Smile Like You Mean It

Thank you so much for the reviews! Particular thanks to Mr Spears and hyperventilate. You guys are great!!

Hope you enjoy!



------------------------------

Chapter 28 - Hogsmeade


Dear Miss Vale,

I request the pleasure of your company, Monday, in my office at eight o'clock. Hope you are enjoying your new school and making new friends.

Yours Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore


Aera stared at the piece of parchment in her hands. Why now? It was over a month since she had come here and she hadn't heard a single word from the headmaster. She hadn't even seen him except for a handful of time at dinner. The note baffled and worried her.

The only conclusion she could come up with was that he had somehow found out about her telling Harry who she was or that he knew about the Elixir she had drank. Neither seemed likely to result in a very pleasant meeting.

She stuffed the note into her pocket with a feeling of unease. She didn't want to have to worry about that now. She was on her way to Hogsmeade. A poster had been tacked up that morning on the notice board announcing a Halloween Ball at the end of the month. The news had spread quickly and every witch in the school was determined to find something breathtaking to wear.

Hogwarts seemed to be a busy place once the school-year actually got going. She realised that her first month hadn't really been that busy if you discounted all the going-ons that weren't included in a normal student's life.

Pushing thoughts of the September from her mind, Aera focused on the task at hand. She was intent on finding a dress that reflected her personality and from what Hermione and Ginny had said, Hogsmeade didn't have a great choice of items. It was to be a masquerade ball, complete with fancy-dress and masks.

Aera smiled. There was only one person she was interested in dressing up for and she was pretty sure she'd be able to come up with something that surprised him.

She reached the first row of shops ahead of the mob of school-girls and made her way to the other end of the village. It was a pity she was here alone, but Ginny was at Quidditch practice with the boys and Hermione was panicking about her Transfiguration homework which was due Monday morning. Aera sighed. She'd just have to find something herself.

Taking a turn down a secluded alley-way, Aera saw the shop she was looking for ahead. Ginny had advised this one, saying it held some weird and fascinating outfits.

Aera didn't particularly enjoy shopping, and given a choice would often rather go about it alone so she felt her mood improving as she headed towards the shop.

When Draco stepped out of a tiny alley in front of her, she wasn't even surprised. She was beginning to expect him to pop up at the most unexpected times. He seemed to have a talent for it.

"Aera." he said, a smile on his lips. It didn't reach his eyes.

She smiled at him in return, truly pleased to see him. "What's the matter?"

He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. She started to object - after all, people walking along the main street could easily look down and see them there - but stopped when she sensed the relief and anger emanating from him.

Pulling back just enough to look into his face she caught the unguarded intensity of his expression before it was replaced with a tense smile.

"Draco, what is it?" she demanded, refusing to be cottoned off with the mask of indifference he wore.

Draco looked at her for a moment before sighing. "I know Snape made you drink the Elixir last night."

Aera went still, then pulled away from Draco harshly. "He didn't make me drink it, Draco!" she said sternly. "I chose to. And so what?"

"He shouldn't have asked you to then." Draco ground out. "This isn't your fight with You-Know-Who."

Aera stared at him, speechless, for a moment. Finally she flung up her hands in exasperation and turned away. "Is there anyone who isn't trying to protect me?" she growled, storming down the alley.

She was nearly at the shop when a hand gripped around her wrist, pulling her to a halt. She rounded on Draco, her face a picture of annoyance. He took a step back, the apology clear in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." he said softly. "It's just hard not to want to keep you safe."

Aera felt herself soften. She wasn't really all that angry at Draco. The confusion of the past month and Dumbledore's in-explanatory note had left her feeling irritable. And that wasn't even counting the things she had seen in the dreams the previous night that she still had to process.

She kissed Draco quickly on the lips to let him know he was forgiven and he smiled back at her. He glanced behind her at the shop.

"You going to find something to wear for the ball in there?" he asked innocently.

Aera nodded. She was about to ask why he wanted to know when he stepped past her, looking back over his shoulder.

"Just wait there for a second, okay?"

Aera watched as he slipped into the shop. She felt completely baffled. Surely if he was trying to get some hint of what she was going to chose, he'd wait and ask the shop-lady afterwards, not insist on going in first.

He was out within minutes, smirking like usual. Aera frowned at him.

"What in Merlin's name was that about?" she demanded.

His smirk widened into a grin. "Nothing much. I've got to go, I'm meeting Blaise in the Hog's Head. I'll see you later, okay? Have fun shopping."

He was already disappearing up the alley before all the words were out of his mouth, mingling with the stream of people passing the alley mouth. Aera gaped after him. She had no idea what was wrong with Draco, but his cheerful mock innocence was definitely out of character.

Deciding she might as well get the shopping out of the way whilst she pondered Draco's absurdity, Aera entered the shop. It's heavy oak sign swinging above the door named the place as 'Polgara's Ensemble'.

The pretty woman standing just inside the door appeared to be Polgara and Aera nodded in greeting. Before she could slip down the aisles of hanging outfits, however, she was distracted by the woman speaking.

