The Ball continues....
(dedicated to Erin and Jeremie)
Eleven:Tangle

“If you were there, beware

The serpent soul pinchers…”

A while later as The Ashwinders launched into a higher tempo, spiky song, Adrasteia excused herself and melted into the crowd again. Ashtad watched her head towards the ladies cloakroom, wondering what exactly it was that he was doing. He was exhausted, he hadn’t been thinking clearly for weeks and now he was here, kissing a girl who had been chasing him for years, who he consistently rejected because she was just so wrong for him. He rubbed his hand over his face in resignation to his mistake. He looked around for Phoenix and was not at all surprised to see him sat in a booth with Cadence, drinking champagne.


“…And you've had enough, what you're trying to dig up

Isn't there to be dug, the thieves help the thugs

As they're trying be the good grace of a sweetheart

Out to the point she'll comply…”

Phoenix and Cadence certainly seemed to be enjoying each other’s company. They almost seemed to have melted into one another. Ashtad watched as Cadence whispered something into Phoenix’ ear and then nipped his earlobe with her teeth. He chuckled, reflecting that the two of them were very well suited. He was about to turn away and look for Elspeth when he noticed Preston Kingsley, dressed in his eccentric nineteenth century dandy style, marching towards Phoenix and Cadence. There was some sort of exchange and Preston walked away, but Cadence followed him, with Phoenix hot on her heels. Mackenzie caught Ashtad’s eye and gave him a look which said, Sort that for me. Ashtad nodded and started to make his way through the crowd. He saw Cadence draw herself up to her full five feet and three inches and tap the man on the arm.

"You, sir, are just about the rudest individual I have ever met! What does it matter to you if we met and are attracted to each other? Does it burn your eyes?"

Ashtad moved faster, whatever had been said had clearly been upsetting. He saw that Phoenix was getting angry, but the crowd was holding him back. As he reached where they had been standing all three of them had gone.
Glancing around, he saw that his friends were wrapped around each other again and Preston was stalking away. He turned and gave Mackenzie a thumbs up and started to make his way towards the refreshment table when someone grabbed his wrist. He turned.

“Oh! H-h-h-hello!” He stammered in surprise.

*****

Teddy Lupin walked quickly through the corridors of Hogwarts and down the path to lane to Hogsmead. Halfway along it stood a beautiful, willowy girl with long blonde hair. He increased his pace, stumbling on the loose gravel under his feet.

“Hi, I’m sorry I’m so late.”

“It’s fine.”

Teddy boldly grasped her hand and they walked down the lane towards the village together.

Teddy glanced at the girl frequently but she kept her gaze resolutely ahead.

“Where did you want to go?”

Thea turned and looked at him. “How about The Three Broomsticks?”

Teddy raised his eyebrows. “Your brothers, they’ll - ”

She cut him off. “I don’t care about them. They don’t care about me.” She said this quite dispassionately, as though she were commenting on the weather. Teddy clenched his jaw. He hated to think of anyone being so careless as to throw away a chance to be close to their family. Thea picked up on the tension and squeezed his hand.

“They really aren’t worth it. They’re... deranged.”

Teddy gave a short, mirthless laugh. “You might just have a point there.”

Thea stopped short, pulling on Teddy’s arm. Not expecting her to stop, he skidded and lost his balance, pulling her with him onto the grass verge in front of the bushes and trees which lined the lane. He landed on his back with her on top of him. They started laughing.

“Teddy Lupin, you will be the death of me!”

“That was your fault, not mine!”

She looked down at him and stopped laughing. She lowered her head to kiss him when she became rigid against him. He felt a second body bind spell hit him. Someone pulled Thea off him, and he saw the thin face of Tyr Eastman appear above him.

“Leave my sister alone you filthy lyco. This is your only warning.”

Teddy heard Thea being released and dragged to her feet, screaming obscenities at her younger brother, who seemed to be dragging her by the hair back towards Hogwarts.

Anger coursed through Teddy as he lay there in the grass, helpless until Hagrid found him, hours later.

