In the Melancholy Moonlight, Part 5: Dark Matter

Chapter 280: Perfect for You

LUCY:

The fact that I'd never put much stock in Valentine's Day was no secret.

My first year, Jenna Gordon had given Cedric cookies spiked with a love potion. My second year, Ginny's little singing Valentine for Harry had been amusing, but that same night, our little group of four, the same group of us on the Camping Trip of Doom, had fractured under the weight of Tom Riddle's claim that Hagrid had opened the Chamber of Secrets. Valentine's Day had been uneventful my third year, but my fourth year, Maxence Auclair had — well, that Valentine's Day hadn't been quite as bad as he tried to make it, since Harry had come to my rescue, but what Max and Draco had done to me was still cruel. Our fifth year, Harry had attempted to spend the day with Cho Chang, but he'd rather mucked it up, and that wasn't even counting the fact that Ron and I both needed the Hospital Wing after a disastrous practice that same day. Sixth year had been the most enjoyable of all, I'd gotten to snog Harry in the Quidditch commentary box, but even then, I didn't care much about Valentine's Day itself.

And I didn't care about it on the Camping Trip of Doom, either. I hated Valentine's Day whether I had a Valentine or not, not that anyone other than said Valentine knew that I had one that year. Therefore, it was silly, really, the way that the approaching holiday sparked such interest in me. I knew I ought to be focusing on the task at hand — with one more Horcrux down and the Sword of Gryffindor in our possession, we dove into our continued hunt with renewed vigor that waned only slightly day by day — but I couldn't shake the thought of Valentine's Day and all of its mushy-gushy stupidity from my mind.

It had been so long, too long, since I'd gotten an uninterrupted moment alone with Harry. There were a couple of stolen minutes here and there, such as when one of us was relieving the other in the middle of the night when the watch rotated, but time alone had been impossible to come by since Ron's return. Not because of him, necessarily, but because of Hermione's tendency to suddenly need something from one or both of us whenever Ron tried to have a moment alone with her.

In any event, I was lovesick, well and truly. My body ached with the effort of stopping myself from just snogging him senseless every time he was in arm's-reach of me, and my mind was so addled with yearning I could barely focus. If anyone else noticed, surely they just blamed my rosy cheeks and wandering eyes on the approaching full moon, but three days after the full moon — Valentine's Day — I was out of excuses, and out of patience.

I'd never put much stock in Valentine's Day, but I was really hoping for something of a Valentine's Day miracle that year.

I had taken the last watch of the night, so I was awake and alone for the sunrise. In a valiant attempt to stop my mind from drifting, because I thought Valentine's Day was frivolous and there had never been a worse time for frivolity than in the thick of the Camping Trip of Doom, I reached into my rucksack for the orb. I just held it in my hands for a moment, not expecting a speedy reply by any means, but, to my surprise, it glowed orange right back.

Everything okay? Fred asked.

Yeah. Just bored and lonely keeping watch, I replied. How about you, are you okay? That was quick.

We were just about to reach out, actually.

George's purple greeted me next. So we know that you love Valentine's Day...

Dear Merlin, what have you done now? I tapped out.

If we told you to meet us in a place we all know, could you?

I considered this for a moment before replying. Best not, sorry. Why?

We can just drop it off, then. You can pick up our delivery at your convenience.