Classes were going well, or as well as they could considering the climate at Hogwarts. Every Divination and Care of Magical Creatures class was observed and commented upon by Umbridge. She was looking for any excuse to sack Trelawney and Hagrid. And they weren't the only ones being watched closely. Rory felt like she was always being watched.

Rory tried not to let it bother her. It had been a while since she'd stepped out of line with Umbridge and Rory suspected that her professor was looking for a reason to stick her back in detention. Luckily, Rory had other things on her mind that didn't involve Umbridge.

For instance, she was quite enjoying using the tarot cards Sirius had given her before she left Grimmauld Place. She predicted silly, benign things for her roommates. She hadn't used the Talking Board she got from Levi. It didn't feel like she was supposed to yet. Like there was a purpose for it.

Then there was the matter of Harry. Things were constantly shifting from feeling perfectly normal to uncomfortable. Cho was always staring after Harry and seemed unwilling to acquiesce to his request that they not be friends. It annoyed Rory, and her annoyance seemed to annoy Harry. It left her dreading their DA meetings. When they stayed in the Room of Requirement after meetings things were always tense

But choir was going well. They were going to put on a Valentine's Day concert before dinner and though Umbridge requested they try to stick to traditional, wizard love songs, Flitwick had relented and offered up one muggle song which Rory would get to duet with Stephen Cornfoot.

That did leave one little problem though.

After choir rehearsal, Rory walked to Harry's dorm and knocked on the door.

"Come in," he answered.

She walked inside and was surprised to find him alone.

"Where are your roommates?" she asked, pushing the door closed.

"Ron's got Prefect duty tonight. Neville left a bit ago to get help with his astronomy homework from Matilda. Dean is with Seamus and I don't keep track of Seamus obviously," Harry said. "How was choir practice?"

"Good," Rory replied, plopping down beside him on the bed. She kicked her shoes off and scooted close to him. "I've got some bad news. About Valentine's Day."

"What?" he asked.

"I have choir rehearsal until one," Rory said. Harry sighed. "I can still come to Hogsmeade afterward. We'll have a lunch date. I hear that Madame Puddifoot's is doing something totally over the top and Valentine's Day-themed. It's probably going to be super kitschy and we should definitely go."

Harry sighed again. "You'll be late and we have to have lunch at that weird little tea shop?" Rory nodded. Harry pressed a kiss to her lips. "All right. I'm sure I'll find something to do with myself. Ron isn't going to Hogsmeade at all. Angelina booked the pitch for them all day."

"Oof. That sucks," Rory replied. "But you'll get all morning to hang out with Hermione unless she has plans."

"Somehow I don't think she does unless she's been keeping secrets from us," Harry said.

"She's been on about something recently," Rory replied. "But I don't think she's got a secret boyfriend or anything. Just being ten steps ahead of everyone else about something, as per usual."

Harry nodded and Rory laid her head on his shoulder. Harry put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Nope," she replied. "But I wouldn't be opposed to staying here until your roommates come back and kick me out."

"They wouldn't kick you out," Harry said. "I think they're all a little bit afraid of you. Especially Seamus."

"Seamus should be afraid of me," Rory replied.

Harry chuckled. "Stay. You can help me study for our herbology exam Friday."

"You've got me all alone in your room and you just want to study?" Rory asked. "Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?"

"I really actually need to do well on this exam," Harry laughed. "Plus, I don't know when someone is going to come through that door."

"As if that has ever stopped you," Rory replied. Harry grabbed his textbook from his bedside table and flipped it open to their most recent lesson. She pouted. "You really want to study? I thought you were teasing."

"Sorry to disappoint you," he said.

"Disappointed indeed," she said, resting her chin on his shoulder. Then she kissed his cheek. And then she kissed along his jaw.

"I know what you're doing," he said.

"And what am I doing?" she asked.

"Trying to distract me from studying," he said.

"Guilty," she replied as she kissed that spot on his neck that almost always elicited a positive response from Harry. He inhaled sharply and grabbed hold of her arm.

"I thought you liked seeing me be studious," he pointed out.

"I do," she replied, nuzzling into his neck. "It makes me want to kiss you."

"It doesn't make you want to help me study?" he asked.

