Spring 2029
Lyra watched her N.E.W.T students quietly from the front of the room. She had not expected her first year of full time teaching to go this smoothly, especially when she was teaching her baby brother. Her father had made a point to remind her to treat Caelum like any other student, as he always had. Lyra had no issue treating Caelum fairly. He honestly seemed like any other student to her, just another sixteen year old boy trying to do his best. Like any other teenage boy, however, he seemed slightly preoccupied during most lessons.
Over the past few months, Lyra had noticed his propensity for picking the same partner for every potions class. This was not altogether unusual, but it was his behavior with said classmate that interested her. The Ravenclaw N.E.W.T level Potions class happened to be shared with the Hufflepuffs. Once, over tea with her fathers one afternoon, she had casually mentioned this and they had smiled to each other knowingly.
"What am I missing here? Why is that significant?" Lyra had asked.
Harry smirked, "Let me guess, Caelum's been a blundering mess in class?"
"No, why would he be? He's actually the best in the room, aside from me of course," Lyra added unnecessarily.
"Let me guess," Draco said, "He always has the same partner in class and it's a Hufflepuff girl with curly blonde hair?"
"Yeah, how did you know that?"
"Isn't it obvious? I've seen it before, she's Neville's daughter, Daisy. He had a defence class with her a couple years ago. He was always clamming up around her. I just assumed he had a crush, but eventually it seemed to die out. Neville told me last year how distressed she was, thinking Caelum hated her for some reason," Harry explained.
Draco interrupted, "He had been so engrossed in his schooling last year he had totally forgotten about her, and pretty much anyone that wasn't Neil."
"Wait who's Neil?" Lyra asked, her head swimming.
"His best friend. Honestly, Ly, keep up," Harry teased, "You gotta keep tabs on all the student gossip. It really does help to know why so-and-so might be sobbing for no reason."
Lyra nodded slowly, "Okay, if you say so. Anyway, you were saying about Caelum?"
"Right, well," Harry continued, "According to Neville, she's had a crush on him for a little while now. They actually had a sort of date in Hogsmeade last July. Hannah and I had bets that they would come back officially dating one another, but apparently they're both oblivious or cripplingly shy. Keep your eye on them though, just don't let on what you know."
So, Lyra had done just that. But as far as she could tell, the two seemed to just be really wonderful friends. They made an excellent team in class and always had the best brews. It was only when she made a circuit through class on that warm March day that she picked up on something.
Caelum was sorting through a pile of porcupine quills, looking for the longest ones. Daisy, meanwhile, was busy at work crushing sopophorous beans and squeezing the juice into a small bowl in front of her. Despite their distinct focus on their work, the two were chatting away.
"So who lost Hufflepuff twenty points the other day? I want to thank them on behalf of Ravenclaw for putting us in the lead," Caelum spoke softly, but his playful tone was clear.
"Oh, shut up," Daisy huffed as she paused to put her unruly hair up in a sloppy bun, "We're still kicking your team's ass in Quidditch, I might point out."
"Hey, they had a serious morale loss after my brother's shenanigans last year, okay? It's not their fault."
"Oh yeah, pin the blame on your brother. Real mature, Cael," She said, playfully nudging his ribs with her elbow.
"Just because you're of age and I'm not does not mean that you're more mature than me, I don't know how many times I've got to tell you that," He said through a grin. He picked up a stubby, dull porcupine quill and poked the back of her hand to make a point.
She rolled her eyes and flicked an empty bean shell across the table at him. The two snickered to themselves as they continued to pelt random materials at each other.
Lyra cleared her throat as she walked by their table.
The young students snapped to attention and quickly went back to their work. Despite their silence, when Lyra looked over her shoulder they were still smiling to themselves. She rolled her eyes surreptitiously and went back to checking in on the potions being brewed.
"Your sister's not as much of a hardass as you made her out to be," Daisy whispered.
Caelum shrugged, "Freddie must have mellowed her out over the years. She used to be way more evil, I swear. There's a reason she's head of Slytherin house."
"Oh, don't be so cliche," She said, "That doesn't make her evil. How's she doing now that she's living with him?"
Thanks to their growing friendship, Daisy had become quite familiar with Caelum's family gossip. Likewise, he had learned all about her small family dynamics. She often expressed jealousy that he had such a massive extended family, since she comparatively only had her parents, her brother, and a three cousins.
Caelum glanced up to make sure Lyra wasn't within hearing distance before muttering, "Really well, actually. Want to know a secret?"
