UnExpected

Chapter 51

Valentine's Day. The day of candy, flowers, and heart-shaped everythings. The day when romance expectations were high, and many felt pressured to meet those expectations. That day had arrived on a cold February morning as the students of Hogwarts fluttered nervously and excitedly around their rooms, getting ready to meet their significant others for what was planned to be an amorous and memorable Hogsmeade visit.

"You're going to be cold," said Ginny, looking at the items on the bed.

"I won't be cold," Buffy disagreed, searching through her trunk, and pulling out various things. She stood up with a pair of black tights in her hands, grabbed the items from her bed, and walked around to the other side, where the curtain had been pulled across the entire way.

"You say that now. Just wait till you get out there."

"You sound like my mom. No wait, you actually sound like your mom."

"No need to be mean about it."

Minutes later, Buffy pulled the curtain back and stood beautifully in her date-ready outfit.

Ginny looked at the dark red, strappy dress and repeated, "You're going to be cold."

Buffy rolled her eyes as her tall black boots clicked against the wooden floor. She walked to where her bedside table held a small, opened jewelry box and pulled out a pair of crystal stud earrings. Placing them in her ears as Ginny continued her lecturing.

"You're just not going to listen, are you?" she said.

"Nope," Buffy agreed and pulled out a thin silver necklace with a small crystal charm in the shape of a snowflake. "Now help me put this on."

Buffy pulled her softly curled hair up as Ginny placed the necklace around her and clasped it behind her neck. Buffy readjusted her hair and fixed the fallen strap of her velvet dress, wondering if she should place a sticking charm on the delicate strips of fabric to keep them on her shoulders, but that just sounded like a medical emergency waiting to happen.

"So how do I look?" she asked turning around, and before Ginny could start, "and if you say one thing about being a cold, I will be calling you Mrs. Weasley until year's end."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the very honest threat and kept her temperature opinions to herself.

"You look lovely," she complimented truthfully. "In fact, if you ever decide to get rid of that dress, I'd be more than happy to get it off your hands."

"Deal."

Buffy removed some lint from the bottom of her dress, where the length nearly covered the top of her boots, and satisfied with her work, placed on her black woolen cardigan. She grabbed her black winter coat, and the pair of black gloves Ginny was currently holding out, gave her soft makeup and hair one last check and headed to the door.

"You're so lucky you get to go," Ginny said, as they walked out. "I can't believe Angelina wants us to practice on a Hogsmeade weekend of all weekends."

"She just wants to get you guys ready for the Hufflepuff match."

"Yeah, but it still bites."

She was about to agree when Ginny's last word seeped in. "Did you just say 'bites'?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, her tone still morose. "I blame you."

The girls made it down the stairs and split ways when they exited the portrait. Ginny's shoulders still heavy as she dragged herself off to the Quidditch Pitch. Buffy on the other hand was in great spirits. She was going on a date. Something she hadn't been on in a while. She was moving forward, that was the plan after all, but guilt couldn't help but make its presence; no matter how small it was. Angel was still out there and here she was going on a date with someone else – someone who wasn't him. But Buffy had read all the articles, and experienced enough other heartbreaks to know that relationships were tricky things, and getting over them was even trickier.