//------------------------------// // Valentine's // Story: Scoti Alaw Prewett // by SamuelK28 //------------------------------// Despite the dreary weather, time flew for the Crusaders. With their teachers’ intent on piling more and more homework upon them as the weeks passed along with Quidditch to attend to, they found they had little time for anything else and before they knew it January was but a distant blur and half of February along with it. “I can’t believe it’s just two more weeks till we take on Gryffindor.” Sweetie exclaimed one Friday morning as they headed to breakfast. “I’m unsure whether too be nervous or excited!” “At least you don’t have to make a fool of yourself wearing that damn costume.” Apple Bloom grumbled. Sweetie sniggered. “You remember the deal we made, now suck it up.” “Doesn’t mean I have to like.” The other girl huffed. “And what’s up with you Scootaloo, you’ve seemed distracted ever since we got up?” “Huh, what? Sorry did you say something to me.” Scootaloo snapped out of her dreamlike state. “My point exactly. You like to share with us what’s on your mind?” Apple Bloom enquired politely. Scootaloo’s face went red. “Err, Quidditch, yeah, Quidditch.” She quickly blurted out with a guilty expression across her face. Four of the five other girls around her burst out into laughter as Apple Bloom began to sing… “Scootaloo and Hermione sitting in a tree…” THWUMP, Scootaloo’s Potions textbook hit her in the face. “Big mistake.” Apple Bloom smiled malevolently. “I wonder what Snape will do to you when you turnup to class without your textbook.” “Ahem.” A cough startled Bloom and she looked behind her to see the aforementioned professor. “Ahh, crap. Here you go Scootaloo.” She reluctantly handed her friend her textbook back. Snape opted to turn a blind eye on the shenanigans and instead turned his attention to Scootaloo. “Miss Prewett, I’m glad I caught you. I’ve just spoken to Madam Hooch and Dumbledore and we’ve decided that I’ll be refereeing your next Quidditch match. Oh, and if I ever catch you using your textbook for a projectile again, you’ll be spending a week as Miss Bloom’s Potions guinea pig, do I make myself clear?” He finished in his usual monotonous drone. Scootaloo looked at the professor aghast for a moment before she gulped and uttered “yes sir.” “Then I’ll see you in class later today.” And with that he marched off to the Great Hall for breakfast. “Shit, shit and treble shit.” Scootaloo swore before she remembered what day it was and skipped jovially after the professor to breakfast, a wide smile returning to her lips. “What just happened? Did I just miss something or did Snape just say he would be refereeing our next Quidditch match?” Susan said in a combined state of shock and fright. “That seemed to be the gist of it, yes.” Sweetie groaned. “Then can someone explain to me why our captain is acting like she is over the moon with the idea? He’ll do anything he can to stop us winning and go further clear in both the Quidditch and House Cups.” Susan exclaimed, completely befuddled at the events that had unfolded before her very eyes. Hannah and Meghan slowly stopped their giggling before both cried in unison “BECAUSE IT’S VALENTINES DAY!” “Oh no.” Susan groaned, placing her head in her left hand. “Which one of you told her?” The other two girls looked at each other guiltily for a moment. “What’s Valentine’s Day?” Apple Bloom asked a little confused. “Oh, it’s a wonderful day where people express their romantic feelings for one another, often through cards and gifts.” Meghan explained. “I wonder if I’ll get any admirers this year?” She finished with a distant dreamy look on her face. “Fat chance. Boys our age aren’t interested in us girls.” Hannah grumbled. “I know.” Meghan said despondently, her dreams dashed. “Still, this would be a great opportunity to tease them.” She added with a despicably evil expression across her face. “Of course.” Hannah wrapped her arm around the other girl and together they headed to breakfast plotting how they could make their male peers’ day a very uncomfortable one. “I hate Valentine’s.” Susan muttered contemptuously. “I’d already figured that one out.” Apple Bloom chuckled. “It sounds very much like a holiday we have back home called Hearts and Hooves day which arrives the first day after Winter Wrap up to celebrate the start of Spring.” “It is weird how our holidays seem to have an equivalent in this world.” Sweetie piped in as the remaining three girls made their way to the Great Hall in deep discussion about the morning’s news. * Hermione stared red faced at the huge bunch of roses that