Round 4 Daffodil - Mixed Messages

1st Place

"You're fucking hopeless, Granger."

She groans but can't really protest. "Obviously," Hermione grits out. "Which is the reason I asked you to help. Why I thought you would be anything but your usual awful self is beyond me."

Harry enters on cue and flops down next to Theo. "Because I told him to be nice." He smacks his lover on the shoulder and gestures to Hermione. "Be nice, you prick. Do you know how rarely she even admits she needs help? But I can't do much for her with this antiquated pureblood nonsense."

Theo looks back to the witch in question, and she raises a brow waiting. "Well?"

Dramatically, with all the theater he can muster, Theo Nott sighs and levels her with a look. "Did you send flowers as discussed?"

"I did! And he's been awful this week. I thought we were getting somewhere, but he's completely shut down."

"Roses? Iris? A little Chrysanthemum for passion…?" He wriggles his eyebrows at her, and she rolls her eyes in response.

"I didn't imagine he would appreciate dramatics. Besides, large bouquets are not typically something a wizard wants to receive, so I kept it simple. Just the daffodil, for respect and unrequited love. Chivalry for the way he has treated me since we were partnered."

"Just the daffodil? As in a single solitary daffodil?"

"Well, yes of course. What was he going to do with a huge bunch of them? Display them on his Ministry desk? I can't see that being something that- what is so funny?!"

Theo is laughing and covering his face in his hands. "Oh, Merlin, Granger, you really don't know much about all this do you?"

With a huff, she falls back against the sofa and pouts, "Apparently not. That is, again, why I came to you."

Another smack to the shoulder from Harry and Theo rights himself. "Sorry, sorry. The things is, you brilliant, stupid witch, is that daffodils in general stand for all those wonderful things, but a single daffodil means misfortune. If you left him a single blossom with your name attached, he is under the impression you wish bad things to befall him. Which, incidentally, is probably why he's been in such a mopey, moody state all week."

"I… misfortune? Well, fuck me."

"No thanks," Theo quips and squeezes Harry's knee. "He's got me all to himself."

With a rather evil glare, Hermione rises and offers a prefunctury 'thanks' to her friends. Apparently, she's gone about this all wrong.

Stopping at a florist on her way, she barrels into Draco's office and throws a bundle of various red flowers on his desk, his eyes blowing wide at her entry. "There! That clear enough for you?"

Both hands on his cheeks, she kisses him hard, then pulls back to study his face.

His mouth curls into a grin, and he murmurs just before his lips meet hers again, "The flowers were hardly necessary, but I'll take more of this."