Valentine's Hijinks

By: Midnight*Starfire

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: The same as always! I do not know anything from/about Harry Potter!

A/N: Hey, sorry it's taken awhile for this, I've been working on other stories. I don't understand something, my enhanced statistic hit count is rather high, but my reviews aren't. If people don't start giving me some feedback , my updates will become less frequent. I'd like to know if there's anything I can work on or improve on. And also, I highly recommend every Harry Potter story and author on my favorites list, you should check them out if you haven't yet. If you have any recommendations or if you want me to read/review your story, review mine and I'll check out your stories! Thanks!




Chapter 3: Roses aren't Red?

It took quite a lot of arguing, a few death threats, and Hestia saying she would steal Lily's chocolate stash and eat it in front of her, before she would leave Emmeline alone about going with one of the marauders to the Valentine's Ball. Although she did agree to keep the fact that they were going secret, it was only because she wanted to get back at Snape. There was a side to Lily Evans that no one knew, a girl with a vengeance. No one called her a mudblood and got away with it. But to keep everything secret, they had to pretend Emmeline was still furious with Sirius. Emmeline, being quite the actor, had no problem with going out of her way to make it look like Sirius was on a hit list of hers. In fact during one incident in potions, where Emmeline poured bat urine on Sirius, got quite out of hand. Sirius forgave her though and they made up, er made out.

So it was a few days later, February 7th, a Monday to be exact, that Remus decided it was time to put his part of the pact into action. The three boys had once again snuck out of their dormitories, this time petrifying Peter and putting him in the closet, since he mysteriously got out last time, and this time they bought flowers. It had been a struggle to figure out which kind because truthfully none of them knew which ones to buy. Remus had wanted to get lilies, but James shot that down by saying that Lily was Hestia's friend's name. Remus just rolled his eyes at that. Then, Remus found some flowers that more or less resembled weeds and the other two boys laughed at him for this. It wasn't exactly easy, considering the boys couldn't pronounce half of the names of the flowers either. Sirius picked out a bouquet of roses, and they argued about that as well. James told them that his mother once said that each color of rose symbolized something entirely different. Yellow was friendship or something and red meant love. The other colors meant things as well, but he couldn't remember. The red ones meant the serious kind of love, the kind that made the boys gag. Remus had picked out pink roses, but they were partially wilted, and the one white rose had a bug in it that panicked Sirius. So, Remus was stuck with the dozen red roses, which meant love. And that made him nervous, very nervous.

Next came the discussion with how to present Hestia with the roses for it could not be done like Sirius's presenting Emmeline with candy. Remus wanted to use a different way, because he didn't want to copy his friend. He was, although, annoyed that Sirius had taken his idea. Sirius argued back that it was Remus's fault for suggesting it. So it was decided to get Emmeline and Lily in on it, and that Remus would find Hestia alone outside and give them to her and ask. Lily had to be black mailed to help the marauders yet again. Emmeline threatened to read her diary to the entire school. Or write out copies of it and then pass it out.

Later on that day....

The three boys sat beneath their favorite tree waiting for Emmeline and Lily to lead Hestia outside. Remus was shaking like a leaf, "I -I c-can't do this," he stuttered.

"Relax, Moony, it's not that hard. All you do is give them to her and then ask. What's the worst that could happen?" said James.

Remus shot him a death glare.

After a few moments, the marauders saw Hestia emerge from the castle with Lily and Emmeline, and they went out by the edge of the lake, which was a common place for them to sit. Remus felt as if his heart was going to jump out of his chest. He looked from James to Sirius and then back again. 'This is crazy,' he thought, 'No way am I doing this'. The three girls were standing over by the edge of the lake, because they didn't want to sit in the snow. The marauders, sneaking behind trees, moved closer to hear the conversation.

"Oh man, I forgot my homework for our next class. What luck!" exclaimed Emmeline. Sometimes she was too much of an actress.

"And I have to use the restroom real quick," said Lily who must have just come up with that at the spur of the moment.

"Hestia, do stay here and wait for us, we'll only be a second," chided Emmeline.

Hestia nodded, "Alright, try to hurry though," she told them.

The other two girls nodded and hurried away, trying to stifle giggles as they ran off. Hestia, indeed noticed her friends odd behavior, but decided to wave it off.

"Now's your chance, Moony. Go on!" said Sirius.

Remus looked at him like he was crazy, "Suddenly this seems like a bad idea".

James grabbed onto Remus' shoulders and pushed him out from underneath the tree. This made quite a sound as Remus bumped into another nearby tree and yelped and then crashed into some bushes. Remus stood up and found that Hestia was now looking over at him, wondering what he was doing in the bushes and why he had his hands behind his back. Slowly , Remus made his way over to her. Her hazel eyes watched his every move, wondering what he was up to. Had this been planned? It was peculiar for him to just suddenly come walking out of the bushes like that.

Nearby hiding behind some more bushes, a greasy haired boy and a blonde boy watched as mirth danced in their eyes. This was going to be good, what girl would want to go with Remus Lupin after he did this? Snape moved closer so he could be in direct line of aim to Remus.

Remus had now reached Hestia, "Alright there, Jones?"

