Must Be Magic

He had been dreading this day.

Valentine's Day was never a holiday Bobby had thought very much of when he was younger. But now that he was fifteen, it was a different story. He noticed girls now.

Well, okay. If he was going to be honest with himself, there was only one girl he noticed.

Kitty occupied his thoughts quite a bit these days. It was hard not to think about her. She was his best friend in ways James was not. His friendship with James was one forged in childhood and they had been friends for too long to stop now. Bobby figured he was pretty much stuck with him.

But Kitty, on the other hand...it was different with her. He looked forward to seeing her every chance he got. He liked that her sense of humor was of the more intelligent variety; she certainly put that famous Ravenclaw wit to good use. He liked spending time with her and seeing how she blushed and ducked her head whenever he paid her a compliment.

Bobby had a crush on her, to put it simply. And there were times he thought she might feel the same way about him. The Gryffindor boy had seriously considered finding out for sure last December after their day in Hogsmeade together, but he had chickened out at the last moment. Some Gryffindor he was.

He remembered that day perfectly. The snow falling around them with flakes stuck in Kitty's dark locks, her face pink from the cold, her warm chocolate gaze locking on his...

He should have just done it. And he'd kicked himself plenty of times in the two months since then. But as much as he wanted to kiss her, he couldn't. If he was wrong, if Kitty didn't have feelings for him, their friendship wouldn't be the same. The thought of losing her as a friend, the idea of her walking away...Bobby couldn't handle it.

So instead of confessing to Kitty what he really felt, he spouted out a pretty lame reminder of how he had really meant it when he said he wasn't going anywhere. Even now, replaying the conversation in his head made Bobby groan.

And now it was Valentine's Day. All around him, owls were dropping off gifts of chocolates and flowers and stuffed animals and jewelry for his fellow students. Next to him, James was watching eagerly for Clarice to receive the gift he had ordered for her from a shop in Diagon Alley.

"Finally," James muttered as a screech owl dropped a tiny parcel in front of Clarice. The Ravenclaw girl tore into it eagerly. Her face lit up as she cracked open the box. Bobby saw her lean over to show Kitty, who smiled only halfheartedly.

Clarice got up from the Ravenclaw table and came striding purposefully towards James. "Thank you, James," she squealed as soon as she got close enough for him to hear. Bobby caught a glimpse of the gift - a tiny silver pendant shaped like a unicorn with an amethyst eye hanging on a delicate chain. Clarice plopped down in the empty seat next to James, turning her back to him. "Put it on for me?" she asked sweetly. She swept her violet braid over one shoulder.

James did as he was asked. Once he had fastened the necklace for her, she turned around and pulled him in for a kiss.

Bobby made a face. "Some of us are trying to eat around here, you know," he muttered. Both of his friends ignored him.

The blond boy rolled his eyes and looked away. His gaze wandered over to the Ravenclaw table as it so often did these days. Kitty, now sitting alone, looked so very sad. Bobby wondered whereher owl was. He was sure he had ordered in time...

Professor Summers came striding across the Great Hall towards James and Clarice. He stood behind them and cleared his throat. The couple sprang apart immediately.

"Miss Ferguson, Mr. Proudstar, if you could refrain from such...intense public displays of affection, we all would appreciate it. Miss Ferguson, if you would please rejoin your fellow Ravenclaws..."

Clarice got up from the table, flashing James a quick smile. "Thanks again," she murmured. The Ravenclaw girl sauntered away, her skirts flouncing.

James turned around in his seat, a satisfied smirk gracing his features. He followed Bobby's gaze over to the Ravenclaw table and let out a snort.

"I don't get why you didn't just ask her to be your Valentine," James said. "She would have said yes. Then again, any girl at this school would have said yes."

The blond boy tore his gaze away from the object of his affections to arch an eyebrow at his friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've really never noticed the way the girls around here giggle every time you walk by?" Bobby continued to give his friend a blank stare. "No, I guess you wouldn't," James mused, shaking his head. "You're too hung up on Kitty to notice anyone else."

Bobby narrowed his eyes. "That's not true," he protested, only to be met with James's flat expression that told Bobby his friend didn't believe him in the slightest. "Okay, maybe a little," he conceded.

A last group of post owls came into the Great Hall. A barn owl dropped off Kitty's package in front of her. A look of wonder spread across the younger girl's face. Bobby found a sappy smile forming on his features.

Kitty opened the box carefully. Clarice leaned over the other girl's shoulder, interested. Kitty brushed her away and turned the box over, no doubt looking for a note.

Beside Bobby, James was watching this unfold with just as much interest. "You didn't send her a note, did you?" he asked.

At the Ravenclaw table, the girls were still investigating the package. Clarice was saying something. Bobby saw Kitty laugh. She picked up her bag and pulled out a few of her textbooks before carefully slipping her gift inside.

"I'm telling you," James began seriously, "you should ask her out. Or someone else will. And then you'll spend your whole life wondering what might have happened."

"I've thought about it," Bobby replied, sighing, "but I just don't think it's worth the risk of her saying no."

James rolled his eyes. "Okay, Bobby. Whatever. It's your life, I guess. But I think you're making a mistake."

XxXxX

Bobby walked out of his last lesson of the day to find Kitty waiting in the corridor. She was leaning against the stone wall, one foot resting behind her. A small stack of books - the same ones he'd seen her take out this morning - was hugged against her chest.

"Hi," he said, smiling, "Professor McCoy is still in the classroom. You should be able to catch him."

The brunette returned his smile. "I was looking for you, actually," she admitted. Bobby was sure his heart skipped a beat. "Take a walk with me before dinner?"

He never passed up a chance to spend time with her. He found himself nodding in agreement. Kitty beamed at him. She pushed off the wall with her foot and they set off together.

Bobby was a bit surprised to see just how many people were out on the grounds considering it was the middle of February. Kitty led him towards the lake.

The lake was no longer frozen over with spring just around the corner, but Bobby still wouldn't fancy taking a swim in it. Still though, it looked very pretty and he was glad to be out here with Kitty. He was just going to point out that the giant squid was near the opposite shore when Kitty spoke again.

"I know it was you, Bobby," the Ravenclaw girl informed him.

He gave her his best innocent look. "You know what was me?" he asked.

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Who else would send me a box full of Chocolate Frogs? That's always been our thing."

Bobby swallowed hard, ready to explain himself. Before he could, however, Kitty put her books on the ground and closed the distance between them. Her arms wound themselves tightly around his torso and her head rested against his chest. He was surprised by how tightly she was holding onto him. He returned the embrace.

"Thank you," Kitty said quietly. "You really are the best friend I've ever had, you know."

The blond boy's heart sunk at this declaration. Kitty stepped back from him and reached into her bag for the box of Chocolate Frogs. "Want one?"

He forced a smile. "Sure."

She handed him one before picking up her books and starting to walk again, much more slowly this time.

They circled the lake twice, chatting about this and that, before she stopped and looked up at him with that shy smile. "Ready to go inside?"

Bobby nodded. After only a couple of steps, he found the tiny brunette leaning into him. He looked down at her, amused. Kitty offered him the shy smile that he loved so much in response. Bobby sighed dramatically, knowing she would know he was only teasing. He put his arm around her shoulders and a soft noise of contentment escaped Kitty's lips. She snuggled closer.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad holiday after all.