Chapter 36: Valentines Day

"Allright I'm going to partner up and you and your partner are going to practice the shield spell. Its very tricky so don't be discouraged if you don't get it today." Faith said as she stood up from the edge of her desk. She quickly named off partners and began to survey the room as the students began practice. Harry had been paired of with Neville and Neville was doing surprisingly well with this spell. He came very close to making a strong blue shield several times as Harry threw jelly leg charms at him.

As Faith continued to watch the class she was distracted by a tap on the window. She looked at it and saw 4 school owls tapping on it. Faith sighed and went over to the window. She opened the window slightly and grabbed the letters from the owls before they could fly into the classroom and disrupt her class. Faith recognized them as valentines. She sighed and looked them over.

"Harry." She said handing Harry his.

"Lavender."

"Hermione….and….Neville." She said handing out the valentines to their owners. Neville blushed a superb scarlet when he realized someone had sent him a valentine. Faith watched with mild interest from the back of the room as the 4 opened their valentines and flocks of students gathered around them to see whom they were from.

"Another valentine for Lily." Faith said leaning over her desk to gaze over Lily's shoulder,

"That makes 11 so far." Sarah said smiling. Lily blushed, making her face match her hair.

"10 knuts says it's from Potter." Faith said giving a smile to Sarah.

"No. He's sent 8 so far." Sarah said. Lily opened the Valentine and quickly read through it. At the end it was signed. 'Your Secret Admirer.'

"Told you it was from him." Faith said with a triumphant smile. Sarah rolled her eyes and looked down at her notes.

"Miss Sloom!" A sharp voice asked. Faith snapped her head up from looking over Lily's shoulders.

"Do you have something to share with the class?" McGonagall asked.

"Well you know me. I'd love to share with the class if they're willing to listen. I do believe Lily has gotten her 9th valentine from her 'Secret Admirer' " Faith said with a sly grin. The class exchanged a bit of giggles. McGonagall only gave Faith a sharp look.

"Righto. See you in detention on Monday after supper I take it then?" Faith said sitting back in her seat. McGonagall nodded and looked almost about to smile. Almost. James and Sirius snickered in the back row.

"Mister Potter, Mister Black! I will see you as well on Monday." McGonagall said before turning back around to her quill, which was supposed to turn into a snake.

"It's from Viktor." A girl squealed. Faith looked up as a girl bent far over Hermione's shoulder and blushed excitedly as if the valentine was addressed to her.

"Viktor? As in Viktor Krum?" Ron asked pushing past the girl.

"Yes." Hermione said flatly and giving a Ron a look that said 'So?'. Ron looked at her and seemed about to speak. He pursed his lips and then seemed to shake off whatever feeling he had and said

"Whatever." While shrugging.

A spark went off in Faith's brain. She watched Hermione and Ron for the rest of the period with keen interest. Ron seemed to be grumpy which caused Hermione to become irritable with him and the two would end up in a screaming match. As the classroom emptied, Faith ran down the hall and a flight of stairs to the Divination room on the ground floor.

"Sarah!" She said bursting through the door. Sarah looked up and Faith took a quick look around the room. When she realized it was empty she smiled and said

"How about playing matchmaker again?"

"Faith…what makes you so sure the two would even end up together?" Lily whispered while at lunch.

"Look at them. Frank so clearly likes Alice. And we all know she bloody well likes him." She responded.

"She'd never admit it though." Sarah put in.

"The two are perfect for each other. Come on I'm the perfect matchmaker. Why, we could get them together like that." Faith said snapping her fingers.

"I won't be apart of it." Lily said leaning against her arm.

"Sarah?"

"Only if your sure it's gonna work."

"I'm so sure." Faith said with a smile. Sarah smiled back and said she would help.

"Don't you think you've played matchmaker enough for one lifetime?" Sarah asked with a sigh.

"Never." Faith said with her sly smile.

"Frank and Alice. Lily and James –" Sarah said beginning to count the couples on her fingers.

"You and Remus." Faith put in.

"Really? When?" Sarah asked with surprise.

"That's what makes me so successful. No one knows when I'm at work."

Sarah just rolled her eyes at Faith's remark and managed to count off 7 couples totally.

"I just know who and who would work well together. It's the eye." Faith said. Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Who is it this time?"

"Hermione and Ron."

"Wait Wait Wait….Hermione Granger…and Ron Weasley?" Sarah said slowly. Faith nodded and Sarah gave her a blank stare.

Frank Longbottom wandered the halls by himself. He wasn't very hungry and felt that a walk was very much needed. As he rounded a corner he bumped into someone, causing that person to almost go falling to the floor but Frank managed to extended an arm out and catch her by the elbow.

