Chapter 3 - The Witch-and-Wizard Tango
Malfoy was in a snit.
He was always in a snit in a general way, but now he was in a focused snit.
"What do you mean I cannot take Goyle and Crabbe with me?" he exclaimed as the rest of his housemates were getting ready for the End-of-Year Ball.
"Exactly what I said, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape replied sternly. "You do not need your ... henchmen with you on a field trip."
"Of course I do! There probably won't be any servants around!" He whirled in front of a mirror, admiring how his dark blue velvet suit fitted him.
"Call it 'roughing it', young sir," Britomartis stated as she checked her own reflection from behind him. "I'm quite sure you can spend two weeks on your own."
Draco snorted.
"I'm tempted," Severus commented off-handedly. "To take along a very large beast, probably borrowed from Mr. Hagrid, to make sure you dunderheads stay in line. The threat of being eaten usually keeps you all quiet."
"Don't worry about it," Britomartis added, sweeping on a dramatic red lipstick. "We've plenty of large, carnivorous beasts running around Crete - manticores, griffins, chimaeras - all the classics."
"Yes, Professor," Snape agreed. "But can we be really sure they will eat the children we want them to eat?"
She adjusted her sunglasses, and then shrugged. "We'll worry about that when we get there, darling."
"I'd really hate to have to keep track of so many students - perhaps we'll offer sacrifices?"
Elizabeth Humphries tugged on prefect commander Glynis Ryper's sleeve. "I'm not sure if they're joking or not."
"It's Snape," Glynis retorted, fluffing up her hair. "He never jokes."
Draco Malfoy fumed in classic fashion toward his teachers. "Do you have any idea to whom you are speaking?!"
Professor Vox shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Poor boy, your memory acting up? Attention, everyone! Mr. Malfoy has had a memory lapse. Please be kind to him."
"Goits!" Draco cried. "Goits! I'm surrounded by goits!" He looked around at random, and vented on the first person to catch his eye. "Snape - you're a goit!"
"I'm a what?" Severus asked.
"You heard me!"
Draco left the room in a huff. Severus Snape raised his wand, flicked his wrist, and everyone watched as Draco's hair stood on end, then arranged itself into a ridiculously huge beehive.
The door shut, and everyone fell into laughter, followed by several students bowing down before their House Master.
"Severus," Britomartis giggled. "You have a sense of humor."
"Don't let the children find out. My reputation would be ruined."
* * *
The End-of-Year Ball was lovely; the Great Hall cleared of the tables and decorated in a summery night motif. Candelabras full of low-lit candles hung suspended above everyone's heads, while the ceiling displayed a starry moonlit night sky.
Students were having a wonderful time - dancing, talking, calling out songs for the band to play, drinking sticky-sweet punch and daring each other to ask the person of their dreams to dance. The Quidditch teams never ran out of dance partners, and Oliver Wood himself never got to sit down once during the evening.
Draco had come in with the silly beehive hairdo and saw his reflection in a mirror - 'I look like a complete and total TIT!' After sufficient teasing, Snape took the spell off the boy's hair, but arranged it in a more suitably impressive style that did not need massive amounts of gel (and a commentary from the boy that he may keep it like that). For some reason, Draco got more offers to dance than he ever had before.
Professors Vox and Snape sat at the chaperones' table, engaged in conversation.
"We weren't missing much, Spirals," Severus commented. "All the drama happened the first ten minutes. We had more fun hiding Miss Price's glasses during these dances."
"Yes, but it's the socializing that everyone goes for," Britomartis replied. "And the excuse to be able to interact with each other in a semi- intimate manner."
"Intimate?" he asked.
"Have you forgotten dance lessons with Madame Meringue after all these years? Snips, how could you! Especially after all the practice we put in!"
He smirked. "Yes, Madame Meringue did mention in passing that dancing was just as intimate as other things."
"And Peony Danderfluff asking 'What things?' and the Madame replying 'I'll tell you when you're thirty'."
"I never did figure out what she meant."
Britomartis covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Snips, please be joking!"
"I haven't danced since before you left, Martis, really."
"Oh, then." She gazed at him, pursing her red lips. "Well, then, Severus Snape, we need to pick up where we left off."
He raised an eyebrow, and then returned with a smarmy smile. "Why, Britomartis Vox, are you suggesting we crash the party?"
"Why not, the kids'll love it. Might blow a few minds in the process, always fun."
Severus' eyes swept over her ensemble - a short, slinky red number with ruffles on the hems and sky-high black stiletto heels - and shook his head. "All right, but you asked for it, Spirals."
He got up and made his way to the orchestra, whispered a request, then turned around as the song started.
A lone violin struck up a Spanish air. Students paused, seeing the figures of Professors Vox and Snape standing erect and serious as they gazed at each other with dramatically stern expressions.
Severus Snape whipped his robe off, the black material flying upward like a giant wing then landing perfectly folded in a chair behind him. He stood in his buttoned-up black suit, arms at his sides, chest upraised in what could have been either Slytherin arrogance or manly pride.