an owl had just deposited in front of her. Across from her at the Hufflepuff table Scootaloo stood up and blew her a kiss. “My word, they must have cost her a fortune!” Ron exclaimed. “What’s in the other parcel?” Hermione looked at the attached note to the box wrapped in red paper adorned with pink hearts. For those lonely nights when you are missing me most, xxx Scootaloo. Hermione’s face went redder. “Erm, maybe I should save that one till later.” She managed to stutter. “Why? What does that note say?” Ron enquired reading it over Hermione’s shoulder before she could stop him. His eyes went wide and he was left gasping for breath. Hermione gave him a death stare before putting the box under her right arm. “I’m going to take this back to my room before first period. I’ll see you both in Herbology.” She said gruffly, getting up from the table and taking her gifts with her as she left. “You think we upset her somehow?” Harry said completely oblivious to what had just occurred. “I wonder what could possibly be in that box to get her so flustered?” “Trust me when I say I don’t think we want to know.” Ron replied before going back to his breakfast. Shrugging his shoulders, Harry joined him. * “Really. It’s a stupid holiday purely thought up to get people to spend money and act like lovesick fools.” Apple Bloom groused to Susan as they left Herbology after a lesson where most the students’ attentions had been more focused on who their secret admirers were rather than the actual lesson itself. “Couldn’t agree more. I lost count how many times Scootaloo and Hermione were just chatting away to one another and doing no actual work. Professor Sprout didn’t seem at all fussed though, the same probably happens every year.” Susan groused in reply looking over at the other three girls in their dorm who were deep in discussion over who might have sent their Valentine’s cards at breakfast, mostly fourth- and fifth-year boys. “We must be the only girls in the entire school right now not getting carried away.” Apple Bloom said in reply. “Or receive any, ‘blegh’, cards.” Susan added with disgust as Apple Bloom felt a tap on her shoulder. “Oh, hey Neville. Come to join the anti-Valentine’s brigade.” “Well, a-actually I w-was wondering if you’d like to go over Herbology notes in the library with me during our free period.” The boy stammered with a blush. Apple Bloom’s face went as red as her hair as she struggled for a reply to the boy’s request until Susan intervened. “She’d love to.” Susan chuckled evilly. “I’ll leave you two to get better acquainted.” She finished disappearing into the throng of students before Apple Bloom could stop her. Sighing, Apple Bloom wrapped her arm around the other boys and said. “Let us get this over with then,” before she dragged a petrified looking Neville off to the library amongst an array of stares and laughs from their friends. * Apple Bloom had actually enjoyed her study session with Neville and was surprised by just how much the boy knew about magical plants and fungi. Afterwards they’d grabbed a quick bite to eat before making their way to the dungeon in a heated debate over which plant was of greater importance, Moly or Dittany. As they entered the Potions class Snape bellowed. “Settle down please. There shall be no gossiping in my lessons.” He waited a moment for pure silence too adorn the room. “Excellent. Now, although you are a little young, I’ve something extremely dangerous to show you today that was crafted yesterday evening by Miss Bloom. This” he held a small vial of magenta pink liquid out in front of himself, “is Amortentia, the strongest known love potion in the world and a N.E.W.T level potion you will get the chance to brew if you pass your O.W.L in year five with an Outstanding. For now, I shall just be giving a demonstration of its power.” He pulled the stopper out the vial and let its scent waft over the classroom. “Now, one of the aspects that makes it so dangerous is its aroma, which entices the victim in with the three things they find most attractive and is different for everybody who smells it.” A number of students started rising from their seats, Snape swiftly corked the vial once more. Apple Bloom put her hand in the air. Although Snape hated anyone interrupting his monologuing, he’d secretly grown fond of his protegee and allowed her to ask anything she wanted throughout. “Yes, Miss Bloom?” “A lot like the sirens in old mythology then?” “A good and accurate analogy.” Snape replied garnering a smile from Apple Bloom. “Even a highly skilled Potions Master such as myself could have trouble with Amortentia, even knowingly