30

Carmine caught sight of Weiss as she approached the dance hall, the young girl having gotten ready far earlier than the others and was attending the door. Her lips curled up as she saw her old partner dressed in a dark blue dress that had a pale blue sash tied around her waist. It struck her that Weiss' hair was done up differently, the normal tiara in her ponytail replaced with something more extravagant and her hair slightly curled and styled.

"Well, well, well," She remarked as she strolled up to the heiress, "Look who's pulled ut all the stops. You look good, Weiss. What's the occasion?"

She blinked and looked behind her to the ballroom and was hosting the dance, "The dance…" She said it like it was obvious.

"Well I mean I know that." Carmine rolled her eye, "But I thought fancy dancy things were a lien a dozen for you, why put in the effort for this one?"

Weiss sighed from behind the podium, giving her a flat look, "Because it's my first dance with my team? Do I need a reason to dress up?"

No, but I don't remember this from my dance. She thought, giving her old partner an appraising eye. Weiss really had pulled out all of the stops, subtle, silver accessories to accent her outfit, expertly applied makeup to highlight the symmetry of her face, and a particularly flattering dress. It had a high-low design that showed off her legs which stepped into a pair of high strung heels that wrapped up her calves in a silvery embrace.

Her partner looked high class, not a look she was used to seeing on the heiress. Oh, Weiss tended to have expensive things and dress well but this was a different matter entirely. This was probably the first time she had ever seen her truly dress up which meant one thing.

Something's changed.

"You that eager to dance with Neptune?" She teased but was surprised when Weiss tilted her head to the side.

"Who?"

Whatever joke she had died on her lips as she realised that Weiss had no idea who Neptune was. It must have shown on her face, her surprise or horror, she wasn't even sure what she was feeling.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" Weiss asked, looking slightly concerned.

Carmine bit her lip, things had changed more drastically than she had thought. It seemed like Sun had never introduced his partner to team RWBY which meant…. What? She wasn't sure. It wasn't exactly a big change, certainly not compared to many of what she'd already done, but it meant something important to her.

"Nah, don't worry about it, just getting mixed up." She smoothed over, grasping Weiss wrist and pulling her into the ballroom with a yelp, "Come dance with me for a bit."

"Professor!" Weiss protested but didn't pull away, "I must greet the guests at the door!"

"No you don't. That's something you decided on your own."

Even as they slipped through the double doors she took in the scenery. Ozpin and Glynda were already there, standing together and talking quietly with one another. There were a very small number of people already in attendance, some early comers no doubt. The music played over the sound system, the massive speakers placed in the corners belting out the slow music. No one was dancing yet, just a few people mingling and Ozpin only spared a brief glance for her as she pulled Weiss into the center of the room. Spinning around she placed one hand on her partner's waist and the other held her hand as they fell into a dance, Weiss far too graceful to stumble.

"I really should get back to the door."

"What's the point of the dance if you're not going to enjoy it? You certainly made yourself pretty enough."

She didn't miss the way Weiss' cheeks flushed slightly and she looked away, her friend had always worn her feelings on her sleeve, at least around spun around to the beat of the music, Weiss stepping in a pattern that was obviously learned and Carmine following her lead with a bit of ad libbing.

"I suppose you do make a point." She conceded haughtily, but there was a small smile that curled at the edge of her lips. Weiss relaxed slightly and instead focused on the dance.

"You could have come with the rest of the team, you know."

"I could have." She bobbed her head, eyes looking away, "But I wanted to come early. I got ready in Winter's quarters, so I didn't have to compete with Yang for the bathroom."

Carmine regarded her old partner for a few moments, falling into the rhythm of their dance. She decided to step it up a notch, taking the lead with a smirk and giving Weiss a challenging look who answered it with an arch eyebrow. Their dance quickly left the tempo of the music behind as they tried to outdo one another, both fighting to lead the dance. Her partner twirled around her gracefully, her dress flaring up. With a pose Weiss stood a few steps away with one hand on her hip and an expectant look on her face.

"Okay, Weiss, you win." Carmine smiled fondly at her partner. It was these playful moments she missed, when Weiss let her hair down and acted her age. As much as she pretended not to be, she loved having fun like the rest of them did.

"Of course I did."

Ignoring the stares, Weiss took up position with Carmine again, their pace returning to that of the music.

"Don't get cocky, Weiss, I can still bend you over my knee."

