CHAPTEN TWELVE
Christmas had finally arrived. Dia woke from a peaceful sleep to find a cluster of presents at the foot of her bed. She greedily ripped them open.
She got assorted candy from Honeydukes (her absolute favorite shop) from Dunner, various knicknacks from her students and fellow colleuges, a beautiful silver hair clip from Dumbledore to wear with her gown tonight, and an anonymous gift--a gorgeous silver chain with a tiny diamond heart in the middle. Encrusted inside the tiny diamond was a small electric blue sapphire. She read the unsigned note that came with it:
To my Dia Diamond,
The diamond shows how you shine brillaintly like the Diamond you are as the sapphire represents your brilliant eyes.
At first Dia thought that it was from one of her students that was infatuated with her, but this must have cost a fortune. She shrugged as she carefully put it on her neck.
Dia admired it in the mirror. It was simply gorgeous. She took it and lay it in the box it came wrapped in, promising herself to wear it to the ball and find out who got it.
She pulled on a light blue sweater with snowflakes on it that the house elves had knitted for her, threw her hair back in a ponytail, and, not being able to help herself, spent the rest of her free time that day having a snowball fight in the grounds with Geroge, Fred, Ron Weasley and about the rest of the male population of Hogwarts.
********
It was exactly 7:46 P.M. when Severus Snape swished through the doors of the Great Hall, looking impeccable in his new raven dress robes. The hall sparkled brillantly and looked gorgeous with the Christmas decorations. Much of the staff was already there, standing around the High Table, laughing merrily.
Snape didn't feel much like standing around like an idiot high on Christmas spirit so he sat down in one of the chairs lining the walls to sulk. And the brooding began. The first thing on the adgenda was the obvious. For the thousandth Yule Ball, he didn't have a dancing partner. For a second he had actually considered asking someone. He ran down the list of female professors at Hogwarts. McGonagall (too old.) Sprout (too dumpy.) Diamond (just right.) Hooch (yellow eyes?) Diamond (simply perfect.)There was none. Then there was the fact that since the story about the troll had started, everyone thought that he was going to go with Diamond (just right.) But Dia Diamond? Why on earth would he go with such a (beautiful) giddy creature like that?
Snape had been lost in his glumness for fourteen minutes. It was now 8:00 and the doors to the Great Hall opened and in swarmed the students: the boys dressed in their dress robes and the girls with their multi-colored dresses and neatly done hair.
Five minutes later the Weird Sisters (they had played last year's ball) showed and set up their equipment.
Snape looked to the High Table. Many of the professors were jokingly dancing with each other and only a few sat conversing with each other. But a professor was missing...
Snape stood up and swished to the High Table, preparing to take his seats when he heard the chatter stop. Then the gasps and catcalls. He jerked his head to see what all the chaos was about and immediatly he understood.
Dumbledore had entered the Great Hall, dressed in brilliant light blue robes, and on his arm was her.
The girl from Snape's dreams was linking arms with the aged Headmaster. She couldn't be described in words, she just radiated with beauty. Her smooth, curvacious body filled the sparkling ligh silver dress. Her moonbeam woven hair was piled upon her head and her electric blue eyes sparkled as she quietly smiled.
Everyone seemed to be taken aback at the girl Dumbledore had on his arm. Dumbledore, who seemed quiet amused with the ruckus, riased his free hand and asked: "What happened to the music?"
The Wierd Sisters' music once again filled the Hall and the students began dancing again, although every male eye on the room was turned towards the beautiful girl.
Dumbledore led her onto the floor and began twirling her around. She giggled as she spun Dumbledore.
Snape could only stay fixated to the floor, his eyes watching this beautiful creature. After a few songs, Dumbledore left the girl's side, panting. He took his seat next to Professor McGonagall at the High Table. The girl fanned her face and took a seat in one of the chairs lining the wall. Immediatly, swarms of unattched (and attached) boys scrambled over to dance with the veela. But Snape took his cue and strode over to the beautiful girl before the others could reach her, and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"
The girl looked stunned, but she nodded, and Snape led her onto the dance floor. A waltz was starting. He deeply bowed and she curtsied. As if from his dream, he clasped his hand in hers, and put his other on her waist. She picked up the end of her long silver train and they begun dancing. It was all a blur to Snape. The only thing he could do was stare into the girl's electric blue eyes. Her gown swished and his robes billowed. He spun her around and around until the silver clip holding her hair fell out and cascaded down her shoulders and to her back.
Many couples stopped dancing to watch Snape and the gorgeous girl dance. Many males felt outgrgeous with jealousy.
