Hey guys! So I am giving you all an early chapter since I will be going into surgery in a few days. I have a benign mass on my liver that needs to be removed. I might not be able to update this story for a while after the surgery. But I will make sure to make it up to you all as soon as I regain my strength.

Wish me luck guys :) I will be seeing you all soon!

All past events are in italics.

"David!" a young girl exclaimed "that wasn't the right amount. For Godric's sake, now your potion is going to –"

Before the girl could finish her scolding, the said potion started to boil violently. The potions master noticed the commotion and immediately ran to the three young students that were huddled together in front of the boiling potion.

He looked down at it and turned to the emerald eyed wizard, scowling in anger at him. "Dickenson, how many flubber worms have you carelessly dropped in your potion?"

The emerald eyed wizard glared at the potions master maintaining eye contact. The boy was almost as tall as his professor yet he would always feel intimidated by him. The snarky professor made it a habit to berate the wizard whenever the blue eyed witch was there to witness which aggravated him.

"Answer quickly boy!" the potions master snapped at the wizard making him jump.

"Five professor," the young blue eyed witch said at once when David was petrified in place.

"For Merlin's sake Dickenson! How thick are you boy? Only two were enough to make –"

The potion hissed louder and started spilling onto the desk which made all four of them back away.

"Everyone, OUT!" Snape yelled in urgency to the students who took notice. That however wasn't enough to make them move. He growled louder, "NOW!"

At once, every seventh and fifth year student raced out the classroom. The Slytherin fifth years went as far as shoving the elder seventh year Ravenclaws out of the way.

"God dammit!" Snape cursed "There is not enough time."

He immediately ran in front of the three students and acted as a human shield, protecting them from the impact. David and Patrick were stunned in place. Patrick held onto Florina tightly and both of them closed their eyes.

The young witch didn't notice that her Professor was standing in front of them. Once she was able to peek and notice him, she wiggled out of Patrick's clutches.

"Sir no!" Florina screamed and ran in front of him without thinking.

"FLORINA –" before Snape could stop the witch, the potion exploded with a violent boom. So violent that three of them were pushed back by the impact that sent the potion everywhere. The entire classroom was covered, the walls, desks, books even the three individuals.

Snape immediately opened his eyes searching for the mental witch. A white light was surrounding her that gradually faded with the explosion leaving in its wake a very stunned witch. He got up and skipped to her leaving the other two boys on the floor.

He pulled her roughly to him searching for any bleeding wounds on her, "Fifty points from Slytherin!" he roared "for your extreme carelessness. What were you thinking of Woods pulling a stunt like that?"

"I am...I am sorry Sir," she whispered tears falling from her eyes. The young witch was extremely terrified by the man who was towering over her. He was surprised that she survived such a massive explosion with only a few cuts on her arm and cheek.

The rest of the explosion seemed to have been absorbed mysteriously but it wasn't clear by what or how.

"You could have died silly girl!" he pushed her away lightly when he was sure she wasn't hurt "I knew what I was doing."

"Sir with all due respect, you didn't. You were going to be badly hurt. I... I just couldn't let that happen, I am—"

"Flo don't blame yourself," Patrick came up behind the witch patting her on the shoulder "It's all this pricks fault. He almost killed us all," he pointed to his brother who scowled in return.

David got up staring his brother down like he just saw Voldemort. After a few moments of continuous glaring, he silently made his way to his bag which was covered with the foul smelling potion.

As he made his way to the door, Snape drawled "Fifty points from Ravenclaw Dickenson," the emerald eyed wizard spun shocked "AND detention for an entire month for not following the instructions."

The tall emerald eyed wizard seemed to be on the verge of breaking into tears. However he tried his best to contain them as much as possible, at least until he was secluded.

"Oh which reminds me," Snape turned to Patrick "seventy points from Gryffindor."

He smirked when he saw the other shorter emerald eyed wizard drop his mouth open, gawking at him.