*****

“If you were there, beware

The serpent soul pinchers…”

Hermia dashed out of the lift, a traitorous tear falling from her eye. She was still so angry and what had happened in the lift had only made things worse.

“Hermia, wait!”

She heard Wilmot calling out behind her but she sped up and darted between the dancers. She was desperate to get away from her mistake.

She twisted and turned, fleeing where he could not follow her, since she was so small. At that moment she felt smaller than ever. She grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter who was weaving through the crowd and drank it in three gulps.

“…Can't you sense she was never meant

To fill column inches

And you've had enough, what you're trying to dig up

Isn't there to be dug…”

She stopped short seeing Cadence Lark squaring up to one of the advisors to the Wizengamot, Mr Kingsley. Phoenix Felicis was standing behind her looking very irritated indeed. Hermia pulled her wand out, ready to intervene. She had no particular fondness for Cadence but at that moment she relished the the opportunity to hex someone, anyone, even Mr Kingsley, even if it meant she lost her job.

Mr Kingsley was speaking to Cadence and Hermia could barely believe her ears;
"I simply wished to express my displeasure at your rather public display of things best kept private. In polite society, one does not chew on their dance partner in public view. Do what you want when there is no audience, but here, it is distasteful, disrespectful of others, and, frankly, a bit provocative."

What on earth have they been doing? Hermia wondered. She thought back to her own behaviour in the lift and was filled with a sense of regret that threatened to overwhelm her.* It was just not lady like to...

Phoenix was now addressing Mr Kingsley, his voice carrying over the music; “Well, it seems to me that you are the only person bothered by our so called unseemly behaviour. It is polite to keep your opinions to yourself where I come from and you would do well to keep your mouth shut. These apologies are nothing more than backhanded insults and I think it best that you do indeed take your leave. "

Hermia wound her way through the crowd but by the time she reached the combative threesome, Mr Kingsley had turned his back to walk away.

Cadence and Phoenix only had eyes for each other and where making their way back to the booth they had been sitting in.

She felt slightly adrift, getting to the argument had given her a purpose, now she was left to be buffeted around by the dancers. After several long moments, she saw Ashtad walking away from her, towards the refreshments, and without thinking she grabbed his wrist. He turned to face her.

“Oh! H-h-h-hello!” He stammered in surprise.

“Hello,” she said releasing his hand, not really sure what to say to him. It had been five months since she had seen him and he looked older, tired and more serious than she had ever known him to be. They fell into an uncomfortable silence.

“Why leave her on her own

If I'd have known then I wouldn't have said it

I wouldn't have said it if
I would have known...”

As though Mackenzie was prompting him to speak, Ashtad blurted out; “I’m really sorry about what I said in the Hobgoblin, about your mother. I didn’t know.”

“Why leave her on her own

If I predicted tears then I wouldn't have said it

I wouldn't have said it if I would have known....”

Hermia took a deep breath. “Don’t worry about it. I overreacted.” She tried to smile genuinely. “Adrasteia must be happy.”

“What makes you say that?” He asked warily, more than familiar with the enmity between the two young women.

“I saw you, kissing her. When you were stood by the stage with Phoenix.”

Ashtad rubbed his hand over his hand over his tired face. “She sort of threw herself at me. Phoenix too.”

“She kissed both of you?” Hermia’s face reflected her disgust. “I always knew that she was a tart.”

Ashtad laughed. “Let’s not talk about her, please. You look... amazing.” He told her.

She blushed softly. “Thanks, you look...”

“Awful?” He laughed. “I only came because Elspeth made me promise I would. She was determined to get me here and now I can’t find her.”

“I think that she was dancing with Jago.” Hermia murmured.

A hand snaked it’s way around Ashtad’s chest, scarlet nails digging in like claws. “Ash baby, come and dance.” Adrasteia appeared from behind him, purring in his ear. When she saw Hermia, her face soured. “Oh, it’s you. Hello.” She said coldly.

“Hello. Congratulations.” Hermia replied, in the pleasantest tone she could manage.

