Masquerade

"Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the junior members of the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore said in commanding tones. "They have defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort and the majority of his followers, and will be forever remembered as heroes in this long Second War. If you all would stand, please."

Hermione stood. Harry and Ron stood up on either side of her, and Ginny across from them. All down the Gryffindor table students were standing. Neville, Seamus, Dean, Colin, Dennis, Lavender, Parvati, and a few others.

At the Ravenclaw table Luna, Cho, Padma, Orla Quirke, Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein rose from their seats. At the Hufflepuff table, Zacharias Smith Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, Kevin Whitby, Justin Finch Fletchley, Ernie Macmillian and a few more stood up, standing straight and confident in a manner most unusual to Hufflepuffs.

Perhaps the most whisper-inducing, controversial group of people rose from the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Tracey Davis, Millicent Bulstrode, Theodore Nott, and Pansy Parkinson.

"Your loyalty, perseverance, bravery and intelligence was one of the major factors in winning the war," Dumbledore said. "For that we all thank you."

He began to clap, and the rest of the Great Hall joined him shortly thereafter. The so-called "junior members," the heroes, all blushed as one, and exchanged glances between each other.

"You may sit down now," Dumbledore said when the applause subsided. The junior members all sat down swiftly. "I believe Professor Sinistra has something to say."

He sat down, and the Astronomy teacher stood up and smiled nervously.

"On a lighter note," she said, "I am happy to announce our first ever Leaving Ball. It is a celebration of victory and unity, and will be held on the last night of term."

Whispers rippled across the room, coming mostly from the girls.

"It is a masquerade ball, but there is a twist," Sinistra said. As she spoke, small, folded pieces of parchment appeared in the now clear places in front of each student. "We've written down who or what each student shall be coming as on these slips of paper. On the night of the Leaving Ball, you will find your appropriate table by way of costume. The groups will vary in size and house, and don't expect to be sitting with your close friends. You can choose whether or not to remove your masks and reveal your identity, but most of the staff agrees it would be more fun if everyone remained anonymous. It is, however, your choice. Gladrags wizard wear, in Hogsmeade, has promised to supply a large variety of costumes, for those of you that don't feel up to designing your own."

She sat down and looked to Dumbledore, who waved his hand and said, "You're all dismissed."

A flood of excited chatter began immediately, with people comparing costumes, speculating about who they'd be paired with, and designing costumes in their heads.

"Who are you?" Ginny asked Hermione excitedly.

Hermione unfolded her slip of paper and read aloud, "Maid Marion."

Ginny smiled. "I'm Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt." She struck a pose. "What do you think? Can I pull it off?"

"You'll make a great Artemis," Hermione assured her.

"A lost boy?" Ron queried. "What's a lost boy?"

"From Peter Pan," Harry explained. "I'll help you get your costume."

"Thanks, mate," Ron said with a grin. "Who are you?"

Harry unfolded his parchment and let out a laugh. "I'm Peter Pan."

*

The weeks preceding the ball were a flurry of activity. It was worse than the Yule Ball, because all the years were invited. There was a rush to get to Gladrags on the last Hogsmeade weekend before the event, for those getting their costumes.

Ginny gave up on being anonymous early on. "If it's not the hair that gives me away, it's the freckles or the nose," she said with a shrug while she and Hermione were picking out costumes. "Weasleys are rubbish at masked anonymity."

Hermione picked out a cloak with a hood that hid her mass of bushy hair, not wanting her signature feature to give away her identity. She rather fancied the idea of being anonymous.

Ginny picked out a scandalous little purple half-toga that left one shoulder and her legs up to the middle of her thighs completely bare. Ron would have a heart attack when he saw it. She also purchased a bow and quiver, and a circlet of gold to wear on her brow.

Hermione settled on a green peasant dress that looked straight from the Middle Ages, in addition to her black cloak. Ginny talked her into purchasing a bustier in a darker green, saying it would look wicked over her dress. Hermione reluctantly agreed.

"I wonder who I'm sitting with," Ginny mused. "Do you think it'll be the entire Greek Pantheon, or just maybe Apollo?"

Hermione shrugged. "Robin Hood and his merry men, here I come," she said dryly.

"You get to sit at a table with a bunch of guys," Ginny said jealously. "With my luck, I'll be stuck with Aphrodite, Hera and Paris."

Hermione chuckled. "It could be worse," she said. "You could be a flobberworm."

"Like anyone is coming as a flobberworm," Ginny scoffed.

"You never know," Hermione shrugged.

*

The night of the ball, the entire house of Gryffindor trooped down to the Great Hall as one. Ron wasn't the only Lost Boy, and it looked as if Vicky Frobisher was Cinderella.

