Chapter Twelve: Auld Lang Syne
The snow was laid in a thick carpet around all of the castle and Hogsmead. It looked like the whole world was enveloped in the white blanket. It was cold, it was very cold. But the castle was warm; every grate in the place was light. However the fires weren't lit for the heat but for the travel, no member of the faculty wanted to venture out in the mess that was outside.
"Are you ready to go yet?" Severus called from Evelyn's couch. She was in her bedroom getting ready to go out. The Three Broomsticks was having its annual New Year's Eve party. It was another get together that only a privileged few got to witness. Teachers just recovering from their Christmas hangovers getting re - plastered. And at the stroke of twelve everyone found someone to suck face with, usually the decision was a drunken one and thankfully it was almost always forgotten.
"Just about." Evelyn called. He sat fidgeting with his tie, something that he only wore once a year. Rosmerta always thought that it was fun to have black tie parties so her New Year's extravaganzas were formal. It all boiled down to her love of dressing up. Severus hated it, but shuttered to think what hell would break loose if he went against Rosmerta, especially now that Evelyn was there. In fact when he had greeted her at her door earlier she took one look at his old tux and pointed her wand at it, after her laughing fit. She transfigured the outfit from a cheep muggle suit to a 1920's black tail coat and top hat ensemble. And she wouldn't let him change it.
He didn't hear her enter the room he was lost in his own little world.
"I'm ready now." She said, he stood and turned, his breath caught. She was wearing the gown he had gotten her for Christmas under a long formal coat. Her hair was in a half up and she was wearing make up and jewelry. She even had evening gloves in silver; she was taking the formal thing seriously. But it was also seriously Slytherin. She looked good in silver and green.
"I'm glad, Shall we?" He said offering her his arm as they walked across the room to the fireplace. He threw the glitter into the flames and helped Evelyn step in, she said clearly,
"The Three Broomsticks." And disappeared. He soon followed.
Rosmerta had decked her place out in black, white, and silver. There were millions of balloons and banners. When Severus stepped out of the fire in the back room Evelyn was waiting for him, she had taken off her coat, which she had only worn to protect her dress from any soot and ash that might get on it. He brushed himself off and put on his top hat. Evelyn laughed and so did he. They entered the party room arm in arm smiling at their friends. It was a jovial atmosphere with lots of laughter and a large Champaign fountain. Heads turned as they walked further into the room and several stayed longer than the usual greeting. Many of the heads were male. Severus felt his lips curl in a proud smile as he walked through the crowed with the prettiest girl in the room on his arm.
"Severus! Evie! Glad to see you!" Rosmerta said hugging them both she was wearing a maroon sequin dress and a large grin. She immediately dragged Evelyn off to talk to Rolanda Hooch and Poppy Pompfrey. Severus helped himself to a flute of Champaign.
"Evie looks a righ' treat 'night, don' s'e Snape?" Hagrid said coming to stand beside Severus; he was in his usual bad suit and sporting his even worse hair.
"Yes, yes she does." Severus agreed whole heartedly. He watched her only half listening to Hagrid who was still talking about how nice Evelyn looked that night. Severus didn't need to have it described to him when she was all he saw. At some point Evelyn looked up from her own 'girls only' conversation and caught his eye she smiled and mouthed something that he couldn't make out, but she then blew him a kiss and waved. He suddenly didn't care what about what she had said earlier.
"You look so good… beautiful… Evelyn – Fabulous!" Rosmerta, Hooch, and Pompfrey were saying to her. They all wanted to know about the outfit. The women talked for a time, until the band that was hired began to play. There was a tap on her shoulder. It was Severus. She could see behind him that couples were heading onto the dance floor. Albus and Minerva were waltzing very nicely.
"May I have this dance?" Severus asked her smiling.
"Certainly." She said to him before excusing herself from her friends and taking his hand. He led her out onto the dance floor and they began to dance. Evelyn was surprised as he led them in a Waltz, not only a waltz, but one that she learned when her mother made her take a ballroom dance class.
"I thought you said that you couldn't dance." She said looking up at him. Her heels didn't help her much; she was still shorter than he was.
"Ever lie?" He asked her, looking down and meeting her eyes. They looked at each other for a while as they danced, feeling like they were the only ones in the room. He broke the eye contact to gaze at her chest. She hoped he was reading her pendent, which he was because he brought his hand to it and let his long fingers feel the gold surface.
