As the second song ends, Severus takes another bow. Lexi gently curtsies in return, giving him a gentle smile.
"Thank you professor, I hope you do ask me to dance again this evening."
Severus nods, giving her a soft polite kiss on the cheek. Lexi blushes slightly and just smiles.
"I will take that as a yes," she whispers before he gives one nod and turns to walk back toward the group of gathering Death Eaters.
Lexi walks back toward the way she came from, stepping over by the punch bowl. She took the ladle and let a tiny bit fall into the cup, testing it to make sure no one had spiked it yet. One of the parties a couple summers ago someone had spiked the punch as soon as the party began and Lexi had gotten very sick because of it.
Realizing the punch was spiked already she rolled her eyes and tossed the cup in the garbage before walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. She smiled when she saw Draco and Pansy in the garden, sitting on a bench and watching the fountains and dancing stars. She rolls her eyes slightly and turns to walk back to the dance.
Standing against the wall with her water bottle she laughs as she watches people trying to the do the muggle song "The Chicken Dance". She looks over at her father, who's just a few people away in the group of Death Eaters and she steps over.
"Who picked this song to play?" She asks softly, her hand resting on his arm as she sips on her water. Her eyes catch Severus' for a second and she looks back at her dad.
"No clue, probably some stupid joke... Why don't you go request something love?" He says softly, in a tone that says that she really shouldn't be standing around with the Death Eaters right now.
"Of course father," she says, turning and walking over to the band to request a waltz. Wishing she'd picked a shorter dress so that Severus and her could have danced the tango. She chuckles at the thought of the first time they'd danced together, it had been a tango and she'd been such a good partner for him since she could read his movements exactly before they happened.
Lexi waited until the next three songs were done before the waltz she'd requested began. She turned, wondering if anyone would ask her to dance to her song. As soon as she turned around toward the dance floor again, her father was there.
"May I have this dance?" he asked softly, giving her a bow.
"Of course father," she replied, curtsying.
They walked out onto the floor together, some couples leaving to make room and because they didn't know how to waltz. Lucius and Lexi filled the floor with their dance, smiling and just having a rather good time. The Waltz was always a dance that her father enjoyed and he'd taught her how to dance to it at a rather young age. It had sort of become a tradition to dance at least one waltz together at every dance the Malfoy's held.
At the end of the Waltz, the respectful bow and curtsy took place before Lucius stooped to place a soft kiss on his daughter's cheek.
"Great dance, keep your distance tonight. And how about you go change into something a little more suited for a tango? I think Severus wants to keep dancing with you," her father gives her a rare smile, which causes her to raise her eyebrow.
"Yes daddy," she says obediently, quickly heading toward the staircase. She knew that there had to be a reason why she was being saddled with Severus as a dance partner all night, and why her father needed her to keep her distance. She just wished she was privy enough to know that information. Although, getting out of the heavy ball gown and into something a bit more suitable for showing off with a tango was much needed.
Lexi changed into a gorgeous red hispanic type dress, the stereotypical tango dress. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked stunning still, at least that was a plus. Lexi walked back downstairs, giving Severus a smile when she saw him at the foot of the stairs.
"Professor, you really didn't have to wait."
"Of course I did, I needed my dancing partner. Your father told me you were going to change so we could tango," he takes her hand and leads her to the floor as the orchestra and band starts playing once they assume their positions.
A crowd gathers around them, allowing the other Death Eaters to slip outside to the garden to keep talking at a distance away from family and friends, as well as the ministry officials. Severus and Lexi fill the floor with their tango, putting on a show for everyone, getting a large applause at the end when Severus lifts Lexi over his head for the final move.
As Lexi's feet touch the ground again, Severus takes her hand and kisses the back of it.
"Thank you again for the tango, you really are a fabulous dancer Alexis," he says, escorting her to the snack table.
"Well, I owe it to my father for all of those ridiculous lessons," she laughs, picking up a small assortment of snacks, offering him one.