While dancing with Ron Weasley, Parvati patil led him over to Lavendar Brown and whispered in her ear, "I told you there was something between them."
The song was ending. Snape knew it. But he wanted it to last forver. He wanted to look into those ocean blue eyes forever. And it did. A smile crossed the girl's lips and she broke out of Snape's grasp, curtsying. She started to glide off the floor when Snape grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Who are you?" he whispered. He should have known the answer, he knew the answer, but he was blinded by his dream.
The girl only smiled her small smile and swished off the dance floor, heading for the exit of the Great Hall. Snape followed in persuit.
When he finally found her, she was standing in the snow covered grounds of Hogwarts. She looked like a snow angel. Students who had grown bored with the dance were sitting on the benches, snogging, too busy to notice Snape and his fantasy. She walked through the snow, Snape following, until she stood on the banks of the now frozen-over lake. She looked out onto it, her hair blowing in the breeze.
Snape assumed a position in front of her. "Who are you?" he asked.
She only smiled.
Snape was about to ask again when he saw something glinting on her neck. It was a silver chain with a tiny diamond and a small sapphire encrusted inside. It couldn't be true. "Diamond?" he blurted.
Dia Diamond's cheeks flushed pink. Snape moved closer and held the diamond in his hand.
She spoke. "To my Dia Diamond. The diamond shows how you..."
Snape concluded. "...shine brillaintly like the Diamond you are as the sapphire represents your brilliant eyes."
Dia's eyes sparkled. "So it was you."
Snape inched closer to her.
"But before...you seemed so..." But Dia was interrupted by Snape leaning forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, and kissing her lightly. Dia responded by entwining her arms around his neck, and Snape kissed her more passionatley.
Both parties found that exhileration coursed through them.
Snape felt ironicy. Here he was, head over heels in love with Dia Diamond. The best potions student he had ever had. He hardly knew her. But he was madly in love with his Potions assistant.
Dia felt stupidity. How was she ever to guess that she would be kissing her old Potions teacher--Severus Snape! A man that had made her life miserable. A man she had hated. A man that she thought hated her up until the moment when he had asked her to dance. She had felt butterflies erupt in her stomach. And here she was, enjoying it. Here she was, little Dia Diamond, knowing that she would never want to pull out of that embrace.
Christmas had finally arrived. Dia woke from a peaceful sleep to find a cluster of presents at the foot of her bed. She greedily ripped them open.
She got assorted candy from Honeydukes (her absolute favorite shop) from Dunner, various knicknacks from her students and fellow colleuges, a beautiful silver hair clip from Dumbledore to wear with her gown tonight, and an anonymous gift--a gorgeous silver chain with a tiny diamond heart in the middle. Encrusted inside the tiny diamond was a small electric blue sapphire. She read the unsigned note that came with it:
To my Dia Diamond,
The diamond shows how you shine brillaintly like the Diamond you are as the sapphire represents your brilliant eyes.
At first Dia thought that it was from one of her students that was infatuated with her, but this must have cost a fortune. She shrugged as she carefully put it on her neck.
Dia admired it in the mirror. It was simply gorgeous. She took it and lay it in the box it came wrapped in, promising herself to wear it to the ball and find out who got it.
She pulled on a light blue sweater with snowflakes on it that the house elves had knitted for her, threw her hair back in a ponytail, and, not being able to help herself, spent the rest of her free time that day having a snowball fight in the grounds with Geroge, Fred, Ron Weasley and about the rest of the male population of Hogwarts.
********
It was exactly 7:46 P.M. when Severus Snape swished through the doors of the Great Hall, looking impeccable in his new raven dress robes. The hall sparkled brillantly and looked gorgeous with the Christmas decorations. Much of the staff was already there, standing around the High Table, laughing merrily.
Snape didn't feel much like standing around like an idiot high on Christmas spirit so he sat down in one of the chairs lining the walls to sulk. And the brooding began. The first thing on the adgenda was the obvious. For the thousandth Yule Ball, he didn't have a dancing partner. For a second he had actually considered asking someone. He ran down the list of female professors at Hogwarts. McGonagall (too old.) Sprout (too dumpy.) Diamond (just right.) Hooch (yellow eyes?) Diamond (simply perfect.)There was none. Then there was the fact that since the story about the troll had started, everyone thought that he was going to go with Diamond (just right.) But Dia Diamond? Why on earth would he go with such a (beautiful) giddy creature like that?
