1. Tease your best friend about your favorite cousin whenever possible. NOTE: Do not do this in front of your favorite cousin.
2. Tease your favorite cousin about your best friend whenever possible. NOTE: Do not do this in front of your best friend.
3. Persuade your best friend to send your favorite cousin a box of chocolates. NOTE: make sure to tell your best friend that your favorite cousin likes the caramel ones.
4. Arrange to study with your favorite cousin, and then show up to the library with your best friend in tow. NOTE: The best time to do this is when you're studying Amortentia.
5. Invite your best friend to Hogsmeade, and then show up with your favorite cousin in tow. NOTE: Avoid the Hog's Head (too dirty) and Madame Puddifoot's (too mushy).
6. Ask your Care of Magical Creatures teacher to pair up your best friend and favorite cousin whenever possible. NOTE: The teacher will very likely find this hilarious and invite you inside for fruitcake. DO NOT EAT THE FRUITCAKE. REPEAT. DO NOT EAT THE FRUITCAKE.
7. In evening conversation with your best friend, casually mention how pretty your favorite cousin looked that day. NOTE: If your best friend blushes and vehemently agrees with you, you are making progress.
8. In evening conversation with your favorite cousin, casually mention how neat and sharp your best friend looked that day. NOTE: If your favorite cousin flushes and vehemently disagrees with you, you are making progress.
9. Separately ask your best friend and favorite cousin to take a walk with you, and then at the last second, say you're sick and can't go. Tell them to go alone. NOTE: Bonus points if the walk is in moonlight. Stay away from the Forbidden Forest.
10. Upon seeing the two of them holding hands at long last, tease them both as a unit. NOTE: This will strengthen their bond and encourage them to stay together, just to spite you.
FINAL NOTE: I haven't actually tried any of these tricks yet, but to be fair, it's only the first week back. And second year is the perfect time for love to bloom- that's what my mum says, anyway. Aunt Hermione doesn't really think so, but she says that the library is a nice quiet place to gets thing started. Uncle Ron suggested the chocolates. The teasing was Uncle George's idea, and Dad said not to go into the Hog's Head or Madame Puddifoot's. My cousin Teddy gave me the bit about staying away from the Forest. Dad, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione all told me about staying away from the fruitcake. They each did. Individually. But I can't think of why.