Welcome Back Ball [everyone MANDATORY]

It was the night of the ball, Ebony had been sat in her dorm room, taking pride over her appearance, been primping for hours along with the rest of her dormmates. Now, she sat in front of her mirror, staring at curls falling down her shoulders, curled to perfection in the wonderful chocolate brown of her hair. Ebony cast her eye over the display of jewellery laid in front of her. It was mostly white gold with a couple of yellow gold bands that she had never worn.

Her fingers delicately lifted the necklace to the left of her, Ebony tilted her head, it should go with her blue dress. It was gorgeous, a diamond and white gold 'x' on a white gold simple chain. Ebony unclipped it and slidit around her neck, hearing the girls squealing and jabbering behind her, she smiled. Perhaps she was a little excited about tonight. Ebony turned her head to her clock, it was 8:30pm, they only had half an hour!

She pushed herself up from the silk cushioned chair, her hands resting on the mahogany table upon which she chose her necklace and slid out to face the others, readjusting her dress. "Everyone almost ready?" She checked them over, it was their first and last 'Welcome Back to Braedan Ball' and they sure as hell needed to look amazing. "Let's go!" Ebony grabbed a black grab bag, slipping her feet into her blue pumps, she followed the others out of the door to the Main Hall.



The Headmistress was hoping for a wonderful night, a couple of the students had helped set up along with most of the teachers and it seemed to be spectacular. A punch bowl filled with butterbeer, set on the table next to hot finger food, sandwiches, cocktail sausages and a jug of pumpkin juice on each end of the buffet table for those not wishing to drink butterbeer.

The Headmistress smiled, watching the students enter, it had just turned 9pm, the entertainment was completely organised, the Swish and Flick band were sitting on the stage, for the moment, below them the Braedan Institute Orchestra was playing a couple of pieces. The professor had insisted and the Headmistress hardly minded, there wasn't exactly a lot of wizards and witches about for the moment.

She had dressed in a modest dress, a beautiful floor length gown specifically bought for the event. The strong colour offset her skin beautifully as she made her way across the dancefloor towards the entrance. She smiled at the students as they entered, marvelling in the idyllic scene before her, the elves had outdone themselves with this handiwork.



Sam was standing by the punch, one of the first to arrive at the ball, he was dressed in smart black dress robes, the standard for the wizards. Samuel had cobed his black curly black hair, it was still curly, just about reaching the collar of his shirt as he held his hands in his pockets. Was it obvious he didn't want to be here much? The only reason was probably for Jennifer, she was probably around somewhere or arriving at any moment. He hadn't really been concentrating on any of the information about the other professors. Sam was just to watch the punch for a while, just so any silly pranksters didn't decide to do something stupid.

If they did they'd be jinxed and sent to the Nurse. Later into the night a complex charm would be fixed onto the bowl, later when the students wouldn't be hopefully as bothered about it. They would come in with their minds fixed and fully focussed, later into the night they would be tired and their brains would probably be mush for a bit. At least with the music that was going to play after the ridiculous noise coming from the orchestra ended.

Sam picked up a sausage and popped it in his mouth, he was starving! He sighed, it was 9pm, read the clock above the door, students slowly trickling in at the start. He wondered if they were the desperate ones, or hoping to take advantage of the punch early, they'd get a shock.



Ebony looked around the entrance of the Main Hall this was where she was to meet Jeremy, remembering the letters they had sent to one another she half-wondered if he would turn up at all. She tried to ignore the growing feeling in her stomach, making her feel nervous and excited at the same time. Ebony reached a hand up to fiddle with a loose lock had looked a little weird, resting on the edge of her shoulder. She flicked her hair up, behind her, glancing around.

Ebony raised her head up, glaring at a curious fourth year as they tried to smile at her. She rolled her eyes and sighed, with her hand bag under one arm. Her wand was tucked into an inside pocket located just by her right thigh, a wand pocket purposely charmed to blend in, just so nothing looked odd on the outside of the dress.

Ebony knew it was only 9.15pm, and the ball started at 9, it wasn't as if she was going to turn up on the dot. That just looked pathetic, besides it would make it even worse if Jeremy was going to be later too, it would mean she'd have to wait even longer. Ebony was desperate for Jeremy to turn up. She didn't want to be the laughing stock of the entire school!

Perhaps Jeremy was not as excited about the Ball as he should’ve been. His dorm mates were sitting on their respective beds, chattering about the girls they’d asked to the Ball. Occasionally he’d hear a comment about how ‘hot’ a certain girl was, but Jeremy mostly ignored their conversation. He was staring apprehensively into the mirror, eyeing his dress robes with contempt. He seemed to be in his own little world. After a moment of fiddling with the sleeves of his dress robes, Jeremy heard a question that was directed at him. “Who’d you ask to the Ball, Jeremy?”

It took Jeremy a moment to realise who they were talking to, and slowly, he turned to face his dorm mates. All of them looked eager to hear who he had (or hadn’t) asked to the ball. “Oh. I asked Ebony Braedan”, Jeremy said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. He turned back to the mirror, eyeing his dress robes once more. As he fiddled with the collar of his robes, he heard his dorm mates muttering to each other. No doubt about him and his choice of dates. “Why?” he heard one of them ask. Jeremy shrugged as he stood up. “Why not?” he replied. His dorm mates just stared at him as he exited the dormitory.



Jennifer yawned as she walked through the empty school towards the Main Hall. She wasn’t sure what she thought of the Headmistresses new idea to have an annual Welcome Back Ball for the students. It was, however, an excuse for Jennifer to go shopping, something she enjoyed doing. For this occasion, Jennifer had bought herself a new dress. A beautiful, floor-length red gown, bought specially for this event. She knew she wouldn’t wear the dress again. It wasn’t in her nature to wear the same thing twice. Not unless she absolutely had to.