Britomartis Vox snapped a foot out - the stiletto heel clicking against the floor as she crossed it in front of the other.
The tango began - slow-slow-quick-quick-slow - Severus and Britomartis slid across the floor to each other as students vacated the dance floor. The Professors' hands rose up before their faces, then touched the other's and spread apart to the sides. The music shifted; Severus snapped his left hand out, Britomartis clapped her right hand into it - his right arm rounding her waist and her left arm laying over his shoulder, now in close hold - then both turned their heads in opposite directions for a count of two, their hair whipping around their faces.
Following their outstretched hands, they closed in together and slunk across the floor, their eyes never meeting. Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow - they halted, Severus spun her around quickly, and then both returned the middle of the dance floor.
Severus dipped her backward in an arc, raising her back up and bringing her hand in to kiss her palm.
Britomartis pulled away, spinning across the floor the abruptly stopped. Her chest thrust out proudly like a matador, she waited for his move.
Severus brought his arms up and snapped in time with the music, kicking his feet to the back in turn. He finally stood before her and they began to stalk each other, their chests within inches, their faces close as his black eyes and her dark sunglasses stared deep within the other's, their movements fluid as they circled like predators. Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow -
He grabbed her in close hold, pressing her back in their dance. She raised one leg up and wrapped it around his waist, allowing him to drag her backward across the floor. Releasing his waist, her leg lowered again and both entered a complicated combination of foot movements and stomps while their faces were locked to the other's.
Severus dipped her. Britomartis extended her leg up perpendicular to her body and he held it for the fourth to fifth count, and then lowered it. Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow -
He spun her, making her ash blonde bob fly around her face. She stopped, her fingers holding his face; trailing long green nails up his cheek.
Severus dipped Britomartis down as the last note struck, ending the number.
Silence, then the student body erupted into a cheer filled with applause, hoots, and shrieks of approval. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall applauded, their eyes sparkling behind their glasses.
Severus and Britomartis stood, surprised at the reaction from the students. Several of the male students (members of the Professor Vox Stormtroopers) saluted Professor Snape.
Britomartis giggled and pulled Severus off the dance floor with her, both going back to their seats. "Was it good for you, too, Snips?" she breathed heavily.
He blushed. "Stop that."
"You said you haven't danced in twenty years - I don't believe you."
"It's true. I was rusty out there."
She grinned. "Well, after dancing like that, we should get married." She pulled down her sunglasses and winked at him with a moss green eye.
He cleared his throat. "Don't push it, Spirals."
Malfoy was in a snit.
He was always in a snit in a general way, but now he was in a focused snit.
"What do you mean I cannot take Goyle and Crabbe with me?" he exclaimed as the rest of his housemates were getting ready for the End-of-Year Ball.
"Exactly what I said, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape replied sternly. "You do not need your ... henchmen with you on a field trip."
"Of course I do! There probably won't be any servants around!" He whirled in front of a mirror, admiring how his dark blue velvet suit fitted him.
"Call it 'roughing it', young sir," Britomartis stated as she checked her own reflection from behind him. "I'm quite sure you can spend two weeks on your own."
Draco snorted.
"I'm tempted," Severus commented off-handedly. "To take along a very large beast, probably borrowed from Mr. Hagrid, to make sure you dunderheads stay in line. The threat of being eaten usually keeps you all quiet."
"Don't worry about it," Britomartis added, sweeping on a dramatic red lipstick. "We've plenty of large, carnivorous beasts running around Crete - manticores, griffins, chimaeras - all the classics."
"Yes, Professor," Snape agreed. "But can we be really sure they will eat the children we want them to eat?"
She adjusted her sunglasses, and then shrugged. "We'll worry about that when we get there, darling."
"I'd really hate to have to keep track of so many students - perhaps we'll offer sacrifices?"
Elizabeth Humphries tugged on prefect commander Glynis Ryper's sleeve. "I'm not sure if they're joking or not."
"It's Snape," Glynis retorted, fluffing up her hair. "He never jokes."
Draco Malfoy fumed in classic fashion toward his teachers. "Do you have any idea to whom you are speaking?!"
Professor Vox shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Poor boy, your memory acting up? Attention, everyone! Mr. Malfoy has had a memory lapse. Please be kind to him."
"Goits!" Draco cried. "Goits! I'm surrounded by goits!" He looked around at random, and vented on the first person to catch his eye. "Snape - you're a goit!"
"I'm a what?" Severus asked.
"You heard me!"
Draco left the room in a huff. Severus Snape raised his wand, flicked his wrist, and everyone watched as Draco's hair stood on end, then arranged itself into a ridiculously huge beehive.
The door shut, and everyone fell into laughter, followed by several students bowing down before their House Master.
"Severus," Britomartis giggled. "You have a sense of humor."
"Don't let the children find out. My reputation would be ruined."
* * *
The End-of-Year Ball was lovely; the Great Hall cleared of the tables and decorated in a summery night motif. Candelabras full of low-lit candles hung suspended above everyone's heads, while the ceiling displayed a starry moonlit night sky.