Ginny turned more than a few heads in her Greek goddess costume, and Ron occupied himself with glaring in a warning fashion at Captain Hook, the Tin Man, a frog, and King Arthur.

Hermione wandered about the tables looking for the label of "Maid Marion," which would be where she was supposed to sit. She passed the table of Luna, Parvati and Lavender, dressed as the three Fates.

Harry and Ron were at a table with the rest of the Lost Boys, Captain Hook, Mr. Smead, Wendy, and Tinkerbell. The group of Lost Boys consisted of Ron, Theodore Nott, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Michael Corner. Hermione couldn't place Captain Hook, Wendy, or Tinkerbell, but was pretty sure Justin Finch Fletchley was Mr. Smead.

She waved at Neville, the cowardly lion, who was occupied listening to an outrageous story told with many sweeping gestures by Pansy Parkinson, who made a surprisingly good Dorothy. Hermione didn't recognize the Tin Man or the Scarecrow.

She finally found her name at a table for two. The place card opposite her said "Robin Hood," but apparently the merry men were somewhere else. She sat down, anticipating meeting the person who came as Robin Hood, and would be her dinner partner. While she waited, she looked around to see who else she could recognize, adjusting her mask as she did so.

Robin Hood sat down at about the moment she found Ginny, who was sitting alone at a table for two, looking around as well. She waved, but Ginny was looking in shock at the person opposite Hermione.

Hermione whirled to see a tall young man standing by her table, clad in a jerkin of Lincoln green and surveying her through a mask of the same color. A bow and quiver much like Ginny's were slung over his shoulder. The mask obscured the upper part of his face, but did nothing to hide his muscular physique. Hermione had to work not to stare.

"Maid Marion?" he said amusedly, sitting down with a lazy sort of grace in the chair across from her.

"Robin Hood," she greeted him with a nod.

Their eyes met, and she found herself mesmerized by his charcoal grey orbs. They were almost black, but had lines of grey running through them that were both highly unusual and very attractive. The eyes themselves were framed by thick, ink black lashes that would have made Parvati turn red with jealousy.

They also, she thought, looked vaguely familiar.

His hair was the same inky black, and she noticed how soft it looked. She suddenly had an almost irresistible urge to run her fingers through it. How could he go to Hogwarts? She would have noticed him by now, she was sure.

He noticed her frankly obvious once over, and his almost perfect lips turned up in a smirk.

"Why thank you," he said wryly, in a voice that brought that same niggling sense of recognition to mind. "You don't look half bad yourself."

Hermione blushed. "Sorry," she said.

"Not a problem," he said smoothly. Then he laughed. "Oh, Dumbledore has a sense of humor."

"Why?" Hermione asked, her curiosity winning over her embarrassment.

The young man pointed towards Ginny's table. Hermione turned to see that her dinner companion had indeed arrived, and Ginny's glare was evident even through her white eye mask. Her companion's hair was an unmistakable shade of platinum blonde.

*

"You shouldn't have bothered with the mask," Malfoy drawled. "Your hair gives you away."

"I could say the same for you," Ginny said. "Although it's the stick up your arse that gives you away."

"Come now," Malfoy said, sitting down across from her. "We fought together, we planned together, surely we can be friends?"

"Just because you were on our side of the war doesn't mean I have to like you," Ginny said, crossing her arms.

"At least tell me who you're supposed to be," Malfoy said.

"Artemis," Ginny replied shortly.

For some unfathomable reason, Malfoy laughed. Loudly.

"What's so funny?" Ginny demanded.

"Dumbledore, you sly old dog," Malfoy said wryly.

"That was informative," Ginny said sardonically.

"I'm Orion," Malfoy said. He stood up and turned a circle, giving Ginny a view of his very nice bum...er...costume. His blue costume was much like hers, but the skirt was longer and the fabric went over both shoulders.

"I never thought to see you in a skirt," Ginny said. "Where is Colin and his camera when you need it?"

"Oh, sod off," Malfoy said, sitting back down. "Do you want to know the story about Artemis and Orion?"

"Why not?" Ginny said with a shrug. "It's probably going to be the most interesting thing you say all night."

Malfoy ignored her scathing comment. "Orion and Artemis were in love," he said. Ginny snorted. He glared at her and continued, "But Artemis's brother, Apollo, went into a fit of rage and killed Orion. Then he begged Artemis's forgiveness, and they hung Orion's image in the sky to honor him."

"I thought Apollo set a scorpion on him, and it still chases him through the sky," Ginny said sarcastically.

"That's another variation," Malfoy admitted. "But, as Orion, I don't fancy being chased by a poisonous stinging beast for eternity."

