"Oh, come on Andy it's Valentine's Day!"
"And?"
"Day? Valentine's? Tomorrow? Are any of these words getting through to you?"
"I just don't see what you mean,"
"Girls," my cousin flopped down on the grass beside the lake, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes. "All you think of when Valentine's Day comes around is pink, and love, and presents and shit,"
I rolled my eyes and sat next to Sirius. "That's a generalization. Not all girls think of that,"
Sirius raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh yeah?"
"Yes! I happen to dread Valentine's Day,"
"Really?"
"Really,"
He studied me for a second before he burst with laughter. "You….dread Valentine's….right, Andy, I'm just not stupid enough to fall for that. Try Reg,"
"Who does Narcissa talk to about it for weeks before the actual day?"
"…You,"
"Who gets to hear Bella bitch about it all day?"
"You…,"
"And who gets random girls coming up to them asking if I could possibly set up a date for them with my cousin?"
"Who asked about me?"
"Answer the question!"
"You, you, you! Fine I get it already," Sirius said. "The family has completely ruined a perfectly good holiday for you. And believe me Andy, we are all so, so sorry…okay, well I'm sorry…well maybe not all that sorry, but kinda sort of sorry, like sorry in the way that your sorry but not actually really all that sorry but you just want to say you are to make the person you're sorry to feel better…You know what I mean?"
"Not in the slightest," I said flatly.
"Well fine, I won't be sorry. God, is there anything you do like about Valentine's Day?"
"Well…"
"Oh, come on there has to be something!"
"The look on McGonagall's face when she see's whatever prank you and James Potter have pulled,"
Sirius roared with laughter. "Remus and Peter help with those too you know,"
"Remus Lupin? And I thought he was a good influence," I replied.
"You just thought that because he's a prefect," Sirius said 'prefect' the way Narcissa said 'Mudblood', like it was a slimy squashed slug.
"Watch it Black, I'm a prefect too,"
"So Ted Tonks. Have you got a Valentine from him this year?"
"I didn't say anything about Ted Tonks," I replied a little to quickly.
"Of course you didn't. Did you get a Valentine from him?"
"No," I said shortly. "And I don't expect one,"
"Really?"
"Yes, really,"
"Uh hu,"
"Exactly,"
"Right,"
"Right,"
"Okay, Andy," Sirius said condescendingly, as if he knew something I didn't.
"I'm not getting a Valentine from Ted Tonks,"
"I know,"
"I'm really not,"
"I heard you the first time Andy,"
I sifted uncomfortably. "I just wanted to make sure you understood,"
"Well I do,"
"Good,"
There was an awkward little silence where I glared at my cousin and he smirked at me.
"So…what are you and your friends planning this year?" I tried to divert Sirius from our previous conversation.
"Why would such rule abiding students as us be planning anything Miss. Black? I'm ashamed that you would even dare think such a thing!" Sirius cried in mock outrage. "I shall die, I'll simply die knowing that my own cousin thinks so low of me. Was there not a time my dear Andromeda, that we once roamed the bright, happy halls of Grimmauld Place in laughter, and yells of happiness? You act as if such times never existed!"
"Um…Sirius? That's because they didn't," I laughed as Sirius attempted to bring a look of shock to his face and then pretended to faint dramatically. "And if I ever hear you describe Grimmauld Place as bright and happy again, I'll be forced to tell Madame Pomfrey you've become delusional," Sirius remained 'passed out'.
"Sirius stop acting five,"
"Oh come on, Sirius, stop it,"
"…Sirius? Sirius!"
"Sirius Orion Black!"
When all my attempts of 'waking' my cousin from the dead failed, I grabbed him above the knee and shook his leg.
This got a reaction. Sirius yelped, shot into a sitting position, and grabbed his leg to his chest. I looked at him disbelievingly.
"What on earth was that?" I asked.
"What was what?"
"That…giggle,"
"I did not giggle!"
"Are you…"
"Am I what exactly Andy?" Sirius asked glaring at me.
"Are you ticklish?"
"No," Sirius said a little to fast
"You are!"
"I am not!"
"The heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is ticklish!"
"Shut. Up."
"Andy! I'm so glad I found you, I've been needing to ask you about-What's going on here?"
Narcissa had found me, hiding outside. She stood above me and Sirius, perfect blonde curls surrounding her face and a pout playing on her pink lips. She was always at her prime during the Valentine's season. It was ever so slightly nauseating.
"Nothing," Sirius said happy for the diversion from the ticklish subject, however I was not done with him yet.
"It would seem as though the House of Black is doomed Cissy,"
"What? Why?" Her face fell and she carefully sat beside me. Her concern may not have been for the family, but for any chance of a marriage to Lucius Malfoy.
"It seems as though our cousin here is ticklish,"
Narcissa's mouth parted slightly in wonder, as she stared at Sirius. "You are?"
