Chapter 10: Dresses and Ties
"Tell me you have your dress Alex. The ball is in 2 days and it you don't have a dress I may have to go pick-"
"Lily Evans will you calm down? I actually found a dress, alright?" I told her, interrupting her rant, sighing exasperated.
She looked at me and smiled happily. "Really? Oh, great! I bet it looks amazing, Alex, but don't tell me!" she said quickly. "I only want to find out after the ball is over. Breaking the rules once is plenty for me." She said.
I gave her an odd look, but I had already seen hers... I sighed and didn't argue. Obviously she thought it bad to break one tiny rule once and then leave it at that.
"Alright. I actually got it yesterday." I said sheepishly. "But I'd been looking at it for a while, wondering if it was worth the galleons. Oh, Lily it is. You should see it. It's wonderful. After the ball, when I show you, you'll love it." I said happily. We were on our way to Transfiguration now when she started going on about my dress for the umpteenth time.
I made a mental note to tell Rachel later what it looked like... It had taken me quite some time to find my dress; I hadn't just been lazy about it like Lily seemed to think. But why was she riding me? I bet James didn't have what he was wearing yet...
We walked into class, bid each other good luck for class, and took our seats. I sat more towards the left, back of the class. Lily was more middle, front.
"Okay, class. Today we will be studying animagi. Now animagi are wizards who can..." I started zoning out. I know, I know, I should pay attention to class... But, really, when your 2 best guy friends are animagi-wizards, I think I know all I want about animagi. Lily probably could've zoned out too, but she was taking notes like a good little student.
I leaned back in my chair; the more I thought about the ball, the more I realized I might me more nervous than I let on.
For starters, I was suddenly thinking that the whole 'don't-know-anyone-is' bit wasn't so cool. What is I was dancing with some crappy Slytherin? Or, Merlin forbid, James or Remus? Lily and Rachel would have my head. I mean, it wasn't bad to dance with them, it's happened before at other balls. But I could see their faces and know who they are then. I could only imagine the scenarios when I didn't know who they were and how easily it could go wrong...
Secondly, if I did meet some mystery man, I couldn't see him after the ball because I don't know who he is since, once again, no one knows who everyone is!
But I guess that's the real scope of this whole thing isn't it? Meet someone and have a fantastic time, then the next day you move on but have those happy memories, right? Well, there was nothing preventing us from revealing ourselves after the ball was over. I suspected most people would, just so they could maybe figure out who they had danced with.
I sighed. Maybe I should focus on the lesson on animagi. At least that wouldn't make my brain go hay-wire...
"It takes lots of practice, hard work, and vastly advanced magic to actually become an animagus. And you must be registered..."
I smiled. For James and Sirius, 'must be registered' was more of a suggestion. Not that it wasn't fantastic, them being animagi, I always thought it was, but I still couldn't help but worry they'd get caught and be shipped off to Azkaban. But knowing those two, they'd probably find a way to make being locked up for eternity fun.
"Alright. I want half a roll of parchment on animagi. On my desk Friday. Dismissed." McGonagall told us as class ended.
Friday was the day of the ball.
Oh, calm down Alex, you're being much more over dramatic than usual... I told myself as I packed my things into my bag.
Besides, this essay would be simple. I could have it done today if I wanted. I probably would, just to have it done with. I made myself a mental note to ask James and Sirius a few questions about how they actually became animagi. I looked up, hoping to catch Lily on the way out, but she was busy talking to Professor McGonagall.
I caught her eye and gave her a small wave. She smiled back at me and I heard out the door, slinging my bag over my shoulder. There were students crowding the halls, cramming and shoving, trying to go to other classes or the Great Hall. I was meeting Rachel in the Hall so we could go to History of Magic. Also to tell her that I'd finally managed to get a dress. She's had hers for at least a week. At least she hadn't been bugging me like Lily...
I walked up the few steps and through the big doors to where Rachel was standing.
"Alex! I found a great way that we can show each other our dresses, and meet. There's an odd-looking corner on the 5th floor where it sort of curves in and is well-hidden. If we get there before the ball, no will ever know!" she told me, clearly feeling the spirit of the ball with all her excitement.
