Chapter 8

"Are you ready to go yet Lia," Jackie asked. "We're already a couple minutes late."

"Yeah, just about. Could you help me with the back here? I can't reach the top few closures. I'm definitely going to have a few words with Loretta on the backing of this," Lia replied. For the last several minutes, she had been buttoning up the back of the dress, but with the small pearl buttons, it was very time-consuming. "Better yet, do you know any spell to take care of this, including the unbuttoning? I have a feeling that tonight I'll just get frustrated and tear it off if I can't find an easier way about this."

"I don't know one for buttoning up, that I can do, just turn around." Jackie made quick work of the remaining buttons. "The spell to undo them is simple, aprire. My mum uses it on Jamie to undo the buttons on his little outfits when she needs to change his diaper. Which is every ten minutes, or just about," she laughed. "Got your mask?"

"Yup, it's on my bed," Lia replied, the short heels she as wearing clip-clipping on the wood floor as she walked. However, the mask wasn't the only thing waiting for her on her bed. After having not received a note from her anonymous person in the last few weeks, Lia had wondered if, whoever it was, had stopped or given up. Guess not, she thought, as she saw the note lying on her bed beside the mask.

"What's that," Jackie asked, as Lia picked it up and began reading it.

Life is a risk, and if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
"A mask tells us more than a face. "
--I can prove it tonight. I'll find you, a traveler cloaked in black.

"Lia?"

"No, I don't know who it's from, and no it's not the first note I've received this year," Lia told her friend, seeing the questions written on her face. "And only you and Kevin know about it."

"Wow," Jackie was silent for a moment, contemplating the first part of the letter as she read over it. "This last part looks like it was written recently, the ink hadn't fully dried when it was sealed. Who else did you tell about your costume?"

"No one, beside you and Kevin earlier. And I didn't see anyone else around."

"The shadows are wonderful for hiding. Someone must have overheard you. I wonder who this mystery person is."

Before Jackie could speculate more, Lia grabbed her mask and put the letter down. "Lets go, we're already late, as you pointed out."

"Well you better be ready to tell me all about it tomorrow," Jackie told her as they reached the Great Hall. Two more anonymous figures entered the Great Hall, which had been transformed with decorations for the evening.

One wore a dark red halter dress with her dark hair cascading to her shoulders in waves. She wore a mask a shade lighter than her dress that had black edging. It went with the small rubies she had in her ears, the red heart pendant she wore around her neck on a black ribbon, and her black pumps.

The other had her hair up in an elegant twist, only a few red and gold tendrils escaping. Her mask matched the bodice of her dress with a morning star design, with several shades of blue around the dark ivory star. It was designed like a corset, flaring slightly at the top of the lighter ivory skirt, just above her hips. The hem of the skirt had a design mirroring the bodice. The small silver rose studs matched the silver rose necklace and the silver gloves coming above her elbows.

Not long after they entered, a person Lia recognized as Kevin came up to her friend and swept her across to the dance floor.

Lia felt a little uncomfortable being a wallflower, standing there by herself. Watching her two best friends dance together, she sunk into her thoughts. It's about time those two got together, she thought to herself, watching as they smiled at something said. For all Jackie's talk of getting Kevin's attention, Lia knew her friend was intimidated, if not scared of the risk involved. From the way Jackie held onto him as she laughed, he was on the right track to her heart.

Andrea sighed, thinking about the future of their friendship. Thankfully, before she could get too carried away, she saw someone enter, in a black cloak. He took a cursory glance of the room before his eyes quickly settled on Andrea. Her made his way over to her slowly, giving her time to examine what else he was wearing. Under the black travelers cloak, he was wearing a black tunic with an off-white shirt peeking out from the collar, tied with a black belt. Black pants gave way to worn black boots, obviously made of expensive dragon hide.

He smiled slightly as he stood before Andrea. "I assume you received my note?"

"I did. And the ones before them," she replied as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. "Who are you?"

"That, I'm afraid, you must discover fro yourself."

"What about in May, when these masquerades end?"

"I'm sure that with your smarts, you'll figure it out by then,' he replied, smiling; a piece of his light brown hair falling over his forehead. His green eyes sparkled behind his black mask. Lia's eyes stopped their changing kaleidoscope and settled at their normal grey.

"I love how you're eyes do that," he commented.

"It's okay. I mean, it gets annoying sometimes. It's like wearing my emotions out on my sleeve, which is so very—"

"Gryffindor," he finished.

"Yes exactly. That is precisely what my father says about it when he's teasing me," she laughed.

Jackie was having the time of her life in the arms of her not-so-mysterious dance partner. She was so engrossed, she never noticed when her friend was swept to the dance floor by a man clad in black.

As midnight approached the crowd on the dance floor began to thin. The last several songs that echoed through the hall were slowpaced. With her head on Kevin's shoulder, Jackie finally caught sight of Lia and her mystery man. Her head was against his chest, her arms around his neck. His arm circled her waist while his head hung next to her ear. He must have whispered something to her, as she laughed against him, her smile was brighter than any Jackie had ever seen on her friend.

"Lia looks like she's having fun," Jackie said.

"Who is that," Kevin asked, wondering who his friend's dance partner could be.

"Whoever she's been receiving those notes from this year."

"Oh that's him? I wonder who it is."

"You and me both."

Ginny stood quietly by herself, beginning to regret attending the ball. Already her feet were hurting after several clumsy dance partners. Chloe was somewhere on the dance floor, where she had been since a certain masked jester walked into the hall.

The current song ended and a faster one began. Ginny saw Chloe lead Colin off the floor. She was dressed in a traditional Chinese day garb in red and blue. They walked over to where Ginny was standing and Chloe casually stood next to her. Colin was watching those on the dance floor while Chloe leaned in and whispered something to Ginny.