"Thanks." She said straightening herself.

"No problem Alice." He said. His heart skipped a beat when he heard her name come from his mouth. She smiled at him with her large hazel eyes.

"I'll see you around." She said and continued on her way. Frank watched her walk down the hall and turn another corner, her chestnut colored hair bounced behind her.

"You've got a nice way with the ladies." A voice said close to Frank's ear. He turned around in surprise.

"You scared the hell out of me." He said catching his breath.

"Now…let me ask you a question. Are you catching your breath because I scared you…or because you just had human contact with Alice?"

"I-I-I" He stammered.

"You you you what?"

"Come on. Give me a break Faith. Your one of her friends. Think you could find out if she…ya know?" Frank said trailing off.

"Likes you?" Faith asked with her bright smile. Frank nodded.

" I mean..I'm not saying I like her or anything." He said suddenly.

"Oh of course not. I never said anything about you liking her." Faith said rolling her eyes. Frank just nodded and looked around nervously.

"So where were you headed?" She asked him.

"The Library. I've got a Herbology essay I have to start on." He responded.

"Well I won't keep you from that." Faith said walking off.

"Lets count 'em up." Sarah said pushing a bunch of valentines onto her desk.

"All addressed to you?" Faith asked while shifting through all the valentines.

"Yes." Sarah said with her shy smile.

"Ok…and Valentines from our…would they be called better halfs?….No….Valentines from Sirius and Remus do not count." Faith said tossing her valentines on the floor.

"Oh…" Sarah said looking at her pile.

"Does that reduce yours quite a bit too?" Faith asked her.

"By like half "

"Yeah…lets just call it a draw. Besides we already know who kicked our asses." Faith said looking down at the many valentines.

"Lily always did." Sarah said sadly.

"It was her eyes." Faith said softly as her and Sarah headed to the Great Hall.

"Ok. Frank is going to the library to do a Herbology essay." Faith whispered to Sarah from behind a stature of Fredrick The Ferocious.

"Alright. There's Alice. I'll tell you how it goes." Sarah whispered and walked away from the corner and pretended to be looking down at a pile of papers. She walked right behind Alice and bumped into her.

"Oh sorry."Alice said spinning around.

"No. It's ok Alice. It's my fault." Sarah said bending down to pick up the papers.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Alice asked while helping Sarah with her papers.

"I was going to help Frank Longbottom-" Sarah started and noticed a flicker of interest flutter in her eyes.

"with his Herbology essay. But I was hoping on…talking to someone." Sarah finished.

"Someone like Remus?" Alice asked and Sarah blushed.

"Well…I suppose I could do you a favor. I'm great in Herbology, I'll help Frank and you go talk to Remus." Alice said with a smile. Every muscle in Sarah's face twitched. It was painful not to smile at the mention of Remus or the fact that Alice had just fallen for that incredible lie. Sarah almost burst out laughing when she saw Alice practically run to the library.

"So what do you and Remus have planned for this evening?" Faith asked.

"We're going to go eat dinner before going to the Shrieking Shack." Sarah said with a light blush rising into her cheeks.

"Hmmm…I somehow think your hiding something from me. But your personal life is all your own. I will be meeting you two by the Sh-" Faith started but was cut off when the world went black and a booming voice asked

"Guess who?"

"Hmm…let me think. Remus Lupin?" Faith asked.

"Remus! Please." Sirius said letting his hands off of Faith's eyes and spinning her around to kiss her.

"And you are?" Faith asked teasingly when Sirius broke the kiss. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I'll see you two later at the Shrieking Shack." Sarah said running off to meet Remus.

"Where did you get this from?" Sarah whispered.

"I borrowed it from Potter."

"By borrowing you mean that you took it without asking right?" Sarah asked.

"In a way." Faith replied. The two were underneath the invisibility cloak and bunched in a corner watching Alice and Frank tentatively.

"I don't know Faith…they're almost done and nothing has happened yet." Sarah whispered after a minute or two. Faith sighed and tapped her foot.

"Time to intervene." Sarah said and began moving forward.

"Sarah! What are you doing!" Faith whispered harshly. Sarah didn't pay any attention she just moved forward, clutching the cloak tightly, Faith following on her heels. Cautiously Sarah began to move Frank's quill when he and Alice weren't looking. Just as Sarah had hoped for, Frank reached for his quill without thinking and grabbed Alice's hand instead.

"You're a genius." Faith whispered to Sarah.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked as Remus held her hand and led her down various Hogwarts halls.