She entered the Main Hall silently, her gaze wandering around the room. There were a few students already there. They were obviously the desperate ones who hadn’t gotten a date. Her gaze landed on a familiar figure standing by the punch bowl, and a smile automatically appeared on her face. She walked over to Sam, smiling at him as she came to a stop in front of him. “Hello, Sam”, she said.



Jeremy came to a stop just before the Main Hall entrance; glancing around for a moment before his gaze landed on the person he was looking for. He wandered slowly over to her, placing a hand gently on the small of her back. “Looking for me?” he asked, leaning down slightly, his mouth next to her ear. He saw his dorm mates walk past him, all with the same shocked look on their faces. He guessed that seeing a male actually touching Ebony was not a usual feat. He smirked at them, straightening up. He nodded towards the Main Hall, which was slowly filling up with students. “Shall we?” he asked.

Sam was getting bored, he had already had a cup of butterbeer, and was wondering how long he really would have to sit there. It had only been fifteen minutes and it felt like an hour! Clearing his throat, he stepped back from the table, sliding the chair that had been placed there for the people that would be here later, they would be more tired than he was, but he didn't really care. His eyes were on the entrance still, as Sam noticed a woman, obviously a teacher walk through in a red dress. He was completely entranced, and once she turned her head to face him directly, Sam realised it was Jennifer! She was smiling at him, he quickly smiled back, concentrating on staring at her face.

"Hi" Sam took a glance over the dress, it was just Jennifer's style, the red really made her look even more beautiful. "You look amazing" His eyes flicked up to hers, he really wanted to ask her a question. Sam wanted to know if she had brought anyone, it was quite clear he hadn't, of course he would get at least one dance from Jennifer either way. No stupid date would stand in the way of that. "You up for a dance later?" Sam asked, his head turned to watch a student pour some butterbeer until they quickly walked away. He swallowed and then looked back at Jennifer, he was so glad to have her for a best friend. There was no one else quite like her, she always gave him the blunt honest truth about things that Sam was stuck on and even when he was being a complete idiot about it.


Ebony heard a voice, it was Jeremy's, smooth, calm and he practically made her legs buckle. She turned her head, feeling his breath by her ear, watching him smirk, she raised an eyebrow hoping that wasn't for her. The hand on her back certainly didn't go unnoticed, as Ebony nodded, "Of course" she began walking along, trying to ignore the looks from some of the other students. It was entirely possible that Ebony Braedan had turned up with a date, so what was so wrong with it!

As soon as they walked in, Ebony began looking around at all the decorations, until her gaze landed on her mother. A short smile was exchanged between them as Ebony watched her mother cast an eye towards Jeremy before walking over to another professor. She smiled, shaking her head once. Ebony easily was able to walk along in her dress, just a small glimpse of her shoes visible from the bottom of her dress, she took a sneaky look to the side of her. Jeremy looked different, alot smarter and you could see that the dress robes suited him, even with his pale complexion.

He looked bored. Of course he looked bored. Sam didn’t enjoy gatherings like these. What was the point of the professors being here other than to supervise? The Headmistress hadn’t even bothered to ban wands, which made the supervision job a whole lot harder on the professors’ part. No doubt some conflict between students would result in a duel. And then it would be up to Sam and Jennifer (the other professors hadn’t bothered to show up yet) to break it up. How delightfully dull. Jennifer continued to mull this over in her head until suddenly, wonderfully, he was greeting her.

“Hi. You look amazing.”

Jennifer laughed softly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Of course I do”, she said, still smiling, “Would you really expect anything less than amazing from me?” She looked him up and down quickly, nodding gently in approval. “You don’t look half bad yourself, Sam.”

That was the amazing thing about Sam. She could speak freely around him. Even something as simple as complimenting him came easily to her. Jennifer didn’t dish out the compliments very often, she didn’t feel most people were worthy of her compliments. But with Sam, it just came so easily, so freely, she didn’t even have to think twice about it.

“You up for a dance later?”

Once again, Jennifer tossed her air over her should. “You can have every dance, Sam”, she said, “I didn’t bring anyone.”

The smile never left her face.



Jeremy took in every he could as they entered the Main Hall. He saw Ebony exchange a quick smile with her mother before the headmistresses eyes turned on him. He gave a short incline of his head, and she turned away. It seemed the girls that had already arrived were just as surprised as Jeremy’s dorm mates about the unique pairing of Jeremy and Ebony. A short roll of his eyes told his dorm mates that Jeremy didn’t really care what they thought about the current situation. He was here with the person he wanted to be here with. Had he not asked Ebony to the Ball, Jeremy wouldn’t have come at all. Even if it was mandatory. “What would you like to do first?” he asked.

He took her hand gently (he was wearing gloves so she didn’t need to feel the cold of his skin), and turned her towards the tables. “Would you like to sit for a while?” Still holding her hand, he turned her towards the dance floor, where a few couples were already dancing. “Would you like to dance?” Jeremy didn’t mind what they did, tonight was Ebony’s night. He was going to do whatever she wanted to do. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, looking down at her with a small smile on his face.

Sam grinned, Jennifer would certainly liven the party up a bit. "Of course not" He hoped that his comment hadn't come out a little insulting, there was nothing that could ever better Jennifer. Even the dress didn't make her look half as good as she truly did, it made her look beautiful but Jennifer was still. Even Jennifers compliment surprised him, "Thanks, Jen" He took a deep breath, he was pleased he looked good, so far by Jennifers standards which he knew were pretty high. Sam was happy to hear what Jennifer was saying, it wasn't often he heard her compliments so it definitely meant something.

Whether it meant something in the sense he wanted it to be was another story. “You can have every dance, Sam” Sam tried to catch his breath, having lost it with that last sentence. Jennifer wanted to dance with him, all night!? He'd happily oblige, especially since she didn't have a date. If he'd have known that he would've asked her himself, but he hadn't wanted to embarrass them both if Jennifer said she had someone, which Sam thought very likely.

