Michael wasn't sure he had ever seen Hogsmeade this busy before. While a student at Hogwarts, he had always enjoyed coming to Hogsmeade for Halloween, but he'd never been in the village during the hustle and bustle of getting ready for its favorite holiday. There were signs in the windows looking for performers for the festival on Halloween night, and Honeydukes had a selection of specially-themed candy that made Michael's mouth water just looking through the windowpane. Most importantly, the thrift shops were full to the brim of costume selections, with huge advertisements on the front doors promising sales of up to fifty percent off. Hogsmeade was always at its most generous during Halloween season.

"What do you think of this one?"



Michael turned from the window displaying the busy street, and towards Su, who was holding up a flamboyant gypsy top in bright yellow, and grinning cheekily at him. Even dressed in the grubby outfit she'd called her "bargain-hunting gear," she looked beautiful. Michael grinned back, but shook his head.

"The color doesn't suit you. Besides, a gypsy is so commonplace. You should dress up as something really unique." He rummaged in the bins, and pulled out a pair of skin-tight black leather trousers. "What do you think of these?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Su couldn't help but laugh. His suggestion was ridiculous of course, but somehow, it seemed more possible with the suggestive look on his face. Her mind only seemed to be able to focus on what she really wanted to be doing. "Oh yes, I'm sure all the guys would appreciate it, too."

"I'm sure they would," Michael murmured, taking a step closer and wrapping an arm around her waist. "But I'm afraid they might have to answer to me if they try and do anything about it." He tilted her chin up for a kiss, which deepened almost at once, as Su wrapped her arms around his neck, and Michael's hands slipped down below her waistline to her bottom.

"Excuse me!"

The shrill voice of the thrift store's owner caused the couple to jump apart.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you behave so improperly!" the owner demanded, her penciled-in eyebrows rising spectacularly.

"We weren't finding anything here anyway," Michael muttered, grabbing Su's hand and exiting the store. Once they'd reached the street, both laughed aloud, and they wandered along until they'd reached the next store, which they entered promptly, heading straight for the sale rack.

Pushing the slight annoyance that Michael had seemed possessive out of her mind, Su went to work. Looking through the rack, she pulled out a priest costume. "How about this one for you?" she asked, grinning. It was ridiculous to even suggest, but that made it fun. "Or," she said grabbing another one off the rack, "this?" It was a Tarzan one, complete with loincloth.

Michael's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Are you completely mad?" he laughed. "I'd look utterly ridiculous." He scanned the rack for something more appealing, and found nothing--a pirate costume, a sailor suit, and a clown get-up, red squishy nose included in a little bag hanging from the hanger.

"I think I might be in the mood for something a little different," he said, frowning slightly. "All of these are little too...flamboyant for my taste." He grinned. "I'm not a quiet Ravenclaw boy for nothing. What do you say we head over to that side of the store?"

He indicated the opposite end, where the ordinary, non-costume apparel was kept; specifically, the back corner, where suits and gowns from as far back the seventeenth-century hung from special racks charmed to preserve the ancient garb. Even from the other side of the store, a resplendent blue velvet tunic had caught Michael's eye. Those old-fashioned clothes were much more his style.

Su followed his gaze. "Sure." They walked to the back of the store, where he immediately picked up a velvet tunic. "That would look nice on you. It will compliment your already gorgeous eyes," she commented absently before turning to look through the gowns. "I think I'd prefer to wear something more... fun for Halloween."

She turned and smiled at him, holding up a pair of trousers that would be skin-tight on him. "How about these to go along with it? I know I certainly would like to look at you in these."

Michael grinned, and draped both the tunic and the trousers over his arm to try on. He inspected a particularly pretty gown; it would look beautiful on Su, but still...

"I think I'm inclined to agree with you," Michael replied. "I'll admit I wouldn't object to seeing you in a costume with a little less fabric than this gown, as gorgeous as it is."

Su smiled, and glanced at the soft pink grown he had been looking at. "Why don't you go try those on," she suggested. "I'll keep looking." He nodded and walked away. Once he had turned the corner, she pulled the gown off the rack, checking the size, then went to the dressing area herself. A sign hung above the door of the dressing room that read "No trying things on magically, please". It was a safety measure to prevent shoplifters, albeit a useless one. She ducked inside the room and quickly changed into the gown, being careful with it, but still hoping to getting back to where she was before Michael did.

