Year 4 part 8
I had actually completely forgotten about the party, but now that he mentioned it there was nothing else I could think about. Every day after the shop closed we went to the skate park, but instead of reading I found myself worrying over the party. Homework was harder than ever to focus on, and I found really only my potions work kept me properly occupied anymore. I knew I'd have fun with Cad, but without Keeli there it felt like my security blanket was missing. Amber and Molly seemed to try and make up for it, even offering to go dress shopping with me again, but I told them I would just wear last year's dress since I'd never gotten a chance to use it.
Then almost a week after Christmas instead of bundling up to head into Muggle London, I was sitting at Mrs. Mervin's vanity while she brushed my hair up into a pretty updo.
"I love that dress on you, Amelia." Tempy was sitting on her parent's bed, chewing on a liquorice wand while she watched us.
"Thanks, my friends helped pick it out last year."
"It's a good color. A nice beige is always classic." Mrs. Mervin nodded. She waved her wand one last time and the final pin slid itself into place. "There, that should do nicely."
"Thank you for helping me. My friend Keeli always does it when we're at school since I'm not really good at beauty spells."
"It's no problem darling, it's nice to remind myself I can every once in a while." she smiled.
"Cad told you the Grey's said we were all invited, right?"
"He did, but Charles and I would much rather spend our holiday in. Make sure to thank them for us though, I'm sure Cad won't remember."
"I promise." I nodded.
"You ladies ready?!" Mr. Mervin shouted down the hallway.
"Be just a minute!" Tempy called, scampering up. "I'll go hold them off while you put your shoes on."
"Just wave some sweets in front of him and he'll forget all about the party." I giggled as she slipped out the door.
Mrs. Mervin brought over the short nude-colored heels I'd bought with the dress last year, helping me with the miniscule clasp. I was finally ready to stand up and spin in front of the mirror, and what I saw made me more than uncomfortable. I looked like a proper young adult, the dress making me seem taller and curvier than I actually was. My hair style gave me a smart appearance and accentuated my blue eyes, the white anemone flower clip adding just a touch of decadence.
I looked like some posh, polished version of myself and I didn't know how to feel about that.
"You look wonderful." Mrs. Mervin smiled.
"Thanks, I don't think I've ever worn a dress like this."
"Few occasions call for one, but you'll begin to look forward to them." she handed me my folded cloak. "Best to get moving on though, you don't want to be late."
"Yes ma'am. Thank you again for your help."
"Don't mention it." she smiled as we opened the door and walked to the sitting room.
Cad was standing on the couch in handsome dress robes, hair slightly coming out of it's careful comb as he was holding Tempy's licorice wand just out of her reach. His hand was on her forehead to keep her far enough away as she jumped, their Father just shaking his head at his children's antics. Mrs. Mervin cleared her throat and Cad looked over, freezing as our eyes met. His arms dropped and Tempy snatched up her candy, then had to sidestep as Cad jumped down and walked over to me.
"Wow, Amelia."
"You look nice too." I tried to laugh away the monumental blush I felt.
"Nothing like that though." he cleared his throat and ran his hand over his mussed hair. "Uh, can I help you with your cloak?"
"I'll help her, I don't want you messing up her hair too." Mrs Mervin giggled at her son. "Why don't you prep the fire?
He nodded and scrambled over to the fireplace, fiddling with his wand and the pot of Floo powder. She helped me carefully slide on my travel cloak, making sure it was wrapped tightly so none of my dress would get sooty, and Tempy handed me my handbag.
"You kids have fun now, and make sure to mind your manners Cad." Mr. Mervin reminded us.
"When am I not on my best behavior, Dad?" Cad shot his Father a wide smile before offering me the pot. "Ladies first?"
"Thank you." I nodded, taking a handful and throwing it on before stepping into the huge fireplace. "Grey Estate."
I spun and spun until I was pretty sure I was going to be sick, finally coming to a rest in the Grey's fancy parlor. Unlike when we'd been here for the Cup, the place was absolutely packed. Adults walked around or stood in groups, men and women in sharp white coats carried around trays, and another man in white stepped forward to help me out of the fireplace.
After I'd stepped over the threshold he asked to take my cloak, carefully sliding it off and adding it to the rack behind him that already held dozens of others. I was running my hands over my hair to make sure nothing had been ruined when I heard Amber's voice
"Amelia, hi! Oh you look great!" she came trotting over with a fancy glass in hand and the others behind her.
She looked like a Gryffindor princess. Her dress was floor length scarlet with gold details, her smooth dark hair pinned to one side of her head with a jeweled clip so it fell over her shoulder in gorgeous curls. If I thought I had looked posh, she looked like downright royalty.
