Her computer was being strange. All week it kept switching over to DOS and
then just sitting there. So she would restart it and it would be normal
and a little while later it would do it again. Frustrated with it, she
refused to look at it again until after the Masque.
Those nights were restless as well. Her nightmares, which had subsided a little the past few weeks, kept waking her. She found herself staying up late listening to old music that brought her near tears for almost no reason. She even found herself singing with Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom until the end of the album where she found herself mourning his sad fate. If only Christine could have seen the man the Phantom could become.
All in all, it was a long week without a computer or sleep. Luckily, the circles under her eyes would go quite well with her costume.
***
Masquerade, paper faces on parade.
The Dining Hall had been cleared of tables and decorated for Halloween. The ceiling was a swirl with dangerously dark and wispy clouds. Antique candelabras floated dangerously in the air, suspended by invisible strings of magic. The decorations were bright and festive as was the mood, but the costumes gave it an air that would remind most of an Edgar Allen Poe story.
In the flickering light, the first of the party goers were gathered. Trying to scare one another or hanging around the punch bowl. The professors were scattered as well, blending with the crowd in their costumes. When the flood of students had lowered to a trickle, Nani and Velvet made their entrance.
It had taken them a while to get Velvet right. The black wig had to be greased and her skin, which was pale anyway, had to be covered in paler make-up. She also was wearing heels to make her taller. But, what made the costume wonderful was the large, hook nose that she'd attached. And so they walked in and.
The room gasped, it was Severus Snape with a Dementor!
In his panic, Harry (who looked a lot like Frankenstein, scar and all) stepped up and screamed "Patronius!" Out from his wand came a burst of white light in the shape of a stag. The stag turned around and gave him a nasty look before dissipating. The Dementor pulled back its hood revealing Nani. The room fell into a fit of giggles.
Velvet (Snape) smirked at Nani, "I am going to go find Longbottom." She strolled over to him and drew herself up over him.
"Longbottom!" she growled in a very Snape-like manner. "I am the evil Snape and will destroy you with your mangled cauldron!"
Neville screamed and cowered and then started laughing like a maniac. "You look just like him! You should definitely win scariest! Your voice even sounded like his."
"Did it really?" asked Snape.
Neville replied, "It really did, it."
Velvet's eyes got a little wider than normal, "That wasn't me." She turned to see Severus Snape.
Well, it was Snape, but not quite the normal one. He was wearing a white mask that partially covered his face and a black hat. Also, he wore a long red and black cape over a dark tux.
"The Phantom!" cried Velvet as Neville quietly crept away.
"Yes. I thought it was better than a turtle. Your costume, on the other hand, is quite."
Velvet blushed so deeply that it showed through her heavy makeup. "It was just a joke."
"Yes. It is quite funny, I am sure. Although I do not think you look a thing like me, it seems to have amused some others. I find that the Dementor was quite amusing, especially Potter's reaction."
"You are the Phantom of the Opera? That is such a great costume idea! It works for you," Velvet said, trying to direct his strong perception off of her.
"Yes," he said softly. "I must continue my party rounds now."
Velvet turned to wander through the crowd and found Hermione standing near her. "Your costume is hilarious."
"Thanks! What are you, the Muggle view of a witch?" Her hair was straight and black, she had a wart on her nose, a pointed cape, dirty robes, and her stockings were multicolored. It was a very comical look.
"Exactly. I'm waiting to drop some fake spiders on Ron. I was going to make Harry watch, but he and your friend Nani seem to have hit it off." Sure enough, Nani (Dementor) and Harry (Frankenstein) were chatting one another up across the room. "Oh, here comes Ron." Here he did come, dressed up like Dracula.
"That costume is bloody brilliant! Wish I'd seen the look on old hook- nose's face when you walked in." While Ron talked, Hermione put two little face spiders on Ron's shoulder.
Draco Malfoy looked over, and nearly laughed. "Watch out Weasley! There's something on your shoulder!"
Hermione jerked her hands back as Ron turned his head to see. He turned sheet white. "Spiders? Why did it have to be spiders? Get them off of me. please." He sounded desperate.
"Oh calm down, Weasley, they aren't real. Your little girlfriend here put them on you as a joke." He picked one of them up and let it crawl over his hand.
"Malfoy," began Hermione.
"S'OK, Hermione, I'll talk to you later." Ron wandered off.
The three stared after him stunned.
"What are you supposed to be, Draco?" asked Velvet.
"The Devil," he smiled winningly at the two of them and winked before he wandered towards some Slytherins.
"That was weird," said Hermione.
"Not as weird as Harry and Nani still talking."
At the end of the evening, the award for most frightening award was given to some sixth year dressed as the Swamp Thing. Dumbledore, dressed as Muggle, did give Nani and Velvet honorable mention, along with a few others. Overall, they dubbed the evening a success.
Lupin, sadly dressed as a vampire, not a wolf, offered to walk Velvet to her room but she declined. "Well then, at least tell me how your evening was!" Snape looked over.
