The Catch

Chapter 7: Whiskey, Flowers, and Chocolates

"Congratulations!" Glasses clinked as Harry toasted Ron's success in the seventh year Gryffindor dorm room. "You have accomplished at least half of the conditions of the bet."

"Yeah! You rock!" Seamus called out as he downed his fourth glass of champagne.

Ron had broken the news that afternoon to Harry who, in turn, had told all their roommates everything. To celebrate Ron's "taming" of Snape, Neville and Harry sneaked into Hogsmeade, using the secret path, and bought a healthy supply of butter beer, champagne, and Irish whiskey to have a little all-boys night party in their dorm room.

"I'm really amazed that you had the courage to pop the question just like that." Neville snapped his fingers. "This isn't just anyone. It's Snape. I would've been shaking in my boots. I must say, Ron, that took guts."

Ron scratched his head, a little embarrassed with the attention. "Thanks, guys. I mean I, myself, am surprised that he accepted."

Dean slung an arm around his shoulders. "Actually, mate, we didn't expect you to get this far. Who would have thought that Snape, of all people, would have a weak spot for redheads, eh?" He ruffled Ron's hair playfully.

Laughing, Ron ducked from the assault. "Don't get me wrong, but I meant what I said earlier. This isn't just a bet for me. I'm serious about this date."

"Ooohh...Ron and Snape are gonna be a couple!" Seamus joked, batting his eyelashes. "How sweet!"

"No, really...I'm serious!" Ron held up his hand. He didn't like his friends making fun of Snape this way. He wanted them to realize how he felt about the whole thing. "After spending some time with him, I realized that he isn't as bad as we thought. All these years, we've just seen his outside--this mask he uses to interact with people, but I have a feeling that underneath that sneering exterior is a really sensitive person. That's what I want to discover when I take him out tomorrow."

After his short speech, his roommates stared at him with what could only be described as hesitant wonder.

"So, you aren't kidding?" Dean's smile slipped a little.

Ron shook his head firmly. "No." He had been afraid of this reaction. Boys weren't known to be open-minded about this thing. "Look, I'm sorry if you think it's more than a little far out, but I want you to understand..."

"Hey, if you want Snape, then that's cool with me," Harry interrupted, darting challenging looks at the other boys. "What about you guys?"

Seamus raised an eyebrow. "Who am I to disagree? Of course, I'm cool with it. Good luck with Snape, by the way." He raised another bottle of butter beer to Ron.

Dean grinned and slapped Ron's back, offering his own support. Neville seemed too shocked to say anything at the moment but managed to smile and nod his agreement.

Ron relaxed, breathing a little easier. He never imagined that getting his friends to accept his decision would be this easy. He had already told Harry but had delayed informing the others because he was afraid that they'd see his gayness (it took himself a while to finally accept the fact) as a freak disorder. Apparently, he had underestimated their sensitivity, but he was glad anyway.

"So, it's all okay then." Harry broke the silence. "Now let's get through these boozes and honor our pact to get absolutely wasted. It's a weekend tomorrow, fellows!"

The whole room cheered in response and for the next few seconds, the five boys clamored to the table--all racing to be the first to lay his hands on the alcohol supply. Already tipsy to begin with, soon, they were far too smashed to even stay awake. By three o'clock in the morning, the seventh-year boys' dorm room was deathly silent apart from cacophony of five different snores.

***

"Aahhh..." Harry moaned as he the world tilted beneath his feet. "I shouldn't have drunk that last glass of whiskey."

"Trust me, Harry," Ron muttered as he clutched his own dizzy head, "you were a goner way before that."

Dean, Seamus, and Neville were too sick to respond. The five boys were all in Madame Pomfrey's outer office, squeezed together on the couch and waiting for her to appear to rescue them from this indescribable pain. Soon enough, she reappeared from the inner sickroom, fresh from attending a feverish first year.

"So, what do I have here?" She glowered at them over her glasses, sensing something fishy with the boys. "What new foolish prank have you done now to merit five injured students at seven o'clock this Saturday morning?"

"Hangover," Ron croaked.

Understanding dawned in her eyes. "Ah...of course."

She disappeared back into the inner room and soon reemerged with five vials of purplish liquid.

"Here, take this. The pain should disappear in a few minutes."

