Valentine's Dance

Cassidy walked in the party room. She had just arrived on the Hogwarts Express and had barely had time to leave her coat in her bedroom, when somebody told her there was a party going on, which of course she didn't want to miss. She didn't know anybody yet, though, so she decided to begin by just getting in the mood for the party. She grabed a glass of firewhisky and seated herself onto the nearest chair, watching the crowd with interest.

::Jade sat against the door, listening to the music behind the doors play softly. Her eyes were fixed at the stone wall across the corridor, giving the expression of complete boredom. She didn't really feel like dancing, but she also didn't want to stay there for the whole night.

Suddenly the door opened, and Jade fell on her back with a groan. When she looked up, she saw a man look down at her with a confused look on his face.::

"You okay, Miss...?" ::he asked, offering his hand to help her up.::

"Potter," ::she said shortly:: "Jade Potter, and I can get up myself!" ::Jade said and stumbled up, quickly burshing her black dress (http://www.bestpromdresses.com/shop/adrianna_papell_41805650.htm)::

"Potter?" ::the man said with raised eyebrows::

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" ::Jade asked defensively and pushed past him.::

What is it with people and names, anyway!? she thought bitterly and headed for the drinks. She poured some Butterbeer in her glass and turned to look at the dance floor. Her eyes searched for something, a reason, a reason for her to leave. But all Jade could see was happy couples dancing and having the time of their lives.::

"Ugh..." ::Jade muttered and took a sip from her glass.::

Cassidy remarked the girl who had just entered and went up to her - she also looked new and it couldn't hurt to get know somebody.

"Hi! You're also new around here? I'm Cassidy, what's your name?" She smiled and reached out her hand.

::Jade looked at the girl's hand and shook it slowly::

"Jade... Jade Potter," ::she said and smiled slightly.:: "And no, I'm not new... not really...Nice to meet you, though!"

"Nice to meet you, too! I just arrived here... exchange student, you know..." She combed her hair behind her ear, then she continued:
"What do you think of the party? I think it's ok - although it would be cooler if I knew somebody here." She sighed and looked around. "Hm, anyway, we can start having a bit of fun, right?" She inclined her head sideways and pointed towards the sweets corner. "The house elves have worked quite a bit - wanna try them out?"

::Jade grinned as she noticed how normal - well, as normal as you could be in this world - Cassidy was, and nodded eagerly.::

"Yes, let's go try some!" ::she said and followed the girl to the sweets.::

"What's this?" ::Jade asked and held up a purple colored sweet.::

Cassidy sniffed it. "Don't know, but it looks dangerous." She rubbed her nose, then said:
"Heck, it's a party and Madam Pomfrey is close enough!" She laughed, took one purple candy and gave one to Jade. "On the count of three, we both swallow them! If we die, we die together." She laughed and added: "Or maybe these have some weird effect on you - hmmm, we can't know without trying, right?"

Eboy saw Cassidy and Jade looking at some purple colored sweets hesitating to eat them.

Ebony snickered, "Some are so paranoid."

Cassidy heard somebody snicker behind her, yet she considered it was better to ingore it. She didn't want her fun to be spoiled so she began counting:

"1......2....." - She prepared to swallow the candy the same moment as Jade.

Ebony took a sip of her drink and then watched Cassidy to see if anything happens.

"...3!" ::Jade said and shoved the purple thing in her mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed with a grimace.::

"It tastes like... dust!" ::Jade said and started to cough. Her coughs became louder and louder, as she felt her throat grow tight. She clutched her neck and coughed loudly, giving Cassidy - who was coughing too - a panicked glance.::

Cassidy was desperately trying to breathe, but with every forced breath, she felt that her throat was getting more and more blocked with that strange, dusty thing. She threw a desperate and yet apologizing look towards Jade and glanced over the table in search for a glass of water. She finally saw one left in a corner and reached out for it, then took it and gave it to Jade.
"Qu-i-i--c--k," she gasped, hurrying her to drink first.

Ebony saw the coughing girls and rolled her eyes. ' They should have done a spell to check it out, to see if it was harmful'

::Jade took the glass of water and drank it quickly, feeling her throat stop 'shrinking' and the coughing stop.::

"T-thanks..." ::she said and wiped her mouth with a napkin::

::She saw the guilty look on Cassidy's face and grinned.::

"Oh don't look like that, I think that was pretty awesome!"

::Jade giggled quietly, which soon turned to a loud laughter, tears running down her cheeks as she laughed. She had only known this girl for a few minutes, and already she was in trouble with her - and all she could think of at the moment, was how funny the situation was.::

"Well, my mother always used to say; 'Never put anything you don't recognize in your mouth', but I never knew it would come down to a purple sweet!" ::she laughed, covering her mouth with her hand::

Lily looked at ebony and knew she was thinking the same thing. "Sometimes, people are so thick!" Lily said pushing back her hair and tacking another swig of her drink.

Ebony nodded her head and took a swig of her drink, "So true."

Lily sighed feeling even tipsier. "Every day they get stupider...." she muttered

Ebony nodded, "I couldn't agree with you more."

She took another sip of drink.

::Jade looked slowly around at the two girls, feeling a flame of anger grow inside of her.::

"Yeah, you two are a good example of that kind of people, really..." ::she said with a mock of sweetness::

Cassidy also took a gulp of the water and immediately felt better. "Shiieeesh," she thought, "still alive!"

