Great Hall

9 a.m.

The four long tables that usually occupied the Great Hall had been removed and several individual desks had been put in their place.

Severus was already sitting at one of those desks, waiting for the History of Magic O.W.L.s to begin, when he saw Florence walk into the Great Hall; the instant relief he felt at the sight of her should have been a sign that he was already too involved, but he could only breathe and watch her as she decided on which desk to sit on.

She looked unharmed, albeit a little upset.

But when her green eyes met his dark ones, he noticed how she hesitated. So he raised a hand in what he hoped she'd interpret as a peace-offering greeting sign and she walked towards him.

"Hi, Severus," Florence said, sitting at a desk next to his.

"Everything alright with your family?" he asked, looking at her with concern, up-close she seemed sad rather than just upset.

But she was surprised by his question: "How do you know I was-?"

"Dumbledore," Severus explained.

And she nodded in understanding.

"Listen," Florence started, "About last night. It was not my place to tell you what to do with your life."

He looked at her with genuine appreciation, but he had to admit the truth: "Actually, I spent the night thinking about what you said yesterday. About actions and consequences, and no more simple detentions for misbehaving." He sighed heavily. "And I know you're right. But, I can't shake the feeling that you spoke from a place of knowledge."

"Yes," she quietly admitted, "In a way. But what you said yesterday is also true: I've never lacked for money, or food, or nice things."

"I'm sorry I said those things, Florence," he looked ashamed, "I shouldn't have been so rude and bitter-"

"Yeah, but you weren't wrong. However," she added, wanting to make him understand, "My family has a lot of other issues and let's just say the rod has hardly ever been spared when mistakes were made. Cruciatus Curse, poisonings... even murders have been known to happen," she finished in a whisper.

Severus frowned, "Are you from some sort of wizarding mob family?"

"Sort of. Yeah," she nodded, deciding to let him think that, "I just spoke with your best interest in mind last night, Sev."

She sounded sincere and the drop of a nickname had him smiling, "Sev? That's what you're calling me now?"

"Sorry," Florence blushed and smiled, "If you don't like it, I-"

"No, I like it," he shrugged, trying to sound dismissive while his heartrate sped up, "But is your father... you know? A Death Eater?" it was his turn to whisper.

"I don't know about terminology, but he's a follower of You-know-who, if that's what you're asking," that was the story she'd stick with.

"Has he ever hurt you?" he asked, concerned about her hesitancy in discussing her father any further.

"Well, he... yes, sometimes," She said, not lying; during her trainings she'd often get hurt – sometimes badly, but she would recover within a couple of days and a new lesson was learned.

"I know how that is, to be hurt by a person that was supposed to protect you," Severus felt comfortable to share his own family issues with her.

"Your mother... she hurt you?" Florence asked, surprised by that information for Sophie Delacour had had nothing but kind words about Eileen Prince.

"No! My mother is a saint! My father was the problem; he was muggle and hated magic - well, he hated everything really. He was a selfish piece of shit who never held a job down and did nothing but make my mother's life miserable."

Florence nodded, understanding, "Is that one of the reasons you wish to join You-know-who?" she sounded worried, "Besides money and power?"

"Maybe," he replied, looking down at his notes again.

She sighed loudly, "Well, I meant it when I said there won't be nice detentions at the end of a mistake. When you do something wrong, it'll be the Cruciatus or the Imperius curse that will teach you a lesson, I've seen it happen..." She kept a conversational voice, "But it's your life."

Severus kept quiet, not looking up from his notes.

Florence gave up talking some sense into him and looked around the Great Hall at the students arriving for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s.

She easily spotted Potter and Black on the other side of the room talking to their other friend whose hair colour reminded her of rat fur.

Black caught her looking at them and winked at her, she just rolled her eyes at him and kept looking around the room, finding Frank Longbottom sitting three rows down talking to a very pretty Ravenclaw girl; he saw Florence and waved at her. She waved back, his mentioning of the upcoming Ball returning to her mind.