"Wow, you do too." I smiled, accepting her hug. "Sorry we're a little late."
"Not a problem." Damian nodded, walking up behind her. He was in dark grey dress robes and looked about ten years older. "Trust me, you'll hardly be the last."
He gave me a somewhat more reserved hug, but Matt was right behind him with a much warmer attitude. "Keeli's gonna be mad to know she missed you dressed up so nice."
"I'll make sure to take a picture to show her." I laughed, relaxing a little at his laid back attitude.
Molly looked gorgeous as well in a dark purple cocktail length dress, dark eyeliner giving her an intense look. At the end of the pack was Louk, and his body language told me he'd arranged it that way. He looked ravishing of course in dress robes of the darkest black, but his face was far from welcoming.
"Amelia." My heart fell a little as he didn't move in for a hug, just nodded his head formally.
"Louk." I nodded back. "You look nice as well."
"I don't think I've seen us all this dressed up since second year." Cad hopped up to us, placing his hand on my waist. "I'd say we look even better now than we did then."
"You should have seen me last year." Amber smiled as she hugged him. "Of course, I look great this time too."
"Want to get some drinks? There's also a band in the ball room if you guys want to dance." Damian gestured down a hallway likewise full of people.
"A drink sounds nice. Floo'ing always makes my mouth dry." Cad grimaced.
"Don't know why, it's normally full of hot air anyways." Amber giggled as she threaded her arm through Damian's to lead the way.
The whole event was much fancier than I'd been expecting, and all my fears of being overdressed were replaced with ones of being underdressed. It didn't help I didn't see any other kids, just impeccably dressed adults with champagne glasses. I felt like a little kid playing dress up with her Mum's clothes and the heels on my feet made my footsteps seem so loud every time we stepped off of the plush carpets to the polished marble floors. I'd thought they'd make me feel grown up but instead it just made me self conscious.
"Do you think everyone else's dress robes are absolutely suffocating them as well?" Cad whispered, making a show of trying to pull his collar away from his neck.
"Maybe your tie's too tight." I offered.
"I thought my Dad was trying to strangle me when he put it on. Damn dress robes." he swore.
"Good thing you only have to wear them every few years."
"Still too often if you ask me." he shook his head as we stepped into a large room.
It wasn't Great Hall sized, but it was still far bigger than I thought a room in anyone's house could ever be. The arched windows looked over the pretty garden's we'd walked by during the Cup, and an orchestra at one end filled the marble room with beautiful music. A refreshments table had been placed along one wall with a variety of finger foods and drinks on refilling platters. Amber handed us each a glass of champagne before placing her empty one on a cluttered tray and replacing it with a fresh one.
"There, that's better." she nodded.
"She thinks carrying one around makes her look sophisticated." Molly leaned in to whisper to Matt and I, and we both tried to smother our giggles so she couldn't hear us.
"When you said 'band' I thought you meant 'band'." Cad jerked his head to the stage. "I'm pretty sure these guys played at my parent's wedding."
"My parents like to keep things classic." Damian shrugged. "Not everything can have Hogwarts' flair for the young."
The adults in attendance seemed to agree, as a good dozen or two couples were dancing in the middle of the room. It wasn't slow dancing, more like a formal waltz, but it looked nice with all the dresses swaying in bright colors in the white room.
Cad downed his champagne in a single drink before setting the glass on the platter, holding his hand out to me. "Care to have a boring, adult dance?"
"When you put it like that, how can I refuse?" I smirked.
Molly offered to hold my drink as he led me off, walking me around in a circle formally before putting his hand at my waist. We started the slow back-and-forth steps in time to the music.
"Um, sorry about earlier, at the house I mean. I meant to say 'you look lovely'." Away from the others Cad lost a little of his jaunty demeanor.
"I pretty much inferred that, but thanks for clearing it up." I squeezed his hand that was gripped with mine. "You look nice too."
"Yeah well I'm ripping off this bloody tie in about two minutes, so enjoy it while it lasts."
I giggled and his smile seemed to ease a little.
"Sorry Louk seems to be a little...tense."
"Hey, I'm not going to let it ruin my night." I shrugged.
"Good, because tonight is going to be great." he pulled me a little closer and spun me around quickly, so fast my feet lifted off the floor.
I giggled as he set me back down. "I don't think that's very 'boring adult dance approved'."
"We both know I can't dance." he laughed.
We danced for a little longer before returning to the group who had picked a table in the corner of the room. Amber and Damian were dancing together, and Cad asked Molly, so that left just Matt, Louk, and I standing there sipping our drinks. Louk made it pretty clear he wasn't going to be participating in small talk so instead Matt and I speculated how Keeli would be celebrating the night in America with her family. Despite his joking I could tell he really missed her, and I was suddenly very grateful Keeli had someone like him in her life. The others returned and we rotated partners again, and I swallowed my pride before turning to Louk.
