Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the one I created myself. All others belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. I have only borrowed them for my amusement and hopefully yours as well.
A/N: Please note that this chapter contains things a sexual nature. If you are not of age, please don't read.
Chapter 31
Dumbledore had been studying the 'problem' of Severus and Jolicia for quite some time. He had told Minerva he was going to give Severus a little push, but the problem was how and under what circumstances was he supposed to do this. He couldn't just walk up to the Potions Master and say,' look here old chap, you don't realize it but you're in love with Jolicia and she feels the same about you. Go shag her. There's a good lad.' It would require a certain modicum of finesse.
"What to do, what to do?" he pondered. He began to toy with some of the objects on his desk. He picked up an old chocolate box that he now used to store his toffees. He stared at the box and then looked at the calendar.
"Perfect! I should have thought of this sooner. I have to find Minerva and tell her," he said. He popped a toffee in his mouth and set off, rubbing his hands together with glee.
The next day Albus made an announcement at the staff meeting.
"One last thing before we adjourn, I have decided to institute a new tradition here at Hogwarts."
The teachers looked from one to the other, wondering what the Headmaster could mean.
"I have decided that we will celebrate Valentine's Day and we'll do it in a big way. There will be a formal Valentine's ball in the evening." Albus saw Snape snicker to himself. He knew what the Potions Master was thinking.
The Headmaster continued, "Attendance will be compulsory for all staff and students. There will be no discussion on the matter." Severus closed his mouth, swallowing his protest.
"Since Valentine's Day falls on a Friday this year, I am cancelling classes. Any thoughts on what we might do to celebrate during the day?" No one spoke.
"Come, come. Surely one of you has an idea."
At last Jolicia broke the silence and offered, "What about a skating party?"
"A skating party?" asked Dumbledore.
"Yes, Headmaster, as in ice skating. There's certainly plenty of room outside for a huge rink. We can put up some decorations, make a big bonfire, and have some romantic music playing. Oh, and we could have big cauldrons of hot chocolate and pumpkin cider for refreshments. Anyway, it's just a suggestion."
"Does anyone else have any other ideas?" asked Albus. "No, well I rather like your idea, Jolicia. Are there any objections? Good! Then it's settled – a skating party it is. Will you organize it, Jolicia?"
"With pleasure, Headmaster," beamed Jo.
After the meeting, Severus said to Jolicia, "You seem quite enthusiastic about this idea of yours."
"It is going to be so much fun, you'll see," she replied.
"I think not, Jolicia."
"You'll be there, Severus, won't you?"
"Merlin, no. It is bad enough that I am obliged to attend the dance, never mind making a fool of myself in public. Lying on my back on the hard, cold ice in front of a group of giggling teenagers is not my idea of a good time, Jolicia. I'll leave that to you, my dear."
"I wouldn't let you fall, you know. Please come," she asked.
"No, thank you."
"I'm going to keep asking you and asking you until you say yes just to shut me up, Severus."
"And I am going to keep saying no until you get tired of asking and then you'll be the one to stop, Jolicia."
"We'll see. Will you at least help me set up the rink when the time comes?"
"That, I will agree to, with pleasure. I'll see you at supper."
Jo watched him walk away and said to herself, "Can't wait to get you on a pair of skates, Severus."
The next morning over breakfast, Headmaster Dumbledore announced the Valentine's Day celebrations to the students. The idea was generally well received but, as usual, there were those who were against it. Most of the girls were especially pleased, looking forward to a romantic day with their boyfriends. Those who were without companionship thought that such a day could present them the opportunity to hook up with someone - after all, who could resist such an atmosphere? The boys for the large part found the idea to be a waste of time. All that romantic gobbledygook wasn't for them. No matter the opinion, the discussion was a moot one. The Headmaster had said attendance was compulsory, everyone had to grin and bear it.
Friday morning arrived and after breakfast, Jolicia and Severus went outside to set up the rink. As hard as she had tried, she still had not convinced him to attend. Jo had not given up. It was a glorious day – not too cold and the sun was shining brightly.
"We have to make the rink big enough, Severus, so that there will be enough room for everyone to skate without bumping into his neighbor. I think from here all the way down to there should do the trick. Can you handle the ice? I'll set up the rest area."
Each went about their task. Once she saw the size of the rink, Jo decided that two rest areas would be better than one. Benches and an everlasting bonfire appeared at both ends.
"What should we do for decorations?" she asked.