"Then you better hope the girl who's here as a Blast Ended Skrewt never gets a look at you in that getup," Ginny said. She kicked herself mentally the moment the words left her mouth.

Malfoy smirked. "You think I look dead sexy, don't you?"

Ginny remained silent, contemplating the enchanted ceiling with apparent fascination.

*

"So, who are you under that cape?" Robin Hood wanted to know.

"That, my dear friend, is the million pound question," Hermione replied. "I could be anyone."

"So I take it you're not going to tell me," Robin said dryly. "Enjoy being mysterious while it lasts."

"Who are you?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," her companion said, an unusual serious note to their banter. "I know who I think I am, and who everyone else thinks I am, but as to who I really am, does anyone know? Does anyone really know who they themselves are?"

"Now who's being mysterious?" Hermione said. "Let me try again. What's your name?"

"Robin Hood," he replied, smirking again.

Hermione rolled her eyes. The mask she was wearing somewhat ruined the effect. "You're impossible," she said.

*

"You look lovely," Malfoy said suddenly. "Now, don't take it the wrong way, because I can see in your eyes that you'd love to break my kneecaps. But really, you do look stunning."

Ginny grinned. "Thank you. You're not too shabby yourself."

"I knew it," Malfoy crowed triumphantly. "You think I'm dead sexy."

"Only a little bit," Ginny said in a small voice. "But that still doesn't mean I want to spend any time with you."

"Heavens no," Malfoy said. "I wouldn't dare assume you could tolerate my presence."

*

"Oi, Tinkerbell," Seamus called. "Nice wings."

Tinkerbell flapped her wings in his direction. "Thanks, Seamus."

"How'd you know it was me?" Seamus demanded.

"Your accent is unmistakable," Tinkerbell shrugged, adjusting her mask.

"Who're you?" Dean asked.

"No one," she replied. "Everyone."

"Me, too," Wendy said in mock-surprise. "What a coincidence."

"Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!" Captain Hook shouted.

*

"Arithmancy," Hermione said.

"Me, too," Robin Hood said in surprise. "Favorite color?"

"Green," Hermione said.

"Green," Robin replied in a chagrined sort of voice. "This is weird."

"Favorite food?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Apple tart," Robin said.

"Lasagna," Hermione said happily. "There, we do disagree on something."

"Favorite Muggle film?" Robin said in a challenging tone.

"The Princess Bride," Hermione said.

Robin began to beat his head against the table. "Me, too."

"Favorite book?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Hogwarts: A History," her companion replied, lifting his head from the table.

Hermione groaned. "Me, too."

*

"Malfoy, you sodding git, Puddlemere is a much better team than the Kestrels," Ginny scolded, her brown eyes flashing.

They'd both long since discarded their masks as useless and uncomfortable, not to mention unnecessary. Professor Sinistra was giving them disapproving glances from the staff table.

"No, it's not," Malfoy argued. "The Kestrels just beat the Harpies, who, if you remember, trounced Puddlemere just two weeks ago."

"That's because Oliver Wood was injured, and the backup Keeper is rubbish," Ginny said.

"The Kestrels' chasers are twice as good as the Puddlemere chasers," Malfoy said. "If you put them in a three-on-three match, Puddlemere would get chewed up and spit out."

"But Puddlemere's beaters are the best in the league," Ginny said. "They're accurate and powerful and well nigh unbeatable."

"Now, listen here, Weasley..."

*

"Hey, Ron, look over there," Justin said with a laugh. "Isn't that your sister and Malfoy?"

Ron looked where Justin was pointing, and saw Ginny and Malfoy leaning towards each other, talking animatedly about something or another, both grinning like fools.

"I'll kill him," Ron announced loudly.

Harry put a restraining hand on his best friend's arm. "Inter-house unity, Ron," Harry reminded him. "Killing Malfoy is not a good idea."

"He's right, you know," Wendy chirped. "Besides, Malfoy's not all that bad, once you get past the unbearable vanity and certain lack of morals."

Ron did not look as if this was a comforting thought.

*

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Robin Hood asked.

"I'd love to," Hermione said. "It's getting rather hot in here."

They left the Great Hall and made for the lake. Halfway there, Robin Hood took her hand in his large one. He seemed to radiate heat like a furnace, and Hermione found that his touch burned her skin. That might have been that bit of attraction factoring in, however.

"So, what are you planning on doing after school?" Hermione asked. During the course of their conversation, they'd discovered that they were both seventh years.

"I'm not sure yet," Robin Hood replied. "I've got job offers from the Auror agency and a few other departments in the Ministry, but I can't decide yet. What about you, Maid Marion?"

