Vidi, Vici, Veni

Chapter Four

"It Takes Two to Tango"

Ginny looked at the formal gown and mask that lay on her bed. She admired the dark teal crushed velvet; it went so well with her colouring. Professor Mead had offered her this dress feigning that she just wasn't the slip of a girl that she used to be. She thought that the dress should go to someone who could wear it beautifully. They were the same height and she thought the dress might go well with her hair colour, so she had insisted on Ginny accepting the dress.

Not only did Ginny receive the dress from her, but the Professor encouraged her to take a few private tango lessons as well. Her explanation was that there was bound to be a boy or two at the ball who would know how to tango and she thought it a crime that they wouldn't have anyone to dance with. Ginny asked why she was being picked out of all the girls. Professor Mead said that she had a natural grace and thought she would be a good tango student. She picked up the steps easily and thought it was a pretty sexy little dance, even though her only partner was a woman.

Ginny finished getting prepared for the night. She had her hair up in a clip and her tresses were curled a little bit so that they spilled down the back of her head like a Grecian goddess on an urn. A length of ribbon was woven through her tresses that matched her dress. She was wearing makeup for the first time in a while. Not much, but a light dusting of eye shadow, eye liner, rouge and a deep rosy coloured lipstick that made her lips look full and luscious.

When she finally slipped on her dress, she was amazed at how well it fit, like it was made for her. She slipped on her heels and stood in front of her dressing mirror. She couldn't believe how she looked. There was no way most of the boys would recognize her now, except for the colour of her hair.

"Wow, you're a looker," said Florence, amazed at the transformation as much as Ginny was. Roxanne came into the room with a small jewellery box.

"I had my mother owl me my good jewellery. Does anyone want to borrow some earrings or a necklace to complete their ensembles?" Roxanne was usually very generous with her dorm mates, so neither of them hesitated at her offer.

Roxanne was searching the compartments for a strand of pearls to go with her costume of an eighteenth century courtesan witch of the French magical court. Florence was wearing a black, backless evening gown that was bordering on dangerous. She decided to bring a shawl to cover up her back it if was too cold or if McGonagall objected to the acreage of exposed skin. Ginny just wanted some earrings to go with her dress. Roxanne had a pair of dangling blue-green opal earrings that finished off the look.

It was scary that girls of fifteen could look so much older and so womanly.

Ginny was ready to get going, but was reminded to put on her mask before leaving her dormitory for the common room. The rules of the ball stated that everyone was to arrive masked and were to keep theirs on until the stroke of midnight. Then all attendees could remove their masks at will.

She picked up the mask and turned it this way and that, noting the green iridescence highlighted in the black feathers. Teal coloured sequins filled the area around the eyes. The mask covered her forehead, nose, and cheeks. It rose in the front high enough to hide most of her hair from frontal view. She placed it on her face and secured it.

She didn't know why she wore any make up considering the mask hid most of it anyway. But her eyes and the makeup that she had applied around them was visible. Her eyes looked like they belonged to a stranger from behind the mask she wore. The mirror gave her a wolf whistle.

"I'm ready, how about you?" Ginny asked her dorm mates.

"Ready," said Roxanne as she applied a porcelain mask.

Florence added by purring, "Let's go knock them dead, girls." She affixed her mask and they headed out the door.

The Gryffindor common room was full of students waiting for their dates to come down, since most people dated within their own house. Hermione was already waiting for Ron to come down. She was dressed in an outfit that looked like it was made of nothing but bandages. Even though she had a half mask on, you could recognize her. Her normally bushy brown hair looked as if she had stuck her finger in a plug socket. A wide wavy streak of grey shot up both sides of her hair.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Ginny asked in wonderment at her costume. But before Hermione could answer, Ginny heard her brother's voice coming from the top of the stairs.

"Are you sure no one's going to laugh at me?" Ron pleaded from the top of the stairs.

Hermione stood up and walked over to the base of the stairs. "Ron, you look perfect. It's Halloween and we did agree to go for a couple's costume together."

"I thought you meant something like Morgana and Merlin, not something that made me look like was I was patched together in the dungeons," Ron moaned.