"It's a surprise." He said. He kept tugging her this way and that and finally came to stop at a door.

"Funny….I've never noticed this door before." Sarah said softly. Remus smiled at her and opened the door. Inside was a room with high ceiling and the walls were made entirely of glass. A burning sun that was just beginning to set could be seen through the windows. A small table with a white silk cloth covering it was in the middle of the room. A single candle with a dozen rose centerpiece decorated the table. Pearl white plates graced the table and Sarah let out a gasp.

"Like it?" Remus asked.

"Its wonderful." She breathed.

"Not as wonderful as you." Remus said. Sarah blushed a deep crimson and Remus led her to the table. The two ate a beautiful dinner just as the sun finished setting.

"I can't wait to have a baby." Remus said with a smile.

"I can't either." Sarah said returning the loving smile.

"I want it to look exactly like you. Down to the last perfect hair." Remus gushed. Sarah blushed again and looked down.

"Don't say that." She said softly

"Why not? It's true. Your perfect. I still can't believe someone as perfect and beautiful as you would dare fall in love with a monster like me." Remus said truthfully. Sarah looked up and grabbed his hand.

"You're no monster" she said leaning over and kissing him.

"Moment of truth." Faith said as she, Remus, Sarah and Sirius arrived at the Whomping Willow. The full moon was just getting ready to rise.

"I'm coming." Sirius said grabbing Faith's hand.

"Me too." Sarah said grabbing Remus's as the two were about to enter the secret passage underneath.

"No. I will not risk injuring you." Remus said grabbing Sarah's other hand and looking into her eyes.

"Sirius you can't." Faith said looking up at him and shaking his head.

"Why? I always went with Remus before." Sirius asked.

"Yes. And I always went before too." Sarah added.

"You had protection then. There wasn't two werewolves and plus James was here." Remus said. Sirius gave a stubborn stare.

"We're coming." Sarah said defiantly.

"Remus, We don't have much time left." Faith said touching his arm. Remus looked at Sarah with concern and worry. He sighed and agreed. The group made their way to the Shrieking Shack.

Sarah prompltly turned into Sasha as they entered the room. She jumped up in Remus's arms and he petted her. Sirius turned into the big black dog and rested his head on Faith's knee as she sat in a corner. She placed her hand behind his ears and gave him a nice scratching. The full moon's light began to flood into the room.

There was a loud howl and Sasha jumped from Remus's arms. Remus began to sprout hair all over his body and his eyes turned a piercing yellow. He bent down on all fours and large teeth found their way into his mouth. His fingers grew into gleaming claws and and there was a cracking noise as he body began to expand to the likeness of a werewolf.

Sasah and Sirius turned to look at Faith. She looked down at her hand as the full moon's light touched her. She was unaffected. She looked up and smiled and then her smile fell when she still realized she was in a room with a werewolf. Faith tried to think of her animal but found it hard with a werewolf's teeth gleaming in her direction. Faith picked up Sasha as the werewolf made a swipe for it. She fumbled for her wand but realized it was on the floor, right where the werewolf stood. Sirius stood in front of Faith and Sasha, his teeth bared and a low growl emitting from his mouth. The werewolf snapped it's jaws and imitated Sirius's growl.

Suddenly the werewolf lunged. Sirius took a large leap and bit it on the arm. Faith jumped out of the way and tried again to think of her animal. Suddenly she could feel herself change and Sasha drop to the floor. The werewolf threw Sirius off and went charging for Sasha. Sasha tried to run to the other side of the room. Just when she thought she was done with she felt herself being lifted up. Looking up, the cat saw a large black and gray bird carrying her in its claws. The bird moved at incredible speed and managed to squeeze throw the tiny sliver of the open door. Sirius managed to get through the door and the werewolf made a bee line for the door. Jumping up, Sirius grabbed the door's handle with his teeth and shut it before the werewolf could get through.

Sasha quickly turned back into Sarah and the bird rested on her arm. She took a minute to examine the bird. It was mostly gray with black feathers framing it's head. The bird's eyes were sharp and darted in every direction. Sarah smiled and recognized the bird as a Peregrine Falcon. She stroked the bird's head and said

"Thanks Faith." The bird snapped it's beak in response and then glided off of Sarah's arm and to Sirius who had now transformed back from the dog. The bird changed back into Faith and bent over Sirius's arm which was bleeding freely.

(A/N: Picking Faith's animal was probably the most difficult thing. That's why it took this chapter so long to come out. I was always fighting between a snake, lion, or a falcon. I will probably give her a different animal on the version of MM2 that's on harrypotterfanfiction. You might want to check it out when its up.)