Strange Events at the Halloween Ball
A/N: This story may imply some admiration on Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall's part beginning in this chapter. Though McGonagall was Snape's former teacher, wizards live a lot longer than us meager and old-fashioned Muggles, and I have reason to believe that their aging process is much slower than ours. Therefore, considering the circumstances, the age difference between the two professors is none too great to be considered scandelous. **Coughs**…Not that several people I know would care for my explanation…**throws an accusing glare at her Bio-buddy**
Ron and Harry sat alongside each other, Parvati and Lavendar on either side.
They were both staring at the two males sitting next to Hermione and her best friend.
They had never really talked to these two young men – they had seemed just fine conversing with each other. Not that they hadn't known that Sarah and Hermione were after them; they just had never thought it was serious.
Now, considering they were all sharing a table with teach other, Harry leaned forward towards the one sitting next to Hermione and gave him a friendly smile.
"So," he started, surprising the young man at his suddenly attempt at conversation.
"Where did you say you came from again?"
Phillip gave him a feeble smile in return and glanced at his friend across the table nervously.
"Ah…Norkten," he said, avoiding his companion's gaze.
"The academy up north?" Harry asked him curiously.
Phillip only nodded.
"Oh…"
There was an awkward silence which was, mercifully, broken by the Headmaster rapping a spoon against a glass in call for attention.
As Dumbledore was engaging in his customary, before-ball-speech, Remus and Severus were busily arguing in hushed whispers.
"Why didn't you tell me you asked her?!" the ever-so amiable and understanding potion's master demanded of the DADA professor.
Remus narrowed his eyes, but nevertheless kept his temper.
"Personally, Severus, I believed it was none of your concern."
"That," he sneered. "Is something I shall decide for myself."
Remus glanced over towards the table at whom he fondly called, "The New-Age Marauders," and suddenly noticed how comfortably Charles was conversing with his student.
He looked back at Severus, a smug, yet polite smile upon his tired-seeming face.
"You seem to be getting very comfortable with that Slytherin," he said slowly.
Severus Snape narrowed his eyes dangerously and was about to retort when, at the Headmaster's command, a band of skeletons began playing a quick, upbeat tune.
The potion's professor looked over at the skeletons momentarily and was about to return his attention back to Lupin when Minerva McGonagall (who conveniently happened to be sitting next to him) spoke.
"It's a very nice song, isn't it, Severus…?" she said off-handedly in response to one of the skeleton's sudden shrieks.
"Er…"he raised an inquiriing eyebrow at the Gryffindor Head of House before nodding awkwardly.
"Yes…yes, of course."
He then turned back to Remus when she spoke again.
"You know, I dont' know when the last time I danced was." She was looking directly, almost threateningly, at him which made him, despite his efforts, to edge just the tiniest bit away from the woman.
Minerva, of course, was not to be discouraged so easily.
Leaning forward, she gaved the shocked and very much wide-eyed professor a piercing stare.
"When was the last time you danced, Severus?"
Torn between annoyance and surprise, Severus sputtered, "I…I don't really remember, Minerva."
Laughing softly, Remus stood up and walked over to his former professor, flashing her one of of his infamous smiles. (Being, in a sense, part wolf greatly improved the whiteness of his teeth, and Remus had a charming smile even without the stunning purity of color.)
Upon receiving the Transfiguration Professor's attention, Remus smirked good-naturedly, gave her a terribly, yet amusing, cliched bow and straighted, holding his hand out to her. "Would you care to dance, Minerva?"
Severus muttered to himself as the two swept off to the dance floor and made a mental note to thank the werewolf for getting the infernal woman off his back.
Rocking back and forth on his chair, he looked around the staff table and realized with a shock that most of the professors were out dancing with their colleagues, and also…
He blinked as he realized that Sinistra was sweeping around the dance floor with a Seventh-Year Ravenclaw by the name of Trevor Lindgreen right alongside tiny Professor Flitwick who leading a rather talented Hufflepuff fifth-year who's name escaped Severus at the moment.
The song ended and the skeletons, who by this time were known as the Clinking Marrows, slacked the pace, but kept it at on the fast side.
Straightening up a little, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of relief when Remus ended his dance with McGonagall and walked back towards the Staff Table.
He was about ten feet away when a very pretty Ravenclaw sixth-year by the name of Lynn Alkaiser gently tugged at Remus' foresty-colored robes.
Severus raised an eyebrow upon realizing what she was requesting of him.
Grinning to himself, Remus raised his eyes to the Dumbledore who was now dancing with McGonagall as if asking for his consent.
After a nod and a smile, Professor Lupin gently took the girl's hands and they both joined the rest of the dancers on the floor.
Severus couldn't help but smirk when he noticed quite a lot of the female students throwing Alkaiser venemous glances of jealousy.
Turning his eyes back to Lupin to see whethor or not the werewolf noticed, he gasped when he saw the Transfiguration professor coming his way.
He swiftly rose to his feet and swept his gaze around the room.
Spotting Trelawny two seats away, apparently looking bored, he grabbed her hands and pulled the sputtering excuse for a Divination teacher out to the dance floor leaving behind a very irritated-looking Professor McGonagall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After everyone had finished their dinner, the plates dissapeared and the students trailed right back to the center of the Great Hall as soon as the Clinking Marrows restarted the band.
