Open At The Close

EPOV

October 31st

Apparently, I'm the only cool teacher in this entire school that goes all out for such a momentous holiday. The board has a rule, no masks or weaponry allowed on the premises, and it's easy enough to follow.

My cloak is long. My round glasses are fake. My hair is naturally fucked up.

I stole my little sister's red lip liner and drew the lightning bolt on my forehead myself.

Kate will be pissed when she finds out, but I'm hoping that the party I'm letting her throw at my house tonight will make up for it.

A dead cheerleader enters my classroom. Her fake blood looks atrocious and her skirt is too short.

"Lauren, please tell me Mr. Greene hasn't seen you yet."

She giggles and teeters to her seat in the back among the jocks.

If I weren't such a cool teacher I'd send her to the office for a dress code violation. But it's my favorite holiday and I'm feeling generous.

A mummified football player enters the classroom.

"Looking good, Tyler."

"You too Mr. Potter-I mean Mr. Cullen."

Such a kiss ass.

I offered extra credit to the students that wore a costume. Three periods into the school day and I've given extra credit to every student on my roll call.

I Am King!

I pass out goodie bags full of sugary candies while I check attendance.

Tweaking the long green nose of my star pupil I lean down. "Angela, in case you missed it, today is Halloween. Where is your costume young lady?"

She giggles and ducks her head shyly.

I sneak her an extra goodie bag.

Angela is president of the Mathlete club.

My Mathlete club.

We were taught in school never to play favorites among our students, but I've always been a rebel.

"Now, everyone take out a sheet of paper."

They oblige.

"Pop Quiz."

They groan.

"I know it's cruel but if I don't do something teachy... the man will haul my butt out of here quicker than you can say Wingardium Leviosa."

"Gah, Mr. Cullen who knew you were such a nerd." Sam a.k.a. Thor cackles from the back row.

"Harry Potter is a classic thank you very much."

I'm a big fan, as if they didn't already know. I have a fake Hedwig sitting on the windowsill and I use quill or broom shaped pens. Not to mention the Harry Potter collectible stickers that line the side of my desk. Some of us have sick obsessions. Mine happens to be a boy wizard and his friends.

I pull the projector screen up revealing five difficult math problems.

"First one to get all the answers correct gets a special prize. No cheating or I'll hit you all with the Lumos curse."

It's a test.

Angela gives me a sideways look.

Ah, a fellow Potter-head. I knew I liked her for a reason.

It's no surprise when she stands up and hands me a sheet of paper with five correctly answered math problems. I pass her a plastic spider ring and a licorice wand I picked up the last time I ventured into Harry Potter World at Universal.

"Thanks, Mr. Cullen."

By the end of class, there is a trashcan full of empty candy wrappers and thirty-two teenagers hopped up on sugar.

I get invited to not one but three Halloween parties but decline the invitations. One, I'm a teacher and that would be weird. Two, I have to make sure my sister doesn't let her college friends destroy my collectible wand collection.

Yeah, I know. I'm a big ol' nerd.

By the end of the day, I've consumed more than a healthy amount of candy. I've got shaky hands and my stomach is tossing and turning.

Kate's already at the house with a couple of friends decorating for the party.

She rolls her eyes when I grab my boxed DVD set and carry it upstairs.

"I doubt anyone coming to this party would feel inclined to stealing your DVD's big brother." She calls.

"Not willing to risk it pipsqueak."

The cabinet holding my wand collection is locked after I return my borrowed Harry Wand, the original not the Elder Wand.

"Aren't you going to change?" Kate asks.

I hold out the end of my robes and shake my head. "Nope."

She rolls her eyes. "Just don't embarrass me, okay?"

"Would it embarrass you if I told you I wasn't wearing anything under my robes?"

Her face turns an unhealthy shade of puce. Her friends laugh and one of them calls me cute.

Don't I know it?

Guests begin arriving as I'm pouring copious amounts of alcohol into a giant bowl filled with fruit. Hunch punch is a delicacy, Grandma Cullen gave me the recipe before she died and I'll take it with me to the grave.

Sexy nurses, slutty nuns, a whorey firefighter and Jessica Rabbit all file in.

The music is probably too loud.

My best friend and his wife file in dressed like Frankenstein's monster and Bride of Frankenstein.