If Jennifer had turned up with someone, Sam didn't know what he would do. The whole evening would have been ruined, and he would have been the complete loner watching the students pour their butterbeer. "Great" He quickly replied, until a look of realisation fell upon him, "I mean. . It's a shame you don't have a date'It could have been me' Sam added, hoping he hadn't taken what he said the wrong way.


Ebony shrugged, she went to so many of these balls she really didn't mind. There wasn't alot of choice, unless Jeremy wanted to go outside or something, but that was against the rules. "I don't mind" She grasped his hand, noticing he was wearing gloves again, at least they matched what he was wearing. Ebony was pleased that the heels she was wearing were comfortable enough, she was used to dancing all night, and if the heels weren't good, she'd have too many blisters to count in the morning, or have lost the shoes for good by the morning.

"Let's dance" Ebony pulled him towards her, as she walked out onto the dance floor. Jeremy had a cute smile on his face, she took note of the slow dance, positioning her arms, as she nervously bit her lip. Her arm slowly reaching to his shoulder, the other, swinging around as the rested on his neck. He was annoyingly tall still, as if he would've changed since they last met, it meant Ebony had to crane her head to look him in the eyes.

Her fingers barely touching his skin on his neck, she could feel the cold temperature as she ran them lightly across for barely a second. "Can you . . um. Get better?" Ebony was referring to his skin condition, the blood not pumping around him very well. Surely there were cures for that sort of thing?

He grinned. He grinned, and Jennifer melted a little inside. Jennifer smiled as he thanked her for her compliment. She subconsciously took a step closer to him, stopping just before him as he spoke again. “Great. I mean… it’s a shame you don’t have a date.” Jennifer could practically see the wheels turning in Sam’s mind. He was trying to figure out if what he’d said had sounded like an insult, and if she was taking in the wrong way. Jennifer frowned slightly at the man before her, before a smile once again appeared on her face. “Oh yes. A shame”, she said, nodding once in agreement, before a frown once again appeared. “Although, if I had a date, I wouldn’t be able to stand here and talk to you.” Ah, so there was a silver lining on Jennifer’s dateless cloud after all.

Honestly, Jennifer wouldn’t have wanted to come to the Ball with anyone. She didn’t find any of the male professors except Sam even the least bit appealing. None of them could capture Jennifer’s interest like Sam could. Nobody could make Jennifer feel the way Sam made her feel. In a way, she was happy about this. But in the same way, she wasn’t sure if she liked what Sam made her feel. It was an ongoing battle in her mind that had started pretty much the day she’d met Sam.

She reached out, and gently placed a hand on Sam’s arm. “Shall we dance?” she asked, gesturing towards the dance floor. Without waiting for an answer, Jennifer took hold of Sam’s hand and led him onto the dance floor. Once there, she took Sam’s hands and guided them to her waist, before slipping her own hands around his neck, lacing her fingers together against the back of his neck.



Jeremy smiled when Ebony grasped his hand back. “Let’s dance.” Without argument, Jeremy followed Ebony onto the dance floor. He tried not to think about her hands touching his cold skin, but it was inevitable. Her hands laced around his neck, and he gently slid his arms around her waist, his fingers locked together on the small of her back. He could feel her running her fingers over his skin, barely for a second. He didn’t make any movements to take her hands away from his skin.

“Can you… um. Get better?”

It was an odd question, however Jeremy knew instantly what the girl before him was talking about. He nodded slightly, absentmindedly. “There are cures for bad circulation”, he said, “Medication is one, regular exercise is another – you know, to keep the blood pumping. But I’ve never really had any reason to want to change it.” Although this would be a good reason… Jeremy thought as he looked down at Ebony. He didn’t know how long he could keep up his lie of ‘bad circulation’. Surely Ebony would become suspicious, if she wasn’t already. It was one thing to have bad circulation, but to have sensitive skin on top of that? Surely Ebony would be able to piece the clues together.

Sam nodded, it was true. That guy would be spinning her around and be the happiest guy alive, while he sulked in the corner. "True" Out of all the female professors at Braedan Institute, Jennifer was the only one that really caught his eye. He didn't know why, Sam had half-wondered if it could be because they knew each other previously but he couldn't be sure. He loved the feelings that Jennifer brought out in him, he was somehow, happier, lighter and it was easier to bring a smile to his face. Sam just needed to look at her and exchange a few words to be in a good mood the rest of the day.

If anyone messed with Jennifer, Sam would get even. That was a given, interfere with Jennifer and you faced him. Even if Jennifer could handle herself, Sam didn't want anyone hurting her, at all. She was too special. His eyes followed her hand, resting on his arm. Of course. Jennifer's question quickly became answered, before Sam had opened his mouth, she pulled his arm, he quickly manoeuvered around the table, towards Jennifer. His eyes all on her, as she moved his hands to her waist, her hands reaching around her neck. "Yes"

Sam smirked, what Jennifer wanted, she got, clearly. They slowly swayed with the music, "How do you think tonight will go? Not too much trouble, if we're lucky" He asked, it'd be nice to have a quiet evening and actually enjoy himself. Especially if, Jennifer wanted to do the same.


Ebony smiled at his answer, so it was possible for him to get better. That was good. There was just one more in the back of her mind. Ebony wondered why he never, used it - the medication. Why did he remain cold, it wasn't healthy was it? Surely not. She was no expert but anyone with a brain could work out that slow circulation wasn't good for the heart. Ebony gave a small smile, following Jeremy along the dancefloor, in a slow motion.

She stared straight ahead, only able to come up to Jeremy's nose, his eyes probably looking over her head, barely. Her breathing slowed, Jeremy was relaxing to be around after a while. She wasn't on edge having to think about what to say, it was ok for her to be quiet around him, in a comfortable silence. Ebony didn't feel the need to open her mouth anymore, however, the song slowed to a stop. She raised her head, turning to the side as the sound of an announcement came to her attention.

It seemed that the 'live entertainment' was ready and about to play. The swish and flick band, stood up and began picking up the beat to a faster pace. "You up for it?" Ebony asked slyly.