"It does," she replied. She let her teeth gently scrape across his neck. Rory felt him shudder and his hand came to rest on her thigh. "But tomorrow."

"You're incorrigible," he said, flipping the book closed. "And distracting."

"I am," she replied. "And I promise I will only be helpful and not at all distracting tomorrow."

"I don't necessarily believe you, but you make a very convincing argument," he said. He turned and tilted her chin upward to look into her eyes. She grinned at him. "Don't look so pleased with yourself."

"But I am pleased with myself," she said. He pushed her hair back from her face. "I get to kiss you instead of looking at dumb old books."

"You think books are dumb?" Harry asked.

"They are when they're interfering with me snogging my boyfriend," she said, draping her arms over his shoulders. She leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled away. She pouted again and Harry chuckled. "What?"

"I just didn't want to give in to you immediately. Prove to myself that my brain doesn't completely shut off when you start getting ideas," he said.

She scoffed and kissed him, slow and deep. He chuckled again.

"I start getting ideas and then it's all I think about," she replied. She let one hand drop from his shoulder and trail down his chest and she fiddled with his tie. "Now are you going to keep talking or are you going to let me distract you?"

Harry grabbed hold of Rory's legs and pulled them across his lap. Rory didn't waste another second and pressed her lips against his again. She curled up against him so that all of her was in his lap. Harry had one arm wrapped around her and the other resting on her thigh.

Nothing really compared to laughing and joking with Harry, followed up with lots and lots of kissing, and possibly other things if his roommates stayed away. His hand slid beneath her skirt, and Rory savored the feeling of the warmth of his skin against hers. She loved his tongue in her mouth or the way he bit at her bottom lip. The way he smelled and tasted. Losing herself in all of him was all she wanted.

She could feel him stiffening against her leg and she fought back the urge to undo his pants and touch him or taste him. She loved the way he moaned, the way his body moved when she touched him. She felt that delightful tingling from between her legs and she tried not to move her hips against him despite how much she wanted to.

Harry grabbed her hips and moved her to lie on her back. She knotted her fingers in his hair and pulled him close. He let one of his hands weave its way into her hair as well. Rory chuckled.

"I like your hands in my hair," she said. He kissed her, giving her hair a little tug. Maybe he could take a hint after all.

"I like my hands in your hair too," he said. He kissed along her jaw to her ear. "I especially enjoy seeing your hair after I've made a mess of it."

Rory felt her body shiver at his words as his lips trailed down her neck.

"Meanwhile, your hair is always a mess," she teased. Harry came back to her lips and kissed her briefly. He hovered over her and brushed her hair from her face. "I do miss when you played Quidditch, though."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at her. "So do I," he chuckled. "Do you not find me as attractive now that I don't play Quidditch anymore?"

"I just always thought you looked very cool with the windswept look," she replied, pushing her fingers through his hair.

He chuckled again and kissed her. "You mean when my hair looks the most insane?"

"Looking like you've been through a tornado is a good look for you," she teased.

"Cho told me that once as well," he replied.

Rory felt like a bucket of ice water was dumped over her head. Harry leaned in to kiss her again, but Rory pushed him away and sat up from the bed, getting to her feet.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Seriously?" she asked. She walked to the foot of his bed. "You think I want to hear you talking about how 'cool' Cho thinks you are while you're kissing me?" she asked.

Harry groaned. "Rory, it was just a random thought I had. She'd literally said the same thing to me before."

"And you thought right now I need the reminder that she likes you?" Rory asked.

"Fish, no," Harry said. He jumped off the bed and walked over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. "I know that was a stupid thing to say. It just popped into my head."

That didn't reassure Rory in the slightest. She crossed her arms.

"I love you. I don't care about Cho or anyone else. I'm just an idiot," Harry said. "Truly. The dumbest bloke you'll ever meet."

"Well get smart," she said gently, whacking him on the shoulder. "I don't date idiots."

"I know. I'm sorry," he said. He kissed her and then took hold of her hands and kissed those too. "I love you."

"I love you," she repeated. He kissed her again.

"I'm guessing the mood has been sufficiently killed," Harry said.

"Afraid so," she replied. "But I will help you study now if you want."

