Hey everyone. Happy to be be back. On the mend from an unfortunate mishap with an exacto blade while working on a Halloween craft so I can get back to typing now that it's healing.

Here's the day OF the party, but not the actual party. I'm saving that part for Halloween ;)

Or the week of Halloween at least.

If Someone Cared Enough

Chapter 129: Gussied Up

Halloween came quickly, the days seeming to pass by in a blur of monotonous class lectures, endless homework, and the girls' relentless costume preparations and measurements. Severus had been measured, poked, and prodded more times than he could count, paraded before Lily and the girls as they debated the ideal look for him.

Thank goodness he had more money than he knew what to do with; it meant the hard parts would be covered by professionals. Severus took comfort in the fact that the girls sent the measurements along with Mary's sketches to a tailor in Hogsmeade. Any last minute fixes could be covered by transfiguration or charms, so Severus fortunately didn't have to spend any time being pricked with pins or standing on a stool like he did for robe fittings at Madam Malkins.

Before Severus knew it, Halloween arrived and with it, Slughorn's much anticipated party. Classes that day were largely unproductive no matter how hard teachers tried to reclaim their students' attention; the youth of Hogwarts were buzzing with excitement. Those who had not been invited to the Slug Club soiree made plans for their own festivities, intending to gorge themselves on Hogwarts holiday treats and candy smuggled in by the bagful from Honeydukes.

As evening fell, Severus found himself standing before a mirror in the Ravenclaw boys' dorm, staring sullenly at his reflection, "I can't believe I agreed to this."

Davis's reflection grimaced over Severus's shoulder, "Me either. Stupid, lousy bet."

"You look good though," Davis added, "Very sophisticated."

It was true; Severus outfit did have a mature elegance to it. In a midnight black, his top was a long, tight tunic-like coat, numerous buttons going up the front. It led up into a high collar that ended just under Severus chin and had a black ruffled cravat hanging from it with a large green emerald in the center of it rimmed in blackened silver.

His sleeves were tight and form fitting to his arms, ending in a center point halfway over his hands and bearing delicate black lace filigree. The coat's length went to the knee with the same black lace making up the very bottom, a pair of tight black trousers tucked into calf-high black boots.

A bit of black lace trailed up the chest and sprawled over the shoulders, all only noticeable when the light caught it just so. All in all, it was a very reserved, muted ensemble.

…From the front at least.

"Does this honestly look good, or is Lily having a laugh at me?" Severus questioned, turning to look at his back in the mirror. The back of the coat was cinched tightly in a corset lacing of black ribbon trailing down the center of his back. The black ribbon fastened in a small, thankfully simply box at the top of his tailbone.

Davis looked him over critically, "Honestly…yes. I think it works for you. It accentuates the slimness of your torso and straightness of your spine. Sure you lack the hips to give off an hourglass figure, but it's still rather flattering."

"And I don't look…" Severus turned this way and that, "Painfully skinny? I'm used to wearing looser clothing. I'm not exactly built like an athlete."

Davis shook his head, "Nah, it's an attractive slimness. Like those vampires girls are always drooling over."

Severus snorted, "I suppose it all works out that one of my nicknames from my peers had been the 'dungeon bat'."

Davis chuckled, tucking his shirt into his corset, "Very fitting."

He turned around, arms out to the sides, "Mind helping lace this up?"

"Sure," Severus acquiesced. He carefully took the lacing in his hands, tugging experimentally, "How tight am I doing this?"

"Well not so much that I can hardly breath," Davis replied, "Just…pull until it just starts to feel difficult. I don't want to be squeezed into this like a sausage."

Severus pulled the lacing firmly through the holes of the corset, the smell of new leather filling his nose.

"You're laces are made of leather strips," Severus noted, giving the lacing a tug, "Mine is just thick ribbon."

Davis huffed out a breath as the corset got tighter, "You don't have nearly as much body fat as me to squeeze into one of these. I needed something stronger than ribbon to keep me tuck in this thing. Can't have the lacing breaking on me and me bursting out of this like an inflatable raft, now can we?"

