15

Chapter 15: Parseltongue and Poetry

Hasan and Lavender strode up for the first round, leaving Draco and Ron on their respective sides of the platform. The two second years drew close to the center, wands out and eyeing each other speculatively, before bowing as propriety dictated in a decidedly reluctant way. Lavender rolled her eyes as they both returned to their starting places, not wishing to do a whole song and dance before kicking some Slytherin arse. Hasan, however, smiled reassuringly to Draco and Luna in the crowd, who were slightly concerned about Ron's unpredictable girlfriend.

"One!..." Lupin raised his finger, voice carrying easily over the crowd. "Two!...Thr-!"

"Expelliarmus!" Lavender screeched with a jab of her wand, a red flash of light sent zooming like a bullet. The students drew in a breath as the battle begun with flare, Lavender looking for all the world like a child left solitary in a candy store. Entirely too happy, and entirely unsupervised. Her eyes were bright, darting about her with an air of paranoia.

"Protego." Hasan muttered softly. The earsplitting bang from before ensued, as the spells collided off each other with blue sparks. Everyone who had already heard the sound once quickly covered their ears, shuddering involuntarily. A lazy smile sat on his face as Lavender advanced furiously. She hadn't even seen his mouth move! She would not look like a fool! She would NOT!

"Locomotor Mortis!" Lavender screamed, slashing her wand about. "Tarantallegra!"

The leg-locker jinx flew straight beneath Hasan's lithe jump, disappearing instantly where Lupin had erected the ward. The second however, made its mark, causing Hasan's feet to begin a rapid tap-dance. Throughout it all, Hasan looked utterly bored, and the hilarity of the situation was turned on its side to appear simply odd.

"Relashio! Expelliarmus!" Hasan cried, freeing himself from the humiliating jig and shooting Lavender's wand out of her hand in one graceful motion. The stick flew up in the air, and Hasan, with his inherent reflexes, easily caught it, before twirling it between his fingers with a smirk. It didn't feel warm as his wand did for him, instead, giving off a rather unhappy, cold aura, very similar to Lavender herself.

"Give it back!" Lavender screeched just as Black declared,

"And the winner is Hasan Castell!"

Her protests were drowned by cheers from the crowd, mostly from Slytherin and Gryffindor, and then more cheers from all the houses that were privy to Lavender's lovely attitude throughout the course of the past year.

Hasan tossed her back her wand and took a bow as Lavender stomped off the stage.

"I-it's alright, Lav," Ron soothed nervously as Lavender went to slap him.

"Do it, Ron! Swear it! No holding back!" she hissed angrily, planting her feet down and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Ron's face changed from nervous to mildly determined. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Lavender growled, eyeing Draco like a piece of meat.

Severus watched this all with interest, knowing that Hasan was clearly hanging back, but also knowing that Hasan was extremely smart for doing so. As of today, he had made it past the Hobbit, and into the Fellowship of the Ring, and had just begun to understand Hasan's internal reasoning. Become underestimated and defeat your opponents at opportune times. It was rather similar with Voldemort and him, he thought, but hell if he was going to draw a parallel between Hasan Castell, a muggle book, and himself!

He watched Lavender stomp about on stage, plotting furiously with Ron Weasley on the platform. He was already getting a bad feeling about this. Looking to his side, he saw that Lupin had already grabbed his wand, though Black remained completely oblivious.

"We'll have to be careful with this one. She doesn't seem to like Draco much," Lupin whispered the obvious.

On the other side of the Great Hall, Ginny and Neville were staring up at the proceedings with interest. Ginny's arm was wrapped around Neville's, and they seemed to lean into one another under the snowy sky of the hall.

"Oh! Isn't that simply terrible, Neville!" Ginny moaned. "Lavender was training so hard!"

Neville nodded dumbly. He liked Ginny, he really did, but he knew Hasan just a little bit better.

"I think Hasan's just a tough opponent, that's all. Nothing bad about Lavender." Neville mumbled quickly. Ginny took this as an agreement and pecked a kiss on his cheek. He turned bright red in embarrassment.

To their side, Hermione and Theo were eyeing Ron speculatively.

"Think Draco can handle this?" Hermione asked uneasily. She knew that Ron wouldn't do anything bad by himself, but Lavender was decidedly not a good influence. Given the chance, well, there was nothing Ron hated quite so much as Slytherins.