"Always," She grinned, leaning closer toward Caelum.
While the professor's back was turned, Caelum cupped a hand around her ear and whispered, "Freddie's going to ask Lyra to marry him."
"Merlin's beard, when?!" Daisy shouted without thinking.
The entire room turned and stared at her and Caelum, both of whom looked like deer in headlights. Daisy floundered momentarily before coming up with a good excuse, "I mean — when are we supposed to stir in the peppermint again?" She squinted at the blackboard, "Oh, right. Of course. Silly me."
Her classmates seemed to dismiss her antics and returned to their own work. Lyra, however, was suspicious.
"You can't tell anyone," Caelum insisted in a hurried whisper, "I don't want word to get out that Professor Potter-Malfoy is about to become Professor Weasley."
"Of course, I won't breathe a word of it. Sorry, I was just really surprised."
"I don't know why, they've been dating since before I came to school."
"I guess you have a point. They're both so new to me, it feels like they've only just begun," Daisy explained as she stirred the potion in the cauldron before adding the peppermint sprigs. "It's a shame I haven't met your family yet."
"Yeah? You actually want to meet my family outside of Hogwarts?"
She nodded, "Of course. We talk about them enough. You could always come over and meet my mum and dad."
"Technically, I've already met your mum and dad," Caelum pointed out.
She sighed, "Yes, well, mum's very different when she's not in uniform. Dad, not so much, but still. They'd love to meet you properly some time."
"Hm," Caelum hummed in thought as he poured in the sopophorous juice into the cauldron, "I don't know, Daze. My family's really overbearing and intense. They're always snooping. If I take you home they'll think we're dating or something."
Daisy frowned when Caelum wasn't looking, but forced herself to smile again as she added the wormwood and began stirring the potion again, "Well, so what? We know we're friends, that's all that matters, right?"
"You got me there. Maybe once summer starts we can be properly introduced to each other's families," Caelum suggested.
Daisy bottled their Euphoria Elixir. It was glowing gold, a sure sign that it had been made perfectly. "If only your family employed more nepotism. We ought to get bonus points for this," She said.
"Well, we may not get bonus points, but I don't see any reason why we shouldn't at least enjoy the fruits of our labor," Caelum murmured. He glanced around to ensure nobody was looking before taking another vial and filling it to the brim with the leftover potion in the cauldron. He quickly corked the vial and slipped it into his pocket. Daisy smiled wistfully at him, but said nothing. She knew there was no harm in a little bottle of happiness.
After they had brought their sample vial to Lyra's desk at the front of the room and emptied their cauldron, Lyra dismissed the class a few minutes before the bell. Before Caelum could vanish, she caught his eye and gestured for him to stay behind.
He exchanged a look with Daisy, "You go ahead, I'll see you in Defence later."
"No, no, it's fine. I'll wait. I haven't got anywhere to be," She assured him before leaving the room and waiting patiently in the hall to give him some privacy with his sister.
Caelum walked up to his sister, "What?"
"Is that the kind of tone you use with all your professors?" Lyra frowned.
"No, just you and dad. What's up?"
"I have a science question for you. How is it that despite the fact that you share none of dad's DNA you have the same vision problems he has? You might even be more blind than him," Lyra said with mock curiosity as she crossed her arms.
"What on earth are you going on about?" Caelum rolled his eyes.
Lyra gesticulated toward the shut door and spoke in a hushed tone, "Hello? That girl's head over heels for you and you think you're just friends?"
"Daisy?"
"No, the sopophorous beans," Lyra said, "Yes, of course I'm talking about Daisy you dolt. You're supposed to be in Ravenclaw, where are your brains?"
"What are you going on about? Were you eavesdropping?" Caelum asked irritably, hiding his anxiety that he might have spoiled his sister's surprise.
"It's hard to not hear you two. You never shut up. She's clearly been flirting with you all through class. As your professor, I don't care because it's not detracting from your ability to do well in class. As your sister?" She shoved his arm gently, "I'm super annoyed! Stop distracting me with your stupidity and go ask her out already. She's clearly into you."
"I dunno, Ly, I think you're reading into things. We're only friends," Caelum said, "Just because she's a girl and I'm a boy does not mean we have to date."
"No, of course it doesn't, but answer me this: if you walk into the Great Hall for dinner, do you look for her first? Do you think about telling her every little thing that happens to you in a day? Do you spend all of your time in interhouse areas so you don't have to be separated?" Lyra pestered her baby brother, reflecting on her own experiences from when she was dating Freddie.