Snape had been lost in his glumness for fourteen minutes. It was now 8:00 and the doors to the Great Hall opened and in swarmed the students: the boys dressed in their dress robes and the girls with their multi-colored dresses and neatly done hair.
Five minutes later the Weird Sisters (they had played last year's ball) showed and set up their equipment.
Snape looked to the High Table. Many of the professors were jokingly dancing with each other and only a few sat conversing with each other. But a professor was missing...
Snape stood up and swished to the High Table, preparing to take his seats when he heard the chatter stop. Then the gasps and catcalls. He jerked his head to see what all the chaos was about and immediatly he understood.
Dumbledore had entered the Great Hall, dressed in brilliant light blue robes, and on his arm was her.
The girl from Snape's dreams was linking arms with the aged Headmaster. She couldn't be described in words, she just radiated with beauty. Her smooth, curvacious body filled the sparkling ligh silver dress. Her moonbeam woven hair was piled upon her head and her electric blue eyes sparkled as she quietly smiled.
Everyone seemed to be taken aback at the girl Dumbledore had on his arm. Dumbledore, who seemed quiet amused with the ruckus, riased his free hand and asked: "What happened to the music?"
The Wierd Sisters' music once again filled the Hall and the students began dancing again, although every male eye on the room was turned towards the beautiful girl.
Dumbledore led her onto the floor and began twirling her around. She giggled as she spun Dumbledore.
Snape could only stay fixated to the floor, his eyes watching this beautiful creature. After a few songs, Dumbledore left the girl's side, panting. He took his seat next to Professor McGonagall at the High Table. The girl fanned her face and took a seat in one of the chairs lining the wall. Immediatly, swarms of unattched (and attached) boys scrambled over to dance with the veela. But Snape took his cue and strode over to the beautiful girl before the others could reach her, and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"
The girl looked stunned, but she nodded, and Snape led her onto the dance floor. A waltz was starting. He deeply bowed and she curtsied. As if from his dream, he clasped his hand in hers, and put his other on her waist. She picked up the end of her long silver train and they begun dancing. It was all a blur to Snape. The only thing he could do was stare into the girl's electric blue eyes. Her gown swished and his robes billowed. He spun her around and around until the silver clip holding her hair fell out and cascaded down her shoulders and to her back.
Many couples stopped dancing to watch Snape and the gorgeous girl dance. Many males felt outgrgeous with jealousy.
While dancing with Ron Weasley, Parvati patil led him over to Lavendar Brown and whispered in her ear, "I told you there was something between them."
The song was ending. Snape knew it. But he wanted it to last forver. He wanted to look into those ocean blue eyes forever. And it did. A smile crossed the girl's lips and she broke out of Snape's grasp, curtsying. She started to glide off the floor when Snape grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Who are you?" he whispered. He should have known the answer, he knew the answer, but he was blinded by his dream.
The girl only smiled her small smile and swished off the dance floor, heading for the exit of the Great Hall. Snape followed in persuit.
When he finally found her, she was standing in the snow covered grounds of Hogwarts. She looked like a snow angel. Students who had grown bored with the dance were sitting on the benches, snogging, too busy to notice Snape and his fantasy. She walked through the snow, Snape following, until she stood on the banks of the now frozen-over lake. She looked out onto it, her hair blowing in the breeze.
Snape assumed a position in front of her. "Who are you?" he asked.
She only smiled.
Snape was about to ask again when he saw something glinting on her neck. It was a silver chain with a tiny diamond and a small sapphire encrusted inside. It couldn't be true. "Diamond?" he blurted.
Dia Diamond's cheeks flushed pink. Snape moved closer and held the diamond in his hand.
She spoke. "To my Dia Diamond. The diamond shows how you..."
Snape concluded. "...shine brillaintly like the Diamond you are as the sapphire represents your brilliant eyes."
Dia's eyes sparkled. "So it was you."
Snape inched closer to her.
"But before...you seemed so..." But Dia was interrupted by Snape leaning forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, and kissing her lightly. Dia responded by entwining her arms around his neck, and Snape kissed her more passionatley.
Both parties found that exhileration coursed through them.
Snape felt ironicy. Here he was, head over heels in love with Dia Diamond. The best potions student he had ever had. He hardly knew her. But he was madly in love with his Potions assistant.
Dia felt stupidity. How was she ever to guess that she would be kissing her old Potions teacher--Severus Snape! A man that had made her life miserable. A man she had hated. A man that she thought hated her up until the moment when he had asked her to dance. She had felt butterflies erupt in her stomach. And here she was, enjoying it. Here she was, little Dia Diamond, knowing that she would never want to pull out of that embrace.