48. Party at Slughorn's
"What the hell happened?!" she asked Hermione the day after the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch game. She had joined the victors in celebration up in the Gryffindor common room, and was shocked to see Red locked in a passionate snogging session with Lavender Brown.
"That foul," Hermione said, angrily buttering a slice of toast, "disgusting... repugnant... BIMBO!"
Callie couldn't hold back her laughter. The girl was absolutely livid; she had never seen her like this, and certainly not over a boy. "Tell me how you really feel, why don't you?" the Slytherin joked.
"Ugh!" Hermione groaned. "And to think I was going to ask him to Slughorn's Christmas party."
"What happened?" Callie repeated. Over the past few weeks, it had seemed as if the two Gryffindors had been toeing the line between friends and more than friends. But now, Red was all about Lavender Brown, apparently, and everything appeared to have gone to hell in the span of just one day.
Hermione sighed, before explaining, "He thinks I don't have any faith in him. As a Quidditch player, I mean."
"Why?"
"Because Harry pretended to slip him that Felix Felicis yesterday, to give him a confidence boost."
"'Pretended to'? So he didn't really?"
"Right. But I thought he had, and Ron took offense to my suggesting that he'd need Liquid Luck to play well."
"Oh, for God's sake," Callie exclaimed. "Fragile male ego."
"And now he's using Lavender to get back at me. And the dafty either doesn't realize that, or doesn't care."
The two of them looked to the opposite end of the Gryffindor table, where Red and Lavender were practically eating each other's faces. "To be frank," Callie said, "he doesn't seem like a very good kisser."
"No, he doesn't," Hermione agreed. "Dodged a bullet, didn't I?"
Callie looked back at her friend, who dropped her eyes to the table and sighed. It was clear that Red wasn't a bullet she'd wanted to dodge. "Have you told him how you feel about him?" Callie asked. "Not just inviting him to Slughorn's, but... actually putting it all out there?"
Hermione hesitated, looking bashful. "I thought maybe the Christmas party might be a good time to do so," she said. Sitting back with her arms crossed in frustration, "But now that's all out the window."
"Maybe you should tell him now," Callie suggested. "I mean, not right this second." She shot at glance at the boy and his new little friend. "Seems a bit tied up at the moment."
"Or maybe I shouldn't say anything at this point," Hermione countered. "He only wanted to go to that party because he's jealous that Slughorn didn't invite him. It had nothing to do with me. And now he's thrown me over for the first girl who's given him any attention. It's so disrespectful."
"Yes, it is," Callie agreed, eyeing Red. I always thought he was a little git. "Ya know," she went on, "two can play at that game. Go to the party, mingle, maybe you'll meet someone. Give him a reason to be jealous."
Hermione scoffed. "Who's going to want to mingle with me?" she asked.
"Anyone," Callie replied. "We-" she gestured between them "-are two beautiful, charming, intelligent ladies, and any man would be lucky to have us."
"You've already got your man."
"Yes, I do." With a devilish grin, she added, "But it might be fun to try and make him a little bit jealous." There was that mischievous wink.
The Gryffindor chuckled, shaking her head at her friend. "I don't know how he puts up with you," she said.
"I keep things interesting," Callie explained. "He loves it."
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On the night of the party, Callie came down from Hermione's dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. The girls had decided to get ready together, and both of them had had a bit of fun stealing glances at Lavender's envious scowl. Neville was in the common room waiting for Callie, who approached him in a rather dashing number of red satin that showed off her legs.
"Bloody hell," he breathed, taking in the sight of her.
"I'm wearing heels for this," she said, stretching out her leg to show off a gold sandal. "Cover for me later if I have to go soak my toes."
Taking her face in his hand, he said, "Let's blow this off and head down to our dungeon."
"Not this time, dearie. Slughorn said he's invited that healer, I want to meet him."
"The one who runs the program?"
"Mhm."
Looking over her form, her hip-hugging dress and her bare legs, he said, "Good thing you put this on. He's going to be begging you to join him at St. Mungo's." He put his lips to hers, and Callie thought that maybe they could skip out early and escape to their dungeon after all.
The sound of a clearing throat broke them apart, and Hermione was off to the side, raising a brow at them.
