Title: Masquerade

Author: Christina E Lupin

Rated: PG-13, to be safe

Summary: Hogwarts hosts a Masquerade ball. MWPP era. Also coincides with Blood Brothers.

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Masquerade

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It was the night before Halloween and all the students were excited. Earlier in the school year, Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts' headmaster, had announced that on Halloween night there would be a Masquerade ball. Even the Slytherins sounded really pleased with the idea. But there was one particular group that, if possible, was the most excited over the idea of the ball.

"I swear that they were girls in their previous lives," Peter Pettigrew whispered to his friend, Remus Lupin. They were talking about their other friends, James Potter and Sirius Black. "I bet they will be clogging up the showers tomorrow morning."

Remus snickered. "I think James will take the longest to get out of the shower. He's so vain."

"Who's vain?"

Both Remus and Peter jumped and whirled around to face one of their fellow Gryffindors and Sirius Black's crush, Alexandra Price. Her mahogany hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with a few strands falling alongside her face. Icy blue eyes remained focused on the two boys. She had an eyebrow raised.

"We were talking about James and Sirius, Alex."

Alex groaned. "Of course. I don't believe I have ever seen two boys fuss over their appearance like that." She walked down the aisle towards Lily Evans, her best friend.

"I feel bad for those two girls," Frank Longbottom commented from Remus' right.

"Why?" Peter asked.

Frank smirked. "James and Sirius are going to try to seduce them before midnight."

Remus snorted. "Real romantic."

The older Gryffindor boy agreed. "Yes. So, do you know what Ainsley is going to wear, Remus?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah. We coordinated our outfits ahead of time, but we are not always going to be around each other, since it's a Masquerade ball. You are not supposed to know who is under the masks."

The next day, Remus and Peter awoke to the sound of running water. They glanced around their room and noticed both James and Sirius were out of bed. Frank was still sleeping on his bed by the door.

"Good morning Wormtail," Remus yawned.

"Good morning Moony," Peter replied. "Suppose we wait for the divas to get out?"

The werewolf smirked, his eyes alight with mischief. "I have a better idea, Wormtail." He crawled out of bed and grabbed his wand from the nightstand. Peter bounced on his bed, a large smile on his face. He watched as Remus snuck toward the bathroom door and pointed his wand under the door.

Few seconds later….

"AAAAHHH!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Remus dashed across the room with his superhuman speed and managed to sit down on his bed with an angelic look when James and Sirius, with towels around their waists, burst into the room. Both boys had terrified looks on their faces, which made both Remus and Peter collapse into laughter. Then it finally dawned on the two black-haired Gryffindors as to who was behind the prank.

"I will so kill you for that, Moony," Sirius growled, sounding like his animal counterpart.

"That's not funny, Moons," James responded, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"H-how long have you b-been in there?" Peter choked out, his round face tinged red due to laughter.

James turned to look at Sirius and they both tried to remember.

"Exactly. Do you want me to find a permanent gender-switching spell so…."

Remus never finished his sentence. He rolled off his bed to avoid two spells headed toward him. "I was just joking, guys!"

"Uh huh," Sirius replied. "Now, if you will permit us to finish drying ourselves, we will be out soon."

James and Sirius entered the bathroom and shut the door. Finally, Frank woke up and he blinked owlishly as he took in the sight of the room.

"What happened here?"

Remus and Peter broke out into laughter again.

Ainsley Townshend lay on her bed reading, ignoring her roommates' whispered gossip. She couldn't wait until they left so she could get into her costume for the night. A smile flitted across her lips as she remembered what she was going to wear. Even though her boyfriend, Remus Lupin, knew what she was going to wear, she didn't exactly tell him the entirety of her costume. Besides, he never saw her in it. Just thinking about his expression when he would see her tonight made her feel… sexy.

"Oh! Time to get our hair done!" Ginger Beauregard exclaimed loudly. "You coming, Ainsley?"

Ainsley looked up from her reading. "No. I'll wait until you are done. I won't take long."

Isabella Zabini put her hands on her hips. "C'mon, girl. This is the only night we get to dress up. Let us work with your hair. All you do is leave it hanging. It's like you are not a girl at all."

"I will be fine, girls."

The three Ravenclaw girls shrugged and entered the bathroom, already discussing how they would be doing their hair. Ainsley let out a sigh and put up a Sound Blocking spell around her bed. This would be a long afternoon.

Finally, it was around 5 o'clock, an hour before the ball would begin. Already, most of the students were dressed up and were waiting by the Great hall doors. The Marauders were a bit farther away from the group, silently watching. James' costume mimicked Godric Gryffindor's outfit when the man was alive. He wore a long scarlet cloak fastened around his neck, with the underside done in a beautiful shimmering gold. Underneath the cloak was a scarlet silk shirt and black trousers. On the silk shirt he added a patch with the Gryffindor lion on it to his left side. His mask wound around his head, covering the area around his eyes. It was done in beautiful reds and golds, standing out against his black hair. For the evening, he put in clear contacts so no one would recognize him.

Sirius' outfit didn't copy any historic figures, like James' did. He wore a dark gray silk shirt that was covered by a black velvet jacket, the lapels and lining of the jacket done in muted silver. He also wore black trousers. The cloak he had on was a brilliant silver color on both sides. His mask, as well, was in silvers and grays, matching his eyes. His black hair was pulled back into an elegant ponytail.

