Another Kind Of Magic - A Severus Snape Fanfiction

The Yule Ball

Lengthy chapter ahead  :) I hope you enjoy! 

"You're not going to wear that?"

Lena, who was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, looked up to meet the reflection of green eyes that were regarding her with disapproval. "Why not?" she asked innocently.

"Really?" Jessica huffed. "How about you take a look at your burnt palm, maybe that will ring a bell."

Lena smiled. "I used a cooling charm. It won't happen again."

"Why don't you just leave it in your jewelry box?" Jessica reached for a hairbrush and began combing her long blonde locks. "That would be much safer."

Lena shook her head, making her dark red curls bounce. "No. I want to find out what kind of magic it possesses, and I can only do that if I have it with me and actually use it."

Jessica sighed in frustration and reached for her makeup bag, rummaging through the cosmetics until she found the eyeliner she was looking for. Applying it carefully, she mused, "I just think it is strange that it has so much energy that it hurt you." She put the cap back on the pencil and grabbed her light red lipstick. "Even stranger, it happened when the bat was around."

"Don't call him that." With a flick of her wand, Lena's hair arranged itself into a beautifully pinned-up hairdo, allowing only a few strands of curls to caress her cheeks.

As always, Jess ignored her friend's remark. "Remember what the witch said. Red is the worst kind of threat, demarking the color of blood to be shed. That can't be good, Lena. You should be careful."

"It did not glow red," Lena insisted. "It was white. There is nothing bad about white. White will unite and will always be right."

It took a few seconds until that sunk in. But when it did, both girls spun around, facing each other.

"The bat?" Jessica squealed wide-eyed.

Lena was so shocked that she even forgot to lecture her on name-calling. Instead, she shook her head slowly, as if in a trance. "I ... I don't know."

After a few more seconds of silence, Jessica snatched the necklace from the vanity and offered it to her friend. "Well, I guess we're going to find out."

"I guess we are." Lena hesitated for a moment, but then took the necklace and fastened it carefully around her neck, making sure to hide it beneath the fabric of her dress.

Jessica nodded approvingly. "You look stunning."

Happy about the compliment, Lena smiled and returned it. "You do, too."

And it was true. In preparation for the Yule Ball, the girls had gone to Hogsmeade again to choose their dresses for the event. The blonde Slytherin had picked a canary yellow one, its hem fell just below her knees. Lena, on the other hand, had fallen in love with a teal-colored dress. She loved the way it playfully flowed around her ankles whenever she moved. Its sleeves were transparent, a delicate embroidered floral design snaked down her arms, encircling her wrists like bracelets . A dark bow accented the girl's petite waist.

As they approached the festive hall, Jessica mumbled, "Great. Seems like we're the last ones. Everyone is already there."

Anxiety crept up on Lena, like an invisible rope it seemed to tighten around her neck. "Jess, I can't do it."

"Don't be ridiculous," her friend scolded. "It's just a ball. We dance, we chat, we have fun. What are you so afraid of?"

"I don't know," Lena admitted in a whisper. "I just am."