"I was thinking about becoming a Healer," Hermione said. "But then again, my two best friends are going to Aurors, and I don't want to leave them."

"I think you should do whatever it is you want to do, and best friends can hang," Robin Hood said. "As much as you love them, they shouldn't dictate your life."

"You're right," Hermione admitted. "But I'm not even sure I want to be a Healer."

"If all else fails, we could be Unspeakables," Robin Hood said wryly. "Who knows what they do? It could be interesting."

"You may have something there," Hermione mused.

*

"Ha, I win again!" Ginny said. "Scissors beat paper."

Malfoy pouted. "I think you're cheating. One cannot win at Rock-Paper-Scissors five times in a row."

"I'm reading your mind," Ginny said, in a floating, dreamy tone that sounded uncannily like Professor Trelawney.

"One more time," Malfoy said. "Come on now."

Three seconds later, he was again staring at her in disbelief.

"Paper beats rock," Ginny said in a sing-song tone.

*

"So then I say, 'Draco? What on earth are you doing?'" Pansy said, waving her hands around. "And he says, 'Eating chocolate.' And I said, 'Draco, chocolate doesn't come out of diapers!'"

Neville, Ernie Macmillian and Anthony Goldstein fell into choruses of hysterical laughter. Pansy's childhood reminiscing was hilarious, and they were all trying to one-up her with little success.

"I can do one better," Neville said. "This one time, my Gran decided it would be a good idea to take me to the Isle of Drear, you know, to get over my fear of quintapeds..."

*

"Do you fancy a stroll?" Malfoy asked.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "A stroll? That's the best you could do? Why not just say, 'Hey, Ginny, do you want to go snog by the lake?'"

"Sorry," Malfoy said with a rueful grin. "Weasley, would you like to go snog by the lake?"

"I'd love to," Ginny said, and took the hand he offered.

*

"Watch out, Ron," Seamus called. "Malfoy's leaving with Ginny."

Ron jumped up. "I'll kill him!"

"No, you won't," Tinkerbell said. "Sit your bum down, Ronald Weasley, or I'll come over there and kick it."

Ron obediently sat down, stunned at this outburst.

*

Robin Hood stopped by the edge of the lake. He and Hermione stood there looking out at it for a moment, both content to be silent for a moment and admire the beauty of the stars on the water.

Hermione had been thinking, and came to a conclusion regarding her companion of the evening. There was only one option, after all.

"You're a Ravenclaw, aren't you?" she asked, looking up on him.

A faint smirk caused the corners of his mouth to tip up. "What makes you say that?"

"You're not in Gryffindor, because I would have noticed you," Hermione said. "You're not a Hufflepuff for the same reason. You can't be a Slytherin, because you're too much like me."

"You'd be surprised about the Slytherins," he said in an even tone.

"Well, regardless," Hermione said, waving her hand to dismiss the house as a whole. "I should have noticed you before now. Where have you been?"

"Around," he said evasively.

She turned to face towards him, looking up at him with a curious expression that quickly gave way to one with a spark of something primitive behind it.

His nose and cheekbones were half hidden by his mask, but his chin was strong, his green mask making the grey of his eyes stand out. He stood a good ten inches above her, and his hair fell over the mask and into his eyes. It had been doing that all night, and she wanted so badly to reach up and brush it away.

He leaned his head toward hers, and she tipped her face up to accept what she knew was coming. At the last second, however, he let out a strangled curse and drew away.

"I can't," he said breathlessly.

"Why not?" she demanded, feeling her heart shatter into little pieces. A thought occurred to her. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He chuckled in a very self-depreciating manner. "No."

"Then what's the problem?" Hermione wanted to know.

"There's a girl," he said, apparently deciding to spill his guts. "A wonderful girl. I haven't worked up the guts to talk to her very much, but I know her. It's complicated, see? I've seen her dealing with others, and that's how I know she's wonderful. And it seems like I don't have a heart anymore, because she stole it right out from under my nose." He laughed ruefully again.

Hermione smiled. This girl was very lucky. "I wish you luck, then."

"Thanks," he said, and dropped a chaste kiss on her temple.

"Will you satisfy my curiosity?" Hermione asked. "Who are you?"

"You first," he said in a maddeningly challenging way.

Hermione grinned, glad that he was finally going to tell her. Once she might have argued, but her curiosity to find out the identity of this enigma before her won out over her competitive nature.

"Hermione Granger."

He went very, very still. She couldn't hear him breathing anymore.

"What?" she asked, putting a hand on his bicep. " What's the matter?"

