Holidays. Albus Dumbledore adored them. Severus Snape, clearly, did not. He didn't even like them nor did he dislike them. He couldn't even summon up enough humanity to even acknowledge them. He naturally disregards them. Dumbledore did not.
Voldemort had already been dead a few years and the old loon had decided, since there was no reason to live in fear anymore, he should hold a costume ball, masks required. The who's who of the wizarding world and even some of the not-who's were sent invitations to what seemed to be turning into a rather large event. He even sent the students home on holiday just out of good nature, and the possibility that there could be some drinking.
Staff, of course, would be forced to attend. This caused quite an uproar by Professor Snape who thought that surely this psychotic rule severely limited his ignoring of holidays. Attend, indeed, he remembered arguing, why should he have to attend when he could be doing more important things like reading the newest potions articles or grading papers. At least there would be drinking, he reasoned. It was this small bit of relief that he set to deciding on a costume that wouldn't look ridiculous on him.
He settled on something he'd seen in a muggle history book once, a plague doctor. After all, Ravenesque look suited him well enough and it wasn't a costume that advertised the need to be approached by someone to converse with.
He transfigured his old Death Eater mask into smaller version of the bird mask of the plague doctor and then some clothes into a suitable costume. He pulled his hair back into a loose ponytail before making the trek from the dungeons up into the great hall just in time for Albus' speech welcoming his guests.
"Welcome everyone to what promises to be quite the night. I've asked you all to wear masks here tonight so maybe people who would otherwise not get to know each other, might." He winked, "And at the stroke of midnight we're all going to take our masks off and see if some of our initial assumptions about other people might have been wrong. Doesn't that sound fun?"
"You may ask what my costume is." He continued, referring to the gray robes and long wooden staff he held. "As everyone knows it's me anyway. I've decided against a mask and came as a muggle character that many students suggested to me. I believe he was called Gandalf the Gray."
A few laughs rose from the crowd.
"Now, my friends and colleagues, there is Firewhiskey and Butterbeer, among other things, at the open bar. So go forth, dance, drink, and be merry. It's All Hallow's Eve!" He smiled before lifting the staff and pounding it into the floor, causing a large pumpkin in the ceiling to explore into more decorations. Orange and black lights fitted around the room as the lights dimmed and music started drifting through the room.
Severus took this chance to head straight to the bar near the back of the room. The bartender handed him a tall glass of Firewhiskey, as requested, and he turned to watch the dance floor as he started drinking. He slouched back onto the bar and watched everyone as they drifted by, lazily guessing at who might be dressed as what. Anything to pass the time.
A few drinks in and he felt the delicious haze come over him. His stomach sloshed with just the right amount of alcohol that didn't render him senseless and he knew to stop.
He was just about to find a dark corner to meander in when a woman dressed as Cleopatra came up to the bar to order a drink. She wore a white and gold Egyptian style costume that revealed her entire midriff, a short black wig (complete with the snake circlet), and a gold mask to cover her face.
He quite taken aback with the parts he could see of her. one could hardly imagine what he was thinking about the parts he couldn'e see and it had been a very, very long time. It had, in fact, been a long since he's even chatted up a woman since being a Death Eater held a certain air of 'want, take, have"
