She Would Always Love Him

Author Note: I’ll have more time to post more chapters over the holidays since school isn’t in session, but I’ll try and get what I can until finals are over!

MidnightLilly- Thank you, I like the story too. My name is Amber as well, I know it’s stupid to name the character after myself, but I love the meaning of the name and everything so hey why the hell not, I mean, she is by no way a version of me at all, but she’s gives us Ambers a good name!

Disclaimer-As always, anything remotely belonging to the HP universe is not mine.


HALLOWEEN


One night in early October Dumbledore stood before them at dinner. He decided to wait this time and see if they shut up on their own. He was gravely disappointed. He amplified his voice and began speaking.

“Everyone.” He began simply. “As you all know, it is October and that means Halloween is coming up rather quickly. This year, your professors and I have decided to throw a masquerade ball. As there is a quidditch match that morning the festivities will not begin until nine o’clock. First through fifth years are allowed to attend until midnight, the sixth and seventh years until two. There will be a contest for the two best costumes of each year, so plan wisely.” As soon as he finished speaking the hall erupted in excited noise as girls started planning what they would wear and the boys enjoyed the idea of partying until two in the morning.

During the weeks before the dance, Draco and Amber had run into each other in the halls on numerous other occasions, sometimes by accident, but more often then not, they had it planned, however they never did anything more than talk. They talked about everything; everything from what America was like to what they wanted to do after graduation. Draco thought maybe he’d become a potions master like Snape, maybe even take over at Hogwarts when Snape retired. He enjoyed the idea of torturing the students as much as Snape did. He said that he did not want to be like his father anymore, he had grown out of that over the summer when he finally saw what a complete idiot he was for being a lapdog to a man that would be destroyed by a teenager. He learned that Amber would rather be a housewife than the girl who survived an attack by Voldemort, just like Harry. She would rather get married and have kids and be at home to raise them than become an auror and fight all the time. They both learned that Potions was their favorite subject and they both enjoyed listening to old rock music as opposed to what was being released lately. They both had an affinity for sarcasm, which they used on each other constantly. Draco discovered that if you touched her in the right spot she squeaked and jumped in the most adorable manner.

The morning before the ball Draco had asked Amber for a little hint as to what to look for that night, and she simply told him that he would be pleasantly surprised and that he would know her when he saw her. But he wasn’t so sure.
That evening, everyone was dressed in a varied assortment of creatures, people and objects. Some students dressed as muggle objects and had half the others staring at them befuddled as to what they were. However, no one knew who everyone was. Dumbledore had sent them all explicit instructions that they were to tell no one what they would be wearing. So when all they saw all the costumes around them they desperately tried to think of who would wear something like that. A blond haired young woman in a glitter covered white baby doll dress, stood in her white fishnets and white knee high heeled boots looking around through her feathery mask, looking for a familiar face. The wings on her back magically attached and the golden ring hovering over her head a simple spell. She smiled as she looked at all the other students.

Another girl, on the opposite side of the room stared at the students through her white pearl edged mask at the other students, searching for one in particular. She held her arms crossed over the silk satin whale boned gold corset that she wore over an off white triple layered tattered asymmetrical mini skirt, one hand holding the stem of a single red rose. Tapping her pale gold stiletto, thigh high boot she wondered if Dumbledore would let them expose their costumes, because her makeup really was the best part. Her eyes were encased in a golden cloud of eye shadow and her lips were painted a pale pink. Her auburn hair fell down around her face in gentle curls. No one was going to guess who she was.

Just a few feet away from her, a young man dressed in a black tuxedo with a red shirt was hiding behind a flaming mask absentmindedly twirling his red flame tipped tail and watched the crowd for a certain female.

Dumbledore watched from his post at the head table with a bright twinkle in his eye. He looked down on one young man wearing a mask of fur and teeth that covered his whole head. He had decided to go as the beast from the fairy tale, La Belle et la Bete, otherwise known as Beauty and the Beast. He wore a hunter green coat and tails over deep mahogany pants. His hands were covered in fur and claws. He growled when he could not find what he searched for.

As they danced and the time grew nearer to announce the winners of the contest and reveal their identities, a young man hopelessly searched for any indication of which beautiful creature was the one he longed to hold in his arms and glide along the dance floor under the cover of not knowing who she was. For it was only then that no one could question their being together.

Two sets of eyes fixed themselves on two women in the crowd. Two bodies moving through the mass of moving forms towards their destinations. Two men searching for the women they love. They keep moving to the beat of the music. Finally their eyes meet and four people are frozen in the crowd, not five feet away. Then Heaven meets Hell and Beauty meets Beast. The music turns slow and they hold each other close. They are lost to anything but each other and the music they hear.

