𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 - 𝐀 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

chaper six - a night to remember

Violet hardly realised as the time slipped by, and she ended up dancing not once but twice with Vasili. The air shimmered with the festivity of the night and filled her heart with a warm glow as she began to realise how good of a conversationalist her partner really was.

"-I'd say my best subject is definitely in betwen Herbology or Metamorphosymbiosis. I've been getting more and more interested in it recently, even though it's probably one of the hardest classes out there," she told him. "I mean, Professor Wizgiz is really sweet and all, but his exams are definitely not a joke."

"That is one of the hardest forms of magic to master," Vasili replied. "So if you consider it one of your best subjects, then you must be a very talented fairy."

Violet let out a small laugh. He was trying to be sweet to her, probably because of everything that had happened earlier, but she couldn't help but find it funny - though admittedly a little endearing. "Thank you, but you're flattering me. I might be interested in pursuing it in the future, but it's a strong maybe. When I was talking to Ms Griselda about possible careers, she was telling me that if I really was considering it, not only would I have to learn all the spells, but also learn to detect when illusion and transmutation magic was in effect." She paused for a moment. "Honestly, now that I think about it, I'm not sure whether she was trying to encourage me or discourage me."

"As a teacher, I'm sure she was trying to be optimistic . . . in her own way," he mused, bringing a smile to Violet's face. "But now I'm curious: do you think you'd ever be able to see through the disguises of others? It's a difficult skill to acquire," he said, his sharp eyes watching her carefully.

"I'm not sure. Maybe? We did practice that once in class, and I don't think I did too badly," she replied.

"What if it were more complex than that? Say, if there was someone right in front of you, strong enough to become unnoticeable to everyone else with just a single illusion. Would you be able to pick up on it?" he asked again, his eyes staring so unflinchingly at her that she could have sworn they had the power to turn her to stone.

A shiver went down her spine, and it was then she realised just how close they were.

She took a delicate step back and pretended not to see the flicker of disappointment on her companion's face - even as her own heart thudded with the same feeling.

"I think that's a very specific scenario, Lord Vasili," Violet said at last. "Say, you're not trying to pull one over me, are you?" she joked, even as she was already rushing to make another reply. "But, no. I'm definitely not advanced enough to pick up on that." Something within her hesitated as she asked, "Why?"

"I've seen the power of many convicts during my career, including those rather skilled at Metamorphosymbiosis," he started. "Including one that has most recently escaped from the Omega Dimension."

She noticed that he avoided saying the name, but it was clear they both knew who he was talking about.

"I was interested in hearing your response because if you ever do pursue that as a path, well, I'd be glad to have you on my team." The words were spoken lightly, and maybe she shouldn't have been taking them so seriously, yet they made something in her stomach flutter nonetheless.

"Oh, I see. That's kind of you to say," Violet said, although she hardly heard herself - light-headed enough with giddiness to be willingly distracted from the topic at hand.

The feeling of his hand on her waist as the song slowed and the dance drew to a close brought her back to reality.

"It's only the truth," Vasili replied as he stepped into the ending position. The expression on his face was earnest, Violet realised, and she had to fight the strange feeling rising up inside of her, quickly changing the topic to something innocuous, but which she had been longing to know.