"You look great," Neville said, taking in the girl's appearance. She wore a pink dress that showed off a surprising amount of cleavage, and Callie knew she was a bit uncomfortable wearing something that revealing. But the plan was to make the Weasley git think twice about tossing her aside for Lavender. When Neville's back was turned, Callie indicated her own chest and gave her girlfriend a thumbs up.
"So," Neville said, "Should we get going?"
Sighing, Hermione replied, "I'm waiting for Cormac."
"Cormac?" he said, furrowing his brow. "McLaggen?"
He gave Callie a questioning look, and she pulled him aside to explain, "Red just barely edged him out for the Keeper position. She thought it would piss him off most."
Neville smirked and said, "You women are wicked."
"Yes, we are," she agreed.
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"Oh, he's using the house-elves as servants!" Hermione whined as they walked into Slughorn's decorated office. McLaggen had his arm wrapped tightly around her waist - she didn't look all to appreciative of that.
"Try to have a good time," Callie called over her shoulder. "It's a party! And I'm sure the elves are perfectly happy to be here."
"Brain-washed," the girl reminded. "Not happy."
"Merlin's beard," Callie exclaimed. "I'd give 'em every galleon I have if she'd get off that already."
"I thought you agreed it was slavery," Neville said.
"I did. But they've all been offered clothes and money and they won't bloody take it! It's a lost cause. Maybe they are happy the way things are."
"Don't try and tell her that," he said.
"No, of course not. I don't need her hexing me like she did Weasley."
They made their way towards Slughorn, who spotted them and said, "Miss Warbeck! And Mr. Longbottom! Good to see you, lad!"
"I think he's sloshed," Neville whispered in her ear.
"Filled with the 'Christmas spirit,' eh?" she muttered back.
Slughorn turned and waved somebody over. "Liam! Come, join us!" As Callie and Neville came to stand before the potions master, a tall, brown-haired man who looked to be in his thirties appeared at his side. "Lee, this is the young lady I was telling you about," Slughorn said, indicating the girl. "Miss Calista Warbeck, allow me to introduce you to Healer Liam Winslow."
"Hello, Healer Winslow," Callie greeted with her most charming smile, holding her hand out for a shake.
"Miss Warbeck," he said, taking her hand and giving it a kiss. "Enchanté."
Bloody hell, that was exactly what Lupin had done that one time. You're a charmer, too, I see. Her smile widened, and she was pleased to see that Neville looked just a little bit unsettled. She introduced him and the two shook hands.
Slughorn explained, "Liam, here, is the director of the healer training program at St. Mungo's. Keep an eye on this one, Lee. She's going to be one of your star students."
"I imagine so," Winslow said. "Professor Slughorn informed me of your work on the Katie Bell case."
"How is she doing?" Callie asked. The girl hadn't been back to Hogwarts since the day she was cursed.
"Well, physically she's gotten much better," the healer replied. "The curse from the necklace has been eradicated. The psychological effects, however, combined with the Imperius..." he paused, looking a bit troubled. "We're still working on it."
"Bloody hell," Callie muttered. "She's sort of a friend of ours. Is she going to be all right?"
"It's going to take a while, but in time, I do believe she'll get there." He considered Callie for a moment, before he went on, "Perhaps I could give you a tour of the hospital sometime. You could pop in and visit Miss Bell."
"I'd like that," she replied, shooting him another smile.
Some time later, as she and Neville were enjoying a couple of hot buttered rums, the boy remarked, "He was flirting with you."
"Was he?" she asked in an airy tone. "I hadn't noticed."
"I was only joking earlier, but..." he shrugged "...you do like older men."
"You know I only have eyes for you, hubby," she said, taking his hand in hers.
With a grin, he asked, "So I don't have to worry about you going on a private tour with the good-looking, successful, dashing healer?"
"No, but the way you just described him, maybe I have to worry," she teased.
Suddenly, Hermione appeared and threw herself into a seat beside Neville. She looked a little out of sorts. "Cormac will not shut up about Quidditch," she informed them.
"Want me to Tongue-Tie him for you?" Callie offered.
"Might not be such a bad idea. He tried to snog me in the middle of it all."
"Ugh," Callie groaned. He sounded like a real winner.
To Neville, Hermione said, "Save me. Distract him so I can have a moment to breathe."
