A Halloween to Remember

"It all started a long time ago..." the woman said, her arms wrapped around a young girl of about five.

"It was Halloween, in my final year at school. The teachers had organised a party for students past and present. Everyone we know was there. We all had to go in fancy dress, like the trick-or-treaters do, and I'd decided to go as a vampiress. I spent weeks learning how to make my canines longer, so I looked the part. Harry and Ron were dressing up as werewolves, which was quite funny. Molly was dressed up like Veela, Arthur dressed as Frankenstein, Fred and George dressed as Muggles, Bill, Percy and Charlie all dressed up as a dragon together, and Ginny dressed as a mermaid."

"I was discussing costumes with Ginny, when I found that Neville and Luna were going as pink trolls. I couldn't stop laughing. We overheard Malfoy discussing costumes with Snape. Draco was going as one of the Weird Sisters, and Snape telling Malfoy that he would need to wait until Halloween to find out his costume. Dumbledore was, apparently, going as an angel."

"That evening, I put the final touches on my eye mask. I didn't want people to see who I was. Harry and the others were already in the Great Hall when I arrived there. I looked across the hall, and my eyes met with a tall, dark stranger I had never seen before. Our eye contact was broken, however, by laughter behind me. Fred and George had magically switched Dumbledore's outfit with Ginny's. Suffice to say, Ginny was not pleased!"

"All night, I danced with Ron. Harry was sat in the corner with Fred and George, eating candy corn. The three of them were quite addicted to the stuff. At midnight, I was so tired, but that dark character was still on my mind. I sat down for a while and surveyed the scene. Everyone was dancing, enjoying themselves. I decided to go for a walk outside."

"I took a deep breath when I got outside. The air was purifying. My eyes flickered up the path. The stranger was there. Normally, I'm a shy person, but I felt drawn to kiss this stranger, and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms, my cares floating away.

I don't remember much of that night, except looking up at the stranger and realising it was Snape, and rushing back to the Great Hall."

Hermione paused for a moment. Her daughter looked at her. Sighing, Hermione continued. "That year went on very fast. On my final day at Hogwarts, your father got down on one knee in front of all the school and asked me to marry him. I had no choice but to say yes. I had fallen for him at Halloween, and I still love him now."

Wynter looked at her mother. "That's cute, mummy." Hermione smiled. Severus walked out from the shadows.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Wynter, dearest," he said, placing a kiss on Hermione's cheek.