“How do you think tonight will go? Not too much trouble, if we’re lucky.”

Jennifer laughed as they swayed gently to the music. “A room full of potential Death Eaters? Something is bound to go wrong somewhere”, she said, glancing around the Main Hall at the couples dancing. Although, if the students were as smart as they claimed to be, they would know not to cross Jennifer. Nobody at the school knew that the woman was a Death Eater, but they did know that she had her own means of punishment if they crossed her.

Her eyes turned towards the stage as an announcement was made about the ‘live entertainment’. The music became faster, and Jennifer looked at Sam, a grin on her face. “You want to sit this one out?” she asked, “I don’t mind either way.” And she didn’t mind. Knowing that she could spend the entire night with Sam was good enough, Jennifer decided. Getting to dance with him, closely, was just the cherry on top of the already perfect cake.

…

They’d chosen to go back to the table when the faster song started. Both sat with butterbeers in front of them. Jennifer took a sip of the drink, and automatically screwed her nose up. Butterbeer did nothing for her. She didn’t enjoy the taste of it like most witches and wizards did. Jennifer had always preferred stronger tasting drinks, but this was a student event, and firewhiskey was most likely prohibited. That and she didn’t want to get drunk in front of the students.

Jennifer leaned forward slightly, her elbows resting lightly on the table, her chin resting in her hands. She had her eyes on Sam, though she’d occasionally glance around the room, making sure the students weren’t getting up to no good. “What did you get up to during the holidays?” she asked, truly interested in what Sam had done with himself during their time off.



Jeremy’s eyes shot towards the stage as the music became faster. He listened to Ebony’s question, the sly tone in her voice and the devious look in his eye. With a simple smirk, Jeremy pulled the girl closer to him, leaning down slightly to whisper in her ear. “Why, Ebony, I thought you knew that I was up for anything”, he said. His smirk widening, Jeremy spun the girl away from him.

…

Almost too soon, the song was over. Jeremy found that he was slightly put off. He had been enjoying himself, and Ebony certainly looked like she’d been enjoying herself, too. She had seemed surprised as his apparent eagerness to dance to a faster beat. Running a hand quickly through his hair, Jeremy stepped closer to Ebony. “Shall we sit the next song out?” he asked, smiling slightly.

Sam smirked, he wasn't exactly expecting that. The darefree way Jennifer mentioned the future deatheaters, it was chilling. Hs eyes watched her survey the room quickly before returning to him, bringing about a smile. He shrugged, if Jennifer didn't mind, they could just have a drink, it would probably be easier to keep an eye on the students then.

They both walked back to the table, he poured them both a butterbeer, and sat down. Sam took a quick glug of the stuff before putting down his glass, he loved butterbeer. It was warming, when you didn't want something that could eventually make you fall down on your head, butterbeer was the stuff.

Sam laughed, the expression on Jennifer's face was priceless, obviously she wasn't a big fan of butterbeer. He was relaxed in front of her, slightly slouching, as she asked a question, Sam leant back. "Not alot. I coached a little junior team in my town for quidditch, enjoyed the sunshine over in the US. It was great" He glanced around the room, taking another quick sip of his butterbeer.

"What about you?"

Sam wondered if perhaps he spent too much time doing what he loved, was it truly a bad thing to enjoy what you did? He loved working at a school with kids that said the strangest things and he was teaching them to fly, some of them for the first time. It was so . . amazing.


Ebony smirked as Jeremy pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, "Anything?" she repeated. Jeremy pushed her into a short spin, Jeremy was surprising her, alot a little. Ebony was just as confidant dancing to it as she was, He was turning out to be a good dancer, keeping up with the beat just as she was, Ebony noticed the dancefloor get busier. Almost everyone had probably arrived by now.

Soon enough, the song had ended and it was time for a drink. "Yeah" A smile was on her face as they made their way to the drinks table, under the watchful eye of Professor Greenfield and Professor Calloway. Ebony was a little disappointed that it was only butterbeer, it would have been interesting seeing the younger students leaping about the place. She smiled, it was turning into a great night, Jeremy looked great in his dress robes and he had certainly surprised her.

“Not a lot. I coached a little junior team in my town for Quidditch, enjoyed the sunshine over in the US. It was great. What about you?”

Jennifer flinched slightly as the conversation turned to her. She knew Sam didn’t exactly approve of her being a Death Eater. She couldn’t help that. With a quick shrug, Jennifer took a small sip of her butterbeer, pulled another disgusted face, and set the drink back down onto the table. “Oh, you know. The usual”, she said, smiling slightly at Sam. “I was actually over in the US for a while, but I mostly stayed in Australia.” It wasn’t a lie. She hadn’t come right out and told him exactly what she’d done over the holidays, but she’d given him enough information.

She ran a finger lightly around the rim of the glass, a thoughtful frown on her face. “So you coached a junior Quidditch team?” she asked, “What was that like?”



Jeremy smiled lightly as Ebony agreed to sitting the next song out. He followed her to the drinks table, glancing at Professor Greenfield and Professor Calloway, talking about what they’d done during their time off. After a moment, he turned his gaze back to Ebony, pouring her a butterbeer before guiding her towards on of the tables. He pulled her chair out for her and waited until she sat before sitting himself. They were sitting in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. They were both content with the current situation.

Jeremy folded his arms up onto the table, watching Ebony for a moment before speaking. “My dorm mates seemed to be rather surprised when they found out I was coming to the Ball with you”, he commented, glancing over at the table where his dorm mates sat. “And I must admit, I don’t think your mother is particularly thrilled about you being here with me.” He glanced over at the headmistress, who currently held the two under a watchful gaze.

Sam gave a small nod, he didn't want to hear whatever Jennifer had done in the holidays when she said that. The images he got in his head, just picturing her with them, it made him wonder why he worked at the place most of them signed up from. They were good kids though, and despite what people said about the students, it was a great school.

