Friday 13th September 1996
Afternoon Onwards

14:30
Snape Quarters
Dungeons
Hogwarts

Draco wasn't late for once. Then again when we planned something that was going to annoy either Sev or his parents he was never late. I'd asked Hermione to distract Sev for half an hour and then secretly spell something into his clothes which would mean he needed to change them. I had no idea what she was going to do, but I knew she'd do just fine. The cubs were there as fellow conspirators. Lynx was with us.

"What do you have in mind?" Draco needlessly whispered just for the dramatics of it.

"Nothing too drastic, he's going to be annoyed enough as it is," I whispered back as I regarded my brother's usual black attire. "What about green?"

"With moving moons and stars?"

"Silver ones."

"Oooh, Abbie, that's taking a risk," he smiled but began to wave his wand to do the moons and stars.

I did the colour and then we hurried out of there to get ready for the party.

17:45
Severus Snape's Room
Hogwarts

If I hadn't made that damn promise I would have killed her.

18:00
Great Hall
Hogwarts

Predictably the hall was filled with decorations – moons and stars hung everywhere along with miscreant snitches that flew around the room too fast to see, but close enough to feel zipping by you. Harry (I could tell by the unruly hair) was watching one and then plucked it out of the air and handed it to Miss Weasley (I could tell by her fiery hair and, honestly who else was Harry going to arrive with? The looks they'd been sending each other were sickening) with an indulgent look in his eyes. The usual long tables had been replaced with circular ones with padded chairs leaving room in the middle to dance. Everything glittered and twinkled and everyone was in fancy dress.

I couldn't find Abigail and assumed that she was making a point of hiding. Draco however was easy to spot. He was wearing a white tunic with matching trousers and contrasted them with black boots and wings which moved every so often. He was with Pansy who was his matching angel. She'd gone a little further with her costume and made it softly glow, and they had matching black masks that only just covered their eyes making them almost pointless.

Even the staff were dressed up and masked. Minerva was some sort of dignified cat – not surprise there – Filius was dressed as a galaxy and Pomona was some kind of plant – again, no surprise there. Other members of staff were dotted around.

I was not looking forward to this.

15:00
Sixth Year Girls Dormitory
Gryffindor Tower

Hermione had asked me to help with her hair earlier so I did that before I even began to think about mine. I hated to say it but she needed all the help she could get. Lavender and Parvati seemed to have thought so too.

"We made some straightening serum for you," Lavender said with her usual lack of tact.

"We thought you might want to go for something different," Parvati said to rescue the situation as usual. "To be honest it's just left over stuff from last week when Lavender did hers."

Hermione beamed and instantly took the little pot into her hands. "How does it work?"

All of our eyes went wide. Something she didn't know!

"Just comb it into your hair and it'll start working," Lavender said with a definite emphasis of 'duh'.

Hermione got to work and I thought about what to do with it once she was ready. Lavender and Parvati focused on doing their hair for half an hour or so and when she was done Parvati came to sit next to me.

"Have you even asked Neville yet?" she asked.

I gasped knowing that there was something I had forgotten. "I'll ask when I see him or even just walk next to him when we go in."

"I don't understand why you're not going with someone else. I mean, Neville's nice but… Well he can't even dance."

"I know, but… Well it's going to be fun right? I mean, he might surprise us all." I really hoped he did. I already had to tell Tom that I ended up going with him instead of Harry and I didn't know how he would take the news. Especially given the reason for the last minute swap.

She smiled. "It's going to be great. I think Hermione should have an artful bun with soft curls."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

"Now what?" Hermione asked.

I just looked at her for a moment in amazement. Her hair straight looked odd, but kind of good. I knew she'd never do this every day, but I really thought she should go for it every now and then. It threw her cheekbones into relief and her eyes looked wider than they usually did making her prettier than before. She'd look good with a fringe.

"Now I get to work. You got bobby pins?" I asked and walked over to her.

