Thanks again to my reviewers and thanks to Wytil for your suggestion on Ron's costume and thanks to Cyn Wraith for your suggestion on Ginny's costume. I hope you like the other costumes.
Okay not much to say....
Chapter seventeen- The Halloween Dance!
"You really need to get out more, Severus..." Remus muttered to the scowling Potion's Master. He had dressed as a vampire for the dance, which was about to start in fifteen minutes.
Severus sneered, "And why, might I ask, do you say that?" Remus shrugged, "A vampire?! Come on! A four year-old could come up with a more unique costume then that!" The other man snorted as he eyed Remus' costume with little interest, "And I suppose a werewolf is more unique then a vampire?" he asked coldly.
Remus smiled thoughtlessly, "Come on, I really am a werewolf, besides, I'm supposed to act rather inaptly to you considering the animosity between werewolves and vampires." Severus' sneer deepened, "At least I wont have to pretend to hate you...." He murmured absently as he swept by the werewolf and out into the Great Hall, which was decorated festively for the late Halloween Dance.
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"I wish I could go..." Draco groaned to Damien as he watched the other boy check his appearance in the mirror. They were both in Damien's room, away from the excitement in the common room. Damien scoffed, "Well you shouldn't have made a bomb out of Neville's potion!"
The blonde rolled his eyes in response as he eyed Damien's costume with disdain, "What are you supposed to be anyway?"
Damien shrugged as he turned toward his mate, showing off his dark, velvet green robes, decorated with silver snakes, "Salazar Slytherin! Who else?"
He had the Slytherin symbol enlarged slightly on his upper left sleeve and what looked like a live silver snake hanging around his neck. It was just a necklace, but looked exactly like a real snake. His raven hair was tied back into a tight braid, which dropped down to the middle of his back.
Draco frowned and turned over so he was laying on his stomach, "Are you nervous about getting marked this December?" he asked his companion quietly. Damien nodded and turned toward the blonde, "But it helps to know that I am helping others by doing it."
Draco sighed and sat up, "Well, my father....." "Your not going to tell him are you?!" Damien exclaimed in panic. Draco raised an eyebrow, "No..." he said slowly, "Why would I? Your not supposed to tell other spies that you're a spy remember?"
Before Damien had a chance to digest what the Malfoy had said, there was a knock on the door and the Head Boy (which was a Slytherin) called to them, "Dance is starting and I'm sure you don't want to keep your date waiting!" he said that in a slight mocking way before his footsteps faded away along with the chatter from the common room.
Draco sighed, "Have fun...." He murmured as they walked out of Damien's room.
Damien nodded, "Hey come on! You still have the Yule Ball to look forward to!" There had been an announcement at dinner that the Yule Ball would be taking place this year. "Sure...." Draco murmured before heading toward his own room. Damien hesitated before shaking his head and walking down to the common room and out of the portrait.
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"Ooooooooooo I'm so excited Hermione!!" Ginny squealed and jumped in her seat in excitement. "Ginny stop moving! Your going to make me mess up your make-up!" Hermione reprimanded as she finished the mascara and continued on with the lip-gloss.
"Woman..." Ron muttered, rolling his eyes and tapping his foot impatiently.
Ginny and Hermione were both in Ginny's dormitory; Ron was waiting just out the door and had yet to see either one of them.
"We'll you hurry up!" he yelled up to his sister and girlfriend.
In response, the two girls started to walk down the stairs to meet him.
Ron's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he saw Hermione. She had once again, out done herself. Her bushy brown hair was once again straight and shiny, it was put up in a French braid, she wore a strapless, midnight blue gown that looked as if it were made out of silk.
"Don't gawk Ron its not entirely becoming..." Hermione told him as she looped her arm with his. Ron immediately shook his head slightly and turned to Ginny, who was grinning at the two of them.
"What are you supposed to be anyway, Ron?" Hermione asked him, eyeing his knight outfit with a fake-sword in its halter. "King Arthur, who else?" Ron stated simply, still eyeing her up and down.