The Gryffindors gratefully accepted the vials and greedily lapped the potions up. Soon, sighs of relief escaped from their lips as they found themselves able to walk normally again without the sharp headaches shooting down their skulls.

"Thank you very much, Madame Pomfrey." Dean respectfully nodded as they prepared to leave.

"You're welcome." She smiled kindly. "If I may ask, what is the occasion that provoked your frenzied imbibing of alcohol last night?"

Before anyone could stop him, Harry answered the question with a sly smile. "Nothing special. Professor Snape and Ron just decided to start dating."

"Oh!" Madame Pomfrey said rather lamely. "I see."

"Uh...goodbye, ma'am. And thanks again," Ron called out as Dean and Seamus pulled Harry out the door.

As the door clicked shut, the words sank in.

"Oh, dear Lord!"

Lucky for her, Madame Pomfrey's years of practice as the school nurse left her with reflexes a normal witch didn't have. She was able to grab her bottle of smelling salts before totally fainting away.

***

"Minerva!"

"Yes, Poppy. What can I do for you?"

Professor McGonagall lifted her eyes from the heavy glass paperweight she had just transfigured from a pen. Poppy Pomfrey had burst into her office just now and she was flushed and breathing rather rapidly, obviously excited over something.

"You will never believe what I heard from the students today."

"Gossiping now, Poppy." Professor McGonagall frowned. Poppy wasn't usually one to spread rumors. Gossiping with students was really most uncharacteristic of her.

"This is no ordinary rumor." Madame Pomfrey closed the office door carefully, protecting them from eavesdroppers. "In fact, I think it's rather more of a...revelation."

"I see." McGonagall raised her brows. "What is it then?"

"Professor Snape is seeing Ron Weasley!"

The paperweight crashed to the floor and broke into a thousand pieces.

***

At eight o'clock, a freshly showered Severus Snape entered the teacher's lounge for his morning cup of coffee. Usually, he was here by seven but he had taken an extra hour of sleep today to give himself a treat. After all, tonight was going to be no ordinary night.

As usual, as was his custom, he ignored all the other teachers and made a straight beeline to the coffee maker. Unlike the others, he wasn't partial to morning chats and he had no reason to start now. This was the reason why he had been in the room a full five minutes before he finally realized that every single person present was paying him undue attention. They were all whispering and darting sneaky looks at him, pretending they weren't watching.

He slammed the coffee cup down.

"What is the matter here?" he boomed.

The lounge fell into silence. Snape waited for a few seconds, looking archly at each teacher one by one as he waited for someone to speak.

"Severus, I'm afraid there's some news going around that concerns you." Minerva McGonagall spoke up in her typical no-nonsense fashion.

"And what, I pray, is the nature of this news?" Severus Snape asked, enunciating each word carefully, his voice turning deceptively soft. Flitwick was starting to quiver when the door suddenly opened to reveal Terry Boot, the Ravenclaw Head Boy.

"Professor Snape, the Headmaster wishes to see you."

Snape sniffed, his eyes traveling around the room. "It seems that I will have to hear this fascinating news some other time."

His black cloak flaring behind him, he followed Terry out the door. As soon as he was out of earshot, a collective sigh of relief was heard in the lounge.

"Do you think Albus summoned him about the... matter?" Sybill Trelawney asked delicately.

"Well, knowing the Headmaster, he was probably the first one to know," Madame Hooch answered. "Anyway, I'm splitting soon. I don't want to be here when Severus returns."

"I second the motion." Professor Sprout jumped after Hooch to the door.

The other teachers soon filed out quickly. It wasn't because they were scared. They were just tactful enough to avoid Severus Snape's path whenever he was in a bad mood, and judging from the nature of the news traveling around school, he won't be smiling any minute soon this morning.

***

"Severus!" Dumbledore greeted Snape, his eyes twinkling exuberantly. "Have a seat, my boy!"

"You seem extraordinarily happy today, Albus," Snape noted dryly as he took his seat before Dumbledore's messy desk.

"Who wouldn't be after hearing such wonderful news?" Dumbledore spread his arms around to emphasize his words. "In fact, I'm surprised that you seem so calm about it. But then, I just found out about it this morning. You've probably known it for days."

By this time, Snape was curious and exasperated with all the mystery surrounding this "news" he was supposed to know about. "What is this exciting piece of information that everyone is so thrilled about?"