Velvet smiled at him, "Hard as lightening, soft as candlelight." She glanced at Snape who was smirking to himself as she left.
She had no nightmares that night.
Those nights were restless as well. Her nightmares, which had subsided a little the past few weeks, kept waking her. She found herself staying up late listening to old music that brought her near tears for almost no reason. She even found herself singing with Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom until the end of the album where she found herself mourning his sad fate. If only Christine could have seen the man the Phantom could become.
All in all, it was a long week without a computer or sleep. Luckily, the circles under her eyes would go quite well with her costume.
***
Masquerade, paper faces on parade.
The Dining Hall had been cleared of tables and decorated for Halloween. The ceiling was a swirl with dangerously dark and wispy clouds. Antique candelabras floated dangerously in the air, suspended by invisible strings of magic. The decorations were bright and festive as was the mood, but the costumes gave it an air that would remind most of an Edgar Allen Poe story.
In the flickering light, the first of the party goers were gathered. Trying to scare one another or hanging around the punch bowl. The professors were scattered as well, blending with the crowd in their costumes. When the flood of students had lowered to a trickle, Nani and Velvet made their entrance.
It had taken them a while to get Velvet right. The black wig had to be greased and her skin, which was pale anyway, had to be covered in paler make-up. She also was wearing heels to make her taller. But, what made the costume wonderful was the large, hook nose that she'd attached. And so they walked in and.
The room gasped, it was Severus Snape with a Dementor!
In his panic, Harry (who looked a lot like Frankenstein, scar and all) stepped up and screamed "Patronius!" Out from his wand came a burst of white light in the shape of a stag. The stag turned around and gave him a nasty look before dissipating. The Dementor pulled back its hood revealing Nani. The room fell into a fit of giggles.
Velvet (Snape) smirked at Nani, "I am going to go find Longbottom." She strolled over to him and drew herself up over him.
"Longbottom!" she growled in a very Snape-like manner. "I am the evil Snape and will destroy you with your mangled cauldron!"
Neville screamed and cowered and then started laughing like a maniac. "You look just like him! You should definitely win scariest! Your voice even sounded like his."
"Did it really?" asked Snape.
Neville replied, "It really did, it."
Velvet's eyes got a little wider than normal, "That wasn't me." She turned to see Severus Snape.
Well, it was Snape, but not quite the normal one. He was wearing a white mask that partially covered his face and a black hat. Also, he wore a long red and black cape over a dark tux.
"The Phantom!" cried Velvet as Neville quietly crept away.
"Yes. I thought it was better than a turtle. Your costume, on the other hand, is quite."
Velvet blushed so deeply that it showed through her heavy makeup. "It was just a joke."
"Yes. It is quite funny, I am sure. Although I do not think you look a thing like me, it seems to have amused some others. I find that the Dementor was quite amusing, especially Potter's reaction."
"You are the Phantom of the Opera? That is such a great costume idea! It works for you," Velvet said, trying to direct his strong perception off of her.
"Yes," he said softly. "I must continue my party rounds now."
Velvet turned to wander through the crowd and found Hermione standing near her. "Your costume is hilarious."
"Thanks! What are you, the Muggle view of a witch?" Her hair was straight and black, she had a wart on her nose, a pointed cape, dirty robes, and her stockings were multicolored. It was a very comical look.
"Exactly. I'm waiting to drop some fake spiders on Ron. I was going to make Harry watch, but he and your friend Nani seem to have hit it off." Sure enough, Nani (Dementor) and Harry (Frankenstein) were chatting one another up across the room. "Oh, here comes Ron." Here he did come, dressed up like Dracula.
"That costume is bloody brilliant! Wish I'd seen the look on old hook- nose's face when you walked in." While Ron talked, Hermione put two little face spiders on Ron's shoulder.
Draco Malfoy looked over, and nearly laughed. "Watch out Weasley! There's something on your shoulder!"
Hermione jerked her hands back as Ron turned his head to see. He turned sheet white. "Spiders? Why did it have to be spiders? Get them off of me. please." He sounded desperate.
"Oh calm down, Weasley, they aren't real. Your little girlfriend here put them on you as a joke." He picked one of them up and let it crawl over his hand.
"Malfoy," began Hermione.
"S'OK, Hermione, I'll talk to you later." Ron wandered off.
The three stared after him stunned.
"What are you supposed to be, Draco?" asked Velvet.
"The Devil," he smiled winningly at the two of them and winked before he wandered towards some Slytherins.
"That was weird," said Hermione.
"Not as weird as Harry and Nani still talking."
At the end of the evening, the award for most frightening award was given to some sixth year dressed as the Swamp Thing. Dumbledore, dressed as Muggle, did give Nani and Velvet honorable mention, along with a few others. Overall, they dubbed the evening a success.
Lupin, sadly dressed as a vampire, not a wolf, offered to walk Velvet to her room but she declined. "Well then, at least tell me how your evening was!" Snape looked over.
Velvet smiled at him, "Hard as lightening, soft as candlelight." She glanced at Snape who was smirking to himself as she left.
She had no nightmares that night.