She reached across and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. "That's very thoughtful; and I love them."
"You're welcome," he softly replied.
Finally, properly pulling apart, he asked the others, "Anyway, what's with all the giggling?"
Susan just pointed at the head table and said, "Lockhart!"
Harry, while taking seat with Daphne, looked up just in time to see Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. From where he sat, Harry could see a muscle twitching in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro. "Happy Valentine's Day!" shouted the fop. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"
Lockhart clapped his hands and, through the doors to the Entrance Hall, marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. And not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.
"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion!
"Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"
Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. And Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.
When the owl mail came in, each of their girls received a rose in their own house colours with a card. This year, the card and roses came from both Neville and Harry. Harry had decided to help Neville out with the Colour Changing Charm for each of the roses.
Tracey and Daphne each received a silver rose with green edging, Susan and Hannah each received a gold rose with black edging, and Hermione received a red rose with gold edging. Both boys were suitably rewarded similar to Neville's reward the previous year. And, just because they could, Luna received her own 'friendship' card, together with a blue rose with bronze edging.
When she saw the other girls kissing Neville and Harry on the cheek, she came over and planted her own on each boy's cheek, as well. "Thank you, Neville. Thank you, Harry," she said with an odd expression. "I shall treasure this, always." And returned to the Ravenclaw table.
"You gave Luna one?" Daphne asked Harry, with her own odd expression.
Harry shrugged and said, "We had the spare. Besides, I never see her with any friends. And our offer of friendship should make her day for her."
Harry was sitting with the others, except for Neville and Hermione, in their room within the Come and Go Room when Neville came barrelling in out of breath. He ran up to the back of the nearest couch and, placing both hands on the back of it, bent over.
Hannah walked over and asked, "Neville? What ever is the matter?"
Neville gave a wave signifying he was okay and looked up at Harry with almost a panicky expression. "Harry!" he wheezed. "You need - to run!"
Surprised, Harry asked, "Run? Why?"
Panting, Neville replied, "Hermione received - an account statement - from the goblins - concerning her - family vaults!"
Harry suddenly sat up straight and, in a small voice, said, "Uh-oh!"
Still panting, Neville said, "She's on - the warpath - and coming - here!"
"Harry? What. Did. You. Do?" said Daphne glaring at him. "Errr - I gave Hermione a 'welcome to the ennobled club' gift," he replied, a little fearful.
"Harry! She's right - behind me!" said a near-frantic Neville.
"Yeah," he replied. "I need to go."
"Go where?" asked Susan.
"Hide!" replied Harry getting up and about to make his way to the doors.
Suddenly the doors to the room banged open and Hermione stood there, panting hard. She looked furious. Neville elped and scampered over the couch to move to stand just behind Harry.
"Harry James Potter!" she barked. "And, Neville Francis Longbottom!"
"Oh, shite!" said Harry staring at Hermione in full Wrath-of-the-Gods mode. "She used our full names." "Now; Hermione..." he tried.
She stepped more fully into the room and slammed the door behind her. "Don't - you - dare - try to come up with a lame excuse for this!" she screeched, waving a set of Gringotts bank statements at the pair of them.
"Errr..." stammered Harry, before turning to a just as afraid Neville and muttering, "We need to get past her, Nev. You run around one side and I'll run around the other. It should make her hesitate long enough for us to make our escape."
Neville just nodded without taking his eyes off Hermione.
"What did you pair of reprobates do?" asked Susan with her own angry voice.
"Not much, really," replied Harry, not looking towards her. "It was just a small thing. Nothing to get upset about, really." "A small thing?" snarled Hermione, having clearly heard. "A SMALL thing?"
"Get ready, Nev," muttered Harry out the side of his mouth.
Hermione came stomping over. Both boys were happy they had a couch between her and them.
Just as she reached the back of the couch, Harry snapped out, "Now!" and both boys took off in opposite directions circling around the angry girl towards the door.
"Come back here!" she screeched at them.
"Not a chance!" yelled Harry, as he and Neville reached the door a half second apart.
Harry yanked the door open and Neville darted outside with Harry hot on his heels. They both took off for the secret passage, planning on getting out of the vicinity as quickly as possible.
Inside the room, Hermione was glaring at the door and growling.
"Hermione?" called Daphne. "Perhaps you should calm down, take a seat, and tell us what our two disobedient boys have done."
After a few moments, Hermione huffed, releasing a lot of her anger. She walked around the couch and plonked herself down upon it.
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