I'm sorry for the late update and the short, pretty lame chapter. You'd be amazed at what several hours of intense conference sessions can do to a person. Anyway, here isa short glimpse at the ball.
Dedicated to Redfern and Death of the Endless who will both seriously consider murder when I tell everyone that I will not be writing a NL/SS sex-scene. (If you're interested in that, look up the work of the previously mentioned authors.)
To quickly answer a few questions: NO! I would never leave my favourite couple just like that. Not after their first night together. You'll see much more of Minerva and Hermione:) They still have a way to go...
And yes, I'm going to write more stories:) I'm currently working on a few. More MM/HG-stories will come, and a few CSI-stories if anyone is interested.
And thank you so much for all your amazing reviews!
Your words are my oxygen!

All my love to you!
Jellicos

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Chapter eleven: Inside the bubble

Had he expected anything else? At least he seemed to be one of the few who noticed Minerva's quick departure from the hall. He'd seen the tears on her face and he knew where they came from.

Albus hadn't underestimated the young Ms Granger. She'd followed Minerva, leaving him free to supervise the ball. This was getting out of hand. And worse yet, his deputy headmistress and her star pupil weren't the only ones acting strange this night.

Albus had noticed Severus odd behaviour for a while, and tonight it was painfully clear to him what was causing it.

This was all giving him a headache. He needed a drink.

"I hope she'll be alright…" Harry looked at the door where first McGonagall, then Hermione had vanished.

"Don't worry Harry." Neville had a sly smile on his face.

"What about you Nev?" Ginny asked him. Neville looked very nervous now and threw a worried glance at Harry.

Harry took the hint.

"Look, mate." He sighed. "You know I don't like this and I can't for the life of me understand it." When Neville looked as if he was about to burst into tears, Harry decided to hurry up with the rest of his thoughts. "But…" This was going to take all of his will-power. "If this is what you want, if you really love him…" He tried so hard not to let his feelings of disgust for Snape show. "…then I'll help you."

He was almost thrown off his feet as Neville threw himself around his neck to hug him.

"Thank you Harry!"

Harry met Ginny's approving gaze and patted Neville on the back.

"Alright mate no need to get your boyfriend all jealous." He said, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked as Neville let go of Harry. A smirk spread across his face.

"Hermione didn't want to go through with the plan, but she made sure I would be able to." He grinned at the two confused Gryffindors at his sides.

"Just tell us what you need us to do." Ginny said, as if deciding it was no use in asking.

"At this point all I need is to get Severus to take my hand. Hermione has already seen to everything else." Neville smiled.

"Okay, I'm going to ask." Harry said, his curiosity not being able to stand much more. "What happens when Snape takes your hand?"

Neville leaned closer to them. They where already far from the rest of the crowd, but he wanted to be absolutely sure that nobody heard what he was about to say.

"Hermione cast a spell on my glove." Neville beamed as she showed them the silky white glove on his right hand. Both Ginny and Harry looked at it and seemed to turn slightly paler. "Don't worry." Neville smiled as he noticed. "The spell is designed for Severus; to everyone else it's just an ordinary glove."

"Alright, so how do we get Snape to hold your hand?" Harry asked, still quite uncomfortable but determined to help.

"Oh, I don't think that will be a big problem." Ginny said in a teasing voice, jerking her head slightly in Snape's direction. And true enough, their potions master was observing their every move from across the room. "Come Neville, let's dance!" She continued and took Neville's hand. "Harry, wait a while, then try to cut in." She noticed that her boyfriend wasn't too happy with her plan, but she knew he'd do it for Neville. So Ginny whispered a quiet 'I love you' to Harry, before dragging Neville out on the dance floor.

Severus never thought he'd actually feel for the dull professor McGonagall. Yet he hadn't been able to repress a slight sense of understanding as he'd seen her run out of the hall with tears escaping her eyes. Suddenly he missed the company. It was absurd, it really was. They had been civil at most, and only due to the fact that they where colleagues. As heads of rival houses they couldn't be more different. Yet he knew that they shared the same burden.

Now he was alone, gazing over the dance floor where his eyes where firmly planted on Neville. He was dancing with that Weasly-girl. Severus noted his eyes narrowing and his heart-rate increasing. What was that boy playing at? Neville should know by now that he belonged to Severus. Making a scene with that idiot girl could prove very hazardous to his health. Snape was fuming.

But as he saw Potter walking up to the dancing couple he saw his chance.

Potter was bound to make a scene, and that would not be appropriate at a school ball. As a Professor, Severus would have no choice but to divert such an incident. He smirked. Who would have imagined that Potter would actually do something useful for once.

Harry had done as he'd been told and was now having a pretend argument with Ginny and Neville. He didn't like this at all, but he had promised to help Neville and he was not about to break his word. Though the voice behind him, dripping of venom was almost enough to change his mind.

"Potter," Snape spat the name out as if it had caused a very bad taste on his tongue. "I suggest you take your little lovers-quarrel some place more suitable. The bathroom perhaps..."

Harry had to bite his tongue not to say anything harsh. But he couldn't for the life of him see what Neville saw in this horrible excuse for a human being.