Charles and Phillip were the only one's left at the table, as Harry and Parvati and Ron and Lavendar were out dancing, and Hermione and Sarah had left for the bathroom.
Glad for a break from dancing, Charles smirked at Phillip and gestured back toward the Staff Table with his thumb.
Right in front of Snape who was having Minerva McGonagall, still, trying to provoke a dance invitation was a cluster of girls, obviously waiting for Remus to finish dancing with a seventh-year Hufflepuff.
"And the winner for Hogwarts' most popular professor is none other than…" he trailed off, smirking at Phillip's embarassed but obviously flattered expression.
They both turned back to the Staff Table and Phillip had to stifle a laugh upon seeing the very aggravated Potion's Master snap at the female students, causing them each to return to their tables. The dance ended, and the hufflepuff thanked her professor and returned to her table.
That was about the same time Sarah and Hermione returned, so Charles and Phillip each rose to their feet and led them to the dance floor.
Sarah and her friend exchanged smiles, each obviously pleased that their dates weren't afraid to be seen dancing unlike so many other boys.
Meanwhile, back at their table, Harry and Ron were each racking their brains trying to think of excuses to explain why they couldn't go dance with Parvati and Lavendar.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Though the potion that Remus and Severus had drunk had lost some of it's power, they both stared at the dance floor. Severus' eyes had narrowed and Remus was fidgeting in his seat uncomfortably.
"I don't like how close he's dancing with her," Severus hissed finally, drumming his fingers along the Staff Table.
Remus started agreeing with his zealously protective co-worker but stopped himself and allowed himself a wry smile.
"Funny…coming from the same boy who's dancing with her," he grinned at him.
He was awarded by a piercing look from his companion and Remus returned to the object of his attention who was currently in Phillip Lycan's arms, the ghost of a frown upon his face.
Severus poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice, ignoring Minerva's weakening attempts at conversation.
He left his glass of pumpkin juice forsaken at the edge of his plate and continued staring at the girl in Charles Brewer's arms.
Look at how happy she is, he thought sourly. That look on her face. The most she ever gives me is a disgusted glance when she thinks I'm not looking.
He sat up straight and took a sip of his pumpkin juice.
Why did I always have to be so harsh on her? The girl obviously has talent in potion brewing. Would it really have alerted the Death Eaters that much if I had taken any interest in her?
A miniscule voice inside him answered the question for him and suddenly, almost in a synchronized movement, both the Potions and DADA professors jumped out of their seats and made their way toward the dance floor.
Remus' P.O.V.
What was he doing? What was his other half doing pressed up against her like that, moving so slowly to the song, Remus wondered. And what was he…Wait…was this jealousy he was feeling?!
But Remus had been putting up with Phillip just sweeping the floor of the Great Hall with Hermione in his arms the whole night and something in him had snapped. He was vaguely aware of Severus standing up next to him, but he barely took notice and frankly, he didn't care.
He walked right through a group of girls that had rushed up to him and continued on until he met up with Phillip Lycan and Hermione Granger who were deep in a conversation that Remus wouldn't remember until the following day.
He took a breath to steady himself and merely tapped Phillip on the shoulder. (This was, after all, still the gentleman that Remus Lupin was.)
Phillip glanced back and excused himself from Hermione who curiously nodded and returned to the table. As she sat down next to Parvati, (Who was apparently not on speaking terms with Harry) she threw a curious glance back toward Remus.
Remus led Phillip over to a lonely corner lit up by a single pumpkin-dwelling fairy and leaned against the back of a chair.
He cleared his throat and saw Phillip glance back toward Hermione.
Turning back, he looked up at Remus. "Problem?"
Remus crossed one ankle over another and placed his hands in his pockets.
He opened his mouth to explain, but shut it suddenly.
Phillip raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Yes?"
Remus shook himself mentally, "I…don't like how close you were dancing with," he winced, "Ms. Granger."
Phillip cleared his throat and glanced back at the other couples who were dancing in a much "friendlier" manner that he had.
"Uh-huh…" he folded his arms. "Listen, I'm going to go ahead and go back." He started turning around. "I still owe Hermione another dance."
Remus flinched, "Wait!"
Phillip grew annoyed and turned around, this apparent on the carefully guarded expression on his face.
"What is it? Really," he finally asked him and when Remus said nothing, he smirked.
"You're jealous."
Remus blinked and would've taken a step back had he not been pressed back against a chair.
"No I'm not," he said quietly.
"Yes you are," Phillip crossed his arms. "You're jealous that you don't get to have her in," he looked himself over "…in your present state."
At this, Remus pushed himself off the chair. "Stop it," he hissed. "Just stop it."
"Why? You know it's true."
"I….I…" the realization hit him.
He had fallen for her. He, a professor, had fallen for a student. He had let himself fall in love with Hermione Granger.
Remus stumbled back into the chair.
Phillip took a step forward as if to apologize but Remus swept off. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Severus, but he wasn't all too sure, and once again, he didn't really care.
A/N: Ouch…internal conflicts can be harsh when they're brought out. Poor Remus… Sorry it took so long to get this chapte up! At least it's lengthier than my last.