Jennifer had stayed in Australia, her home for most of the holidays, it must have been nice, he loved Australia. Sam took a breath in and out, "It was fun. Eventually" He shrugged, "They didn't really like me at first, after a while they warmed up to me" The kids had been a nightmare at first, they didn't want someone coming and telling them what to do, they thought they knew everything.

"They were from 8-11, right before they come here" Sam added, little one's, flying about on their brooms, it was manic and at the same time it was something he loved. He began to think, in the time that Jennifer had met people but he noticed it was nothing serious. Was that how she liked it? A non-committal relationship that she could end at any point? Jennifer was who she was, but had she changed because she had become a deatheater?


Ebony smiled as Jeremy pulled her seat out, quickly seating down on the soft cushion, she watched Jeremy in front of her. He seemed to be looking at something behind her, until he opened his mouth. "I'm sure my dorm mates know, I haven't really said anything. Although, I think they are now" Sure enough, as Ebony caught sight of one of them, they were gleefully gossiping with someone in the other house, she rolled her eyes.

"My mother is a fusspot that's not always got her head screwed on straight" Ebony quickly replied, her mother was just being nosy, it wasn't any of her business who Ebony was with. She twisted her head to watch her mother, sure enough she was staring straight at them and she didn't look pleased. Ebony had half a mind to go over there and tell her what on earth she was doing! Her mother was probably freaking Jeremy out!

"I'll go talk to her in a minute" She scowled at her mother before turning round to face Jeremy again. She took a sip of her butterbeer, calming her features. It would be a shame for her mother to ruin this, especially when she was with Jeremy.

Jennifer smiled as Sam practically moved right over her talk of her time off. He really didn’t approve of her being a Death Eater, but it was something Jennifer enjoyed doing, and she had no way of explaining that to Sam. No matter what she said, he would blatantly refuse to talk about it. Talking about him, though, there were no restrictions. He wasn’t a Death Eater. He was just a Quidditch instructor. He loved his job as much as Jennifer loved hers, but the difference was that nobody frowned upon him for being a Quidditch instructor. Jennifer watched as Sam’s eyes practically lit up as he recalled his holidays coaching the junior team.

As he stopped talking, Jennifer could practically see the wheels of his mind turning. “What about woman-wise?” she asked, “Did you date during the holidays? Were they nice women?” Her role of best friend was coming out. She wanted the best for Sam, and that usually meant she disagreed with him on his choice of women. Most of the women Sam had dated had no personalities. They were all the same. It sickened Jennifer to see Sam dating women who were obviously below him on the social chain.



“My mother is a fusspot that’s not always got her head screwed on straight. I’ll go talk to her in a minute.”

Jeremy laughed at this. A typical response. Anyone would’ve said the same thing. However, he nodded in agreement, a light smile on his face. “Or maybe she’s just not happy with the fact that you’re spending time with a boy”, he suggested, shrugging lightly. It was normal of a parent to become overprotective of their daughter when boys were concerned, wasn’t it? “Does she get overprotective when you show an interest in boys?” Jeremy didn’t know. His mother probably wouldn’t even bother with pretending to care that he’d actually found someone who was willing to spend time with him.



Emilia cast a watchful gaze over the Main Hall. Everything seemed to be going as planned. The entertainment was having a break, but the students seemed to enjoy the music that was playing in replacement of the band ‘Swish and Flick’. A small smile was plastered on her face as she turned her gaze towards her daughter. She was with that boy again. Ebony had been spending a lot of time with that Halpsen boy over the past week. She’d heard a rumor circulating about Ebony spending time in the forest with that boy. She’d gone dress shopping with him, gone to the Village Idiot with him, and was even at the Welcome Back Ball with him!

Emilia had spent the past six years trying to keep her daughter away from that Halpsen boy. She knew perfectly well what he was, but it had been a request from his parents (and a very large donation) that she keep Jeremy’s… condition quiet. Emilia had stayed true to her word – she had not told a soul in the school about Jeremy’s vampirism. However, she’d done whatever she could to keep her daughter away from him. During the Welcome Back Feast, however, the boy had sought Ebony out. And since that night, they’d spent almost every day together. Emilia wasn’t spying on her daughter. She had sources around the school that had offered their… concern regarding the relationship between Ebony and Jeremy.

Emilia planned to have a word to that Jeremy boy. It was about time he learnt who he could and couldn’t associate with.

Sam grinned, "Woman-wise?" he shrugged, funnily enough, he had spent it pretty much alone in the holidays. He found he wasn't interested in anyone, there wasn't anyone that really turned his head in the US that summer, there was one woman but that was nothing. "There was. . one" Sam swallowed,

"She was nice, it was only for"

He tried to think how long it had lasted, they had only had a handful of dates, so "a couple of weeks, I think?" Sam wasn't bothered, he preferred her as more of a friend but once she had turned around and told him that she hated heights that was it. "I found out she hated heights" Sam smirked, he couldn't deal with women who didn't like heights.

He was used to the questions asked, Jennifer being his best friend and all. "What about you?" Jennifer wasn't someone he would want anyone to mess with, "Do I have to watch out for anyone?" Sam grinned, he didn't like the fact that some guys just looked at Jennifer like a piece of meat, she was gorgeous but there was a whole lot more to her.


Ebony laughed, "Probably" although she didn't really agree with him. Her mother never normally kept such a close eye on her, not even when she was with Jett. She paused, nodding slowly, "Sometimes. Not very often" Ebony tried to remember the last time that she had been watched like a hawk. It must have been in her third year, before Jett.

She took note to talk to her later, she didn't want Jeremy thinking that they'd be stalked all the time. That would be completely awkward. After the ball, she would talk to her, march right into her office and tell her what she shouldn't do whenever Ebony is around Jeremy.

"It's annoying having my mum here, she always knows what I do. It's irritating" Ebony sighed, she knew that being the Headmistress' daughter there was a certain degree of freedom around the school, but with that came your mother talking to your professors about how well you did on the homework and pointless conversations.