consuming it without physically being able to stop myself. Like all love potions, once you’re under its power you are aware of everything you do but have no control over your actions, thus are at the mercy of the administer of the potion until it wears off or you are provided with the antidote.” Snape pulled out yet another vial, this time containing a crystal-clear liquid. “And that is if they let you recover. History speaks of tales of muggle men long trapped in the powers of such potions of witches and who only regained their senses if they were lucky enough that something befell the witch who had besotted them. You see class, love cannot be manufactured or imitated, rather these potions cause the victim to become infatuated and obsessed against their will with the person who administered them for a set duration of time, similar to the Imperious Curse. Due to this, it has often been argued that such potions should be banned by the Ministry, indeed they are strictly banned from school grounds and anyone found with one shall be joining the Weasley twins.” Snape paused for a moment and bore a hole into Ron’s soul with his eyes causing the boy to nearly soil his clean underwear. “In infinite detention for the remainder of their time at Hogwarts.” He was going to continue but Ronald had meekly put his hand in the air. “Yes, Mr Weasley, this had better be good.” Snape growled fiercely. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking sir, how did my brothers get infinite detention?” Ron stammered. Snape looked at the boy for a moment with an uninterested gaze before finally he replied. “For once Weasley a respectable question. Let me tell you all this now. I am one of the top five potions masters in the world, I can even resist the tempting call of Amortentia and tell when food and drink has been spiked by Draught of Living Death, despite it having no distinguishable taste or smell. Thus, your brothers foolhardy attempt to spike my morning tea at breakfast last week with Poison Joke potion was only going to result in one outcome. Now, let us get back on track in our exploration of the perils and pitfalls of love potions.” He waited a moment for the few stifled giggles around the room to subside. “Now Weasley, would you like to entertain us all by having a guess as to what might influence the strength and longevity of a love potion?” Ron gulped. “The ingredients sir.” He finally managed “Very good Weasley, one point to Gryffindor. Love potions usually wear off after twenty-four hours at most, but this is dependent on a variety of factors such as the weight of the drinker, attractiveness of the giver and how long the potion has been allowed to mature for amongst others. A key factor to remember with love potions is that they mature and become more potent overtime.” Snape rambled on. Scootaloo stared up at the ceiling wishing for the bore fest to be over. Her wrist was already starting to cramp from all the notes she had been taking. As her mind started to drift an angry voice pierced through her dreams and pulled her back to reality. “Miss Prewett.” Snape’s voice droned. “Anyone in there. We’d very much appreciate it if you’d inform us either what has got you so enlightened or the witch who invented all the modern love potions used today? Well, we’re waiting.” The professor finished irritably. Scootaloo looked like a deer caught in some headlights for a moment. “Err, no clue sir.” She finally eked out. “Well in future I suggest you pay attention. Five points from Hufflepuff. Miss Granger, care to help dunderhead out?” “Laverne de Montmorency during the 1800’s sir.” Hermione replied. “Well done. Five points to Gryffindor. I shall expect a thousand-word essay or more from all of you on Mrs Montmorency’s work by Tuesday. Miss Prewett, that’s two-thousand words for you!” The students silently groaned, especially Scootaloo, as Snape continued to waffle on about the history, perils and pitfalls, and common ingredients of such potions. By the end of the double period every last student bar Apple Bloom and Hermione were complaining over the amount of information they’d had to take in and write down. “I think my arms going to fall off!” Ron whined as they headed to lunch. “At least he didn’t slap your wrist with a ruler.” Scootaloo replied testily rubbing her still sore wrist. “Ugh, a three-thousand-word essay minimum on some long dead love potion maker, how fun!” “Well you did kind of fall asleep and started snoring in the second half of the lesson.” Sweetie Belle explained. “I think you got what you deserved there.” “Still feel it’s a little much.” “Nope.” Apple Bloom added bluntly. “Thanks Bloom, you’re a true, supportive friend.” Scootaloo retorted sarcastically. “Don’t mention it.” “Don’t guess there’s any chance you’d help me is there?” “Nope.” “Thanks.” “Your Welcome.” “I’m just wondering what he’s going to do to us in our Quidditch match in a few weeks’ time now he’s refereeing it.” Scootaloo said changing the topic slightly. “HE’S WHAT!” Hermione screamed. