All Is Fair ~ Tom Riddle AU

Chapter 21

Gen pursed her lips thinly, giving the impression that she was annoyed even though the real cause of her action was to keep the squeal that was threatening to break out inside her mouth. Knowing that words would fail her, she slowly nodded, a faint smile enlightening her features. "Okay." She said simply, taking the date from his fingers, putting it into her mouth and chewing it slowly with a faint grin.

Reginald exhaled a relieved breath. "Okay." He repeated, feeling his heart melt into a pool of lovesick puddle at her words. "Okay," he said again, "Yule break is coming up. Is it alright if I take you out a couple of times then?"

"Okay," Gen said simply, swallowing the date and biting the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from bursting in happiness.

"Okay," Reginald echoed. Charlie snorted and Reginald just knew his friend was going to tease him about it later. "So, um, I need to go to class now. I'll talk to you later?"

"Okay."

"Okay," Reginald smiled at her, mouthed a discreet 'thank you' to Artemis before leaving the Great Hall with his friends.

No sooner than he did, Gen buried her face into her hands with embarrassment.

"Gosh, I was so bad at speaking. Reginald proposed with a pun no less, and all I gave him were one-word answers! He must think I'm awful." Her words were muffled into her hands.

"Awfully pretty, that is," Roman said, never being one to let his friends think bad of themselves.

"Congratulations," Artemis added with a grin.

"Thanks," Gen sat back straight again. "I don't want to mess this one up. Reginald is the absolute sweetest boy I know-"

"-Huh-hem," Roman coughed pointedly, making Gen blink at him.

"-You got something in your throat there, Rome?"

"Only the bitter taste of friendship and disappointment, Gen, thank you for asking," Roman replied with a motion for her to continue, making Artemis snort.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Gen said, "Reginald's amazing and if things don't work out between us, I don't want it to be awkward, you know? What if I mess this up like I mess up everything else?"

"You won't, Gen," Artemis said with such confidence that Gen felt empowered. "If it is meant to be, it will be. Reginald's sweet, he won't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself either. For anything, really. Whatever happened previously is all in the past and none of it was your fault, so please don't think it is. You won't mess this up. You know why? Because you are Genevieve Delilah-"

"-That's not my middle name-"

"-Rhodes! You hate messes of any sort. You are one of the cleanest persons I know and so you are not going to mess this up." Artemis met Gen's eyes. "Okay?"

Gen giggled, a soft sincere smile adorning her face as she nodded. "Okay."

------> 0o0 <------

Artemis Potter did not have many regrets. She was someone who believed in speaking her mind and gripping opportunities as it passed by. But she was sure that she would regret it for the rest of her life that she did not apply a muffling charm on her ears when Professor Slughorn announced the potion they were going to make that day: Amortentia.

It took Professor Slughorn nearly ten minutes to attempt to settle down the class before he gave up and tossed a pleading look to his two favourite students and shoe-ins for the Head Girl and Head Boy position in their seventh year, who were sitting in front of the classroom and covering her ears and calmly reading a book respectively.