The next day, Severus made sure that his schedule was clear for the
evening. He wanted to be able to spend time with Rolanda. After work was
done and dinner was finished, Rolanda slipped her hand into Severus' and
they tiptoed out of the Great Hall nearly unseen. Half and hour later, the
two met down at the entry hall, Severus dressed down in black slacks, a
dark blue shirt with the top buttons left open and a sport coat over the
top. His hair was slicked back and drawn into a short ponytail at the nape
of his neck. Rolanda stepped carefully down the stairs in a short,
sleeveless dark blue dress that hugged all the right curves. There were
little shiny blue stars in her spiky hair, and the perfect pair of strappy
black heels completed her outfit. Severus nearly needed a glass of water.
"My God," Severus said, taking Rolanda's hand and slowly turning her before him, "You are so beautiful!" He smiled and kissed her ear, taking his time inhaling her scent. Rolanda smiled and she and Severus left the castle for the evening and headed for the city. Hogsmeade wasn't going to cut it tonight. The nightlife was in London.
They hit the clubs, and soon, the two were swaying and dancing to the beat. Severus got behind Rolanda and wrapped his arms around her as she swayed, her arms in the air one moment and then down close to her body and covering his the next. They moved and swayed, their ears pounding with the rhythm and their hands everywhere. The music never quite stopped so they didn't either. Midnight came and went and the two were still club hopping and getting just a little tipsy. They were walking down the street together, Rolanda's eyes bright and Severus laughing.
"My goodness, you can drink!" said Severus, wrapping his arm around Rolanda.
"You know it, baby! Hoochs always have been able to hold their liquor," said Rolanda. Severus laughed heartily. He and Rolanda wound up walking through a park near a residential area hand in hand and sitting down on the swings. Rolanda pushed herself back and forth a few times.
"You know, when I was a little girl, this was my first taste of flight. I would swing and be able to soar up into the sky, just as if I was really flying, like my parents," said Rolanda. Severus smiled. He didn't often hear about Rolanda's childhood, even though from what he knew of it, it had been a happy one.
"I never had a swing set," he countered, "but I did have a chemistry set that my mother sneaked down to me one afternoon after my father had had one of his fits and had banished me to the cellar. I loved my mother. She was the only person in my life that made me feel loved," he said softly. Rolanda took hold of Severus' collar and pulled him to her.
" *I* love you," said Rolanda, kissing him, "Let's go home. I'm getting cold." Severus smiled, "I've got just the remedy for that."
When they arrived back at Hogwart's, they indulged in a mug of hot chocolate and then Severus walked with his date to her room, his coat draped over her shoulders. When they arrived there, Severus took Rolanda in his arms and kissed her again. Rolanda deepened the kiss, winding her hands around his middle. It didn't take long for Severus to realize that this could go much further than he had originally planned. Then he pulled back slowly, stroking her face with one hand as she smiled.
"Rolanda, my love?" he asked, his brown eyes shining in the lamp light.
"Yes, Severus?" she purred back.
"Will you marry me?"
Rolanda pondered for a moment. The evening had been perfect, they had danced until their shoes had nearly worn out, and their talk at the swing set had been priceless. Severus felt his heartbeat double the longer she waited to answer.
"Severus, I love you so much, please be patient with me," she replied.
"That's a no, isn't it?" he asked, fingering the ring in his pocket. She lifted his face in one slender hand.
"Give me time, Severus," she said.
"You have my whole world. Take all the time you need," he replied, his disappointment not quite hidden enough on his face. Foiled again! He returned to his rooms and leaned against the door as it closed. How could he convince Rolanda to marry him before Dumbledore gets a 'yes' from McGonagall?
"My God," Severus said, taking Rolanda's hand and slowly turning her before him, "You are so beautiful!" He smiled and kissed her ear, taking his time inhaling her scent. Rolanda smiled and she and Severus left the castle for the evening and headed for the city. Hogsmeade wasn't going to cut it tonight. The nightlife was in London.
They hit the clubs, and soon, the two were swaying and dancing to the beat. Severus got behind Rolanda and wrapped his arms around her as she swayed, her arms in the air one moment and then down close to her body and covering his the next. They moved and swayed, their ears pounding with the rhythm and their hands everywhere. The music never quite stopped so they didn't either. Midnight came and went and the two were still club hopping and getting just a little tipsy. They were walking down the street together, Rolanda's eyes bright and Severus laughing.
"My goodness, you can drink!" said Severus, wrapping his arm around Rolanda.
"You know it, baby! Hoochs always have been able to hold their liquor," said Rolanda. Severus laughed heartily. He and Rolanda wound up walking through a park near a residential area hand in hand and sitting down on the swings. Rolanda pushed herself back and forth a few times.
"You know, when I was a little girl, this was my first taste of flight. I would swing and be able to soar up into the sky, just as if I was really flying, like my parents," said Rolanda. Severus smiled. He didn't often hear about Rolanda's childhood, even though from what he knew of it, it had been a happy one.
"I never had a swing set," he countered, "but I did have a chemistry set that my mother sneaked down to me one afternoon after my father had had one of his fits and had banished me to the cellar. I loved my mother. She was the only person in my life that made me feel loved," he said softly. Rolanda took hold of Severus' collar and pulled him to her.
" *I* love you," said Rolanda, kissing him, "Let's go home. I'm getting cold." Severus smiled, "I've got just the remedy for that."
When they arrived back at Hogwart's, they indulged in a mug of hot chocolate and then Severus walked with his date to her room, his coat draped over her shoulders. When they arrived there, Severus took Rolanda in his arms and kissed her again. Rolanda deepened the kiss, winding her hands around his middle. It didn't take long for Severus to realize that this could go much further than he had originally planned. Then he pulled back slowly, stroking her face with one hand as she smiled.
"Rolanda, my love?" he asked, his brown eyes shining in the lamp light.
"Yes, Severus?" she purred back.
"Will you marry me?"
Rolanda pondered for a moment. The evening had been perfect, they had danced until their shoes had nearly worn out, and their talk at the swing set had been priceless. Severus felt his heartbeat double the longer she waited to answer.
"Severus, I love you so much, please be patient with me," she replied.
"That's a no, isn't it?" he asked, fingering the ring in his pocket. She lifted his face in one slender hand.
"Give me time, Severus," she said.
"You have my whole world. Take all the time you need," he replied, his disappointment not quite hidden enough on his face. Foiled again! He returned to his rooms and leaned against the door as it closed. How could he convince Rolanda to marry him before Dumbledore gets a 'yes' from McGonagall?