Author's Note : A short story written for the #HPdiscordContest
Topic of the February contest : a Valentine date 
This story won the second place of the competition, thanks for your votes 🖤🖤🖤

••••••••

"Dromeda,

I'd love to write some beautiful lines to you, but I've never been much of a poet.
So, let me just be very straightforward here:

Would you be my Valentine and meet me for a night under the stars ?
I know it's cold outside, but there might be a surprise or two, you will hopefully like...
Meet me in front of the Quidditch pitch at ten.

With love,

Ted"

••••••••

I smiled as I read his card. The first line made me chuckle. I didn't need him to write one of those 'romantic' and artificial Valentine cards... those simple words, his lack of self-confidence and his will to surprise me were far more touching to me than any pompous poem.

Wasting no time, I grabbed my quill and a piece of parchment. I was about to write my reply when I heard the door slamming behind me suddenly.

"I can't believe you're working when everyone is getting ready for the day!" she said, incredulously.

I slipped the letter under my divination textbook as discreetly as I could and gave her a slight smile.

"Good afternoon to you too, sister!" I replied, mildly.

"Rabastan is still hoping to take you to this fancy tearoom..." she spoke with a mischievous smile.

I couldn't help but snort with amusement at what she just said.

Rabastan Lestrange....
This gloomy boy with his haughty attitude.... Such a good choice for me, indeed....

"I've never been much into this kind of things as you know...." I said dismissively. 

In truth, she had no idea I was already seeing someone... I had been hiding this relationship for a year now, ensuring that she would not catch us and report to our parents.

"I mean the dates, the fanciful dresses, the Valentine cards and such... the amount of efforts you have to put into this, just to please some boy..." I said, rolling my eyes.

This was only half a lie...

I didn't like all those conventions... spending hours to dress up, displaying yourself like an ornament....

Ted and I loved each other for who we were, not for the way we dressed or the value of the jewels we chose to wear....

"You could have changed at least." she raised an scandalized eyebrow, looking at my outfit pointedly.

"What for?" I asked, with a chuckle "Nobody will see me after all."

She shook her head in a disapproving manner that reminded me of our mother.

"It's just a day like any other." I shrugged.

"Well, I will certainly make the most of it anyway. How do I look?" she asked, smugly.

I turned around to have a proper look at her. The contrast between her and me was simply striking... not to say ironical.
Here I was, in my crumpled uniform, with disheveled hair, when she was standing up straight in her velvet green emerald dress, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders.
The perfect reflection of my parents' expectations.

Noble. Graceful. Flawless.

"You look dashing." I replied, sincerely. "You will spend the day with Lucius I assume ?"

"Indeed. Mother thinks he could be a suitable match." she said, delightedly.

I smiled, although deep inside it reminded me of how my idea of what a relationship should be was different from hers...

Ted was everything they all despised, the complete opposite of their idea of a "suitable match"... because of his blood, his lack of fortune or "high ambitions"...
In fact, I had never met anyone like him before, and it was probably the reason why I had been attracted to him in the first place.

"Well, itt's perfect then." I said tensely, realizing just how much she and I had become different.

She would never understand the reasons why I loved someone like Ted... would she?

••••••••

I kept an eye on my watch as I saw the daylight getting dimmer, waiting eagerly for the night to come.

At 9:30, I put on my coat and scarf and tiptoed through the dorms, avoiding the squeaky floorboards. Then, I made my way to the trapdoor on the third floor and soon I reached the outside of the castle.
I headed to the meeting point impatiently and waited for him in front of the pitch.

I gasped when I suddenly felt two hands sliding on my hips.

"Sneaking out of the castle in the middle of the night, hmmm?" he whispered to my ear and placed a soft kiss on my neck.

"Oh, I wonder why!" I replied with a chuckle and turned around to see him.

"Oh, you will soon find it out..." He said with an amused smile, taking my hand.

"Where are you leading me?" I asked as I followed him, but his smile was the only answer I got.

Dozens of pink and red orbs guided our way through the narrow paths of the forest. Their flickering glimmer was like a candle flame, suspended from the night sky.

"You did this?!" I asked in sheer surprise.

"Glad to see you think I'm not capable of surprising you!" he said in a mock-offended tone.

"I'm-- impressed!" I gasped, admiring the lights.

We kept on walking until we reached a spot where we could see the castle from the distance. There was a bonfire and a large blanket on the ground.

"We should be right on time I think" he said, glancing at his watch.

"Right on time for what?" I asked, utterly puzzled.

"Let's just settle down" he replied with this amazing smile that never failed to charm me.

I sat right next to him and kissed his cheek affectionately.

"It's great... this place, the lights... the bonfire... who knew you could be such a romantic, Ted?" I said with a chuckle.

"Happy Valentine's Day" he said with a wink. ".... but you've seen nothing yet!"

He put his arm around my waist and cupped my cheek, looking into my eyes. I leaned in and kissed him softly. He kissed me back almost immediately, tightening his hold on my waist. It sent a shiver down my spine.

"Are you cold?" he asked, pulling me closer to him to warm me up.

"No. It's perfect." I said softly with a smile and rest my head on his shoulder.

He held me tighter and we both gazed up at the starry sky.

I couldn't help but wonder what we would do at the end of the year once we would leave Hogwarts....
To think that my parents would let me see him was just unimaginable... but I didn't want to be with anyone else. He was spontaneous, caring, attentive, funny... just everything I needed.
The thought of running away from home had already crossed my mind... but would he be ready for it... had he thought about having a future together?

I chose to let those thoughts aside, not wanting to spoil the moment and was going to ask what the second surprise was when I saw something.... a blue-silver light, crossing the night sky all of a sudden. It filled the darkness with a brilliant light and then dispersed into a million sparks in a few seconds.

"Have you seen this? There was a shooting star!" I exclaimed, pointing at the spot where it had just vanished but he didn't seem to pay attention to it in the slightest.
He was staring at me with twinkling eyes and stroking my hair softly.

"They say you have to make a wish, whenever you see a shooting star. My wish is to be with you... today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives." He said, pulling away from the embrace to take off a small box from his pocket.

I stared at him wordlessly, watching him opening the box. The sapphire on the ring sparkled with a blue glimmer as it caught the moonlight.

"Did you just-- propose-- to me ?" I mumbled, looking at the sparkling ring and back at him.

"Yeah..." he said with a nervous chuckle, running his hand through his hair.

"Oh my-- Yes!" I squealed with delight, without further thinking.

"Did you jus-- accept my proposal ?" he asked, his eyes widening in bewilderment.

"Yes! You silly-- yes, I did!" I repeated and leaned in to put my arms around his neck.

Nothing should have brought us together....
We were born into two different worlds.
And yet, the glimmer in his eyes, the warmth of his smile, made those differences fade away. Whenever I saw them, I forgot about the boundaries that were supposed to hold us back to where we belonged.

Here, under the stars, we were free.

We belonged.