"Before you get all technical about the bride just remember that I let this big buffoon pick the costumes this year." Rose says. She uses both hands to stabilize her beehive hair while she kisses my cheek. "How goes it, Harry?"

I pass her a cup of punch and shrug. "Flying with nargles, that's all."

She snorts.

Emmett sighs. "Dude, you're never gonna get laid."

"Sure I will. Leaky Con is in a few months." I wag my eyebrows. "I'll get all the tail. All of it."

He crushes the red solo cup and tosses it on the counter before stalking off.

"He loves you and your crazy nerdy ass." Rose laughs. "Come find me in a bit. Ali and Jazz should be here soon. We'll do shots."

I wave goodbye with the punch ladle.

Skanky looking Marilyn Monroe, promiscuous Jersey Shore floozy… your everyday run of the mill half-naked maid.

It's a sea of flesh and heavily perfumed women.

More than a few try their hand at getting a little closer to me, but I decline invitations to the makeshift dance floor a.k.a. my living room and back deck.

I've just passed on punch duty to one of the floozies when I catch a glimpse of maroon, gold stripes, and frizzy brown hair.

I can't help but follow her into the living room. She's swaying back and forth, her robes gliding along my hardwood floors.

My. Hard. Wood- let's not even go there.

I can tell she's laughing at the sign on the broom closet under the stairs. I found it at Leaky Con a couple years back and just had to buy it.

Her side profile is beautiful. She's no Hermione Granger but I'll give it to her... she's pretty hot.

I straighten my Gryffindor tie and am about to introduce myself to this witch in a sea of muggles when a modestly dressed nurse steps in front of me.

"Bella, you made it!"

My spirits lift.

I know that squeaky voice.

Alice, Rose's sister actually knows this witch?

"Yeah, sorry I'm late." Her voice is smooth like butterbeer.

Be still my nerdy fucking heart.

"Let me guess... car trouble?" Alice asks.

"No, missed the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters by a minute and a half." She snaps her fingers.

Merlin's beard, I think she's cast a spell on me. My heart is beating really fast and my pants are tightening underneath my robes.

There's a crash somewhere behind me and she looks up and over Alice's shoulder.

Our eyes lock.

I am stupefied.

My breath is caught in my throat.

"Harry." She whispers.

…

The dark brown eyes catch me off-guard renders me immobile and takes me back to Leaky Con in Orlando a year ago.

She won first place in a costume contest knocking me down to second. To make up for it, she invited me to the viewing of the final installment of Harry Potter using the tickets she had won. We shared popcorn and fire-whiskey from a flask I snuck into the theater.

She turned down a flirting Ronald Weasley and took me back to my hotel room at the resort. After an impromptu game of naked quidditch, she let me enter her chamber of secrets only to dissipate the next morning before I woke up.

I genuinely tried to find her the next day, but with everything going on at the convention, it was difficult. Ministry of Magic was playing and they happen to be my favorite wizard rock band but I couldn't get the girl with the golden snitch panties out of my head.

Three days later, I packed my Nimbus 2000 and went home with said panties tucked away in my trunk.

But here she is, standing in front of me and I feel like I've taken a vile of Felix Felicis before the party.

"Um… Hello?" Alice sings waving her hand in front of my face. "What's wrong with you?"

Herm-Bella, her real name is Bella, takes a step forward and smiles.

"We met last year at Leaky Con."

Alice looks confused for a fraction of a moment before her face flushes.

"You mean Edward is the Harry that rocked your world with his basilisk?" She stammers. "Holy fuck what are the chances?"

Bella reaches out and tugs at the sleeve of my cloak. "I think what Alice is trying to say is what are the odds that we ran into each other after all this time?"

"I thought you were from the west coast?" I question.

"I was…"

Alice coughs nervously. "Oh, there's my hubby. Edward, take care of Bella, would you? She's new to the area and doesn't know anyone. Bye, y'all."

We're alone.

And she's so beautiful.

"So." I start.

"So… this is your place?"

I nod.

"When Alice told me her nerdy Harry Potter friend was hosting a Halloween party, I never thought it would be you." She smirks. "But I'm kind of glad it is."

"And why is that?"

She takes a step towards me, pulls me down by my tie and breathes in my ear. "You stole my golden snitch panties, Harry."

I grip her cloak and pull her close. "Haven't you heard? I'm the greatest seeker of the century?"