"Seventy! But Sir, what for?" Patrick croaked.

"Mister Dickenson, never question my decisions ever again or it will be a month of detention with your dear old brother. But if you must know, it's for insulting your older brother in front of your Professor. And..." he got closer to him and glared whispering, "for letting your girlfriend loose enabling her to put herself in danger."

Florina couldn't help but snicker which caught the attention of the three wizards. Snape scowled at her.

"Miss Woods, you will need to go to the hospital wing. Dickenson, take her there will you."

Patrick automatically went to stand beside Florina glaring at the potions master. Snape shook his head and pointed to David. "The other Dickenson."

David's face suddenly lit up like a thousand suns as if he won the lottery. Patrick however protested, "But Sir, he –"

"Detention for a month Dickenson," Snape hissed smirking "It seems that you were going to join your brother after all. Now, all three of you shoo."

Patrick huffed and stormed out of the classroom in anger. He was shortly followed by Florina and David. The tall wizard took a quick glance at his potions master to find him smirking.

**********

"Florina, I am very sorry for what happened. I... I didn't know how I did it. I know this potion very well, I brewed it many times but –" David apologized to the witch who was sitting on the hospital bed snickering.

"For the last time David," she interrupted still chuckling "It is fine. And look, I came out of it unharmed. We all have those days where we just...unplug from reality, you know."

David laughed nervously and nodded. "And besides, I can give you the benefit of the doubt. I mean you were being stared down by Professor Snape, of course you were going to mess it up."

The young wizard busted out laughing as the heavy air slowly cleared away. She sat up and reached to pat David's hand smiling at him which made him go mute almost immediately. He looked down at the hand that was holding his and swallowed.

He looked back at her and smiled back nervously.

"So we can be friends?" Florina asked him after a while doubtful.

His eyes lit up like they have never before. For once in his life he wasn't smirking or scowling. There was no reason in his life at that moment to do so. The Gods of happiness finally smiled on him. For once in his life, he was genuinely smiling and it was at her.

He nodded enthusiastic, "Of course we can... buddy."

Without a warning, he got up from his seat and hugged her tightly, the smile never leaving him. Florina, so innocently chuckled and hugged him back. After a few moments, the witch slowly left David but he wouldn't break off their hug.

She laughed nervously at the clinging wizard. Suddenly she playfully made choking sounds, "Da...David...buddy...let...let...go. You...are...kil...killing...me with your affection."

"Oh sorry," the wizard immediately let go of her sitting back down.

When he realized she was playing a joke on him, he nudged her playfully in the shoulder and they both laughed.

"Well then," Florina beamed "from now on you will call me Flora and I will call Dave."

********

"David, that is just impossible," the present Florina said as she crossed her legs "The cat didn't have any chance to escape. I made sure to lock the door. How could she just vanish?"

"Florina, we have been talking about the damned cat for hours now. Will you just let it go already?" David huffed in annoyance at the witch who wouldn't drop the subject.

They were sitting on the witch's couch enjoying some tea and biscuits. After the witch was stunned by the sudden disappearance of the cat, she invited David to stay with her. As the wizard had nothing planned for the day, he gladly took her invitation.

Their chat was quite pleasant and sometimes cheerful. At times, the witch would decide to ask the wizard about his brother and what was he like to which David would immediately avoid answering.

She finally persisted, "It's just odd that he would never mention you at all to me David. And you said you are what...two years older than me and Patrick so..." The witch scrunched up her face calculating.

The fairy immediately got tense at the mention of the subject but tried her best to not make her friend sense that. She however kept a very close eye on David scared that he might reveal something he shouldn't.

"David, you must have been with us at Hogwarts. If I was fifteen at the time, you must have been seventeen. I MUST have seen you."

The wizard paused for a moment looking back at the ocean blue eyes that were eagerly awaiting his answer. David was torn apart. They were alone at last, it was either now or never.