"You wallflowers, you're all alike. It is a night of anonymity. Take a chance on him. He may be Prince Charming."

"You don't know that," Ginny whispered back.

"Neither do you," Chloe replied. The song ended and she took Colin's hand and they walked back to the dance floor.

Ginny knew Chloe was talking about the figure across the hall that had yet to dance all night. Several times their eyes had met, and now as she looked at him, his eyes met hers. He inclined his head slightly, acknowledging her gaze. Take a chance. A night of anonymity. Chloe's words rang in her head. A couple dance between them, breaking their eye contact. When they had moved on, he was no longer standing there. Surveying the room, she didn't see him. not until he was walking toward her.

Taking a small bow he said, "may I have the honor of this dance mademoiselle?" He smiled, his eyes sparking as he awaited her answer and pushed back a lock of blonde hair that had escaped it confines.

She curtsied slightly replying, "Yes you may monsieur."

His cape flowed around them as they danced. Her dress swirled around her as he twirled her.

"So why haven't you danced all night," Ginny asked.

"The time wasn't right," he replied, dramatically spinning her once more and making her laugh. "But you looked like you were having fun. Especially after being stepped on for the hundredth time."

"Oh you have no idea," she replied, making him laugh.

That was how the night passed between them, with laughter and smiles. As the night drew to a close, Ginny found herself wishing it could go on forever. It wasn't often she met someone who could make her laugh so easily and dance at the same time. She wasn't the only one wishing that the night could last longer.

Twirling her to the current song, Draco found himself caught in the moment, and he wanted to remember it forever. Her auburn hair and ivory skin. Her white dress with the gold embroidery, swirling around her. Most of all, he never wanted to forget how she looked when she laughed, how her smile spread across her face as she laughed. He didn't care who she was, he just knew he didn't want to lose her at midnight. She brought out the very best in him. The best he didn't even know he had—until then.

"What," Ginny asked, noticing her dance partner's stare.

"Oh, nothing," Draco answered, giving her a small smile and making her blush. "The night is coming to an end."

"I wish it could go on forever," Ginny whispered into his chest. He chuckled in response, a sound that echoed from deep in his chest. 'Me too. But before tonight does end, and these clothes turn to rags, I must ask you one question."

"Just one," she asked, making him laugh, a sound foreign to his own ears, for it was not often he had the liberty to be so free.

"For now," he answered. "Can—Can I—," he stuttered uncharacteristically. For some reason the young woman before him made him weak in the knees with her stare and made his brain turn to mush. The last song came to an end, his time was running out. Ginny looked up at him, confused. "Kiss you," he finished quietly, reddening a little.

Ginny smiled up at ham and brushed her lips against his. He smiled in relief for a moment before meeting her. it was a gentle kiss, but it felt so right. Draco tightened his grip around the small figure in his arms. The clock struck midnight before Ginny broke the kiss.

"I've got to go," she mumbled, turning for the door before she could be stopped. Half a moment after she was out of his reach, Draco ran after her. She was fast, too fast for him to catch up, but not fast enough for him to lose track of her completely. He followed her with his eyes out the hall, and when he left the hall after her, he felt the charm wear off. His eyes immediately recognized the head of red hair he had followed into the corridor. Ginny Weasley. No it couldn't be. But it was. The dress, the hair, but most of all, the smile he could see as she caught up with her two friends. The only comprehendible thought that crossed his mind when he saw her laugh was, oh dear.

"Okay, your turn," Lia told her mysterious dance partner.

"All right. The strangest combination of Bertie Bott's you've ever had."

"Toffee and hot pepper. I thought the hot pepper was cinnamon."

"Ouch. I had the er—pleasure of mixing scrambled egg with liver. Even butterbeer couldn't wash that taste out." Lia laughed and he twirled her out once more. "Your turn," he told her, pulling her in close and smiling as they danced faster.

"Okay, how did you feel when you received your Hogwarts letter when you were eleven?"

"Relieved."

"Relieved?"

"I would be able to escape my mother for months at a time instead of weeks on vacations with my father," he replied solemnly.

"Oh wow, I'm sorry."

"Don't' be. It is a fact I long ago came to terms with. What about you? I grew up knowing who I was, but you didn't. What was it like to find out you were a witch."

Lia thought a little bit before answering. "Exciting. Confusing. Mostly confusing. It made me wonder more about who my father was. My mother never told me, we actually never talked about it. And of course, I had never seen her do the littlest amount of magic. She was less surprised than I thought she would be, especially when she had to help me get my supplies in Hangman's Lane."

"Hangman's Lane?"

"Yeah, it's Salem's version of Diagon Alley. It's the largest group of wizarding shops in New England. It's relatively new, I think."

"What about when you came to Hogwarts?"

"That was… intimidating. The academy I went to was much smaller and nowhere near as grand as Hogwarts. But it just felt right."

Neither noticed how quickly time passed, and the end of the night was upon them. they danced slowly together as the last song wound down.

He was the first one to break the silence. "It's time. Goodbye Lia." Before leaving he laid a sweet kiss on her cheek and smiled. He was gone before Lia could do anything. Running to the entrance to the hall, she couldn't find him anywhere. Even outside, among her masked schoolmates it was impossible to find anyone. Her mind wandered as she walked to her common room. The possible identity of her admirer perplexed her. Who was her anonymous admirer? Thoughts like those swarmed her mind. She was the first of her roommates to return. Using the spell Jackie had told her, Lia slipped out of her dress and into her pajamas and into bed. It was then she realized just how tired she was, and when Jackie came in ten minutes later, Lia was sound asleep.