A Date
20th February 1978
Antonin sent flowers to Solana’s dorm every morning that week, it started with peonies, then daisies, then iris’, then tulips, then dahlia’s, it seemed he had forgotten her favourite flowers were sunflowers.
With each bunch he wrote a small note professing his love for her, but they didn’t seem genuine… or from him at all. So she folded them up and shoved them into her bedside drawer.
She sighed as she grabbed her jumper from the wardrobe, it was still chilly outside, even in the castle halls so that was an essential, she then picked up her bag filled with books and headed towards the library.
She saw Remus’ head stuck in another book.
“What are you reading?” she asked, setting her bag down and taking a seat.
“A book,” he told her bluntly, not looking up.
“I gathered that,” she muttered.
“I didn’t think you would turn up,” he said, turning the page. “You’ve missed three sessions.”
Solana nodded, “Professor McGonagall wasn’t lying about the points and detention. I don’t really fancy polishing the trophies again.”
Remus turned his lip up in slight amusement.
“I’m sorry for storming off on our last session,” she said, finally.
He cocked his eyebrow up in surprise.
“I was already feeling kind of shitty and when you said that… it kind of… tipped me over the edge,” she kept her eyes on the table.
Remus cleared his throat as he nodded. “I’m sorry as well. I wasn’t actually thinking when I said it… I felt really bad after you left.”
Solana pulled a small smile and held out her hand. “Truce… part two?” she offered.
“What happens after three strikes?” Remus questioned, shaking her hand.
“We will never speak to one another ever again?” she suggested.
“Fair deal,” he nodded.
Solana smiled, “So what are you reading?”
“A book,” he replied smugly.
“I smell strike three coming up,” she glimmered.
“Fine, fine, it’s called Fahrenheit 451.”
“What is it about?” she asked.
“You actually want to know?” he said, squinting his eyes.
She shook her head. “Not really but you seemed excited,”
Remus rolled his eyes, “Of course,” he closed his book.
“How many of those do you own?” she asked.
“What, books?”
“Yeah,”
He shrugged, “Mam’s got a whole ‘library’ at home,” he said using quotations.
Solana furrowed her brows.
“I did that because it's just a bookcase, filled with books, but she is convinced that it is a library.”
“I have a library… and it’s not a bookcase, it’s an actual library, like this, but without Madam Pince,”
“Really?” his eyes widened.
“I don’t go in there though, it’s boring. “
Remus rolled his eyes and sighed, “Waste of a library,”
“You should come and visit it one day,” she said.
“I’ll pass thanks, your family don’t seem to like people like me,” he said, dropping his book into his bag. “Right, seeing as you’ve missed the past couple of sessions, you have homework–”
“What?” Solana groaned.
“You think you can miss my sessions and then come back all dandy, absolutely not. You’ve got to read these five and then write an essay on how the fidelius charm works.” he said, grabbing a pile of books from the shelf behind him.
“What is the fidelius charm?”
“... I look forward to reading what you come up with,”
“This isn’t fair, Lupin.”
“Don’t walk out on my session again, Black,” he shrugged.
She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, “Give me the books,”
Remus grinned at her, “Chop, chop, the essay won’t write itself– and if it does I will be able to tell,”
“Has anyone ever told you how insufferable you are”
“Several times,”
☀︎
Solana’s bag drooped down her shoulder with the weight of her books, unfortunately for her she had forgotten the spell to make things as light as a feather.
She carried on down the castle hallways back down to the Slytherin Common room, she was almost there when she heard giggling as she rounded the corner.
“We’re gonna get caught–” one whispered, interrupted by a kiss.
“Oh Meadowes, you can be such a scaredy cat,” another whispered.
“Marley–”
“Cas, if you keep talking we’re going to get caught– Shit!”
Solana froze in the middle of the corridor as she caught eyes with Marlene Mckinnon who quickly pulled her lips away from Dorcas Meadowes.
“I’m just going to–” Solana stammered, she sped past them, ignoring as Dorcas called her back.
