Chapter seventeen:
Je t'aime
Harry, Ron and Victoria along with her parents stood at the gate on the flight to Paris. Victoria walked over and hugged her parents. "I'll see you in Paris." Victoria stated. Her parents looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Victoria. "Aren't you coming along on the flight?" Caroline asked. Victoria had planned for her and the two boys to use a portkey to Paris since it wasn't too far away and she didn't want to risk getting splinched if she overestimated her skill since it would be over seas. "No, I decided to use a magical route which will help us get there faster. We will check into the hotel and be all set for when you both arrive." Victoria explained with a smile. Both of her parents bid her goodbye before they boarded the flight. Victoria then went to walk back over to her nephew Harry and his friend, Ron. "Let's go to Dartmoor." Victoria stated. Harry furrowed his eyebrows is slight confusion. "Dartmoor? For what?" Harry asked as they exited the airport, carrying their luggage.
Victoria flashed a sly smile as they walked. "Oh I know what's in Dartmoor! We're using a portkey, like the one we used for the wizards cup months ago " Ron pointed out while following the two. They exited the airport and made their way down the busy streets of London, heading towards a more vacant area. "Correct! We will be traveling by portkey." Victoria replied, before they stopped in a vacant area in London, an abandoned warehouse that still stood. They all held hands as they clutched their luggage and Hedwig's cage in the other and apparated to Dartmoor. Upon arrival, they landed in a grassy, empty hilltop where Victoria began scanning for the portkey she had knowledge about. "What portkey?" Harry asked curiously. Victoria began walking in one direction that would lead near a cliff before spotting the bucket that sat there, forming a proud smile on her face. "This is the portkey. I had read about it, it's the same portkey that Newt Scamander used in the twenties. It goes directly to Paris from here, very useful." Victoria explained. Harry and Ron looked at each other for a moment before Victoria directed them to step through the bucket with her which swallowed them along with their luggage and they found themselves landed in a park called Buttes Chaumont in Paris.
There was another bucket next to a tree in the park that they had came out of from Dartmoor which seemed the bottom had been sunk into the ground and grass grown round it, having it stuck in the ground. Victoria and the two boys then made their way through Paris, heading towards the hotel that Victoria had made arrangements with for them. Approaching the Four Seasons Hotel in Paris, Victoria, Harry and Ron entered the lobby and approached the front desk. "Can I 'elp you?" the French woman asked, putting the cord phone back onto the receiver. Victoria let go of her luggage and fished through her purse to pull out her wallet. "Reservation for Hawthorne." Victoria replied, watching the woman type away on her computer before she looked back at Victoria. "Ze Connecting suite? And ze bird is going to be in ze suite too?" the French girl asked, her accent thick. Victoria nodded as Harry and Ron were curious at the name of the room. "Yes, that one and yes, she will be." Victoria replied. The French woman clicked more on her computer before stopping. "Can I zee your I.D. and i would need a credit card number entered until check out. Zere will be a zmall fee for ze bird." she stated. Victoria opened her wallet and got the two cards out, handing them to the French woman. "It's fine." Victoria replied, then the French woman went back to typing. "What's a connecting suite, exactly?" Ron asked Harry. Harry shrugged. "Suites are big rooms, that's all that I know...hey aunt Tori, what is it?" Harry asked curiously. Victoria smiled as she was handed back her cards and placed them back onto her wallet. "You'll see." Victoria replied before getting a set of key cards and signed a paper before grabbing her luggage again. " 'ave a good zay and thank you for choosing Four Zeasons." the French woman said as they walked off.
Looking for the room, the three of them had gotten into an elevator and Victoria pressed 'level 2' on the pad and the doors closed. Ron looked around as if he was in a whole different world, which technically they were but Harry and Victoria were more experienced in the muggle world. Once the doors flew open, they walked out and down the rugged, elegant hall. "Room 201..." Victoria said softly as she scanned the numbers on the doors they passed, noticing an ice machine in the hallway before coming to a halt at 201. "Alright, we're here." Victoria stated before taking one of the key cards and putting it in the slot then the green light flashed before opening the door to the suite. As they entered, the room was white with gold and white curtains, the two beds matched the curtains as well. The room had a door frame you walk through the middle to the second room that was dark blue and white, the entire suite was elegant. "This is a connecting suite, Harry. Which room would you and Ron prefer to share?" Victoria asked. Victoria would be sharing the other room with her parents while Harry and Ron got their own.