"I don't know. You decide. I don't really see the point of this to begin with. If you love someone, you shouldn't need a special day to celebrate it. Every day should be a Valentine's Day."
"Why Severus! What a romantic thing to say. You do surprise me."
He did not intend for his statement to be romantic at all. He had meant to let her know what a crock of shit he thought it was and there was no way he was going to get caught up in a moment of weakness.
"Jolicia, you misunderstand what I mean. This whole thing is silly and a complete waste of time."
"People enjoying themselves is not a waste of time. You should try it sometime. You might like it."
"I do enjoy myself. I save my efforts for more worthwhile pastimes."
She chose to ignore him. She waved her wand and suddenly a myriad of red, pink, and white hearts floated in the air above the ice. Nice, but not quite right. She added some tiny glittering spheres. Still missing something. The last wave of her wand completed the look she was going for – plump cupids flitted about, shooting their arrows into the sky.
"I know you hate it, Severus. It's corny, I admit it, but I like it. No mistaking it, it is Valentine's Day!"
He just stared at Jo with a sour look. It was definitely too saccharine for his tastes. This event wasn't for him, so it didn't matter.
"I have to try the ice," exclaimed Jo.
Before he knew it, she had transformed her boots into skates and was gliding silently over the smooth surface. He watched her as she sped off to the far end of the rink. On the trip back she began to practice some of her fancier moves – spins and jumps and the like. It had been some time, but it all came quickly back to her.
"This is amazing!" she cried as she passed by him.
"She's good," he thought. "Why are you surprised - she's good at everything she does."
On her next pass by, he yelled, "You're missing something Jolicia."
He waved his wand and music began to play. She smiled back at him and began to skate even faster in time with the waltz.
"That was lovely. Thank you. Come and try it, Severus," she asked.
"No, I'll just watch you, if you don't mind."
"Please? You said you didn't want to try it in front of the children. We're alone, so now's the time. Please?"
"No, thanks."
"Yes, thanks," she said pulling him onto the ice.
Before he knew it, he was wearing skates. He began slipping. Jolicia put her arm around his waist to prevent him from going down.
"Hang on to me. That's it; try to find your balance. You're doing great, Severus."
Why did he let her get away with it? She had the knack to get him to do things he didn't want to do.
"Good, now that you're steady, we're going to push off. Ready? Let's go."
He did as he was told and started to move. He almost fell once again but Jo held on fast. She had promised him that she wouldn't let him fall and she was determined to keep her word. Slowly, they made their way around the edge of the rink. By the time they came back around to where they had started, he was starting to get the hang of it. She let go of his waist.
"Where are you going? Don't leave me," he said, with a slight hint of panic in his voice.
"I'm right here. Skate by yourself now."
He looked very unsure of himself but set off down the rink. He was doing it! The further he went, the more confidence he had. Jolicia skated up beside him.
"You see, Severus. I told you that you could do this. Come catch me if you can." She took off in the other direction. He did as well, but at a much slower pace.
She thought to herself as she sped along, "You face Voldemort on a regular basis but you were afraid of a little pair of skates, Severus. You are so afraid to be humiliated, aren't you? Gotta get you to loosen up, my friend."
When he finally caught up to her, she said, "Shall we go for one last trip around before lunch?" He nodded. Jo slipped her arm through his and off they went.
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
"I have to say it is rather exhilarating. How did you know I wouldn't hate it?"
"I know you better than you think, Severus. Next time, listen to me, will you? It'll save me begging."
He smiled and said, "I don't know why I let myself get wrapped around your little finger."
"Because you like it, Severus."
She was right; he did like it, although he would never admit it, not even to himself.
He scoffed as they left the ice. Jo just grinned.
"See you later?" she asked.
Perhaps was his answer.
When the time came, the students presented themselves at the rink. Jo was pleased to hear all their oohs and aahs when they beheld the sight before them. The effort had been worth it. She was about to make her welcoming speech when she spotted the delegation of teachers strolling down from the castle. Severus was with them! A thrill went through her. Once all had arrived, she began to speak.
"Welcome. Welcome everyone to Hogwarts first annual Valentine's Day skating party. I know we're all going to have a wonderful time this afternoon. Remember not to wear yourselves out too much. Save some energy for tonight's ball. That is going to be fantastic as well. Before we begin, I would like to thank Headmaster Dumbledore for allowing all of this to take place." There was enthusiastic applause for the beloved man.