“There was… one.”

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” It was all she could do to not narrow her eyes, like she wanted to. The thought of Sam dating was one she didn’t want to have to deal with. “She was nice, it was only for… a couple of weeks, I think? I found out she hated heights.” Jennifer laughed. She knew Sam well enough to know that any girl who didn’t like heights wouldn’t stay around for long. And then, once again, the conversation turned to her. “What about you? Do I have to watch out for anyone?”

Jennifer shrugged, flicking her hair behind her shoulders. “Sure”, she said, “There were a few flings, but there was never anything serious. I don’t think I’ve had a serious relationship since my seventh year at Hogwarts, to be honest.” Jennifer’s line of work didn’t allow her to get into too many serious relationships. That didn’t bother Jennifer; she wasn’t particularly looking for anything serious at the moment. She flicked her hair over her shoulder again, and smirked at her best friend.

“Just for the record”, she said, leaning forward slightly, “I love heights.”



Jeremy smiled as Ebony laughed. It was a refreshing sound. “It’s annoying having my mum here, she always knows what I do. It’s irritating.”

Jeremy nodded in agreement. “It was the same when my father was working here”, he said, “He’d talk to all of my other professors to find out how I was doing in class, whether I was working hard enough, all of that nonsense. It was rather irritating having my father check up on me after every lesson.” Jeremy supposed he hadn’t had the same amount of freedom that Ebony did. Her mother was the headmistress, which meant any and all problems the teachers had with Ebony would go straight to her mother. And from what Jeremy had heard from his dorm mates, the headmistress showed a large amount of favouritism to her daughter.

It didn’t bother Jeremy that that was how Ebony’s mother was. In fact, he was quite certain that had it been his father who was headmaster, he would do the exact same thing. He could see how it would annoy Ebony to have her mother as the headmistress, though. He took another glance over at the headmistress, who was once again watching them, whilst talking to a professor at the same time. The headmistress’s eyes narrowed slightly when Jeremy looked at her, so Jeremy looked away. “I don’t think your mother likes me very much”, he said, grinning slightly.

Sam grinned at Jennifer, how could she sound so curious with one syllable? It sounded so strange, the way she looked at him as she said it, he didn't think he'd ever met one woman that couldn't contain their curiousity in one word. Sam gave a slow nod, sure flings, everyone had those, he was slightly happy at her response. She hadn't had anything serious, but the flings, he had to think at least it wasn't with anyone at Braedan. Sam was surprised to hear that she hadn't had any serious relationships since her seventh year, Jennifer seemed the type of person that anyone could want. She was perfect.

Jennifer was beautiful, had a great personality and Sam couldn't understand why she hadn't been in a serious relationship since she was seventeen. Perhaps, that was the way she preferred, to have the flings. It seemed a little strange. He lifted his head up as she leaned forward, gulping as she smirked at him. With a wink, he replied "Glad to hear it"

Sam didn't know where he'd be without Jennifer, she was the smartypants that never seemed to have her head in the clouds. Jennifer was exceptional, he had known her for so long and he hadn't even tried anything. Well.. he'd looked her up a couple of times, any guy would but no, Sam had never asked her out on a date. To say the least, Sam thought that was a bit of an achievement, it was probably the reason they had stayed friends for so long.



"Exactly" Ebony nodded in return, glad Jeremy knew what she was talking about. His father used to work here, Professor Halpsen, strange sort of guy, sometimes a bit wound up but she never would of struck him as the sort of guy to maim a student, least be Jeremys dad. That was a little weird.

Ebony watched Jeremy, he was looking around, namely at her mother. She averted her eyes, words would be said because she was getting on her nerves! Talk about embarrassing! She shrugged, "My mother doesn't like a lot of people" Ebony rolled her eyes, it was embarrassing having Jeremy notice something like that. What did she have against him? He was just another student, and Ebony had no excuse for her mothers behaviour. "Sorry" She muttered, standing up from her seat, "I don't think I can wait any longer"

Ebony walked across the dance floor, going around the edge until she reached her mother. The professor walked away, leaving them to themselves. "What is it now?" She scowled, folding her arms.

“Glad to hear it.”

Jennifer smiled and took a sip of her butterbeer. She didn’t even pull a face this time. Things were starting to fall into place, albeit slower than she wished. She frowned slightly as she leaned back in her chair. Her eyes flicked slowly over Sam, taking every part of him in. She didn’t know how they’d become so close. They were both complete opposites. Sam liked his flying and Quidditch, Jennifer liked being a Death Eater and teaching her class. Sam openly disapproved of Jennifer’s way of life, and tried to avoid talking about it if he could. Jennifer was in love with Sam’s way of life, and adored talking about it.

Jennifer didn’t usually let herself become close to people. When she did become close to someone, it usually meant she’d have to hide the fact that she was a Death Eater. Sam was the first close friend she’d told. He hadn’t shunned her like she thought he would, but he had openly told her that he didn’t want anything to do with that side of her. Jennifer had agreed. It had been a reasonable enough request. But as Sam and Jennifer became closer, the more Sam would have to deal with that side of her.

Jennifer let out a low sigh, and turned to face Sam, a light frown on her face. “Sam”, she started, “When are you going to pluck up the courage and ask me out?”



Jeremy didn’t look shocked as Ebony excused herself to go and speak to her mother. He would’ve done the same thing if he had been in the same situation. It was unnerving having the Headmistress of Braedan watching his every move. He knew she knew about his being a vampire, and he knew his parents had offered her a large donation to keep her mouth shut. So far, she’d kept her side of the deal, but Jeremy had the feeling that if he kept spending time with her daughter, the Headmistress would eventually let it “slip out” that he was a vampire.

He looked away from Ebony and her mother, though kept his ears on their conversation, trying to block out the rest of the noise from the ball.



