The dance was starting to wind down and about half the original number of students remained.
James, Lily, Remus and Sirius had all congregated at one of the small round tables at the edge of the hall. There were used Butterbeer bottles scattered over the table and around the floor, testament to how long some of them had been sat there.
"God, my feet are killing me". Lily leaned forward to take her shoes off and rub at her abused feet, maybe Harmony has the right idea about wearing flats.
"Mine aren't", Sirius took a swig from his bottle looking smug. Lily made to smack him on the arm but he dodged the attack, "Oi, will you stop trying to abuse me, between you and Remus I'll be black and blue later", "only because you keep acting like a child", muttered Lily.
Sirius continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Anyone would think you didn't like me or something and that can't be right, everyone loves me!", "You keep telling yourself that love", came from Remus as he took a gulp of his own drink.
"Hey!".
"The reason your feet aren't hurting" Lily said peevishly, "Is because you three haven't done any patrolling since the second dance ended. Unlike you, I've been walking up and down in high heels all night".
Sirius gave her a self-righteous look, "I'm not a professor though, so its not my job to patrol the students", with a wicked gleam in his eye he added, "and I only wear heels when Mooney asks me too".
Sirius bestowed a leer and a saucy wink on his husband, while Remus put his head in his hands. James looked vaguely ill at the image this had put in his head and started to mutter to himself.
'didntneedtonothatdidntneedtonothat'.
Deciding the best course of action was to ignore the over grown children that were her husband and his best friend, she pushed ahead. "Maybe it's not your job Sirius, but what's the excuse with you two?", she looked at Remus and James pointedly.
Remus cleared his throat slightly, "Well I've been dealing with the Beauxbatons and the Durmstrang staff most of the night", Remus gave her a pointed look "and if you'll remember; I had to deal with corralling the students before the ball started, while you three were just waiting around for Harmony"
"Alright, fair enough", she gave Remus a placating gesture, before looking James; who was picking the label off his bottle and pretending that she wasn't looking at him to provide an answer as to his whereabouts all night.
"Well what about you?, what have you been doing all night, since I left you earlier?".
James looked around himself as if trying to find the person she was talking to, before turning to her with a 'who me' expression. Lily was unmoved by this, put on look of innocence, so James decided to try a charm offensive instead.
"Well, my gorgeous, darling wife", he flashed her a look that was all teeth; "I've had a very important job. I've been guarding the Butterbeers, to ensure they weren't tampered with by the students".
Lily eyed the table's contents before raising her eyebrows at her husband, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms in an unimpressed manner. "Really?, looks like you've been drinking them to me".
She nudged one of the empty bottles on the floor with the tip of a toe, as I knocked in to some of the other bottles, it let off the resounding clink of empty glass.
James sent her another toothy grin. Clearly trying for innocently charming, but having more the look of being caught in the biscuit jar by his mum.
"Yeah, well, to a novice it might look like that. But as all us high ranking Butterbeer guards know; you have to test them constantly; to make sure they've not been tampered with. Trade secret you know", he tapped the side of his nose in an exaggerated conspiratorial manner.
Having had enough of her husbands antics for the night, Lily tried to cuff James around the back of the head; but he ducked just in time (he was used to his wife's actions when she was riled,he and Sirius pissed her off to often not to be).
She was just about to give him a piece of her mind, when a commotion across the hall drew the tables eyes; as well as those of a fair few of the students.
The noise had come from over near the refreshments table, where the Snape boy (who was wearing a murderous look on his face), was looming over a fellow student.
Although they couldn't see who it was he was glaring down at, they were clearly male and laying on the floor at an awkward angle. Harmony was nowhere to be seen.
Lily sighed and started to put her shoes back on to her sore feet so she could intervene, but James put a hand over hers to stop her and gestured at Remus and Sirius to get up and follow him.
"It's alright love us three will deal with whatever's gone off, you rest your feet a little longer".
Not really wanting to put her swelling feet back in her shoes, she left them to it, and kicked her feet up on her husbands empty chair and watched as he and his friends made their way through the gathering crowd of students.
The two professors and one Auror quickly parted the small crowd that had gathered around Snape and a boy James could now identify as Adrian Pucey, (a fellow slytherin sixth year), Pucey had gotten off the floor by this time and he was cupping a hand over his nose; blood dribbling between his fingers and on the front of his dress robes.
Remus and Sirius began ushering students away while James made for Snape, "Mister Snape what on earth is going on here", Pucey piped up from between his fingers before Severus could respond, "he attabed me!".
James gave Pucey a quelling look, "I asked Mister Snape what is going on here, not you Mister Pucey". Bringing his attention back to the Snape boy, he raised an expectant eyebrow at him, "well Mister Snape?".
Snape didn't respond, he just kept casting his murderous glare towards Pucey. Harmony might be willing to wait for the boy to respond when he was in a mood, but James certainly wasn't.
"If you don't tell me why you have attacked a fellow student Snape, you will be in serious trouble with your head of house and I will be forced to make you leave the ball early and go back to your dorm".