"That's the whole point of it. It's Halloween and in America, this is a classic costume for couples," Hermione replied. "Come down here right now," she ordered.

Ginny guessed that if those two ever got married, it would be Hermione who would wear the trousers in the family.

Ron lumbered down stairs. He looked awful. Then Ginny realized that he was supposed to look this way. Hermione stood next to Ron and announced that they were going as Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Ginny did recall that Hermione mentioned that Frankenstein was her favourite horror movie. Ron's mask covered his whole head except for an area around his mouth and chin so he could eat and drink. He was green and the mask made him look like he had had a bad run in with Hargid's little brother, Grawp. He even had a bolt attached to each side of his neck with an adhesion spell. Ron was just thankful that no one could see his hair to identify him, because he could surely imagine the teasing he would get from the Slytherins next morning if they knew he was under that mask.

Harry followed Ron and stopped at the landing. He was dressed as the Lone Ranger. He had a simple black mask over his face, but you knew it was Harry from the unruly black hair that couldn't be tamed even though he wore a cowboy hat to cover it. He jangled as he walked, the spurs on his cowboy boots tinkling. The snug pants and shirt he wore were just like the ones in the old black and white movies he had seen on television when he lived with the Dursleys. The outfit flattered Harry's trim Seeker build. Even Ginny found herself grinning sinfully at the way that outfit hugged his body.

Harry attempted his best cowboy drawl, "Head 'em out, partner." Unfortunately, it sounded as if the Lone Ranger was from Oxford.

~_~_~_~_~_~

Students in formal dress and costumes were streaming into the Great Hall. Hermione gasped as they walked through the door. Professor Mead had seemed to transport the Old South to the Northern British Isles. The columns on the side of the Great Hall were charmed to look like old cypress trees with Spanish moss dripping from them. Fireflies flew about the room, giving the atmosphere a romantic twist. A buffet was laid out with a mixture of English and American foods.

"Merlin," Ron gasped. "It looks like 'Gone with the Wind' threw up in here."

Ginny looked bewildered at her brother, but then realized he couldn't see her confusion. "What? What's 'Gone with the whatever?'" she asked.

"Oh, some melodramatic Muggle movie that Hermione made me watch last summer," Ron answered. Hermione pinched Ron lightly on the arm.

~_~_~_~_~_~

Draco was sure that all the Slytherins had left the dungeon. Those that wanted to go to the ball had left already and those that were not interested had headed off to the library to study in quiet. He convinced everyone in his house that he would have no part in this ball and that he was going to hole up in his room with some Butterbeer and a Dark Arts book he had snuck out of the restricted section.

Gazing at his reflection with admiration, he smoothed the tuxedo he was wearing. He admitted to himself that Muggles had finally done something right when he surveyed himself in the mirror. His double-breasted tux fit his long, lean, lithe six-foot form to a tee. He adjusted his bow tie, then tied the black scarf around his head, pirate fashion, knotted at the base of his neck, then he tucked one last stray strand of his unmistakable silver blond hair into the scarf and put on his mask. His tailor sent along with the tuxedo a white Venetian carnival mask that covered his face above his mouth. He could still see his icy grey eyes through the mask, but figured that it would probably be dark enough so that Ginny would not recognize him with his eyes. He cut a very dashing figure.

He had thought carefully about what he could do to conceal his identity from tonight's prey. He had dressed to look like a Muggle-born, he had covered his face and hair, and Draco would even use an accent to hide that unmistakable drawl he had that set Ron's teeth on edge. He figured a nice Birmingham accent would do the trick.

Draco popped his head out of his room to make sure the coast was clear. He slipped out the portrait hole and blended in with the students who were still filing into the Great Hall.

Entering the room, he found a discrete spot in which to stand and watch. He surveyed the crowd looking for that signature red hair. His eyes finally stopped to rest upon the most sensual creature in the whole room. The neckline of her dress was deep and broad, yet tasteful, showing off her shoulders. He could just make out the very top swelling of her breasts from what skin was showing. The full-length sleeveless gown hugged her body down to her hips where the fabric released its hold and flowed into an A-line skirt. The dress told Draco that she had a body built for sin. He never knew that she could even look like that under her robes. Ginny's arms were pale and milky with a faint trail of freckles. He wanted to go over to her and start counting each and every one of them. He would definitely enjoy ruining her reputation.

