The few weeks following that particular night, as Halloween and the Halloween Ball slowly approached, seemed to take forever to pass. Not just because of the approaching holiday, but because of the fight that had broken out on the first night. The professors had resorted to holding individual classes instead of combining two houses for a class. Of course, Slytherin and Gryffindor together was taboo, but also, the two 'neutral' houses refused to be in a class with either of the two warring houses. Of course, this made classes last longer into the night as every house got its turn with a class. This, in turn, wore everyone out.

Scorpius and Albus were planning their Halloween Ball costumes two weeks before Ball, while sitting in the Slytherin common room, although Scorpius was a little hesitant on going…

"Aw, come on, Scorps!" pleaded Albus the second Thursday before the Ball. The two boys were joking around and putting together costumes in the Slytherin common room after Potions had let out. "It's a great place to meet witches! You know, some of the OLDER ladies from Hogsmeade sometimes sneak in for a free Butterbeer, at least until Peeves unmasks them and kicks them out!" Albus winked, fashioning a big white beard for his costume. He was going as one of his namesakes, Albus Dumbledore, as he did every year.

"I'm not really feeling it, A-Sev," Scorpius moaned, sitting up on the couch. "I may just stay behind and work on some Charms essays I'm behind on."

"What do you mean 'feeling it'?" asked Albus, fingering his stringy fake beard.

"I'm not really in the mood this year, I mean, after getting caught up in that terrible brawl on the first night—"

"—that was almost TWO months ago!" Albus whined. "You still bent up on that?"

"YES!" Scorpius snapped. "We nearly got both our asses shot off, and I'm not about to go to a place where it could very well happen again! As a matter of fact, I'm surprised ANYONE who wants to live to see eighteen years old is going!"

"Nawh, it won't. I heard rumors that McGonagall will have a few Aurors on standby," said Albus.

"Oh, Merlin's beard, the day has come when AURORS have to stand ON GUARD DUTY at a school dance! What next? Will Kingsley Shacklebolt have to personally oversee the Quidditch games?" Scorpius groaned.

"Shacklebolt's got too much on his plate trying to keep the ADULT wizards from fighting!" Albus said. "But it's not gonna happen at the Ball, I assure you. You know what, Scorps?"

"What, A-Sev?" asked Scorpius, picking at a loose thread on the sleeve of his school robes.

"You're too wound up in yourself. You need to get out more! GO with the flow! Date some girls!" Albus said. "I mean, you've been on what…three dates your whole life?"

"Yes, and I could care less if I ever had three more my entire life. Girls aren't what's on my mind 24/7, A-Sev," Scorpius said softly.

"If that's the case at fifteen years old, you have serious issues, Scorps," Albus said, trying on the beard, deeming it too big, and then taking it off. "Is it possible to have your chin shrink during puberty? I swear this thing fit last year!"

"Your chin didn't shrink. The rest of your head got bigger."

"Clever, Scorps." Albus said, trying the beard on again.

"You really want me to go, don't you?" Scorpius sighed.

"It'll benefit you to get out and flirt around a bit, man," Albus warned. "You don't want to die a virgin, do you?"

"No, but we are STILL only fifteen!"

"I've had sex before!" shrugged Albus.

"Which only know about…and it was only because last year, you charmed Joelle Lenoir's butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks to taste like the sweetest pumpkin juice ever brewed! She was so trashed…it was just too easy for you."

"Thank you!" Albus said, taking a mock bow.

"You're a demon," Scorpius said, smiling and shaking his head, trying not to laugh. "But if you really insist I go, then I guess I'll go!"

"Go as my other namesake!" smiled Albus. "We could find a nice mop and make it black for your wig!" Scorpius make a face like he'd bitten into a fresh cold lemon.

"Ugh! I prefer something that WASHED it's hair!" Scorpius said. Albus frowned.

"So…you going as a tree?" he asked.

"I'll letcha know," Scorpius said, gathering his books and heading back to his room without another word. He didn't bother telling Albus (he wouldn't take it seriously anyways) but he didn't really want to go to the Halloween Ball because he felt a bad feeling in his gut that something WAS going to happen, something that would be disastrous in one way or another. He didn't get those feelings often, and he certainly wasn't a Seer, but when those feeling shit, they hit hard. He decided that he WAS going to go, for Albus was right. Scorpius needed to learn to go with the flow more. But still…

It scared him.


The weekend before the Halloween Ball, Castora Dursley, Rose Weasley, and Lily Potter were all in the Gryffindor common room discussing costuming ideas. Well, Rose and Lily were, actually. Castora's mind was drifting as she waved her wand, keeping a teacup in the air beside the couch she was sprawled out on. She seemed uninterested.

