((Super short chapter. But Happy Birthday Fred and George!))
Shortly after the dramatics following the Ravenclaw match, Valentine's Day broke through the stressful monotony. Josie's roommate Catherine became completely invisible, becoming glued to her boyfriend's hip at all hours of the day. Marina was having a mild attack every time Josie saw her, either because she wanted to know what Josie was doing for the twins, or over her uncertainty of what to do about Lee.
Marina and Lee had been talking more and more, becoming nearly as inseparable as Josie and the twins. As they got over their embarrassment over the "big reveal" as Fred called it, their outlandish and over the top personalities clashed full force, and everyone around them realized how well the meshed. Lee was a loud, outgoing, energetic person with loose lips and a foul mouth. Marina was overly flirtatious and open about herself in every aspect; things of detailed or intimate matters didn't deter her from saying what she thought. And everything she thought was in the highest detail with no limit on her language. This part of her personality became extremely apparent as the two girls got closer, spending much of the time when Josie wasn't with the twins or in class, together.
Late the night before Valentine's Day, Josie and Marina sat behind the scarlet curtains around Josie's bed, their conversation hushed by a silencing charm Josie had cast. "So, what are you doing for the twins tomorrow?" Marina asked, nudging Josie with her arm and almost causing her to spill her tea. "Nothing much. I got them both small gifts, I don't think they'll get me anything though." "They better or I'm gnawing their wands apart! You're a sweet girlfriend; you deserve a Valentine's Day gift." "It's only been a couple of months; I'm not worried about it. We can worry about it next year; I haven't done much to deserve one yet…" A chocolate frog smacked her in the face as her voice drifted off, Marina glaring at her with a playful air. "Do I need to tell them you said that? Because I'll tell them." "Non! I-" Josie lowered her voice, blushing a bit. "I just think we haven't been together long enough to really do anything for Valentine's Day." "I think you three are super cute and need to get over your awkwardness." "Shut up." Josie bit into a Caldron Cake, her cheeks red from embarrassment.
It was silent for a while before Marina spoke again. "What did you get them?" Instead of answering, Josie leaned over the side of her bed to grab her book bag; pulling out the small books she had gotten the twins and handing them to Marina. "Books? Seriously? You're giving the two Gryffindor beaters and school-wide pranksters books?" Her heart fell, blue eyes lingering on the covers before adverting themselves. "I think they'll get a laugh out of them." "I think you can do better." Marina smirks, scrambling off the bed to fetch something from her chest. She came back moments later with two bottles glitter, a capped vile of clear liquid, and ribbon. Josie was too caught up wondering what she was doing to notice Marina reaching to pluck a bit of her hair, dropping the brown strand into the vile before shaking it.
"What are you doing?" Josie asked, watching the liquid in the vile turn into a powder. "I think you should make your books more creative and special. This takes your…you-ness, and turns it into a powder that smells like you. I was going to use it on Lee, but I think you need more help with flirting than we do." Blue eyes rolled as she picked up the bottles of glitter, looking at them. "What's this for?" She asked, receiving a shrug from Marina. After a minute of thinking, Josie stopped Marina from pouring the powder onto the books with a grin. "Wait!" The fluffy haired animagus looked up abruptly, raising an eyebrow. "I have a better idea." Josie said with a laugh.
The next morning Josie rolled out of bed early, nerves kicking her awake as the sun rose. She dressed quickly, pinning the bow she and Marina had made into her hair as she walked down the staircase, her shoulder weighed down by her bag. It was a chilly but sunny morning, Josie's skirt swinging against her tights as she stepped into the common room. She sat down in front of the fireplace to read todays Charms lesson before the twins came down, not wanting to miss them and have to share her gift with them in the hall. It was at least half an hour before the boys started to trickle down the staircase, the sound of voices and footsteps registering in Josie's mind as she read. Soon enough the couch on either side of her sunk down, arms wrapping around her shoulders.
"Good morning!" they said in unison, grinning at her as she shut their book and looked at the both of them. "Good morning." She replied, her hands starting to shake from nervousness. "Happy Valentine's Day?" she said slowly, her voice cracking on the unfamiliar English word. "Oh is that today?" George said casually, removing his arm from around her shoulders as he stood up, Fred following suit. They both held a hand out to her, not fazed by her small frown turning her pouted lips downward. Josie couldn't pick out why exactly she was upset, but her blood boiling at the casual way they commented on the holiday proved she was. The Desmarais/Lefay family had always been enthusiastic about the holiday of love, the sibling duo of Andre and Andrea passing that down onto their children at a very young age.
Josie remembered sitting with her father's lap by the fireplace, her skirt draping over her small feet as she watched him write out long letters to her mother, both of them full of chocolate icing and cake batter after spending the late hours of the night fixing her mother a cake. Memories of sparkling gift bags, silk ribbons around elegant boxes, the heels of her mother's shoes matching the music from their radio, her parents smiling faces filled her. She was always jealous of the closeness and joy they had on that day, usually crying inaudibly as she was escorted to their neighbor's apartment so her parents could enjoy a dinner out and some time together. Now as a growing girl who was as infatuated with the two boys in front of her as her mother was for her father in the beginning of what would become her parents relationship, she longed for the comfort and sweet nothings she was taught to expect, and feared she was going to be met with the loneliness that fell over her each year.
