After four tiring afternoons of decorating, the Great Hall was finally Halloween-ified enough to be considered a Hogwarts-worthy party. And quite frankly, Rose was looking forward to the whole ordeal being over rather than the actual dance.
Due to their still unpredictable powers, Rose and Scorpius had to mostly help decorate using the Muggle way instead of magic, fearing a simple task such as magically hanging streamers would potentially blow up the Great Hall or something. So this made their job much more grueling.
When Friday rolled around, Rose couldn't have been more relieved. The school day was being cut short, allowing students to go to Hogsmeade to shop for costumes for the dance. Rose hadn't even had time to think about costumes at all this week. She nearly decided on skipping the dance that night, but of course her friends wouldn't allow that.
"You're not skipping the dance tonight!" Holly exclaimed once they arrived in Hogsmeade. Rose regretted sharing her thought.
"I have to study tonight," Rose said, which was the first lame excuse off the top of her head.
"That's a terrible excuse," Holly said candidly, putting her hands on her hips. "Rose, please-"
"Have you ever used a stapler before, Holly? I have been using that bloody thing for four days attaching hundreds of tacky decorations to the walls. My hand is still cramping!" Rose declared, drastically changing the subject, then shoving her sore hand in Holly's face. Scorpius and Albus were shaking their heads and chuckling.
Holly's eyes suddenly lit up, the way they did when she had an idea, and she reached inside of her backpack and dug her hand inside of it, searching for something. Oddly enough, she pulled out a stapler.
I'm not even surprised, Rose thought.
"Holly, why do you have a stapler?" Scorpius asked her, glaring at the Muggle object like it was a piece of merchandise from a professional Quidditch team he despised.
Sometimes, it was best not to question Holly on why she had and did certain things. But she always had a story to tell as an excuse.
"I think the question is, why wouldn't I have a stapler?" Holly countered, pronouncing it stap-e-ler. Her eyebrow quirking up in satisfaction as she watch her friends sport puzzled expressions. Neither of them had a clever answer to that. Then she shrugged and skipped away to the costume shop, humming with glee.
Rose leaned in close to Albus and muttered, "You're a lucky guy, Al."
Albus didn't reply, but Rose noticed he was staring at Holly with adoration as she skipped away. Love was strange.
As the three remaining friends followed Holly into the costume shop, Scorpius leaned close to Rose and asked, with his voice laced with amusement, "So, what kind of costume are you gonna wear to the dance?"
Rose tilted her head to the side and replied, "Who said I'm going to the dance?"
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You're seriously not going to skip the dance, are you?"
"That's what I'm planning on."
Scorpius rolled his eyes even more, if that was even possible. Rose attempted to dismiss the conversation by pulling the door open to the shop and entering, but Scorpius pushed the door closed again, leaning in the doorway. Sighing in defeat, Rose crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her boyfriend, knowing her evil stare would make him budge.
"That's not going to work," Scorpius told her, smirking. Damn it.
Rose sighed in frustration. "Come on, I promised Holly I would help her pick out a costume." That was just an excuse to get Scorpius to move.
"Albus can help her," Scorpius replied. "And I'm not moving until you tell me what's bugging you."
"Nothing is bugging me!" Rose said shrilly, then quickly cleared her throat and corrected her tone. "I mean, I'm fine. Why are you insinuating that something is bugging me?"
Scorpius smirked. "Rose, I'm not dumb. I'm your boyfriend, and I know when something is bothering you. First of all, you're avoiding eye contact."
Rose abruptly snapped her gaze back to Scorpius, from where her eyes were previously transfixed on a sign in the shop window behind them. When did he get so observant?
"And second," Scorpius added. "You tend to get all defensive and make up excuses."
"No I don't," Rose automatically blurted out, then realized her mistake. Sighing in defeat, she mumbled, "Okay, something may be bothering me. Just a tad."
"Mhm," Scorpius nodded. Then he grabbed Rose's hand comfortingly and asked softly, "Then, what's wrong?"
Rose sighed, for what seemed like the hundredth time since the Halloween dance was announced. "Okay, I'm just...a bit worried about going to the dance. What if me, you, Albus, or Holly mess it up somehow? Whenever we all go somewhere, trouble tends to follow us."
"So that's what this is about," Scorpius said understandingly. "Even though your last statement is very, very true, we shouldn't let our whole power situation between the four of us get in the way of us enjoying a simple little dance. You get what I'm saying?"
Rose nodded. She sometimes forgot how wise Scorpius could be. But he was definitely correct; she shouldn't fear living her life because of her powers that she rarely had complete control over.
Smiling sheepishly, she replied, "Alright, Scor, you've convinced me."
"I knew I would," Scorpius teased.
Rose rolled her eyes playfully. "Just shut up and let me through the door."
Scorpius smiled, pulling the door open for Rose and letting her walk through first. The costume shop reeked of sweat and pumpkin pasties, a very strange combination. Several Hogwarts students were crowded inside the store, eagerly searching for last minute costumes. Rose didn't even know where to begin to look.
The first costume her eyes spotted, which was near the entrance and kind of hard not to see, was a very short and sparkly red ladybug costume. Rose wrinkled her nose in disgust at it.
Then her eyes met Scorpius's, who was also staring at the costume, and a mischievous and suggestive smile played across his always-smirking lips. Rose's eyes widened.
"Don't even think about it," she scolded him, although he burst into snickers and sauntered away to look around.
