Post by OSUSprinks on Sept 11, 2008 11:05:38 GMT -5
Title: Subject to Change. I had a really great one but I can't think of it now!
Genre: E for Everyone here
A/N: Okay so Stefdarlin was my person for the exchange and though she has been reading the story since the deadline (thank you google docs), I have yet to post it. I am nearly finished (just over 8,000 words later), so I thought I would start posting it today, in honor of Stef's birthday. Thanks for reading!
Chapter One
Pomona watched with a small smile as Filius took another bite of his cone. Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip ice cream covered his beard and mustache and with his last bite, a drop of the melted goo began to form at the very bottom of his beard, threatening his pale blue robes.
"Filius," she began before dissolving into laughter as he realized his problem and frantically licked his lips trying to salvage what ice cream he could. She took out her wand and cleaned his beard, then laughed some more as he looked at her sadly.
"I would have eaten that."
"I'm sure, but people were beginning to stare."
He smiled brightly and she felt her stomach flutter. Just friends, she reminded her quivering insides.
"That is because they are wondering why someone like you is here with me."
Pomona rolled her eyes even as the butterflies in her stomach grew. "Oh yes, and that would have nothing to do with you being covered from head to toe with melted ice cream."
He chuckled. "Now if I was really that covered, you might have something."
Pomona rolled her eyes again, this time with a sigh, before smiling. It was the first day of summer break at Hogwarts and she and Filius were celebrating with ice cream at Fortesque’s. It had been a long year as it was Pomona’s first as a professor of the school, but part of the stress was due to the man sitting before her.
Filius had been the first of her former professors to reach out to her and they had become easy friends. He had made her adjustment from student and subordinate to professor and equal much easier than she had believed possible. She did not know what she would have done without his friendship in the last year and that was what made her feelings for the man so difficult. She was beginning to fall in love with him, despite herself.
Several of their fellow colleagues, not to mention her friends and family, had mentioned the obvious attraction between the two friends, but Pomona had insisted to them all, time and again, that was all there was to it, friendship. Still, in her heart of hearts, she wanted more. If only Filius felt the same way.
She had lost count of the many times in the last few months alone that Filius had mentioned how much he enjoyed their friendship and how grateful he was to have a woman for his closest friend. If she had not known better, she would have wondered who he was trying to convince. No matter what he said, there were times when she wondered if he was interested in her as well.
Pomona smiled shyly as she realized she had been staring at him. In the same moment, Filius realized she was watching him and purposely covered his mustache in ice cream once more.
“You truly are a crazy man, Filius Flitwick.”
“Perhaps,” he said as he licked the ice cream from his beard once more. “But you like me this way.”
“I do.” Her tone was more serious than she had intended and an awkward silence descended between the two. Way to go, Mona, she thought with a grimace, Just welcome the elephant into the room.
It seemed the closer to summer holidays, the more trouble she had concealing her feelings. Now that it was the first day of summer and her last day in England before her summer in the States, she was finding it nearly impossible to reign herself in. She suddenly remembered exactly what it had been like to be a seventh year, one week from the end of the school year.
Filius finished his ice cream quickly and then tried to smile at her, though he did not quite pull it off. “Shall we go, my dear?”
They had Apparated back to Hogsmeade and were nearly to the front entrance of Hogwarts before either said anymore. Pomona had just decided that she should apologize for her comment, though she could not decide if that would make the situation better or worse, when Filius cleared his throat.
“Mona, I…” He looked up at her quickly before his gaze returned to his toes. “I feel I owe you an apology.”
“Oh. No, I’m the one who can’t keep my mouth closed. Don’t worry about it.” She tried to appear earnest, but she knew she was too curious to find out what he felt he needed to apologize for.
Filius placed his hand on her arm, stopping her just as she reached for the large door before them. She was surprised to see just how upset he was. She started to speak, to reassure him that whatever had upset him would be fine, when an owl landed on the railing next to them. It held out a leg to Pomona, who quickly took the letter which had her name scrawled across it in Minerva’s distinctive green ink. Perplexed, Pomona opened the letter and read it aloud.