"It's Aera, right?"

Startled that the stranger would know her name, Aera turned. "Uh, yes?"

Polgara smiled. "Mr Malfoy was just in here. He'd said you'd come in after him. I'm to instruct you that anything you purchase here today will be covered by him. You don't have to worry about prices."

Aera gaped at the woman, speechless. Well, that explained everything. The sneaky, impossible git! She watched as the shop-lady hung a 'closed' sign in the door window.

"You're closing?" she asked hopefully. Maybe she could find another shop in the village where Draco hadn't been.

Polgara gave a tinkling laugh. "Oh no. I'm to give you my undivided attention and help in finding an outfit. Another of Mr Malfoy's requests."

Aera clenched her teeth, wondering just how much Draco had paid the lady. She had her own money, for Morgan's sake!

Deciding to get this over and done with, Aera stalked through the rails. If Polgara wanted to help, that was fine. But she would be paying for the purchase herself.

It wasn't long before Aera was distracted from her bad mood. The dresses in the shop were breathtaking and original. She ran her hands over the silks, satins and velvets, delighting in the array of colours.

She hadn't been sure what type of style she wanted, it was a fancy-dress after all. One idea that kept coming back to her was the image of Queen Mab, an historical character who had ruled the fairies back in the days of King Arthur and Merlin. She had been a seductress and plotter though Aera had always felt that the woman had been sorely misinterpreted. When she imaged Queen Mab she saw a lady full of secrets, with a mission that kept her strong despite the dominance of men.

"See anything you like?"

Aera turned and smiled at Polgara. "Plenty." she said, twisting the sleeve of a medieval gown through her fingers. "But I was looking for something a little unusual."

Aera described the figure she was hoping to imitate and Polgara listened careful. After Aera finished, the woman gave her a sly look.

"Queen Mab, right? First time I've had someone wanting to look like her. Come have a look at this one."

Aera followed the woman to the back of the shop, where the hanging clothes were pressed closer together. It was ever so slightly dusty back here, as if Polgara didn't frequent this area much herself.

When the older lady finally came to a halt, it was in front of an wardrobe, somewhat out of place amongst the rails and hangers. She twisted the knob, pulling the divided doors open with a flourish.

Aera stared. It was perfect. Better than perfect. It was like Queen Mab had owned this very gown herself and it had lain untouched right here through the hundreds of years that had passed since the fairy woman had disappeared.

Aera reached out and stroked the strange, satiny fabric. It shifted under her fingers, showing strange colours under the midnight blue in the dim light of the store. She had already made her decision when she noticed the mask that was displayed in a glass box above the dress.

There was no hesitation in her decision. She knew this was the only outfit she would find that would satisfy her. She nodded to Polgara, unable to convey with words as to how ideal it was.

Polgara was smiling happily to herself, reaching forward and pulling the dress down from its hanger, removing the mask from its box. There were a pair of shoes in the bottom of the wardrobe that she also retrieved, bunching the items together so she could carry them.

There was no need to try it on Polgara explained, as they moved towards the front of the shop, that the dress and shoes could be easily adjusted with magic to fit better than any seamstress could manage. Aera merely nodded or murmured when it was necessary to reply. She was taken aback with the gown and didn't really care about such menial things as adjustments.

When they reached the old-fashioned till, Polgara quickly and effectively packaged the items up into their boxes, taking care to fold the dress for the least creases. Aera shoved a hand into her robe pocket, searching for her bag of Galleons.

Polgara hesitated when she pulled it out and set it on the counted. She eyed it for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Um . . . I was told that Mr Malfoy . . ."

Damn! Aera had forgotten about that. She silently cursed him for his interference. She could afford it herself. Just about, probably.

"I'll pay, thank you." Aera said curtly.

Polgara looked at Aera for a long moment before sighing and putting the boxes down on the counter. She turned her full attention on Aera.

"Look, if you pay I have to send Mr Malfoy a description of the dress and mask. That was the agreement. He said you'd probably put up a fight." she smiled. "It doesn't make any difference to me, really. I get the money either way."

Aera ground her teeth in frustration. The one thing she wanted was to be able to surprise everyone at the ball, to be able to hide behind the mask without anyone recognising her. Having Draco knowing what she would look like ruined the fun.

Polgara sensed her weakening and hurried to take advantage of it. "If you want my advice, let him pay. The Malfoy family's loaded. This will hardly make a scratch on the surface of their wealth. Does it really matter that much?"

Aera wavered. In all honesty she wasn't a hundred percent sure she could afford to buy the mask, dress and shoes. This was an easier path to take, despite her reluctance to do so.

She sighed and put the bag of Galleons back in her pocket. She'd find some way to get her own back on Draco for this. Polgara grinned and handed her the packaged goods.

"You're going to look brilliant." she commented. "Enjoy your ball."

"Thanks." Aera muttered. Draco would pay for this.

----------------------------------------------

Please please please review!!

I had to throw in a masquerade, I love them!!

Writing hard
Aera
xxxx