Can't Fight This Feeling

[Thaddeus Miller]

Thaddeus took Desislav's advice and went to look for Clementine that same day. He'd been thinking of what to say to her in the meanwhile. The older boy was right, he couldn't just walk away after thanking her for the rose she gave him. If he was really going to do this, then he was going to do it right. He couldn't help to feel a pit in his stomach as he came closer to the fourth floor corridor. He had asked the girl to come with him to the Yule Ball but that was different, the second year Gryffindor was actually beginning to really like Clementine now. The boy walked through the corridor towards the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room, still holding on to the pink rose he had received earlier that day. Thaddeus had not seen the Hufflepuff that day so wasn't even sure if she'd be in the common room or not but it was worth a shot. He decided to wait for a bit first before asking someone to look if she was inside the common room so that he could think of what to say.

 

[Clementine Pratt]

Since Clementine was officially done delivering all her roses, she had just been hanging out in the Hufflepuff common room waiting for the festivities that were being thrown for all rose deliverers to start but it wouldn't be for another few hours. She had been extremely happy the entire day because delivering the roses was so much fun, but the best part of it all had been receiving her own flower. She had just finished putting it in a vase so it wouldn't die and walked back out to the common room when a housemate was shouting for her saying that there was someone waiting for her outside. Clementine wasn't sure who it could be but she walked out to the corridor to check. "Teddy!" she said brightly as soon as she spotted the Gryffindor. "What brings you here?" she asked warmly.
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[Thaddeus Miller]

He'd been facing the entrance of the common room with his back whilst trying to think of what to say to Clementine when she would walk into the corridor, so quickly turned around when he heard a familiar voice calling out his name. ''Clementine,'' he said with a smile, taking in her appearance. The Hufflepuff looked lovely as always. ''I came here to thank you for the flower and -'' he swallowed, suddenly having second thoughts about asking the girl to be his date to the Valentine's part, but with the words of the older Gryffindor in the back of his head Thaddeus smiled once more and finished his sentence, ''And came to a-ask you if y-you would like to be my d-date to the Valentine's party.'' he said with a stutter, still feeling the pit in his stomach as he asked Clementine to be his date, forgetting all about the 'talking first' part of the plan Desislav and he came up with.

 

[Clementine Pratt]

Clementine smiled when he mentioned the flower she had sent him and was about to reply that it had been her pleasure, but the boy seemed to be determined to say something so she stood back and let him speak. She bit her lower lip as she looked at him, chuckling a little at his nervousness but she hoped he knew it wasn't malicious. "I would love to," she replied easily. Her reply came so quickly and easy to her, in contrast to the way his question had been difficult for him to get out. Clementine giggled but flashed him a smile and decided to try her luck. "You know I got a pink rose today too..." she said innocently, but the twinkle in her eye betrayed her.
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[Thaddeus Miller]

He didn't want it to happen simply because it had happened way too many times in front of the girl already but when Clementine said that she'd love to go with him as his date, the boy's cheeks turned the same colour as his tie. ''You really would?'' the boy asked, as he was resisting the urge not to jump in the air out of joy. He smiled when she giggled and looked away as soon as she mentioned the rose he had sent to her in the hope that the colour on his cheeks wouldn't betray him. There had been a reason that he hadn't signed the rose with his name of course, but it almost seemed like she knew that it came from him anyway. ''Does is smell nice?'' Thaddeus asked whilst looking back up at Clementine again.

 

[Clementine Pratt]

Clementine laughed a little when Teddy asked if she would really go. "Of course I will, silly," she commented. She had noticed his blush but she wasn't going to point it out, even though she liked it. "You were a great date for the Yule Ball so it'll be fun to do it again!" she explained. She was going to go to the party regardless, but now going with Teddy would be so much funner. She didn't have very many friends at Hogwarts so going with someone would make her feel more comfortable. Clementine frowned slightly when Teddy didn't admit to sending her the flower and couldn't tell if he was simply avoiding telling her or perhaps it really wasn't him. But she didn't dwell on it as she nodded at his question. "Yes it does. My sister told me that the boy who planted them said the magic in the ground helps them bloom extra big and be fragrant for longer," she said, fascinated by the gardening procedure. "So you have to promise me to keep the rose I sent you alive for as long as possible okay!"​

 

[Thaddeus Miller]

Thaddeus was happy that she would really go to him to the party because he liked being with Clementine a lot. He didn't have a lot of friends, and did not talk to the two students he had met before the school started in his first year. The Gryffindor missed his family a lot but now that he actually had someone he could spend time with, he hadn't thought about home at all after he came back from the Christmas holidays because the only one on his mind had been his friend. He smiled when she told him that he was a great date and said, ''Likewise. You're a pretty good dancer.'' He himself wasn't good at dancing at all but since they had fun, he didn't really care that he couldn't dance like most students. ''Did you like the note attached to it?'' he then asked so she would know that it came from him, because the more they talked about it, the more he regretted not signing it with his name. He looked down at the rose in his hand and back up at Clementine, ''I will! I will put it a vase as soon as I'm back in the common room, even keep it next to my bed!'' the boy told the Hufflepuff with a bright smile.

 

[Clementine Pratt]

"I can't wait!" Clementine beamed up at him. She didn't care much about dancing so long as Teddy was there with her. Clementine nodded when he asked about the note that came with her rose. "It was very sweet," she said, smiling again at the thought of it, but then her smile faltered slightly. She really thought the rose had been from Teddy but now she couldn't tell anymore. She couldn't help but wonder if she had just projected the feelings she wanted him to reciprocate onto him. Clementine didn't have very many friends at Hogwarts, so she didn't want to ruin anything with Teddy. If Teddy only saw her as a friend, then she would accept that rather than ruin things with her own feelings. She was used to hiding how she felt for the sake of other's anyway so she could do that while around the Gryffindor for his sake. "If you need any tips on how to keep flowers alive I can help you out," Clementine told him, smiling again and pushing aside her thoughts and instead happy to talk about gardening. "First tip: talking to plants definitely works," she winked.
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