"That's brilliant! I got a dress, finally. Oh Rachel you'll love it! It's about knee-"
"DON'T!"
I jumped about a foot in the air as she shouted at me.
"O-okay... I guess you want to find out later..." I said, collecting myself from the recent fright she just gave me.
"Yes. I do. We've already been breaking one rule by meeting up, I think we can wait 2 nights to see it." She said, adjusting her bag.
We started walking, me feeling much better knowing I'd go into the dance knowing at least 1 person.
"Well, either way, I still can't wait. It's getting to me now. And it's so annoying." I groaned to her as we walked.
Rachel laughed. "I know what you mean. But I don't think we can help it, when all the other blokes are so hyped up about it..." she said with a shrug.
I sighed. "Yea, but everything is making me nervous these days..."
Rachel gave me an odd look. "Alex, you're never nervous. Something serious is happening isn't it?"
Oh she had no idea how 'Sirius' it was. "Just...just some stupid bloke making me question everything I know..." I muttered, shaking my head in dismay. He did, he made me question things I so did not think questionable. Like my sanity.
She grabbed my arm and stopped me from walking. "Wait, what bloke? Who is he? Are you... Do you fancy someone Alex Marqcues?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow.
"Wha...No, I don't fancy anyone!" I cried incredulously. "Just some odd stuff happening recently. It's nothing; I'm just over reacting..." I said with a wave of my hand. I think I was just trying to convince myself more than Rachel.
Rachel gave me a hard stare, then sighed. "Well, it's got to be some pretty big stuff to make you, nervous Alex." She said at last. We had resumed our walk; we were nearly there.
"Yea, but, I think just all the talk of the ball got me over-thinking this. I'm just going mad now. Noting out of the ordinary." I said with have sarcasm and a shrug as we stepped into the classroom. There were still students milling about the room, but it looked as if we may be the last few stragglers into class.
Rachel laughed. "Of course, Alex. Alright, well, see you after class. If I'm still awake that is..." she said with an eye roll.
I chuckled quietly, as class had started, and took my seat.
"Alright class. Today we will be discussing something on the development of magic in the 1500s..."
Oh, damn, maybe I'd be the first one asleep this time...
xXx
"...off, martin! Leave the poor kid alone!"
"Why should I? He's just a filthy mudblood! And a Gryffindor!" I heard a girl sneer at the boy she was clearly arguing with.
"Don't even go there! That's no reason to hex him!" The boy roared. Yes, I did know that voice. It was Sirius. Well, no surprise there. He's always fighting people...
"Rictusempra!" the girl shouted.
I rounded the corner, drew my wand, and looked at the scene. I saw Sirius crumpled on the floor but starting to get back up, a girl, clearly Slytherin, jeering at him and pointing her wand, and a very young Gryffindor boy whimpering in a corner, clutching his arm that was covered in ropes.
The Slytherin didn't see me, or else I'm sure she would've rounded on me, so I rushed up to the boy. He was crying softly, in obvious pain. "Hey, it's alright. What happened?" I asked him quietly, trying to get a good look at his arm.
"She...she hexed me. I-I don't know what it was, b-but she yelled Incarceous at me and ropes started tightening on my arm..." the boy told me.
"Oh, ouch. That must hurt. Here, let me see. It'll be alright..." I soothed, taking the boys arm. "Diffindo." I said softly. The ropes fell away, but there were bruises left behind.
"That feels better." He said, rubbing his arm.
"Yea, that hex is a nasty one... DO you know who that is?" I asked, looking back at the girl. She looked like she wanted to kill someone... Sirius obviously knew, but this was not the time to get acquainted with her.
He nodded. "Yea, that's Ginger Martin. She's always picking on a few guys in my year, and me. I wish I was brave like Sirius..." he said.
"Hey, you're plenty brave. You just have to grow into it. Trust me, everyone starts out like you, and then they grow up. You'll be like Sirius one day." I said to him.
He smiled brightly at me and then turned top look at Sirius with admiration. I looked too. He had her at wand-point, her own wand on the floor several paces away. I couldn't help but feel some sort of pride towards him. I mean, yea he may be my best friend and you're supposed to be all proud and all, but.. I don't know. It felt different.
