October 28, 1996
"I can't believe we still don't have a costume idea for Halloween," I complained, collapsing dramatically across our table in Potions.
Draco chuckled, gently nudging me aside to see our cauldron better. "I don't know what will top our unplanned angel and demon duo costume last year."
I perked up suddenly, an idea flashing through my mind. "Pansy, Theo!" I called across the classroom. Draco raised his eyebrow in question, but I waved him off.
"What's up, princess?"
"That's exactly it," I explained. "Princess. Why don't we all dress as Disney princes and princesses?" I had been showing my Slytherin friends Disney movies on some nights when we had nothing else to do. So far, we had watched Snow White, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast.
Pansy gasped and clapped her hands together. "Brilliant, Granger! Absolutely brilliant!"
"Nothing new," Draco commented, smiling at me as he stirred our potion counterclockwise.
"Pans, you can be Snow White and I can be Prince Florian, it's perfect," Theo said, draping his arm across her shoulder.
Pansy nodded, wincing a little. "We do bear the closest resemblance to them, but Snow White is a bit useless and weak, don't you agree? Where's the female strength?"
"Which is precisely why it's a costume," Theo assured, resting his cheek against her head. He added, "And you'll also be pretending to be the fairest in the land." Pansy growled, slapping his chest.
"Granger, we will be Beauty and the Beast of course, is that right?" Draco asked, cocking his head at me, his hair catching in his lashes. I had seen him in this position hundreds of times, and I was always awestruck by his beauty. "Beautiful bookish girl and misunderstood beast? How fitting."
I giggled, reaching out and brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Of course. But you're no beast, Draco. Just come as Prince Adam. Besides, a beast costume would be utterly hideous."
"Ah, yes, the transformation. Fitting, he definitely turned into a softie thanks to you," Theo chimed in, shaking his head in disappointment.
"You're one to talk, Mr. 'My love for you is ridiculous'," Pansy retorted, sticking her tongue out.
"I was just giving you what you wanted, and I totally beat Draco's lame announcement in the Great Hall," Theo defended, puffing his chest out.
"It's funny how after all this time, you still can't tell whether I'm being sarcastic or not."
"You're a little too good at it, Pans. Your sarcasm is so precise that at times it just sounds like you're in the midst of one of your mood swings, probably thanks to your cycle."
"You little—"
"Was I going to be included in this conversation?" Blaise sauntered over, smirking.
I cringed slightly. "I'm sorry, Blaise. We're talking about our couple costumes for Halloween." Blaise shrugged, forever the picture of indifference.
"Why don't you come as a regular prince?" Draco suggested to his friend, stepping back from the cauldron and wiping his hands on his robes. "You never know who will show up and become your princess."
Theo huffed, bulging his eyes at me and gesturing to Draco. "See that? Soft."
"He's right, though," Pansy agreed, nodding at Blaise. "That's a good costume. It can pass individually, and also sets you up for girls."
Blaise grumbled a reluctant yes, and we agreed to Floo to Diagon Alley after school to shop for costumes.
___
October 31, 1996
"Pucker up," Ginny ordered, lathering pink gloss onto my lips.
When I told Ginny about the Disney couple idea, she squealed in delight and immediately began planning her costume for a certain redhead mermaid princess. Ginny was wearing an elegant purple corset with ruffles, paired with a tight fitted sea green floor length skirt covered in iridescent scales and ended in flowing silk that diverged at her ankles. Her hair was curled to perfection, red ringlets cascading across her shoulders. Plus she made me suggest to Harry and Ron that 'they dress as sailors with inspiration from The Little Mermaid'. "Subtle," I had laughed when she urged me to say this to them. Which I did, of course. They had no other ideas, so Harry and Ron had shrugged and agreed.
"Finished," Ginny declared, hoisting me up onto my feet and bringing me in front of the full length mirror. I inhaled sharply at the sight of the girl before me. I hardly recognized myself. Ginny had straightened my hair out, then curled the very ends so they fell softly across my shoulders. Half of my hair was gracefully swept up, curled into a bun on the back of my head. A thin golden chain with a star rested on my chest, a gift from Pansy. My makeup was simple, and from hearing Pansy and Ginny talk I knew it was only blush and lip gloss and mascara, with a bit of shimmering gold eyeshadow. But the yellow and golden dress is what truly took my breath away. It had a simple square neckline, the fitted bodice glowing in the same shade as my eyeshadow. The skirt flitted around me, descending in subtle layers. The ends of the layers were covered in golden swirls, and peeking out from the bottom were my matching yellow heels.
I turned and hugged Ginny fiercely, getting a brief flashback of this exact moment last Halloween. "Thank you," I said in her ear.
She shoved me off immediately, running her hands over my dress and smoothing it out. "Yes, yes, what would you do without me. But no wrinkling the masterpiece," Ginny insisted, carefully tugging me out the door.
The professors had given us permission to throw the annual costume party in the Great Hall this year. Ginny gave my hand an infinitesimal squeeze before whisking down the stairs, no doubt to walk by Harry and stun him with her utter beauty.
Gulping, I turned the corner and began to descend the stairs, holding my skirts and walking slowly so as to not trip in my heels. At the bottom, Draco was facing the other direction, bouncing on his heels as he waited for me. He turned and stopped frozen when he saw me, his eyes brightening. I smiled, taking in his costume. He was wearing a formal royal blue blazer with a white dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck, with loose black pants and brown dress shoes. His hair hung loose across his face, curling on his forehead. His mouth was slightly agape, and he climbed the steps to meet me, never taking his eyes off of me and stumbling a bit. We met in the middle, right where we had fought more than a year ago. Draco stood before me, eyes gleaming. "Granger..." He cleared his throat, clearly at a loss for words. I smirked, proud that I rendered Draco Malfoy speechless, and leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
Still standing stunned, I interlaced my fingers with his and giggled, pulling him down the rest of the stairs. "You look nice too, Draco."
