Winter's Shadow

Chapter 20

Lady Voldemort

Draco sat in front of the fire reading when Hermione dashed across the room to the entrance. She opened the portrait to let in four giggling girls. Draco watched the chattering girls cross the room toward Hermione's.

"Oi! Hermione!"

She turned to look at Draco. He looked at the girls around her.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Getting ready for this evening, isn't it obvious?"

Draco's eyes widened as all five girls continued their march to Hermione's room. He stood up and began to walk to his room. "Merlin! Five girls! I'll never get to take a shower to get ready! Five girls!" He grabbed his costume from his room and walked through the common room calling out to Hermione.

"Hermione! I'm going to get ready with the guys in Gryffindor tower."

Before he could leave, Hermione popped her head out of her door. "What? The prince of Slytherin stepping foot in Gryffindor tower? Watch out for the spontaneous combustion."

"Five girls!" He walked out as the girls giggled.

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"Five girls! Five!"

Harry and Ron watched Draco still in a state of shock it seemed.

"Draco, snap out of it. We should probably be getting ourselves ready." Harry stood up and began to walk to his dormitory room.

"Five girls!"

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Snape had no intentions of wearing a costume and told Dumbledore as much. His presence was still required to his dismay. He was torn whether he wanted to be there or not. Part of him wanted to go so he could see firsthand what Hermione had in store for Hogwarts in terms of her costume. The last rumor he heard was the only one who knew what she was going as was Potter and he was too scared to tell. Then another part of him wanted to stay as far away as possible. Anything she had in store would probably involve himself and then there was the fact that Sirius had arrived already to the school and would no doubt be following Hermione around like a puppy.

With a snort, Snape left his chambers for the Great Hall.

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Sirius stood at the bottom of the stairs with Harry, Ron, and Draco waiting for the girls. They watched the various costumes pass by. Each stood, waiting and watching, in their own world. Ron danced around off to the side brandishing his sword at an invisible opponent. He asked Ophelia to go with him and she readily agreed, but it also resulted in Ron going as Hamlet and Ophelia as, well, Ophelia. Draco kept fiddling with the round glasses he wore as he was going as the-boy-who-lived. Harry kept looking at Draco and yelling "fear me, Potter!" Harry was dressed as a Death Eater. Sirius, wore the best costume yet. He had the long billowing black robes, the straight ebony hair, the sneer--he was Snape.

The boys and one man continued on with their scenarios and games as they waited.

"Fear me, Potter!" Harry and Draco were at it again.

"Never! I skipped school to kill you! Die Death Eater! Die! D..." Draco dropped the wand he held. Harry heard Ron's sword clank to the ground and an odd growl from Sirius.

Sirius' words drifted into their ears. "Oh Merlin, deliver us from evil."

Hermione was slowly making her way down the steps with the rest of the girls. She was almost unrecognizable. She was a gothic vampiress like they had never seen. The top portion of her black dress was fitted to every curve and appeared that the lacing down the middle front was all that was holding the top closed--what was closed that is. Nothing was fully revealed--only enough to let them know what was almost in their full sight. The sleeves where long and came to a point which connected to a ring. The front, despite its gaping open, tapered to a point just covering enough of her more private areas. The skirt was gathered at the sides and back and flowed behind her, but the shocking part was the skirt did not cover the front, instead it was open to reveal only a sheer black material allowing anyone who looked to see through it enough to glimpse her legs moving, her knees, her thighs...Harry found it hard to swallow as did the rest of them. She had used the Sleak Ease again to straighten her hair, charmed it ebony, and pulled it up to reveal the dress' high collar. As she came closer, they noticed she wore a set of silver canine teeth as ear rings and when she smiled she revealed her own canines that she charmed to be a bit longer to look like a vampiress.

Hermione walked up to Sirius, who looked at her grinning. A low growl came from his throat again.

"Hermione..."

She placed a finger on his lips to shut him up. "Shshsh...shall we go in?"

Hermione put her arm in his and everyone walked to the Great Hall. Sirius was shaking his head and murmuring something that sounded like "Snape doesn't stand a chance."