Remus' costume wasn't as elegant as his friends'. He copied the exact outfit that Robin Hood had had back in the old days. He wore a brown vest over a loose cotton peasant shirt. He had long green tights that actually complimented his legs well, earning more than enough attention from the girls. His cloak was done in emerald green on the topside, a nice bright green underneath. He wore his hair like always and his mask was done in browns and greens to match his outfit, highlighting his amber eyes.

Peter's costume was also simple. He wore a black suit with a white button-down shirt underneath. His cloak was a dark black on the outside and the inside was a dark gray. His mask covered half of his face and was white. On top of his head was a top hat, tall and black.

"Is your girlfriend coming, Moony?" Sirius asked, faking a look of boredom.

"You don't have to wait for me, you know," the werewolf growled.

The students were slowly filtering in to the now open Great Hall, gasping at the sight of the room.

"Why wouldn't we wait? What if we wanted to see what Ainsley looked like in her costume?" James retorted.

It wasn't long after James had spoken that Remus picked up on his mate's scent coming towards him. He turned and he automatically smiled in awe.

Ainsley was a vision in her dress. Her dress matched the era that Remus' came from. It was done in a stunning white color, with various ribbons and pearls done in silvers and off-white colors. The dress left her shoulders almost bare, exposing the cream color of her skin. At her neck she wore a thick blue ribbon that was held together by a large diamond. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant hairstyle on top of her head and a crown was fastened around the base of her hair. Her mask was done in blacks, silvers, and whites.

James whistled. "I love your dress, Ainsley. It is beautiful."

She smiled brightly. "Thanks, James."

His mouth dropped. "How did you know?" He turned toward Remus, his eyes narrowing.

Ainsley laughed. "No, it wasn't Remus who told me. I figured it out myself. Just like I knew it was Sirius there in all the grays." She looked at her boyfriend and offered her arm. "Would you mind escorting me, sir Robin Hood?"

Remus snapped out of his shock and he automatically grabbed her arm. "I would certainly be delighted to, miss."

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The Great Hall definitely transformed from what it used to be. The dais where the teachers sat now housed the band, who were playing soft music. All the House tables vanished to be replaced by several smaller tables that outlined the dance floor, which rested in the middle of the hall. The walls were covered with black, silver, and white drapes. The ribbons that were hung in the air were done in the same colors.

Alex sat down in a vacated chair, watching the couples dance. Since everyone was wearing masks that hid their identities, no one knew who the other person was. Alex herself only knew of a few people's costumes, like Lily and Ainsley's. Both girls were seated at a table across the room, chatting. The man who was dressed as Robin Hood could only be Remus, as he was seated beside Ainsley, holding her hand.

"Why are you seated alone, young lady?"

Alex glanced up and caught the eyes of the same person who had been eyeing her most of the night. He was gorgeous in the silvers and grays of his costume, matching his beautiful gray eyes. He took a seat next to her with an elegance and grace that she envied.

"I never got an invitation to sit elsewhere. One of my best friends already has a boyfriend and the other friend is with her. I didn't want to feel like a fifth wheel."

The man leaned forward. "You will never be a fifth wheel. Not while you are with me." He held out a hand that was encased in a white glove. "Care for a dance?"

Alex blushed and took the proffered hand. She prayed to Merlin that she didn't dance with a complete idiot.

Lily watched as Remus and Ainsley went to the dance floor. They really were beautiful together. She could only hope that their relationship stayed as strong as it was now.

"Hello, beautiful lady."

She turned around to catch the gaze of the man who greeted her. Instantly she knew who it was. How could she not?

"Go away, Potter. You are wasting your time."

She nearly melted at the sound of his chuckle. Gods, it was like velvet. Only Ainsley and Alex knew of her crush on James Potter. She never wanted James to know or he would be unbearable, gloating that he finally got who he wanted for a girlfriend.

"No, sweet Lily. I would only like a dance with you. I swear I will leave you alone for the rest of the night."

It was a tempting offer. Plus, she had seen herself in this position in her dreams the past few nights. She dreamed of dancing with James, of the kiss they would share afterward. Oh, she really wanted that kiss. She wanted him with a need that scared her. What would Ainsley or Alex do?

Lily eyed James, looking him up and down, before she finally let out a sigh. "Just one dance, Potter. That's all."

By Gods, did that man know how to smile. James leapt up from his chair and offered his hand. She slipped her hand in his and marveled at how large his hand was… and how her hand fit perfectly in his.

Like how it was meant to be.

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"Looks like they both win," Remus whispered in Ainsley's ear, watching Sirius and James dance with their crushes.

"Mhm," Ainsley replied, her breath against his neck making him shiver. "Though I am not surprised that Alex and Lily gave in. It was only a matter of time."

"Just like you did."

She pulled away enough to look him in the eyes, watching as the amber slowly bled away to reveal the gold of the wolf's eyes. She smiled, caressing his face. "Yes. Just like I did."

Fin.

I hope you all enjoyed this story. It is one of my few attempts at some romance. Besides, I wanted to have some fun with the whole Alex/Sirius coupling I might do in Blood Brothers. Oh, and here are the dresses that Alex and Lily wore. Sorry that I never got the time to explain:

Alex: Victorian dress done in several shades of green, with the ribbons and buttons done in gold. She wears a gold necklace around her neck in a choker fashion. Her hair was done up in a similar fashion that Ainsley did. Her mask has emerald green and gold on it.

Lily: a blue and white Victorian dress with not a whole lot of ribbons and other stuff. She doesn't wear any necklaces. Her hair was left alone, though a little bit curly. Her mask was done in blues and whites.