When she walked back to the back corner, wearing the gown, he was already there.

Michael's breath caught in his throat. He'd tried on the tunic, and the trousers, and decided against them, but he would wear them and look ridiculous if it meant Su would accompany him in this dress. She looked like a princess, her black hair spilling over her shoulders, and the low-cut bodice displaying her figure to its best advantage. All she needed was the crown.

"You look spectacular," Michael said, finally regaining the power of speech. He stepped towards her, and brushed some of her hair behind her ear, to better caress her cheek. "Absolutely beautiful."

Su smiled at him. Then looked down. "You think so? It feels strange actually." She looked back up at him and smiled shyly. "Did you try on the tunic and trousers? How did they look?"

"Terrible. I'm thinking the nineteenth-century would suit me better. Waistcoat and pocket watch and all of that. But you--you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in this gown!" Michael grinned. "Well, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen no matter what, but this dress suits you to perfection." He kissed her softly on the lips to emphasize the point, and then pulled back to admire her some more.

She was blushing. "If I get this, you should get something that goes with it," she suggested before thinking it through. Biting her lip, she mentally kicked herself. How can you be so stupid to assume that you two would be wearing the costumes at the same place, let alone that he would want to have matching costumes? Idiot, idiot, idiot. "Never mind," she said quickly, turning away from him as her blush deepened to look through the closest rack.

"I should," Michael agreed casually, combing through the racks for the waistcoat and trousers he had in mind. When he managed to find something close to his idea, including a top hat, he pulled them off the rack and grinned at her. Sticking the hat on his head, he glanced around and then shot Su a teasing look.

"Let's see how these two costumes match, hmm?" he proposed, making sure again that nobody was within eyesight, and then unbuckling his belt and dropping his jeans, to exchange his everyday trousers for the fancy pair that he'd picked out. Once those were on, he went to work on the shirt and waistcoat, peeling his button-down off, and then realizing he couldn't remove it because the wrist buttons were still fastened.

"Shit!" He heard voices approaching. "Lend me a hand, would you?" he laughed, offering his wrists to Su and holding back laughter.

Su bit back her laughter, as she unfastened the buttons. "There," she said with a smile. "But I think, when you change back, you might want to try to go into the fitting room." And I can join you, she added silently to herself.

"Only if you keep me company," Michael teased, as he buttoned the waistcoat and adjusted his top hat. "How do I look?" he asked.

Su walked over to him, leaning up to kiss him softly on the lips. "You look handsome. Then again, you always look handsome." Leaning up again, she kissed him, wrapping her arms around him. He deepened the kiss, pulling her body toward his. She closed her eyes, leaning into the kiss. One of her hands moved up to slide into into his hair, combing through it slowly. No one seemed to notice their display.

Michael ran his hands up and down the silky smooth velvet, and kissed Su first gently, and then with mounting passion. It was like something out of a fairy tale, with her princess gown and his top hat slipping down his forehead, and the quiet creaking of the musty thrift store. "You're perfect," he whispered against her lips, before kissing them again. "Absolutely, one hundred percent perfect."

Su grinned at him. "So? Do you think these costumes will work? Should we buy them? Or continue looking?" Deflecting compliments and other emotions that he expressed was becoming more and more difficult. In her mind, she figured it was too early for any real emotions to be invested into the relationship, especially since, according their office, there was no relationship. Moving away from him, she frowned. Damn it! No emotions. No emotions, she repeated to herself, feeling sad. She wanted emotions, especially with Michael.

"I think we ought to take them, don't you?" Michael suggested. He watched her face carefully, as a frown pulled the corners of her lips downwards, and pulled away slightly as well, although he did pause to run his hand over her sleek, soft hair. "We'd better go change out of them, hmm?"

He walked past her towards the dressing rooms, but Su didn't move. Michael turned, and came behind her, placing his mouth right by her ear, and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Smile, love," he whispered.

She sighed and forced a smile, but knew it didn't reach her eyes. "Come here," she said, pulling him into the women's dressing room when no one was watching. Capturing his mouth with hers, she decided that for now this was good. This is good enough for me.