"I would also like to thank Professor Snape for creating this wonderful skating rink. He did a fine job." There was a smattering of applause this time. The children were shocked to hear that he had done something for their benefit.
"Those of you who already know how to skate, feel free to begin. Those of you who need some lessons, stick around and I'll show you how. Have fun!"
"Professor Medwin, we don't have any skates," said Jenny Whitburn, one of the first years.
"Not a problem, Jenny. Take out your wand, there's a good girl. Repeat after me, Calceus Lamnia (from Latin: calceus – shoe; lamnia – metal blade). Voila – skates."
One by one, they all had skates on their feet. Jolicia demonstrated the basic techniques and off they went. Jo skated around the rink, offering her help where it was needed. After she was sure everyone was having a good time, she went over to Severus. When she came to his side, he began to skate as well.
"You're wearing my presents, Severus," she observed with great pleasure.
"It seemed appropriate to wear them today." Jo smiled.
"Look at how much fun the kids are all having. I'm so happy for them. They all work so hard and deserve a break."
"It seems that your idea was a good one, Jolicia, after all. They even liked the decorations. No accounting for some people's taste."
He was teasing her and she loved it. She had loved her whole day so far. There was more to come.
Jolicia relaxed in a bath filled with fragrant bubbles. She hadn't stopped smiling. She found herself thinking about him. How wonderful it had been to see Severus once again with a smile on his face. Jo had begun to notice that this was happening more and more frequently. She wondered what the cause was.
"Whatever the reason, I'm grateful. Maybe I can bottle it, what ever it is," she laughed.
Jolicia, like Hermione, could be a little thick at times. She still didn't realize that she was the cause for the change in his demeanor. Jo was still hung up on the 'we're friends' theory.
She was looking forward to the evening ahead. It had been a long time since she had danced and even longer since she had worn formal robes. She had bought a set many years ago and had worn them only once. Fortunately, they were a classic style and had not gone out of fashion. The shop-witch had suggested that she keep that in mind when she made her selection. She was now very glad she had listened to that advice. Jo was also grateful that the Headmaster had made the dance compulsory. She knew very well that she would not see Severus otherwise. She was hoping to get him to dance; once again she wanted him to enjoy himself.
Jolicia tried to fix her hair as best she could. She had never had much of a knack for hairstyling. When she finished, she was quite pleased with the result. Jo donned her dress and matching robes and stood in front of the mirror.
"Not bad, girl. Not bad at all," she said to herself. She was almost out the door when she ran back to give herself a spritz of perfume. Her ensemble complete, she made her way to the Great Hall.
Severus had donned his formal robes as requested by Albus. He hated to wear them. Once again he found himself wondering what the hell he was doing there.
"What a lot of rubbish," he thought. "Valentine's day is for fools."
He resented having to be there; to make small talk with his colleagues, to watch over the spoiled brats and make sure they toed the line. He was determined that he would, under no circumstances, dance. Professor Sprout had corralled him one year at Christmas time – he had despised every second of it. He would much rather have been reading a journal by the fire than having to listen to such a racket. Dumbledore had enlisted the services of Lee Jordan to act as DJ. So far, he had played an unusual mixture of Wizard and Muggle music. The students seemed to appreciate it, but Severus most definitely did not. It was going to be a long evening.
As is often the case at school dances, the boys stuck with the boys on one side of the room and the girls on the other, complaining about the boys ignoring them.
Harry and Ron were firmly ensconced with their fellow males when something happened to shake them up. Ginny Weasley, Parvati and Padma Patil, Lavender Brown and Hermione entered the Great Hall. Each of them was dressed to kill. Harry and Ron had never seen them like that – they had cleavage! Ron was relieved to see that his younger sister was dressed more modestly. If she hadn't been, he would have had to read her the riot act. Once he had determined that Ginny passed inspection, he quickly forgot about her and turned his attention to the other lovely ladies coming towards him.
Hermione looked especially lovely. She had put her hair up so that it fell softly in ringlets about her face. When did Hermione get a figure? She had grown up and they hadn't even noticed. Tonight, they noticed. Harry and Ron were not the only ones. Across the room, Draco stood with his mouth open. He couldn't believe how beautiful Hermione looked. He knew that, somehow, tonight he had to dance with her. He studied her all evening, feeling jealous whenever she was with another boy.
Severus had been talking with Albus when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Albus turned to see what had caused this to happen. When he saw why, he smiled and quietly left to join Minerva.
