𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 | ℒ𝓊𝒸𝒾𝓊𝓈 ℳ𝒶𝓁𝒻ℴ𝓎

Chapter 14: Unforgettable night

Catalina and Severus walked through the crowded hallway where student were either chit chatting, flirting or drinking non alcoholic drinks. There could be heard laughter and joy like everyone forgot about the threat of Voldemort only for one night. Catalina smiled, thinking about what Harry and Draco could be doing right now. She was still surprised that her plan of getting the two of them together worked.

Before she knew, she descended the stairs and reached the dungeon alongside Snape. He opened the door of his chambers and let the young witch in. It was much warmer here even though the fire wasn't burning in the fireplace. She rubbed her arms to create heat while she looked around the small living space. It was exactly how she imagined it: a couch, several bookshelves, a desk, a small kitchen area and a hallway which probably led to a bedroom and a bathroom.

Catalina sat on the comfortable sofa and wrapped the blanket that was sitting on it around her. "This is such a cozy place." She smiled at her professor.

"Thank you, miss Fawley. Hot chocolate?" He offered kindly.

Catalina nodded. While Severus went to prepare the hot chocolate so she can get warmed up, Catalina went around his desk and to his bookshelf. "Philosophy? I wouldn't have taken you for the kind to read such things." She smiled, turning towards him.

"Reading about potions had it's beauty but I find diversity to be interesting." He lifted his eyes to look into hers.

Catalina's eyes gleamed. "I always felt like that too." She took several steps until she was in front of him, on the other side of the counter. "Professor, I have no idea what I will do after I graduate and I wondered if you'd take me as a potions assistant?" She asked, full of hope.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I thought you prefered herbology, miss Fawley."

"I did. Until I poisoned myself." She shook her head, getting rid of the memory. "I know you never took an assistant but I would like to follow your steps and I'm sure that Hogwarts will need another professor after you become Headmaster." Catalina smiled.

"I would have accepted without the flatteries, Catalina." He fixed his eyes on her.

"No flatteries Sir, I'm just sure it will happen." She said confidently.

"Oh?" He pushed her to elaborate more.

"Dumbledore does an amazing job but he is over 100 and as much as Professor McGonagall is pretty authoritative, I don't think it would be her thing so there is only an option left." She explained.

"So I would be the last choice... " he said, teasing her and making her blush.

"Absolutely not, Sir." She avoided his gaze.

Severus handed her the hot chocolate but Catalina looked at it sadly and sighed. "This was an eventful night and my last Yule Ball here as a student. It should be unforgettable." With a flick of her wand, she made a bottle of fire whiskey appear. She poured a good amount in her hot chocolate. "What do you say, Professor?" She smiled at him. He gave in a passed her a glass which she filled.

After two hours, they found themselves laughing and discussing all kind of ridiculous things from how she startled Hagrid's dragon and had to run a few kilometers to get rid of it to how the twins enchanted her hair in her sleep so it wouldn't look good the next morning no matter what she tried. She found that Severus had a beautiful laugh although most of the times he only puffed and smiled.

"You should smile more, Professor, it looks good on you." Catalina said with a dumb smile on her face. The alcohol made her face pinkish but she didn't mind.

"Then Minerva would look more authoritative than me." He joked.

Catalina sighed and placed her glass on the small table in front of the couch. "It's late, I assume you want to go to sleep." She tried to push herself off but failed miserably. She landed back on the sofa.