Chapter 132: The Season of the Witch (2)

The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall mirrored the night sky, a shimmering array of stars and a crescent moon casting a silvery glow over the entire premise. The long house tables were replaced by a single, enormous table draped in rich black velvet. It stretched the length of the hall and was adorned with centrepieces featuring flickering candles, tiny pumpkins, and enchanted roses glowing with an ethereal light.

The walls were decorated with moving tapestries depicting haunted forests and misty graveyards, where spectral figures danced and swayed to the silent music of the night. Floating jack-o'-lanterns bobbed above the table, their carved faces displaying a variety of expressions, from menacing grins to whimsical smiles. A large space in the centre of the hall was cleared for a dance floor, where an orchestra of ghost musicians played hauntingly beautiful melodies. The floor itself was enchanted to resemble a swirling mist, giving the impression that the dancers were gliding over a cloud of fog.

At the far end of the room, the staff table was transformed into a grand dais, flanked by tall candelabras with black candles that burned with a soft, flickering light. Professors in their finest attire looked on, their faces illuminated by the eerie glow. Professor McGonagall, dressed in a set of beautiful silk green robes which were a bit more fitting than she usually wore, was laughing to something that Carter Thorne had just said, holding a steaming silver goblet.

Catherine and the boys arrived just in time to witness Dumbledore giving a welcoming speech, his blue eyes twinkling behind his crescent spectacles as he explained the fun events and features he and the teachers had designed for the students. Wishing everyone a happy Halloween, the Headmaster clapped his hands, and the long table was suddenly laden with mouthwatering foods and drinks. There were pumpkin pasties, sausages wrapped in crispy pastry and cleverly shaped like spiders with edible pretzel legs, creamy mashed potatoes piped into ghost shapes with black olive slices for eyes and mouths, cauldron cakes, blood-red punch, butterbeers, and many other delectable treats.

While Sirius and James were raiding the food, Catherine and Remus joined Peter and Nora, who were enthusiastically discussing the upcoming Pumpkin Carving competition scheduled for later in the evening.

"I hope you like stuffed acorn squash because I brought you plenty!" – Sirius announced, handing Catherine a full plate along with a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Really? Even today…" – the girl moaned, staring at the generous amount of food.

"Every day until you stop looking like a twig." – Sirius said confidently, his grey eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Thank you! The compliments do be wild tonight!" – Catherine snorted sarcastically.

"You think this is bad?" – James chuckled – "If you don't get a bit chubbier by Christmas, my mom's going to stuff you with gingerbread wizards and roasted goose until they start coming out of your ears."

"First of all, I haven't said I'd come to your place for Christmas, and second, why would your mom do such a thing to me?" – the witch asked, laughing.

"First of all, yes, you're coming for Christmas! And second, I've told mom everything about you and she's looking forward to meeting you." – James grinned.

"Oh, Merlin!" – the girl sighed.

"Don't be so dramatic!" – the hazel-eyed wizard winked at her – "Unlike Sirius' dear mommy, mine actually thinks you're 'absolutely adorable' and would welcome you sincerely!"

"Why do you need to mention my mother?" – Sirius groaned, clearly annoyed.

"Hey, it's Halloween! Shouldn't we be telling each other scary stories about monsters?" – James exclaimed, causing the group to burst into laughter.

At this moment, Catherine noticed Lily and Greg entering the Great Hall, attracting a lot of stares. The girl thought they did look great together, their outfits matching in a sort of sun-and-moon couple's costume. However, James's growl quickly brought her attention back to her friends. Acting on impulse, she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, which was relatively empty, the ghost band playing a quick and catchy melody.

"Don't forget you're my date and I was promised entertainment." – she demanded, overly cheerfully.

"I wasn't planning on making a scene, you know." – James responded sulkily. Nevertheless, he caught the lively tempo and spun Catherine around. The two friends had great fun trying to synchronise their steps, which the black-haired girl thought worked to a certain extent despite the giggles of their classmates dancing nearby.

"If you're done with your aerobics, mate, it's my turn." – Sirius chuckled as he joined them on the dancefloor just in time for the next song, which turned out to be a slow one. James winked at his buddy and disappeared towards the refreshments table, leaving a very nervous Catherine to be immediately swooped into Sirius' arms.

