The Half Blood Princess

Chapter 17 - The Masquerade Ball Part 2

As the group of friends arrived, they were greeted by the boys. "Wow Rachel! You look amazing!" Fred gasped as he spun his girlfriend. "Thanks Freddy, you don't look too bad yourself" Rachel chuckled as she kissed his cheek after she regained her balance. "Hey George" Talia mumbled awkwardly as she fiddled with the hem of her dress. "Hey Lia" George coughed as he fiddled with his tie. "Will you two hug for Merlin's sake! You're friends dammit!" Rachel huffed annoyed with how the pair were behaving. This caused Talia to burst out laughing and throw her arm around George's neck, "I think it's time we told you, George and I are dating" "Way to go Georgie!" Fred exclaimed as he high fived his brother. "C'mon, we don't want to miss the ball, Mum always makes sure there's plenty of food" Isabelle huffed as she made her way into the venue. As Talia was about to follow her sister inside, she was stopped by George who held her back with a hold on her wrist. "Georgie? What's wrong?" Talia asked concerned, a frown present. "I just wanted a moment with you by ourselves before we go in and are surrounded by our friends and family" He smiled softly as he pulled her close. "I didn't take you for a softie," she laughed, ruffling his hair. "You should know me better than that," he laughed before kissing the top of her head. Stopping just inside the doorway, Talia's breath hitched at the sight of the decoration, it truly was a breathtaking ordeal that her mother always somehow managed to go and above and beyond of the previous year. Of course until now, Talia and Isabelle had never actually attended one of their mother's balls but they had helped with the decorations but taking it in this time, as a guest and without having helped with the decorations it was truly a sight to behold. Quickly slipping on the mask that matched her dress before making rounds with friends and family members as the music came from the wonderful Orchestra that her mother had hired for the night, she even took the time to dance with her cousin, Draco and Harry. Just as she had taken a moment to catch her breath, she bumped into a solid frame. "Sorry, I should watch where I'm going" she exclaimed sheepishly as she slowly met the gaze of the person she had bumped into. The other person of course needed no introduction, his steely glare was enough to cause anyone to wish they were dead. "It's quite alright, miss. Perhaps I should have taken a friend's advice and worn a different colour so that I didn't blend in with the shadows" Professor Snape grumbled in response, a slight air of exhaustion in his voice. It was evident to her in that moment, that he hadn't recognised her in all her finery. She had supposed that with him teaching his fourth set of first years since her arrival alone had busied him enough that he hadn't remembered their encounter when he caught her sneaking ingredients from his own personal store. "No it's entirely my fault, sir. I'm just headed out for some fresh air if you care to join me?" She questioned deciding that this would be the best way to get him alone so that she could try and find out some more about the so-called "Bat of the Dungeons". "Aren't you here with a date? Wouldn't he miss you?" Severus replied, the concern clear in his voice. "He'll be fine, besides, he's having fun with his friends, he won't miss me that much" Talia laughed lightly as she slipped her arm around her professors in an effort to guide him away from the crowded room. It wasn't a complete lie per say, George was busy but he was planning to pull off a prank with Fred and she didn't fancy being around when they eventually set it off. "Mrs Black sure doesn't half know how to throw a party" Talia commented once they were out in the hall and the music was somewhat muffled behind the walls. "Indeed she does. Cassandra has always had a knack for party planning, ever since we were at Hogwarts together" Severus sighed as he stopped them by a bench. "How well do you know, Mrs Black?" Talia questioned despite it being so unusual for her to refer to her mother in such a way. "I haven't really spoken to her properly in years, I know that her daughters now attend Hogwarts" he chuckled softly as he sat next to Talia. "Oh? Are they anything like their mother?" "Absolutely not! If anything they remind me of their father and uncle" '''Do you know anything about her daughters?" Talia hummed as she leaned into him slightly. "I know that her eldest is just as much trouble as her father! I once caught her sneaking into my personal stores!" "I heard about that, didn't she also fall off of the ladder?" "Yes but I got there just in time to catch her fortunately so that no permanent damage wasn't done." Their conversation carried on for a few moments changing subjects every now and then. "This is the most I've spoken to anyone since-. Well since my third year at Hogwarts" Severus paused for a moment, taking in his sudden realisation. "There's a lot of things that can happen to a person over the years. Our friendships change and we change as people. Some of us even lose contact with those whom were once closest to us" Talia nodded in acknowledgement and understanding. For a moment it was quiet between the pair until Talia had decided to break the silence by speaking again. "Will you dance with me?" "In there? In front of all those people?" Severus replied nervously as he stood up abruptly. "No, out here. There's an open window that's behind the orchestra so we can hear the music but won't be seen" Talia smiled as she held out her hand for him to take before leading him around to said window. By the time they reached the window the orchestra was playing a slow number, inside Talia could see George dancing with Angelina but in that moment she didn't care for beside her at this moment she had the true object of her affections although he did not know it. When the song came to an end, the pair looked up at one another, breathless from their endeavor and in that moment nothing else seemed to matter. As their surroundings melted away from them, they leaned into one another until their lips met in a tantalising kiss filled with sheer passion and understanding.