A/N: This is the usual, I own nothing. Something that started out as a one shot around last October that steadily grew. I have at least 3 chapters planed out, let me know what you think.
The best part about being at a Masquerade you told everyone you weren't going to was that nobody was looking for you because they didn't expect to see you there, Sherlock mused as he stalked the parameter of the Great Hall. He truly had had no intentions of attending the All Hallows Eve Masquerade but couldn't refuse when he realised what a most excellent opportunity it would be to deduce his fellow students. Rather than hiding who you were a costume choice could actually be fairly reveling about how one saw themselves. After making one full circuit of the large room Sherlock began again this time picking out people, it wasn't long before he spotted the easiest one of the lot.
Geoffrey Prewett sporting a red and gold Pantalone mask and where Geoffrey was his twin wasn't too far. Sherlock spotted Ferdinand Prewett in another moment; he was dressed exactly like his brother only his colours were on reversed sides, carrying two goblets of warm apple and cinnamon cider over to his brother. The Gryffindor twins always had a trick up their, in this case, puffy sleeves and could usually be accounted as the source of laughter in a room. Sherlock knew John liked them and that was good enough for him. This would be their last year attending Hogwarts the Gryffindor Quidditch team would need to find a new Chaser and Keeper. It would be John's job as Captain to find adequate replacements.
Sherlock continued to let his eyes roam around the room they next landed on Eleanor and Everett Prince, the twin children of the Potions Master, he was related to them somehow a second cousin on his father's side or some such. Eleanor had been sorted into Ravenclaw but Everett was in Slytherin like his father had been. They were two years younger than Sherlock. All members of the Prince family were skilled potionteers and none had ever been refused the position of Potions Master if they choose to apply. Eleanor caught his eye for a brief moment before Sherlock looked away. Miss Prince had unsettling black eyes and she glared at anyone who seemed to be challenging her, she always suspected others of being up to something.
Next Sherlock saw Molly Hooper in robes of pale rose that matched her Butterfly mask, he was happy to see she was being danced elegantly around the room by a fellow Hufflepuff named Martin Crieff, her hooped skirts floating around her. Molly was a friend of John's and by proxy Sherlock's. Crieff was a Chaser and Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and would be joining fellow Hogwarts alumni Douglas Richardson, former Slytherin Captain and Seeker on the Caerphilly Catapults. The once rivals would have to put their differences aside and work together to form a great team. The Catapults were owned by the ridiculously wealthy Carolyn Knapp-Shappey and her half-wit son Arthur and it was considered a great team to begin ones professional Quidditch career with.
Certainly no one could miss Irene Adler in emerald green silk her Colombina Stella in silver doing nothing at all to hide her unique features. She was idly fanning herself as several Slytherin suitors pursued her, including Oberon Flint, Malvolio Gaunt and Betelgeuse Malfoy, even from this distance Sherlock could see she was bored of the attention. An over eager first year, Arcturus Black dogged Malfoy's every step should the older boy need him to run a quick errand.
Finally Sherlock spotted the person he'd been looking for all night. Really he should have known. John's face was hidden beneath a Medico della Peste and a long white silk cape covered his black suit, the hood pulled up to meet the top of the mask. The lining of the cloak was black velvet, Sherlock could just see it when he turned and the edges flipped out. John was dancing with Sarah or Mary, he didn't know which and didn't really care, she was smiling at something he'd said, or simply from the joy of being in his arms.
Sherlock remembered vividly how young an eleven year old John had looked standing in the doorway to his carriage compartment on the Hogwarts Express. His black trousers almost grey from wear and two inches too short in the leg. His books were worn in the spine suggesting they had a previous owner yet they were dusty so they hadn't been looked at in some time. The only thing new the boy owned was his wand which was still kept protectively in its box. It was easy for Sherlock to deduce that John was a half-blood his mother keeping her magical heritage from him and his father. John had smiled and confirmed it by showing Sherlock the neat scroll inside his books that proclaimed them the property of one Helen Peverell. Instead of being put-off by Sherlock's annoying habits John grew fond of him and when they were sorted into different houses it was John who reminded the pure-blood Sherlock that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor had been close friends before life changes separated them.
At fifteen John had grown into quite a handsome young man, some would say. He kept his flaxen hair close to his scalp and playing Quidditch had made him broader, well-toned. All traces of the gawky eleven-year-old having vanished through the years. Sherlock hoped the two would always be friends, that circumstances wouldn't separate them as it had their house founders.