♫At last
My love has come along
My lonely days over
And life is like a song

Ooh, at last
The skies above are blue
Well my heart was wrapped up in clover
The night I looked at you

I found a dream
That I could speak to
A dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill
To press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known

Well

You smile
You smile
Oh and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine at last♫


“I wondered when you would dance with me.” She whispered to him and hugged him close. She had begun to have feelings for the man in front of her and she didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t sure what would happen if they did anything further than dance like this.

*If only life were fair then we could be together. I love you too much to hurt you, and I know that I would hurt you.* She thought about it for a moment and realized that it would hurt so much more to be without him. *Oh fuck it all.*

“You look amazing tonight.”

“Thank you. Do I know who you are?”

“I would hope so. We’ll see when we take off these masks now won’t we.” It was that moment that Dumbledore stood to make the announcements of the winners of the costume contest. He glanced around the crowd and saw near all eyes looking at him. But four eyes were not. They were closed. Beauty had kissed the Beast.

“Everyone, your other professors and I have reached our decisions about the costume contest. If you are called please join us at the head table. We will begin with the first years. The winners are the Mad Hatter and the Marge Hare.” Two highly excited first years practically ran to the head table. Soon, two equally excited second years did the same, followed by third, fourth, fifth, and sixth years. Then it was the seventh years. “The winners for seventh year are Beauty and the Beast.”

However, even though the announcement had been made, the couple made no move to separate and join their headmaster. Finally after much nudging from their classmates they realized they had been called and joined their fellow winners. Dumbledore’s eyes twinkling madly as he readied all to remove their masks.

“Now, the first year winners remove your masks.” Some gasps in the crowd at who they really were. “Second year.” Dumbledore continued, and made his way up the ranks. When the seventh year winners were unmasked, there was a unanimous gasp heard. There stood before them, Draco Malfoy and Amber Thibodeau, who had been kissing in the middle of the dance floor not five minutes before. They both smirked at the crowd.

“Now, for the rest of you.” Dumbledore continued. The rest of the students removed their masks and when the Angel saw the Devil she smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around him.

“I knew you knew me.” Ron said smiling as he wrapped his arms around Hermione.

The dance continued after that for the sixth and seventh years. Draco and Amber had been separated after the unmasking by their respective friends. Pansy was screaming at Draco for kissing a Gryffindor and Hermione was questioning Amber as to why she had done it.

“Hermione, what would you do if someone were to yell at you and question you about why you like Ron?” Amber fired back, clearly annoyed with her friends.

“Amber, it’s Malfoy.” Harry explained. “Please tell me you didn’t know it was him when you kissed him.”

“You know the answer to that question Harry, don’t be stupid. Besides, we both know that you and I are going to die, so who gives a fuck who I love before that.” She said almost screaming the last bit in her frustration, and running towards the doors. All heads had turned and Draco began to run after her, close behind Harry.

“Amber!” Harry called. “I’m sorry!” But she was too fast for him. He stopped running and Draco soon did the same, both out of breath.

“Malfoy, what have you done?” Harry whispered.

“What are you talking about?” Malfoy returned angrily.

“She’s right, Malfoy. She and I will most likely die for the cause. It would be so much easier if she didn’t feel for you like
she does. So I ask again, what have you done?”

“I haven’t done a thing. I think I love her Potter, and I will do everything in my power to protect her.”

“Then you know that if you hurt her, at all, I will make sure you die a slow and painful death.” Harry practically growled at him.

“I may not like you Potter, and I don’t have to, but I think by now you know enough about me to know that when I care, I care.” Draco then walked away, in search of Amber.

It took him nearly a half an hour but he soon found a Siamese cat pacing the halls. He stopped and stared for a moment, knowing full well she knew he was there. Finally, she stopped to look at him. Sadness filling her eyes, she transfigured back to herself and stared at him. He opened his arms and she ran to him.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” She whispered into his shoulder.

“You won’t.”

“Not intentionally, no, I could never do that. But as a side effect of the things I’m going to have to do in my life, yes, I just might.”

“We shouldn’t be afraid of what might happen. It hasn’t happened yet.” He said to her, rubbing her back.

“I know that, but I still don’t want to ever hurt you. And yet, I know that I will, and it hurts to know that, and it hurts to think about not being with you.” He tilted her head up so he could look at her.

“I love you.” He said simply, and kissed her.