CHAPTER 11- THE HALLOWEEN BALL
Joe and Laura spent the next few hours assembling costumes for themselves. They found some unused red cloth in a drawer in the dormitory, and used it to cut a red mask out of. Joe decided he would go as himself to avoid confusion and humiliation, and Laura would go as herself also.
As the hour drew up to midnight, the first-years chattered excitedly about what the music was going to be like. A rumour went round about Joe and Laura, and what they would be doing after the ball, but they ignored it and stuck their noses up at it. A congregation of first-years sniggered childishly as they walked past Joe and Laura, but Joe moved his hand into his robes to withdraw his wand and they stopped.
A strange thing happened on one occasion- Joe plunged his hand into his robes to shut up Millie Parkinson, who made a snide remark as they passed her. He tried to withdraw the wooden weapon, but instead found his hand upon something much heavier. Out of wonderment, he pulled it out, and found his hand not upon a wand, but upon- a golden, glittering sword.
The handle was engraved with glittering emeralds, and its hilt was golden. Joe, gasping, pulled out the blade from under the hilt, and gasped again. It was polished silver, and it gleamed and shone just like Godric Gryffindor's sword, which belonged to his brother. Harry had used the sword to fight off the Basilisk in his second year.
The first-years' mouths dropped open in horror. Joe grinned at them, and decided to take the initiative. "Yeah, that's right, you little wankers. Clear off or I'll show you some true martial arts!" he warned menacingly, waving the sword about. The first years screamed, turned on their heels and ran. Laura laughed. "Where d'you get that from?" she said to him. He shrugged happily. "Dunno!" he laughed. They walked off together in the direction of the ball.
They arrived arm in arm, as the fourth-years all had to as a mark of showing who their partners were. Snape stood at the door, and was just about to walk over to his daughter when the doors to the ball opened. Joe gasped, even though he was there for the third-year ball- he had somehow sneaked in.
The hall was decorated very well. Banners hung from the ceiling- "Happy Halloween!" and the walls had been completely covered in orange. It didn't look like paint, however- it was some sort of magical decoration. Laura looked all around her. Just as she turned to talk to Joe, she found he wasn't there.
He was over at the punch table, getting a glass of punch. He filled a nearby paper glass, and sat at a chair by one of the tables. All the people who were here together were romantically dancing. That's not for us, he thought.
Laura soon came over to join him in a glass. "So, how do you think it's goin'?" he asked her. She surveyed the couples happily, without answering. "Wanna dance?" she said finally, when a rock tune struck up from a skeletal band on the stage. He turned toward her slowly. "Laura, we're not in.ow!" She had grabbed his hand and was leading him over to the dance floor.
He was making a complete fool of himself. She knew how to dance- he didn't. Mort Malfoy was looking at him and giving him sneers. He remembered the sword and smiled pleasantly at Mort. Mort seemed taken aback, but he turned to dancing with Millie again and ignored Joe.
The skeletons struck up a flamenco tune, and Joe smiled secretly. He could dance flamenco, and he suddenly (surprisingly) found himself wishing (or hoping) that Laura could, too. There were three skeletons- one wore red pelvis armour and neck armour, one wore yellow, and one wore blue. The blue skeleton had what seemed like fizzy pop in his helmet, and Joe asked Laura who this was.
"The Sanbone Trio," she muttered. "They're a trio of artificially-living skeletons whose sole purpose is to play music. I kinda like them," she said happily. He smiled at her. "I like flamenco," was all he could say. Laura beckoned him to the middle of the dance floor, where everyone else was tripping over his or her shoes. The Sanbone Trio were doing something very clever with maracas and bones, making a funny bone-type sound.
Laura and Joe danced, making everyone else in the room both sure that they were an item (even though they weren't), and green with jealousy. Laura and Joe didn't care, though- they had found something they were both good at, and they were determined to share it.
The music ended, and Joe and Laura went to sit down for another glass of punch. They found Mort Malfoy and Millie Parkinson kissing behind them. "Sick bastards." he muttered. He downed his second glass of punch, and stared at the Sanbone Trio. "What are you sneering at, Potter?" Mort Malfoy's voice came from behind Joe.
"I'm sneering at you, Malfoy," he said. "Got a problem?" "Yeah. I don't like people like.well, people like her staring at me," At this he motioned toward Laura. Joe dropped his glass on the floor, and ran out of the doors to the outside. The Sanbone Trio's music struck up inside the ball again, and Mort Malfoy sniggered.