Severus' breath caught in his throat when he saw her. Jolicia looked like a princess he had once seen in a Muggle child's storybook. She wore a gown of ice blue satin, trimmed with gold. The color of her dress made the blue of her eyes stand out even more, if that was possible. In her hair, she had arranged a myriad of tiny diamond-like stones that shimmered as she moved. He stood in the shadows and watched as she moved gracefully through the Great Hall, greeting all of the students as she went. The love that she had for them was evident; she received it back from them in abundance.
"She gives her love so easily," he mused. He continued to watch her from his hiding place, mesmerized.
Jo joined Harry's 'gang' and admired how pretty the girls looked and how handsome the boys were.
"How come none of you are dancing?" she asked.
The girls of the group were interested in the answer for they had been wondering the same thing. None of the boys could really answer so Jolicia put them out of their misery.
"Get out on the dance floor now, all of you. You too, Ron. I'll be right back. I have a request for Lee."
By the time she returned, a popular Muggle song was blaring – 'Wannabe' by a group called the Spice Girls. It was a catchy, fun tune and soon everyone had begun to move in time with the beat. Even Draco had joined in, trying very hard to be next to Hermione. Once she got them going, Jo quietly slipped away and joined her fellow teachers.
"What is it about teenage boys? It practically takes a spell to get them out on the dance floor," she exclaimed to Minerva.
"Ach, it's not just the young ones, Jolicia. It has been my experience that men, in general, do not like to dance. I have a hard time to get Albus out there as well."
Jo laughed and tried to imagine the Headmaster getting down to the Spice Girls. She couldn't. She searched the room for Severus – he was supposed to be here. She was just about to ask if anyone had seen him when she spied him lurking behind the refreshment table.
"Ooh, my, you look very uncomfortable, my friend," she thought. Jo could plainly see that he hated being here. "I'll leave you be for the moment."
Jolicia danced a foxtrot with Draco at his request. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he was quite an accomplished dancer. He told her that his mother had insisted that he take lessons, since it was expected of a cultured young man to be able to dance and do it well. Jo marveled at the young man who guided her deftly across the floor – how he had changed since that first day!
She then danced with Harry and Ron, separately of course. Harry had also chosen a slow dance. He was not quite as skilled as Mr. Malfoy, but Jo could see he had promise. With a little more experience, he would be just as good. Ron on the other hand, saw fit to ask Jo to join him for a pop tune. She knew he would be too embarrassed for anything else. As she once again left the floor, she saw Draco invite Hermione for a slow dance. They made a nice couple. Jo glanced at the group of Slytherin students that were hanging out together. She could see that Draco's actions had become the topic of discussion. She hoped that they weren't going to give Hermione a hard time. Although she had not heard one of them utter the 'forbidden' word, she knew full well they still had the same opinion of Hermione's parentage. She'd have to keep her eye on them.
"Jolicia, just in time! I was just about to serve the wine," said Dumbledore.
"I'll be right back," she answered. Jo made a line directly for Severus.
"Good evening, sir. My, don't you look handsome!" she said with a smile.
"Hardly," he scoffed. "You, on the other hand, look gorgeous."
"Thank you. Come join us for some wine," she said, taking his hand. "You do look handsome, so don't think otherwise." He did not reply.
"Ah, here you are. A glass for you, Jolicia, and one for you, Severus. What shall we drink to? Ah, yes, I know – to good friends!"
"To good friends," came their reply as they clinked glasses. They all took their seats around the table. A waltz began to play.
Dumbledore said, "Strauss, my favorite. May I have the pleasure, Jolicia?"
"Certainly, Headmaster."
He swept her across the floor, quite nimbly for a man of his age. As they came around to where they began, Dumbledore cried out.
"Ouch, damned cramp in my leg. I'm sorry my dear, I'll have to sit the rest of the song out. Here, Severus, take my place," he said pulling him up and putting his hand in Jolicia's. Dumbledore limped over to his seat. Having no choice, Severus began to dance.
After a few spins, Jolicia exclaimed, "I thought you said you couldn't dance. You're wonderful, Severus!"
"I said I didn't dance, I never said I couldn't. There's a difference."
"True enough. You have so many hidden talents. How many more are you hiding from me?"
He smirked and said, "You'll just have to discover them for yourself, Jolicia. It would be immodest of me to tell you myself."
They were in the middle of the dance floor when the music suddenly changed. The waltz had turned into a slow Muggle song. Severus hesitated briefly and then changed his rhythm to suit the new tempo. He had never heard this song before, so he listened intently to the words.