"The image is certainly amusing," Severus quipped, giving one more forceful tug on the laces, "That should do it."

"Great," Davis said sarcastically, "I feel like a pressed ham. Real attractive."

He turned beseeching eyes to his friend, "Be honest, Severus. How bad do I look."

Davis wore a tight pair of black pants with shiny, midnight blue embroidery going up the outer edge like a flowered vine. His top was a white, pirate-like men's blouse with a ruffled layered cravat, a cravat chain of pearls dangling from the center of it.

The blouse was tucked into Davis's corset, an underbust design that came up just below his pectorals in a display of blue and black embroidered lace and whale boning. It clung to his frame tightly like an embrace and gave his hips an almost feminine quality to them as it sucked in his waist. His feet were clad in calf high black polished boots.

Severus knew they were treading a delicate topic due to Davis's self-consciousness, but his mouth moved before he realized it, "Have you always had such prominent hips."

Davis blanched, "Are you saying I look femme? Femme is not what I was going for."

He turned to the mirror in dismay, "I knew this was too androgynous, I just knew it. Nesme said I'd look fine, but it's bad enough getting picked at for my eyelashes or lip shape. Now you're telling me that my hips are too shapely? I knew this was a bad idea!"

"Hey, hold on a minute," Severus intervened, just as Davis was about to undo the lacing on the corset, "I'm sorry. I worded it wrong. There's certainly nothing wrong with your appearance; you look fine. I forget that not every guy is as painfully thin as me. The rest of you actually have meat on your bones instead of just a pile of skin hanging off them like I do."

Severus leaned closer, squinting, "Though, since you brought it up…you're eyelash are rather luxurious."

Davis flushed, self-conscious, "Nesme made me wear mascara. I drew the line at lipstick."

"Lily had me powder my face," Severus admitted, "To get rid of the dark circles around my eyes. So we're in the same boat."

Davis stared warily at Severus, "So you don't think I look too femme?"

Severus shrugged, "It's a costume party; would it really matter if you did?"

Davis sighed, shaking his head slightly, "Well, I suppose not. But you know how our peers can get, especially other guys. They've always got to find something to poke fun at."

Davis looked at himself in the mirror again, "I mean, I've never minded the androgyny…I used to quite like it. Then I got to school and suddenly everything was about how much of a man you are, how masculine you look. It's like everyone hit puberty and bam! Time to be a strapping lumberjack of a man and anyone who doesn't fall in line is a poof."

"You'll find that you're not the only one who's had their masculinity questioned," Severus confessed, "Being built like a twig all my life has done me no favors among our muscle bound moronic classmates. And preferring brewing or books over sports didn't exactly help my case. At the end of the day, you sort of realize that fitting in with them means being as narrow minded and imbecilic as them and it's frankly not worth it."

"But really, you look fine," Severus assured, "No more absurd than me. And given Nesme's penchant for shocking, chances are she might cross dress to this event, so she'll steal center stage anyway."

"And if anyone does give you trouble," Severus added, "The hell with them. It's not like any of them could pull off this look."

Davis sent his reflection one last speculative look. With a sigh, he straighten his shoulders. Standing tall with resolve, he looked at Severus, "Let's go grab the girls and get on with this night."

"Here," Severus said, tossing Davis his cloak, "To make you feel less self-conscious on the walk over. The girls' are getting ready in Gryffindor tower." He pulled his own cloak on as they left.

As expected, the Gryffindor dorms were complete mayhem, as they were at nearly every holiday. Candy flavored bubbles filled the air—courtesy of Honeydukes Sweets that Filch failed to confiscate—driving pet familiars mad as cats darted all over the room trying to catch the sugary floating confections. Candy wrappers and pastry crumbs lay strewn across nearly every surface of the common room, students basking in their sweet food comas or nursing stomachaches from their overindulgence. A group of third and force year boys were making a game of racing up the slide that replaced the stairs to the girl's dorm, a group of giggly girls standing at the top taunting them for being unable to get past the enchantments keeping them out.

James Potter sat in the midst of the chaos, pleasant as you please in full Victorian attire complete with a jewel-encrusted cane.