Hermione huffed, "Well you could at least say something, Ronald Weasley instead of staring at me like I'm some type of display!" she snapped.
Ron blushed, "er.....uh.....Who-Who are you supposed to be again?"
Hermione let out an exasperated shriek and muttered, "Why do I even bother.... For your information I am Rowena Ravenclaw!"
Ron blinked, "Why? You're a Gryffindor..."
"I don't know, Ron! Probably because Godric Gryffindor was a man! Honestly! Besides, I was almost sorted into Ravenclaw..."
Ginny rolled her eyes at the two and finally spoke up, "Will you two knock it off? Damien's probably waiting for us!"
Ron eyed his little sister's costume. Ginny was wearing a flowing, crimson- red gown that looked as if it were made out of the same material as Hermione's. Like, Hermione's, it was also strapless and it dropped down to past her legs. There was about a half an inch wide cut made that went all the way up to her left knee. Her red hair was down, dropping to bellow her shoulders. In her left hand was a foot-long mini pitchfork and to top it all off, she had a red headband with two small horns sticking out of either side.
"You're the devil?!" he exclaimed.
Ginny shrugged and did a dramatic spin in her gown. "I'm only missing the tail, but it wouldn't have looked all that good with the gown... Now come on, Damien's waiting for us in the Entrance Hall!"
The others followed her out of the common room and hurried down to meet Damien, who was waiting patiently, leaning against a wall.
"Hey, Damien!" Ginny chirped and Damien looked up.
Ron saw with satisfaction that Damien's eyes widened at his little sister's appearance.
"Hey, Gin..." Damien felt as if he had just drank a butterbeer down in one gulp as he stared at Ginny. "You look......beautiful..." he admitted, glad that he had had guts enough to say it.
Ginny blushed but smiled, looking enchanted as she walked over to him and looked at him up and down. "Salazar Slytherin and the Devil....how original..." she smiled at him, looping her arm with Damien's.
"Shall we?" Damien asked in a mock-haughty voice and Ginny giggled. "We shall..." she used the same tone of voice as the two couples entered the Great Hall.
The Great Hall looked similar to what it did during the Yule Ball, except instead of the white frost, mistletoe, and ivory; there was cobwebs, pumpkins, and bats flying ever which way. There were hundreds of small tables that had black tablecloths and a jack o lantern (don't know how to spell it) lit up in the middle. The dance floor was charmed to look like a forest floor with fog floating all around it. The sky was dark, the moon full (though it really wasn't a full moon), and there were trees and vines growing up the sides of the walls that would sometimes move or twitch. The Weird Sisters were up on stage dressed as hags, already playing music.
Ginny grinned at Damien excitedly, the dim light dancing off her chocolate brown eyes, making them sparkle.
"We're going to go dance." Hermione yelled to them above the music, "you two coming?"
Damien, who really didn't like to dance, glanced at Ginny and nodded slowly when she did. The four of them made their way out onto the dance floor and started to dance to the music.
Damien found that he was actually having fun and after glancing over at Ron and Hermione, found out that Ron looked as if he were having fun too. Damien tried to keep up with the fast rhythm, along with Ginny but she seemed to be having trouble also as she started to trip.
Damien surprised himself by automatically reaching out and catching the girl before she fell. Ginny giggled inanely as she got back onto her feet.
"I do not know how to dance, Damien just to warn you..." she told him, above the blaring music. He arched an eyebrow, "Really? And here I thought it was Neville that kept on stepping on your feet at the Yule Ball..."
She shrugged, "Yes, but it was me who kept on stepping out of rhythm." He shrugged, "Don't worry I don't really know much about dancing either." She giggled even more, "We could be a danger to the dance floor, you know?"
Damien smirked at her.
Ginny glanced at Ron and Hermione and looked back over at Damien, "At least you don't suck at dancing as much as Ron does..." Damien followed her gaze and looked to see Ron, looking quite unsure of what he was doing, dancing rather hilariously.