"Yes," he replied.

Rory let out a sigh and walked back over to his bed. She picked up his textbook and climbed on the bed beside him. He put an arm around her as she skimmed the text to refresh her memory. She relaxed against him. She wasn't so irritated that she didn't feel a sense of normalcy being close to him. Book in her lap, his arm around her, Rory thought that was how she spent most of her time with Harry.

"Think you'll sleep in since you've got choir practice?" Harry asked.

"Doubtful. I can barely do regular sleep, let alone sleep extra," she said.

"I'm the opposite. Sometimes I have trouble waking up, which is excellent since my brain is a fantastic place to be right now," he said.

Rory still didn't sleep well, but when she did it was usually, blessedly, dreamless.

"I know your occlumency lessons haven't been helping your situation," Rory said. "I'm sorry."

"I feel like I am trying," Harry said. "Your dad told me I have to actually make an effort. And Sirius said so as well and he hardly ever takes anything seriously."

"Technically, I suppose he takes everything seriously," Rory said.

"I'm sure he's never heard that one before," Harry chuckled. "You should come up with as many name-related puns to hurl at him the next time you see him."

"I can make the list for my dad. I've been slowly teaching Sirius muggle slang to drive Dad insane. It might level the playing field a bit," Rory said.

"How kind of you," he said.

"Balance and all that," she said. She tilted her head up and kissed him and then looked back down to her book.

"You know, I think this'll be the first time since the ball that we go to Hogsmeade without it being disastrous," Harry said.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Well, there was the time you didn't even get to go because you yelled at Snape," Harry said.

"Worth it," Rory said.

Harry laughed. "And back in October… Well, that didn't go great. So things will probably go well this time. Third time's a charm and all that."

Rory smiled at him. "I guess we'll see."

But there was something Rory remembered from Divination—bad things tended to happen in groupings of three. Three Hogsmeade visits, each of them soured by something. But she didn't want that. Harry didn't want that. She wanted things to feel normal and fun again. She wanted to sit in a kitschy little restaurant and drink tea while she flirted with her boyfriend and to go and fool around in her room afterward.

He was dumb sometimes, and maybe she was overreacting to Harry mentioning Cho. He did really love her. She knew that even when he was being an idiot. She liked moments like these when it was easy. There were so many gaps between the easy moments these days.

Harry went to ask her a question, presumably about their textbook, but she stopped him with a kiss and then another and another.

"I thought we were studying now," he said.

"I mean, we can stop if you'd like," she said.

His answer was to kiss her.


At breakfast on Saturday, Harry sat beside Rory as he always did, but she seemed to just push her food around on her plate.

"You alright?" he asked her. She nodded, but Harry wasn't convinced. "Not nervous about choir are you?"

"No, it's not that," Rory replied. Then she let out a sigh. "Do you ever build something up in your head and then when you finally get it, it just falls short of your expectations?"

Harry frowned. Was she talking about today? Had she set her expectations for their date that high or had he been so fantastic at dropping the ball this year that she was regretting getting her hopes up about it?

"If you're worried about this afternoon, it's going to be fine," Harry said. They had a plan. They were going to meet at Madame Pudifoot's at 1:30 for lunch before spending the rest of the afternoon doing, Harry had decided, whatever it was her heart desired. Because he had dropped the ball a lot this year and he wanted to make it up to her. Whatever she wanted to do, he was going to do it.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," he said. "And then you're going to do a marvelous job at the concert tonight, as you always do." She smiled a bit and Harry felt a little relieved.

"You're right. I'm just being silly," Rory said.

"Well, our last date was really, really bad, so I can't say I blame you," Harry replied. "But not this time."

That had been all the reassurance Rory needed and her mood brightened after that.

When breakfast was over, she retreated to Gryffindor Tower to get dressed for the day, while Harry waited for Hermione in the Entrance Hall.

Hermione found him, her cheeks rosy from the cold, clutching a letter in her fingers.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "But there's something I need you to do at noon. It should only take an hour or so."

Harry winced. "You know I'm supposed to meet Rory at one-thirty and I can't be late. I think she's already worried I might do something to screw up today."

