Hogwarts Ball - Concert and Dancing
Date: Saturday, 03 March, 2001
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Hogwarts
Rating: PG
Characters Involved: Anyone who wishes to attend
( And the band played on… )
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Hogwarts
Rating: PG
Characters Involved: Anyone who wishes to attend
( And the band played on… )
It was his turn to almost mis-step at her next revelation, however, and only years of concealing any emotion from the Dark Lord prevented him from betraying his total astonishment.
Still, he had never been dancing with the Dark Lord when the megalomaniac was trying to catch him off guard. If he had been, Voldemort might have caught subtle cues impossible to see from a distance. The instant, increased rigidity of his spine and tension in his muscles and slight tick of the muscle in his jaw, for example.
"You are dining with Remus?" he asked, almost masochistically needing to hear her say it again.
Something strange was occurring to his vision, as though the room had suddenly gotten much smaller, pressing in on him, giving everything an odd, distorted quality. He was actually experiencing a heavy, aching sensation right in the middle of his chest. His gut clenched, and it had become difficult to draw breath properly.
"I'm sure you have nothing to be nervous about," he said icily, suddenly more than eager for the song, and this dance, to be over.
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She noticed him tense--anyone who didn't would've been a complete fool. While she was foolish on occasion, she was anything but a fool. "Yes," she said slowly, attempting to figure out where the root of his apparent disdain for the matter came from. Was she missing something? With an attempt to make the conversation a little less...difficult, she smiled up at him and joked, "One dance doesn't mean we're married, you know. I am allowed to go to dinner with other people." Not that their dinner was anything even resembling a date, but she had no idea how sensitive Severus was to the idea of Remus dining with anyone who wasn't him.
She shrugged. "I'm sure I've got nothing to be nervous about either. But I'm sure you know how it is when you see someone you were once extremely close with, especially when it's the first time in ages. We were together for three years," she pointed out. "I'll survive though, I'm sure. Now really--back onto the topic of this mysterious friend of yours. Do tell."
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He would not humiliate himself by claiming a relationship which he was now no longer confident even existed!
"I couldn't care less with whom you dine," he said disdainfully. "My personal affairs, on the other hand, are just that. Personal. I do not choose to wear my heart on my sleeve."
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"All right," she said, dropping her hands and any hint of cheerfulness in her voice. "In the space of fifteen seconds, you turned back into the grumpy bastard Snape who taught me Potions." Gripping the sleeve of his robe tightly so he wouldn't be able to run off on her without making a scene, she glared up at him.
"Tell me right now what I said or did to piss you off, because obviously I did something."
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Schooling his expression into complete impassivity, he continued to guide her through the dance, refusing to be further ruffled or goaded by Nymphadora Tonks.
"You did nothing, and I am not 'pissed off'," he insisted. "I merely spotted Lucius Malfoy speaking to one of my seventh year students."
Which was true, but had little, if anything, to do with his ill humour.
"As I am always wary of his motivations, I dislike to see him attending to any of my students. He has distracted me, and soured my mood."
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She didn't believe him. That was too strong a reaction overall to just be about Lucius Malfoy. Normally she wouldn't have pressed it too much--well, all right, maybe she would have. And she was going to this time. "Then why did you tense when I mentioned it to begin with?" she challenged. "I don't like not knowing what I did or what I said, so if it's all right, just telling me would be appreciated."
She sighed. "Isn't he supposed to be reformed?" Like she believed a word of it. "Talk to your student afterward. No use getting upset over it now, I suppose."
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"Of course he is supposed to be reformed. As am I."
He tapped the collar visible at his throat, taking great risk in removing his hand from hers to do so.
"That does not mean I trust him any more than I trust anyone else - and a great deal less than most."
As he could see she would not let up without a fight - and he was equally unprepared to give in, he merely raised a haughty brow at her.
"You are dangerously close to prying into my personal affairs, girl. Now would be the prudent time to drop it. There is nothing more to discuss. If it is an issue which affects you, you will learn of it - but not from me."
The music stopped, and couples began trickling away from the dance floor, while others stood in place, eagerly awaiting the start of the next song.
He walked her to the table from whence he had collected her, and offered her a very slight, stiff bow.
"Thank you for the dance. If you will excuse me, it is my duty to mingle. Good evening."
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When he dropped her back off at her table, she merely allowed a curt nod and a terse "Good evening." Nothing left to say, and she wasn't going to fight it anymore. She'd figure it out later.
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