“It’s nearly that time now,” Filius said as he glanced at his watch. “I could go with you and then, perhaps, we could speak afterward?”
“If you feel it is necessary, of course, but you really don’t need to apologize to me.”
Pomona continued to watch him as they made their way up the stairs and down the hall to Minerva’s chambers in silence. The sadness that had entered his eyes was still there and he seemed rather worried as well. She wondered what could have happened to upset him so much and was beginning to doubt it was her simple little comment. They reached the portrait before Minerva’s door and with one more glance at Filius, Pomona knocked on the door.
The large door swung open and from inside came a loud, “SURPRISE!”
Pomona stood in the doorway, shocked, as the entire staff of Hogwarts gathered in Minerva’s enlarged sitting room. “I cannot believe…” She felt her cheeks flush as she looked at them all. “You really shouldn’t have.”
For the next several hours, Pomona moved from one group to another, receiving congratulations on her placement in the international program she would be attending the next two months, and giving assurances that she had every intention of returning in August. By the time everyone had left Minerva’s rooms, it was well past midnight and Pomona still had packing to do. With a kiss on Minerva’s cheek and a promise to write, she left, wondering where Filius had gone.
She did not have to wonder long. In her rooms, she found a small bouquet of yellow roses –yellow signifying friendship, she thought ruefully - and a note from Filius.
Pomona ran a soft finger over his signature. She wondered if he realized how much he would be missed as well and again remembered the look on his face as they had climbed the stairs together. Hopefully whatever had upset him had passed.
She carefully slipped his note into the pocket of her case that already contained a picture of the two of them, sitting together at the Ministry Christmas Ball. It was her favorite because they were laughing about something and occasionally Filius would place his hand over hers and smile at her. Silly, she knew, but it still warmed her heart to see them that way and gave her hope.
With a smile, she closed the case and set about finishing the rest of her packing.
Genre: E for Everyone here
A/N: Okay so Stefdarlin was my person for the exchange and though she has been reading the story since the deadline (thank you google docs), I have yet to post it. I am nearly finished (just over 8,000 words later), so I thought I would start posting it today, in honor of Stef's birthday. Thanks for reading!
Chapter One
Pomona watched with a small smile as Filius took another bite of his cone. Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip ice cream covered his beard and mustache and with his last bite, a drop of the melted goo began to form at the very bottom of his beard, threatening his pale blue robes.
"Filius," she began before dissolving into laughter as he realized his problem and frantically licked his lips trying to salvage what ice cream he could. She took out her wand and cleaned his beard, then laughed some more as he looked at her sadly.
"I would have eaten that."
"I'm sure, but people were beginning to stare."
He smiled brightly and she felt her stomach flutter. Just friends, she reminded her quivering insides.
"That is because they are wondering why someone like you is here with me."
Pomona rolled her eyes even as the butterflies in her stomach grew. "Oh yes, and that would have nothing to do with you being covered from head to toe with melted ice cream."
He chuckled. "Now if I was really that covered, you might have something."
Pomona rolled her eyes again, this time with a sigh, before smiling. It was the first day of summer break at Hogwarts and she and Filius were celebrating with ice cream at Fortesque’s. It had been a long year as it was Pomona’s first as a professor of the school, but part of the stress was due to the man sitting before her.
Filius had been the first of her former professors to reach out to her and they had become easy friends. He had made her adjustment from student and subordinate to professor and equal much easier than she had believed possible. She did not know what she would have done without his friendship in the last year and that was what made her feelings for the man so difficult. She was beginning to fall in love with him, despite herself.
Several of their fellow colleagues, not to mention her friends and family, had mentioned the obvious attraction between the two friends, but Pomona had insisted to them all, time and again, that was all there was to it, friendship. Still, in her heart of hearts, she wanted more. If only Filius felt the same way.
She had lost count of the many times in the last few months alone that Filius had mentioned how much he enjoyed their friendship and how grateful he was to have a woman for his closest friend. If she had not known better, she would have wondered who he was trying to convince. No matter what he said, there were times when she wondered if he was interested in her as well.