"You wouldn't dare!" Carmine simply held her gaze with a confident smirk, her smile only growing wider, "Right?!"

Carmine didn't answer Weiss, instead just laughing. Her old partner really was too easy to rile up and it was so much fun. She used to hate when Weiss yelled at her but had found that she had missed it when the girl was gone. These small moments, the ones spent with her old team, were precious to her.

"You've changed." The statement caught Carmine off guard.

"Well yeah, it's been a decade. A lot has happened."

"I have a question." It wasn't a question itself and yet Weiss was still asking permission to ask whatever it was she wanted to ask. IT was obvious what it would be about and it gave Carmine pause.

"I'm not going to be upset if you ask a question, Weiss."

Weiss bit her lip before looking her in the eye, "In your time…" She whispered, "Did I…. meet anyone? Court anyone?"

Court? The question threw her but maybe it shouldn't have. Of course Weiss would be curious about her other self. As much as her Weiss wasn't this Weiss future, it still must have been something she wanted to know. She thought carefully on what to say.

"Well for a while we thought it might be Neptune but you ended up not liking him as much." She didn't miss both the confusion and the disappointment on Weiss' face, "For a while we were taking bets on if you and Jaune were gonna be a thing too."

That got a much more visceral reaction out of the heiress, a reaction of disgust and horror that had her feeling bad for her friend.

"He got better." She said a little defensively, "It also helped when he started growing a beard."

"Still thought…. Arc?"

Carmine shrugged, "Like I said, it was only a theory or a feeling at the time. It never got time to go anywhere. If there was something there."

Weiss bit her lip, looking conflicted, "What about Yang?"

She almost flinched at that question and considered not answering the question but she had already said so much to her team. Was there really any point in being so secretive anymore?

"Blake." She answered simply and it was all she needed to say. She noticed the reaction on Weiss' face and it wasn't one she was expecting. It wasn't surprise, or rather it was but it was also one of hurt. The answer looked to visibly upset her partner and it immediately triggered alarms in her head.

"Weiss," She asked in a low, soothing voice, "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing." Weiss clammed up and started pulling away.

Carmine wasn't having it, tightening her grip on her old partner and making sure she couldn't walk away, "Nuh-uh, Weiss. Something bothered you about that. Explain."

"It is not important."

"Bullshit." She shot back. She knew Weiss far too well to accept that, "First of all, something upsetting you is important to me and second if it wasn't important it wouldn't be bothering you anyways so spill."

She didn't push Weiss any further than that, watching as she chewed on her lip. Carmine had thought she would be more worried about their trip in two days rather than who everyone ended up with in her timeline.

"I…. find myself infatuated with Yang." It was quiet and caused Carmine to falter for a moment. The words sunk in and her eye grew wide as she stared at her old partner who was blushing and looking steadfastly away.

And suddenly all the pieces fit together. Weiss' question, the way she got ready, the fact that she was in something far more elaborate than she remembered. Weiss was interested in Yang and it was a change she had caused. Not intentionally, more of some kind of bizarre side-effect but it was still a result of her interference. She felt almost dizzy, stopping in her tracks and causing Weiss to step on her foot.

Her old partner looked at her, concern and worry on her face, "Carmine?"

"Sorry, Weiss." She answered, "I was surprised. I never expected to hear that."

Weiss pouted, "Well sorry I'm such a poor candidate."

Carmine snorted and started dancing again, pulling her partner along with her, "Don't be like that, Weiss. You're a catch and you know it."

They spun around as she thought about Weiss and her own sister. She had once grown used to the sight of Yang and Blake together so the thought of it being Weiss was foreign to her. Had her partner been like her or was this a brand new development? It wasn't a question she could ever get the answer to.

But could she ruin the potential of Yang and Blake? Maybe she should caution Weiss away. But that didn't sound right either. She wasn't sure what to do, what she could do. This was uncharted territory for her and it scared her.

"Well thank you for stating the obvious." Ah, good old confident Weiss was back, "That doesn't help me, however."

"And do you need help?"

"Yes."

The immediate answer surprised her, Weiss rarely admitted to needing help with anything and it spoke of just how serious she was that she was even opening up to Carmine. She tightened her grip on her partner, Her black painted nails digging into the fabric of her dress. Weiss looked lost, like she didn't know what to do and was desperately looking for a direction to head. Weiss, her partner, needed her.