He smiled broadly when he caught sight of the Slytherin and Ravenclaw that wander into his midst.

"Severus!" he beamed, opening his arms welcoming, "And Davis, was it? Come to join the pre-party festivities?"

"Hardly," Severus drawled, sending a disdainful glare at a second year with marshmallow smeared all over his hands and face, "And I think for most of the people in this room, this is the party."

James shrugged, "True, most of them were not fortunate enough to be invited to Sluggie's party. Guess that just makes as special, eh?"

"Or egotistical," Severus quipped without missing a beat.

James blinked, then tossed his head back with a laugh, "You cheeky git. You're quick, I'll give you that."

The one benefit to playing along with Potter's friendship scheme had ended up being that nearly all of Severus surly and sardonic responses were brushed off by James as playful banter or jest. It was preferable to the consequences Severus's tongue would have gotten him in prior years; Potter always seeing fit to punish Severus for his 'poor attitude.'

"Well don't just stand there," James said, waving a hand to the couches around him, "Take you're cloak off, sit a spell."

"Pass," Severus said, "We're only here to escort the girls."

James nodded, taking a swig of butterbeer, "Yeah, they've been up there all afternoon, making a fuss about hair and makeup and all that nonsense."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Davis interjected, "But shouldn't you be leaving for the party too?"

James wagged a finger at Davis, "Fashionably late, Mate. I'm always fashionably late. Besides, Sirius still getting ready."

"Do I even want to know what he's wearing," Severus asked warily.

"It's a surprise," Remus said, startling them all as he seemingly popped out of nowhere, "Sorry just came down."

Severus gave Remus a nod in greeting, "Well Lupin, will you keep us in suspense or are you going to tell us what his surprise is?"

Remus grinned, "Couldn't even if I wanted to; Sirius won't let me see what he's up to either. Peter's the only one he'll let help him get ready and that bloke's been sworn to secrecy."

"He's promised it will be worth the wait," Remus added, 'So as you can imagine, I am quite afraid."

"I think we all are," Severus said.

There was a scuffle at the top of the stairs/slide to the girl's dorm.

"She's coming!" Nesme exclaimed excitedly as she rushed passed the girls crowded around the stairs and slide down into the common room.

The others took in Nesme's appearance. Seeming to follow Davis's lead in androgyny, Nesme was not clad in a women's dress, but rather a very expensive looking men's inverness coat, the cape that draped about the shoulders open in the front to display the complicated, intricate buttons and fastening going down the closed front. The coat fitted tightly to her body too, so the top few buttons strained to contain the plus-sized girl's ample bosom. Beneath the coat were a pair of black pants, though each leg bore a set of gathered ruffles trailing down the front.

She wore black riding boots and atop her head, a top hat of high quality, her usually frizzy hair tucked up underneath it.

She took note of the boys staring and grinned, the pencil thin mustache drawn across her upper lip stretching out.

"You like?" she asked, spinning around in a circle; the coat laced down the back much the way a corset would, "My dad came through in spades with this!"

"You look like one sneeze and you'll pop out of that thing," Davis said, gesturing to Nesme's front.

"I'll say," James commented, unabashedly staring.

Nesme laughed, "I swear this is like the first time anyone has ever noticed. I like my comfy, baggy clothes—what do you call it, Davis? Frumpy? It's like you all forgot that I have a chest this big."

"To be fair, it's our first time having attention called to it," Remus pointed out politely, "How did you even fit into that jacket."

"Magic," Nesme replied cheekily, batting her lashes and showing off her spiderweb stenciled eyelids, "Quite literally. I don't think dad realize just how much I've grown over the years. Anyway, hush—Lily's coming."

She pointed to the top of the stairs, where the gaggle of girls from earlier were now gawking awestruck at something in silence.

Severus sucked in a breath as Lily appeared at the top of the staircase.

Lily was a ruby vision of satin and velvet accented in black trim. Voluminous layers of a ball gown skirt swished with her every move, the back gathered and bunched in a bustle of ruffles. A bolero of red and black satin encased her arms and ended in lace trim that fanned across her hands. It laced around her neck and clasped itself within a ruby choker surrounded by delicate black thread embroidery.