She dropped her bag onto the sofa, next to Antonin, she sat herself down as Dorcas ran into the common room looking all around.
A pleading look on her face as Solana turned away, picking at her nails.
“Your bag is heavy,” Antonin groaned as he picked it up to put it on the table.
“Yeah, Lupin’s set homework,”
“You still have to go to them,” he rolled his eyes.
She nodded, looking across the common room to see Dorcas turning around. “Yeah,” she muttered.
“I was thinking,” Antonin began, setting down the Daily Prophet onto his lap. “We haven’t been on a proper date,”
Solana perked up. “We haven’t,” she nodded.
“Meet me at seven, my love,” he said, kissing her cheek and walked up to the boys dorm.
It had been a long time since she felt a giddy feeling in her stomach, she smiled brightly as she made her way up to her own dorm.
☀︎
It was nearing seven and Solana was almost finished getting ready, all she needed to do was put her dress on.
“You look nice, where are you going?” Alecto asked as she walked in.
“Date with Toni,” she told her, she didn’t see the hesitation in Alecto’s face as she checked over her hair.
“That’s nice,” Alecto began, “Where is he taking you?”
“I don’t know yet,” Solana shrugged, grabbing her dress and putting it on, it was a velvet knee length dark emerald dress, with small spaghetti straps, she couldn’t help thinking that Alecto would look much better in it rather than her.
The dorm door opened and Dorcas walked in, looking at her.
“Hey, uhh, Solana, can we have a word?”
“Sorry, I’ve got to go,” Solana said, quickly grabbing her clutch and heading out of the dorm.
Antonin was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs with a bunch of red roses, she smiled softly as she took the bouquet.
“These are beautiful,” she whispered.
“They reminded me of you,” he said, brushing aside her hair. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you,” she said, she tugged on his black robes, “You look handsome,”
He held out his arm for her to link before the two headed out of the common room.
☀︎
“Where are we going?” she asked as they walked down a long path, Antonin covered her eyes.
“It’s a surprise,” he whispered into her ear. “We’re nearly there… just a little bit– watch your step–okay, here we go,”
Antonin pulled his hands away and Solana let out a gasp. “Oh my gosh,” she breathed.
Underneath a large oak tree was a picnic rug, filled with fruits, cheese and sandwiches.
“Toni, this is–”
She wanted to say unexpected, she never thought he would do anything romantic for her.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, as he wrapped his arm around her waist, he pulled her into a kiss.
“Come on, we shouldn’t let the food go to waste,” he said, holding her hand as they sat down on the blanket. “I also got you some of these,” he reached into a basket and handed her a packet of Cockroach clusters.
She grinned widely, “My favourite,” she said, as he passed them to her. “Thank you,”
“You’re welcome, my love, now eat,”
They feasted on cheese and wine, and when they got full, Solana rested her head on his chest as they watched the stars.
“I want to apologise,” Antonin said, “I haven’t been myself these past couple of months,”
Solana looked up at him, she took his hand, stroking it with her thumb. “It’s okay, Toni,”
He shook his head, “I shouldn’t have been so cold towards you, you will be my wife one day, I want you to know that I do appreciate you, my love.”
She shivered in the cold, but he didn’t notice.
“I have something to give you,” He said, reaching over and pulling out a small box, wrapped in a shiny black ribbon.
Solana sat up, as he handed it towards her.
“It was passed down from my grandmother, then my mother, and now you,” he said, a fond smile etched on his face.
She pulled the ribbon away and opened the box to reveal a thin silver chain, with a round pendant, the Dolohov family crest, imprinted on it. “Toni, it’s… it’s beautiful,”
“It’s been passed down hundreds of years, my great grandfather had it made, he gave it to his wife as an engagement gift, and I want you to have it,”
Solana smiled softly, “I love it… Could you?” she handed it to him and turned around, letting the cold chain fall onto her neck, as Antonin clipped it together he kissed her neck, goosebumps began to rise as she turned her head around, and kissed him.
That night the two went back to the dorm, and this time Solana didn’t even mind when Antonin got out the ropes.