Harry and Ron walked through the suite, entering the second room that was dark blue and white before walking over to the middle doorway. "We'll take this room, the blue one." Harry replied while Ron nodded. "Yeah." Ron replied in addition. Victoria figured that they would and walked over to the bed near the window and air conditioner, setting her luggage on the ground while Harry and Ron picked their beds in the other room and relaxed, having Harry set Hedwig in her cage onto the table in their room. It would be about an hour before her parents would land at the Orly airport which she would have to take a cab to pick them up. Victoria took a seat at the end of her bed and looked through the directory, to what places to dine in and shop when Harry and Ron turned on the TV in their room. "Nearly every channel is in French." Harry pointed out, sighing as he left the TV on an English speaking muggle news channel to go through his bag. "I don't think we know French, Harry." Ron stated. Harry took out his wand as Hedwig began making noise in the cage. "I figured that out myself, thanks." Harry stated before turning his attention back onto the TV and sat back bed, he wanted to let Hedwig out for a little while but was unsure about in Paris but would do so anyway.
Victoria closed the directory and walked over to the large window in the room, pulling the curtains out of the way to see the Eiffel tower from a distance. Leaving the window, Victoria walked over the the middle door frame and turned to the boys. "I'm going to go get my parents, you two stay here in the suite...I mean it." Victoria informed, warning in a light manner towards the end. Harry wore a light smile as Ron gave a nod before turning back to the TV. Victoria exited the hotel suite and then the hotel, catching a cab to the airport. Victoria had returned the hotel about forty-five minutes later with her parents, having their luggage be put near their bed they'd share. "The hotel is quite extravagant, Henry." Claire noted. Victoria closed the door while her parents spoke among themselves. "Where are the boys?" Claire added. Victoria motioned to the connected room, the noise of the TV going on as the Harry and Ron laid on their beds - Harry practicing his spells with wand at hand with a box of Bertie Botts beside him and Ron was flipping through the channels as he munched on some licorice wands and had a box of a chocolate frog beside him.
"They're in here, mom." Victoria replied. Caroline and Henry walked over to the middle door to greet the two boys and noticed their buffet of sweets on their beds. "I sure hope they're hungry for dinner." Henry joked, forming a crooked smile. Harry looked up to see his aunt's parents. "Oh, yeah, definitely ready for dinner." Harry stated. Ron had just opened his chocolate frog and watched as it leaped out of the box and hopped from the bed and onto the floor towards Caroline and Henry. "Oh bloody hell." Ron muttered under his breath, getting up to go catch it but before he could, the frog leaped up from the ground and onto Caroline's left leg. Caroline noticed and began flipping out, trying to shake it off the frog that stuck onto her pantsuit covered leg. "No, no get it off! Get it off, Henry." Caroline demanded. Henry went over to grab it and handed it back to Ron. "It's not a real frog, just a spell." Ron explained, going back to sit on the bed. "Oh, right, well that's good." Caroline stated, brushing herself off before walking off. Henry kept back a chuckle. "We're going in a couple hours to Caroline and my favorite French restaurant which is downstairs here at the Four Seasons called Le Cinq." Henry stated before going over to relax on his bed.
The couple hours had passed and they went down to the restaurant for dinner, having been seated in the luxurious looking restaurant as the waiter handed them each a menu. They call looked at the menu, scanning through the dishes that had both a French and English translation before picking out what exactly they wanted to order. "What's is..es-car-got?" Ron asked curiously. Victoria's parents looked at each other for moment. "Escargot, dear." Caroline corrected. Ron turned his questions to Victoria. "It's snails with seasoning and sometimes butter." Victoria explained. Ron nodded briefly as if he understood before he leaned over to Harry to whisper into his ear. "Did you hear that? They eat snails here, bloody hell. You'd think when I barfed up slugs was enough to turn me away from escargot, what would?" Ron complained in a low tone. Harry couldn't hide a small smile from his best friend's complaining before looking back to the menu. "Then I guess you wouldn't be ordering escargot anytime soon?" Harry joked. "You got that right." Ron huffed, looking back to the menu.
The waiter came back to the table and the adults began to order from the menu. "We will have the shelled spider crab with a creamy coral emulsion for an appetizer...then for my main dish I will have the roasted and lightly smoked blue lobster with the sides." Caroline ordered. Henry ordered then ordered the line fished sea bass and Victoria ordered the black market beef, covered with truffled mozzarella. "Do you know what you want to order, boys?" Victoria asked curiously. The only thing that seemed appetizing to the teenagers was the spaghetti. "Erm..." Ron began before Harry went to speak. "I'll have the truffled spaghetti." Harry said, closing his menu. Ron closed his menu as well. "Yeah, I'll get that as well." Ron stated. The waiter walked away and while Victoria's parents talked amongst each other, Victoria mouthed 'we'll get something else tonight.' which Harry and Ron both nodded. Once the food arrived, Harry and Ron began eating their spaghetti, avoiding the spider crab appetizer.
