The Art of Secrets

Chapter Fifteen: Valentines

Lockhart's idea of a morale boost was the last thing on Erica's mind when she woke up, but it finally became clear at breakfast time on February the fourteenth. She hadn't slept much at all really, between visiting Nagendra and catching up on her school work, but she was doing much better than she had been.

She took regular showers and made sure to do all of her homework and caught up on sleep on the weekends. The others avoided her as much as she avoided them, and nobody ever bothered her aside from the odd occasion Adrian would sit with her in the common room and talk to her whilst she read or finished off an essay.

That was probably why she thought, for a moment, that she'd walked through the wrong doors. The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling, and as she sank down onto the bench at the end of the Slytherin table, she could hardly believe the sight before her.

At the teacher's table, Lockhart was wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, waving for silence, and Erica very nearly rested her forehead on the table with a groan. Nearly. From where she sat she could see the muscle going in McGonagall's check, and Severus looked like someone had force fed him a bottle of Skele-Gro, so she was glad, at least, that she wasn't the only one. She made sure not to look in Harry or Ron's direction.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have already 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. Not just any dwarfs either, as he had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps, and Erica really didn't hold back her groan then, resting her elbows on the table and cheeks in her hands and staring sullenly back up at the teacher's table.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. Erica was fairly certain that nobody would stop her if she decided to put him in a full body-bind curse just then. "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 old dog!"

Flitwick buried his face in his hands, whilst Severus looked as though the first person who asked him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison, which... yeah, Erica couldn't really blame him on that front. Love Potions were dreadful things that she would never really understand. Why would you ever want to force infatuation onto somebody like that?

Breakfast carried on in a flurry of pink confetti, and Erica fished pieces out of her goblet rather morosely before downing it. She had finally gotten back into regular eating patterns, making sure to make at least an appearance at breakfast, lunch and dinner even if all she did was pick at her food, though this morning she made sure to eat all of her toast and marmalade before getting up, knowing she would need her strength.

She managed to catch him just as he was making his way up the staircase, and he stopped with one hand on the bannister, motioning for his friends to go on ahead as she shouted, "Jeremy!"

He was so much taller stood up, she couldn't help but think as she climbed several stairs until they were around the same height, scowling at the distance that put between them.

"Erica, a pleasure," he nodded slightly, smirk already in place, "And this time wearing your own face as well. Now, I have a feeling this wasn't just a passing fancy. What do you want?"

Straight to the point then, she nodded. She could deal with that. She leant closer, taking several steps down even though it put her at a height disadvantage, leaning up on her tip-toes to whisper, "I want to know if you have any leads on who the imposter may be."