She also felt relived that Jade was such a good sport and didn't mind almost dying because somebody had had such a brilliant idea... still, she had to admit it - it was a funny situation - after you came out of it alive, of course. At first she smiled faintly, then Jade's laughter somehow infected her and she started laughing louder and louder, untill she was almost louder than the music and once, her laughter somehow got mixed up with a snort. "Oh - haha - hahaha - sorryyyy"
As she wiped off tears from her cheeks, she said "Well, your mum was right... but then again - who brings sometinhg like this to a student's party?"

"Someone with humour, I guess..." ::Jade said and ignored the girls nearby.:: "I mean, I don't think those could have killed us. It might have faded away after awhile, I think"

"Well, it depends.. did it seem to you that it was fading away? And I mean, how long can you keep your breath? In my opinion, their humour was almost to good... and I wonder -" she paused for a while, then she continued - "I wonder, if anybody would have saved us, had we not found the water ..." She nodded in the direction of the two commenting girls "Those two surely not."

"Those two have brains of a peanut, you really think they would know how to save a life!?" ::Jade snorted.:: "I'm sure someone would have saved us... eventually!" ::she continued with a grin::

"I mean- they could have easily checked that for tampering with," she said taking another large drink.

"Well, most people take risks and dare to live, right Cassidy?" ::Jade said smiling::

"Hmm, should we get some drinks?" ::she asked and nodded across the room.::

Ebony takes a sip of her drink and nods, "They could have, but if they want to risk dying thats their thing"

"Well, I hope you're right!" Cassidy told Jade laghing. Then she remarked there was a plastic bag right next to the bowl with violet sweets - filled with more of them.
"Hey - this is where they came from!" She began carefully reading the writings on the package.
"Look, here's a warning: "Do not consume with or right after alcohol - might lead to extreme thirst and breathing difficulties""
"Smart. So they simply wanted to control how the student's alcohol consume..." she said, before starting giggling.

Then she turned around towards the girl who had spoken: "Well, I'm sure you will do it right next time."

She gave her one last cold look before turning to Jade: "Yeah, ok, I agree! Let's go and grab some decent drinks - only this time, we'll remember not to eat this darn candy!"

Lily chuckleed. "The student's minds are corrupted these days. what have the Professor's been teaching you younger students?" She said.

"How old are you?" Cassidy asked in disbelief.

Ebony chuckled, "They didn't even notice the bag."

She took a swig of her drink.

Lily laughed. "So stupid! But then again," she gave a Ebony a slight smile, "they er don't have the certian training we do."

Ebony smirked,"True, true. They don't"

"And they never will," she spoke and took a swig of her drink.

"wrong..err outlook on life, I suppose," Lily said trying to be careful since they were sitting next to Dani.

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Now really. What great training do you have? Let me guess - "How to be an arrogant git - Lessons 1-100" - uhm, no thank you very much, we don't need that, do we Jade?" She smiled cooly and added "You aren't better than anybody, if that's what you think..."

~Fated looked thoughtful as he flashed an evil grin at Sky~ "Well, I think it may be a good idea to sort of step out of the professor role seeing as Madame Sprout made a full recovery and is coming back here tomorrow." He let his eyes shift to the left and right then fall back onto her.

"And besides, with you as a student, it's easier for us to get away with things." ~He said as they danced close together.~

DAni looked suspisciosly at Lily and Ebony seeing the silent understandment that was passing between them.

"What is it now," she sounded exasperated

Ebony smiled at Dani, "Oh, nothing"

She then took another sip of her drink.

"We have the best training ever. More than you two weaklings will ever get. Have you learned to magage pain? HAve you learned to love pain? I don't think so. Go away before i am forced to hurt you," Lily said to Cassidy and Jade coldy

Dani rolled her eyes, and concentrated, trying to see Lily's past with her powers. But the vision was blocked,

"Lily tell me,"

Lily squirmed. "I'll tell you in time, Dani." She said taking a drink.

::Jade snorted loudly at what Lily had said.::

"You, a little girl, would hurt us?" ::she asked, covering her laughter.:: "Riiiiiiight, how about you get out from school before you threaten anybody, okay?" ::Jade said and walked away with Cassidy.::

::They arrived to the table filled with drinks, and Jade filled her glass with water, handing Cassidy the other one. She looked over the dancefloor filled with people dancing, and she sighed.::

"Well, so far, I'm enjoying this party" ::Jade said.:: "How about you? Are you having fun?" ::she asked her new friend::

Lily's face darkened. "One crucio and i cold have her crying," she let the words tumble out of her mouth.

Ebony gave Lily gave a look to Lily.

"Be careful what you say Lily," she spoke in a low enough voice that only Lily could hear.

Dani heard them and looked at Lily seriously the drink having not gone to her head just yet,

"I thought you gave up crucios," she said knowing that Lily being an ex-deatheater had give that up when she had joined the good side

Lily nodded at ebony and set her drink aside. No need to get careless.

"I'll talk to you about that later Dani," Lily said

Ebony decided to change the subject, "So Dani how are things going for you?"

"They're going," Dani said glaring at Lily, knowing she wasn't going to tell her.

"Lily..." she began, "What's going on, you know I hate to be in the dark." she gave a soft laugh,

Lily looked at dani. "Can you handle the truth?" she asked Dani seriously she had so much on her plate latey....

"What do you think?" Dani said smuggly, "Try me."

"Let's just say- i can't remember some stuff and in case you didn't know. I'm on his side." Lily looked at dani. She didn't give a dang that she just blew the fact that she was a spy. Let her be a full out DE. Fine with her.