A tight corset laced up her spine and lifted her chest up like an alluring presentation of seduction, her hair piled high in a ponytail of curls that spilled down over one shoulder. Black line winged the corner of her eyes and crimson red stained her lips. Atop her head sat a small feminine top hat with a black veil webbing coming over one side of her face.

"Woah," James said, stunned. For once Severus found himself of the same mindset as Potter.

Lily descended the stairs gracefully, all eyes on her as she made her grand entrance.

"I'll take it that this look is a hit," Lily queried as she reached the bottom of the landing.

"No, people always gaped like slack jawed idiots," Severus quipped teasingly.

Lily giggled and lightly wacked Severus with her fan, "Shush, you know I look good."

"Quite—"

"You look radiant!" James exclaimed, unintentionally cutting Severus's off. The Gryffindor Seeker leaped off the couch, taking Lily by the hands, "You are a vision of loveliness, Evans. Stunning."

"Why…thank you, James," Lily replied carefully extracting her hands from James's grasp, "Mary and Nesme put a lot of work into it."

"And it shows," Remus said, stepping in front of James in a distancing act that the latter thankfully didn't pick up on.

Severus graced Lily with a soft smile, "You really do look beautiful."

Lily blushed, looking away, "Thank you."

Thankfully James missed the exchange, too busy being scolded by Remus for staring at Lily's chest, something he pointed out the hypocrisy in as no one called him out on staring at Nesme's.

"We should probably get going," Davis announced, "That way we can have first dibs on the good food and wine."

Nesme perked up instantly, "There's going to be wine?"

"Apparently from the finest vineyards," Davis answered.

"Well than what are we waiting for?" Nesme asked enthusiastically. She paused, "Hey wait, I haven't seen yours or Sev's costumes yet."

Davis clutched his cloak tighter about himself, "You'll see it at the party. That way if you all think I look ridiculous, it will be too late for me to back out of this farce."

Nesme slapped him on the back, "Come on! I'm sure you look fine. Severus, did he look good?"

Severus nodded, "I think his costume turned out rather nice."

"You're only saying that because you didn't have to wear this getup," Davis refuted stubbornly. He batting away Nesme's curious hands reaching for his cloak, "Now let's get going."

"We'll meet you there," Remus offered, "I need to wait for Sirius."

James looked sorely tempted to ditch his fashionable late plan for the chance to escort Lily to the party, still under the impression that Lily was going dateless, "Perhaps I could…"

Remus placed a hand on his shoulder, "James, there's some candy bubbles in your hair. You might want to fix that."

"What?" James's hands flew up to his head, "Where?" he bolted for the boy's dorm, shouting about needing a mirror.

"Thank you," Severus said gratefully.

Remus smiled at him, "Enjoy you date."

"Wait," Nesme said as they headed for the portrait hole, "Mary isn't down here yet."

Lily frowned up towards the girls' dorm, "What could be taking her so long?"

"Probably fighting with getting her hair straighten," Davis remarked, "She told me she has a hell of a time flattening her natural curls."

"She's going to be late," Severus pointed out, "if she isn't careful, she'll be stuck walking in with Potter."

"We can't leave without her," Lily protested, "We're all going as a group."

Davis huffed, "I didn't stuff myself into this ridiculous thing to spend the evening standing around your common room. I'll drag her down if I have to."

Davis stormed past the group and scaled the stairs into the girls' dorm, leaving a flock of befuddled third year boys gaping in his wake.

The others looked to each other in confusion.

"Well…that's something," Severus commented slightly impressed.

And another chapter down. There was much rejoicing.

So story time: this segment on Davis was not planned at the beginning of this story. There's a part coming up in the next chapter that IS planned, but this sort of just...developed as I was writing. Davis sort of wrote themselves and I just went with it.

Now don't expect too much explanation or proper terminology in the coming chapters in regards to this. It's the seventies, not the 2019, so things were still misunderstood and not as well defined. So fair warning, not even Davis has a word for this.

We get to see Sirius's costume in the next chapter, so look forward to that!