"I want to go as Tonks Lupin for Halloween. I've never been a historical figure before! It'll be like honoring her memory, and I'm sure Teddy would LOVE to see that!" said an excited Rose. "I'll charm my hair to turn pink whenever I smile!"

"Either that, or he'd put your light out with one swing," Lily said. "I'm going as a hippogriff, but a human-like hippogriff."

"That makes absolutely no sense, Lils," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm making a white feathered dress and a headband lined with feathers!" Lily said. "I'm sure I'll be the belle of the Ball!"

"Well, you keep telling yourself that." Lily pouted. Rose turned to Castora. "What about you, Cas?"

Castora was caught off-guard, so when she broke concentration, the teacup fell to the earth and shattered. Rose pointed her wand and rolled her eyes. "Reparo!" she moaned. The teacup automatically fixed itself and sat itself back on the table, where it belonged in the first place. "Cas?"

"Uhn?"

"What's the matter with you?" she asked. "Aren't you going to the Ball?"

"Eh, probably not," said Castora, shrugging. Lily gasped.

"Why not?"

"It's not going to be very fun, is it? I mean, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins are going to be duking it out all night, so what's the point? It'll be like watching wrestling with my dad all summer!"

"THE POINT?!" Rose shrieked. "The POINT is, you have to show up! Have some pride for your House!"

"The only HOUSE I have is the one on Privet Drive my family lives in, thank you very much!" Castora said stubbornly. "This Blood War is dangerous, stupid, and I, for one, refuse to be a part of it! Do what you want, but I'm not going to put my neck on the line for a stupid rivalry!"

"Bitch," muttered Rose.

"Hypocrite!" retorted Castora.

Lily looked at Rose with interest. "How so?" Rose challenged.

"YOU, Miss 'I want to go as Tonks Lupin!' Seeing what Tonks died fighting for, don't you think it'd be an insult to her memory if you went dressed as her and you got caught in the middle of a brawl like you almost did the first night of the term?!" Castora said. "Merlin, Rosie! Teddy WOULD knock you out with one punch! He was orphaned, and his parents sacrificed themselves so that our generation WOULDN'T be fighting the worst war since the First War!"

"That rhymed," Lily muttered. Castora didn't say anything.

"It just pisses me off so much!" Castora said. "Why can't we all just get along? It's like Tom Riddle's back! And it's not just those damn Slytherins, either! It DOES take two to tango!"

"Sorry I said anything," muttered Rose. "I'll go as Mad-Eye Moody…"

Castora collapsed back onto the couch with a groan. Lily sighed. "I still want you to come. There'll be a LOT of Professors there anyway. After that last big fight, the Hogwarts Staff will be sure to keep the peace at the Ball."

"But the tension will still be there, I can assure you!" Castora said. "Never a good thing."

Lily licked her lips. "I also heard that Duncan Finnegan's going to be there!"

Castora rolled on her side. "Great, all the MORE reason for me to skip it."

Duncan Finnegan, son of Harry Potter's friend Seamus Finnegan, was a sixth year and a Hufflepuff, although as far as allegiance went, he leaned towards Gryffindor. He was good looking, and nice enough to everyone. Duncan has constantly tried to hook up with Castora, and while James Potter and Rose thought the match was a good one, Castora didn't think highly of Duncan. He wasn't a bad fellow at all, but he just wasn't the right one for her.

"What's wrong with Duncan? He's a sweet boy and he'd be a great husband!" Rose suggested.

"Husband! Psh! The day I get married will be the day Teddy turns his hair lime-green with orange tips!"

"It could happen! He has a sexy Irish accent!" suggested Lily. She waved her wand so the teapot sitting next to the newly-repaired teacup poured a second serving of ginseng tea into it. Castora accepted the offer and summoned the cup and took a sip of the warm liquid. She rolled her eyes.

"Marriage! Really, you bubble-heads! We're fifteen! It's entirely too soon to think about such things," Castora insisted.

"Fair enough," Lily said. "But we DO need to work on your costume…"

Castora rolled her eyes and spoke with conviction. "I don't want you two fussing over MY costume as well as your own. I'm going dressed as Queen Guinevere," she decided calmly.

Lily nodded with satisfaction. "Nice choice."

Rose squealed. "Ooh, I know an absolutely GORGEOUS dress you could wear that'll make your red hair stand out and it'll make Duncan Finnegan absolutely DROOL over you!!"