Sherlock was dressed in all black in an attempt to blend in and make fleeting impressions, no one would remember a man who came all in black he had thought, so long as he kept to the shadows, but seeing all the bright colours of carnival Sherlock was beginning to second guess himself. Perhaps his raven costume would not protect him. This was reaffirmed as he noticed two pairs of piercing blue eyes land on him, Albus Dumbledore and his younger brother, Aberforth. Sherlock matched their gazes with one of his own until Albus looked away. The boy was only fourteen but managed to leave Sherlock feeling as though he had committed some felony simply by being. It didn't help that Dumbledore was a year younger than him and clearly a very bright student, out ranking Sherlock on nearly all of his tests. Gryffindor's Sherlock thought exasperatedly. Dumbledore was outlandishly dressed in a feathered robe not unlike Sherlock's except his was made of bright gold and scarlet, and his beaked mask resembled that of a phoenix. He was most likely mad, why only last week John had told him how Albus had set fire to his bed curtains for no apparent reason.
Sherlock pulled away from his thoughts and turned his gaze back to John, a Gryffindor he'd much rather spend time contemplating. Sherlock had had no friends before he met John, only his elder brother Mycroft and pet raven Lucifer to keep him company, when he desired it, of course. John was easy to talk to, or not talk to, as his moods struck him but worst of all John made him laugh. He made Sherlock feel joy enough to need to express it. Sherlock pulled out of his memories to find the song has changed and John was now dancing with Molly, it was a common curtsy, they were merely friends. Sherlock had it on good authority, from John himself, that he was not the one who captured Miss Hooper's attentions.
With some difficulty John maneuvered his head so he could speak in Molly's ear, whatever he said caused her to cover her mouth politely as she bubbled up with infectious joy. Sherlock could see the light in her eyes shine just a bit brighter. Perhaps John had said something to her about her admired one, or the fact that Mr. Crieff kept looking at them sternly. Jealousy is unbecoming Sherlock chided mentally not stopping to think he should heed his own advice. John always seemed to be spending time with one of two girls, when he wasn't with Sherlock of course. Sarah Sawyer the Hufflepuff and Mary Morstan the Gryffindor, secretly Sherlock seethed whenever John mentioned either of them.
Sherlock looked away again his eyes landing on Moriarty and Moran. James Moriarty was dressed in robes of long clean lines of white and black resembling that of a Magpie no doubt a reflection of his need to be noticed perhaps he expected people to salute him. If Moriarty's costume was demanding attention Moran's screamed for it his robes were positively royal looking as they bared the gold and black stripes of a tiger his face hidden under a matching mask. They made a strange pair Sherlock mused but then again so did he and John. Moriarty the Slytherin and Moran the Gryffindor there was rumors about the two school fellows, that their friendship ran deeper that was appropriate. Sherlock made a point to stop comparing him and John to the two and turned his head again.
Elizabeth Peverell, Albert Potter, Wesley, William, and Wilbur, Weasley, were all easy to spot, a closer group of people Sherlock had never seen, the three brothers sticking out easily in any crowd with their flaming red hair. Elizabeth and Albert were the couple of the year, and all anyone seemed able to talk about. The five friends danced in a large circle that kept getting bigger as more and more people joined in, the Prewett twins, Molly Hooper, Martin Crieff, Eleanor Prince, belatedly Sherlock realized he'd lost sight of John in the growing mass of swirling people. He started to panic turning his beaked head this way and that looking for a solitary spot of white in the endless sea of turning colours.
Someone grabbed his hand and pulled him into the dance Sherlock tried to shake them loose but to no avail the stranger's grasp held. It was then Sherlock looked to his immediate right, the stranger who had grabbed his hand was John! He and John were clasping hands the long white silky sleeve of John's robe brushed against his bare wrist, likewise his feathers were no doubt tickling the Death Doctor. Sherlock realized too late that he was still staring at John when the other boy turned to face him and their masks connected, both consisting of long beaked parts it was inevitable. That didn't stop John from smiling at him though, it was as if he knew, but no, that wasn't possible.
"Sorry" said John still smiling, "you looked lonely over by the wall there, I thought you might like to join in."
That was John though, it wasn't enough for him to befriend Sherlock once, he would do it over and over again. John could have pulled any wall-flower into the dance but he didn't, he had pulled Sherlock. Sherlock returned the smile naturally, almost forgetting he was supposed to be remaining anonymous. It was so easy to smile around John though. Sherlock squeezed John's hand a little tighter not wanting this dizzying moment to end, if John noticed he gave no sign.