"Saying you look nice would be the understatement of the century," Draco murmured behind me, his eyes raking down my body.
The Great Hall was still decorated from dinner earlier, with jack-o-lanterns floating in the air. The long tables had disappeared, and instead the floor had turned into a massive dance floor, neon lights flashing throughout the hall. Along the walls were small tables filled with firewhiskey and butter beer.
Draco leaned into my ear, his breath brushing across my neck. "I'll get you a drink," he whispered in my ear. I nodded, blushing, and he disappeared.
Pansy flounced over, taking my hands in hers. "You look beautiful," she gushed. "I knew that dress was perfect as soon as I saw it in the window."
"You look incredible, Pansy," I complimented, in awe of her effortless grace. She was stunning in her beautiful dress, a dark blue bodice and fluffed yellow skirt with puffed shoulders made of blue and red satin. A red ribbon was tied in her hair, her lips curved into her famous sensuous half smile.
Theo came up behind Pansy, handing her a red cup. "Looking good, princess," Theo grinned.
"You too, Theo." He was wearing a white long sleeve with a blue vest and red cape, paired with light blue pants and brown boots. On his head sat a marching blue beret with a feather. On anyone else, the costume would look awful, but Theo looked the part of the dashing prince.
Draco returned alongside Blaise, pressing a cup into my hands, the strong scent of firewhiskey wafting up my nose. "That's all you get," Draco warned, gesturing to my drink. "That's enough for you to have some fun without blacking out."
I laughed, nodding in agreement. "Wouldn't want Pansy to have to levitate me to the dorms again."
Pansy gasped, smacking Draco's arm. "You still haven't told her?"
Draco paled. "I forgot!"
"Forgot what?" I asked, looking back and forth between them.
"Remember last Halloween when you said you dreamed that Draco carried you to bed?" Pansy asked, beginning to smile. "That wasn't a dream, that actually happened. He made me say it was me so you wouldn't know."
I whirled to Draco, who looked a little uncomfortable as he shifted on his feet. He nodded in confirmation, red rising to his cheeks. I giggled, "Well, that's comforting. Now I know that I wasn't that drunk, and that Draco is totally smitten over me." Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes, but didn't disagree.
Blaise chuckled. I turned to him, taken aback by his charming white suit, a picture perfect prince.
Ginny breezed by me and said quietly, "Harry's jaw was on the floor." I grinned. Before leaving, she added, "Oh, and look out for Luna. She didn't have a costume so I told her to come as a Disney princess, too, and I wanna see how it came out."
I nodded and turned back to my friends, and Blaise was standing completely still in front of me, his eyes glued behind me. I turned around, and it was my turn to have my jaw on the floor. Luna was standing in the doorway, wringing her hands in front of her and swaying side to side on her feet. She was wearing a silver ballgown, a simple yet breathtaking design, with matching silk gloves. Her hair was pulled back in a smooth bun atop her head. Cinderella had arrived at the ball. "Looks like your princess is here, Blaise," Theo whispered.
Blaise didn't answer, but he strode over to Luna, and it was the first time I saw him as anything less than confident. His steps were hesitant, and he rubbed the back of his neck as he introduced himself.
Fingers wrapped around mine, and I looked up to see Draco pulling me to the dance floor, smirking, setting our drinks on a table on the way there. Suddenly, I recognized the first few notes of the song that began to play. "They're playing 'Don't Dream It's Over,'" I whispered.
Draco gifted me a soft smile, the one he saves just for me, and pulled me into his arms, slipping his arms around my waist. "I gave Lee Jordan five galleons."
I flung my arms around his neck and laughed, swaying to the symphony of dreams with the boy of starlight. We stayed like that, ascended into a heavenly state, amber irises glued to silver.
In the last few lines of the song, Draco leaned down and crashed his mouth onto mine, a million unsaid words passing between us, our lips moving in sync. Pure bliss.
The song concluded, and we floated back down from our own little world, the loud rock music shaking our bodies. I grinned up at him. "Wanna get wasted together?"
Draco smirked, looping his arm through mine and leading us to the table. "I never thought I would hear you say that, but yes, I'd be honored."
___
Our bodies were slick with sweat, and my throat was sore from screaming the lyrics to countless songs. All of us were on the dance floor, dancing against each other and downing drink after drink. Harry and Ron were dancing, albeit awfully, and I noticed Harry's gaze continuously seeking out Ginny. Luna had produced some odd dance moves, flailing her arms above her head , but Blaise only smiled and copied her movements. Theo and Pansy had been dancing together all night, switching between jumping up and down and fighting playfully to the beat, laughing and making sound effects and throwing fake punches and kicks.
I swayed heavily on my feet, dizzy from the heat and alcohol. "I'm gonna get some fresh air," I yelled in Draco's ear, who nodded with glazed eyes that were slightly crossed.
I burst out the front doors, heaving in deep breaths of the cold autumn air. I closed my eyes, tilting my face up to the night sky.
An arm snaked against my waist, and my eyes shot open. A hand covered in a damp cloth clamped over my mouth, suppressing my scream. Sour. That's what it smelled like before I collapsed into nothingness.