It wouldn't exactly be public... it wasn't like they were going to be a couple, it was just... going on a date. They hung out all the time. People wouldn't even really know unless she sang it from the rooftops or something. Not that he minded people knowing, it was just... there wasn't something to know. He was trying to get over Alice. And people wouldn't know what Ves had asked him anyway so... there wasn't anything to be public about in his eyes.

He didn't have much opportunity to answer with his thoughts on being 'public' however, because they were interrupted.

... man. If it had been the poo!fish librarian he'd be able to talk his way out of it easily, but Bellaire was as Slytherin as he was so he knew that wouldn't work.

He straightened up. "Yes ma'am." Three feet was really bloody far though. He was rarely even that far away from Theo when they hung out.

........ but what about every other day conversation? West kept his mouth shut, not Gryffindor enough to put that question out there. Better to ask forgiveness than permission.