The girl felt uncertain about where to look and tried to observe the other dancing couples, ignoring the wizard's hand on her waist. She appreciated how effortlessly Sirius guided her, and for the first time, felt thankful for the countless hours her mother had spent teaching her the necessary skills for a lady in high society. Despite hating the dance lessons, she realised that without the practice, she would have likely lost her balance and made a fool of herself in her current state of mental confusion.

"You might want to relax. I don't want these heels of yours piercing my foot." – Sirius chuckled in her ear, prompting her to look him in the eyes.

'He does have a charming smile.' – Catherine thought, feeling the blood rush to her face.

"It's just a dance, silly!" – he grinned, which surprisingly made a huge part of the tension leave her body.

'What's wrong with me? This is Sirius. It's hardly the first time he's touched me despite how many times I've told him not to.' – the witch mused, finally smiling back as they moved in perfect synch.

Suddenly, as the boy twirled Catherine in a slow, elegant spin, they unexpectedly bumped into another dancing couple. The black-haired girl glanced at them, ready to apologise, and noticed it was Regulus Black and Lucinda Talkalot, who wore so much jewellery it was a miracle she could move at all.

"Watch where you're going!" – Sirius snapped with disdain – "What would Mom say if she saw you dirtying yourself by bumping into impure strangers?"

Regulus skittishly glanced at Catherine, and she thought she saw regret rather than anger in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then promptly led his dance partner in the opposite direction.

"You know, I don't think he's that bad. He's your brother, after all." – Catherine noted as they bowed to each other with the last chords of the song – "It seems to me that Regulus is rather misguided and easy to sway. Perhaps…"

"Let's not ruin our evening." – Sirius interrupted impatiently – "Do you want to grab a drink?"

The girl decided it was pointless to discuss the topic any further, so she simply shrugged and joined Remus and James while Sirius went to fetch her the promised drink and calm his irritation.

"What's the joke?" – the young witch asked Remus and James, who were laughing wholeheartedly.

"That pickle-brain Vincent Crabbe came to mock us for being so desperate we share a date." – James replied, wiping his eyes behind the glasses – "So we told him that there were fewer girls than boys at school and that a witch with a date had to accept additional invitations so no one feels left out, and only the first invitation was her choice. And then, that knobhead went straight to Lavinia Nott, demanding his rights as a wizard."

"Really?" – Catherine exclaimed in disbelief, looking around, curious to see Crabbe's face.

"Yeah, we were amazed too." – Remus chuckled – "Malachi Selwyn who was with Lavinia, couldn't close his mouth for a whole minute, then dragged him out of the castle. I presume Vincent's not coming back tonight."

"We should go check out the Labyrinth they made on the Quidditch Pitch!" – Sirius suggested, returning with a few butterbeers he handed to his friends – "I'm also curious about this Scary Garden set up around the lake. I bet there's some scary creatures roaming around!"

"Scarier than her? I doubt it!" - Volumnia Travers' unpleasant voice interrupted the young wizard's excited monologue.

"What the hell do you want?" – Catherine asked, feeling tired of dealing with Slytherins and their nonsense.

"Nothing in particular, Mudblood." – the other girl replied with a smug smile – "Everyone's talking about how shameless you are to go on a date with all three of your buddies. I told them it's astounding you didn't make Pettigrew invite you as well! People are saying MacDonald's a slut, but she had just a few pictures with one guy. I'm sure you have an album by now!"

Catherine's face flushed, and she trembled with anger. She hated Volumnia since her second year, and while the Gryffindor could soldier through all the rumours spread about her, involving Mary was a low blow.

"So what?" – Sirius responded before the black-haired girl could reach for her wand – "You're such a perv you came to ask for a signed copy of that album? Or is it because you want to disperse the rumours about you and Tullia?"

The Slytherin's face turned pale. She murmured something incomprehensible, turned around, and marched out of the Great Hall.

"There!" – Sirius grinned – "That should keep her quiet for a while."

Catherine, however, was not listening to him. Her eyes were scanning the people around, and she noticed quite a few glancing in their direction, obviously gossiping. She saw Marianne nearby and smiled at her, but the Hufflepuff didn't smile back. She just glared at Sirius and turned away.

"Maybe we should go outside now." – suggested James, his eyes fixed on Lily and Greg dancing.

"Let's go, but we need to return for the pumpkin carving competition." – Sirius agreed and the four of them left the castle and headed towards the Quidditch Pitch.