1 Part 11
Star stepped out of her house-not surprisingly—scowling. 'My mother has got to be the stupidest person who has ever walked this earth.' she thought darkly. Her mother had bought Star brand-new robes for the occasion, done her nails and helped her with her hair.
It was already dark by the time Star was ready. She started out across the huge, grassy expanse between her and Draco's house. Her eyes were just beginning to adjust, when she collided into something solid.
"Ouch!" said a familiar voice.
"Who's there?" Star asked, already knowing the answer; she could see Draco's ill-defined outline through the gloom.
"Star!" she heard Draco's voice say, sounding surprised. "I was just coming over to get you!"
"I'm so glad you did," Star said sarcastically. "you know how treacherous these front lawns can be!"
"Yeah, I know!" Draco said in an equally sarcastic tone. "It's lucky I came along, so I can protect you from the myriad of posing front-lawn threats!" He offered Star his arm, which she took, laughing.
The two crossed from Star's dark lawn, into Draco's slightly larger, brightly lit one. As they approached his house, Star could hear loud music, and saw different-coloured lights strobing and roving about the widows, and spilling out the opened front double-doors.
"Don't your parents get annoyed by all the noise?" Star asked Draco in wonder. She knew her parents would.
"Nah, they're spending the night out of town," Draco answered with a grin. Star's eyes widened.
"Do they know you're having a party?" she asked, aghast.
"'Course they do," Draco replied. "That's why they're out of town!" He laughed, winking conspiratorially. He led Star inside, took her cloak and hung it up for her.
Star had been inside Draco's house twice before, once when Star's family had gone over to meet the Malfoys, and again when Draco had needed to go inside to have a house-elf magically heal a a deep gash in his shoulder- acquired after taking a spill off his broom and landing on a sharp rock during one of their Quidditch one-on-ones.
Both times strongly reminded Star of visiting a museum. Malfoy Manor was very beautiful, very large, very cold, and put Star under the impression that she couldn't touch anything.
But tonight, the mansion looked quite different. Star saw at least a hundred guys and girls her age standing in little knots all over, chatting, laughing, eating, drinking, dancing, and, some couples, in a few dark corners here and there, making out. She felt very shy all of a sudden.
Draco led Star to several groups of friends, introducing her to them. They were all in Slytherin House. (Draco had explained to her the four Hogwarts Houses a few days before.) Star noticed a pug-faced girl watching her every move, her dark, unpleasant eyes following her wherever she went. The girl and a number of other people (who looked no friendlier) approached her, taking advantage of Draco's absence as he left her to get them drinks.
Star stepped out of her house-not surprisingly—scowling. 'My mother has got to be the stupidest person who has ever walked this earth.' she thought darkly. Her mother had bought Star brand-new robes for the occasion, done her nails and helped her with her hair.
It was already dark by the time Star was ready. She started out across the huge, grassy expanse between her and Draco's house. Her eyes were just beginning to adjust, when she collided into something solid.
"Ouch!" said a familiar voice.
"Who's there?" Star asked, already knowing the answer; she could see Draco's ill-defined outline through the gloom.
"Star!" she heard Draco's voice say, sounding surprised. "I was just coming over to get you!"
"I'm so glad you did," Star said sarcastically. "you know how treacherous these front lawns can be!"
"Yeah, I know!" Draco said in an equally sarcastic tone. "It's lucky I came along, so I can protect you from the myriad of posing front-lawn threats!" He offered Star his arm, which she took, laughing.
The two crossed from Star's dark lawn, into Draco's slightly larger, brightly lit one. As they approached his house, Star could hear loud music, and saw different-coloured lights strobing and roving about the widows, and spilling out the opened front double-doors.
"Don't your parents get annoyed by all the noise?" Star asked Draco in wonder. She knew her parents would.
"Nah, they're spending the night out of town," Draco answered with a grin. Star's eyes widened.
"Do they know you're having a party?" she asked, aghast.
"'Course they do," Draco replied. "That's why they're out of town!" He laughed, winking conspiratorially. He led Star inside, took her cloak and hung it up for her.
Star had been inside Draco's house twice before, once when Star's family had gone over to meet the Malfoys, and again when Draco had needed to go inside to have a house-elf magically heal a a deep gash in his shoulder- acquired after taking a spill off his broom and landing on a sharp rock during one of their Quidditch one-on-ones.
Both times strongly reminded Star of visiting a museum. Malfoy Manor was very beautiful, very large, very cold, and put Star under the impression that she couldn't touch anything.
But tonight, the mansion looked quite different. Star saw at least a hundred guys and girls her age standing in little knots all over, chatting, laughing, eating, drinking, dancing, and, some couples, in a few dark corners here and there, making out. She felt very shy all of a sudden.
Draco led Star to several groups of friends, introducing her to them. They were all in Slytherin House. (Draco had explained to her the four Hogwarts Houses a few days before.) Star noticed a pug-faced girl watching her every move, her dark, unpleasant eyes following her wherever she went. The girl and a number of other people (who looked no friendlier) approached her, taking advantage of Draco's absence as he left her to get them drinks.