"Don't let him try and snog you, though," Callie said, shooting him a wink.
"Right," he replied, rising to his feet with a sigh. "I've never liked that dafty git."
He left the girls to themselves, but Hermione also stood up and announced, "I need to get some air."
"I'll tell him you're sick if you wanna just ditch him."
"No, I'll be back. Harry and Luna ought to be here soon."
Callie took the opportunity to meander about, chatting with the rest of Slughorn's guests. "Eldred Worple," a short, round man with glasses introduced himself, shaking her hand. "Good to meet you, dear."
"Worple, Worple," Callie muttered, trying to place the name. Suddenly it came to her. "Did you write that vampire book, Blood Brothers?"
"I did, indeed," he replied. "You've read it?"
"Couldn't put it down. I've always had a... curiosity about the creatures."
"Well, in that case..." He turned to look around the room, spotted whoever it was he was in search of, and called out, "Sanguini! Come, I've someone for you to meet." Leaning in towards Callie, he whispered, "He's one of them."
She did a double take. Slughorn had allowed an actual vampire into his party? No way, she thought. But she knew enough about the creatures to recognize that the bloke who came over to them was no ordinary human, and she stood gaping up at him.
"Sanguini," Worple said, "this is Miss Calista Warbeck. Tells me she was a fan of Blood Brothers." To Callie, he explained, "I had to change some names for privacy reasons, but Sanguini here played quite a big role in my writings."
"Is that so?" Callie asked, never taking her eyes off the vampire. He was... rather alluring. Not only for the simple fact of what he was, but also because he was surprisingly attractive - despite the horrific dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in years. He stood perhaps six foot five. His dark hair was slicked back from his white-as-parchment face, which had an angular sort of shape, with prominent cheekbones and a strong jawline.
But what was holding Callie's gaze fixed on the man was his own stare, right back at her, slowly up and down her form like he was appraising her. Worple turned to him and said, "Sanguini, don't be so standoffish, lad! Say hello."
"Hello," he greeted. He had a voice similar to Snape's, low and smooth - commanding.
"Good to meet you," Callie replied, but she didn't shake his hand like she had with everyone else. She held her arms behind her back.
"Eldred!" Slughorn called out from the other side of the room. "Join us, man!"
Worple excused himself to share in some cigars and brandy with Slughorn and a group of older men, leaving Callie and the vampire to themselves. She noticed, out of her peripheral vision, a group of three girls standing off to the side, shooting interested glances over at Sanguini and whispering amongst themselves.
"You've got an audience," she informed him, shifting her eyes towards the girls. But he paid them no mind, keeping his attention completely on her.
"I do get a lot of strange looks every now and again," he informed Callie in that barely audible, silky voice. And after a pause, he remarked, "You're flushed. Are you all right?"
Honestly, she wasn't quite sure what to say to the man, and the longer he stared at her - perfectly comfortable with himself, it seemed - the more anxious she became. Not because she was afraid of him, but rather...
How does one make small talk with a vampire? she thought.
"I'm quite fine, sir," she replied, trying to appear as collected as he was. Christ, he could rival Snape with that unwavering stare of his. "I'm afraid I'm just a little bit caught off guard," she went on bashfully. "I've never met a vampire before."
"Do I frighten you?" he asked. "I apologize if my presence has left you unsettled. Eldred likes to show me off."
"It's quite all right. Welcome, even. Though I'm sorry he's made a bit of a spectacle of you, I finally get to say I've shaken hands with one of your kind." With that, she offered her hand.
He pulled the same move as Lupin and Winslow, but instead of simply giving her a quick little kiss, he held her hand in both of his and ran his thumb along her pulse. "Hmm," he murmured, still with his eyes on hers. "Strong heartbeat." It was only then that he went in for the kiss, but instead of the top of her hand, he placed his lips at her wrist, and held them there for a few seconds longer than what would have been appropriate. Callie's heart raced - she was a tad fearful now. This wasn't the flirty, innocent gesture that Winslow had given her. Instead, she got the chilling feeling that this bloke was... tasting her.
But it wasn't just fear that made her heart speed up. She was also excited.
