Hannah giggled as Peter pulled her into a doorway. "Peter, what are you doing?"
"I thought we were courting," he teased.
"We are, but why-"
"Because I don't think I'm the only one trying to hide from Susan and her decorating army."
"You're right. That's the worst part of Valentine's Day: the decorating of the ballroom."
"Amen to that. Now, why don't we go take a walk in the garden, and hopefully evade Su's army?"
"If you want to, Peter dear, then we shall." The two lovebirds wandered outside, where, as soon as they were away from prying eyes, Peter grabbed Hannah and spun her around in a circle. "Peter, what are you doing now?"
"Dancing with my sweetheart. I thought that she might like to have the first dance of Valentine's Day."
"She would indeed." Hannah smiled as they twirled around on the grass under the trees.
"As I must dance the first dance tonight with the elder of my sisters, and the younger always claims the second, I am afraid you must wait for the third."
"But we cannot dance much. Surely you know that if we wish to keep our courtship secret, I cannot hold your attention constantly. In fact, what will they think if they discover us here now?"
"They will think that I wanted to take a walk, and as my shadow today, you had to come with me, and I decided to practice dancing before tonight, and I asked for your help."
She smiled. "I suppose that is a plausible explanation."
"Oh!" Peter said. "I almost forgot! I have something for you." He led her into his study, where he pulled a box out of a drawer and handed it to her.
"What is it?"
He laughed. "Open it and find out!"
So she did. As she peered into the box, a wide grin split her face. "Oh, Peter! Chocolate! Thank you! But- but- but why?"
"Faith mentioned in passing that you love chocolate, so I thought you might like some. But we can't tell Edmund."
"No. Or Rose, for that matter. Neither of them would let the fact that you got me a Valentine's Day present go." She smiled sweetly. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."
"Where are you going?"
"To hide my chocolate."
Later that night, as Hannah lay in bed, she recalled dancing with Peter at the ball that night. He had danced with her four times, and she had felt it had been almost- almost magical! "This was the best Valentine's Day I've had yet in Narnia." After a contented sigh, she fell asleep.