(HP/HG, On Valentine's Day, Ginny gets a unique form of warning to stay away from Harry.)

Disclaimer: For better or worse, for richer or... well, mostly richer, all things considered, "Harry Potter" and all associated characters and situations are the property of J.K. Rowling and are used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.


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"Special Delivery"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

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It reminded those who had been there of the year Gilderoy Lockhart had spent as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, that had been the only other time in the long history of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft that such a spectacle had been seen before. It was meant to do so. The events of that Saint Valentine's Day past had helped to perpetuate a myth among the populace of Hogwarts particularly and Magical Britain in general and it was time for that myth to die a painful and public death. Preferably before one of those involved in the true state of events lost their patience and subjected certain parties involved in the myth to a slow, painful and public death to prove a point. Even if there existed a not-entirely-small part of the one involved in the true events that would enjoy and, in fact, had even developed certain plans and methods for the party involved in the myth's death.

As it was, however, the Great Hall of Hogwarts was silent. There were simply too many questions running through the minds of both students and professors for any of them to form the words necessary to vocalize those questions. As though it were an everyday occurence, a dwarf dressed in the cherub-esque outfit associated by so many with Cupid, the Greek God of Love, marched head held high and bold as the proverbial brass towards the table of Gryffindor House, paying no mind to any other being or to the accruments of the holiday that decorated the room on the present Saint Valentine's Day. Upon reaching the table, the dwarf began walking down the table, looking for the particular student to whom they had been directed by the one who had hired them to deliver a message.

"You Ginny Weasley?"

The red-haired girl nervously looked over her shoulder at the dwarf, staring at him for a moment as though trying to decide how to answer.

"Well, what is it, yea or no?"

"Yea... um, yes, I'm Ginny... uh..."

"Got a message for you," the dwarf coughed into his hand before beginning his recitation, "Ahem... 'Roses are red; Violets are blue; He is for me; He is not for you; And if you should try to take my place; I'll take my fist and smash in your face, his eyes may be as green as fresh pickled toad, but you should take my advice and just hit the road'. Right, that's done it."

"Not bloody well paid enough for this," the dwarf muttered as he turned and walked away, "Should have just taken that offer to be on Muggle telly... Just because they can't tell a tall dwarf from a short human doesn't mean I should've dismissed 'em so quickly, it doesn't, by Grungi... Wouldn't have to wear this bloody stupid costume, no matter how well paid I'm being..."

Ginny stared after the departing dwarf in surprise for a moment before exclaiming loud enough to be heard through the Great Hall even if it hadn't been silent, "What is Merlin's name was that?"

As though the exclaimation had been a cue, the volume level in the Great Hall suddenly shot back up above and beyond what it had been before as students and even staff began to discuss what they had just paid witness to, some in disbelief, some in amusement, a few in anger and two occupants of the room in satisfaction.

Harry Potter leaned over so that only the girl next to him could hear his comment, "Subtle."

"I thought so," Hermione Granger turned her attention back to her meal with a satisfied smirk on her face.