22. Christmas at Hogwarts
Callie had written her mum and dad all about the ball, including her worthless, deplorable, slimy bastard head of house making her go with a boy she didn't like. In the letter, she'd asked her mum to pick out a dress - any dress, she didn't care - and send it to Callie by Christmas. After all, she couldn't go to Hogsmeade to buy something.
"Ooh, lemme see, lemme see!" Astoria begged as Callie sat on her bed with the package in hand.
She opened it up and found a satin gown in emerald green - for Slytherin. Wear it with pride, her mother's note read.
"Really, mum?" Callie exclaimed, aghast.
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On Christmas day, she went to Snape and said. "I can't do my own hair. May I please go to Hogsmeade with the other girls to get it done?"
"Might want to have a make-up job as well," he said. "Look a bit pasty, you do."
Callie had gone with a simple updo, something classy and elegant, with a couple of tendrils framing her face.
"This is really gonna suck," she told Astoria, slipping on a pair of silver heels in the dormitory.
"Least you can go," the girl said. "Fucking ageists."
"Watch your mouth," Callie said.
"What?! You swear all the time!"
"Right. I don't want Daphne thinking I've corrupted you."
Astoria rolled her eyes. "Trust me, you're not that influential."
Callie came to stand before a full-length mirror, checking herself with the full effect of dress, makeup, and hair. Despite the ironic color choice, the gown was actually quite beautiful, and fit like a glove.
Guess I've stopped growing, she thought, since her mother had used the same measurements she'd had over the summer for reference. The dress was one-shoulder, with a skirt that flared out in a mermaid style. It hugged her curvy hips and showed off her upper back, and for the first time in her life, Callie felt rather sexy.
Too bad it's wasted on Nott, she thought.
Neville had informed her that he'd asked Ginny Weasley, so at least he'd still be there, even if they were at different tables with different people. She wondered if the two Gryffindors had any inkling of attraction to each other, and felt a bit bitter that they'd be going back to the same common room at midnight.
Sighing, Callie said, "Let's get this over with."
"Try to have fun," Astoria urged. "It's a ball!"
Callie made her way into the common room, where people were getting together with their dates and heading out to the Great Hall. "Theo?" she called out, not seeing him anywhere. Over by the fireplace, a boy with dark hair turned around and came towards her.
Though he wasn't the best-looking guy in the world, he'd cleaned up well. His dress robes had probably cost a hundred galleons, his usually ratty hair was slicked back, and even his skin looked somewhat clearer than usual.
"You look nice," she said when he stood before her.
In an apathetic tone, he replied, "You look stunning." She took that as sarcasm.
"Shall we?" she said.
The two made their way out of the common room - she was shocked when he actually held the door open for her - and as they approached the Great Hall, he said, "Take my arm." She did as he said.
Everybody was gathered in the entrance hall. The champions and their dates hung back, and Callie shot a smile towards Hermione, who looked absolutely radiant in periwinkle blue and had been asked to the ball by none other than Viktor Krum.
The Great Hall looked like a winter wonderland, decorated in silver and white, thousands upon thousands of candles twinkling all around, ivy and mistletoe hung high above. The four house tables had been replaced with a hundred or so smaller tables. As she and Nott made their way over to one, she scanned the room for Neville, and spotted him at a table with Ginny, Seamus, Lavender, Dean, and a few other people she didn't know. Callie smiled, half to herself and half to him, pleased with the look of absolute awe on his face when he saw her. Then, feeling flirty, she winked at him.
"Where are we sitting?" she asked Nott.
He nodded towards a table that was, of course, on the opposite side of the room from where her Gryffindor friends sat, but that wasn't the worst part of it. Pansy, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Daphne, Blaise, Millicent, Tracey, and Graham Montague and Miles Bletchley (from the Slytherin Quidditch team) were already there, half of them snarling as they saw Callie coming.
Somewhere in this room was Snape, and if she got through the night without killing him, it would be a Christmas miracle.
"Just so you all know," she announced, taking a seat, "I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here."
"Can't imagine that," Pansy shot back. "Thought all the ivy and carnations would cover up the stench of muggle blood."
Crabbe and Goyle laughed. Callie stared at Pansy and said, after a beat, "Fuck you, Pansy." Then, as the pug-faced girl glared at her, "So! Now that that's out of the way - coming out as a couple, are we, Vince, Gregory?"
"Oi, go to hell, Warbeck!" Goyle shot back.
"Oh, please, it's Christmas!" Daphne spoke up. "Can't you all give me the gift of shutting the hell up?"
"Here come the champions," Tracey cut in.
They all turned to watch as the four champions and their dates entered the Hall and took their seats at the top table, Harry sort of looking like he didn't want to be there. Hermione, on the other hand, had never looked more giddy as Viktor Krum pulled out a chair for her.
"Why didn't you do that for me, you foul prat!" Daphne scolded Blaise.
