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CHAPTER TWELVE: My Valentine

James nervously held out Emily's seat for her and she gave him a kindly smile as she sat in it. He took the seat opposite her before glancing around the Hog's Head. The inn was slightly more upmarket than it had been during their parents' time at Hogwarts: The current landlord, Ephias Willow, had inherited it from the former owner Aberforth Dumbledore, a distant cousin, and the Valentine's promotion was his latest attempt to attract more customers.

Ephias stood next to the young couple, his quill ready to take their orders. "Do you want drinks first?"he asked.

"I'll just have a water, thank you,"Emily requested.

Ephias sniffed and looked at James. "You'll have the same, I suppose?"

"I'll have a butterbeer,"James told him. Ephias sniffed almost as much at the request. James looked across at Emily. "The steak looks quite nice,"he suggested.

Emily nodded. "Whatever you think."

"Two steaks,"Ephias replied huffily. "They'll be about ten minutes." He stalked back off in the direction of the kitchen.

Emily looked back at James. "It was a good idea of yours to come here. I mean, the meal. We might as well take advantage of the offer…"

"That wasn't why I asked you,"James blurted out before he could stop himself. Emily's expression didn't change and he wondered if she'd got the message. "I mean, I asked you here because, well, because…I wanted to be here with you…"

"I know,"she replied simply.

He looked at her suspiciously. "You do?"

"All those times you were looking for excuses to spend time with me…well, I was looking for excuses to spend time with you too."

James wasn't quite sure if he was hearing what he thought he was but he could feel his nerve failing him and knew it was now or never. "Will you go out with me?"he asked.

"I am out with you,"Emily fired back teasingly.

"I mean…regularly."

Emily reached a hand across the table and James tentatively grasped it. "I'd like that,"she agreed.

Elphias placed two glasses on the table loudly. "One butterbeer and one water. Steak'll be here when it's ready."

"This has got to be the worst trip to Hogsmeade ever,"Martin complained as he walked through the streets with Albus and Owen.

Owen nodded in agreement. "Everything's for those Valentine's couples. Like anyone would be lame enough to go in for one of those couples offers."

Albus reddened slightly. He'd actually been planning to ask out Ariane Jordan, one of his classmates, but unfortunately Robert Deeling from Ravenclaw had got in first and he'd last seen them happily ensconced at one of the village's tea shops. "Do you know where Jame is?"he asked.

Martin shook his head. "I looked for him before we left school but couldn't find him. Maybe he's back doing research on his shapeshifter theory. At least when we get back we can tell him we didn't miss much."

"Just don't tell Lily,"Albus warned him. "I've heard enough of her complaining about how we can go on these trips and she can't as it is."

Owen nodded in the direction of the Hog's Head. "Hey, do you want to take a peak in there, see who's dating who? They'll be in for some real ribbing when they get back."

Martin bounded over eagerly, the two younger boys behind him, and pushed the door open. He glanced around the room, making a mental note of all the couples sat at tables…then stopped as his eyes rested on James and Emily. The pair seemed to be trying to eat one-handed, since their other hands were still intertwined with each other. "That's my sister!"he protested.

"That's my brother,"Albus added.

"And, er, that's your cousin,"Owen pointed out, nodding towards the table where Rose and Scorpius were sitting.

"This is seriously messed up,"Albus sighed.

Although she was unaware that Albus had seen her, Rose kept shooting looks over at James and Emily. "I think they're too busy looking at each other to notice us,"she decided eventually.

"Is that good?"Scorpius asked cautiously.

"It's about time. I thought they'd never get their act together."

Scorpius gave a brief sigh of relief. "How's your meal?"

"It's good, thanks,"Rose confirmed, taking another sip of her gillywater. "And the company's nice as well."

Scorpius looked at her cautiously. "Do you mean that?"

Rose looked serious. "Scorpius…there isn't anyone I'd rather be here with."

"Good." Scorpius took a deep breath. "Because there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Parvati cuddled up to Ron in bed. "What are you thinking?"

Ron smiled slightly. "That having today off was a good idea."

"You won't get any arguments from me there."

"Do you mind if I do something really cheesy?"

"Go on."

Ron picked up his wand from his bedside table and pointed it towards the open door. "Accio balloon."

Parvati gave a delighted smile as a heart emblazoned helium balloon floated in. She grasped hold of the string as it reached her. "Ron!"she gasped.

"Sorry it's a bit naff but I wasn't really sure what level we were at Valentine's present-wise."

"It's a lovely thought,"she confirmed, kissing him.

"Do you think it'll stay in the room if you let go of it?"

"Why would I let go of it?"

With a grin, Ron pulled her beneath the covers and the balloon drifted out of her hand towards the ceiling.

Hermione smelt the faint whiff of burning as she arrived home. "Harry?"she called out cautiously.

"In here!"Harry called through from the kitchen.

She entered to find the table set out for a meal for two, with a pair of candles in the centre. The only thing spoiling the romantic effect was the large cloud of smoke hovering above the cooker. Harry was waving his wand in its direction, slowly driving it out through an open window, while still trying to look at her in a revelatory manner.

"Non-verbal magic,"she commented. "I'm impressed."

Harry gave an embarrassed smile. "I think I left it cooking a bit too long. It should be all right though. A few tenderising spells to soften it up and I've cut off most of the burnt bits."

Hermione smiled at him. "It was very thoughtful of you."

"I just thought…our first Valentine's together, I should do something special."

She walked up to him until they were almost touching. "Harry, I love it. Burnt bits or otherwise. I love you."

And then they kissed each other, passionately, caressing each other's bodies with their hands as they also caressed each other's lips. "I'm really feeling like an early night right now,"Hermione noted in between kisses. "Why did we buy a house where the bedroom's so far away?"

Harry took a pace back from the embrace. "Um, Hermione."

"Yes, Harry."

He nodded towards the cooker. "I've taken up a lot of time with this."

Hermione smiled with understanding and sat down at the table. Harry lit the candles with an Incendio charm.

"We can have an early night later,"he added.

Hermione woke up the next morning to find herself lying in Harry's arms. She gave a slight smile to herself. The morning after Valentine's Day. It needed a better name than that. Maybe Post-Valentine's Morn. That was quite poetic…

She was interrupted by a tapping on the bedroom window. She squinted in the sunlight and saw a white owl sitting on the window sill, a letter in its beak.

She slipped out of bed and pulled on a gown before opening up the window. The owl allowed her to take the letter from its beak. She recognised it as one of the Hogwarts owls. "Thank you,"she told it, stroking the top of its head slightly. The owl gave a slight squawk of appreciation then flew down to the perch in the back garden.

Harry, awoken by her movement, sat up in bed. "What is it?"he asked.

Hermione slit the letter open and read its contents. "It's from Rose,"she replied. "She wants me and Ron to go to Hogwarts to see her. She says there's something she needs to talk to us about."