I fiddled with her hair for about an hour before Parvati and Lavender agreed that it was ready. I'd put some of it into a plait with a periwinkle blue ribbon in it to match her dress and then threaded that through the loose bun that I'd created and a few curls framed her face. She really did look pretty. Ron was going to have a fit.

"Well?" Hermione impatiently asked.

"Make up before you see," Lavender decided and got her make up back out. I left her to it and got ready myself.

I hadn't taken my dress out of the wrapper yet, but now that I only had two hours left before we had to be downstairs I got it out. It was the same shade of green as my eyes and was full skirted and layered at the back so that it was a bit like one of those Victorian ones that made the women's bums look really big, but more modern in design and sleeker too so that it was elegant. The top was corseted strapless. True it was plain at the moment, but I had an idea that I really liked.

I lifted my wand and concentrated a little and whispered expecto patronum. My patronous, a butterfly, appeared and I used it as a stencil. A moment later a storm of butterflies appeared on my dress, each as silvery as my patronous and they fluttered around the dress dancing with each other and chasing a non existent breeze. If you listened carefully you could catch faint laughter and the smell of a spring forest. It was the forest that surrounded the Malfoy home.

"Abigail…" Parvati breathed. "That's… How?"

"Um… I don't really know?" I said. I'd literally only just had the idea and had no idea how I worked the magic I just had apart from maybe pressing my intent on the magic I summoned.

"It's beautiful," Lavender and Hermione said at the same time in the same dreamy tone.

I blushed a little and then got on with my hair. I didn't so much with it. I left it down which I never did during the school day and transfigured a normal bobby pin into a butterfly shape and tucked it behind my ear. I had a half mask like most other people and it was green too. I spelled another small butterfly onto it, but this one didn't move anywhere from where I put it next to my right eye, but it did beat its wings very slowly every so often.

When it was about twenty to six Lavender opened the door so that we could hear when we were all called into the common room so that one of the prefects could give us the once over to make sure we were all decent.

As we were right at the top of the tower we were the last down the stairs when everyone started to get a move on and as we were running a little late we were checked over as we left the tower. I didn't see Harry and Ginny, but Ron was in a slightly out of fashion suit which had a few too many ruffles on it, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Maybe it was a little more brown than black and maybe the ruffles were lace, but Hermione didn't seem to care. At least he'd asked her. Hermione had put her mask on by now and I saw that it had all the characters of Alice in Wonderland painted onto it and they danced around the hem of the apron of her Alice costume. It was complete with patent shoes.

All I had to do was find –

"Neville!" I gasped when I walked right into him. "Sorry! You al – Whoa, nice suit!" It was a proper dinner suit with shiny lapels and everything. He even had a green handkerchief in his pocket. He had a black mask on but it wasn't hiding his identity.

"Nice dress!" he gasped with wide eyes. "How did you do that?"

"I don't actually know," I laughed. "Who you going with?"

"No one," he mumbled and looked to the floor.

"Go with me?" I asked.

He snapped his head up and looked more shocked than when he saw the dress. "No one asked you?"

I briefly related the Harry/Ginny story but left out Fred. "So, be my knight in shining armour?" I asked.

"If – if you're sure," he nodded looking a little unsure.

"Sure," I smiled and linked my arm though his like everyone else was doing with their dates and walked us over to the door.

"How'd you do that?" Katie Bell asked at the same moment as Angelina dragged Fred over.

"No idea," I shrugged. "You three look really nice," I said. Katie was dressed up as an ice queen complete with icicles that refused to melt and were lit by faeries and Angelina was in a scarlet dress that hugged her curved figure perfectly and had matched it with sheer black heels, gloves and mask. Fred was dressed as a pirate, typical. George was probably dressed the same.

"No where near as good as you," Katie pouted.

"Whoa, Abigail!" a third year called Maisy gasped as she was pulled towards the door by her brother. I blushed and tugged Neville the rest of the way to the door and out of it before we could be told if we were decent or not.