Still no response came, the only reaction was the boy turning his glare on the floor and a tightening around his mouth, he clearly wasn't going to answer the professor anytime soon. So James decided to try a different route. Blackmail.
"I'm quite sure that your date wouldn't appreciate you cutting their evening short. And with her not being currently present to know you've been ordered to leave, she may just think you've ditched her".
Shuttered eyes peeked out from behind a curtain of black hair, they gave nothing away about the boys thoughts so James decided to try and press a little harder.
"After all I'm a busy professor, it may just slip my mind to tell her why your not here anymore; and if she thinks you've just left her at the ball; with out even saying goodnight? I'm sure that would upset her, wouldn't you agree Mister Snape?. Where is your date any way? Since she's clearly not been here to witness you acting like your thug of a father".
There was a slight wince at the last comment before the boy looked up at James, his face was still impassive but the shutters in his eyes had lifted and James could clearly see the turmoil in their fathomless depths.
James knew he was being nasty, but he hoped the threat of his daughters hurt feelings and the mention of his arsehole father might loosen the boys tongue.
Snape clearly didn't want to divulge the reason why he had attacked a fellow student (and a slytherin at that), but James guessed the boy didn't want to hurt Harmony's feeling's by leaving early with out saying goodnight or giving her some explanation as to why he had to go, either.
At least thats what James hoped was causing the turmoil. He could see that Snape had come to some sort of decision because the boys eyes hardened as the shutters came down once more; before sneering at James and gritting out.
"She's gone to the bathroom… Sir"
This was said with as much of a fuck you tone as the boy dared to use . Although the boy had sneered and the tone of voice was less than respectful, his face showed only what he wanted James to see. It was like he'd locked as much of his emotions away as possible .
James couldn't really blame the boy for his tone. He'd be pissed too, if a teacher he hadn't got on with was threatening to make him leave with out telling Lily why he had to. Or comparing him to a bully the calibre of Snape's father.
That didn't mean he wouldn't be taking points for the tone though. "I was just getting us both a drink when Pucey and I had a disagreement". With that statement the shutters flew up once more and Snape turned a fire filled glare on Pucey, James was surprised the other boy hadn't caught light from the force of it.
James's eyes glinted as he spoke. "I would recommend that you answer me with out the tone Mister Snape, ten points from slytherin for being disrespectful when talking to a professor".
James looked the two boys over for a moment; one was glaring his head off and clenching his teeth, while the other held his still bleeding nose.
"A disagreement?, Exactly what type of disagreement warrants this severity of attack?" James nodded towards the bleeding boy.
Strangely the reaction to this query came not from Snape who had clammed up once more, but from Pucey; who'd tuned pale at James inquiry.
Clearly the boy was afraid of what Snape might say to the Gryffindor professor, which begged the question; what had Pucey done to cause the disagreement in the first place?.
Snapes answer came in a low tone of controlled anger, and was said his through a clenched teeth, he clearly didn't want to say what ever he was about to.
"With all due respect sir, disagreements between slytherins are supposed to remain between slytherins".
Colour returned to Pucey's face, as his shoulders noticeably slumped; looking like it pained him greatly to agree with Snape in any way, Pucey gingerly nodded his head at this statement.
'You have got to be kidding me'.
James didn't know if to laugh at Snapes statement or give him a smack for sheer stupidity. In the end he settled for a scowl that would make Mcgonagall proud.
"If you wanted it to remain a slytherin matter you shouldn't have attacked him while in front of a hall full of people. You should have waited till you were in your dorms. So either you tell me what caused this altercation right now, or I'll be forced to make you apologise to Mister Pucey for the damage to his face; and serve you two weeks detention for not giving an adequate explanation to a professor when asked. I will also have to hand you over to your head of house, for any other punishment she deems fit for attacking a fellow student with out provocation, do I make my self clear".
Snape turned red with indignation at the mention of an apologie to Pucey, while Pucey suddenly looked rather too smug for James liking. In fact it was a little disconcerting to see such a smug look on a face that's lower half was bathed in blood.
"But sir I prom.. I promised Harmony that we could".
It seemed that Snape had finally caught on to the rest of what James had said because the boy was finally showing a reaction other the anger and gritted teeth or shuttered stoicism, he looked unsure and had lost what little colour he had, which for Snape was saying something.
James wasn't in the mood however; and cut across the boy, before he could stammer out some excuse to do with his daughter, for why he couldn't be punished to the extent that James threatened. James would get his answers out of the boy one way or another. Even if it cost his daughter somthing she'd been promised.
"I couldn't care less what you've promised Harmony; at the moment I am your professor not your dates father. So either tell me what caused you to attack this student, or you'll be leaving the ball right now, with out a goodbye, and no free time for at least a fortnight".
Fierce turmoil tore across the boys features in the face of James unwavering stance.
I f he places my daughters happiness below house loyalties he's not the boy L ily keeps saying.
James could see the exact second the boy decided he'd been left with no choice but to rat on his housemate; because he looked like he was heading for the gallows. A quick glance a Pucey showed a similar look although James doubted that they were for the same reasons. Snape feared house retribution, Pucey clearly feared the professors.