Straightening up and releasing her hand, Sanguini murmured, "Femeie frumoasă." She had absolutely no idea what that meant, but it sounded good. Then in English, he said, "I don't remember the young ladies of Hogwarts being so... mouthwatering upon my prior visits."
With a devilish grin, she replied, "You're a bit cheeky, you are."
"And you're still flushed. But not afraid?"
"Not particularly, sir. I don't expect I have anything to worry about - what with all these people around."
"Hmm, witnesses. That has given me pause on previous occasions." He smirked at her, and Callie got a peculiar feeling like she was about to be kidnapped. "However," he went on, taking a step towards her, "it would be quite a waste of such a lovely domnisoara as yourself."
He then brought his hand up to her reddened cheek, feeling its warmth. "Uluitoare," he muttered. And then, even more quietly, "Vino cu mine, dragă."
Bloody hell, how she wished she knew what he was saying. Throwing out her own special language, she asked, "Peinás vrikólaka?"
Are you hungry, vampire?
It was then that a hand seized Sanguini by the arm, the one that was held out to her face, and they both turned to find Snape standing at their sides.
"Ia-ți mâna de pe ea," he spoke in a low growling voice, his eyes locked on the vampire's. The latter slowly removed his hand from Callie's cheek and stepped back, keeping his gaze on the defense teacher.
After a moment of Snape glaring at him, Sanguini replied, "Certainly." Then, bowing to Callie, "Miss Warbeck." He gave her a small smile before sauntering off.
Callie shot a glance at Snape, who turned his scowl on her now, then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her off to the side. "You know what he is," he said. It wasn't a question.
She replied, "Gorgeous, charming, tall, dark, mysterious." A pause. "Undead - is that what you were going for?"
Shaking his head in frustration, he muttered to himself, "Exceedingly stupid."
"Sorry, sir. Couldn't find any stakes lying around at the moment," she sassed.
"Do you have any idea what was going on inside that leech's head?" he asked. His expression was somewhat repulsed. "And you were playing right into it, tempting him, even."
She rolled her eyes and said, "It was harmless."
"'Harmless,'" he echoed, cynicism clear in his tone. "I saw nothing harmless when I looked into his eyes."
"What did you see, then?" she asked, curious.
He hesitated, looking rather uncomfortable. Perhaps even a little disturbed. But he replied in a quiet voice, "Nothing I care to speak aloud."
She raised a brow at him, but he looked away from her. She was pretty sure he didn't have to explain anyway. She knew the vampire had been interested in more than just her blood.
After a moment, Snape, still with his eyes averted, said, "You invite unwanted attention onto yourself."
"Who said it was unwanted?" she asked.
That was when he returned his attention to her, scoffing. "And does your boyfriend appreciate you making eyes at other... men?"
"Don't pretend to give a damn about my boyfriend," she said. "But he knows how I am, and he's fine with it. In any event, he doesn't get to decide who I can and can't flirt with." She paused, before adding, "And neither do you."
He seemed to be struggling with himself as he studied her. After a while, he took a breath and said, hesitantly, "He was trying to... seduce you."
"Yes, I know," Callie replied, conveying not an ounce of surprise or revulsion. "But I'm not that easily influenced, Professor." He didn't seem all that convinced. Again she rolled her eyes, shaking her head to herself. "Stop acting like you're my father," she said. "It's not your job to protect me."
His expression was unreadable as he took in her words, but she expected an argument of some kind. Instead, he replied, "Very well, then. One less thing I need concern myself with." Turning to walk away from her, he said in a derisive tone, "Merry Christmas, Warbeck."
"Happy New Year," she replied with contempt in her voice.
Shortly thereafter, Winslow appeared at her side. "As I live and breathe - Severus Snape."
"The one and only," Callie said bitterly.
"Still just as pleasant as ever, I take it?"
She turned to him and asked, "You know him?"
"Oh, yes. I was three years behind him in school, but I saw him around every once in a while." He joined Callie on a sofa as he went on, "Mainly at Professor Slughorn's many get-togethers."
"Were you in the Slug Club, too?" Callie asked, grinning.
"I was. I have to say, the man was quite good to me at a time when certain others weren't."
Callie furrowed her brow. "What others?"
He sipped from a glass of mead, before replying, "Many of my classmates were... not so welcoming of a muggle-born student back in the days of You Know Who's reign."