"What does 'spes anchora vitae' mean?" He asked.
"Hope, the anchor of life. It's my family motto. The girls are given a two sided necklace, on one side is her family, well father's surname's motto and on the other side is her husband's surname's motto, if she marries." Evelyn said. She had a sudden burning desire to know what his family motto was. "What is your mantra?" She asked him.
"Surrender only in death." He replied.
They danced for a long time holding each other close talking exclusively to one another, not even looking at anyone else. The rest of the staff picked up on this right a way, like their pupils they loved relationships and gossip. A majority of the other adults in the room had taught the pair in their day and were now having a field day with comparisons.
"Well, they always laughed just a little too loud, they always stood just a little too closes, and they always stared just a little too long." Said the tiny charms professor over a flute of Champaign to a few of his fellow co – workers from the day.
"And now look at them." Rosmerta agreed nodding towards her patrons on the floor, the group turned to look and watched as Severus dipped Evelyn low and pulled her up with a snap, there was a look on their respective faces before they both broke into laughter and danced on. They could see the tension between the two of them, no matter how much they laughed and joked there was always an underlying current of magnetisms that brought them together and sent electricity everywhere. It was particularly strong now.
"They were always an attractive couple." Agreed Madam Hooch. "They still are." She added. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall who made an effort never to mess in the staff's personal lives had to agree.
Alcohol flowed and the band played, it was rear to find Evelyn and Severus off of the dance floor, even more unusual to see them apart. They had been on the floor for hours for the count down of the year had begun.
"All right everyone!" Rosmerta called standing on the bar. "In Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven... Get with the person you're going to kiss... Four… Three… Two… One!" The clock began to chime twelve.
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? And here's a hand, my trusty friend and gie's a hand o' thine we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet for auld lang syne." The room burst out singing, there were toasts shouted and glasses raised the whole time. Severus turned to Evelyn smiling down at her.
"Happy New Year." He said a little huskily. Evelyn smiled at him and stood on tip toe to give him his new years kiss. She still wasn't tall enough but he got the message. Rather awkwardly he lowered his mouth to hers for a quick peck. Except it wasn't. The second his lips met hers they seemed to merge. Everything in her mind disappeared, however her body was now deep in thought. There was a hum enveloping her in bliss. She didn't even realize she was swaying until Severus moved his hands to her waist and swung her down onto his knee like some classic swing movie. Except that their new position turned their extended time peck into a real kiss. Fire was now replacing the numb bliss. Evelyn felt her hands snake into his hair it was greasy and if she wasn't in the middle of a mind blowing kiss she would've thought it gross. But she was in the middle of a mind blowing kiss, and could care less; it brought his face closer to hers. They kissed for a little while before his tongue found hers. She almost lost it from the shear overload of the senses. Eventually the couple had to come up for air. Severus's pale skin was flushed and he was a bit embarrassed, grabbing her hand he hurried her out of the room sending his good – byes over his shoulder as he left with her in toe. They returned to the coat room and she barely got time to put her coat on before he was kissing her again.
Evelyn had no idea how they got to her room but when she regained her senses she and he were stumbling out of the fireplace in her living room their mouths still attached. If she hand know that kissing your best friend felt this good back when she was in school she would've done this a lot sooner. Maybe it was his skills or maybe it was the fact that she had some how fallen in love with him that was making his kisses so sweet, but what ever it was it was addictive. Eventually they broke apart and Evelyn retreated a little needing to catch her breath.
"You know that a long time people thought that it would bring good luck for the next year if a tall, dark, handsome man was your first visitor of the New Year." Evelyn said smiling at him and taking off her coat.
He couldn't keep his hands or mouth off of her when she wore that dress he realized as the ache to kiss her grew inside him again. Or had it ever really left since his bout with the flu. Or had it even been in him before that. He couldn't think clearly. He needed to leave, for the sake of their friendship. They were just friends. You DO NOT kiss your friends like that in front of everybody you know and then some. He said to himself. He was now confused.
"I think I better go to my room and wait from my tall, handsome visitor then." He said not very convincingly. Evelyn walked him to the door and before he left he kissed her again.
Evelyn looked in the mirror of her bathroom as she got ready for bed her lips were swollen by the assaults they had received that night. Three. Three mind numbing kisses… from her best friend. Evelyn shook her head, but it was true. Severus Snape was a great kisser.