Joe returned, about an hour later, with his sword and a wand. "Well, Malfoy? Ready to give up?" he sneered. "What the.?" Malfoy careered out of the way as Joe swung the sword toward him. "POTTER!" Snape came running toward him from the direction of the staff dancing floor. Joe smirked a little. "Yeah?" he said casually, leaning on the sword's handle. "You do NOT bring weapons into the ball!" he shouted furiously. Laura ran in front of Joe, as Snape had put his hand into his robes. "No!" Laura shouted. Snape rolled his eyes. "Sticking up for your boyfriend, Laura?" he smirked. Laura, who wasn't thinking straight, shouted, "Yes!" Then she clapped a hand to her mouth.
"And stay out, both of you!" roared Snape, spit flying out of his mouth. He closed the doors to the ball, and to the inside and warm world.
"I still say we should've let Malfoy go," Laura muttered. Joe nodded. "Yeah, but we can't really do anything now, can we?" he grumbled. They had been sitting on a bench, and Joe stood up. "Well, Snape's kicked us out, might as well do something to pass the time." he muttered. He kicked a stone, then there was an embarrassed silence.
"Laura?" Joe asked her. They were sitting on the bench again, huddled close together for warmth. She raised her head slightly. "You know when you said I was your boyfriend. was that true?" he asked timidly. "No." she said embarrassedly. "Are you sure.?" he asked her. He moved closer to her, and she knew what was going to happen next.
Their lips touched, and from the instant they did, it felt good. They stayed, kissing, for about fifteen minutes, then put their arms round each other and their kissing became more passionate.
Snape was on the staff table in the floor, feeling a little harsh. He had neglected his daughter. He didn't care much for that Potter boy, but his daughter needed fatherly attention. He didn't like to think of the word, but she needed.well, love.
As he stepped outside, he looked toward the bench, and saw that she was already getting enough of that. "POTTEEEER!" he barked, fuming red. Joe's eyes widened and he pulled away from Laura. "Professor Snape!" he said. Laura and Snape both could hear the scared tone in his voice. Laura smiled at him nervously, and he smiled back. Snape grabbed Joe by the shirt collar, and Joe wiped the lipstick off of his lips. Joe was being taken to the unforgiving lair of Snape.
Joe and Laura spent the next few hours assembling costumes for themselves. They found some unused red cloth in a drawer in the dormitory, and used it to cut a red mask out of. Joe decided he would go as himself to avoid confusion and humiliation, and Laura would go as herself also.
As the hour drew up to midnight, the first-years chattered excitedly about what the music was going to be like. A rumour went round about Joe and Laura, and what they would be doing after the ball, but they ignored it and stuck their noses up at it. A congregation of first-years sniggered childishly as they walked past Joe and Laura, but Joe moved his hand into his robes to withdraw his wand and they stopped.
A strange thing happened on one occasion- Joe plunged his hand into his robes to shut up Millie Parkinson, who made a snide remark as they passed her. He tried to withdraw the wooden weapon, but instead found his hand upon something much heavier. Out of wonderment, he pulled it out, and found his hand not upon a wand, but upon- a golden, glittering sword.
The handle was engraved with glittering emeralds, and its hilt was golden. Joe, gasping, pulled out the blade from under the hilt, and gasped again. It was polished silver, and it gleamed and shone just like Godric Gryffindor's sword, which belonged to his brother. Harry had used the sword to fight off the Basilisk in his second year.
The first-years' mouths dropped open in horror. Joe grinned at them, and decided to take the initiative. "Yeah, that's right, you little wankers. Clear off or I'll show you some true martial arts!" he warned menacingly, waving the sword about. The first years screamed, turned on their heels and ran. Laura laughed. "Where d'you get that from?" she said to him. He shrugged happily. "Dunno!" he laughed. They walked off together in the direction of the ball.
They arrived arm in arm, as the fourth-years all had to as a mark of showing who their partners were. Snape stood at the door, and was just about to walk over to his daughter when the doors to the ball opened. Joe gasped, even though he was there for the third-year ball- he had somehow sneaked in.
The hall was decorated very well. Banners hung from the ceiling- "Happy Halloween!" and the walls had been completely covered in orange. It didn't look like paint, however- it was some sort of magical decoration. Laura looked all around her. Just as she turned to talk to Joe, she found he wasn't there.
He was over at the punch table, getting a glass of punch. He filled a nearby paper glass, and sat at a chair by one of the tables. All the people who were here together were romantically dancing. That's not for us, he thought.
