Chapter: Ask Her

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….. A Couple Weeks Later: …..

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After the heated conversation with Severus in her classroom, Octavia and Severus had their awkward exchanges after that. They tried to go back to small talk, yet they were walking on eggshells around one another to try not to set off some sort of argument or disagreement between each other again.

When Valentine's Day came around, Octavia was bombarded by Cato and Isaac in her classroom.

"Where's the fire? What is going on? Shouldn't you two be at breakfast?"

"You have to see what Professor Lockhart did to the Great Hall." Cato said breathlessly as he grabbed Octavia by her right hand to begin leading her toward the Great Hall.

"Is it bad?"

"It's horrifying." Isaac said, shivering visibly.

"Come on, you two. How bad could Lockhart go with Valentine D—"She stop talking at the sight.

She stood in the Great Hall entrance with her mouth agape with her eyes beginning to widen.

"See." Cato mumbled, letting go of her hand as he wince at the bright pink.

The whole Great Hall was decorated to fit the Valentine's Day theme. The ceiling had been enchanted to have pink hearts falling. The banners were turn into bright pink and red with hearts and 'xoxo' appear across them. The food on the table was all in pink. Everything in the room got a pink and red makeover.

The sight of statue cupids that were flying around, singing love notes to students and singing love songs with high pitch tones was making Octavia to twitch.

"Too much pink." Octavia whispered as she began to make her way toward the staff table with a traumatized look set on her face.

Her eyes kept staring around at the decoration of the Great Hall as she lower herself in her seat, still not believing that this was happening.

"Gilderoy had really outdone himself." Severus said as he sat beside her.

"I'm surprised you're here in all this pink."

"I'm surprised myself." Severus mumbled as he picked up his drink then growled as he saw the liquid inside turn pink.

When a stone cupid statue appeared in front of Octavia, her eyes widen with horror in them.

"I have a message from Gilderoy Lockhart to the lovely Ms. Octavia Flamel." The small stone statue cupid said.

When the stone cupid statue open its mouth to sing, Octavia whipped her wand out and pointed the end right at the stone cupid statue with narrow eyes.

"You sing one word to me and you will become stone gravel that will be added to my walkway up to my house. So, I suggest you decide your fate and proceed with caution." Octavia growled with narrowed eyes.

The cupid gone wide eyes, and then flew off screaming.

"That is what I thought." Octavia mumbled, tucking her wand away.

There was a low chuckle to her right that made her to glance to her right. Severus was trying to hide his chuckling behind a napkin, but failing to do so. He set the napkin down to pick up a fork and knife in either hands to eat his breakfast while trying to ignore the vibrant colors around them.

"You do know Lockhart is throwing a dance tonight too. He managed to persuade Dumbledore to bring the Valentine's Day Dance back."

"Oh this gets better and better." Octavia muttered as she began to stack light pink heart shape pancakes onto her plate.

As Octavia was beginning to eat, a vase with a single flower appeared in front of her plate. Her eyebrow raise at the sight of the flower, but she collected herself right away. She shot a glare down the long table directly at Gilderoy, but saw he was in a conversation with Flitwick. Since Gilderoy couldn't be the culprit—since he can't multitask—Octavia's eyes were back on the light blue rose that sat in the vase. She continued to stare at the rose, but then realization struck her as she remembered where she saw a rose this color.

This time her eyes shot over to Severus.

"You don't have to do this." She whispered.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do."

Octavia opened her mouth to say something in return, but she shut her mouth. Her eyes were back on the flower where she reached out with her right hand to brush her fingertips against one of the smooth light blue petals.

"You gave me one in a vase when I got an apprenticeship for training as a mediwitch." Octavia grinned, but it waver a little as she came to see that Severus did do something for her that he was not obligated to do.

Severus was glancing at Octavia in the corner of his eyes, watching the smile on her lips at the sight of the light blue rose. She kept touching the petals, and her whole expression was of happiness. The sight of her happiness began to make him feel good that he managed to bring that emotion to her.

"You don't have to prove yourself, Severus."

"Octavia can you please just shut it."

Octavia eyebrows shot up as she stared at Severus, who in return gave a smirk. She gave a small nod with a small grin, knowing he was trying to do right by her.

After breakfast, Octavia had the vest pressed against her chest. She left the Great Hall as quick as possible, not wanting anyone to question about the flower.

Severus grinned as he watched Octavia leave the Great Hall with the vase pressed closely to her, not wanting any harm to come to the delicate rose. The tiniest of grins slid on his lips as he did something right for Octavia.

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Throughout the day there had been a good amount of points being docked off from all four houses. There were also a considerable amount of detentions too. With the way that the students got all hormonal over each other due to this particular day, it made the students not pay much attention to the lessons in the classroom. There were a good amount of tardiness to class and there was a good amount of snogging going around throughout the castle hallways.

Octavia had decided last week that she would go along with the Valentines theme as apart of her lesson in class. For a special lesson, she was teaching about love potions and how to treat a patient that had been under the influence of any sort of love potions or items.

She was happy that the student found the subject interesting, especially on Valentine's Day. There had been a few giggles that erupted through the class when they learned how intense a love potion could get. It was also amusing when one of the students asked to try some, but Octavia quickly said no, and mentioned that there was enough hormones going around the school. The students laughed once again.

The students were sent off with homework that focus on the various love potions, and they had to write a twelve inch paper on the strongest love potion—Amortentia. The students had to explain the effects, and then explain, was it true love when someone drank it.