"Shove off, Martin. You've hurt the kid enough." He told the girl, Ginger, with a glare that looked as if it could kill.
"If I had, he wouldn't be at Hogwarts anymore." She jeered, but picked up her wand and stalked off.
Sirius lowered his wand and turned to look at me and the boy. "You alright, Max?" he asked the boy standing next to me.
Max nodded and beamed up at Sirius like he was a celebrity. "Yea, I'm fine. She helped me." He said, pointing at me. I smiled.
"Yea, Alex is great. Always knows the counter-curse." Sirius said, giving me a grateful smile.
I shrugged and stood up from my knees. "It's nothing, Remus taught be that in our 3rd year when I got hit by Snape in the halls."
"Well, either way, thank you." He said to me, then turned to Sirius. "You were amazing! Can you teach me spells like that?" he asked eagerly.
Sirius chuckled. "Maybe when you older, okay Max?" he told him. Max didn't even look phased, he obviously idolized Sirius. It was kind of sweet.
"Alright! Bye Alex, bye Sirius!" he called, running down the hallways once again.
I watched him leave then looked at Sirius. "How do you know him?
He shrugged and sighed. "Last year, I think? He had a nasty Bat Bogey hex on him from another Slytherin. Since then I sort of just... looked out for him." He said.
Once again, I couldn't help but feel that sense of admiration. "Well, he really looks up to you. You should've seen his face when he watched you telling Ginger where to shove it." I said.
"Yea, well, she'd a real bitch, always picking on the younger kids. Never anyone her own size." He said spitefully. He then looked at me oddly. "What?" he asked.
I blinked a few times, realizing I had sort of started staring at him with a smile on my face. Great, now you look like an idiot. I'd only been thinking about how Sirius really cared for the kid. Not that I'd pinned him as mean, but he was always the 'rule-breaker' with James. It was almost refreshing to see him being nice to the boy.
"Nothing, just... it's nice of you to look after him, Sirius. But, it seems like you've met Ginger before in the halls of Hogwarts." I said, biting my lip.
He sighed. "I've ran into Martin more times than I'd like to admit, actually. I think she's got it in for me, you know?" he said, bringing back that cocky grin I knew so well.
I rolled my eyes. "She's a Slytherin; she's got it in for everyone, Sirius." I said.
He laughed. "Yea, well... It's Ginger Martin. I never know what to expect besides snide remarks and horrible curses. I'm used to it." He said with a shrug.
"Well, you make Max proud. You did something right for once." I said smiling, hitting him on the arm.
"Hey, I've done other things right! Got you to be my best mate, right?" he said, slinging his arm around my shoulder once again as we started walking to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
That familiar feeling of nervousness, anxiety, and a gnawing in my stomach all came back to me as we walked. Damn, these feeling really need to stop. Starting to make me feel queasy...
"Well, I guess you have a point there. Where would you be without me, Pads?" I replied with a cheeky grin.
He shook his head. "Lost in the Forbidden Forest, I think..." he joked, looking at me and smiling.
More likely we would have become friends anyways late on in time. Since I'm obviously friends with Lily, and she fancies James, then started dating him, I think I would've been forced to hang around with the blokes. Eventually, we'd all be mates strolling in the halls to class. It's kind of inevitable; any way you slice it, we're all meant to be friends.
"Well, that's what I'm here for. To save your sorry arse when you get into a mess you can't clean up." I said with a wide smile.
Sirius shoved me as we stepped into class. "Oh, like I don't help you out now and again, Alex."
"Uh huh, right. Come off it, you know I get you out of trouble more than you get me out of it. If I wasn't around I don't know how you'd get on." I said, shoving him back.
"And that, love, is why we're such good mates." He said softly, winking at me and taking his seat.
"Open your books to page 236, please!"
I smiled softly and sat down next to him, pulling out my book.
There are mysteries no one will ever know. For some, it's religion and what you believe, for others it's science and how the earth came to be, for even more it's the myths you parents told you when you were a little kid, about flying cars and teleportation devices. But for me, it's how on Earth I managed to stay friends with Sirius all these years without even a single argument. Maybe some things are meant to stay a secret.
xXx
When I handed my essay in on animagi 2 days later, I knew I'd finally felt the heat of the ball. I felt normal, like it was just any other day in the castle, no matter who I was around or what I was doing. No odd feelings, no excitement, no nausea, no nervousness. Just...normal.