"Weiss, you don't need my help." She gently said, a small smile on her face, "Maybe you didn't get any kind of confirmation from my past but that's all it is, my past. It's not your future and not everything that happened to us will happen to you guys. Tell me, are you serious about this? About Yang?"

Weiss was silent for a moment, eyes flicking low as she thought and considered until she finally let out a low answer, "I am. Yang… I don't know if I can put it into words but…"

"You don't need to." She grinned, "I get it more than you think. And Yang's my sister but I can't really help much more than that. I can't really do this for you and I don't think that's what you want either. I don't know how much I could be your wingwoman, either. I am rooting for you, though."

"Really?" Weiss seemed surprised by that, "What about Blake?"

"What about her?"

"I mean isn't she supposed to-"

"Weiss." Carmine interrupted, "I told you that my past has little bearing on the future now. My just being here has changed things. Things have changed in ways I couldn't even predict. The fact of the matter is, those two don't have feelings for each other yet and may never at this point but you do. You have. This is the present and anything can happen now. So the only thing you need to worry about is how you feel…. And Yang."

"Ugh." Weiss' forehead thunked onto Carmine's shoulder as she drooped in her arms, "What if she doesn't? I was hoping you could at least help me find that out."

Carmine chuckled at her old partner, "Sorry partner, I can't help that. I could try asking her but that would be about as blunt as a battering ram. It's not like you to be so nervous."

"Well sorry, I've never been in love before." She pouted.

Carmine was taken aback by how absolutely bizarre it was to hear Weiss say that. She couldn't help the genuine smile that filled her face, "Well if you and her hook up we'd basically be sisters."

"A Schnee does not 'hook up'." Weiss grumbled, cheeks gaining a dusting of pink, "And I would fear for my sanity if I had to call you my sister."

"Ouch, Weiss." Carmine teased.

"Mind if I cut in?" Came a third voice that had Weiss freezing in pace, her eyes lighting up in panic. Carmine turned to see her sister standing there, wild mane brushed into an organized mess that looked both random and on purpose. Not just Weiss, it seemed, had gone all out for the dance.

"Sure thing." She smirked and leaned in to whisper to Weiss, "You may be the Ice Queen but cold feet don't suit you."

Without waiting for a reply she let go and stepped away, turning to her sister, "Nice dress. Everyone else here too?"

"Thanks." Yang smiled brightly, clearly quite happy, "Yeah, Ruby's being a wallflower and Blake went to go say hi to someone."

Yang jerked her thumb back and Carmine could spy, by the wall, the shock of red that was her past self. Ruby was watching them from the safety of the punch bowl and it brought a smile to her own face. She remembered doing that herself as well. Her eye scanned around the hall, it was a lot more full than when they had started dancing, but the dark black caught her attention, the black triangles atop a head of raven hair that stood conversing with two very familiar people.

So. Sun and Neptune did come by.

Sun, like usual, was dressed like someone who would die if they covered their abs, and Neptune refused to not wear his goggles, even in a suit. Well it wasn't like either of them were trying to impress a girl, well Neptune was but he relied too much on his face. Seriously, who wears goggles with a suit?

"You ready for me to show you up, Weiss?" Carmine turned back to her sister and partner.

The heiress scoffed, "You, Xiao-Long? As if you could outperform me at dancing."

"Oh yeah?" The blond grinned confidently, "Wanna bet? I've been practicing."

"Boast all you want. Actions speak louder than words."

Weiss held her arms out and Yang stalked up to her, pulling her close into a dance and before they whisked away into a dance, Carmine shot her old partner a wink, mouthing 'go get her'. As the pair twirled away she turned and headed towards the punch bowl, catching the eye of Ruby as she approached.

"Hey." She greeted her younger self. It was still awkward between the two of them, she was unsure how, exactly, to treat Ruby, "That's an interesting dress. Where'd you guys get them?"

"Hey Carmine!" She brightened up, cheerfully giving a small wave, "We went to Velvet's mom's shop for our dresses."

Carmine blinked for a few moments, "Wait, Velvet's mom is a seamstress?!"

"Oh, yeah! She's really nice!"

She'd never known that, "Huh, interesting. So, how are things?"

"Oh you know." Ruby shrugged, "Just standing here in these stupid lady stilts and watching everyone having fun."

Carmine snorted, "Isn't that partly your fault? Why don't you ask someone to dance?"