Laura soon came over to join him in a glass. "So, how do you think it's goin'?" he asked her. She surveyed the couples happily, without answering. "Wanna dance?" she said finally, when a rock tune struck up from a skeletal band on the stage. He turned toward her slowly. "Laura, we're not in.ow!" She had grabbed his hand and was leading him over to the dance floor.
He was making a complete fool of himself. She knew how to dance- he didn't. Mort Malfoy was looking at him and giving him sneers. He remembered the sword and smiled pleasantly at Mort. Mort seemed taken aback, but he turned to dancing with Millie again and ignored Joe.
The skeletons struck up a flamenco tune, and Joe smiled secretly. He could dance flamenco, and he suddenly (surprisingly) found himself wishing (or hoping) that Laura could, too. There were three skeletons- one wore red pelvis armour and neck armour, one wore yellow, and one wore blue. The blue skeleton had what seemed like fizzy pop in his helmet, and Joe asked Laura who this was.
"The Sanbone Trio," she muttered. "They're a trio of artificially-living skeletons whose sole purpose is to play music. I kinda like them," she said happily. He smiled at her. "I like flamenco," was all he could say. Laura beckoned him to the middle of the dance floor, where everyone else was tripping over his or her shoes. The Sanbone Trio were doing something very clever with maracas and bones, making a funny bone-type sound.
Laura and Joe danced, making everyone else in the room both sure that they were an item (even though they weren't), and green with jealousy. Laura and Joe didn't care, though- they had found something they were both good at, and they were determined to share it.
The music ended, and Joe and Laura went to sit down for another glass of punch. They found Mort Malfoy and Millie Parkinson kissing behind them. "Sick bastards." he muttered. He downed his second glass of punch, and stared at the Sanbone Trio. "What are you sneering at, Potter?" Mort Malfoy's voice came from behind Joe.
"I'm sneering at you, Malfoy," he said. "Got a problem?" "Yeah. I don't like people like.well, people like her staring at me," At this he motioned toward Laura. Joe dropped his glass on the floor, and ran out of the doors to the outside. The Sanbone Trio's music struck up inside the ball again, and Mort Malfoy sniggered.
Joe returned, about an hour later, with his sword and a wand. "Well, Malfoy? Ready to give up?" he sneered. "What the.?" Malfoy careered out of the way as Joe swung the sword toward him. "POTTER!" Snape came running toward him from the direction of the staff dancing floor. Joe smirked a little. "Yeah?" he said casually, leaning on the sword's handle. "You do NOT bring weapons into the ball!" he shouted furiously. Laura ran in front of Joe, as Snape had put his hand into his robes. "No!" Laura shouted. Snape rolled his eyes. "Sticking up for your boyfriend, Laura?" he smirked. Laura, who wasn't thinking straight, shouted, "Yes!" Then she clapped a hand to her mouth.
"And stay out, both of you!" roared Snape, spit flying out of his mouth. He closed the doors to the ball, and to the inside and warm world.
"I still say we should've let Malfoy go," Laura muttered. Joe nodded. "Yeah, but we can't really do anything now, can we?" he grumbled. They had been sitting on a bench, and Joe stood up. "Well, Snape's kicked us out, might as well do something to pass the time." he muttered. He kicked a stone, then there was an embarrassed silence.
"Laura?" Joe asked her. They were sitting on the bench again, huddled close together for warmth. She raised her head slightly. "You know when you said I was your boyfriend. was that true?" he asked timidly. "No." she said embarrassedly. "Are you sure.?" he asked her. He moved closer to her, and she knew what was going to happen next.
Their lips touched, and from the instant they did, it felt good. They stayed, kissing, for about fifteen minutes, then put their arms round each other and their kissing became more passionate.
Snape was on the staff table in the floor, feeling a little harsh. He had neglected his daughter. He didn't care much for that Potter boy, but his daughter needed fatherly attention. He didn't like to think of the word, but she needed.well, love.
As he stepped outside, he looked toward the bench, and saw that she was already getting enough of that. "POTTEEEER!" he barked, fuming red. Joe's eyes widened and he pulled away from Laura. "Professor Snape!" he said. Laura and Snape both could hear the scared tone in his voice. Laura smiled at him nervously, and he smiled back. Snape grabbed Joe by the shirt collar, and Joe wiped the lipstick off of his lips. Joe was being taken to the unforgiving lair of Snape.