Hermione, thankfully, didn't look embarrassed at her boyfriend's antics and was actually laughing heartily at Ron's poor attempt to fast-dance. Ron looked a lot more comfortable at her laughter and seemed to relax more.
The song ended and another began. Ginny stopped dancing, "There is no way I can dance that fast..." she sounded slightly out of breath. "er...." Damien wasn't really sure what to do.
"You want to get something to drink?" he asked, hoping it was the right thing to do. She nodded and they made their way off the dance floor, careful to avoid Ron's flying arms.
"Hey, isn't that your dad?" Ginny asked as they each popped open a butterbeer. He glanced up from the bottle to see his father, leaning leisurely against the wall; it was quite obvious that had he not been obliged to come, he wouldn't have.
Damien let out a small laugh, "He's a vampire...." "Bet the first-years will love that!" Ginny said, sipping her butterbeer.
Damien only nodded, suddenly wishing that his father had someone to dance with. He looked so.......alone.
He walked over to his father, "Hey Dad!" he shouted cheerfully, making the man jump slightly.
Severus nodded, "Damien....Miss Weasley, having fun?" Ginny nodded and Severus sneered, "You two better not wander off...."
"Why not? Do you not trust us Dad?" Damien asked innocently and Severus' sneer deepened, "Of course not! Who would trust two teenagers such as yourselves alone together?!"
Damien snickered and was about to retort when the Weird Sisters started to play a slow-song and Ginny squealed, "Oh I love this song! Can we dance? Please?" she pleaded and Severus smirked at Damien. Damien swallowed but nodded as he allowed the girl to lead him out onto the dance floor.
"Have fun!" his father yelled mockingly after him.
Damien blushed and sneered. "Don't worry about him." Ginny told him as she placed her arms around his neck. Damien nervously put his hands on her waist and the two started to dance.
"Why do you care so much about what everyone thinks of you?" Ginny asked him softly. "Well its kind of hard not to when your monitored every single day of your life like an experiment...." Damien huffed.
"Why don't you just forget about the wizarding world....for just tonight and really have fun?" Ginny asked him. "Please....for me?"
There was something rather comforting about the way she spoke to him, as if her very life depended on his happiness. He smiled warmly at her, "Okay, I promise..."
Ginny returned the smile, her brown eyes dancing merrily as she put her head on Damien's right shoulder.
Damien blinked, expecting to feel embarrassed or nervous, but was surprised when he felt neither, instead he felt a happiness welling up inside him. He surprised himself when he rested his head on the side of hers and closed his eyes, letting the soft melody wash over him.
The song ended but Damien and Ginny continued to dance until Ron let out a loud, "Go Damien!"
Several couples that were standing nearby turned around curiously and Damien and Ginny broke apart, both blushing.
Hermione huffed and swatted Ron on the back of the head ("Ow! What'd I do!").
"You want to go take a walk in the garden?" Ginny asked him and he nodded immediately.
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Severus watched his son and the Weasley-girl dance. He could easily see the obvious look of content on Damien's face and he suddenly felt pleased with the youngest Weasley for giving his son the comfort he deserved.
He had heard the two teens' conversation while they had been dancing and felt that he couldn't agree more with the girl. He was rather thrilled when she had managed to finally make him feel relaxed for the first time since the beginning of the school year.
When the song ended and the two were still dancing, he smiled, recalling his first dance, which had been with Lily.
It had been so wonderful to have someone who cared about him, especially when he had been completely ignored at home. The first dance that they could attend had been in their fourth year but the first time he had actually danced with a girl he had liked had been in his sixth year, with Lily.
They hadn't gone as a couple; merely as good friends and he remembered clearly the look on Potter's face when they had been dancing.
That thought brought a smirk on his face.
Lily had been one of the only people to care about him at that time. Only her and Dumbledore had really cared for him back then. She had been his best friend in their sixth and seventh year, after he had gotten over his stupid prejudice. He sometimes felt bad because he hadn't gotten to know her sooner.