"The disagreement was about my date sir, Pucey made certain suggestions about what I could do with her, suggestions that I took issue with. When he wouldn't stop, I felt that he needed more than words to get him to shut up..sir".
Dawning understanding settled over James face while Pucey made a small sound of distress. He didn't just look like he was heading for the gallows anymore. He looked like he was staring death straight in the face. The colour that had returned earlier, had now fled and Pucey had the pallor of bleached bone.
Obviously didn't think his house mate would betray him to a gryffindor professor, thought James, slightly smugly .
Turning to look Pucey straight in the face, James decided to put on a vague look of interest mixed with the saccharine sweetness of a teacher who could be trusted. However if you looked his eyes betrayed the true nature of his thoughts.
James was seething inside, he had quite a good idea what suggestions Pucey had made about his daughter and he would bet his vintage Firebolt that it had something to do with that damn dress.
James noticed that the boy gulped when he was faced with the transfigurations professors unwavering gaze.
"Exactly what suggestions did you make about his date, Mister Pucey?".
"I.. I.. it wasn't amyting wearly sir, Snape's exaderating I dust made corment about how.. how nite her dress was that's all".
Although the speech was a little garbled because of the speed he said it and from the possibly broken nose, James got the gist of what he was saying
The half saccharine, half interested facade remained on James's face, but Pucey was treated to the ice filled eyes of a pissed off father.
The Snape boy made an angry sound of protest behind him at Puceys accusation, but James sent him a look that stopped him in his tracks. Turning back to Pucey he was pleased to see the boy looked close to fainting… or pissing himself.
"Really Mister Pucey?, I find that hard to believe. What could you have possibly to Snape about how nice my daughters dress is; that he felt the need to hex you in the face for it?".
An agitated mumbling from behind him made glance over at the Snape boy again. The boy was hiding partially behind his hair once more, while sending a look of pure loathing at Pucey, James noted he was clenching and unclenching the fist's from where they were resting tightly at his sides.
"What was that?", "I said I didn't hex him sir, I hit him".
James felt his eyebrows fly up to his hairline. "You hit him?, as in with your fist". A gritted yes sir came from the boy.
James turned his astonished look on Pucey, "So you mean to tell me Mister Pucey. That what you said about my daughter's dress was totally innocuous, and that Mister Snape punched you in the face completely unprovoked for no reason, what so ever. Is that the gist of what your saying mister Pucey?"
Pucey started nodding vigorously sending a droplet off blood flying as he did so. "Yes sirb, I didn't say anything to the miserble ittle half blood, he's ust touchy".
Clearly Pucey hadn't the same qualms about house loyalty as Snape did, or at least he didn't now the boot was on the other foot anyway. Before James could utter a response to this effect and reprimand the boy for his language towards Snape, Snape tried to rush past James to have another go at Pucey.
James didn't think he'd ever seen the Snape boy look so enraged; he was constantly surly yes but you never saw the fire of real anger on the boy. He never really showed emotion of any sort.
James managed to grab him just before he reached Pucey and Snape started hissing a blue streak so creative James hoped Harmony hadn't picked up any of those words while hanging around him.
Sirius turned up at just the right moment and grabbed hold of Pucey. While Sirius had been content to sit back and watch James pull his hair out trying to get an explanation out of the pair, he realised he better help when Pucey tried to advance on the struggling boy in James grip.
Pucey was obviously trying to get in there first this time, having seen Snapes advance just before James had grabbed him.
Both boys continued to struggle in the mens holds, both cursing at each other and clearly spoiling for a fight.
In James's case, it was a more difficult task to keep hold of the Snape boy than he would've thought, the boy has a decent set of muscles under these robes.
As soon as he had the thought he wanted to wipe it from his head. James decided he needed to channel Mcgonagall and shouted above both boys cursing in his sternest voice.
"That is enough, both of you. What are you both sixteen or six?".
Both boys instantly stopped struggling. Shame faced, they realised the display they were making for the gawking student's that had come back at the newest commotion.
Sirius relaxed his hold on Pucey and huffed at James,"what the fuck is all this about James?", "that's what I'm still trying to find out, but neither of them has given me anything much to go on other than that comments where made about a dress".
James gave his friend a significant look and Sirius nodded back in understanding. His arms re-tightened momentarily around Pucey and Sirius was gratified to hear the little cretin squeak slightly at the tight squeezing.
James ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed.
He cast a moderately softened look at the boy he'd just released from his arms; hoping to get him to cooperate, he needed to know exactly what had been said.
"Look I know that you and I don't get on very well, but I need you to cool your temper and just give me the facts. Your only hurting yourself by staying quite, and Mister Pucey clearly has no such thought's as yours when it comes to house mate loyalty. If you don't tell me exactly what he said you'll end up being solely punished for something that I think probably isn't your fault, do you want that?".
Snape opened his mouth to respond and then closed it abruptly as his name was called from across the hall.