When we got to the crowded main staircases I slowed down because I was hidden by a crush of people and no one really took notice of what I was wearing. We managed to catch up with Ron and Hermione who were with Harry and Ginny. Harry was in a stripy red and black jumper and black shorts. He told me he was a character called Denis the Menace. Ginny wore a short faerie outfit complete with transparent wings.

Then we all headed into the Great Hall with the rest of the students and staff. There were an array of costumes, colours and masks (none of which really hid a person's identity) and the hall looked just like I had imagined. The moons and stars that hung in the ceiling were softly shining like jewels, the flying snitches happily greeted us all and the tables were covered in gaudy colours to reflect Dumb-er-Dore's wardrobe. The professors were already in there and organised us into a group in and around the tables.

Predictably Min was dressed as a cat, sort of, Pomona had wrapped herself up in colourful shrubbery and Charity was a female pirate complete with eye-patch and sword.

"How arrrrrrh yer?" she asked putting on a pirate accent.

Neville nervously giggled.

"Arh I be fine!" I replied.

Then I saw Sev coming through the door sans Albus. I gasped.

"What's – Abigail!" Neville called as I dashed over to my idiot brother.

"Severus!" Abigail hissed from my side and stepped out from behind a pillar. "You're supposed to be bringing Dumb-er-Dore!"

Her dress was something out of the faerie tales I used to tell her. Exquisitely carved magical butterflies danced across her dress which fitted her as if it were tailored (which come to think about it explained a lot) and she looked like any normal young girl here. No war seemed to weigh her down and there was no evidence of stress about her which was something I hadn't seen for a few years. It was enough to make dressing up in this ridiculous outfit worth it. She looked beautiful.

"I asked Phinnas for help delaying him," I explained.

"Oh," she sighed. "Good. Here," she reached up and put a mask over my eyes. I had no doubt it matched the clothes.

I didn't reply as I wasn't given a chance before Minerva grabbed a tight hold of my arm and took me over to the side of the room that was filled with Slytherins. They were all appropriately attired and looked to be content with the situation which told me enough for my obligations to them for the night to be completed. I was stood next to Draco and Miss Parkinson (whose abilities still scared me) and was told that I had better sing along with everyone else.

"I didn't expect you to dress up, Severus," Draco commented.

"I'm sure," I dryly replied because there was no way he didn't have a hand in this. Sure Abigail had Gryffindor bravery enough to do it by herself, but there was no chance she had done it without Draco. They were still thick as thieves.

I actually didn't mind.

Draco let his lips twitch into a smile. "Abbie looks beautiful doesn't she?"

"Yes," I nodded and heard the pride in my voice.

"You're making me jealous, Draco!" Pansy laughed.

The doors opened at that moment and Albus stepped in. As one everyone sung happy birthday. The old man looked genuinely surprised for a moment then his eyes filled with a happy twinkle and he laughed. When the song was over he clapped his hands for a moment.

"I did wonder what had been going on," he said. "I'm glad I didn't find out, however I do feel underdressed."

I didn't understand why. His lime green and blue robes were enough to stand out even amidst this. Still he changed them anyway and ended up in a quidditch uniform. I think I preferred it.

"What's on the agenda for tonight?" he asked.

Minerva clapped her hands together and the tables were all filled with party food. I sighed and put myself in for a long night but followed Draco to a small table anyway.

"Enjoy yourself, Severus," he said.

I didn't bother to reply but helped myself to the least sugary item of food on the table – a cheese bread stick.

We all moved over to the dance floor when we were suitably filled with sugar, but before we could set a foot on it Minerva called us all to a halt and pulled Cho Chang of Ravenclaw, Justin Somebody-Or-Other of Hufflepuff, Draco and myself into the middle and waltz music began to play. Cho and Justin gravitated towards each other leaving Draco and I to dance together. I actually didn't mind but we both had to scowl for a moment before we began to dance. Fortunately Narcissa had taught us all kinds of ballroom dances when we were little.

"It's been a while," Draco murmured.

"I know," I murmured back as he spun me. "I like the wings."

"They're not as good as your dress. You look beautiful, Abbie."

I let a smile shine in my eyes because I couldn't risk smiling properly.

