The tittering breaking loose among the students brought Severus Snape back to reality. He had only half listened to Minerva's drivel, and with the other half had been composing an order for potion ingredients to be placed with the apothecary at Diagon Alley tomorrow – he was running low on several important items. Aghast, he looked at the young woman standing in front of him. "Um, I am afraid that......Surely there must be......"
Minerva McGonagall cut in with a less than pleased voice. "Severus, I remind you, the tradition is that the gentleman asked must accept the invitation."
Damn that woman. Severus was considering his options – if he declined, he would look like a fool in front of the entire school. And Minerva would never let him hear the end of it. If he accepted – well, he had at one point been a fairly good dancer, even though he was years out of practice. If she was trying to make a fool out of him, she had another thing coming. He would show that insufferable girl that if this was how she thought she would get back at him for not being all sweetness and light, it wasn't going to work. Making his decision, he got up, took her proffered hand, and snarled, "I would be honored" – even though his tone of voice left no one in doubt that he didn't exactly mean those words.
As the band struck up a waltz, they took their positions on the dance floor. He picked up her right hand with the same expression she had last seen on the face of an old woman picking a dead mouse out of a mousetrap. Then, gingerly, and leaving as much space between them as was humanly possible, he placed his right hand around her waist, and assumed waltz position.
Marya looked up at his face, and regretted ever asking him. She supposed that she had had some vague idea about him being pleased at being thus singled out, but the look of anger and disgust on his face left her in absolutely no doubt that right now he wished for nothing more than for the earth to open up and swallow her on the spot. Obviously, she had messed up again. Oh well, too late now. What was done was done.
Gently she picked up her left hand and placed it on his shoulder. For a moment, he recoiled at the touch. Recovering quickly, he glared at her, but started moving to the rhythm of the waltz. For a few moments, they simply turned to the music – Strauss, the Blue Danube Waltz.
Marya spoke up. "You dance very well, Professor." At first it seemed like he would not answer at all. Finally, he spoke through clenched teeth, "Well, it looks like your ploy to embarrass me didn't work, then, did it? What did you do, make a amusing bet with some of your little girlfriends to see if you could make a fool of that greasy old Potions master? " A sharp reply started rising in her throat - but all of a sudden – how, she could not have explained - she felt the hurt beneath the anger, of some old wound....
Raising her eyes, she softly said, "I don't play games like that, Professor." After that, both seemed to be out of things to say – they just danced on in awkward silence.
He had almost forgotten. During his years as a Death Eater, when the Dark Lord was at the height of his power, there had not just been pain and suffering. Many an evening had he spent in gala attire, dancing in the Malfoy's great hall. As one of the youngest, he had been a sought after dance partner then. Since coming back to Hogwarts, and becoming nothing but the "greasy git" again (oh yes, he knew what the students called him) he had always been on the outside looking in. Just like he was before he had connected with those Slytherins who had later turned out to be the Dark Lord's most loyal followers. Now the music reminded him of being young, of the only time in his life he had not been an outcast. He looked down at the woman in his arms. She was being blessedly quiet – for that at least he could be thankful. Nothing worse than mindless chatter and small talk – he wasn't good at it, and he had no tolerance for it. Catching his eye, she smiled up at him. He quickly scowled and looked away.
It had been so long since he had danced. Had his arm around a woman. Her waist was so small, and she felt light as a feather. Without thinking, he pulled her a bit closer. And immediately pushed her away again. But Marya had felt the small movement – and looking down, she smiled to herself. Maybe, just maybe..............