'Should I tell her?' He asked himself. Should I tell her that we were close friends for an entire year? Should I tell her that we had nicknames for one another, she was my Flora. Should I tell her that we were very close until my brother decided to –'

He subconsciously shook his head, 'No! What you are thinking of you fool? Telling her the truth will tear her to shreds and make her hate you even more. Respect your brother's decision, it's the least you could do for him after what you did.'

Finally, the wizard made up his mind.

"Florina," the wizard lowered his head and whispered "please just let it go. It's pointless. My brother chose not to tell you about me, just accept that as fact. I assure you, you don't know me and you have never seen me before in your life, until now at least."

Rose sighed in relief relaxing her tense muscles. The witch didn't want to accept that answer however and opened her mouth to argue. A knock on the door made the residents turn to it.

Florina let out a short breath annoyed. "Who is it?" she asked firmly.

"Your doom," a deep voice spat back making the two immediately chuckle.

The witch, who couldn't stop chuckling, went to the door opening it for the grumpy potions master. He scowled when he saw her still trying to control her laughter and pushed past her carrying a small box.

He froze in place when he saw David, sitting on the witch's couch, chuckling too. The tall wizard immediately smirked, "What can we say, sometimes you can be hilarious Snape."

"I am glad you two were entertained," Severus spoke in a voice dripping with venom while glaring at the two.

He fully turned to David, "What are you doing here Dickenson? Need I remind, you aren't permitted to be with Miss Woods...together...alone."

It was Severus's turn to smirk when David shot hateful daggers at him.

Florina came forward, "Sir, I invited him to stay over. But I wasn't aware I needed permission from anyone to have my friends over. We are not students I hope you know." Florina scowled at the wizard whom his attention wasn't on her.

Ignoring her, he came forward and stood in front of David who was still sitting on the couch.

"Oh of course Miss Woods. You are allowed to have anyone over at any time without restrictions. Even the three headed dog if you so desire. It will be quite an upgrade from this one to be honest –"

David stood up at once. Florina came up beside him still scowling at the potions master confused.

Severus's smirk intensified, "I was speaking to this gentlemen over here. Our headmaster prohibited him to stay in seclusion with you except for any emergency –"

"I am going!" David exclaimed at once to prevent the wizard from clarifying further "Alright. I am going Snape, you won. I just need to tell her one last thing then I will be off."

"Lovely. Woods," he turned to Florina giving her the small box "Here are the dreamless potions you asked from me. Take only two sips a night so that you don't overdose."

She nodded taking the box and setting it on the coffee table in front of her.

"Why would Dumbledore prevent David from seeing me?" she asked the potions master who scowled.

"That's a question you would have to ask the headmaster I am afraid," he turned on his heel and waited at the door "Dickenson, you have five minutes or it will be straight to the headmaster."

"Really?" David shot in anger "You are still obeying him after what he did to us? After what he did to her."

Severus shrugged. "Unfortunately, we don't have another choice. He is the headmaster after all. And besides, it's for her own good and you know it."

"Now, I don't like to spy on the two of you but your exchange will have to take place in front of me I am afraid. Make it quick Dickenson."

"David," Florina turned to the tall wizard and whispered "what is he talking about? Why won't Dumbledore let you stay with me alone?"

David turned to Severus who in turn gave him a warning glare and subtly shook his head.

The potions master's look-alike sighed in defeat "I... Snape is right. It's for your own good, trust me my dear."

He suddenly hugged the witch who surprisingly returned it back tightly. Severus frowned.

"It's alright David," she whispered as she held him firmly "whatever it is, I will understand."

David nodded and quickly whispered to her "I... I wanted to tell you that you are not as lonely as you think you are. It's true that you are a know-it-all and that could be annoying at times but... you are not alone. I am always here for you."

"Thank you David," she beamed.

"Well... I hope you find that missing cat... Flora."