Diana walked down the ballroom steps to the masquerade ball below. It was for Halloween, and the Weird Sisters were singing on the stage - 'As the World Falls Down'. She looked at the mirror next to her - she was wearing a white ball gown, shimmery with a tight bodice and puffy sleeves, her hair down with silver ribbons entwined in it. A diamond necklace was around her neck, diamonds hanging from her ears. She wore contact lenses so he could see her eyes - he never got to see her eyes because of those damn glasses. She was wearing a silver mask, held with a clear rubber band around her head. She thought with a smile, "I look like Sarah from 'Labyrinth' - good. That's what I was trying for."

She whispered to herself, "You have no power over me..." She then laughed as she thought, "Try telling that to Cedric. Speaking of which, where is he?"

She looked around the ballroom (which was decorated with floating candles and mirrors - a thousand dancing couples were reflected on the walls), her eyes darting to every corner, to every mask, to every laughing face. She took off her mask and put it in one of the dress's hidden pockets so she could see out of her periph, as Dane Cook would put it. She then looked at the people near the bottom of the staircase - there was no one save for one man, who was smiling at her. He was wearing tight black pants, a white poet's shirt, a blue velvet jacket, black boots, and a blue mask over his eyes, and he had dirty blonde hair. He lifted his mask - Diana knew then that it was Cedric.

When Diana had reached the bottom of the staircase, the Weird Sisters had finished playing 'As The World Falls Down'. Heathcote, the lead singer, said, "Next up, we have a song for all you waltzing lovers out there called 'The Dark Ballroom'. Enjoy."

The intro was a haunting, slow tune, one that would remain in the minds of all who heard it.

Charms have no effect,

Your power, I hold suspect,

Your love has a deeper spell

Then anything I could ever tell,

And here in the dark ballroom,

My heart seems to bloom...

Diana smiled, not showing her teeth though she wanted to, and said, "So, uh... what's with the pants?"

"What do you mean?"

"They're tighter then David Bowie's in 'Labyrinth'."

"That was the point," he said as he put his arm around her waist and drew her to him.

Diana opened her mouth to say something, and after a moment, she was able to say, "You know, I was planning on saying 'You have no power over me' the moment I saw you, but... I guess not."

"Wouldn't be correct, now would it?"

"No..."

In this room, the magic flows,

Laughter, talk, but no one knows

How your eyes seem to speak to me

And with all you say, I agree,

And here in the dark ballroom,

My love for you will be my doom...

As they began to waltz, he asked, "How many times have you seen 'Labyrinth', any way?"

"Around 100. And you?"

"Once or twice." He paused. "You've been awfully quiet, Diana - is something wrong?"

"Nothing, really. It's just... I feel like I'm dreaming... am I?"

Cedric kissed her gently and quickly, then said with a smile, "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah..." Diana said with a swooning tone in her voice.

"Then you're not dreaming."

As they continued to waltz, Cedric sang the next (and final) verse in her ear, so only they could hear. Diana's eyes closed, and she felt even more as if she were dreaming. She felt herself turning and her feet moving as gracefully as a dove in the darkness, Cedric's voice clear and strong and beautiful.

The candles burn, the mirror's light

Plays upon the dark of night,

But you're the only light I see,

Your words are my melody,

And here in the dark ballroom,

Music and dance are the bride and groom...

With that, the song ended, and everyone in the ballroom began to applaud. Diana wished that it hadn't ended.

That night, Cedric and Diana walked back to the Hufflepuff dorms together, and got back to the common room after everyone else - everyone else in the castle was asleep.

She whispered, "Good night, my darling."

"Sweet dreams, honey," he cooed as he gave her a good-night kiss.

Diana then went upstairs to the girls' dorms, put on her PJ's, then got into bed. No sooner had she done that then she felt something poking the back of her head. She lifted her head and on the pillow was a little box, and tied to it was a tiny note.

Dearest Diana,

It's a crystal, nothing more. But I would give anything to be something more with you. I love you more

then I've ever loved anyone, and I'll love you for the rest of my life and far beyond. So, I was wondering...

My sweet, darling Diana, will you marry me?

Love,

Cedric

P.S. I'm downstairs waiting for your answer. Be down there in 5 minutes, young lady!

She opened the box - a beautiful diamond on a silver band. She put it on her ring finger and held her hand to the moonlight streaming through the window - it sparkled even in that little light. She ran downstairs.

Cedric was standing by the stairs, grinning. He said, "Well?"

Diana kissed him, feeling as if she could kiss him forever, and whispered, "Of course I'll marry you!"