"Oi, earth to Josie!" Fred's loud voice snapped her from her reminiscing, blue eyes focusing on the two freckled faces hovering in front of hers. "Quoi?" she asked, glancing between their hands. "You zoned out love." George said, chuckling at her. She flushed as she took their hands, letting them pull her up. When they turned towards the portrait, she held them still, her fingers gripping their wrists. "Wait." The quizzical yet curious look gave her the courage to go on, excitement bubbling in her stomach at the small thing she had to give them. "Yes?" they said together, turning to her in unison with matching smirks.
Reaching into her bag she pulled out the two books, each wrapped with red ribbon tied into a bow. She watched their faces turn from curious to confused, each of them taking the one in front of them hesitantly. To Fred went a muggle book on pranks, to George a muggle book on "magic", both of these things Josie thought they would get a good laugh out of. Their chuckles eased her nerves, but she knew it wasn't over yet. "Are these muggle books?" George asked, smiling as he looked the cover over. "Oui, I thought you would think they're funny." She replied, flushing a bit at the small smiles they gave her. "That's adorable." They said in unison, turning Josie's cheeks dark red. She needed to show the real surprise before they flustered her nerve out of her. "Open them." She urged hesitantly, smiling a bit as they obediently untied the ribbon.
They books opened glitter burst from the title page with a loud pop and a bit of smoke, a sweet scent filling the room as Fred and George were covered with red and gold glitter. First years coming down the staircase jumped out of their shoes and looked in fear towards the incident, innocent eyes wide and faces pale. When the smoke and glitter disappeared, the twins both slowly opened their eyes to look at her, the shocked look that graced their features sent Josie into a fit of giggles. "Happy Valentine's Day!" She said cheerfully through her laughter, tossing her arms into the air for effect. The twins shared a glance before George advanced on her, laughing as he spoke. "You're adorable. Now c'mere." He grabbed for her, attempting to pull her into a hug. She dodged him, standing up straighter as she smiles at him. "That's a good look for you George, it really compliments your eyes." she teased. "It would look even better on you." Fred said, lunging towards her. She dodged again. "No thank you, I smell enough like me already." "So that's what that tempting smell is?" "Maybe we should have the real thing instead!" They both went for her, flustering her enough to almost catch her. She ducked, laughing loudly as she darted out the portrait and down the corridor, their steps thundering behind her.
The three of them were scolded harshly by Professor McGonagall when she caught them running full speed down the corridor, the twins in hot pursuit of the smaller girl. They trio spent of the rest of the morning scattering glitter across the school as they went from class to class, Josie now thoroughly covered in glitter after Marina had given them the bottles at lunch, the twins pouring the contents over Josie and Paxton from a staircase shortly after afternoon break ended. Later in the day Josie saw Lana covered in the same glitter, and guessed their boyfriend had kindly shared the holiday cheer and growing glitter epidemic with them.
It wasn't until Josie went to bed late that night after kissing both her boys secretly in the common room and yet another reassurance that they liked her gift that the yearning for a bigger day was met. She had just returned from washing up when she noticed the box on her bedside table, a note tucked under its inky black exterior and a blue bow tied around it. Sitting down on the freshly un-made bed, she picked up the box and it's note, unfolding the paper to find Georges scrawled handwriting.
"This isn't much, but it's all we could think of. It's to pick something of meaning out for an amazing person without feeling mediocre. We'll make it up to you next year, if you'll put up with us that long.
Happy Valentine's Day.
The boyfriends, George and Fred Weasley."
Her lips stretched into a wide smile, her heart becoming light as she read the note over and over until she could recite it by memory, small tears pricking her eyes as emotion overwhelmed her. Mentally hitting herself for being so emotional, she untied the ribbon and opened the lid hesitantly with shaking hands. Red sparks shot upward from inside the darkness of the box, fading to green as they traced a green stem. Josie's heart raced beneath her skin, warming her as petals unfurled from the top, its shifting multicolor lighting up the room before fading into pale blue sparks that fell back into the black bottom of the box, revealing the contents. A small bracelet of braided leather and a string sat in the center, glowing slightly in the darkness of her bedroom. Gently picking up the bracelet, she found the strings woven with pale blue and glowing silver around deep burgundy leather. She could have floated out of the tower by the joy that filled her as she slipped it onto her wrist, pulling the strings to tighten it to fit around the pale skin.
She couldn't stand it, jumping from her bed and running down the stairs and up again to the boys dorm room, she didn't look twice at the surprised Lee before throwing herself into Fred's arms. Her frantic look around the room for George didn't last long as he emerged around his bedside, nightshirt unbuttoned as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to her, hugging both brothers with all of her strength. "To next year." She said softly, smiling as they held her tight.