Adrasteia looked puzzled. “Congratulations?”

“Yes, congratulations. You’ve finally got what you wanted after what, four years of flinging yourself at him? Although I doubt that he would have settled for such low company if he wasn’t so clearly exhausted.”

“You poisonous little shrew!” Adrasteia produced her wand, pointing it straight at Hermia’s heart. Ashtad drew his own wand but before he could do anything there was a scream of:

“Stupif-”

Before Adrasteia could cast the spell, her wand flew out of her hand. Hermia caught it deftly, holding it in her wand hand along with her own.

Adrasteia lunged at her. “HOW DARE Y-” She howled with rage as a pair of strong hands seized her by the arms and lifted her off her feet. “GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ME!” She kicked out at the person behind her.

“Only when you calm down.” The cold, authoritative voice of Mr Smith, the auror, drawled from behind Adrasteia. She struggled against him and he grabbed her wrist in one seamless movement, twisting her arm up her back.

She gasped with pain. “She attacked me! Let me go!”

“This young lady simply defended herself. If you would pass me her wand, this young madam needs to leave.” He said to Hermia, who was stood there, astonished. She looked at Ashtad, his face was oddly set, his wand still aloft, pointing at Adrasteia. Ashtad nodded and Hermia handed the wand to Mr Smith, who marched Adrasteia away, still swearing and demanding to be released. Hermia watched them go.

She turned back to Ashtad. “So you don’t care about her at all then?”

He closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them he said, “No, I really don’t like her at all. It was just a mistake.”

Hermia nodded biting her lip, recognising her own truth in that statement. She looked down, stowing her wand away, making sure that it was safe.

“Hermia Smith, will you do me the honour of dancing with me?”

Her eyes snapped back to his face, expecting to see a sarcastic gleam in his eyes. Instead she found that they were hopeful.

“...All my life
I'd hurt the ones I'd loved
Oh but baby you can turn it round

She don't love me like you
She don't know what you do
And it's so hard...”

Cadence had rejoined The Ashwinders on stage and as Ashtad pulled Hermia close to dance. She looked up at him as he span her around and then pulled him back to him. She could feel the heat between them, smell his gentle but bewitching scent and she felt like they were back to where they should have been all those months before, in the Hobgoblin, before he had said anything about her mother. As they danced he reached down and touched her cheek gently. She blushed and looked away, seeing Wilmot. He had apparently not seen them but he seemed to be searching for her. She thought back to kissing him and looked up at Ashtad. Without planning it, without thinking, she stood on her tiptoes and pulled him into a kiss. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before, his lips burned like Firewhisky but he was so sweet and tender. She deepened the kiss and Ashtad responded. Suddenly, someone barged into the two of them. Ashtad gripped her waist and turned so that she was protected from the full force of the the knock, without breaking the kiss. As Cadence started to sing a new song, Hermia pulled away and looked over her shoulder. She saw Wilmot walking into one of the fireplaces and disappear in a burst of green flames.

“I'm sorry to remind
You but I'm scared of what we're creating
This life ain't fair
You don't get something for nothing, turn now
Mmmm gotta try a little harder
It could be sweet...”

She turned back to Ashtad, who was standing where she had left him, looking happily confused. She bit her lip as he reached for her again, a tangle of emotions threatening to burst out of her chest.

“I should go, before I cause anymore trouble.”

Ashtad blinked and she was gone, she had turned on the spot and disappeared into the suffocating blackness.

If You Were There, Beware by The Arctic Monkeys
Love Me Like You by The Magic Numbers
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead

Photographs of Preston, Phoenix and Cadence in the Tempestuous Gallery

A note about Phoenix, Preston and Cadence: The three of them were the characters that Erin (Phoenix), Jeremie (Preston) and I (Cadence) used for the Random Reindeer Ball RP at Christmas. We had lots of fun and so I decided that it would be a shame not to include them in this chapter. The action that Hermia and Ashtad try to get to is more or less how it happened in the RP and the speeches are taken from the RP. So a big thanks to Erin and Jeremie for indulging me.