Written for Through the Holidays Challenge (a 7 year old asking someone to be their valentine) and the Ultimate Patronus Quest (nightjars: include the word princess in your story)

Roxanne beams proudly at the card. It isn't as cool as the one Freddy has made, but she thinks it looks almost perfect.

Her tiny fingers smear glue messily around the edges of the pink cut out heart before coating it with gold glitter.

"Look how pretty, Roxy!" her mother beams as Roxanne grabs a marker and begins to write on it. "Is this for Mummy?"

Roxanne shakes her head, her cheeks burning as she she finishes an oversized, crooked question mark.

"Daddy?"

Again, Roxanne shakes her head.

"What about Freddy?"

"No. He doesn't like pink," she says simply, adding a heart sticker, then another, and another.

Her mother sits beside her, a warm smile on her face. "Then who did you make it for, princess?" she asks.

Roxanne grins, adding more and more stickers until she decides that it's perfect. She giggles. "It's a surprise, Mummy! I hope he likes it!"

Her mother pushes Roxanne's hair behind her ear with a soft chuckle. "He?" she asks. "Do you have a crush on somebody?"

Roxanne looks away quickly, her cheeks growing even hotter. Crush. She knows what the word means. She's heard Molly tease Lucy about her crush on Lorcan. But it's always seemed like a gross thing. Boys have cooties, and crushes can make girls get cooties. "No," she says, snatching up her card. "I do not have a crush!"

Her mother laughs and climbs to her feet. "Well, whoever it's for, I'm sure he'll love it, princess."

…

"Roxy's got a crush! Roxy's got a crush!" Freddy sings. "Roxy wants to kiss a boy!"

"Shut up!" Roxanne snaps, clutching the card tightly to her chest. "I do not!"

Freddy snorts, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, you do. If you didn't, you wouldn't have made him a card!" he insists, sitting beside his sister. "Who is it? Because Lucy will kill you if it's Lorcan."

"None of your business!" she says with a pout.

"So you do have a crush!"

"I do not! I don't wanna get cooties!" she whines.

Freddy rolls his eyes again and ruffles her hair. Roxanne scowls, smoothing out the spot he's messed up. "You don't get cooties from boys, stupid," he says. "That's just a lie grownups tell you."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm ten. I'm practically a grownup," he says proudly with a smirk. "You're only seven. You're still a baby, Roxy."

Roxanne glares at him. "Am not!"

"Are too! You're probably too chicken to give the card to your crush anyway," he teases.

"Wanna bet?"

Fred grins. He's always loved a good bet, especially when he's certain he'll win. "Loser has to do the winner's chores for a week."

Roxanne nods and offers him her hand. "You're on!"

…

Roxanne's hands tremble so badly that some of the loose glitter on the card falls to the floor. She leans against the wall, watching everyone at the party. She spots him quickly, and her tummy tickles.

"Chicken," Freddy says. "You probably don't even have a crush."

Roxanne glares at her brother. "Oh yeah? Watch me!" she says.

With a determination that even surprises her, she strides across the room, her head high. Her heart as it beats too quick in her chest, but she can't turn back now. She isn't a chicken, and she'll prove it to Freddy.

She reaches up and grips his shirt sleeve, tugging nervously.

"There's my favorite princess!" Lee says with a grin, offering Roxanne is hand for a high five. Roxanne slaps her palm against his, giggling. "What's up, buttercup? What have you got there?"

Roxanne holds up the card. "I made you this," she says proudly. "Will you be my Valentine?"

Lee takes the card. Her parents exchange small smiles and whisper to each other.

"You really want me to be your Valentine?" he asks.

Roxanne nods shyly.

"I don't have a card to give, but here," he says, plucking a paper flower from a centerpiece. "Sorry, Ang. I'm having to improvise."

He tucks the paper flower behind Roxanne's ear. Roxanne giggles and blushes happily. "There you go. Now we're Valentines," he says before hugging her.

Roxanne nods and runs away, covering her face with her hands to muffle her giggles as she returns to Freddy. "See! Not a chicken!"

Freddy scowls and shuffles his feet. "Yeah, well, I didn't-"

"Nope! You gotta do my chores now," she beams before walking off, smiling to herself because she has a Valentine like a big girl.