"You, Severus! I'm thrilled about you and your decision to rejoin the living. I am so happy for you I could just cry!"

To Snape's horror, Dumbledore moved from his desk and enveloped him in a bear hug. The headmaster squeezed him a few times more before releasing the poor, befuddled Potions Master. Dumbledore blew his nose with a bright pink kerchief and surveyed Snape with tearful eyes.

"I...I..." Snape badly wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but he couldn't seem to find his tongue. Before he could regain his wits, Dumbledore spoke again.

"Normally, I don't approve of student-teacher relationships but knowing your background and your integrity, I am willing to make an excuse this one time. For long, I have prayed that you'd find someone to get you out of the dungeon and see the light of the sun. Now that the opportunity has come, I just want to tell you to give it your all, Severus. Don't hold back on this."

Snape stared at Dumbledore with his mouth open. The Headmaster continued.

"Besides, young Ron Weasley shall be an adult soon. He'll be graduating in a few months, after which, the matter shall be out of my hands. Now, enjoy yourselves tonight, Severus. That is all."

Without another word, Snape was cheerily ushered out into the hallway. With one last hug to an aghast Snape, Dumbledore shut the door. For minutes, the Professor just stood there silently, digesting the Headmaster's words. Then, he remembered the looks this morning, the whispering behind his back...

"Oh no!"

***

Ron picked on his breakfast nervously, watching the teachers' table. Professor Snape had not shown up yet.

"Hermione, he's late for breakfast. He's never late for breakfast!" Ron said worriedly.

Hermione rolled her eyes but even she couldn't help smiling after Ron's over-protectiveness. "Don't worry. Maybe he just got delayed."

"Well...okay." Ron tried to relax. "I just hope he's not sick. We've got a big night ahead."

"I'm sure he's fine. Look, there he is now."

Sure enough, a thunderous Professor Snape walked into the Great Hall and stomped towards the teachers' table, his expression dark as he took his seat and started breakfast.

"Ummm...don't you think he looks rather moody today?" Ron observed hesitantly.

"Nope! He looks perfectly normal to me," Neville piped up from across Ron.

"Harry," Ron turned to his best friend beside him, "did you remember to do what I asked you yesterday?"

"Yeah. Stop fidgeting. I called the florist and Honeydukes. They're delivering today." Harry spoke with a mouthful of bacon.

Right at that moment, the whole Great Hall's attention was diverted from the food by the entrance of the owls, but this was no ordinary mail. Four large eagle owls were carrying an obscenely large basket of flowers of different colors and kinds. Everyone's eyes traveled to the direction pf the bouquet, wondering whom it was for.

The mystery was solved soon enough when the owls dropped it into the teachers' table, right in front of Severus Snape's face. The Great Hall buzzed with conversation as Snape's cheeks were suffused with crimson. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, two more owls dropped a large heart-shaped box of chocolates right beside the bouquet. Another owl, bearing a silver card, quickly followed this.

"Oh, a note. Open it, Severus!" Dumbledore sounded like a child with presents.

Left with no choice, an exquisitely embarrassed professor Snape opened the envelope. Instantly, a shower of silver sprinkles shot out, enveloping him in a shimmering haze for a few seconds. Snape's blush deepened as he read the note.

I can't wait to see you tonight.

Love,

Ron

Refusing to even glance at the Gryffindor table, Snape closed the envelope and tried to return to his breakfast in peace, but by now, the whole Hogwarts was engaged in heavy gossiping about the professor's mystery admirer. It seemed like it would take a while before Snape could return to his former ambiguity.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor side, a madly blushing Ron was glaring at Harry Potter who was peacefully finishing off his toast.

"I asked you to make it discreet. Discreet! Is that so hard to understand?" At that moment, all Ron wanted to do was strangle his best friend who had the gall to sit there so calmly. By now, Neville and Dean were teasing him quite noisily about the flowers and this little fact didn't go unnoticed by the Hogwarts rumor mill.

"Consider it as a gift." Harry winked, turning his back to a speechless Ron and leaving the Great Hall with a swagger.

As he turned a corner of the hallway, Harry James Potter laughed outright. Ron may be spitting mad right now but soon, very soon, he'd realize that he had just been done a favor. After all, best friends knew best.