Students were having a wonderful time - dancing, talking, calling out songs for the band to play, drinking sticky-sweet punch and daring each other to ask the person of their dreams to dance. The Quidditch teams never ran out of dance partners, and Oliver Wood himself never got to sit down once during the evening.
Draco had come in with the silly beehive hairdo and saw his reflection in a mirror - 'I look like a complete and total TIT!' After sufficient teasing, Snape took the spell off the boy's hair, but arranged it in a more suitably impressive style that did not need massive amounts of gel (and a commentary from the boy that he may keep it like that). For some reason, Draco got more offers to dance than he ever had before.
Professors Vox and Snape sat at the chaperones' table, engaged in conversation.
"We weren't missing much, Spirals," Severus commented. "All the drama happened the first ten minutes. We had more fun hiding Miss Price's glasses during these dances."
"Yes, but it's the socializing that everyone goes for," Britomartis replied. "And the excuse to be able to interact with each other in a semi- intimate manner."
"Intimate?" he asked.
"Have you forgotten dance lessons with Madame Meringue after all these years? Snips, how could you! Especially after all the practice we put in!"
He smirked. "Yes, Madame Meringue did mention in passing that dancing was just as intimate as other things."
"And Peony Danderfluff asking 'What things?' and the Madame replying 'I'll tell you when you're thirty'."
"I never did figure out what she meant."
Britomartis covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Snips, please be joking!"
"I haven't danced since before you left, Martis, really."
"Oh, then." She gazed at him, pursing her red lips. "Well, then, Severus Snape, we need to pick up where we left off."
He raised an eyebrow, and then returned with a smarmy smile. "Why, Britomartis Vox, are you suggesting we crash the party?"
"Why not, the kids'll love it. Might blow a few minds in the process, always fun."
Severus' eyes swept over her ensemble - a short, slinky red number with ruffles on the hems and sky-high black stiletto heels - and shook his head. "All right, but you asked for it, Spirals."
He got up and made his way to the orchestra, whispered a request, then turned around as the song started.
A lone violin struck up a Spanish air. Students paused, seeing the figures of Professors Vox and Snape standing erect and serious as they gazed at each other with dramatically stern expressions.
Severus Snape whipped his robe off, the black material flying upward like a giant wing then landing perfectly folded in a chair behind him. He stood in his buttoned-up black suit, arms at his sides, chest upraised in what could have been either Slytherin arrogance or manly pride.
Britomartis Vox snapped a foot out - the stiletto heel clicking against the floor as she crossed it in front of the other.
The tango began - slow-slow-quick-quick-slow - Severus and Britomartis slid across the floor to each other as students vacated the dance floor. The Professors' hands rose up before their faces, then touched the other's and spread apart to the sides. The music shifted; Severus snapped his left hand out, Britomartis clapped her right hand into it - his right arm rounding her waist and her left arm laying over his shoulder, now in close hold - then both turned their heads in opposite directions for a count of two, their hair whipping around their faces.
Following their outstretched hands, they closed in together and slunk across the floor, their eyes never meeting. Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow - they halted, Severus spun her around quickly, and then both returned the middle of the dance floor.
Severus dipped her backward in an arc, raising her back up and bringing her hand in to kiss her palm.
Britomartis pulled away, spinning across the floor the abruptly stopped. Her chest thrust out proudly like a matador, she waited for his move.
Severus brought his arms up and snapped in time with the music, kicking his feet to the back in turn. He finally stood before her and they began to stalk each other, their chests within inches, their faces close as his black eyes and her dark sunglasses stared deep within the other's, their movements fluid as they circled like predators. Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow -
He grabbed her in close hold, pressing her back in their dance. She raised one leg up and wrapped it around his waist, allowing him to drag her backward across the floor. Releasing his waist, her leg lowered again and both entered a complicated combination of foot movements and stomps while their faces were locked to the other's.
Severus dipped her. Britomartis extended her leg up perpendicular to her body and he held it for the fourth to fifth count, and then lowered it. Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow -
He spun her, making her ash blonde bob fly around her face. She stopped, her fingers holding his face; trailing long green nails up his cheek.
Severus dipped Britomartis down as the last note struck, ending the number.
Silence, then the student body erupted into a cheer filled with applause, hoots, and shrieks of approval. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall applauded, their eyes sparkling behind their glasses.
Severus and Britomartis stood, surprised at the reaction from the students. Several of the male students (members of the Professor Vox Stormtroopers) saluted Professor Snape.
Britomartis giggled and pulled Severus off the dance floor with her, both going back to their seats. "Was it good for you, too, Snips?" she breathed heavily.
He blushed. "Stop that."
"You said you haven't danced in twenty years - I don't believe you."
"It's true. I was rusty out there."
She grinned. "Well, after dancing like that, we should get married." She pulled down her sunglasses and winked at him with a moss green eye.
He cleared his throat. "Don't push it, Spirals."