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” She demanded “Ow, my ears.” Scootaloo recoiled from the sudden outburst. “He only told me this morning. It kind of slipped my mind.” “Really. The professor with a questionable past who is attempting to steal the Philosopher’s Stone just happens to be refereeing the two students who are most likely to stop him in a game of Quidditch fifty feet or more up in the air with almost no witnesses if an accident just happened to occur. And, how may I ask did this slip your mind?” Hermione raged at her girlfriend. Harry had gone pale, recollecting his first Quidditch match and how he’d nearly been jerked off his broom by dark magic and sent plummeting through the air to the solid ground below. “You.” Was Scootaloo’s response before adding. “God damn you’re cute when you’re angry.” Hermione stalled in her rant remembering the gifts at breakfast that morning and started to blush giving the opportune moment for Apple Bloom to intervene. “How many times do I have to tell you all he’s not out to get anyone or steal whatever that dog is guarding. More than likely he’s refereeing it to prevent whoever cast the jinx last time from casting it again.” “That seems just a little to coincidental Bloom.” Sweetie replied. “What is so important about this Philosopher’s Stone anyway?” Hermione went redder suddenly realising what she’d let slip to the other three girls. Finally, taking a deep breath she spoke. “Okay, I’ll tell you but it’s a secret between just us. It’s a fabled legendary artifact created using alchemy which has extraordinary powers. Alongside turning any metal into pure gold, it also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There’s only one known to be in existence and that dog up on the third floor is guarding it.” “Woah, okay, look, I’ve told you already I want nought to do with this. I’m sure Dumbledore has got everything under control. And besides, Snape wouldn’t dare try anything again, especially with all the other teachers watching his every move in the sky. Just relax, everything will be fine.” Scootaloo explained before she stormed off to lunch in a huff. As the hallway went silence once more for a moment, Ron finally got his view on the matter out. “I still think you shouldn’t play to be on the safe side.” “No. Scootaloo’s right.” Harry sounded braver than he felt. “Besides, with the House Cup looking further and further out of our grasps, the Quidditch Cup is Gryffindor’s best chance of a trophy this year. I’m playing.” Hermione and Ron looked at each other with concern etched across their faces. * Scootaloo calmed down over lunch and afterwards she and the Crusaders along with Harry, Ron, Hermione and surprisingly Neville had departed to the library and made decent inroads into their Potions’ essays before Scootaloo had whisked a reluctant Hermione off to the North Tower to aid her in her Divination lesson. “You are well aware that I’m still highly sceptical of this fortune-telling malarky. Professor McGonagall says it’s a very imprecise branch of magic.” Hermione said snootily as Scootaloo pulled her along. “Hmm, do we need to do the jelly bean test again or how about the whole troll incident or the bewitching of Harry’s broom. Need I go on?” Scootaloo retorted. “Hey, I’m not saying it isn’t proper magic just that.” Hermione paused for a moment trying to think of the correct word. “You’re a massive egghead who only believes in science, facts and figures.” Scootaloo cheekily finished the sentence getting a playful slap on the back of her head in retaliation from her girlfriend. “Ouch, still true though. I mean, Hermione, we are witches; nothing particularly makes sense or follows the norm. Heck, I’ve spent most my life in another dimension and am now half-Pegasus with a tattoo as you call it on both my hips.” Sighing Hermione conceded defeat. “I suppose you’ve got me there. What did you need me for anyway, you said something about Palmistry?” “More commonly known as Palm Reading. I thought it would be romantic being Valentine’s day and all.” Scootaloo explained her reasoning. “Remind me never to let you plan our dates again. Broom shacks, storage cupboards and now Fortune Telling, how fun.” Hermione