"They paid off, don't call them ridiculous. They make you shine out there on the floor."
Lexi nods, laughing again as she puts a pinwheel in her mouth, watching as Severus takes a finger sandwich from her plate. Finishing her pinwheel she rolls her eyes.
"That was my finger sandwich," she teases, poking him in the chest playfully.
Severus laughs and just shrugs, raising an eyebrow as the music begins again, a soft slow song. He takes her plate and sets it down, pulling her back out to the floor.
Lexi just groans slightly, following him anyway. This man was taking his order to keep her distracted a bit too seriously. Although, she didn't mind. Dancing with him kept other people from wanting to dance with her. As the slow song resumed, Severus bent closer to her ear and just whispered slightly.
"I can't wait until we start our private lessons. I have so much that I want to speak with you about."
"Perhaps my father will let you stay the night so you don't have to return for Draco and I in the morning?" Lexi asks softly.
"Actually, I am not sure that Draco will be retuning to Hogwarts... He has duties now that he is part of the Dark Lord's Army," Severus says, giving her a sad smile.
Lexi stares at him. Draco wasn't going to be returning with her to Hogwarts? Was this another plan of her father's to keep her distracted tonight? So they could get Draco out of here while she wasn't paying attention. Lexi quickly came to the conclusion that was exactly what was happening. She pulled away from Severus who, expecting it, caught her arm and pulled her back, holding her closer.
"Don't Lex... It'll just cause you more pain. I'm sorry I told you, but I couldn't handle lying to you."
Lexi just leaned into him, knowing that trying to fight him would only cause more troubles. Her eyes closed tightly as she tried to block the tears and the hatred that was showing in them.
"It wouldn't... Be a problem... If people had just told me sooner. I didn't even get to say goodbye. D-Did he know?"
Severus rubs her back gently and whispers a negative into her ear, telling her that Draco didn't know either.
There is a bright flash from the garden and Lexi turns, her eyes already brimming with the tears that she'd been hiding. Severus noticed them quickly and just wrapped an arm around her, leading her towards the secret room off the side of the ball room. Shutting the door behind them, he pulled out a small handkerchief.
"I know you're upset with us, but it's more dangerous for Draco to be at the school."
"And it's not more dangerous for me!?" She asks, feeling abandoned.
"No, it's safer there for you. I'll be able to keep you from the Dark Lord's grasps. Whereas Draco's already made that commitment. He's already in, for life," he says softly, in the most gentle and polite tone that Lexi had ever heard from him.
Lexi just allowed herself to lean against the wall. She wasn't usually an emotional person but her brother had essentially just been stolen from her. The tears slid down her cheeks and occasionally Lexi brought the cloth to her face to wipe them away. She bit her lip and just looked at her professor.
"W-Will I get to see him again?"
"During Christmas when you come home. Yes. He will be here for the holidays. And I might get to sneak you away to visit him during some Hogsmeade weekends. But those will be few and far between. You have to just hold faith that he'll be just fine. You two can still owl as well," Severus says, gently resting on her shoulder, rubbing it softly. He hated seeing anyone like this, but especially a student that he was connected to in such a way.
Lexi used magic to reapply her makeup, biting her lip.
"How does it look?" She asked softly.
"Like you had never even shed a single tear," he says softly, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace that was unfamiliar to both of them.
After the hug ended, Lexi finally hugging him back, they snuck back out into the bustling ballroom. Many people walking around confused as to what happened in the garden. Lexi stayed right beside Severus, who kept shooing people away so that she didn't have to deal with the questions.
The party was then concluded by a "distraught" Lucius who put on a good acting face. As soon as everyone left, Lexi walked up to her father.
"Since you stole my brother, I demand that Professor Snape stays tonight," Lexi demands, her hands on her hips.
Lucius, not wanting to argue with his clearly upset daughter, just simply nods.
"Of course, Severus, you may take Draco's room," he says softly.