Dinner was served - appearing out of nowhere on gold plates once the diners spoke their orders over them - and afterwards, Dumbledore asked everyone to stand while the tables and chairs were pushed to the side, making room for a dance floor. The Weird Sisters had been booked as the entertainment for the night, and they started with a slow song as the champions and their partners led the entire Hall in dance.
Callie and Nott had reclaimed their seats over by the wall, and as Callie watched more and more couples take to the floor, she remembered Snape's orders to her - You will walk in with him, sit with him, dance with him, and leave with him.
So far she had two out of four.
"Do you wanna dance?" she asked Nott, who had barely looked at her, and hadn't spoken, since they'd arrived.
"No," he said, curtly.
Although she didn't either, Snape had demanded it, and she didn't need to make some stupid mistake like not being seen dancing with Nott, leading Snape to break their "no more detentions" deal on a technicality.
Sighing, she said, "Snape told me to dance with you."
"I'll explain it to Snape," he said. "I don't dance."
Callie rolled her eyes and looked out on the dance floor, spotting Neville and Ginny held together, swaying slowly.
Ought to be me up there, Callie thought bitterly. Though she'd never had a bad thing to say about Ginny Weasley, suddenly her opinions of the girl were less than flattering.
Oh, it's not her fault. If he falls in love her, you've got only yourself to blame for bitching out Snape.
Lesson learned. Never again.
Suddenly Neville looked up and caught her eye. Distracted, he stepped on Ginny's foot, and Callie saw the girl wince.
Good! She couldn't help herself.
The slower song ended and a faster one began. Callie watched Ginny and Neville return to their seats, and Callie felt so wired up, she figured a dance might be just the thing to work off the excess energy. Bounding across the room and grabbing George Weasley by the collar, she said, "Dance with me." It was more of an order than a request.
Neither seemed to have any idea what they were doing, but after only a minute or so, Callie found she was genuinely smiling and having fun. At one point the boy picked her up and completely flipped her over, and Callie stumbled into Professor Flitwick when she landed on her feet, knocking him over.
"Professor!" she squealed. "I'm so sorry!" However, she couldn't contain her laughter as she helped the small man to his feet.
"Quite all right, dear, carry on!" he said. "Though I think I could use a pumpkin juice, myself." With that, he ran off to the refreshments table.
"Don't do that again without warning," she said to George, still grinning.
"Sorry, love," he replied, never pausing his wild moves. "Guess I got carried away."
"Hey, can I cut in?" Ernie Macmillan asked.
"Yes, join us!" Callie said excitedly.
For the next twenty minutes or so, she and George, Ernie, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Hermione, Viktor, and countless others bounced around like mental patients, nobody having a bit of grace or talent but everyone laughing and having the time of their lives.
"I need a break!" Callie shouted over the deafening music and the crowd.
"So do I!" Hermione yelled back.
"Drinks!" Victor shouted to his date, and the two walked off.
Meanwhile, Callie hobbled over to the closest table and took a seat. After all that dancing, her high-heeled feet were killing her, and when she pulled off her shoes, she saw drops of blood near the toes. "Ugh," she groaned in both pain and disgust. Shoes in hand, she ran off - very gingerly - through the entrance hall and out onto the stone steps leading down from the castle's front doors. Taking a seat on the bottom step, she buried her feet in the snow and exclaimed, "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" But after the initial sting of ice, her sore feet began to feel good under the cold.
Looking out at the live fairies dancing over rosebushes and statues of Santa and his reindeer, Callie felt a little bit bad for leaving Nott all by himself. However, the boy hadn't wanted to dance with her or talk to her or look at her, so her sympathies weren't that great. Besides, he'd been paid off by Snape, in some way, to escort her.
"Mind if I sit?" a voice behind her called out softly.
The one person she'd wanted to spend this night with was by her side. "What are you doing?" Neville asked, nodding his head at her feet.
Smiling, she replied, "Soaking them." Then she lifted up her silver heels and added, "These are a torture device. Thank whatever God you worship that men don't wear them anymore."
"I'll do that," he said with a grin. "So... how's Nott?"
"Imagine that hell is full and the dead are walking the earth. Something like that."
Neville chuckled.
"How's Ginny?" Callie asked.
"She's nice," he said. "Always has been. Think I may have fractured one of her toes, but she powered through it."
"Not really a dancer, eh?"
He shrugged.
Callie could still hear the music coming from the Great Hall, as the front doors were wide open. Another slow song came on and she rose to her cold, aching feet. "Come on," she urged him.
"Wanna go in?" he asked.
"No. Let's stay out here, not quite so crowded." She took one of his hands in hers and put his other hand on her waist.
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking nervous.
"We're dancing." Finally she put her free hand on his shoulder, and slowly the two began to rock from side to side. "Don't worry," she said. "I don't know what I'm doing either."
"I'm sorry I'm not... well... better at this."