"Just stop," Caelum said sharply, "I don't need you to butt into my life like this. I can take care of myself, thanks. I gotta go, I'm going to be late for Defence."
He turned away from his sister, who stood in shocked silence. They both knew he was lying, sixth years always had a significant break between classes, but it didn't matter. Caelum just wanted to get away from her. What did his sister know anyway? There was no way that Daisy had any interest in him. How could she? Well, he thought to himself, you might not be the most dashing but you are bloody brilliant. The thought brought him no comfort.
He burst out of the classroom door and blazed down the hall a few feet before hearing footsteps behind him.
"Wait up!" Daisy complained as she practically jogged to catch up with Caelum. "What's wrong?" She asked as she finally got close to him.
"Nothing," Caelum said bluntly as she caught up to him. She gave him an admonishing look and he sighed, "Sorry. I don't mean to be cross. It's nothing though. My sister's just a pain in the ass sometimes."
"I get that. Rowan's always being a git to me too," Daisy commiserated.
"I thought you two were close?"
"Of course we are, but that doesn't mean he's not insufferable at times. No offense, but most boys are insensitive at times," She explained, "He's always saying something harsh when he's mad or throwing a fit over small things. He's much better now that he's grown up and acting like an actual adult though."
"Yeah, that's fair," Caelum replied before adding, "But it's really hard when your siblings are grown up and you're … not. Don't you think?"
She considered this for a moment before replying, "It can be. Rowan's usually not patient enough to listen to what's going on in my life. He seems to think that everything he experiences is way harder than whatever I'm going through. But at the same time, it's nice to have someone who's less judgemental than my parents to talk to about adult things. He answers me honestly, because he knows I can handle it. I can't ask dating advice from my dad after all."
"Dating advice? Since when do you need dating advice?" Caelum asked, picking at the cuticles around his nails without noticing.
"Y'know, when I was dating the Slytherin guy?" She reminded him calmly, glancing at him, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, honestly," He insisted, shoving his hands in his pockets. She knew him well enough now to recognize the cues that he was anxious.
"If you insist," She sighed, "Did you want to go and study before class?"
He shook his head. The two walked on through the halls in silence for a moment. Caelum was still fixated on what his sister had asked him. Was he actually interested in his friend? Was this how Neil had felt? He rationalized that ever since Neil had started dating Peter Jacobs at the end of fifth year, he had spent more and more time with Daisy instead of his friend. After all, there was an intimacy between Peter and Neil that Caelum couldn't compete with. He and his best friend still told each other everything, but he knew that he wasn't going to be the center of Neil's universe anymore. Had Daisy become his center?
"Where are we going?" She interrupted his reverie.
He blinked and glanced around, not aware of where he had been walking, "Oh. Um. I don't know. I just, sort of started walking and didn't really think."
"Really? Because from here it looks like you're doing nothing but thinking," She pointed out with a small smile, "C'mon, fess up. What's bothering you? I can tell something's off."
"How?"
"Because when you get obsessed with something you lose track of everything else. You don't notice anything around you and your eyes sort of glaze over."
Caelum was amazed that she had noticed such small details in his behavior. In truth, she was chiefly aware of this because of her experiences last year in trying to get his attention. He swallowed hard. He didn't want to say that she was what he was thinking about. He didn't want to make things weird for her. He looked at her blankly, shrugging his shoulders.
She rolled her eyes playfully and took his arm in hers, "Come on, I know just the place to go."
He followed her lead, trying not to notice people glancing their way. They looked like a couple like this, arm in arm. Caelum hated to admit he thought it cute. This wasn't unlike them either. On occasion, Daisy would grab his hand or arm as they went around the castle grounds between classes. Do you spend all of your time in interhouse areas? His sister's question echoed in his mind. It was true. They did do that. When it had been too cold to walk the grounds in the winter, they had often spent time together in the Great Hall or the library. Sometimes it was purely academic, but other times it was just the two of them hanging out.
Daisy led them quietly through the halls to the front door. They stepped out onto the lush green grounds. Caelum hadn't even noticed spring's arrival last week. The sun was brighter than it had been in months and he could distantly make out the sound of bird calls. He smiled reflexively. It was his favorite time of year. He didn't notice Daisy gazing up at him. She loved seeing him smile like that. She tugged on his arm and they trotted down the front steps of the castle and began wandering aimlessly through the verdant grass.
"Sooo," She crooned, "Tell me what's got you all riled up."
