Part Seven: Returning.
With wonder in his emerald green eyes the Gryffindor watched the dark man walk away before he quickly put the mask away into a robe pocket Harry turned swiftly he went to find Draco. Harry felt he needed to talk to someone about this situation and being a fellow Slytherin like Severus the blond was likely to understand all of this better than his other friends.
Harry found the Slytherin ice prince talking with Blaise and Pansy; the green eyed wizard walked over to them and smiled widely at the blond. "Hey Draco can I have a word?"
The ice prince smiled back. "Sure."
Quietly the two men walked off together, when they were far enough away from the prying ears of the other two Slytherins Harry turned to Draco. "Well I thought you might like to know that last night I got rid of the mask."
"Well done you!" Draco said in heartfelt congratulations.
"Yeah and then today the man I used it to woo returned the mask to me." Harry told the other wizard quietly.
The blond raised both eyebrows at his companion. "Did he say anything to you?"
"Yes he did say something to me he begged me to come to him again as the man in the mask, in fact he acted very strangely throughout the whole encounter."
Draco gazed into the vivid green eyes of the other man. "And what does that make you feel?"
Instantly fire flared in those green eyes, Harry suddenly looked more alive than he had for a long while; Draco placed both hands on the other man's shoulders and spoke again. "Your face and eyes say it all, you should go back to him you clearly still love him and want to return to him. One question for my curiosities sake just who is this man who has your heart so completely?"
"Why on earth do you want to know that Draco?" Harry asked confused.
"I want to know in case he is stupid enough to say no to you again, that way I'll know exactly who it is that I need to go and kill."
The dark haired man couldn't help it he laughed slightly. "I'll only tell you if you promise not to tell anyone else."
"Fine I promise now please just tell me who he is."
"Severus."
Draco's grey eyes went wide in shock. "Severus you mean Severus Snape, as in my godfather?"
"Yes." Harry replied simply.
There was silence for a few moments as the blond digested this bomb shell before he smiled slightly at the other man. "Wow now that one I didn't expect, but somehow I can see it the two of you . . . so if I might be as bold as to ask, when is the masked man going to make his reappearance in my godfather's life?" The blond asked the other wizard curiously.
"Well I happen to think that since the Yule ball is going to be a masquerade what could possibly be a better time for him to reappear than then."
"My poor godfather isn't going to know what hit him."
Harry smiled devilishly at the Slytherin next to him. "You know that is the general idea Draco."
"I have to say I am kind curious to see exactly how you turn into him you know." Draco said curiously.
"I'm sure you would, but this part of myself I am afraid is not something that I will share with you Draco, you'll just have to remain mystified."
The blond pouted at the Gryffindor but his silver eyes were sparkling with laughter. "Your mean."
Harry laughed gently at the other wizard. "No this just happens to be one secret that I do want to keep all to myself. Besides you'll see me as him at the ball, even better you can now ask Blaise to take you, I'm well aware that you asked me but I know that really you wanted to ask him."
The pail young man flushed and the green eyed man smiled at him gently. "How did you know that?" Draco asked him softly.
"I've been watching you and believe it or not I'm not always completely oblivious to everything around me. Now do me a favour and go ask Blaise to go to the ball with you and if he asks why tell him that something came up and I couldn't take you anymore."
"Thanks Harry. Oh and Harry I'm sure that Severus will love you're Christmas present for him." The Slytherin told the other wizard with a cocky grin.
Harry flushed slightly at the blond's words, he hadn't really thought of the return of the masked man in those terms but it was an idea that was defiantly worth keeping in mind. "Draco, just get going!" The dark haired man told the Slytherin and shook his head watching the blond go with laughter in his green eyes.
Today was Wednesday so now all the Gryffindor had to do was hold onto his courage until Friday night, and then don the mask once more hopefully Harry could get in a dance with the older man before he had to go with the potions master to see what it was Severus wanted to say to him.
Slowly the green eyed man looked back at the school, he spotted a lone dark figure in one of the windows a small smile crossed the young man's features, carefully he pulled the mask from his robe pocket and observe the figure watching him as he ran his fingers delicately over the silver mask.
Satisfied that Severus had seen him with the mask, Harry carefully tucked the mask back away into his school robes, before returning alone to the castle and the dark man who he knew was waiting for him some were within those walls.
(Yeah another short one ball time.)