"You're good enough for me," she said. "Better than you think." Curious, she asked, "Still got the stone?"
He reached into his pocket, held up the tiger's eye to show her, and replaced it. "Was hoping it might inspire me to ask you to dance," he said. "Which, technically... you asked me."
She grinned up at him. When the hell had he gotten so tall?
"By the way," he said, "Couldn't have picked a better dress. Matches the bracelet."
His birthday gift was on her left wrist. She waved her hand to watch it sparkle in the light.
"Still can't believe you gave me this," she said. "Seriously, you can tell me, how much did it cost?"
He hesitated, debating whether or not to tell, but finally replied, "I don't know. It was bought in the 60's."
"I don't mean originally. I mean when you got it at that second-hand store."
Again he hesitated, but explained, "I didn't buy it." Callie gave him a quizzical look. "It was my mum's."
She froze, her mouth dropping open. His mum, the woman who'd died before he ever got to know her? This was her bracelet, and he'd taken it and given it away?
"No," she said, stepping back and shaking her head. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no."
"What's the matter?" he asked, stepping towards her.
Callie stumbled backwards, almost falling off the steps, but Neville caught her just in time. His reward for saving her was a hard shove.
"You gave me your mother's bracelet?!" she yelled. "Christ, Neville, this is a family heirloom! What about your grandma, does she know you took it?"
"It's not her concern," he argued." She's my mother, it belongs to me. I can do what I want with it!"
"No, you can't!"
"Why not?"
"Because... because it's priceless!" She held up her arm to show the piece of jewelry. "This is something of hers, it's a symbol of her, and you just gave it away to... me?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why?"
"Because," he said, and paused to take a breath. "Because she's not going to wear it anymore. She's not going to... enjoy it. And it is special to me, I don't go giving away my parents things just for the hell of it. But so are you."
"'So am I,' what?" she asked.
"Special," he said. "To me."
She gaped at him. How could he get her so riled up by being so sickeningly sweet, giving her priceless heirlooms and calling her special?
"Callie, you're the best friend I ever had," he said after a moment. "The only person in the world who makes me feel good about myself. And if my mum knew-" he paused "-how much that means to me... I like to think she'd want you to have it."
They stood there staring at each other for a moment, until two rather tipsy students came stumbling out of the open front doors arm in arm.
"Oi," the girl student said, facing Callie, "great dress!"
"Thanks," Callie said, her eyes still on Neville.
The couple amazingly made it down the steps without killing themselves, and after a moment, Neville said, "Callie?"
"Yeah?"
He hesitated, before asking, "Will you dance with me?"
A small smile curled her lip. "Yeah," she said. "But let's go inside. I can't feel my feet."
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They danced to a slow song, then a fast one, then chatted with Dean, Seamus, and company. Soon the Great Hall was almost empty, but Callie asked for one more dance, another slow one. The Weird Sisters decided to pack it up after that, and Callie and Neville were two of the last people out of the Hall.
"Wonder what happened to Nott," Callie mused as they stepped into the entrance hall.
"I don't know, but..." Neville said "...think he'll hex me for stealing his date?"
They exchanged a grin, and Callie said, "Trust me, I think he's as happy to be rid of me as I am of him. Shit!"
Across the hall she spotted Snape. Considering she was supposed to leave the ball with Nott, and there was a chance the boy had told him that Callie ditched him from the start, she didn't want to face the man, not tonight at least. She was in too good a mood. She pulled Neville into a broom closet and shut the door, putting them in total darkness.
"Lumos," he said, providing a small light between them with his wand.
"Snape was out there," Callie explained.
"I know."
"I'm not trying to hide you."
"I know."
Just like that time in Hogsmeade, she had grabbed him by the front of the robes and not let go, and now they were standing with their faces less than a foot from each other.
"Cozy in here," she commented. Even in such dim lighting, she could see his blush.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Cozy." After a moment he said, "You looked amazing tonight."
Callie grinned. "As opposed to every other night, when I look like hell?"
Rather than stuttering out an apology or explanation, he said, "You're kidding."
"Yes. You're catching on."
Now would be the time, she thought, as they stared into each other's eyes. But she held back; she wanted him to make the move. And move, he did, bringing his hand to her face and brushing his thumb along her bottom lip. A shiver went down her spine as he slowly brought his face closer to hers. They were inches away... centimeters...
"Would you two go?" a male voice called out from the darkness. "We're trying to have some privacy here."
Neville pointed his wand in the direction of the voice, revealing two people, one holding the other up against the wall, at the other end of the closet.
"D'ya mind?" the female half of the couple said as Callie and Neville stared in shock.
"S- Sorry," Neville stuttered, opening the door and letting Callie out before himself. Back in the entrance hall, the two gaped at each other, processing the fact that they'd just shut themselves up in a closet where two other people were... canoodling.
After a moment, they burst into laughter.
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