When the Moment comes

The great hall never looked more dazzling. The ceiling was enchanted like the night sky serving as a background for the hundreds of glowing candles that danced through the air like patterns of fire occasionally pausing to depict various scenes; the fiery bats flapping their wings, a witch zooming by the outline of the moon on her broomstick with a cat at the back firmly sinking his claws into the wood. There were plenty of balloons and pumpkins and ribbons and orange confetti. A large platform was erected where the live orchestra performed all kinds of tunes from classical to the recently popular. Behind it all, the guards stationed to oversee the smoothest running of the ball, were hardly noticeable. Two of them were stationed by the hall entrance. Severus, who paused there awed by the magnitude of the celebration felt their eyes on him and hurried along to mix with the glamorous crowd. Some of them were in full costumes and even armed with swords and tridents, others made preference for their best robes and dresses. Severus in seven years had seen the hall in all kinds of light but he could not cease the amazement. He must have stepped into another world, too enchanting to be real. The people he bumped into by accident all smiled and apologized to him. The wizards he knew in Hogwarts would be telling him, the greasy git, to get out of their way.

Eventually Severus spied his stepbrothers in the center of the crowd by the stage and hurried to turn his back on them in favour of the long tables set along the walls. There, richly set on the ornamented platters, lay pumpkin pies, honey pastries, exploding jellies, half-chocolate crickets and many, many endless delicacies the names of which he didn’t know. The freshly baked scents were nearly enough to strike the boy unconscious. He skipped all meals to finish the work for Tanya. He went along the tables snatching bits and pieces of fruits and pastries when no one was watching him. No one told him the rules but he noticed that no one stayed too long by the tables to eat. He reached out for the temptingly displayed honey pastry when another hand brushed against his reaching for the same treat. Severus flinched pulling away and made a step backwards.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Someone spoke an apology which usually belonged to Severus. “Did you want this?”

Severus followed the line from the offered pastry along the hand and upwards. Severus had to tilt his chin up. The young man was at least six feet tall. Yet, there was nothing bulky or awkward about him. Calm certainty of his gestures as he offered the pastry and the manner in which he held himself as he observed Severus, left no doubt at the very first glance – the young man had matured past adolescence.

“I am not hungry.” Severus said realizing that some kind of answer was required.

Dark eyebrows flickered upwards and his lips quirked. Young man had high cheekbones, neatly trimmed beard and a narrow, straight nose. “And I was placed under a wrong impression that there were other reasons to attend the ball.” His voice was neither loud nor quiet and clear, enough to carry across a hint of irony. He did not seem to be sarcastic or mocking however. Severus was vaguely embarrassed because so far all he did involved eating but it was not the reason why he wanted to attend. He imagined Basil stuffing his face with cake in the middle of this crowd with everyone giving him funny looks. It was slightly amusing, Severus supposed.

Young man put the pastry away on a separate plate. He produced neatly folded, blindingly white handkerchief to wipe his fingers. “You have cream in the corner of your mouth.” He said quietly.

Severus nearly reached out to wipe it away with a sleeve. It was a shame to ruin nice robes though. A tip of his pink tongue appeared to lick the cream off his lips.

“You may use this.” Young man offered his handkerchief.

Severus eyed it wearily, suspecting a trap. The other had an opportunity to mock him earlier, which did not happen. The man seemed genuinely pleasant. He was not from Hogwarts. They never met before. Reluctantly, Severus accepted the offering. Nothing bad happened. “Thank you, Sir.” He replied.

“You may call me Eradian.” The man said with a slightest flinch, for the first time revealing a brief hint of apprehension. “Not to be blatantly obvious.”

Severus failed to understand why the name would be obvious to a complete stranger. He learned long ago not to question those who had power however. He fell back on the old habit of answering with a nod.

The orchestra stroke the first notes of a slow, relaxing music. Eradian smiled to cover the unease. “I very much would like to ask you to dance with me.” He asked hopefully.

No, Severus thought in rising panic. No one ever taught him how to dance. He was sure to make a fool of himself if he did not so far, which he doubted. “Oh, I am not any good at dancing, very bad indeed.” Severus mumbled.

Emotion akin to disbelief flickered in brown eyes. “How can you not be when you are so graceful?” Eradian spoke his very surface thought without considering it.

Severus was so dumbfounded that he silently offered his hand without suspecting how delicate and lovely it was. Eradian took it without hesitation and led them to the dance floor. He loosely wrapped an arm around his partner’s waist, holding Severus with outmost caution. The boy was not short but unnaturally slim and felt nearly like a phantom, which might melt in his arms, Eradian feared. Teenagers were naturally very thin, Eradian calmed himself. The boy could have hardly turned sixteen, he assumed. He first noticed the boy when Severus paused at the entrance taking in the sight. When he moved, walking could not describe the motion, the boy was gliding. Eradian was distracted by a conversation and noticed the boy again by the sweets. He followed the boy at a distance mulling over what he could say. The behaviour was most uncharacteristic of him.

Finally, he gathered the courage to approach and to ask the boy for a dance. He could not recall why it was so important to him like it never was before to hear a yes. The boy’s shyness and sweetness were endearing. Most touching were black eyes framed by long eyelashes. They pulled in the soul like an endless night. Right now these eyes shone with innocent apprehension. Shyness must have motivated the boy to say what he did regarding the dancing, which simply was not true. He flawlessly followed Eradian’s lead. Eradian pulled his partner a little closer and leaned down trying to put the youth at ease. “I am honoured to dance with the most radiant beauty to grace this ball.” He whispered gently.

The subject of his praise blushed and dropped his eyes. It was at that moment when Teodosias Eradian Constantius, the crowned wizard price, recognised and named the unfamiliar flutter in his stomach. His heart trembled like a butterfly which barely emerged out of a tight cocoon beginning its first, uncertain flutter of wings.