"You're muggle-born?"
"I am," he said with a nod. "You're not going to hold that against me, are you?"
"Certainly not. My mum's a muggle."
"Then you're in good company," he said, shaking her hand.
Callie looked out onto the crowd, spotting Slughorn in a cloud of smoke, chatting jovially with his older guests. "He's not at all what I'd been expecting," she mused. "He's... different than the Slytherins I'm used to. He doesn't seem to care about blood status."
"No, he's more concerned with talent and connections." The healer reached into his back pocket and pulled out a photograph to show her. Pointing, he said, "That one there is me. This girl here, she was a muggle-born too. I think we were the only ones in the club, at the time. She was three years older than me but I fancied her something awful."
Callie chuckled, studying the red-headed girl in the picture. There was something so vaguely familiar about her. "What was her name?" she asked.
"Lily Evans," he replied. "Have you heard of her?"
"Evans," Callie muttered. "Doesn't ring a bell." But still, there was something...
"Potter," Winslow said. "Lily Potter. I knew her as 'Evans,' but she went on to marry James Potter after graduating."
"Christ, that's Harry's mum!" That's what was so familiar. "He has her eyes, exactly her eyes. The color, the shape..."
"Must be a good-looking lad, then, if he takes after her."
Callie shook her head slightly. "No, it's just the eyes. I've heard he takes after his father, in every other way, at least. But those eyes, my God. It's uncanny."
"And there's good old Snape," he went on, pointing. "The one and only."
Callie took the photo from Winslow and looked closely at the image of her head of house as a sixteen-year-old. The year his mum died, she thought, wondering if this picture had been taken before or after. He did look rather sullen, though that was par for the course with Snape. Maybe that was how it started, losing the woman. What might he have been like before that?
"He's my head of house now," Callie informed Winslow. "Tell me what you remember about him. I'm curious."
He gave it a moment of thought, and said, "I remember the people he ran with. All the big, bad, future Death Eater boys. Couldn't wait to join You Know Who's army." Glancing at her, he added, "I suppose you can imagine how I felt about the lot of 'em."
She shot him a sympathetic look and said, "I'm sorry."
Returning the picture to his pocket, he went on, "I suppose he never did make it into that particular club. Although-" he shrugged "-I had heard rumors. But I can't imagine Dumbledore would place one of You Know Who's men in charge of his student body."
Callie bit her lip, deciding to keep to herself the fact that the rumors had been true - at the time. But she said, "Dumbledore once told me he'd trust Snape with his life."
Winslow raised his brow. "Quite a statement, that is." Then, turning to face her, "Why did he tell you that? Do you have your own doubts about the man?"
She pondered it, and said, "I used to. He's not exactly... the friendliest."
"Hmph."
She continued, "On the other hand... he's not so terrible once you get to know him." She paused. "Not so wonderful, mind you." Winslow smirked. "But somehow I can't imagine him... hunting down muggle-borns with the rest of the big, bad Death Eater boys."
Winslow was quiet for a moment, before he replied, "Well... you didn't know him back then." Callie cocked a brow at him. "I'm surprised to see him here, in fact. The year I joined the Slug Club was his last. Not because he graduated, but because Slughorn kicked him out."
"Why?" Callie asked, furrowing her brow.
Winslow explained, "He thought Snape was in too deep with the Death Eater boys. Figured he was a lost cause, I guess. Plus, he had quite a fondness for Dark Magic. Even came up with some of his own curses, he did."
Again, she looked out into the crowd, spotting her head of house in a huddle with Slughorn and Harry, who'd finally shown up. Gazing at him, she considered all that Winslow had said, and what she knew about her head of house's past. He had been a dark wizard once, palling around with the "Future Death Eaters of Great Britain" - the Draco Malfoys of his day. Exactly the sort of bloke that she would've despised, and yet...
Dumbledore trusts him, she reminded herself. And so do I.
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Author's note: Liam Winslow is one of my original characters.
Translations for Sanguini and Snape, who were speaking Romanian (I got these from Google Translate).
Sanguini:
Femeie frumoasă = beautiful woman
domnisoara = young lady
uluitoare = breathtaking
Vino cu mine, dragă = Come away with me, darling
Snape:
Ia-ți mâna de pe ea = Get your hand off her