I nodded my confirmation. "As ticklish as a three year old girl,"
Sirius even looked like a three year old girl at that moment, with his arms crossed across his chest, his lower lip sticking out, and a glare fixed on his face.
"Be careful Gryffindor, or your face is going to get stuck like that,"
The new voice shocked the three of us, as Bellatrix joined us lounging on the grass. She laid down, and closed her eyes, dark hair pooling around her head.
"Are you speaking from experience Bella?" Sirius snapped back, though he was now lounging with the same casual ease as my sister.
She opened her eyes slightly and raised her eyebrows. "Do I look like I'm five?"
We didn't need to answer.
"Anyways," Cissa said, floating back into her pre-Valentine's Day mood, and pulling something pink out of her bag. "I got this today and I have no idea what to do with it," She held the pink item (which turned out to be a card) out in front of her, as if it were contagious.
"Ah, you see young Narcissa, that looks to me like a Valentine's Day card. The Valentine's Day card is given at a certain time of the year when people go around being stupidly cute with each other," Sirius said profoundly. "It is a sign from the young gentleman who sent it to you that he likes you and would trip over himself to have a chance to take you to Hogsmeade this weekend. He is probably quite an idiot, though maybe a rather shy idiot, and obviously endorses the myth that this is the time of year when two people fall head over heels in love with each other,"
"I know what a Valentine's Day card is, dear cousin," Narcissa said dryly.
"Since when are you cynical at Valentine's Day?" Bellatrix deigned to ask. "The time of year when girls practically throw themselves at you,"
"All Valentine's does is give people false hope that the person they like will be seduced by the season, even if they've said no a hundred million times before,"
"What are you talking about?" asked a scandalized Narcissa, who couldn't dream about Valentine's Day being anything but completely lovely.
"James has spent a perfectly good week, that could be spent doing something productive, trying to devise a way to get Lily Evans to go out with him, and I know for a fact she will say no again,"
"Serves him right for asking out a Mudblood," Bella said lazily.
Sirius glared at her, but it had no affect, seeing as her eyes were closed and all.
"Whatever, I have a problem here," Narcissa said in a no nonsense voice. "This card is from a Ravenclaw,"
Bella open her eyes, ever so slightly. "Is he a Mudblood?"
Narcissa shook her head. "No, I think he's a pureblood, but I still don't want some dorky Ravenclaw following me around…I mean, I'm a Black for Salazar's sake!"
Until Cissy had added in the part about the family, Bella had seemed only mildly concerned. I had to say, Narcissa could persuade the Dark Lord that no one would ever have him as a ruler unless he wore fuchsia pink robes.
"Don't worry about it Cissy," Bella said nonchalantly. "I'll take care of it," Suddenly her eyes opened wide and she turned on her side to glare at Sirius. "What are you and your Gryffindor friends planning for tomorrow?"
Sirius grinned widely before throwing a hand to his forehead in despair. "First Andy, now you! How could my own family turn on me in such a way? How? My dear cousin Bella, I can't believe you would think so low of me!"
Bellatrix only stared at him in disdain.
"Reg! Please say you think more of your older brother than our poor cousins!"
Reg had now joined us to and the whole afternoon was starting to feel like a family gathering. It had been years since all the Black children had gathered together to just hang out and talk. Sure we did it a bit over the holidays, but hardly ever during school.
Regulus sat next to his brother. "What are you talking about?"
"People keep asking me what I'm planning for tomorrow like I'm some sort of out of control prankster!"
Regulus looked at his brother warily. "Actually, I'd rather like to know too. I don't want my hair turned pink like last year. I don't enjoy walking around like one of Narcissa's cards. So, yeah, what are you planning?"
Sirius cackled evilly. "None of you shall ever know!"
"We'll obviously find out tomorrow Sirius," I said, rolling my eyes. We Blacks were exceptionally good at eye rolling.
"None of you shall ever know until tomorrow!"
Bella eyed him as if wondering if she could make him give up the information, but she seemed to decide against trying to force it out of him. "If I am in anyway affected by what you're planning I will kill you," she warned.
"You know you love me Bella," Sirius said cheekily, as she rolled her eyes.
"So Regulus," I began. "Who are you taking to the Valentine's Day dance?"
"No one,"
"Awww," Narcissa cooed. "Reg's got a date!"
Sirius grinned wickedly. "Aww, Reggie, who's the special girl who get's to be your Valentine?"
"Shove off,"
"We'll know eventually Regulus," I reminded him.
"Who's taking you then Andy?" Reggie bit back.
"I'm not going," I said.
"I'm not either," Bella added.
"Oh, the queen won't grace us with her presence?" Sirius asked. "Maybe I won't even go then,"
"You shouldn't," Bella got up to leave. "Without me there it's a waste of time," We all laughed and slowly floated back to our separate groups of friends. It was the last Valentine's season any of us spent together.