To her surprise, Robin Hood didn't reply. Instead, he reached down and pulled off her mask, his eyes searching her face. Then he did something even more surprising. He lowered his head and kissed her full on the mouth. She allowed herself to sink into him for what felt like eternity, before regaining her senses and pulling away to glare at him.

"What happened to this girl that stole your heart?" she demanded.

Her indignation was a bit ruined by the fact that her lips were swollen and her breath was coming in great heaves. Whoever this girl he loved was, she was lucky. He was a superb kisser.

He smiled, reaching out to cup her cheek in his large hand. "It's you, Hermione Granger."

She gasped. A sudden memory came to the forefront of her mind, of a brief encounter that past summer.

She had stayed up late in the living room at Headquarters, doing research. She'd fallen asleep at the table with her head resting on a thick reference book, and was catching up on some desperately needed shut-eye.

A soft chuckle broke through her oblivion, bringing her back to the waking world.

"You need to go to bed, Miss Hermione Granger," a soft, deep voice said. "You're going to hurt your neck sleeping that way."

"Mhm," she mumbled, letting him lift her from her chair and carry her up the stairs to the room she shared with Ginny and Tracey.

"You smell good," she whispered sleepily.

He laughed lowly. "Thank you. You don't smell half bad yourself."

He quietly opened the door and crept into the room, his six-foot-three frame somehow making no noise as he walked soft-footedly to her bed and laid her in it.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Goodnight," Hermione murmured. She was asleep before he reached the door.

Hermione reached up and ripped his mask off, revealing the person she'd known deep down it had to be all along. He smirked, his eyes crinkling the way she had noticed they did a long time ago.

"Say something," he said. "You're making me nervous."

"For such a self-professed risk taker, you are so slow when it comes to girls," Hermione said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't," he said with a shrug. "I don't know why. I can talk to anyone, but there's something about you that makes me tongue-tied."

"The great Blaise Zabini, tongue-tied?" Hermione scoffed. "No way."

"Oh, shush," Blaise said. "Must I shush you?"

He bent his head and kissed her thoroughly.

She shushed quite nicely after that.

*

"Okay, if I win," Ginny said, "you go jump in the lake."

"In my costume?" Malfoy said in scandalized tones.

"Costume and all," Ginny said, nodding her head.

They were facing each other, straddling the stone bench with one leg on either side. Three seconds later, Malfoy was staring at Ginny suspiciously.

"No one can win Rock-Paper-Scissors eleven times in a row," he said. "I think you're cheating."

"No, I'm just lucky," Ginny said cheekily. "Don't you have a lake to jump in?"

He stood up obediently, and then surprised her by grabbing her and lifting her into his arms, one arm supporting her legs and the other around her back.

"You're coming with me," he said, smirking down at her.

"I am not," she argued, starting to struggle. "Let me down, Malfoy, this instant!"

Malfoy just laughed and ran towards the lake, running in until the water was waist deep and then dropping her in it. She came up sputtering and indignant, vowing murder and evisceration and all sorts of awful things.

Then he kissed her, and she decided he could live after all.

*

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"

The entire 'Peter Pan' table was standing and singing the song, after Harry and Wendy taught it to them. The Lost Boys, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smead had their arms around one another, swaying back and forth in a drunken manner despite being perfectly sober.

Ron was twirling Tinkerbell around as they belted out the lyrics. Neither of them had a good singing voice, but they were enjoying themselves. Harry and Wendy were behaving in a similarly idiotic fashion.

"Thank you, delegation from Never Never Land," Dumbledore said loudly, standing to his feet at the staff table. "That will be quite enough."

Those at the table quickly returned to their seats.

"It is now midnight, which means that the ball is over," Dumbledore announced. "You may all remove your masks."

Ron removed his mask and the hat he'd been wearing to conceal his hair. He found Padma Patil staring at him, the wings on her Tinkerbell costume flapping half-heartedly.

Harry was surprised to discover that Wendy was actually Orla Quirke, although she said she'd known it was him because of his scar.

The Wizard of Oz table removed their masks, and Pansy went into a fainting fit when she discovered that she'd been flirting all night with Neville Longbottom.

Draco and Ginny walked back into the Great Hall, but turned around and walked quickly back out when they caught sight of Ron's look of apoplectic rage. Draco decided he really didn't want to end up like Orion.

Hermione and Blaise spent the night skipping rocks on the surface of the lake and getting to know each other better. They spilled their guts, shared their fears, and found that they were soul mates.

No, not really. They just snogged a lot. Hermione didn't get up to Gryffindor tower until well past one in the morning.

Professor McGonagall was not pleased, but Hermione pleaded 'inter-house unity' and got off with a warning.

That was the same excuse Ginny used.