Usual disclaimer
Sorry about the delay! Been really busy with exams and stuff. More reviews are welcome! Hope you like this chapter!
The Halloween feast was always a highly anticipated event, and this year was no exception. It was the most exciting occasion in the school calendar, second only to last years Yule Ball.
Halloween was also a chance to escape from the mountain of schoolwork each fifth year had acquired over the last half term. The only person who had not added to their workload was Miss Jones, whose lessons were solely classroom based. Snape, on the other hand, felt it was necessary to counter-balance this "idle waste of teaching time" with an incredulous amount of essays, projects and tests.
As far as Harry knew, there had been no more public disagreements between Snape and Jones. They seemed to be maintaining a healthy distance, but each would criticise the other during teaching periods.
When Halloween came round, the Great Hall was decorated in its usual fashion. Black and orange streamers hung from the rafters, and alight Jack-o-lanterns floated aimlessly through the air.
Nothing spectacular happened for quite a while. Everybody looked tidy, better than usual, just to mark the occasion. But it wasn't until Harry caught sight of Malfoy staring over at the entrance doors that he remembered Jones and her love of Muggle clothing. Both he and Ron followed Malfoy's gaze where…
..Miss Jones stood. On first glance, one would say she looked the same, until one looked at her dress. Customary black, spaghetti straps and short. Very short. Not tarty short but elegantly short. In itself, it was nothing special, but on Jones it looked stunning.
She seemed embarrassed at having attracted such attention, and quietly sat down at the top table. Next to Snape, who promptly turned his back on her.
"That's unfair," started Hermione. "She's never worn robes, and she is the muggle studies teacher. Her dress perfects the occasion. And old Snapey just ignores her." Hermione scowled.
Ron, whose gaze was still lingering on the top table, agreed. "Bet he's gay," Ron said, rather smugly.
Throughout the evening, people gradually moved onto the dance floor, leaving Snape alone at the top table. Ron was dancing with Hermione (rather scarily, it must be said), so Harry took the opportunity to get closer to the top table.
He saw Jones finish dancing with Dumbledore and then make a beeline for Snape. Harry could just about hear the conversation.
"Come on, don't just sit there like a wet weekend," Jones smiled, holding out her hand.
Snape locked eyes with her, sneering.
"Glutton for punishment, aren't we?"
"Come on, Professor Snipe –"
"Snap-" But Jones had silenced him with a cool finger on his lips.
"I know," she whispered huskily, her eyes twinkling away into his.
She reached for his hand, and pulled him to his feet. When they reached the dance floor, Harry saw Snape hesitate. Then he realised Snape probably didn't do much dancing.
Jones placed Snape's left arm around her slender waist and took his right hand in her own. She giggled, and colour flushed Snape's cheeks. "You can't dance with a two foot gap between you," she said. "You've got to be a bit closer. Like this." She pressed her body to his. Harry saw a visible shudder go through Snape's body.
Once Snape had remembered how to dance, it seemed as though both of them were born on a dance floor. They stayed on the floor all night. Harry, who thought all his \Christmases, had come a once with all the gossip Ron and Hermione were yet to find out, kept close by them 99% of the time.
When midnight rang out, Snape politely muttered his thanks and kissed Jones' offered hand. She placed her lips to his ear and breathed (so quietly Harry had to strain to hear it): "thank you for a wonderful evening. We should do it again." She gave him a flirtatious wink and walked away, leaving Snape, without his usual sneer. burning in the middle of the Great Hall.