"Well, you don't have a great track record," Hermione said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Sorry," Hermione apologized. "But, I did tell Rory that you'd be preoccupied a bit before you got to your date so if you're a few minutes late she'll understand, but you won't be late."

Harry nodded. "And what do you want me to do?"


Meeting with Rita Skeeter was not on Harry's agenda for Hogsmeade. But there he was, sitting at a table with Hermione, Luna, and Rita Skeeter in the Three Broomsticks, divulging to her every single thing that happened at the end of fourth year. The graveyard, Voldemort, his death eaters. He even spoke on behalf of Sirius and also of what happened to Barty Crouch Senior.

When it was over, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. It might not run in The Prophet, but The Quibbler would have to do. And at least his version of events was out there now. People didn't quite believe the story that had been spun by the Ministry in the wake of the breakout from Azkaban, and Rory and Levi's testimony at the December inquiry. Now was the time to tell his story.

Hermione was kind of brilliant about these things.

It was after one-thirty when he left the pub and started toward the tea shop. He'd have to hurry to make sure he wasn't incredibly late. He found an old woman selling roses and bought a dozen for Rory, hopeful that they would ease the hit of him being late.

He was setting off again when he heard his name. He turned and saw Cho marching toward him. She looked a bit distressed as she approached.

"Hi, Cho," Harry said quickly, "I'm actually-."

"Did I see you talking to Rita Skeeter in there just now?" she asked.

Harry paused for a moment. This hadn't been at all where he thought the conversation was going to go.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "I did an interview with her."

Cho looked at him in disbelief. "She wrote such rubbish about you, about all of us, last year,"

Harry nodded. Harry and his friends might've taken the brunt of the abuse from the papers last year, but Cho and Cedric had not been immune to Rita Skeeter and her gossip-mongering. It made sense that Cho might be upset seeing him associating with her again.

Harry found an empty bench and sat down with Cho and told her all about the interview. He paused when she asked him a question and he answered honestly. It felt good to be honest. It felt good to be believed by someone outside of his circle. It was validating.

Cho didn't seem particularly impressed that the interview would appear in The Quibbler, but she was pleased with what Harry was doing.

"That's really brave of you," Cho said. "Even if people don't believe you."

Harry shrugged. "Some people will. And people will get to hear my side finally. I think that's more important. Some people will actually know that Cedric didn't just die in some freak accident in the maze."

Cho smiled at this, and Harry saw her eyes fill with tears. He had never known one person to cry so much, except for maybe—

He looked around quickly. "Sorry, what time is it?" How long had they been talking? His fingers had practically gone numb around the flowers clenched in his hand.

Cho gazed around and pointed to a clock outside of a nearby shop.

It was just after two o'clock. He was supposed to meet Rory over 30 minutes ago. He jumped to his feet.

"Sorry, I've got to go. I'm supposed to be meeting Rory," Harry said.

Cho nodded, seeming a little sad. "Of course. Have fun."

Harry tried not to look as he rushed as he hustled to the tea shop. When he pushed open the door and was greeted by the opulent and tacky Valentine's Day décor, he gazed around and saw that Rory was nowhere to be found. He spotted Malfoy and Parkinson in a corner in the back smirking at him. He ignored them. He had bigger issues today.

He made his way to the counter, hopeful that maybe she was just in the bathroom. The witch who stood there smiled at him.

"Meeting someone?" she asked, motioning to the flowers in his hand.

"Hopefully. I'm actually a little late," Harry said. "She's got dark curly hair and gray eyes. Not very tall."

The woman immediately went from looking pleasant to frowning. "Oh, that poor girl? You just missed her. She was waiting here about thirty minutes before she left. And can I just say, shame on you for keeping her waiting, on Valentine's Day no less. Was near to tears when she walked out the door. Everyone sitting in here whispering about her being dressed so nice all for some bloke not to show up."

Harry's heart sank. Of course she was upset because Harry had screwed up yet again. And he'd just missed her.

"Thanks," he said. He walked out of the tea shop and looked around. He knew she wasn't in Hogsmeade anymore. He knew there was nothing he could buy or give her that was going to make up for this. He was going to have to walk back to Hogwarts, go to her room, and apologize, yet again.


