam Pince were secretly in love with each other.

"Baubles," Harry told the Fat Lady, who had changed the password to something festive.

"Same to you," the Fat Lady voiced, swinging forward to let them in.

"Hi, Harry!" Romilda Vane greeted the moment he climbed through the portrait hole. "Fancy a gillywater?" Her eyes then set on Venus, and she glared at her. "Black."

Venus smiled sweetly at her. "Vane. By the way, my boyfriend has never liked gillywater, so I don't know what you're getting at."

Romilda's glare only heightened at the word boyfriend, and she thrusted a box into Harry's hands. "Well, take these anyway. Chocolate Cauldrons, they've got firewhiskey in them. My gran sent them to me, but I don't like them."

"Oh — right — thanks a lot," Harry said, clearly at a loss for words. "Er — I'm just going over here with . . ."

He hurried off behind Hermione, dragging Venus along with him as his voice trailed off.

"Told you," Hermione voiced.

"Shut up," Harry mumbled as they all moved to join Ron by the fire, ultimately saving him from the intense gaze of Lavender Brown, who had seemed to take a liking to him despite Penelope being in the picture.

Finally, the day had come for Slughorn's party. Despite her mood being slightly dimmed from the disastrous attempt of human Transfiguration, Venus brushed it off and focused on getting ready with Hermione. She pulled on her red plaid dress that she had and waved her wand so that her curls would be all natural. The two of them descended down the steps into the common room, where Harry, Ron, and Neville were waiting for them in their dress robes. Venus smiled gently at the three.

"Woah," Harry commented, his face slightly flushing as he stared at Venus. "Darling, you look — er — you look beautiful."

"Thank you," Venus replied, her face feeling hot. "You look handsome."

"You two done?" Hermione questioned, despite the small smile on her face. "Eli's meeting outside the common room, and Penelope and Charlie should be in the entrance hall."

They nodded. Together, all five of them left the common room. Elijah was indeed waiting outside, and he joined them in going down to the entrance hall. They got there exactly at eight, only to see Charlotte and Penelope waiting there for them. Charlotte was wearing a pretty red sparkly dress and Penelope was wearing a beautiful emerald green velvet dress. The group of five then became a group of seven as they joined together.

"Everyone ready to go?" Hermione inquired after a small interaction between Ron and Penelope.

"Yeah," Elijah responded. "Where is it?"

"Slughorn's office. Come on, it's just up the stairs."

Conversation flowed easily throughout the seven of them as they ascended up the familiar staircase. The sounds of laughter, music, and loud conversation coming from Slughorn's office grew louder with every step they took.

Just like he always did with the Slug Club, Slughorn had magically made his office much larger than a usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls were draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked like they were standing inside a vast tent. Ornate golden lamps dangling from the center of the ceiling with real Fairies fluttering around it, casting a red light on the crowded and stuffy room. Loud singing with what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner, and a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks in deep conversation. A number of House-Elves were squeakily negotiating their way through the forest of knees, hidden by heavy silver platters of food that they were holding.

"Harry, m'boy!" Slughorn boomed as soon as him and Venus squeezed through the door. "Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet!"

Slughorn was wearing a tasseled velvet hat to match his smoking jacket. He then gripped Harry's arm tightly and led him purposefully into the party. Instinctively, Harry reached back and grabbed Venus' hand, practically yanking her with him. The girl's eyes widened as she was dragged along before shaking her head. Typical. Venus wasn't complaining — any moment that she spent with Harry was (mostly) good.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires — and, of course, his friend Sanguini."

Worple was a small, stout, bespectacled man. He grabbed Harry's free hand and shook it enthusiastically. The Vampire Sanguini, who was tall and emaciated with dark shadows under his eyes, merely nodded. He seemed to be rather bored. A group of girls was standing close to him, looking both curious and excited.

"Harry Potter, I am simply delighted!" Worple exclaimed. "I was saying to Professor Slughorn only the other day, Where is the biography of Harry Potter for which we have all been waiting?"