Colin Creevey stood right inside the Great Hall announcing those who entered by what their name and costume was. Draco and Hermione spent an entire afternoon convincing Dumbledore that masks should not be a necessary requirement for the costume party. Weren't costumes enough? So, Colin stood calmly by the door with his magically amplified voice announcing the arrivals for all to see who wished.

Ron and Ophelia walked in together.

"Ron Weasley and Ophelia Black; Hamlet and Ophelia." They immediately headed to a table large enough to accommodate all of them before it was taken.

"Harmony Pearson; Freya." She followed Ron and Ophelia to the table.

"Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley." This is the couple people were interested in seeing. What would the-boy-who-lived dress up as? "um...a Death Eater and um...and...um...well, Hel, goddess of the underworld." Everyone turned to look at the pair. Not what everyone was expecting. Both shared evil grins as the whispers began, but knew it was nothing compared to what would follow Draco or Hermione. They went to the table as all eyes followed them.

"Draco Malfoy." Everyone turned to see what he was wearing. It was still quite odd to see him as friends with the Golden Trio and gasps were heard with Colin's announcement. "The-Boy-Who-Lived." A couple girls giggled. At the high table McGonagall appeared scandalized and began to stand up to protest Draco's costume. Dumbledore held up a hand and urged her to sit.

"Mr. Potter does not appear bothered by this." He pointed toward Harry who was mouthing "Die, Potter." Professor Lupin sat on the otherside of Dumbledore beside himself in laughter. The whispers were still circling and eyes were still watching Draco and Harry when Sirius walked in with Hermione.

"Sirius Black and Hermione Granger; um...oh my! Professor Snape and...HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD!" Colin suddenly made the sign of the cross in front of him and trying to speak in a low voice, but he forgot his voice was amplified at the moment. "Forgive me father for I have sinned..."

"Colin?" Sirius leaned over to the flustered boy who was drawing much attention to them. "You're not catholic."

Colin slowly opened his eyes where he had them squeezed shut.

"She...she's still there! Oh Merlin! Can she even wear THAT?"

"Colin, I can wear whatever I please."

"uh...um...okay...H-H-Hermione Granger; Lady Voldemort?"

"Gothic Vampiress you twit!"

"Oh, umm...Gothic Vampiress I mean."

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The moment Snape heard Sirius and Hermione's names announced together his head snapped to the door. He didn't know they would be coming TOGETHER, but then he should have known they would.

When Snape saw the couple standing there anger surged through him. How dare Black dress as him and escort Hermione dressed like that! What was her point? He could hear Dumbledore calming Professor McGonagall down next to him.

"What is Miss Granger wearing? Professor Dumbledore, she should not be allowed..."

"Professor McGonagall, she is just fine in her costume. Don't you agree, Severus?"

Everyone at the high table looked toward the stunned Potions Professor.

"I find her costume rather mundane. There are at least twenty students dressed as bloodsuckers."

Professor Lupin chuckled. "Ah, but no one pulled it off quite as nicely as Miss Granger."

"I dare say, Mr. Black seems rather pleased with her choice of costume." Dumbledore nodded his head toward the couple dancing closely. Sirius leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek. Snape took a deep intake of breath to calm his own nerves.

Hermione could feel Snape's eyes following her most of the night. He didn't even leave as soon as he had an escape like normal. He watched intently as she danced with boy after boy who asked. At one point he watched Harry in his Death Eater garb twirl her around the floor--a truly odd sight. Lupin left the high table at one point to dance with the girl. Dumbledore just watched all that was happening from his throne like seat and watching Snape, smiling.

Before Snape realized what she was doing, Hermione was slowly making her way up to the high table. She stood boldly before the professors.

"I love your costume, Miss Granger." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement as he spoke these words shifting his gaze to Snape.

"Thank you, Professor." She turned to Snape now as if waiting for him to say something.

"Miss Granger, I'm sure there is some Hormonal teenager out there you have not danced with yet."

"Yes, I'm sure there is. Though I have danced with quite a few of them already there is a hormonal man who has yet to ask."

"What is your point, Miss Granger?"

"The only one I truly want to dance with has not asked me, so I am asking. Will you dance with me?"

Snape sat there and didn't say anything. The other professor's just watched Snape for his reaction. He studied the girl standing in front of him. Behind her he could see Harry and Ginny walking out the door, but at that moment he honestly did not care.