"Sorry Professor." Neville said, knowing Harry's temper was not to mess with. "Harry and I where just leaving." To his satisfaction, Neville noticed that his words reached their goal. Snape looked confused for a moment, but as Neville took Harry's arm and tried to walk past Snape, Neville got the desired reaction.

"Not so fast Longbottom." Snape put his hand on the curly haired boys chest to stop him from moving.

This was all Neville needed. With instant reflexes that no one would have expected him to possess, he'd let go of Harry's arm and taken Snape's hand in his own.

Instinctively Harry and Ginny backed away as a large bubble formed around the two men. By this time, the entire ball room had noticed the strange phenomenon and gasps where heard all over the room as students and teachers alike pulled back to watch.

"Longbottom, what is the meaning of this?" Neville was pleasantly surprised to find that Snape's voice was not accusative, but rather impressed if yet demanding.

"It's a spell." Neville answered without thinking.

"Yes, I can see that." Snape replied irritably. "I was referring to the fact that I seem to be trapped in a bubble with you." Even Snape could see the humour in his statement. But it was not in his nature to acknowledge such things.

"Well, you see Severus..." Neville decided to be bold. He had nothing to loose at this point, and Snape couldn't very well kill him in plain sight of half the school. His boldness earned him a raised eyebrow from his professor. But Snape allowed him to continue. "The spell is designed to hold us both within this bubble until we both confess our true feelings towards each other aloud." Neville was blushing heavily, but he didn't break eye-contact. He could see Snape's expression change from fury, to something Neville had not expected at all; amusement.

"I expect this is the work of Ms Granger?" Even the tone in Snape's voice hinted of amusement.

"It is." Neville replied. "But she chose a different strategy tonight."

"Yes, I noticed that as well." Snape mused, allowing himself to reflect on the situation for a moment before returning to reality. "So, Neville..." Snape smirked as he saw the boy shivering slightly at the sound of his first name. "the task at hand would be to reveal our true feelings for each other in order to get out of this bubble?"

Neville nodded. His boldness had sunken into his shoes as Snape surveyed him up and down.

"Very well Longbottom. Go on then." Neville looked up in panic. A very satisfied and content Severus Snape was watching him, waiting for him to reveal his feelings for him out loud with half the school listening. Maybe he hadn't thought this through properly.

But it was too late now. If he was going to do this, he might as well do it right.

Neville took a deep breath before fixing his gaze upon his potions master.

"I'm in love with you Severus." Neville was surprised at how strong his voice was, but he had no time to reflect, he had to get this all out as soon as possible, before he lost his nerve. "You're crude, rude and sometimes you're actually mean. And I want you. Badly. Not just for a night. I want to belong to you." The world outside of the bubble had disappeared and all he knew was that the man of his dreams was watching him in utter surprise. Neville didn't know if it was because of what he'd said or because he'd actually said it. Either way he was embarrassed beyond words.

Snape didn't move and Neville was getting nervous. He had to set things right. He wondered briefly if there was any way that he could take back the words he'd just spoken, but his thoughts where cut short as Snape's free hand grabbed the hair on the back of his head and pulled him in for a rough kiss. None of them heard the gasps and whispers of the people around them. They where both lost in the sensations of their own pleasure.

Neville threw his own free hand around Snape's waist, pulling him closer. He gave in to the older man's request to enter his mouth without hesitation and a moan escaped his lips as Snape's tongue violently searched for his own.

Without warning, Snape pulled away, still clenching his fingers in Neville's hair.

"You are mine." He said. His voice husky and raw, but there was no mistaking the love and care that surged though it. "I'm in love with you too, Merlin knows why, but I want you and you're not getting away this time." Neville smiled.

"Shall we then?" The younger man asked, gesturing to the doors. Snape noticed that the bubble around them had vanished and grinned. He pulled Neville close and whispered to him;

"Are you ready to be claimed?" Neville blushed but grinned back.

"Lead the way, my love." He answered. For a moment Snape didn't move. It seemed as the last two words had nailed him to the floor and he looked at Neville in disbelief. But as Neville squeezed his hand gently, Snape regained his trademark expression and almost dragged Neville with him out the doors, his robes swaying behind him as always.

As the large oak doors closed behind the two men, the room erupted in loud voices.

Ginny was fast on her feet, hurrying up to the band to get the music started again before grabbing Harry's hand and forcing him onto the dance floor. Within a few minutes the scene looked like nothing had been disturbed as couples flooded the dance floor to the popular music.

Albus Dumbledore was at his wits end. As he looked over the cheery dance floor from his seat he couldn't help feeling defeated. First Minerva and now Severus. Maybe he had been to quick to turn down the job at the ministry. Battle evil and facing death he could do, but in the light of blind love he was lost. He wasn't paid nearly enough to handle all this.

A glance around the room would have told him that he was not the only member of the staff with these thoughts. But Dumbledore was content in making up his own mind. The ball was almost over and he was going to enjoy the rest of it. After that he could worry about his love-sick staff members.

As Dumbledore let his gaze wander across the room, his eyes twinkled in that characteristic way; a sign that nothing was really worth worrying over.

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