Emilia hadn’t meant to spend so long watching her daughter and that boy. She’d unconsciously continued to stare at her daughter whilst talking to one of the professors. Finally, it seemed her daughter had had enough, and had come storming towards Emilia. “What is it now?” Emilia frowned slightly at Ebony’s choice of question. She’d tried to teach her daughter proper manners and whatnot, and for the most part, it had sunk in, but sometimes, Ebony just allowed herself to talk like an uneducated being.


Emilia smiled at her daughter, reaching up to push a strand of hair out of her face. “Whatever do you mean, darling?” she asked, glancing behind her daughter once. That boy was looking away. Good. Emilia turned her gaze back to Ebony, and her expression became a serious one. “You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with that boy, Ebony”, she said. She knew the response before her daughter could say anything. Emilia would have to tell her daughter the horrible truth about Jeremy Halpsen. However, she didn’t want to do it now. Not in front of all of Ebony’s friends and acquaintances.

Sam was disappointed to be told about Jennifer's secret, only because there were so many things better for her. It wasn't safe for her to be a deatheater and be sneaking around, she'd either be snapped up and thrown in azkaban or be in hiding the rest of her life. He cared about her too much to get hurt, but if he ever said that to her, he knew she'd say she could take care of herself. Jennifer was probably his only close friend, his best friend and he'd hate to see her hurt or running for the rest of her life if she ever did turn around and walk away. Sam didn't think she'd ever do that, he couldn't see her turning her back on her beliefs for her safety. It wasn't like her.

He watched her frown, wondering what she was thinking about, when she uttered his name. Sam faced her, listening to her question. "Way to spoil the surprise, Jen" He grinned, shaking his head. Jennifer might not be the most patient person he knows, "I figured, give it another hour or so" Sam laughed at her face, "What are you doing tomorrow night?" He asked. It would be just like going out as usual, except on a date with his best friend. How he'd always wished to do that!



"I mean, can you keep your eyes of him for longer than a minute?" Ebony was getting annoyed, her mother knew exactly what she was doing. "Mother!" She gave a deep sigh, did she know how embarassing she could be in front of everyone?! "That's because he happens to be my...friend" Ebony wasn't exactly going to say anything else, that's who Jeremy was to her from everyone elses point of view, technically they hadn't officially started dating yet. So really, they were just friends. "What's so wrong with that?" Ebony asked, trying not to draw attention to them both.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Please don't make it awkward for Jeremy and I" Ebony really didn't want her mother to screw this up for her, that was Ebony's mistake to make, and she was sure as hell trying not to mess up. Ebony looked over at him, he was looking away from them both, at least he wasn't listening, that'd just make things worse.

“Way to spoil the surprise, Jen.”

Jennifer frowned at her best friend. She didn’t try to hide the confusion that was evident in her eyes as Sam continued. “I figured, give it another hour or so.” The confusion became more prominent as she frowned, tilted her head slightly, and kept looking at Sam. And finally, he asked her. “What are you doing tomorrow night?” Jennifer sniffed, and turned away from him, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t know”, she said, crossing her arms, “I have a date with the flying instructor here at Braedan.” She turned her gaze towards Sam, a sly look in her eyes.

Finally, wonderfully, things were starting to turn out the way she wanted them to. Sam was the first, and only, person she’d let herself get close to since becoming a Death Eater. And somehow, at the same time, she’d let herself fall for him. Sometimes, she wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. Jennifer was too independent for her own good, and she didn’t know if Sam would put up with that for much longer. He was putting up with it at the moment because their relationship status was non-existent. But what if they started dating? What if it started to get serious? Jennifer wouldn’t be able to rely on Sam the way most women relied on men. Jennifer had lived her entire life relying on nobody.

Jennifer had never spent so much time worrying over a boy man before. But this was Sam. Her best friend. The only person who knew everything about her – her darkest secrets to her darkest fears. Jennifer pushed her thoughts aside, and smiled at Sam. “Pick me up at eight. You can decide where we go”, she said.

Sam watched her confusion, smirking at her, she looked somewhat sweet while her confusion deepened, although he wouldn't admit that. His smirk disappeared as she flicked her hair, she had a date?! Just as he was about to ask who, Jennifer said it was the flying instructor. "Oh" Sam was smiling inside, she was going to go out with him. "So you're busy then?" He asked, "I might go talk to him. Is he the dashingly handsome one who happens to be your best friend?" Sam smiled, Jennifer had agreed, now he had to decide where they would go.

Somewhere around Braedwell Moors, a good restaurant. Not any old place they went to, a nice place with good food, Jennifer would be impressed. Hopefully. It wouldn't just be down at the Village Idiot, even if they liked it down there, Sam wanted to do something different for a change. He wanted to spoil her for once, see her smile at the restaurant and know he'd chosen the right one.

"You'll be ready right?" Sam couldn't help but ask. He was always irritated by going out on a date and picking her up, only to find them still rushing around, they looked perfectly fine so why were they running around like a headless chicken? Considering that had happened with all of his dates, he wondered if it was just women in general that did that, he wouldn't put it past them. "I won't be waiting, for half an hour or anything?" Sam tilted his head to the side. "Although it would be entertaining seeing you running about the place..."

Another idea crossed his mind, he ran a hand through his hair, she had mentioned heights. They could alway.. nah. Jennifer would like it, but it would seem so obvious, even if it was nice, seeing her under the stars. He'd have to look at the weather, even if it was the slightest possibility.

“Oh. So you’re busy then? I might go talk to him. Is he the dashingly handsome one who happens to be your best friend?”

Jennifer looked as if she were deep in thought for a moment, before shaking her head. “No, I was talking about the other flying instructor here at Braedan”, she said, grinning. She wondered where they would be going. Somewhere around Braedwell Moors. There was no doubt about that. But Jennifer had to wonder if Sam would take her down to the Village Idiot, where they usually went outside of school hours. No, Sam wouldn’t do that. The Village Idiot was their ‘hang out’ spot. It was where they went as friends. Technically, they were dating now. They couldn’t go to their friendly hangout spot for a date.