It was a sure sign I was freaking out inside.
Yes, ladies and gents, tonight was the big Masquerade Ball in the Great Hall. And I can assure you, I am nervous as hell. Only my closest friends can tell. When I'm extremely nervous, there's almost no emotion in anything I do. Why? I don't have a damn clue. But today it was like I was a robot. No feelings what-so-freaking-ever. Of course, this also was my last class of the day. After this it would only be mere hours before I got to meet Rachel in our secluded corner on the 5th floor. Hours before I got all dressed up in my amazing dress and mask. Hours before I walked into a room filled with people I knew but had no idea who was who.
Oh Merlin, what was becoming of me? Me, Alex Marques, who never had a care in the world, was no having a spaz over some ball. What was the world coming to?
I had sort of kept to myself all day; doing homework, cleaning my bed/dorm, making up the beds, even checking out books in the library. Just so I had something to do with myself without the need to anyone else; Menial tasks that didn't add up to anything.
"Alex! Oh, Alex be a bit excited, mate, only maybe 2 and a half hours now, until the ball." I heard Molly call from her spot amidst the group of girls talking excitedly.
I was sitting at my own table reading a book about Goblin Rebellions for Professor Muriatic. I looked over at them over top of my book. They were all looking at me expectantly.
That's when I cracked.
"2 hours! And none of us will recognize each other!" I gushed, my stomach butterflies kicking into over drive as I got up from my seat and rushed over to them quickly.
Once I cracked, and my emotionless façade dropped, I started getting too much emotion. Over anxiety, nausea, giggle fits for no reason, and on occasion pure terror. Yes, sometimes I found things scary, but don't we all? But after I crack... Oh Merlin, take a few steps back. But I don't usually get this excited, or crack like this, very often. The fact that it's happening now only shows how enthralling the ball really is.
Lily, Molly, Alice, and all the other girls in my dorm looked absolutely ecstatic that I'd joined them by the fireplace and their conversation.
"I know! I only wish I could tell you all about my dress! But I think it's worth giving up the description for the masquerade part of the ball." Martha, a short brown-haired girl, said as all of us readily agreed.
I don't think I've ever acted so... girly. With James, Sirius, and Remus as my best friends, minus Lily of course, 'girly' was kind of tossed out the window of the Astronomy Tower. Although when I put on my dress later tonight, I think my 'girl-meter' will be set to an all-time high.
We kept talking about the ball; how excited we were, how pretty we thought our dresses were without giving away any details, boys we hoped to dance with... it was all very girl-fashion.
"Oh, you're such a bunch of girls! Can't you all calm down? It's just a ball..."
Every single one of our heads turned to the 3 6th year boys we all knew so well.
My eyes narrowed, but I was smiling. "Sirius Black, don't you even try to tell me you aren't the slightest it excited. I've known you for years; you're only trying to hide it."
He opened he mouth in protest, but I raised my hand and interjected. "Don't even! You know as well as I do that I can come up with a reason and a retort to anything you try. And you know I'm not bluffing about it."
For the first time in a long long while, Sirius Black was speechless.
I smiled happily in success.
He pursed his lips and stared me down. Eventually, a huge grin spread on his face. "I would not want to run into you in a dark alley. If we weren't friends, that is."
"Well, it's a good thing we are, yea?" I said, smiling back at him.
He chuckled and nodded. "Yea, wouldn't want it any other way..." he said. There it was again. Hesitation. Like he wanted to say something else.
"Are...really? No other way?" I prodded hesitantly. Maybe I would, finally, understand what the bloody hell was up with him recently. I bit my lip expectantly.
He scrunched up his eyebrows a moment and pursed his lips, like he knew what he could say, but didn't. H gave me a curious look. "Yea... I want you as my best mate, Ales. More than not." He said, slowly bringing back his confident attitude. But I could tell He knew, that I knew, that he was holding something back. Then he swallowed nervously.
I had to suppress a sigh.. I wasn't going to get him to tell me anything anytime soon. Damn.