Draco noticed that all the Slytherins were huddled into a corner, refusing to mix with the other students. Professor Dumbledore stepped up to the front of the room and began to speak.

"I'm glad that so many of you could attend." A light round of polite applause circled the room. "Professor Mead has provided us with the decorations and the music. May I remind everyone that they are not to remove their masks until the stroke of midnight. So without any further ado, let the party begin."

The band began to play. Many of the students, mostly ones who had taken Professor Mead's dancing classes began to fill the floor. Draco figured his time to pounce was now. He walked directly over to Ginny.

With a slight bow and holding out his hand as an invitation, Draco smiled and said, "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" His voice was unrecognizable to the small group of Gryffindors.

"Yes, I would be delighted," responded Ginny. A demure smile crept upon her lips.

Ron was glaring at him, wondering who was this person who was going to molest his little sister.

"Ron, she's perfectly fine. She can take care of herself," Hermione reassured him. "Then again, anyone who looks like that can't be all bad," she added.

"Hey," Ron shot back.

As they walked away, Lavender Brown muttered to Hermione, "Pretty please with me on top."

Hermione could not contain her laughter, as if Lavender had read her mind. Ron wanted this conversation to end immediately. "Come one, let's go dance," he muttered grudgingly.

Hermione with sweet sarcasm answered, "Oh Ron, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet."

As they danced through the night, Draco did his best to be sweet and charming. Ginny smiled a great deal and he could tell that through her mask, her face was lighting up. He found this quite beautiful. Most of the girls he knew from Slytherin house or through his father always looked like their noses were wrinkled up about something.

Ginny laughed in the arms of the man she danced with all night long. She felt like she was the queen of the ball. Most of the other girls at the dance were eyeing her suitor while boyfriends were chagrined at the momentary lack of attention to them.

"So, who are you anyway," Ginny finally asked him shortly before midnight.

"That would be telling and it would ruin the surprise," Draco answered.

"Well, I know you're not in Gryffindor and you're definitely not in Slytherin." They both looked over and all the Slytherin attendees who were still huddled over in the corner. As none of them had taken Professor Mead's dance classes, they were at a loss for the evening.

"Well, that leaves Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw." Draco smiled through his mask.

"Well, which is it?" Ginny pleaded.

"Just wait," was his only reply.

The band began to play "Por Una Cabeza". Since none of the other students knew how to dance to the music, many of them parted from the floor. Draco turned to Ginny and asked, "Care to tango?"

"I'd thought you'd never ask." Ginny beamed at her charming dance partner.

Draco and Ginny were joined my two older dancers. Professor Snape had led Professor Mead out onto the dance floor. For the whole night so far, the staff stood at the front of the room watching the students dance. Now there were two pairs of figures on the floor.

Snape and Mead stared intently into each other's eyes and they tangoed across the floor. Draco confident that Ginny could keep up based on his experience of dancing with her throughout the evening included a few fancy moves that he was surprised Ginny knew how to do. Everyone else stood at the edge of the dance floor watching this very erotic dance unfold before their eyes.

"Did you know the tango originated in the brothels of Argentina?" Hermione mentioned in passing to Ron, Harry, Ginny's dorm mates and their dance partners.

"No wonder, it's almost indecent!" Ron scowled as his little sister wrapped a leg around Draco's.

Draco's body was very close to Ginny's. They were pressed against each other from cheek to knee. They looked like they would fall over; their legs were intertwined. No one could ignore the chemistry that was rising between these two masked students.

Professor Dumbledore watched with a broad smile on his face, while Professor McGonagall eyed the scene of Severus Snape dancing in such a provocative manner. Snape and Mead were creating an aura of heat and electricity around themselves as well.

When the song was over, there were hoots and hollers from around the room accompanying the applause. Evidentially, the intimate nature of the dance was so hypnotic, Draco found himself very aroused as he looked into Ginny's eyes. He could feel the lust inside of him building.

