Chapter Two: The Masque

"Now look," Sarah was using an authoritative voice, "You are gorgeous. There is no way two Blokes from your past are going to recognize you tonight. You're hair is blond, after all, so you have no reason to be nervous." She was putting the finishing touches on her own costume. "And don't forget," she turned to Jennifer, "you promised to put that thing down," she indicated the camera, "for three full dances."

Jennifer just nodded. She wasn't worried that they would recognize her, not really. She had charmed her hair blond and everyone who did recognize her, which would be everyone due to the camera, would call her Jennifer or Ms. Wells. What she was worried about was what it would feel like to be in the same room as them again. She felt kind of guilty for cutting contact with Blaise but she had needed to. She had needed to start over. He had understood. They had talked about it in the last two letters they had exchanged. He understood her reasons and she understood that he would never stop looking for her everywhere he went or trying to send her letters. She just couldn't risk him accidently, or purposefully, leading anyone to where she was.

Blaise was standing in front of the mirror adjusting his tie. "Don't forget, you gave me your word that you would dance with three girls." He turned to Draco, who was lounging against the desk, waiting.

"Whatever, can we just get this over with?" Draco hated being paraded around for everyone to see. He hated the tabloids. He hated the publicity. If he wanted all of this he could just go home and live in the wizarding world.

"Fine," they made their way out of the room. "I only do this for you." He was refering to the required social involvement.

"Right, and it has nothing to do with the fact that if I stop making public appearances they will dig deeper into our past to get their story than we want them to go."

"Well, there is that..." Blaise's tone was light and care free. Everyone knew they had just appeared out of nowhere nine years ago and, at the age of eighteen, taken the business world by storm. No one knew where they had gone to school, or if they had. Actually, no one knew anything about them before nine years ago, and as long as they kept up appearances it seemed as though the press liked it better that way, added to the mystery, the intrigue, the appeal. However, if they ever went too long without giving them something to talk about, like a new girl or a new take over, rumors about their past started cropping up to fill the silence.

The ball was wonderfully bright and brilliantly gorgeous, as all charity balls should be. Draco, or Daniel rather, was almost blinded by the time they got inside by all the photographers lining the walk. Blaise, or Blane, hadn't seemed to noticed. They were practically swormed by women as soon as they set foot in the door. Draco slowly made his escape. He would dance those three dances later.

Jennifer and Sarah had gone in the back to escape the press. Sarah still couldn't figure out why, but she always agreed to sneaking in. She went off to have fun, but not before reminder her friend about her promise.

Jennifer began taking pictures. She moved around the dance floor capturing the swirling colors. She passed the buffet, getting some really good candid shots of people laughing and eating. She made her way up to the cat walk about to get some shots from above.

"You must be good." She heard someone drawl from the shadows behind her.

She didn't answer. She should have known he would be up here.

He moved to the railing beside her and looked down to where her camera pointed. "I mean, if you are priveleged enough to take pictures inside while the rest of the press has to remain outside. Did your paper buy an exclusive or something?"

"Or something." She always took pictures, everyone knew that. If she was invited somewhere her camera came with her. Of course, she always gave those who organized the event an opportunity to veto photos before she sold them, so she wasn't lying, she just didn't work for a paper. "What are you doing up here anyway? The party is down there."

She stopped taking pictures and lowered her camera and just watched the dancing below her. She had gotten a great shot of the lights and colors and movement beneath her framed by the dark cat walk on all sides.

He looked at her for a moment. She was dressed as Aurora in the blue dress from the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty. She was beautiful. He sighed and turned back to the floor below. "Never seem to belong down there." His voice was far away.

Her heart ached for him. It was her turn to survey him. He was dressed as the Phantom of the Opera. "So you're running away?" She wasn't teasing him, she was serious, and it made him uncomfortable.

Fortunately for him they were interrupted before he could have time to answer. "There you are! Come back down stairs right now! You promised three dances and if you don't put that thing down now you'll find a way to weasel out of them." Sarah had come looking for her friend.

Draco smirked for a second, so he wasn't the only one running away. Then something hit him, the 'weasel out' comment. Why had that bothered him? Oh yeah. He wasn't going to think about her, not now. He made his way down stairs as well.

Blaise caught sight of him descending and moved over to his friend. He had seen a fairy climb up and back down followed by Sleeping Beauty. The fairy had almost instantly demanded that Sleeping Beauty hand over the camera she had around her neck and they moved off a ways. So there was someone at this affair that had something in common with Draco.

Draco stood there a moment before Blaise reached him from the other side of the hall.

"Dance with Sleeping Beauty and I'll let you out of the other two." Draco raised an eyebrow but nodded and moved off to find the princess.

Sarah saw the Phantom moving toward them. She hadn't seen him on the catwalk, he had been in a shadow, but she decided that he would be perfect for Jennifer's first dance anyway. Had she recognized him, she never would have insisted on the dance, but she honestly had not heard that the Phantom was really Daniel Malcom and his mask and hair style really did render him hard to recognize from a distance. "There, that man there. He's coming to ask you to dance, I can tell. You are going to accept!"

Jennifer tried to inform her friend as to the man's identity but Sarah was already gone and it was more trouble than it was worth to refuse the man and then deal with Sarah. Besides, there was no way he would recognize her and she would get to feel his arms around her again. Oh! she was pathetic! But right now she didn't care. Right now she was drunk on the atmosphere around her and decided why not?

He bowed low to her, "May I have this dance?"

She curtsied, "It would be my pleasure."

They made their way out to the dance floor. "You lied to me." Was his tone teasing?

"I did not."

"You implied that you were a photojournalist here on assignment. Your friend seems to think otherwise."

"My friend never minds her own business. Besides, everyone knows I bring my camera everywhere, that's half the reason I get invited."

"And the other half?"

"I have the money to pay for the ticket." Her words were blunt, but she had picked up the light tone he was using.

He grew slightly more tense and she could feel it in his hands and on his shoulder where she held him as they waltzed. "Is there a reason you chose Sleeping Beauty?" He was being serious!

"Excuse me?" she was confused.

He looked down at her and met her eyes, "Are you waiting for Prince Charming to come and wake you?" He was asking her the same thing she had asked him upstairs and the way he had done so was too accurate.

"What about you? Are you really as dark as you appear or are you waiting for someone to see through the pain and teach you to live in the light?" She had been refering to his costume, but her question was too much to the point.

They were both stiff now and finished the dance in silence, but for some reason they could not break eye contact. When the music stopped they stood for a moment, just staring at each other, before he bowed. "I apologize, my question was out of line."

"As was mine." She inclined her head.

"Would you like a drink?" He asked, offering her his hand.

She nodded, took his hand, and they made thier way to the drink table. They sipped their drinks in silence before he asked her for another dance. Neither of them spoke another word and simply danced until the music stopped and someone was on stage.

"I want to thank you all..." Draco turned to watch the host. He knew what was coming, but he wasn't sure if he wanted the girl to know whom she had been dancing with. For all he knew she would freak out and start fawning over him. He doubted it, but you never knew. He didn't get the chance to find out however, because as soon as he had turned away from her she had dashed off. When he realized that he was standing there alone he grew angry. Why had she left like that? She could have at least said goodnight.

He found Blaise. "I'm leaving!" His tone was dark and firm. Blaise just nodded. He knew better than to argue.