Octavia left an extra credit part for the students asking a question on whether love potions could potentially become true love. And can it help someone to become in love with the person after the effects wear off or was love potions a one and done deal, not being true love at all. The extra credit questions had the students bursting to find answers, and finding the extra credit question intriguing and the type of question where they could express their opinions without a wrong answer.

The seventh years would be the next lot of students that entered her classroom, but on particular days such as a Friday, the seventh years would not show up until after lunch. That gave Octavia enough time to set up the mannequins on the table. She put out love potions to use on the mannequins for the seventh year students. They would have to figure out how to treat someone under the various love potions abilities.

"It seems that you created quite the conversation amongst the sixth years." A familiar deep voice drawled from her classroom doorway.

Octavia paused in arranging the love potions from weakest to strongest on the table that she set up in front of the class near the chalkboard. Her eyes flicker to the doorway where Severus leaned against the doorway, eyeing her with a grin and his arms coming to cross over his chest.

"Did I?" Octavia grinned.

Of course she knew that the students were babbling about the extra credit. Those students would not stop talking as they left the classroom, discussing to each other about their opinions about the extra credit questions.

Octavia hoped that she would have both sixth and seventh years express their opinions about love potions and the effects when consumed. The extra credit was the one that she was looking most forward too.

"Indeed, and I even got a brave soul to ask me about making a love potion."

"I assume you told them no." Octavia replied, resting her hands on the table behind the arranged love potions while keeping her eyes on Severus.

"Of course."

A shake of her head and a grin slid onto her lips.

"That is the last thing we need when we already have enough hormonal teenagers running around." Severus told her.

Octavia shut her eyes as she thought about that statement. She nod with a wincing face as she could imagine how catastrophic that could end up. With love potions being slipped to the student body, Severus was right. There were already enough hormonal teenagers through the four houses, but to add a love potion to the mix, now that would end badly.

"True." Octavia open her eyes to flicker up to meet his stare.

The sound of the bell ringing made Severus to stand up straight from leaning against the doorway. It was lunch time making Severus eyes to flicker around her classroom until his eyes were back onto Octavia.

"Do you mind if I walk you to lunch?"

Octavia walked around the table and made way toward Severus with a tilt of her head. She was studying the way on his efforts to try holding a straight expression while keeping his eyes upon her.

"No, I do not mind." Octavia replied with a small grin as she came to a stop before him.

Shutting the classroom door behind her and a flick of the wand to lock it, Octavia walked alongside Severus down the hallways to head to the Great Hall.

As the two walked alongside one another, Severus was glancing down at her. He wanted to ask her if she would be going to the Valentine's Day ball tonight. And if she was going, would she be going with anyone. Even though Severus curiosity was burning inside of him, he would not ask her.

The two tried not to wince as they entered the Valentine's Day decorations that decorated Great Hall. The two sat down beside one another at the staff table where plates filled with lunch foods appeared. There was little conversation amongst the staff, all except Lockhart, who would not shut his mouth about everything Valentine's Day related.

When Severus was leaving the Great Hall, he was grabbed by the forearm and ripped away from everyone's sight. He snatched his arm back from his grabber, whirling on them to snap at them for this daring action. Although, Severus bit his tongue when he found himself stare into the silver blue eyes of Cato.

"What are you doing, Mr. Flamel?"

"Would you cut it out with the formal stuff? Seriously?" Cato replied with screwed up face that reminder Severus of himself.

Severus was a little surprise that no one connected the dots and pointed out the resemblance between Severus and Cato. If the two would to stand side by side with each other, it was clear that the two of them were related. But then again, Cato did get Octavia's eye shape, eye color and nose, which Severus was thankful for the latter.

"What do you want then?"

"I was wondering if you asked mom to the ball tonight."

Rapidly blinking, Severus open his mouth to reply, but found nothing was processing in his mind to come out of his mouth. He shut his mouth which caused Cato to sigh and shake his head. Severus speechlessness said enough for Cato.

"Listen, I have a feeling that you never truly asked her to a dance or even dance with her."

"How do…"

"Because growing up, the stories she told me about you, I could see that she lied about how you always danced with her. I'm pretty good with picking up a lie, especially when her voice lowered through her explanation." Cato answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he continue to give Severus a sharp glare.

"You want me to ask her? If you hadn't noticed, I am not one to go to these events."

"And if you hadn't noticed, you been eyeing her since she arrived here. Stop trying to uphold your reputation of being the dungeon bat and being miserable all the time. Ask her. Its sort of obvious with how you are actually trying to make it up to her… which is a bit surprising." Cato mumbled the last part to himself.

Severus eyes narrowed on Cato as he caught the last part of Cato comment.

"And why did you say it like that?" Severus snapped.

"Because you didn't show appreciation to her back then…"

"Stop yourself right there."

"Well, I am just telling you. If you want to continue making it up to her, ask her to dance. Even if it's not at the ball. Just dance." Cato walked around Severus to head off to class.

"Is that what she really wants?"

"It is what she always wanted." Cato said over his shoulder as he continue to walk away.

Severus stood back to watch the back of Cato walk away. He looked away once Cato was gone from his view to stare at the ground. He knew that what Cato said was true. There was no argument there.

Looking up, Severus began to make his way into the direction of his classrooms, not even paying attention to students actions throughout the hallways where he would usually dock points off. He was too deep in thinking about Octavia and a single dance.

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