94. I love this
Harry combed his fingers through his unruly hair as he stared at the mirror. It was of little surprise that his hair kept its unkempt appearance. Accepting the state of things, he made his way out of the common area.
"What are you up to?" Ron asked from a self-playing game of Wizard's Chess.
"I got an invite to meet up with Teleute. I'll probably be out for the night. Don't wait up."
"Right, I got it," Ron finished with a knowing wink.
Harry snorted at the gesture but waved at him all the same. Outside of his House area, he walked briskly out of the castle. Hogwarts was accommodating enough to have the stairs behave mundane enough to take a straight path out to the lake.
At the shores of the pond, Death awaited him. Her attire was unusual for her. The fitting blouse was white with colorful flower printing while her long skirt was a strong red with a denser amount of flower prints. Even Death's hair was tied up with a flower style hairpin.
The most interesting thing was that Death was particularly excitable. Her smile could light his path to her.
Death energetically waved to him as he walked closer, "You made it just on time!"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. What's the plan for today?"
"You'll see," she said. Death examined his attire and walked around him for a few laps. "Let's put something more festive on you."
When Death touched his clothing, its very existence ended but was then renewed as a red suit with a scarf of flowers resting on his shoulders. A black top hat rested on his head with flowers pinned on it. Spider web designs accented the whole outfit.
She took his hand, "Let's get going. I don't want to miss a moment!"
Death pulled him through reality itself and the Hogwarts landscape was replaced by upbeat music and laughter as people partook in a widespread celebration. The merriness all around was so infectious that Harry was already smiling.
Death smile, pleased by his reaction. She swept her arms around dramatically, "Welcome to Día de Muertos!"
No sooner than she introduced the celebration, she grabbed his hands and pulled him into the mix of things. He was sure that Death was attempting to sample every bit of food the festival had to offer. Mrs. Weasley would've been proud of all the food she was stuffing in his face.
They had gone to booths for sugar covered sweet rolls, varieties of tacos, fancy flans, tamales, even some kind of corn vanilla drink. Each one was as flavorful as the last. It was all the more delicious from Death feeding him. His favorite had been the candied pumpkins that he couldn't stop gorging on.
The party goers were nothing but welcoming to them. From the greetings he heard from the other attendees and vendors, Death was a very familiar face. It was like she was returning to her very own hometown. Harry felt warm from the second hand affection alone.
It wasn't long before Death was moving to the next site, "Mind telling me where we're going?"
"I can't let you continue walking around like that," she said with a wide smile.
"Oh? I thought you said I was handsome," he smirked.
"I just think you could use that Día de Muertos touch. I know just the man to help you."
She led him to a bespectacled man with a serious countenance that just finished painting a child's face.
"Well if I live and breathe, it's you José. I thought face painting was beneath you," Death greeted.
José's serious expression broke into a laugh, "I think I can make an exception and use my exceptional skills for the good of the day. I see you're being the life of the party as usual, but it looks like you have a guest this time around."
Death directed Harry to the seat in front of the artist, "This is Harry."
Harry smiled easily, "Hello. It's a pleasure to meet any friend of hers."
"Ah, you have the air of love on you. That is good to see. I thought she would be too much of a busybody to get into a relationship. It does an old man good to be proven wrong, though my friend far outstrips me in age," José joked. "In celebration of such great news on such a festive night, I'll make your lover the most sought after skeleton in the lands. Hold still."
Harry relaxed his features and sat in a more comfortable position as José pulled out his supplies and began working on his face. Each stroke was with a precision that signified a lifetime of dedication to the arts.
"My offer for a face painting still stands," José said without taking his eyes off the canvas that was Harry's face.
Death face scrunched up, "No thanks. I don't want to play into stereotypes. Next you'll be asking me to pose with scythe."
Harry nearly lost himself and had to fight his laughter lest he ruined the work done on his face.
She huffed at his reaction.
José shrugged, "You cannot fault me for trying. What beautiful art I could make with a canvas so perfect? I would dishonor the Orozco name not to try. Alas, I know better than to pester a woman against her wishes. Ah, finished."
"How do I look?" Harry turned towards Death.
His face was painted in the image of a skull with colorful patterns painted around the eyes and lips. Spider webs patterns were splashed on the cheeks and forehead. The face paint had a jovial air to it.
Death held up his chin and grinned, "Like you're ready to get back into the swing of things. I'll see you around, José."
Much like a child, Death continued to pull him along through the celebrations. They partied with men and spirits alike throughout the night.