"I don't know if I can," He admitted. His stomach was convulsing into knots. In the back of his head, he knew that if he felt this panicked it was probably because he did, in fact, like her. It had never really occurred to him before. He had always liked her, of course, but this feeling was weird and new. Or had it been there for awhile and he had just ignored it?
"Of course you can, silly," She insisted, "You know you can tell me anything."
"I don't know…"
She let go of his arm and slowed her steps beside him. She turned to look at him, curiosity etched in the curve of her brow, "Please?"
Despite the rock lodged in his windpipe, Caelum knew he couldn't say no to her sincerity and sweetness. He took a slow breath as they came to a halt, "My sister thinks … that, er, you're interested in me or something and that I need to pluck up the nerve to ask you out." As he spoke his face began to turn pink. He looked away, fussing with his hair unnecessarily, another nervous tendency he had had for years.
Daisy's eyes widened and her breathing stopped momentarily. This wasn't what she had been expecting him to say. The two stood in awkward silence for a painfully long time. She wasn't sure what to do, he wasn't sure what to say. Finally, she broke the tension by forcing herself to speak through her nervousness, "Well, I guess I'm not surprised. Your sister is really smart after all. She isn't wrong. I do like you."
He turned to her and shrugged, "Well, obviously, but I think she meant like, y'know,"
"Yeah, I got that. Caelum, I mean it. I really like you. I have for awhile. You've just, kind of been oblivious to the hints I've dropped," She smiled sheepishly.
"What? You dropped hints?"
"My point exactly," She laughed.
His blush darkened, "Wait, was that why you kept trying to hang out with me last year?"
"Yeah, even that Slytherin guy was just a way to try and make you jealous. Didn't work, obviously, but I tried. I'm actually really glad you didn't notice though. I had a serious issue. I was infatuated and it was really unhealthy. It was like you were some sort of distant celebrity in my mind. But when we hung out this summer … I don't know. That sort of went away and I just got to know the real you. I fell for you, Cael. All of you. Even the anxious, overworked parts," She added as she glanced at his hand where his fingertips were bleeding slightly.
There was a faint ringing in his ears. He was in disbelief. How had he not noticed two different people in his life had had feelings for him? He chewed on his lip nervously, unsure what to say now.
Inexplicably, Daisy laughed, "You're really at a loss now aren't you?"
He nodded.
"Well, it's pretty straightforward, Cael," She explained, "If you like me back, we go on a date and see how that goes. If you don't, then we keep on being friends like before."
"It's that easy?" He asked. He didn't know why he was so scared. He could recognize now that he had growing feelings for her, and she had just confessed the same. This was supposed to be a delightful moment, but a part of him kept panicking internally. What if they didn't actually make a good couple? What if she secretly has some terrible habit he couldn't stand? What if they broke up and they never spoke again?
"It's that easy," She smiled, hiding her own panic. What was about to happen? Would he kiss her? Her lips were chapped from the dry air. Did her breath smell bad? She tried to remember everything she had eaten that day but came up blank. And what if he didn't actually like her? What if she had just confessed her feelings for nothing? What if this ruined them? What if they actually couldn't go back to being regular friends?
He remained silent, looking around nervously.
"Caelum."
"What?" He asked, flinching a bit in surprise. He was caught up in his own head again.
"Are you freaking out in that big head of yours?"
He nodded emphatically, "Yes. Absolutely."
Her own nervousness dissolved. If he was this scared, he must have been thinking the same way she was. She smiled gently, "Okay, don't worry. I'll make this easy for you. Do you want to go out on a date with me this weekend?"
He balked for a moment before choking out, "Y-yes."
"Excellent," She beamed, "Would it be alright if I hugged you? You look like you could use one right about now."
He nodded and she swooped into him. She coiled her arms around him, breathing a sigh of relief as she tucked her head down against his shoulder. She felt his muscles relax against her as he let out the breath he had been holding. They stayed this way for a few heartbeats before Daisy gently let go and took a step back. She knew how anxious he could be, she didn't want to rush things with him. He smiled shyly at her, his blush slowly fading.
A thought suddenly occurred to her. She checked her watch, "Oh, shit. We gotta hurry or we'll be late for Defence. C'mon, let's go!" Without much thought she reached for his hand and yanked him back toward the school.
He tried not to overthink the fact that they were holding hands, and instead focused on putting one foot in front of the other as fast as he could.
They managed to make it in the knick of time, but forgot to let go of one another's hands until they took their seats in the classroom. It didn't escape Harry's notice. As he turned to write on the blackboard, he couldn't help but smile to himself.