mocked. “Hey, you forgot sneaking onto the top of the Astronomy Tower.” Scootaloo added. “How could I forget that one.” Hermione giggled. “Anyway, here we are.” Scootaloo said with an air of mystery. “Where exactly? It’s a dead-end corridor.” The other girl looked round confused. Scootaloo fluttered up to the trapdoor and banged three times. Hermione leapt back in surprise as a ladder dropped to the floor. “After you milady.” Hermione looked round the dimly lit room as she entered and the oddities it contained as a voice spoke out of the gloom. “Ah, Scootaloo, I see you brought your friend. You definitely weren’t wrong. I can see it in her eyes the scepticism she has for our work. Let us see if she’ll be a bit more a believer by the end of today. Come child, take a seat and help yourself to a biscuit or two, I believe Jam Creams are your favourites.” Hermione whizzed round to look at Scootaloo who was just closing up the ladder behind her. “I never told you what my favourite biscuits are.” Scootaloo smiled. “No, you didn’t.” “Many people see us as tricksters, frauds and the laughing stock of the magical community, even after we prove them countless times otherwise. Just because our prophecies and predictions are often cryptic, does not make them any less valuable. You just have to have the time and patience to figure them out is all.” Professor Trelawney explained. Hermione let loose a dirty laugh as she made her way to one of the two armchairs that sat opposite Trelawney’s own. “Sorry, but Scootaloo patient. That’s a new one to me. The only time I’ve ever seen her be able to sit still for more than five minutes is when she’s asleep.” “Hey.” Scootaloo interjected. “I resent that remark.” Professor Trelawney giggled. “She can certainly be patient when she wants to be. I mean, for the past five weeks she’s come in here, she’s sat almost immediately in front of the fire and then barely moved for an hour or more as she just stares at the flames while occasionally making one or two notes on some parchment.” “Wow, my girlfriend patient. I’d never have thought it.” Hermione admitted cheekily. “Ha, ha. Not even here a minute and already picking on me.” Scootaloo deadpanned taking the armchair next to Hermione. “Better watch out or maybe I’ll predict a fall down a ladder in the near future.” “Oh, you love me to much too do that.” Hermione replied sweetly fluttering her eyelashes, causing Scootaloo to blush. Professor Trelawney let out a little giggle before she began the lesson. “Alright, I’m presuming you’ve had no more visions, premonitions, dreams or anything similar this week?” Scootaloo shook her head, “nope.” “Good, so to begin with Scoti, is there anything you’d like to tell me about Palmistry.” Professor Trelawney enquired. “Well it goes by multiple names, chiromancy, palm reading, palmistry and chirology, and simply put it is the study of divination, or as Hermione likes to call it fortune telling, through the palm of the hand. Similar to Fire Omens it is one of the earlier forms of divination and another one of Johannes Hartlieb’s seven ‘forbidden arts’. Truthfully, it’s the only area of divination so far I’ve struggled with and a lot of the lines you are supposed to inspect confuse me.” Scootaloo confessed. “Interesting.” Professor Trelawney said. “Don’t worry about it to much. All psychics have their strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I’ve never been that strong on Fire Omens myself. To begin, let’s just keep it to the basics. Miss Granger, please present the palm of your writing hand.” Hermione flipped the palm of her right hand over and laid it down in front of Scootaloo. “Thank you. Now Scoti, firstly I want you to look for the heart line. This represents love and attraction and can be found at the top of the palm flowing across Miss Granger’s palm towards her thumb. Yes, that’s the one. Now tell me what you think it looks like and what it could mean.” Hermione had started to go a little red faced at the sudden intrusion into her personal life. “Hmm, would you say that’s triple forked? It’s hard to tell.” Professor Trelawney lent over. “It does look like her palm seems a little reluctant to reveal itself to us but yes, it seems you have great balancing between your logical, physical and emotional sides Miss Granger.” Hermione let out breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. “Shall we have a go at the other two?” Hermione immediately sucked the breath back in. * “You owe me big.” Hermione said immediately after they left the classroom a few hours later. “At least I know there’s one subject I won’t be bothering to