Although, Jennifer didn’t mind the idea of going on a moonlit broom ride with Sam. Maybe having a picnic in a park somewhere. It would be fun to be on a broom, with Sam, at night. She hadn’t done it before, all of their rides had been during the day. But anything would be good for Jennifer, as long as she was with Sam. She smiled at him as he started talking again.

“You’ll be ready right? I won’t be waiting for half an hour or anything? Although it would be entertaining seeing you running about the place…”

Jennifer screwed up her nose. “What’s all this business about making you wait for half an hour? I like to make an entrance, Sam. You’ll be waiting for an hour, tops”, she said. She didn’t think it would be very entertaining for Sam to see her running about frantically. Considering all of her clothes were strewn about the place, she’d probably be running around naked, knowing her luck. Although, Jennifer figured Sam wouldn’t mind that too much. With that thought floating around in her mind, Jennifer couldn’t help but laugh to herself.

His smile dropped, "Hmm" Sam frowned, ignoring the grin upon her face, it lit her up beautifully. What he'd do to just "I'm the only flying instructor for you!" Sam smiled, exclaiming loudly as he brought his hand to his heart. It wasn't weird at all now, thinking of the two of them together, more than just best friends. Sam didn't know what he'd do for a date though, something different, something that Jennifer had never done before. He was sure she'd have mentioned a moonlit broom ride to him before, she'd probably just gone to restaurants.

The broom ride was the way to go. "An entrance!" Sam laughed, Jennifer looked amazing in anything, there wasn't possibly anything else that could improve who he saw everyday. "You'll look gorgeous in anything!" He shrugged, leaning in, "Just be sure it's sensible, it might be best not to wear heels" Sam had no idea how he'd plan it, it would be a nice surprise though. He would need to talk to the groundskeeper, just so he didn't interrupt them or anything.

"Well.." Sam grinned, looking at her mischievously. "Would you need any help? I'm great at dressing people" An hour! What was he to do for an hour. It wasn't even as if she'd be there talking to him, unless.. they were in the same room. He'd be sitting there waiting! He'd get nervous, everything would have to be perfect for it. They couldn't be late!

“I’m the only flying instructor for you!”

Jennifer almost jumped out of her seat when Sam made his exclamation. She stared at him as he brought his hand to his heart, and after a moment, she burst into laughter. It felt so good to be able to laugh like this with Sam. And laughing like this just made it that much easier to see the two of them together, as more than just best friends. Where was it written that best friends couldn’t date, too? It was possible for them to keep their friendship and be more… wasn’t it? Well, Jennifer was determined to make it work.

“An entrance! You’ll look gorgeous in anything! Just be sure it’s sensible, it might be best not to wear heels.”

Jennifer smiled at Sam’s compliment, though brought a pout to her face when he told her not to wear heels. “What am I supposed to wear other than heels? Sneakers?” she said, a look of disgust coming to her face at the thought.

“Well… would you need any help? I’m great at dressing people.”

Jennifer laughed. She knew what he was thinking, though. Having to wait an hour for her to get ready wouldn’t be fun. What would he do during that hour? A thought crossed Jennifer’s mind, and she smirked at her best friend, leaning toward him slightly. “I could think of a few things I might need help with”, she said, grinning, “It might take longer than an hour, though.”

She laughed, leaning back in her chair.

Sam shrugged, she could wear sneakers it wouldn't matter. He laughed at her disgust, what exactly did he wear all the time out on the pitch. "You could always go barefoot, but I wouldn't recommend it" He smirked, trying to imagine Jennifer wearing sneakers, it wasn't very likely. "A few things?" Sam nodded, "It'd be worth being late" He whispered, he'd miss the whole flipping thing for that.

It wasn't as if they could even leave right now, people would definitely notice but she was definitely pushing the idea. He looked around at the people laughing and dancing, "Would you be up for sneaking away now? Do you think we'd make it?" Sam grinned with a wink, so long as they were quiet as they left.

If they could get away quietly, they could always sneak past and out the entrance. Although he didn't know how cold it was, they could go to the offices, or just straight home. Then, they'd probably be in bigger trouble. Now he really wanted to leave. This scene was just.. full of kids.

Jennifer’s face scrunched up in disgust once again as Sam suggested going barefoot. Like she would do that. With Jennifer, it was heels or nothing. She even wore heels with her robes. It was just more comfortable. Her peers didn’t really understand, but then again, nobody really tried to.

Jennifer grinned as Sam started to talk about sneaking away. He seemed really eager about something, and Jennifer had a sneaking idea about what it was. Flicking her hair behind her shoulder, Jennifer gave Sam a look of disbelief. “Are you doubting my rule-breaking skills, Mr. Greenfield?” she asked. She grinned at him, glancing over at the Headmistress. She seemed to be having a conversation with her daughter, and didn’t look like she’d be glancing over at them anytime soon.

“If we want to go, now’s our chance”, Jennifer said, standing up.

“Are you doubting my rule-breaking skills, Mr. Greenfield?” Sam laughed, most definitely not.

"I just don't think, considering the impression you've made" He gestured to her outfit, "That is the best attire for you to wear while we're sneaking away" Sams eyes trailed across her dress, it looked amazing and no doubt made her stand out more than ever, "I mean.. that would've done the job perfectly!" He smirked as he tilted his head to the side, in the direction of a dress he thought more appropriate to their mission. It was by far something that would look better on a bonfire than on a real person, in a way Sam felt bad for them, there was no way that dress was benefitting anyone.

He followed Jennifers eyeline to the Headmistress, busy with her daughter. This was perfect. So long as they weren't attacked on the way out they could make a quiet departure and actually enjoy their evening. "Come on then" He stood up from his chair, his chair sliding back across the floor as he stepped out, holding out his hand for her. He walked towards the side wall, the closest to them and the exit. "Where?" Sam asked, slowly walking down the side, until he reached the exit.

His head turning to hers as he took in her appearance, where would be the best place to go right now.