After having cheesecake for dessert, they left the restaurant and headed back upstairs. Closing the door, Victoria watched as the boys went to their room and she walked over to her parents. "I'm going to take the boys out and show them the night time in Paris." Victoria informed her parents, who thought it was a good idea and walked to the boys room. "Let's head out to Paris." Victoria smiled softly. They headed out of the hotel room and went to a burgers and fries fast food restaurant, having Harry and Ron grab meals, which they scarved down, while Victoria just snacked on fries since she was full. Once they finished they went by the Eiffel tower that glowed in the night sky and headed back to the hotel for some sleep. The next day, they had gotten up for breakfast at a French breakfast restaurant called Lève tôt, which the boys got crepes with sausage and Victoria got a crepe with an egg in a cup on the side as her parents did as well with lattes to drink. After breakfast, they had went to sight see at the Eiffel tower and other popular tourist sights before splitting up - her parents went to the cathedral to look at before going back to the hotel whereas Victoria, Harry and Ron continued to look through the city.
As Victoria walked with Harry and Ron down the Square de l'Opéra-Louis Jouvet of Paris, she began thinking of picking up something special for Snape. They stopped by a few shops, having Harry get a souvenir along with Ron, which Victoria vouched to pay for before they headed further down the street. Spotting a shop, Victoria came to a halt, causing Harry and Ron to stop, curious on what Victoria was looking at. "Let's look at this shop." Victoria insisted, forming a smile on her face before entering the shop called Musée du Parfum which sold perfume and cologne. "Why are we shopping for perfume, Aunt Tori?" Harry asked curiously, looking at the glass bottles on the shelves are the store. "Because, I want to find a gift for someone..." Victoria clarified, scanning the shelves herself, hovering over towards the men's cologne section. "Let me guess, Professor Snape?" Ron whispered to Harry before Harry turned back to Victoria. "You aren't getting cologne for Professor Snape, are you?" Harry questioned, tone of suspicion. Victoria's green eyes darted from the bottles and into her nephew, surprised to hear the tone used. "Do you think he would like it?" Victoria asked with a genuine smile on her lips.
Harry and Ron looked at each other in slight disgust before Harry had a change of heart, having a cunning idea turn in his mind and looked back at his aunt. "Yes, I think it's a brilliant gift idea." Harry replied, placing a sly smile on his face, Ron began putting the pieces together and nodded as well with a fake smile. "He is around potions all day after all." Victoria stated before turning to the employee at the counter. "May I 'elp you?" the man at the counter asked. Victoria had her eyes on a couple of bottles of men's cologne as she went to speak. "Yes, I would like to buy a bottle of cologne for my..." Victoria was hesitant on saying 'boyfriend' in front of the two boys but knew they'd eventually figure it out anyway. "...for my boyfriend." Victoria added, flashing a slight shy smile. Harry and Ron seemed to not be fond of the idea but kept quiet. "I can zertainly 'elp you. Have any ideas on which cologne to view, madam?" the man asked. Victoria picked out two bottles of cologne, one being an Armani and the other was by Aramis. Victoria has smelled the first and then the second, deciding on the second which was Aramis, having the essences of bergamot, cumin and jasmine with notes of patchouli, amber and musk for a formal scent.
After getting the cologne and having it gift wrapped, Victoria paid for the box and they left the shop with her carrying the small bag and they headed to more sight seeing. Harry and Ron had gotten more souvenirs and stopped at another fast food spot for lunch before departing back to the hotel to rest. The next few days were basically the same before they were to head back to England and her parents back to America before New Year's Eve - her parents had plans back home for New Year's. December 30th had arrived and Victoria dropped off her parents at the airport after checking out of the hotel before she, Harry and Ron went back to the park, Buttes Chaumont. Standing by the bucket near the tree in the park with their luggage and Hedwig in her cage, Victoria, Harry and Ron stepped through the portkey and instantaneously they went through the portal and came out the other end in Dartmoor. They began walking down the hills, Victoria couldn't help but smile to herself at the gift she had for Snape. "Thank you for inviting me along, Miss...erm... professor Hawthorne." Ron thanked. As they approached the middle of the hills, Victoria held out her hand for them to take and hold onto. "Very welcome, Mr. Weasley." Victoria stated before they apparated from Dartmoor to street of Wallington.