take in my third year. What a waste of my time.” She grumbled. Scootaloo was sniggering uncontrollably. “Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad.” “You said I was going to have a terrible accident within a week.” “Sorry, most of what I’ve studied so far has been really intriguing but I’d have to agree, Palmistry is just bizarre and really difficult to figure out.” “Weirder than chucking an axe at a block of wood to predict the future?” “Touché. Come on, let’s get some dinner, then I’ve one final surprise this evening for you.” Scootaloo teased. “And I promise it’s better than the last one!” “Oh joy!” Hermione replied, less than enthralled as she followed her girlfriend to dinner. * Sat at the Gryffindor table, Harry and Ron laughed over what Hermione told them had occurred during the course of her afternoon. “She sounds completely insane!” Exclaimed Harry. “They both do.” Ron said. “Hey, that’s my girlfriend you are talking about.” Hermione huffed. “I’m just a little worried about what she’s got planned for this evening. She really is going a bit overboard with this whole Valentine’s thing.” “To be fair, it is your first one, she just wants to make it special. Personally, I think it’s kind of her to care so much, especially considering how much she’s got going on. It’s hard enough for me to keep up with my studies just being on the Quidditch team, let alone captaining it.” Harry reasoned. “True.” Hermione considered deep in thought. “And don’t forget the parcel you took back to the dorm this morning.” Harry replied. Hermione’s face started to go red. “I don’t think she wants to remember it.” Ron chuckled before tucking into a burger. “Also, I think we should be discussing the more serious matter of Snape refereeing your next Quidditch match.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Please don’t start that again.” * Thankfully for Hermione the remainder of dinner proved to be a quiet affair with no unexpected interruptions. Then, just as she was leaving with the two boys and planning on a quiet evening of reading in bed, Apple Bloom approached them and handed her a cryptic note. Fancy a bath? See you outside the Prefects Bathroom 19:30 sharp, love Scoots. Hermione let out a breath of relief. If that was all she had planned she could cope with that. A bath did sound nice to, especially one as luxurious as the one in the Prefect’s bathroom. After fetching some bedwear from her trunk in the first-year girl’s dorm she made her way to where she thought the bathroom was located and looked at the magical pocket watch she always carried with her. 19:28, perfect timing. She wondered where Scootaloo was, knowing her she was ready to pounce on her from somewhere. “BOO!” Like that. Startled Hermione jumped and then looked up. It took every ounce of willpower for her not to squeal like a little girl. There, floating above her was the cutest thing she’d ever seen in her entire life. “It dawned on me you’ve never seen my Pegasus form. Come on, we’ve got to be out no later than 8:20. Mint Tea Tree Oil.” The door in front of them swung open. The next forty-five minutes were honestly some of the best of Hermione’s life as she stroked, petted, brushed, washed and hugged the little Pegasus whilst relaxing in the giant bath as the relaxing scents of many different aromas floated over her nostrils. They’d even chased each other round and round the bath a couple of times, splashing and laughing as they went before snuggling up with each other once more. A chocolate fountain and marshmallows had even been pulled from somewhere along with a bottle of lemonade which the girls happily helped themselves to in two champagne glasses. Finally, they had to call it a night, even though Hermione still refused to let Scootaloo go until the very last moment when they had to head in different directions on the stairs. Giving her girlfriend one final kiss on her forehead Hermione said “thanks for everything. I truly couldn’t ask for a better girlfriend.” And with that the stairs shifted and she was gone. Scootaloo, in a state of dazed euphoria fluttered back to the entrance to her own dorm, the halls mostly empty at this time of the evening and thus no one really paying her much attention in her alternate form. “You’re late.” Sweetie grumbled, standing outside the dorm, before chuckling, “looks like someone had a good bath.” “You can have both Mondays off. I don’t care, it was totally worth it. And I’ll double the order of chocolate frogs.” Scootaloo said dreamily. Sweetie’s eyes shot open in delight and a wide smile crossed her lips. “Sounds like the cat definitely did get