After he and Lily had become friends, it had changed Severus' whole outlook on school. School had seemed so much more fun after he had befriended her. Before, in his first through fifth years, he had been friends with Lucius Malfoy but Lucius hadn't really been that good of a friend, especially when all he had talked about was how 'mudbloods' shouldn't be allowed to attend the school and muggles shouldn't exist at all.
Lily he thought to himself as he stared at Damien and Ginny, if only you could see our son now, you'd be so proud.......
Severus was snapped out of his thoughts as Ron Weasley yelled, "Go Damien!" and the said boy and his girlfriend made a quick escape to the gardens.
He snorted.
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Damien and Ginny walked, hand in hand, around the flowers, not really looking at them.
Damien sighed and sat down on a bench, Ginny sat beside him, "Is everything alright?" she asked him softly.
He looked at her seriously. She was so beautiful, with her shiny, red hair and sparkling chocolate eyes.....
Damien shook his head to clear his thoughts and said quietly, "Gin....I don't think we should be doing this anymore...."
She stared, "Doing what?" she asked slowly. "Y-You mean, going out together? Being together?" Her voice was trembling now.
Damien looked away, not able to see the look on her face, "....yes..."
Ginny stared at him through wet eyes. "Why cant you look me in the eyes?" she whispered through unshed tears. "Why are you doing this? Why? Is it someone else? Did I do something wrong?"
Damien shook his head vigorously, "No its not you...its me, its my fault..." he continued to look away.
"Then why cant you look me in the eyes?" Ginny was starting to sound angry now.
He said nothing.
She stood up, "Go on! Look me in the eyes! Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't want to be with me anymore!!" she shouted.
He slowly turned to look into her fiery eyes, "I don't want to be with you anymore..." he told her slowly.
"No!!!" Ginny screamed suddenly, "That's a lie and you know it!! What's wrong Damien? Why cant you tell me? You always used to be able to tell me things before!"
He sighed, she was just to stubborn to let go.
"What's happened to you Damien!" she whispered. "Why wont you talk to me like you used to? Is it You-Know-Who? Is it your father?"
Damien said nothing.
"What is it?!"
He lowered his head, "I just don't want you to get hurt...." He whispered finally.
Her bad mood evaporated instantly. "That's it?" she asked, sounding slightly relieved.
"That's it?!" Damien yelled. "Do you know what its like to never be normal! To never have a normal life?! And then whenever you get close to someone they are tortured and killed?! Do you think I want that to happen to you, Gin?"
Ginny sat back down next to him and put an arm around him. "Hey, what did me, Hermione, and Ron tell you before? We'll be here with you till the very end..."
"But I'm getting marked Gin!" Damien burst out. "And do you know what Voldemort does to people if he finds out their spies? They not only kill them but they kill their families to! And you're my family Gin.....I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Ron, Hermione, or Dad...." It had started out in a yell but ended in a whisper.
Ginny placed her hands on her hips, "So you think that by distancing yourself from us then we'll be automatically safe?"
Damien said nothing.
"This is a war, Damien! A war! That means that everyone is in danger, not just your family! Not just the ones you love!" She put both her arms around him and hugged him, her head on his chest.
"I would do anything for you, Damien.....anything......I love you...." She whispered, looking up at him through tearful eyes.
Damien stared at her.
"Please, don't take that away, Damien....just because you want to protect me, I can handle myself..." She told him.
A slow smile spread across his face and he slowly nodded, Ginny was right.....it was stupid of him to try to distance himself from the ones he loved....it would just cause more problems.
He looked down at the ginger head, resting against his chest and kissed the top of it.
"I love you too..."
() Oh! Ginny/Harry moment!! I think I'm going to cry!
sniff
Okay I know I went a little fast with the whole 'I love you' thing but they've loved each other for a long time, its just been kinda.... dormant. Seriously though I am not good at love scenes so please forgive me!
OKAY! I just started another story; which is an answer to the Werewolf Challenge; so if anyone is interested, please check it out!
And yes, it is going to be a Harry-is-Severus'-son thing.
Also I tried to get this chapter posted quickly so please forgive me for any mistakes I might have made.