After a moment of wandering the aisles of costumes and accessories, Rose spotted Holly and Albus towards the back of the shop, each trying on hats. Holly was checking herself out in the mirror, sporting a ridiculously-sized pumpkin hat. Rose really hoped she wouldn't choose that to wear to the dance.
"Look how happy Albus looks. I never thought he'd be this happy over a dance," Scorpius muttered to Rose, his voice muffled by a hideous ogre mask over his face. She tore it off his face, deciding for him that there was no way he'd be wearing that.
Rose followed Scorpius's gaze over to Albus, who was laughing hysterically at his silly girlfriend. Ever since summer, Albus hadn't quite been the same for some reason. Rose suspected it was pubescent mood swings or something.
"It's nice to see him laughing again," Rose pointed out, watching her cousin, a small smile spreading across her lips. "And he's only this happy because Holly is happy. You know those two practically share emotions. When one's happy, the other is happy."
"That's true," Scorpius agreed.
Then, Rose and Scorpius joined the giggling couple, each of them exchanging ideas on possible Halloween costumes.
"We should both go as stereotypical wizards with long white beards," Scorpius suggested to Albus, who cracked up at the idea.
Rose scoffed. "That is insulting to wizards everywhere!"
Albus had already tried on the fake white beard. "That's what makes it funny and brilliant."
The boys laughed and walked away to go purchase the comical, yet absurd, costume accessories. Rose followed Holly around as she looked around, though she completely gave up on finding herself a costume.
"What about this one?" Holly asked, showing Rose a tenth costume.
"Too revealing," Rose said, wrinkling her nose at the mermaid costume. "Though I think Albus would quite enjoy it."
Holly stomped her foot. "You're like my mother, barely approving anything I wear."
Rose playfully appeared shocked, using her best motherly tone to say, "I'm just watching out for you, dear!"
Glumly setting the mermaid costume back on the rack, Holly shrugged and suggested, "Maybe I should go as a stapler to the dance."
"I highly doubt this store has a stapler costume," Rose told her, chuckling. "And even if they did, I probably wouldn't talk to you at all at the dance."
Holly's mouth popped open offendedly, then smacked Rose's arm and exclaimed, "Hey, be nice! Now, we also need to find a costume for you, you know."
Rose inwardly groaned, knowing they'd be in the costume shop far longer than she'd hoped. Suddenly, she felt another presence in her mind. Ugh, why now?
Hello, Rose, Rowena Ravenclaw greeted nonchalantly, as if Rose wasn't busy at all.
What do you want? Rose mentally asked. I'm kinda busy.
Well, I could not help but overhear your dilemma, Rowena explained.
One thing Rose learned about Rowena Ravenclaw since she'd started speaking in her mind, is that the woman was a know-it-all. Probably the worst one Rose had ever met. Every time Rose had an issue, Rowena was always there in her mind offering advice and commentary. Of course Rowena was supposed to offer advice, since that was why she was in Rose's mind in the first place, but Rose hated having to make a choice with Rowena Ravenclaw always having something to say about it. It was like the woman thought Rose was an idiot.
It's just a stupid Halloween costume, Rose thought to Rowena. I don't need your help this time.
Turn around, Rowena said, clearly ignoring what Rose said. I think you'll like that costume.
Rolling her eyes, Rose spun around, fixing to yell at Rowena in her mind, but stopped short when her eyes landed on the most beautiful costume she'd ever seen. It was pretty, but subtle. It was perfect for Rose.
I told you you'd like it, Rowena said, and Rose could tell the woman was smiling.
Rose couldn't help but smile as she ran her fingers over the silky fabric of the costume. Then she went to find Holly to go purchase it, now excited for the dance.
* * *
"Rose, come on! We're gonna miss all the fun!" Holly yelled from downstairs in the common room. Rose was still magically smoothing down her frizzy hair, trying to look as perfect as possible. Glancing in the mirror, she couldn't believe that was actually her in the mirror.
Her costume was smooth, royal blue dress that was flared and reached the floor in the back, but was tighter and stopped at her knees in the front. The dress had long, flared black lace sleeves that flowed gracefully down her arms, and even came with a cliche witch hat. Rose couldn't believe that Rowena Ravenclaw was the one who picked out her costume, and that Rose liked it. The costume was elegant, yet simple. She couldn't wait to show her friends.
Walking down the stairs as carefully as she could in her long dress and medium-sized heels, she made it down the the common room, where her friends were waiting for her. As expected, Scorpius and Albus were dressed as the stereotypical, elderly bearded wizards. After looking at more than twenty costumes, Holly chose to wear a white unicorn suit, with a horn placed on top of her head. The whole outfit practically screamed Holly Longbottom.
Holly was the first one to turn around and see Rose. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed, much too loudly, "Wow, sexy mama!"
Rose felt her face turn right red as everyone turned around to observe her. There were several other kids in the common room as well, making it more humiliating. Holly had to have such a big mouth.
Ignoring the various stares from everyone, Rose muttered to her friends, "Let's get this night over with."
As they all made their way to the Great Hall, Scorpius leaned in close, tickling Rose's face with his itchy fake beard, and whispered in her ear, "I'm glad you chose to wear that instead of the ladybug costume."
Rose was definitely glad she decided to go the the dance.
~ ~ ~
I can't believe this is this 50th chapter!
I just want to say thank you to everyone who's been reading this story and voting and commenting on each chapter. It really means so much to me. Without you guys, this story would be no where close to 50 chapters.
Anyways, so this week's question: Favorite quote in this story?
I'd love to hear your replies in the comments! :)
Alright, you know the drill! Vote, comment, and please share! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)