"Would you care to dance?"
"No." he said simply, keeping his eyes trained on the crowd across the room.
"I wouldn't mind, if you'd join me." Damian offered his hand and I took the olive branch.
"Sure Amber's not going to stab me with her stiletto?" I tried to shake off the cloud of Louk's mood.
"Don't worry, you're quite safe. If Cad's bad enough at dancing, both of her shoes might be too preoccupied being impaled in his feet."
I chuckled as we joined the crowd which seemed to be growing. "You really did mean we wouldn't be the last ones arriving."
"Every year a good half of people don't arrive until an hour after the invitation."
"Well, thanks for inviting me. I wasn't so sure you would with...tensions being like they are."
He shrugged. "We're all friends, even if we fight. It'd feel just as weird you not being here as it does with Keeli gone."
"At least this is good practice for Slughorn's parties."
He gave a dramatic shudder. "I really hate those. All he wants to talk about is people's money and stuff, there's nothing interesting."
We talked about the awful parties for a few minutes before once again rejoining the others. Molly and Amber had gotten everyone refills on drinks along with a little plate of tea sandwiches I gladly bit into.
"Didn't realize how hungry I was." Matt grunted.
Cad ate some kind of caviar on a crisp, his face contorting as he reacted to the flavor. He washed it down with some champagne, giving me a wink as he noticed I'd seen everything, before turning the conversation back to Damian.
"I'm looking forward to those fireworks, I hear they're legendary." Cad smiled.
Damian shrugged. "We had the Weasley's arrange it again of course, so it's pretty much guaranteed to be good, but I don't personally know what it will look like."
"Why don't we go somewhere we can sit down? Amber asked. "These shoes are killing me."
"Pick more sensible shoes next time." Molly teased as we gathered our things to follow Damian out the door.
He led us through the house to a set of French doors thrown open to the chilly night breeze. The gardens were alive with plenty of couples and groups walking around laughing, but Damian knew right where he was going. He led us through a few turns before we came upon a little clearing with a fountain ringed with stone benches. Damian waved his wand and a bunch of warm, blue lights shot out of the tip and hovered around us. It was still a little chilly but not too uncomfortable as we took our seats. Cad and I sat at one side of the circle and Louk purposefully sat across from us, so the fountain blocked most of his view.
"Someone's pouting." Cad whispered in my ear softly.
"Don't rub salt in the wound."
"I would be too, if our roles were reversed."
I blushed, turning my face away to look around at the others. They had mostly divided off into their pairs, with Matt and Molly trying to get Louk to talk to them. It seemed pretty fruitless but I appreciated the effort. Amber was leaning back and sipping her drink, looking every part a perfect socialite. Her hair was flawless, and her red dress contrasted perfectly against the pale stone bench. I realized I was probably jealous of her. I had never been too interested in being popular or always looking perfect, but she always looked so happy and flawless, it'd be hard for anyone not to be at least a little envious. Normally Damian always kept perfect composure, but the way he was looking at her I knew he was long gone for her. I smirked and glanced at Cad, who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I know. It's nauseating."
"I mean there are worse matches."
"I can certainly think of one." he didn't have to cast his eyes over the fountain for me to know who he was referencing.
"Like someone who has already thrown me out of a window?"
"No, he sounds great." he chuckled, his breath fogging in the cold air. "Might want to be nice to him, in case he gets ideas about doing it again."
"I know a lot more poisons now."
He threw his arm over my shoulders. "Ah, I love our little chats. Me threatening to throw you off high places, you threatening to melt my insides into a horrific pool of goo. Two peas in a pod."
"We're nothing if not violent." I held my glass to his and he clinked it, chuckling as he took a sip.
"Here we go." Damian called out, and not half a second later a thin stream of fiery red sparks streamed into the sky.
It was spectacular. A golden Oriental-style dragon marched across the sky throughout the entire show, swallowing all the individual fireworks that were shot up. It grew bigger with each new addition, and added more colors to it's flowy main the more it swallowed. Then at the end the dragon puffed in its cheeks and released all the fireworks it had swallowed in a brilliant display of colors and shapes. The wild explosion brought an immediate smile to your face, and I couldn't help but look over to Cad.
He turned his head to meet my eyes, and for just a split second we both took assessment of the situation. No walls thrown up, not hiding anything, just both of us laying our cards on the table for the other one to see. I knew what he wanted to do. I could see it in his mind as easily as I looked at a picture in a textbook. He wanted to lean over and kiss me, to make the fireworks the least interesting thing for a few seconds, to make me smile more than I ever could. But he was doing the same, and he knew I wasn't ready. Even if he couldn't read my emotions, I was pretty sure the butterflies in my stomach were physically visible to him, and my heart was racing at just the thought. He just smiled and nodded once at me, covering my hand with his.