"I think this is where I call you a blood traitor and say that I cannot believe I'm dancing with you," he sneered.

"And this is where I tell you to dance with someone else if you don't want to dance with me," I glowered back hiding a grin.

"Ah, but I couldn't possibly –"

"Shut it, Malfoy." I didn't want him to think about that tonight. Tonight was supposed to be fun and light hearted. It was like a night out of time where the war could take a back seat and we could act like the teenagers we were.

A few moments later Min and Dumb-er-Dore joined us on the dance floor and a few other people who could only kind of waltz followed them. Colin Creevey was taking photos of everyone and I saw Sev take one of Draco and me too. Then we had to switch partners and I ended up with Albus and Draco with Pansy.

"I believe thanks are in order," Albus smiled.

"It wasn't just me, Dumb-er-Dore," I smiled back.

"I think I know who to thank."

"Yeah, Severus getting involved surprised me too," I jested.

His eyebrows rose. "I think special thanks are in order."

I laughed because I knew he was going to do something Sev really wouldn't like.

"Perhaps you could coax Severus into dancing?" he asked.

"Err… Well… I could try. I mean, I had to make him promise to not be miserable all night. I think we've already accomplished something." He looked at me pleadingly. "Oh… Alright. But I'm blaming you!"

He laughed, "Oh, I expect no less."

I was passed onto another partner. Harry.

"Well isn't this a funny coincidence?" he laughed.

"I can practically feel Ginny glaring!" I grinned and laughed. My dress laughed too which was a little weird.

"Too right I am," she said as she twirled passed with Neville who said something about dancing with me soon.

"Ron has hardly stopped looking at you," I told Hermione a while later. We were taking a break from the dancing while Harry danced with Parvati and Ron with Ginny.

Hermione blushed.

"Tell me he's asked you out already."

"No," she sighed.

I frowned because watching them endlessly flirt and argue which then turned into flirting was sickening and ridiculous. "Then ask him out yourself!"

"I can't do that!" she gasped.

"And why not?"

"Because guys ask girls out, that's why!"

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked popping up behind us.

"Why you two aren't together yet," I said even though Hermione punched me in the arm. I decided I was going to talk to Sev and left them stood there looking awkwardly at each other.

"That was particularly harsh," Severus told me a second later when he fell in step with me.

"Oh come on, Sev!" I groaned. "It's about time they asked each other. They've fancied each other since they met!"

He just raised his eyebrow at me.

I grabbed his hand and before he knew it I'd pulled him onto the dance floor and we were dancing to the last waltz.

"I'm going to murder him," he growled and sent a scowl towards Albus who was taking a photo.

"I was going to make you dance anyway," I told him.

"I'm still going to kill him."

"Oh lighten up, Sev. This is the last dance and then we can go home."

"We?"

"Yeah, they've got some rock band in and I hate that stuff as much as you. Neville's ok with me leaving and everyone knows you don't like parties anyway…" I trailed off.

"Then we shall make this dance count," he smiled and spun me on the spot far too fast for it to be healthy and for far too long.

The last time he'd done that I fell to the floor completely dizzy, but since then Narcissa had taught me how to dance and not get dizzy when spinning so when Sev stopped me spinning I went on with the next step in the dance completely taking him by surprise.

"I do hope Albus gets a picture of that," I grinned.

He smiled fondly. "Me too." then he cringed as the rock band started up and a swelling crush of students flocked to the dance floor.

With a practiced glare Severus made everyone let us though and a moment later we were in the relative quiet of the Entrance Hall and then through into the blessed calm of the dungeons. We both sighed.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Sev asked.

"I thinking that we should play Exploding Snap," I replied.

"If you're sure," he smiled.

I held his hand and all but pulled him down to our rooms. He laughed and easily kept pace with me all the way down there. What I hadn't told him was that I'd modified the cards to not explode, but squirt coloured dyes at the loser. He wasn't impressed when he found out that it took hours for the colours to fade.

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Next time... It gets dakr and dangerous.

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