InsaneJournal

Seamus was pretty notorious for taking his shot with girls when he knew he didn't have a single chance. But as far as he was concerned, there was no loss in trying and really flirting was half the fun. So what if he occasionally got turned down? It wasn't like a no would crush him or anything, people really needed to relax about this stuff.

Luckily though he had it on good intel, thank you Dean, that in this case he might have a pretty good chance here. Not that he would've expected it. This was Vati, he'd known her and flirted with her for ages, he just figured that if there was interest she'd eventually respond to the flirting differently. Maybe he just missed the signs, who knew, but no harm in trying now. If they were wrong and had misinterpreted her dreamy sighs, well then they could just bounce back into just being friends. Might as well try.

So Seamus waited for a chance to catch her alone in the hallways one weekend, the dorms were too crowded for this really. He'd just been to Professor Potter's office to see about borrowing a potions book for the fireworks when he saw her pass by and figured that was his chance.

"Vati! Wait up!" Seamus grinned and waved at her from down the hall, before casually tucking the book under his arm and jogging over to catch up with her. "Hey, what's the rush?"

At the sound of Seamus’s voice, Parvati stopped and turned, smiling brightly at her friend while he hurried to catch her up. “No rush! I was just coming back from the Library because Padma has reading to do and I was distracting her, but I’m not sure where anyone else is so I thought I’d go check the Tower? But look, I found you instead! That’s better, so where are you going? Can I come or do you have reading and I’d distract you, too?” she finished, gesturing at the book in his hands.

She was babbling a bit, but that was okay, Parvati was notorious for babbling. And anyway, Seamus had never noticed before that her tongue tended to run away with her more when she was alone with him than it did when they were all in a group.

"Nah, nah this is extracurricular stuff," Seamus said as he took the book from under his arm to show her. Potions for the Painstaking Pioneering Pyro with Panache.

Her babbling usually went unnoticed to him, Vati had always been rather cheerful talkative and he was pretty much like that himself, he'd always just assumed that around him she just didn't hold back with the talkative aspect since she knew he was the same. Though this time he was wondering if her being more talkative was just one of those signs he'd failed to pick up before. "Honestly was just heading back to the Tower too to drop this off. Figured I'd take the day easy and do a bit less studying, you know...relax. I'm not a Ravenclaw," he laughed. "Actually, I'm glad I caught you! Was hoping I'd run into you."

"You were?" Parvati asked, visibly pleased. "Do we need to consult on fireworks colours? Because I could totally do that. I mean, we need the red and gold ones, obviously, and some blue and bronze for Padma, but I think we should do some unexpected ones too! Like, do you think we could do lime green ones? Because that would be cool, I think."

Ok, babbling again, but explosions were fun, especially when they could be made pretty.

"There are going to be a ton of colours, not limiting ourselves to house colours!" Seamus grinned, the topic of explosions always getting him in a good mood. "But no, not what I wanted to run into you for." He stopped walking and shot her a smile, his usual charming one, before adding. "Was wondering if you were free tomorrow. Maybe we could nick one of the boats before anyone else and go out on the lake? You and I, I mean." Because we could've included Dean and Pads and he wanted to be clear, just the two of them.

Seamus' s 'usual charming' smile was very charming indeed. At least, Parvati thought it was, and it distracted her from what he was actually saying enough that she was nodding along without the words really registering for several long moments. When it finally hit her that Seamus had just asked her to go out on the lake just the two of them, it surprised her enough that she stopped talking and just stared at him.

There was an easy explanation, though. Well, easy-ish, though it didn't explain why he didn't want Dean or the other girls along. Still, it made the most sense. "You mean, like, to scout out the spot for the fireworks?"

Seamus laughed at that. "No but, yeah sure we could, I've already got ideas though. I guess I could take you on a tour of planned spots? But nah, not asking you for anything practical like that. I thought it'd be a nice date. Bit different you know?"

Parvati froze, just barely catching herself before she did an actual double take. Maybe she should pinch herself? No, she was pretty sure she was awake. She did have a very active imagination, though. Everyone said so. She'd probably misheard. Or was reading into things. She had to play it cool, that was all.

She opened her mouth to say something appropriately casual and maybe a little flirty but definitely not silly, but what came out was a squeaked "Date? Like, a date?"

Which was, wow, very clever and sexy and not at all embarrassing. She winced. And then winced a second time when she realized how obvious that first wince had been.

Seamus couldn't help the light laugh that escaped at her reaction. It was cute, and just squeaky enough that he was silently thanking Dean again. Seems his mate had been right about this. Possibly, he hadn't actually gotten a yes yet. "Yeah, a date. Does it have a different meaning I don't know about? I figured the lake might be fun, too many people do the astronomy tower and eh, past like 5th year, max 6th year, it's a bit tacky. That's more for a snog than a date. But yeah, wanna go on a date with me?"

“I would love it!” Parvati said quickly; maybe a little too quickly, gosh, she wasn’t being very smooth at all,was she? She could feel herself blushing, but there was a good chance that Seamus might not notice, she figured, so she forged on. “I mean, the lake. Well, I mean, a date, too. Any date. With you. I mean specifically, with you, if you’re sure it’s a date, I mean. But, yes, the lake, that sounds great, I really- I would really. Love that. Really.”

It was everything she could do not to start bouncing on the balls of her feet in the middle of the corridor, and maybe pinching herself wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

"I..." Seamus was actually a bit speechless at that reaction, but even in his shock he was smiling. She was blushing and babbling and...wow how had this completely gone over his head before? "Yeah I'm sure! Great! Tomorrow afternoon? We can meet by the doors and head there together." He was almost beaming now. It didn't matter how experienced he was at flirting, having a girl say yes to a date would always put a wide smile on his face. Besides, he just tended to flirt for fun or with whoever was hot, whenever he genuinely asked someone on a date he did actually like them. And this was Vati, of course he liked her. They certainly wouldn't have been friends for so long if he didn't.

“Okay!” Parvati said quickly, like if she hesitated he might take it back. Not that she really thought that he would. But there was always the possibility. “Tomorrow! Afternoon! Like, right after lunch? Or later? I mean, anything is fine with me!”

"I don't know, like...2?" Seamus had a huge smile on as he shrugged, incredibly happy this had gone so well. "We can talk firework colours if you still wanted, I'm taking suggestions of course. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

“You’ll probably see me before tomorrow,” Parvati pointed out; Seamus’s smile was making her smile back so hard that it actually sort of hurt. “We live in the same place, Sea. But yeah! Two is good!” Anything would be good, really. It was a date! With Seamus! She had to tell Lavender and Padma.

“Well yeah, but I care more about if I see you tomorrow, in between now and then is a given” Seamus laughed. “Perfect! I’ll leave you to it now and see you then!” He stepped back and gave her a wave with the book in his hand before jogging off ahead and turning around the corner. Well what did you know, he had a date for tomorrow!