Billy has absolutely no delusions; he can hardly imagine living up to any of Chris's parties, but he's still going to try to throw the best party he can for Tony
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It was strange sometimes for Harry to celebrate Halloween, knowing what had happened on that day so many years ago. But he had been a baby back then and couldn't remember most of it. The sound of a woman's scream. A flash of green light. But all the other things had faded over the years, unnoticed and unrecognized. Did his parents carve a pumpkin and set it out? Had they told him a spooky story before bed that he did not understand? Had they gone all out inside their little cottage, with streamers and candles and festive charms? Harry didn't know. He had had more good Halloweens than that singular bad one, so it was easy, for once, to set those thoughts aside on a day that meant something and just enjoy himself
( ... )
"Wanna put your broom in my basket?" Kate asked when she reached Harry's side, then immediately pursed her lips and tipped her head to the side. "That's the best unintentional euphemism I think I've ever come up with. But I meant it seriously," she continued, holding out the basket she'd found to go with her Red Riding Hood costume. It had taken about a month of collecting pieces from the box when it decided to be nice to her, but she was sort of in love with the end result, to the point where she wanted to wear it all the time. She'd worn the Princess Valhalla costume all the time back home, wearing this on the island probably wouldn't even by that weird.
"Unless it completes the look," she added with a grin. "It's a good look."
"I think my broom's too big for your basket," he answered, not taking into account how that would sound given the new context of the question Kate had given. Harry shook his head at himself, feeling a faint blush creep onto his face, and hurriedly tried to move on before he really felt uncomfortable.
"I think I'll hold onto it," he said, then moved onto the one surefire way he knew to get out of potentially awkward situations with girls. "You look great."
"Why thank you," Kate answered with a grin, holding out her cape in a bit of a curtsey. "As long as I don't meet the big bad wolf, I'm golden." The way shit on the island went, it wasn't totally impossible that it could happen, but she was hoping they could at least avoid that kind of disaster. Last thing she wanted was to get eaten.
"Billy's costume is awesome, huh?" she asked, trying not to grin too widely. She wanted to get Harry's opinion on it before she admitted to helping him come up with the idea.
Any clever comment Harry might have had about wolves -- or werewolves -- was quickly knocked out of his head by the mention of Billy's costume. Harry honestly hadn't any idea what to make of it. Discovering, all but by accident, that Billy was gay had thrown him for a loop. Seeing him in a skirt and.. that thing wasn't any easier to swallow.
"It's, um.. something," Harry said, nodding. "It's really, really.. something."
Kate laughed, looking over to where Billy was. "He told me about the cone bra last time I talked to him," she admitted. "So I think this might be kind of my doing." At the very least, she'd had a hand in inspiring him to go through with it, which was something she was pretty proud of.
"I think he looks pretty. I was trying to get him to sing some Madonna for us, but he's not into it," she said with a sigh, then grinned at Harry.
It shouldn't have surprised Harry that Kate had encouraged Billy to wear that costume. The costume itself shouldn't have been that surprising, given that it was Halloween and given the kind outfits Wizards wore trying to fit in with Muggles. But no Wizard had ever projected so.
He tried not to stare too openly or oddly at Billy, but of course he did anyway. "If you're going to go that far in the first place, I don't see why singing would be the embarrassing part," Harry said. "I'm glad you went with something.. simpler."
That was true and Kate grinned, wondering if she could use that argument on Billy. He was wearing a cone bra, after all. Singing would be nothing compared to that.
"Red Riding Hood," she said when Harry mentioned her costume. Sometimes she was sure he had all the same knowledge that she did -- he hadn't grown up at his school, after all -- but other times she just had to make sure. "You know that story, right? I mean, I figure everyone probably knows that story."
"I know that story," Harry assured her with a faint smile. He didn't blame her for the question, not when he considered all the things Ron didn't know and all the things he had missed by being so thoroughly immersed in the Wizarding World and slightly behind her time.
"It's not like Babbity Rabbity. ..Um, Wizarding fairy tale. Don't ask," he told her, shaking his head. "Point is, I'm not.. mildly afraid of having my eye poked out by your costume."
Kate's eyes widened a little, but she grinned as she nodded along, pretending she understood what Harry was talking about. "Well, I'm glad you're not worried about my costume causing you bodily harm. That'd be a shitty way to spend a date, I think."