And as if he had just read her thoughts, Severus asked: "Are you planning on going to the Ball the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course I am," she replied, turning to look at him.

He looked surprised and didn't say anything else, afraid to ask who she was going with.

"However, I don't have a date yet," she added.

And he let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, "Would you like to go the Ball with me then?"

She smiled, replying teasingly: "I'll think about it."

Then Prof. Binns chose that moment to glide into the Great Hall, "Find a desk, everyone! Quickly! You're not on vacation yet!"

Severus looked at Florence expectantly, she pretended not to notice.

"Florence!" he whisper-shouted while the Great Hall's noises started to dwindle as everybody sat down at their desks, "Come on! You're not making me wait two hours to know your answer!"

She suppressed a laugh and looked at him, "Of course I'll go with you, Sev!"

He smiled too, unknowingly throwing down the drain his latest decision of not letting his heart get involved where Florence was concerned.

Florence finished her History of Magic exam before Severus, so she exited the Great Hall and went to the Entrance courtyard, sitting on a bench to wait for him.

She was casting simple spells on pebbles on the ground, making them jump, explode and transfiguring them into little insects, when she felt someone approach her.

She looked up to see that the Ravenclaw girl Severus had worked with in their Herbology lesson the day before had stopped in front of her, looking angry.

"Hey! New girl!" she sounded angry too.

"Hello." Florence tried not to smile, that had all the makings to be a fun conversation.

"What do you think you're doing hanging around my boyfriend?" the girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Your boyfriend?" She pretended not to know about the girl's delusions, "Oh, you mean Severus? Funny he forgot to mention that he has a girlfriend."

Some students nearby laughed. They had stopped walking to look at the two girls, in the hopes that another interesting duel would ensue.

The Ravenclaw girl blushed in embarrassment and anger, "You better stay away from him!" she shouted.

"No need to shout, I'm right here, I can hear you," Florence mockingly grimaced at her loud voice. Then she stood up, trying not to laugh at the other girl's face, "Look, I've heard you have a crush on him. I could help you."

The Ravenclaw's demeanour changed, she looked unsure and then suddenly hopeful, "Really? But I thought you were trying to steal him for yourself!"

Florence had to control her scowl: Steal him? As if he is an object to be stolen? How crazy is this girl? Is Ravenclaw the Mad House?

"No," Florence ended up replying, shaking her head, "I just met him three days ago! I'll help you," she kept on messing with her.

"Oh, thank you, Florence! I'm Rosmerta, by the way," she said excitedly, suddenly throwing herself at Florence in a hug that ended as abruptly as it started.

Florence looked at the castle and saw Severus walking towards her, a very confused look on his face as he saw her speaking to Rosmerta. She just shrugged and smiled.

"Here he comes," she said, "You should go, Rosmerta. I'll put in a good word for you."

Rosmerta giggled and quickly walked to the castle, passing by Severus with a huge smile.

He approached Florence, asking: "What's going on here?" feeling very confused.

Florence laughed and sat back on the bench she'd been earlier, "That crazy girl asked me what I thought I was doing hanging around with her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" he asked, jealousy starting to raise its ugly head inside his chest as he thought of Florence havign fun with some guy while he finished his History test, "Who were you hanging out with?"

Florence laughed harder, "She meant you! You nitwit!"

"What?" he sounded angry, "I'm NOT her boyfriend!"

"I know that! Anyway, I said I'd help her win your heart," she added, keeping a straight face, just waiting for his reaction.

He looked as outraged as she thought he'd be.

"You cannot be serious," Severus said, looking at her as if she had just gone mental.

"Of course not!" She laughed, "I was just messing with her!" she pulled on his arm, making him sit down beside her on the bench, but kept her hand wrapped around his bicep even after he had sat

"She's been annoying me for years!" he said, "I don't know how she ended up in Ravenclaw," he paused, being suddenly aware of Florence's hand still on his arm. Then he continued: "And me and her? That's preposterous!"

"She is pretty," said Florence, shrugging.