"Who? Blake? Rend and Nore came together and she'd kill me if I got between those two, Pyrrha would do the same if I interrupted her dance with Jaune, Weiss and Yang are having fun… Who would I ask?"

IT took her a moment to process everything she had said, "Wait, Pyrrha and Jaune came together?!"

"Yep."

Carmine spun around and soon found the red and gold outlines of Jaune and PYrrha, the latter looking like she was in utter bliss as Jaune danced with her. It seemed it was a night of surprises, had Pyrrha asked or did Jaune finally come to his senses somehow.

"Well damn. Think it'll go somewhere?"

"Only if Pyrrha slaps him across the face with a confession."

"Yeah, Jaune was always too unsure to act on the hints."

"Wait what?" Ruby turned to her, "That makes it sound like-"

"Jaune know?" She guessed and got a nod, "That's because he does, or kind of does. He's not that stupid. However he's so convinced he's not worthy of Pyrrha that he made himself blind to it."

Ruby's jaw dropped, "That idiot."

"Yep." Carmine chuckled, "But don't worry about him too much, it'll work out. Trust me. Anyways you aren't getting out of dancing."

The younger girl groaned, "I don't want to."

"Too bad, so sad." Carmine countered, "If I had to, so do you."

"I don't even have a partner!" She grumbled.

"I can fix that."

Before Ruby could run away she was caught by the wrist as Carmine scanned the crowd quickly before spotting her target. It was hard not to, them standing out far too much. She dragged the protesting girl over to them.

"Hello there!" Three people turned to her, one looking far more enthusiastic than the other two. Of course that was probably because two of them didn't want to be there.

Penny Polendina lit up with a grand smile that made Carmine smile, her two watchers looking at her with uncertainty. No doubt they knew who she was, most likely knowing the faces of the entire Beacon staff.

"Ruby!" She exclaimed happily, "And I believe you are Professor Rose, correct?"

"That's right, Penny. You're friends with my sister, right?"

"Oh of course!"

"Excellent! I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself to you. Oh and since Ruby doesn't have a dance partner she was wondering if you could dance with her."

"That would be sen-sational!" Penny jumped into the air, lanting and causing the floor to tremble. Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed Ruby and ran to the dancefloor. Carmine watched fondly as she tried, badly, to dance with her 'younger sister'. It brought back some nostalgic memories. Penny's death still hurt just as much as the others, out of the corner of her eye she caught the two minders move towards the dancefloor and she positioned herself in the way.

"Let the kids have some fun, guys."

"But our orders-"

"Jimmy will understand." She interrupted, "You can watch from a distance. If he's got a problem tell him to bring it to me."

They looked at eachother and he could see them gulping, neither wanted to anger a full-fledged huntress, "Yes, Ma'am."

She watched the two of them move out of the way to the wall to keep an eye on Penny from a distance. Carmine knew for a fact that nothing would happen to Penny at the dance and hopefully she would keep Ruby out of trouble.

With nothing else to do she decided to head over to the last member of team RWBy and say hi to Sun and Neptune. She could see the two of them chatting up Blake, sun telling some kind of funny story that had the normally taciturn girl laughing. Sun always did have a talent and brightened people's days like his namesake.

"Well what do we have here." She said as she sauntered up, getting their attention.

"Oh, hey Prof!" Sun smiled, "Hey Nep, this is the huntress who saved our bacon back at the docks. Prof, this is my partner, Neptune."

"Sorry for him." Neptune apologized, "I'm sure he was useless."

"Hey. I wasn't completely useless!"

Carmine chuckled at the byplay, "A friend of Blake's is a friend of mine. Though don't expect any favoritism."

"Good evening, Carmine." Blake greeted her and she turned to her.

And froze.

It took her a few moments to resume thought, her mouth almost dropping. It looked like everyone had pulled out all the stops for the night. Blake was gorgeous, her inner thoughts betraying her. The dress fit her well, highlighting her natural, athletic build. Her makeup was light but there was a hint of purple eyeshadow that made her golden eyes stand out. A flash of gold drew her eye to something she hadn't noticed from across the ballroom.

Not only was Blake bearing her faunus trait for all to see, something she did not expect, but attached to those ears were a few golden hoops, earrings stuck to the feeling ear, and they looked good.

"Carmine? You okay?" Blake asked.

Carmine's heart betrayed her and skipped a beat.