"Dance with the young woman, Severus." Dumbledore's voice echoed inside Snape's head. Without a word he stood up and walked to the dance floor with Hermione.

On the outside Snape's face looked to be set in stone. Inside he was a melted mess of a Longbottom potion. He wanted to pull her up close to him and hold her as they danced, but how un-Snape like. And why should he open his self up in such a way to her--a student.

Hermione had hoped this dance would settle some of the feelings she was having lately about the snarky Potions Professor. She thought maybe being this near him, feeling his arms around her the desire to feel that warmth and comfort from him would dissipate. It wasn't though. He was making sure to keep her at arms length and not allowing her any closer to him. If anything this denial of affection and his denial of his feelings were doing nothing more than increasing this desire she felt and frustrating her to the point of tears, almost.

She tried one more time to step closer to Snape and once again his arms stiffened keeping her at a distance.

"Miss Granger, I am your professor and what you are trying to do is NOT appropriate behavior."

Hermione stopped dancing as he spoke. Her arms dropped from his shoulders. Snape wasn't quite sure what was going on. She moved her hands to his and removed them from her waist. She took two steps back not taking her eyes off of him. Snape was relieved she broke the physical contact and at the same time worried as to the look on her face and her reaction in general.

"There is not a drop of passion in your soul for anything or anyone other than your self." She took another couple of steps back. She felt all her frustrations crashing on her at once. Her tear brimmed eyes met Snape's and she found herself overwhelmed. "Are you even capable of feeling?" He didn't say anything, just looked at the Gryffindor as if she were a nuisance. "I guess you're not." She lowered her head as the tears fell. "I feel sorry for you, PROFESSOR Snape. A passionless life is not a life worth living." The words spilled from her mouth and Snape felt frozen to the spot--forced to listen to her heart break. She turned from him and swiftly left the Great Hall.

All Hermione could think about was getting away from Snape. She wished she could run from her own feelings as easily, but she had done that enough. She hated saying those words to Snape, but someone had to. You're suppose to be honest with the one you love right? Right now she needed Harry though. He would listen and understand and not judge her. Ginny might be a bit put off by her interrupting their snogging, but she would also understand given a moment. Hermione headed for the gardens.

From behind one of the hedges stepped a "Death Eater." Hermione gasped and looked at the costumed boy.

"Jeez Harry! You scared me half to death!"

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Snape followed Hermione from the Great Hall. He knew where she would be heading--the gardens to find a snogging Harry. He didn't know why, but he felt he had to get to her. The warmth he felt when he held her even at a distance was turning ice cold. He saw her across the grounds about to enter the gardens. Snape's heart was pounding as if screaming to stop her. He couldn't explain it. Somehow her words actually HURT him, something no one does. And yet, he didn't want to find her to punish her or exact revenge. He wasn't really positive what he wanted to do when he got to her.

Snape watched the "Death Eater" come from behind the hedge.

"Jeez Harry! You scared me half to death!"

Snape stopped dead in his tracks. It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over him. Something in his head was telling him to run, to run to Hermione and save her. There was no rational explanation for it. He just KNEW. Before he could think any further he found his feet moving faster and faster.

"Harry? Aren't you going to say anything?"

Snape was running as fast as he could and pulling his wand out. The dark cloaked figure reached out grabbing Hermione's arm and jerked her around. Holding her from behind, the Death Eater pulled something from his robes--a black rose. He swiftly forced Hermione's hand on the thorned stem along with his.

Hermione didn't know what was happening. Harry wasn't answering and the next thing she knew, she was facing the other direction and her hand was being impaled by a thorn. Hearing a commotion she looked up to see Snape running at them with his wand out. If he sent a hex he would hit Hermione as well. There was only one thing to do.

He sprinted when he saw the Death Eater take the rose from his pocket. Hermione looked up and saw him--fear danced in her eyes as they met his. "Severus," she whispered almost in disbelief. "No, Severus, no." She was begging him to stop...to not walk to his own death.

But Snape was not thinking of himself. He reached them just in time. He thrust his hand out. He felt his skin glide across one of the thorns painfully and his fingers rested upon Hermione's hand.

In a flash they were gone.