Rory walked into Madam Pudifoot's Tea Shop at exactly twenty-five minutes past one o'clock. She'd dressed for her date before choir practice, not caring even in the slightest that her peers would tease her for it, but she didn't care. She reminded them she was the only one in the group who actually had plans that afternoon and that shut up their teasing pretty quickly.

She was cold by the time she got to the shop and was thankful for how quickly she was able to get her hands around a mug of tea. When Harry was five minutes late, Rory didn't think much of it. Hermione had mentioned she was dragging him off to do something and that he might be a few minutes late.

But when he was 15 minutes late, people began to stare. The cup of tea she'd ordered for him had gone cold and her own was empty. It was refilled with a smile.

"Your dress looks lovely," the waitress said.

"Thank you," Rory replied meekly. Her eyes were still looking to the door. She tried to be composed, but she could overhear Roger Davies on his own date a table away, whispering about her.

"I imagine getting stood up on a date is what happens when your boyfriend is a nutter," he said. The girl across from him admonished him, but only playfully as she giggled in response.

"Be nice," she said.

Rory finished her second cup of tea. Half an hour had passed. Harry was not there. She didn't know what could possibly be holding him up this long, but she was too embarrassed and angry to rationalize any kind of explanation at that moment.

The waitress came to her table again.

"I think I'm just going to pay," Rory said grabbing her purse.

"It's on the house," the waitress said.

Tears filled Rory's eyes. Of course it was on the house. Her boyfriend had stood her up on Valentine's Day. She'd worn her nicest dress and put on her favorite lipstick and trekked through the cold and the snow to sit in a café and be stared at by her classmates for half an hour. Rory would've given the tea away for free as well.

She pulled on her cloak and as she approached the door, it opened. In stepped Malfoy and Parkinson. Rory tried not to look as miserable as she felt, but Malfoy spotted her and he smirked. This was just what she needed.

"Well, Lupin, all alone on Valentine's Day, I see. Where's Potter?" he asked.

"Move," Rory said, trying to step past him, but he blocked her.

"Actually, Pansy, I think I saw him on our way here," Malfoy said.

"I think I did too," she replied.

Rory felt stupid for getting her hopes up, but if Harry was delayed because he'd had some sort of altercation with Malfoy, that would make all the sense in the world.

"He was outside the Three Broomsticks," Pansy said. "He was talking to someone if I recall."

They pretended to think about it for a moment.

"Oh, right. Cho Chang. Seen them chatting a lot lately," Malfoy said.

"I think he even had flowers. It was very sweet," Parkinson said. "Maybe he double booked himself."

Malfoy patted her on the shoulder, and Rory tried to blink away the tears in her eyes. She didn't doubt for a second that Malfoy was telling the truth. He didn't have a reason to lie if the truth was going to hurt her much worse anyway.

"Probably better off, yeah?" Malfoy said.

"You're a dick," she said.

"Just looking out for you. We're family after all," he said smugly. She rolled her eyes, regretting that she'd ever mentioned this to him on the train. Of course, he'd found a way to throw it back in her face.

Malfoy walked past her and Rory pushed her way out of the door.

Rory didn't feel angry at first. Just numb. How long had he been talking to Cho that Malfoy would've noticed enough to put it together that she'd been stood up when he saw her?

She didn't care. She was officially over this. She was so tired of excuse after excuse after excuse about Cho and why he was being such a shitty boyfriend. She couldn't muster the energy to care. Not anymore.

She wiped tears from her eyes, surely smearing her makeup in the process. She was just going to leave. Let him have his date with Cho or whatever he was doing.

"Oh, you beautiful girl."

Rory turned and a woman followed by a cart of roses walked over to her. The woman held out flowers to her. They were purple, blooming tightly together on one stalk, a hyacinth.

"Don't be sad. Today is about love," the woman said. The flowers weren't really traditional Valentine's Day flowers. Rory didn't even think they were in season.

Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm not in the mood for it really."

"Take the flowers," the woman insisted. "Let it be a light for you today. You are already light to so many."

Hesitantly Rory took the hyacinths. "Thank you."

"Be bright, girl," she said.

Rory nodded and walked away from the old woman. Once the woman was out of sight, she chucked the flowers into the first rubbish bin she could find.