the cream this evening, although I’ll just take this Monday off, can’t be getting to complacent before our big match. Now, give me a moment.” She closed her eyes and lighted her horn. In almost an instant Scootaloo was back in her human form as a bead of sweat dropped down Sweetie’s forehead. “You are certainly getting better.” Scootaloo commented, slowly coming off her happiness high as she pulled on a pair of pyjamas Sweetie had handed to her. “Those lessons with Dumbledore are certainly helping.” “Certainly are, thanks for noticing. Now come back to the dorm and give us all the low down on what went on. Wally’s been going nuts as only you know where his favourite crackers are. He shat on Apple Bloom five times in anger and Susan and Meghan twice each.” This time it was Scootaloo’s turn to let out a giggle. “Oh dear, I’m in for it now. And as Rarity says, a lady never tells.” “Good thing you’re not a lady then.” Sweetie replied with an impish grin as the two made their way back into the Hufflepuff dorms. * Up in the Gryffindor tower Hermione sat upon her bed and looked at the box she’d received that morning. The roses Scootaloo had given her sat in a crystal vase upon her night stand next too her whilst across from her Fay, Lavender, Parvati and Sophie all attempted to get her to spill the beans on her date, currently to no success. “Come on. If you aren’t going to gossip about your dates today with Scootaloo, the least you can do is show us what’s in the box.” Fay grumbled. Hermione wasn’t paying the other girl any attention, her mind focused on the little note attached to the present once more. For those lonely nights when you are missing me most, xxx Scootaloo. What if it was something solely for her eyes only? No, Scootaloo would have warned her. Actually, considering her humour, she probably wouldn’t have. Well, the longer she sat here and pondered, the more agitated and nervous she’d become and less likely to open it. Shaking her head to clear it, she started to peel back the tacky paper. “Alright.” Fay called out across from her. “Finally, we are getting somewhere.” Hermione ignored her once more, her focus solely on discovering just what was in the box. As she pulled the last of the paper away, she looked at the ordinary brown box underneath. Well no clues there. She went straight for the juggernaut and pulled the tape back from the top of the box and pulled one of the flaps up. Tissue paper and bubble wrap greeted her along with a note and something else. Something around the size of her chest, with four legs and a mane. An almost exact plush replica of Scootaloo in her pony form. Hermione’s eyes bulged. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense.” Fay cried once more. Hermione pulled the delicate piece of hand-crafted artwork and held it to her chest. It was so soft. “A soft toy horse?” Fay said a little lost. “Oh, how romantic!” Sophie squealed too questioning looks from her peers. “Jeez, don’t you lot remember?” “What?” Fay replied for the other three girls in the room. “Have none of you even talked to Scootaloo?” “Not really, she’s Hufflepuff we’re Gryffindors, don’t fraternize with the enemy and all that.” Fay replied to a round of nods from the other girls. “Now spit it out please.” “Fine, Scootaloo spent most of her childhood in an ulterior dimension filled with sentient horses or ponies. That there isn’t just your run of a mill standard shop bought stuffed toy horse, it’s a handmade one-of-a-kind replica of” Sophie began “Scootaloo in her pony form.” Fay finished figuring some things out. “Precisely.” Sophie confirmed. “So romantic.” Parvati and Lavender both chipped in “Hey, Hermione.” Fay had figured something out. “I’m betting that seeing the way you’re reacting too that plush you got the real thing this evening and are missing it. How was it? Hugging and snugging a soft and fluffy sentient pony that’s also your girlfriend.” Hermione’s face started to go red, but to her credit she didn’t back down. “Honestly, it was the best half an hour of my life.” She finished with a dreamy sigh hugging the plush tighter to her chest as she fell back upon her bed lost in her memories of the evening that had just passed. “Wow, she got hit by cupid’s arrow bad.” Lavender giggled “I think it’s sweet.” Sophie said. “Odds on them lasting the distance here at Hogwarts?” Fay asked the group. “Definitely.” Parvati replied. Hermione heard none of the conversation that echoed around her as she lay on her bed hugging the pony replica of her girlfriend tightly to her chest and wishing for all the world it was the real thing as she drifted off to sleep.