Pomona smiled shyly as she realized she had been staring at him. In the same moment, Filius realized she was watching him and purposely covered his mustache in ice cream once more.
“You truly are a crazy man, Filius Flitwick.”
“Perhaps,” he said as he licked the ice cream from his beard once more. “But you like me this way.”
“I do.” Her tone was more serious than she had intended and an awkward silence descended between the two. Way to go, Mona, she thought with a grimace, Just welcome the elephant into the room.
It seemed the closer to summer holidays, the more trouble she had concealing her feelings. Now that it was the first day of summer and her last day in England before her summer in the States, she was finding it nearly impossible to reign herself in. She suddenly remembered exactly what it had been like to be a seventh year, one week from the end of the school year.
Filius finished his ice cream quickly and then tried to smile at her, though he did not quite pull it off. “Shall we go, my dear?”
They had Apparated back to Hogsmeade and were nearly to the front entrance of Hogwarts before either said anymore. Pomona had just decided that she should apologize for her comment, though she could not decide if that would make the situation better or worse, when Filius cleared his throat.
“Mona, I…” He looked up at her quickly before his gaze returned to his toes. “I feel I owe you an apology.”
“Oh. No, I’m the one who can’t keep my mouth closed. Don’t worry about it.” She tried to appear earnest, but she knew she was too curious to find out what he felt he needed to apologize for.
Filius placed his hand on her arm, stopping her just as she reached for the large door before them. She was surprised to see just how upset he was. She started to speak, to reassure him that whatever had upset him would be fine, when an owl landed on the railing next to them. It held out a leg to Pomona, who quickly took the letter which had her name scrawled across it in Minerva’s distinctive green ink. Perplexed, Pomona opened the letter and read it aloud.
Pomona,
I know you and Filius had planned on spending the afternoon together, but could you please stop by my rooms this evening before dinner? There is something I would like to give you before you leave in the morning.
Yours,
Minerva
“It’s nearly that time now,” Filius said as he glanced at his watch. “I could go with you and then, perhaps, we could speak afterward?”
“If you feel it is necessary, of course, but you really don’t need to apologize to me.”
Pomona continued to watch him as they made their way up the stairs and down the hall to Minerva’s chambers in silence. The sadness that had entered his eyes was still there and he seemed rather worried as well. She wondered what could have happened to upset him so much and was beginning to doubt it was her simple little comment. They reached the portrait before Minerva’s door and with one more glance at Filius, Pomona knocked on the door.
The large door swung open and from inside came a loud, “SURPRISE!”
Pomona stood in the doorway, shocked, as the entire staff of Hogwarts gathered in Minerva’s enlarged sitting room. “I cannot believe…” She felt her cheeks flush as she looked at them all. “You really shouldn’t have.”
For the next several hours, Pomona moved from one group to another, receiving congratulations on her placement in the international program she would be attending the next two months, and giving assurances that she had every intention of returning in August. By the time everyone had left Minerva’s rooms, it was well past midnight and Pomona still had packing to do. With a kiss on Minerva’s cheek and a promise to write, she left, wondering where Filius had gone.
She did not have to wonder long. In her rooms, she found a small bouquet of yellow roses –yellow signifying friendship, she thought ruefully - and a note from Filius.
Pomona dear,
I hope you did not mind me leaving your party early. Minerva had not told me about it for fear I would let something slip to you and so I wasn’t prepared for a long evening with our friends.
Enjoy your trip and do not forget to write! Please know that you will be missed greatly.
Yours,
Filius
Pomona ran a soft finger over his signature. She wondered if he realized how much he would be missed as well and again remembered the look on his face as they had climbed the stairs together. Hopefully whatever had upset him had passed.
She carefully slipped his note into the pocket of her case that already contained a picture of the two of them, sitting together at the Ministry Christmas Ball. It was her favorite because they were laughing about something and occasionally Filius would place his hand over hers and smile at her. Silly, she knew, but it still warmed her heart to see them that way and gave her hope.
With a smile, she closed the case and set about finishing the rest of her packing.