Ron had stayed with Harry and Victoria until New Year's day since his family were still in Romania then went back home before everyone would return to school the following day. It was now January 2nd which meant that school was resuming. Victoria dropped off Harry at platform 9 3/4 for the Hogwarts Express before she headed back to Hogwarts with her briefcase in one hand and the cologne she bought for Snape in the other as she walked to the castle once she landed in Hogsmeade from Hogsmeade. Walking into the castle in her black heels and black slim dress, Victoria's ginger hair rested on her shoulders as she headed to her classroom and into her living quarters to set her briefcase down onto her bed. Once she was settled back in her living quarters, Victoria headed out of her classroom with the gift wrapped bottle of cologne in hand and kept it hidden when she went to Dumbledore's office to check in. "I see you have returned safely from France, Victoria." Dumbledore noted. Victoria smiled softly as she kept the cologne hidden behind her back. "Yes I have. I had came up here to inform you that I have arrived, headmaster." Victoria replied. Dumbledore nodded briefly before parting his lips in reply. "Ah yes, I see that. Well, Severus has just checked in as well as the rest of the staff. Go get settled back in." Dumbledore stated. Victoria quirked a brow at the mention of Snape, thinking the headmaster had knowledge of her relationship with the potions master before exiting the office.
Victoria headed to the dungeons towards Snape's office after leaving Dumbledore's office, to greet him with her gift. Entering through the potions classroom, she spotter his office door and placed her knuckles on the door to knock three times. A moment went by before the door opened a few inches by Snape before he fully opened the door after spotting Victoria. "Yes?" Snape asked, quivering a crooked smile towards Victoria. Victoria smiled shyly before parting her pink lips to speak. "Aren't you going to let me in?" Victoria asked in a teasing tone. Snape stepped aside, watching as she stepped inside before he closed the door behind her. "I brought you back a belated Christmas gift from France..." Victoria mentioned as Snape approached her, only inches away from her as she held up the small wrapped box that was in white and gold wrapping. Snape looked down at the present for a mere moment before turning his dark eyes back onto Victoria. "As captivating as it may be, I am however, pleased that you are back...safe and sound." Snape explained. Victoria locked her green eyes with Snape's dark ones as Snape placed his hand onto the small box and set it onto his desk, only breaking the gaze for a second before turning back to Victoria.
Before Victoria could speak a word, Snape brought up his sleeved, right hand to cup Victoria's left cheek and edged closer to gently press his lips against hers, kissing her tenderly. Victoria gave in and kissed him back just as tenderly, having the kiss start out with pure love before it began to become a little passionate for only a moment before Snape had pulled back. Victoria formed a bright smile on her lips as they parted, opening her eyes once again. "I suppose you truly had missed me over the holidays." Victoria pointed out as she watched Snape form a complacent smile before turning to his desk and inspected the gift that Victoria had brought. "Go on, open it." Victoria pressed. Snape rose a suspicious brow before unwrapping the gift, to spot a red box with the words 'Aramis' on it before he opened it further, to pull out a glass bottle filled with light yellow cologne with a black label with the same name from the box it came in. "Cologne?" Snape questioned, his tone remained flat as he turned to Victoria. Victoria pressed her lips together to prevent a chuckle from escaping at his reaction. "Yes, I'm hoping you'd wear it, the smell is quite alluring. Harry said you would love it." Victoria replied, flashing a crooked smile.
Snape squinted his eyes for a moment at the words mentioning Harry Potter had something to do with the cologne he had gotten before he eased them and composed himself, setting the glass bottle down onto his desk. "I see. However, I do appreciate the gift and the thought." Snape politely said, turning back to Victoria. Victoria placed her arms on her side, one hand fiddling with the side of her black dress for a moment. "Try some on, I want to see what you think." Victoria insisted. Snape was hesitant on doing so but felt the pressure to do so. Instead, Snape picked up the bottle once again and opened the cap to smell the essence of bergamot, cumin, jasmine, patchouli, amber and musk. "Smells exquisite, Victoria." Snape stated, placing it back onto the desk, closed. Victoria tilted her head slightly and folded her arms as she studied her boyfriend. "Please wear some. For me." Victoria smiled softly. Snape took it to count for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Tomorrow..." Snape trailed off in a flat tone. Victoria straightened her posture and walked up to give him a quick peck on the lips. "Good. I look forward to it." Victoria smiled before excusing herself to get her classroom and class work in order, having to grade the last of the essays. Snape watched as she exited his office and then pierced his eyes at the bottle of cologne, placing it into it's box and bringing it with him to his living quarters.