Hestia smiled, not missing a thing, "Why do you have your hands behind your back Lupin?"

Remus tried to fight an oncoming blush, "Err....umm no reason?" but it came out more like a question than anything.

Hestia giggled, why was he so nervous around her? "No really , Lupin what are you hiding?"

Remus thought intently about this question. 'A lot of things really, for one I'm a werewolf. Two I've liked you since first year. And three I'm going to ask you to the Valentine's Ball and I'll die of embarrassment if you say no'. Remus finally said, "I have something to ask you," in a mature and confident voice, he was positive was not his own.

Hestia tilted her head and looked at him, "Is that so? Well what is it you would like to know?"

Remus grinned, "I was -." he said but didn't finish. His voice was gone. He tried speaking but nothing happened. Remus felt something like a rock hit the back of him, it was like someone had threw something at him.

Hestia stared at him wide eyed, "Remus are you okay?" she asked frantically. Remus continued mouthing words but nothing came out. Another rock hit him, he was starting to wonder what was going on. Panicking and not thinking straight , Remus brought his hands in front of him and accidently exposed the roses.

Only they were no longer a crimson color. Now they were black roses, a well known bad luck charm throughout the wizarding world. Hestia seized them from him, a note of amusement in her voice. "Are these for me?"

Remus could only nod. Nearby behind a tree Sirius dropped the rocks he had been throwing trying to get Remus's attention to tell him that the roses had turned black for some reason. Sirius and James didn't think that Remus should give a girl black roses, because not only did they mean bad luck supposedly but death as well. They figured that a girl would be repulsed by black roses and wonder if there was some sort of symbolism behind receiving them. Also, nearby in some bushes, Snape and Malfoy laughed uncontrollably. Not only did they silence Remus Lupin, but they turned his beautiful red roses into dead black ones. But the laughter ceased when they heard Hestia say, "Remus I have always wanted black roses! They are said to be bad luck, but I believe they are beautiful! I mean morbid, but beautiful! Do you have any idea how rare these are? I bet they cost a fortune!" Hestia continued to ramble on and on about the roses and Remus still couldn't speak, he could only give her a satisfied yet flustered grin.

"Why can't you speak ? What's happened to your voice?" she then asked him.

James and Sirius decided they could be only one reason that Remus's plans were almost spoiled. James decided to go find Snape and Malfoy, while Sirius hurried forward to ask Hestia for Remus. Since Remus no longer had a voice. James crept over to the bushes where Snape and Malfoy were, waiting for a chance to pounce on them the way a tiger does it prey. James knew where they were hiding because of the laughing noises and he knew that the bushes were not making that sound on their own accord.

Sirius, who had approached Hestia, whispered softly, "Hestia, Snivellus and Malfoy are plotting against us. You know how they changed my presents to Emmeline. Well they've taken away Remus's voice and turned the roses black."

Remus was afraid for a moment that Hestia would be displeased that the roses weren't really the ebony color she had first seen. But that didn't seem to matter to her the look on her face remained pleased. But before she could say anything there was a brilliant flash of light. Snape and Malfoy were hanging upside down in the air, holding onto their robes as not to expose themselves. Then James said expelliarmus and took their wands. Snape recalled that this had happened to him before, James Potter had commonly done this to him as a fifth year.

"Another trick out of you, and you'll be sorry you were born," said James sternly.

"We didn't do anything!"said Snape, who usually spoke with his hands, and doing so released his robes and had to grab them quickly again. But he wasn't quick enough. Everyone groaned in disgust. He should have known better than to let go.

"Like hell you didn't," said Sirius from nearby.

"Give Remus back his voice, or you'll be in more pain than you can handle and that's a promise," demanded James.

James let them down and gave Severus his wand. Sirius and Remus had their wands out and pointed at Snape and Malfoy in case they decided not to comply. Even Hestia had her wand out as well, to back them up if need be. Severus Snape muttered the countercurse so Remus could speak again. James gave Malfoy his wand and told them to leave or else. As they scurried off Malfoy said over his shoulder, "I'll get you back for this Potter! This isn't over with!"

"Oh shut up!" hissed Hestia.

The boys laughed at this, who would have known Hestia had an attitude, everyone figured that was Lily's job. Lily had a tendency to be on permeant PMS as Sirius said.

It was quiet for a moment then Sirius said, "Hestia, Remus bought these for you because he has something to ask you."

Hestia looked over at Remus, "Is that so?" she asked.

Remus nodded wishing his two best friends weren't present when he was about to ask because he would feel embarrassed if she said no. But at the same time he was glad, because it was moral support. "W-will you go to the Valentine's Ball with me, Jones?" he questioned her. "I mean you don't have to if you don't want to. After all this I would understand if you said no and -"

"Moony", said Sirius giving him a little shove, "Your rambling again".

Remus's faced reached an ultimate fire red, and showed no promises of ever returning to a normal color.

Hestia was silent for a moment, which seemed like a million years to Remus. Her lips formed a beautiful smile and then she spoke, "It's Hestia not Jones. And I thought you'd never ask."

-M*S

Yes I know it was quite short, so sorry! The next chapter should be up rather soon, please review!