As he had been able to graze a few strands of Ginny's hair with the back of his hand throughout the night, he longed to run his fingers through it. She looked at him with longing that could not be hidden by her mask.

Draco removed the clip that held Ginny's hair in place and her locks tumbled down around her shoulders. "There, that's much better," he growled. He removed the teal ribbon from her hair and said, "A souvenir for the night." He then tucked the ribbon into his inside breast pocket.

He stroked her shoulders, then ran both his hands up her neck and lifted her face to his. Ginny could feel herself begin to tremble with anticipation.

He kissed her lips and he felt like her body was a Portkey. His body was flying and he opened his mouth to delve into her deeper. Before this night, he had never kissed a girl and felt even a thread of energy. Now, he felt as if he drank a draught of fire.

Ginny felt the sweet rush of hormones coursing through her body. Her head was swimming; it was as though a bolt of lightening was running through the centre of her body. She moaned a little and he pressed her tighter to his body. Ginny responded by letting her tongue explore his mouth.

They could hear nothing but the other's breath and their own heartbeats. He ran his fingers hungrily through her hair. She gasped for breath as her heart jumped in her chest at this sensation. She pulled away to look at him, then inhaled deeply and caught his scent.

Draco snapped out of a delicious drunken state and wished he could just continue on kissing her lips. For a brief moment, he wished that revenge and animosity were two words that he had never learnt.

She panicked and froze. Her mind flashed back to the last time she smelled that scent. Of Draco's grey eyes flashing with ardent fire. Ginny felt petrified.

Draco stroked her cheek convinced that it was his kiss that has overwhelmed her senses.

Truth be told, his kiss did overwhelm her, to the point that she would do anything he asked of her. But with the realization that it might be Malfoy who was behind that mask, she just stood there.

He reached for her hands. "As much as I would like to stick around, I must be going now." He raised one of her hands to his mouth and kissed it. He quickly turned around and headed straight for the door.

The invisible clock in the Great Hall began to chime at midnight. He reached the threshold and gave one last look back. Ginny had pulled her mask off, her cheek flushed and rosy, her eyes large and glowing. Draco turned back and headed towards the dungeons.

Ginny stood there dumbstruck as her gentleman caller walked away into the night. Harry, Ron and Hermione pulled their masks off and approached Ginny. "So?" Hermione asked with great interest.

"Who was that masked man," Harry added. Only Hermione got the joke and shot him a look.

"I have absolutely no idea. He up and left just before the clock struck." Ginny looked lost.

"Well, maybe it's all for the best. I didn't like the way he was kissing you," snarled Ron.

"Oh stop, you didn't mind when Harry and Ginny were kissing over the summer," Hermione shot back. Ginny blanched.

She never told Ron about her and Harry's snogging sessions. Ron rounded on Harry. "What did you do to her?" He glowered over Harry.

Ginny stepped into this conversation with the intent on ending it. "It was all consensual, besides, he behaved himself."

Harry gave Ginny a look of gratitude and decided he was going to get some punch. Ginny just stood there looking at the doors wondering if it was Draco or some other boy that she had fallen for.

~_~_~_~_~_~

In his room, Draco undressed, feeling most pleased with his performance tonight. Ginny was none the wiser that it was him behind the mask, or so he thought. He pulled the ribbon from his breast pocket and curled it around his fingers, playing with it. Running the satin over his lips, he was reminded of her lips that were soft and full. Draco crawled into bed and fell asleep with the ribbon still wrapped around his hand.

He dreamed of his nymph, the scent of jasmine and roses. The picture of her was missing fewer pieces. Her hair spilled in red tresses about her back and shoulders. Her legs were intertwined with his; he leaned forward to kiss his long elusive nymph when he woke with a start.

He could still smell the jasmine and roses from his dream, but he was not dreaming anymore. Draco looked at his hand and saw the ribbon. Bringing it up to his nose, he inhaled deeply.

Realizing now whom he has been dreaming about during these past several months, he groaned, "Oh bloody hell. Bugger!"

Taking a deep breath, he tried to clear his mind. Oh well, she was a pretty tempting little morsel last night. But I'm not going to let a little bit of lust and longing get in my way. Draco rolled over and went back to sleep.