Estelle hadn't gone far. She was stood surrounded by a sizable group of students. She stood flicking her hair off her shoulder and as a younger, but very attractive, blonde Gryffindor boy who was trying to tell her a joke looked away, she rolled her eyes and giggled with a Ravenclaw girl beside her. Although when the boy looked back she was telling him to keep going and smiled at him winningly. She was clearly lapping up all the attention.
'How could Charlie not see that she was toxic?' Natalie wondered
Charlie faltered when he saw the large group of people clustered around Estelle, but to Natalie's surprise, and Charlie's delight, Estelle noticed Charlie and glided over to him. Natalie noticed a smirk curling Estelle's features.
"Charlie, it's so good to see you, it's been ages since our last ancient runes class, you said you'd help me with my homework and you never did!" she cried mock affronted. Estelle's group of admirers shifted uncomfortably. They had pointedly been ignored.
Charlie was looking down and started scuffing his shoes on the flagstone floor. Natalie closed her eyes and curled her toes in sympathetic embarrassment. She braced herself for what she knew was coming.
"Was wondering, if maybe, you know, you, eh, wanted to, eh, come to, eh, Hogsmeade with , eh, me." Charlie mumbled, almost out of Natalie's hearing
"Oh you know I'd love to, Charlie-" Charlie's head shot up as if he were a puppet and someone had pulled his strings, but Estelle was still talking "but there's something you need to do for me, to prove yourself worthy" Estelle's voice had fallen to a whisper and she seemed to savour every syllable she dripped into Charlie's offered ear. Even so Natalie noticed Estelle's eyes never left her posé of admirers who appeared to be glaring at Charlie with what amounted to jealousy.
Natalie was starting to feel uncomfortable herself. Charlie was completely engrossed in whatever it was Estelle was telling him and Natalie's stomach felt like she'd eaten out of date pumpkin pasties.
Luckily that was when Amy and Natalie's other friend Kelly walked out the Great Hall.
"You missed some post." Amy said thrusting a thick envelope into Natalie's hands.
"Oh God." Kelly muttered as she looked over Natalie's head "She actually knows Charlie exists, this isn't good."
"I think she knows a little more than that he exists." Natalie said dryly but she distracted herself by opening her mail. It was a letter from home – which she decided she'd read later – but inside was included a moving picture of her Great Dane, Treacle. He appeared to be wearing a t-shirt which he was attempting to rip off.
"Look, I've got another picture for my wall." Natalie cried triumphantly waving her newest treasure in front of the other two girls who attempted to snatch it away laughing at her. Natalie's love of her dog was a running joke in the Dormitory. She'd almost covered the space beside her bed with pictures of Treacle, and a few of her other family members as well.
"Are we all ready to go then?" Charlie had come up behind Natalie making her jump. She came down on his foot. "Ow! Watch where you put your feet, Nat!" and for a dizzying moment he held her elbows as she replaced her feet on the hard flagstones.
"Maybe you shouldn't have made me jump like that!" Natalie retorted jokingly
"You like me keeping you on your toes, I know you do." Natalie smiled up at him but inside she sighed. He was more right than he knew.
"We're just waiting for Sam and then we'll go." Said Kelly.
"What was it Estelle was whispering to you?" Natalie asked curious
"Is she coming with us now?" asked Amy
"No, she may join us later though." Charlie said beaming. It seemed as if only Natalie noticed Charlie had avoided her first question.
Sam arrived, finally, giving Kelly's hair a ruffle as he passed, to her displeasure. They then wandered out to the school gates where Filtch was checking all the student's names off a list of those with permission to go to Hogsmeade. They all pulled on the hats, scarves and gloves they'd stored in their bags during breakfast to protect them from the flurries of snow sprinkling their heads. They were no good keeping out the cold the Dementor pervades when they passed the grisly guards. Natalie saw Kelly shiver. Sam who had ambled into the lead began making an attempt at singing a Celestina Warbeck classic which got everyone back in the festive spirit. Soon they were all attempting to reach the notes of the song although they were laughing so hard that they failed even more than they normally would.
They went to Honeydukes and brought a large mixture of sweets; Zonkos Joke shop was so packed they decided to give up, (Sam was swearing he'd bumped into an invisible person which everyone ignored); they looked in the window of Dervish and Bangs as Kelly brought more catapillars as she'd been running low; they were just drifting in the direction of the Shrieking Shack when Amy said
"That place gives me the creeps and we've been there hundreds of times, lets just go to the Three Broomsticks. Please?" Everyone nodded and started to turn back the way they had come. Everyone except Charlie. Natalie noticing first stopped and turned around
"Where are you going?" Natalie demanded.
"Got something I've got to see to." Charlie yelled back, backing away along the path that led to the mountains surrounding Hogsmeade," I won't be long, I'll see you in the Pub. Though I may just head back to Hogwarts. Anyway, see you all soon." and with that Charlie turned around and scuttled away.
Natalie frowned. This wasn't like Charlie at all but Sam had already put his arm round Kelly's and her neck and was leading then back towards the main street, emitting an attempt at a Wyrd Sister's Song which Natalie couldn't help but laugh at.