I felt the eyes of the others on us, especially one pair, but I ignored them all to watch the last of the show with him. The knot of fear I'd had in my stomach was still there, but it was starting to lose some of it's tension. I knew he was kinda bummed and I did feel bad despite my paralyzing social anxiety, so I leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you."
"Don't worry, you can't get rid of me that easily."
"I mean it."
"I know." he smiled, leaning his forehead against mine for a second.
Once the show was over the others stood up and we followed, Cad holding my hand as we rejoined the adults back in the house.
Everyone was still celebrating inside, with lots of couples still interlocked in kisses and people dancing in the hall much more exuberantly than they had at the beginning of the night. I'm sure the copious amounts of champagne and Firewhiskey had something to do with it, but it looked fun. Amber gave Damian a teasing smile and walked onto the dance floor, him following her with an entranced sort of look.
"Another one bites the dust." Matt shook his head with a solemn air.
"Please, you're just as much of a lost cause." Molly tugged at his collar with a laugh.
"You wanna dance?" Cad held his hand out and jerked his head towards the dance floor.
"Will I make it out alive?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood between us.
"Hey no better place to die than on the dance floor. 'Cept maybe the Quidditch pitch."
The band was playing a jazzy number to match the higher energy in the room, and it was fun to shed the seriousness of earlier to just let loose. Cad had a special talent for throwing me around and making it look like we knew how to dance, and he had me laughing by the end of the song. We saw the others by the door after a couple songs so joined them, slowly migrating towards the fireplace to Floo home while we said our goodbyes.
Amber and Damian hung back and they didn't look like they were going to be done any time soon, so I didn't dawdle in saying my goodbyes to the others. Cad handed me my cloak before stepping into Floo, me following right behind him.
His flat was dark, everyone had clearly gone to bed already, and Cad was just taking off his cloak. He gestured to take mine and I let him, reaching up take the pins out of my hair. I set them on the side table and let my hair down, sighing as the slight headache I felt released with the tension.
"That is so much better."
"Tell me about it." he tossed his tie onto the couch, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.
"Don't worry. You have another, what, two years before you have to wear one again?"
"And it'll be way too soon." he chuckled, picking up his cloak and tossing it over his shoulder. "Night."
"Night."
I overthought just about every second of the party while I took off my make up and changed into my pajamas. I could tell I was stressed because my magic started going a little haywire, the toiletries on the bathroom vanity slowly starting to float up like they were being levitated. I had to keep snatching them out of the air and setting them back on the counter as I was trying to finish washing my face. Even after I was done and ready for bed I stood there staring at myself in the mirror, apparently a little too long because it got testy.
"Would you go to bed please? I need my beauty rest." it snapped.
I apologized quickly and shut off the light, stepping into the hallway and looking over at the skinny set of stairs that led up to Cad's room. I squared my shoulders as I made up my mind, quickly glancing at both bedroom doors to make sure everyone was asleep, before taking the stairs up to the attic room. Cad was already laying down on his bed, but I saw his eyes open and staring at the ceiling deep in thought. He heard me step on the creaky floorboard at the top of his stairs and looked over at me. He was clearly surprised, because I was able to get a word in before he made a sharp comment.
I cleared my throat awkwardly. "I wasn't quite ready for bed yet. I wanted to know if I could sit in here for a minute?"
"Yeah, of course." he jerked up and moved to clear off the chair in the corner of his room for me, but I waved him away.
"No, it's okay." I came and sat on his bed cross legged, looking down at my hands as I madly tried to think about something to talk about.
We sat in silence for a minute or so before he finally broke the silence. "It's kinda dark in here. I can't tell if you're thinking, or if you're waiting for me to talk."
"No, I'm just trying to think of something to say. I lied earlier to cover up what I was really doing, but I didn't think this far ahead."
He just laughed loudly, which melted my tension right away. "Damn, it's a good thing you're not a better liar. You had me sweating bullets. Well what is it you really wanted?"
I was thanking every diety I could think of from Ancient Runes that he couldn't see my blush as I scooted up and laid next to him. He seemed to catch my queues and laid down on his back so I could snuggle up to his side, one arm wrapped around my shoulders and the other holding my hand on his chest.
"Am I allowed to say anything?" he whispered.
"No."
He just nodded before kissing the top of my head, rubbing his thumb across my hand while I tried to quiet the absolute bass drum that was my pulse so maybe I could drift off to sleep.