No, that was something she was certain of.
"There should be costume parties more often," she said. "I would dress up every week."
As if he needed the reminder that this was a date -- and maybe he did -- Harry reached out to take Kate's hand, for no reason other than to touch her.
"I had enough of dressing up and disguises back home," he admitted, but with a faint smile. Sometimes, it had felt as if he would choke to death if he had to swallow another mouthful of Polyjuice Potion. A fancy dress party once in a while was fine, but every week seemed overkill to him. "But I'd be happy to watch you dress up."
"What, like a sexy fashion show?" Kate asked, grinning at Harry as she squeezed his hand. She was teasing mostly, though if he really wanted something like that, she'd do it. It wasn't like she'd never dressed up for a dude before.
"I just really like Halloween," she admitted. "It was the one time of year when having a crazy mom wasn't the weirdest thing on the block."
"Nice," Billy says when he finally gets a chance to talk to Harry. He's got a drink in hand and his wig is a little askew, but the Madonna look is still intact and going strong, something he can be proud of. "How'd you even manage those?"
Harry had seen plenty of strange things in his life. He was used to people dressing strangely even, but there was strange and then there was one of his good friends walking around with a fake bra that could poke someone's eye out. Harry couldn't help a wary glance down before focusing on Billy's face again.
"Um, lots of trial and error," he said. "I was trying to get uniforms for the Quidditch teams we're going to be making. I think it had given up a bit by the time it gave me this. I'm, uh, not even going to ask about yours."
If there's one thing that proves his costume was a perfect choice, it's the varied reactions -- and attempts at suppressing them, in some cases.
He places his hands on his hips, making sure to thrust his chest out as far as it goes. "Madonna. You have heard of Madonna, right? Even wizards have to know about her."
Harry flinched -- all out flinched -- when Billy thrust, bringing the cones a few inches closer. "I've heard of her," he admitted. "I'm not quite sure what this has to do with it, but I know about her. Does she only ever wear this?" That couldn't be right. Even living in the Wizarding world as much as he had been, Harry couldn't have missed that.
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"Unless it completes the look," she added with a grin. "It's a good look."
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"I think I'll hold onto it," he said, then moved onto the one surefire way he knew to get out of potentially awkward situations with girls. "You look great."
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"Billy's costume is awesome, huh?" she asked, trying not to grin too widely. She wanted to get Harry's opinion on it before she admitted to helping him come up with the idea.
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"It's, um.. something," Harry said, nodding. "It's really, really.. something."
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"I think he looks pretty. I was trying to get him to sing some Madonna for us, but he's not into it," she said with a sigh, then grinned at Harry.
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He tried not to stare too openly or oddly at Billy, but of course he did anyway. "If you're going to go that far in the first place, I don't see why singing would be the embarrassing part," Harry said. "I'm glad you went with something.. simpler."
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"Red Riding Hood," she said when Harry mentioned her costume. Sometimes she was sure he had all the same knowledge that she did -- he hadn't grown up at his school, after all -- but other times she just had to make sure. "You know that story, right? I mean, I figure everyone probably knows that story."
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"It's not like Babbity Rabbity. ..Um, Wizarding fairy tale. Don't ask," he told her, shaking his head. "Point is, I'm not.. mildly afraid of having my eye poked out by your costume."
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No, that was something she was certain of.
"There should be costume parties more often," she said. "I would dress up every week."
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"I had enough of dressing up and disguises back home," he admitted, but with a faint smile. Sometimes, it had felt as if he would choke to death if he had to swallow another mouthful of Polyjuice Potion. A fancy dress party once in a while was fine, but every week seemed overkill to him. "But I'd be happy to watch you dress up."
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"I just really like Halloween," she admitted. "It was the one time of year when having a crazy mom wasn't the weirdest thing on the block."
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"Um, lots of trial and error," he said. "I was trying to get uniforms for the Quidditch teams we're going to be making. I think it had given up a bit by the time it gave me this. I'm, uh, not even going to ask about yours."
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He places his hands on his hips, making sure to thrust his chest out as far as it goes. "Madonna. You have heard of Madonna, right? Even wizards have to know about her."
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