"Er, were you?" Harry replied, sounding quite awkward, making Venus slightly smile.

"Just as modest as Horace described! But seriously—" his manner changed and suddenly became businesslike "—I would be delighted to write it myself — people are craving to know more about you, dear boy, craving! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews, say in four or five hour sessions, why, we could have the book finished within months. And all with very little effort on your part, I assure you — ask Sanguini here if it isn't quite — Sanguini, stay here!" Worple added sternly, since the Vampire had been edging towards the nearby group of girls with a hungry look in his eye. "Here, have a pasty." Worple seized one from a passing Elf and stuffed it into Sanguini's hand before turning back to Harry. "My dear boy, the gold you could make, you have no idea—"

"I'm definitely not interested, and I've just seen two friends of mine, sorry," Harry voiced firmly.

He tightened his grip on Venus' hand and pulled her away into the crowd. Venus looked around and noticed that Harry was indeed heading straight for Hermione and Elijah, who kept dodging people while laughing.

"Hermione!" Harry called. "Elijah!"

"Harry!" Hermione said, looking around to face the two of them. "Oh God, sorry, Eli and I were running away from Cormac. He hasn't left me alone and keeps trying to get me under the mistletoe — but Eli, you're tall, so maybe if we just stay right here you'll block me or something."

"We were just with someone who wants to write a biography about Harry," Venus announced, a teasing smile on her face as she nudged Harry with her elbow. "Should let him write it. I want to see what kind of dramatic terminology they use to describe you."

Harry gave her a look. "No."

"I think it'd be funny," Elijah admitted. "The Chosen One — it's all coming together now."

"You guys are annoying," Harry announced. "Truly annoying."

"Really?" Hermione teased. "I think we're quite funny."

"Nobody's going to write a biography about me."

"You're no fun," Venus said, obviously teasing.

However, their conversation was cut short by some sort of commotion and the room going silent. Venus looked over and her eyebrows immediately knit in confusion. Filch was currently dragging Draco Malfoy by the ear towards Slughorn and Snape, who were both standing by Venus, Harry, Hermione, and Elijah.

Filch's eyes were lit up and he was wheezing. "Professor Slughorn, I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Malfoy pulled himself out of Filch's grip, looking quite furious. "All right, I wasn't invited! I was trying to gatecrash, happy?"

"No, I'm not! You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"

Slughorn stepped forwards, waving him off. "That's all right, Argus, that's all right. It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."

Filch, predictably, looked both outraged and disappointed. However, Venus tilted her head. Malfoy just looked as unhappy for some reason, and Snape was staring at Malfoy in anger . . . but then she blinked, and Malfoy composed his face into a smile and was thanking Slughorn for his generosity. Venus blinked again. Was she going crazy?

"It's nothing, nothing," Slughorn told Malfoy. "I did know your grandfather, after all . . ."

Malfoy continued to suck up to Slughorn. "He always spoke very highly of you, sir. Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known . . ."

Venus stared at Malfoy a little closer. For some reason, he looked quite sick. He had dark shadows in his eyes and a grayish tint to his pale skin. Venus frowned at that.

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," Snape suddenly interjected.

Slughorn hiccuped. "Oh now, Severus, it's Christmas, don't be too hard—"

"I'm his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be. Follow me, Draco."

Snape then led the way, Malfoy looking resentful as he followed her. Venus watched after them for a moment. What was that all about?

Harry then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Venus' head. "I'll be back."

Venus sighed, knowing what he was going to do. "Harry—"

"Love you, Star."

He didn't give her a chance to respond as he fully left. Venus rolled her eyes and looked back to Hermione and Elijah. Harry was following after them to see what was really up with Malfoy, and Venus was slightly scared to find out what he was going to hear for some reason.

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OKAY BITCHES I'M ON THE HERMIONE AND ELIJAH ARC <3

also changing the whole plot of half blood prince with the hermione and ron stuff is HARD