"Why do you ask? Regretting that day we met Marqcues?" Sirius asked, dropping all signs of nervousness and giving me a cheeky grin, bringing back the self-righteous attitude.
Ah, yes... The first day we met. We were adorable little 1st years, still confused on the whole concept of magic being real and we could actually preform it. I remember I was sitting in the common room, reading a book with my homework spread out around me. There was a fair amount of people in the common room. Some talking, playing wizard's chess, or a few older students milling over books and parchments.
My nose was buried in a book, quill in hand, and I wasn't listening or talking to anyone. I was in my own little world.
"What are you doing?"
I looked up and turned around to face the boy who had spoken to me. He was looking at me curiously, almost as if reading was unnatural. He still had that adventurous look in his eye that he had now, and he still kept his hair in the same long, shaggy state too.
"I'm working... why?" I asked, looking at him confused.
"But...why? We've only just started school here. And, look, this stuff isn't due until the 21st. It's only the 10th!" he said, walking around the couch and sitting next to me, leafing through my papers and books as if it didn't matter that they weren't his.
"Well... it's got to be done eventually. And it's not like I'm doing anything else worthwhile." I said with a shrug, looking back at my book.
"Yea, so do it later. You've got like 2 weeks. There are better things to do." He said. And with that, he snatched my book and closed it.
"Like what?" I asked, wishing he'd at least saved the page.
"Come on, I'll show you. James showed me this great place..." he said, standing up and walking to the porthole. "Oh, what's your name?" he asked, turning around and realizing that this was an important thing to know. He was a brilliant boy...
I stood up slowly and walked over to him. "Alexandra Marqcues."
He smiled at me. "Sirius Black. Nice to meet you Alexandra... Actually, can I call you Alex? Yea, nice to meet you Alex." He said without really waiting for my okay to call me that. But since then I haven't protest and I sort of adopted the nickname.
:Um, nice to meet you too." I replied.
"Alright, come one. This way." He said. Once he realized I hadn't started following him again, he looked back at me. "You coming?" he asked, like staying here was completely out of the question.
And if I hadn't gone against every bone in my body telling me not to, who knows where I'd be today. No, I never regret following him out of the common room that day.
xXx
Okay Alex. This is it.
I was standing in front of the floor-length mirror all the girls insisted on getting put in the dorm for the ball. I'd gone up to get ready last. I'd been intensely nervous, and getting into my dress and mask would only make it worse.
I sighed, trying to calm my nerves. Besides, I thought I looked pretty damn amazing. My hair was curled, soft dirty-blonde ringlets fell past my shoulders. I had, somewhat reluctantly, let Lily set out make-up for me to wear tonight. And I must say, I wore it nicely. It was only mascara, blush on my cheek bones, a metallic-like silver eye shadow, and lip gloss but it still brought out my eyes and my features quite nicely.
And then there was my dress.
It was blue, a light sky-blue color, and went to about my knees. It was strapless, cut just above my chest, and hugged every curve in my body, not fanning out at the end. It looked as if tiles, in that sky-blue color, had been laid out in the form of a dress, and connected together. The dress seemed to fit quite comfortably on me. On the inside it was a soft material, which was much appreciated by me, and the outside was almost shiny-looking, like it had been glossed before putting it into a box and sending it to me.
Yes, this was worth the Galleons.
I honestly couldn't get over the fact that I was wearing a dress. And I looked good. Actually, I looked great. Better than I anticipated... But really, I usually never worse dresses. On fancy occasions, I might wear a skirt, or dress-pants. I don't know, it's not like I don't like dresses or anything, I just... didn't wear them.
I bit my lip and twirled in front of the mirror, sighing softly. This was it, time to meet Rachel and go to the ball.
I went over to my bed and my trunk, picking up the mask I had bought 2 weeks ago off my bed. O ran my fingers over the soft material. With a confident look on my face, I put on the mask and descended down the stairs and out of the common room. I had a ball to go to.
Here it is! The dress, the mask, the start of the ball!
Yes, I know it took a long time.
But I was pressed for time and I didn't want to rush it, I wanted it to be great :)
So here it is, a long awaited chapter. Let me know what you think :)
Next 2 chapters = The ball!
~xoDA