"But I don't have any interest on her! She's stupid!" he sounded less angry, Florence's proximity making him feel other things.

"Never thought you'd prefer the intelligent ones, Sev," Florence joked.

He didn't know how to answer that.

Up until three days ago he had no idea what he preferred, only now he knew, and she was sitting right beside him.

Before lunch, they still had their Herbology exams, first practical them written.

In the afternoon, that same day, they had their Potions exams; in the first two hours they had to brew a Deflating Draught, then move on to another two hours of the written part of the exam.

This time, Severus left the Great Hall before Florence; he walked to the Entrance Courtyard and sat on the same bench they had spent some time earlier that day.

As he opened his pocket-size notebook to check his notes for the Charms exams they would be having the next day, he saw Rosmerta walking towards him, and she looked like someone had eaten the last chocolate frog in the whole wide world – she was furious.

She started shouting about ten feet from him: "I've just heard you invited Delacour as your date for the Ball! Is that true?" she demanded, stopping in front of him, arms akimbo.

He didn't even got up from the bench, "What I do or don't do is none of your business; but, yes, I've invited Miss Delacour as my date for this year's Ball. I'd never invite you. Leave me alone," he answered rudely.

"You're in love with her already, aren't you?" Rosmerta asked, accusingly.

"Leave me alone. I won't say it again," he growled, not liking to hear her talking about his feelings when he himself was hiding from them.

Rosmerta turned around and practically ran back into the castle, crying loudly.

Severus opened his notebook again to resume studying.

Florence was walking out of the Great Hall when Rosmerta ran past her, sobbing.

"What's wrong with her?" Florence asked two girls by the door.

"It seems she had a fight with her boyfriend," said a Ravenclaw girl.

"Boyfriend? Oh, you mean Severus!" exclaimed Florence, laughing.

"Exactly," said the other girl, a ginger Gryffindor, "And I wouldn't pity her if I were you. She's been hounding Severus for too long. She had it coming."

They walked to the Entrance courtyard as they talked.

"I'm Lily, by the way," said the ginger girl, "And this is Alice."

"Nice to meet you," replied Florence, "I'm..."

"We know who you are," interrupted Alice, smiling. "You're all everyone's been talking about."

They stopped by the fountain in the middle of the yard.

"Really?" Florence smiled, "I've been so worried about fitting in and passing the O.W.L.s, plus some family drama, that I didn't realize I was famous already."

"Yep. It's not everyday someone gets to take the O.W.L.s without having studied here a week," said Alice, "Not to mention the lake duel; some of us here have been dying to teach Potter and Black a lesson. And you did it after only 24 hours here! That was awesome!"

Florence bowed her head and said: "I'm glad to be of help!"

"Are you going to the Ball, Florence?" asked Lily.

"Yes. I wouldn't miss it! My first party here! Who are you going with, Lily?"

"Remus Lupin. He's just a friend," she quickly added.

"I'm going with Frank," said Alice, "Your Herbology partner."

"Oh, that's great!" Florence said, "Such a sweet guy, that one is. Frank told me that if he hadn't already invited you, he'd invite me to go with him so that I wouldn't have to go alone."

"Alone? Hasn't Severus invited you?" asked Lily, surprised, "But we heard..."

"Yes, yes, he did, but only today. Yesterday I had no date yet," Florence glanced at the bench where Severus sat by himself, his eyes focused on the little notebook in his hands. She felt the need to go to him, to get closer and touch him.

"He's a sweet one, too," Added Lily, bringing Florence back to reality.

"Who? Severus?" asked Florence, "Yes, I think he is. If only he could see that too."

"Maybe you could be the one to show it to him," said Alice, smiling.

"You know what? Maybe I will," replied Florence, a smile on her face, "It was great talking to you, girls, but I said I'd study spells with Severus before dinner. See you later in the Astronomy exam," and she went towards her dark-haired friend, sitting beside him and hooking her arm around his just like she had before.

And Severus didn't complain.