"Yeah, he can handle quite a lot, actually." Theo remarked. "I'm more worried about Ron right now. Draco's been prickly all week and I think Ron might just be on the receiving end of a lot of nerves..." Internally, Theo was leaping in excitement. Ron was about to get his comeuppance, that was for sure!

Up on the platform, Draco was rolling his shoulders, trying to relax himself before the show. "Lavender really has no class." he drawled. "A perfect match for a Weasley, I'd say."

"Be nice, Draco." Hasan murmured, jade eyes glued to Lavender Brown. "Weasley's learning like all the rest of us. Bonne chance, though you can't always rely on luck."

Draco nodded firmly. "I can handle a Weasel any day."

Ron strutted forward in his second hand robes, wand clasped tightly in his hand. Lavender was grinning mischievously in the background, causing a decidedly unsettled feeling in Hasan's stomach. She was planning something, that much was obvious- but what?

Draco met Ron halfway, platinum blonde hair gleaming in the candlelight. Ron inclined his ginger head while Draco sneered and bowed mockingly, low to the floor.

"You're on, Weasel," he hissed.

"You're dragon meat, Malfoy," Ron returned, whipping haughtily around to head towards his team's side.

"Don't worry, Draco. You've got me as your second." Hasan whispered as Draco returned. Draco nodded, guiltily thinking of the diary currently beneath his pillow and the books he stole. (Though not so remorseful about the second because Hasan believed him when he said that Draco himself was reading them.)

"I'm not worried." Draco muttered, but was quick to rethink this, for as soon as he pivoted, he was met with Ron's gleeful face.

"Protego!" Draco snapped before the red head had uttered a single thing. The shield charm blasted Ron backwards into the air and dropped him unceremoniously to the floor.

"Uh!" Ron moaned. " Titillando!"

Lilac ribbons in the form of hands reached out menacingly towards the blonde, enfolding him in millions of agonizing tickles. Draco sent a stinging hex as the tickling spell wore off, and Ron bit back a hiss as his robes sizzled and charred, leaving a small nettle prick on his shoulder.

"Ron!" Lavender whined impatiently.

Draco's silvery eyes flickered to the brunette in suspicion, before Ron straightened and raised his wand.

"Serpensortia!"

The tip of his wand blurred in a haze of explosions, erupting from it a large black snake, nearly five times the size of poor Tina! Hasan's jade eyes widened considerably as the serpent slithered powerfully across the platform, head and body raised with gleaming red eyes. Its forked tongue flickered out, tasting the fear and surprise of hundreds of Hogwarts students.

Severus made to stand up, but Lupin shot out an arm to stop him.

"You want to see what he can do? Let him show you." Lupin whispered furiously, and Severus saw at once the truth in those words. But...when had he started turning into a bloody hero? He couldn't help everyone; sometimes people needed to learn to help themselves. He nodded and sat back down reluctantly, ready to watch whatever Hasan and Draco could muster.

"Come on, snake boy! Think you're a real Slytherin?" Lavender taunted from the back.

"Yeah!" Ron agreed, scrambled back towards safety, "Try sneaking your way out of this one you bloody Slytherins!"

They both fell laughing as Draco's face melted to one of mute horror. Hasan wished he could help the boy, he really did, but there was no way in hell that he was going to reveal that he was a parselmouth! He glanced sharply towards the professors, wondering when they would deign to step in. It seemed that Snape was about to get up, but then Lupin stopped him. Oh, bloody brilliant! They just curious, weren't they?

"Draco, now would be nice..." Hasan said. He didn't understand what the big deal was. The snake clearly wasn't venomous, and Hasan could hardly control the color of the beast's red eyes!

:Who hasss sssummoned me?: the serpent demanded, head swinging from side to side like a great metronome. :Wassss it you?: He was staring at Malfoy now, cocking its large head from side to side. :Humansss should learn to keep their problemsss to themssselvess!:

"Uh! uh! Hasan!" Draco whimpered.

"Relax, it's not going to harm you, Draco." Hasan said quietly, walking up to the giant cobra.

Then, from out of nowhere, another voice filtered into the Great Hall.

:Theeeese humansss wish to harm you! Ssstrike for them all! Yesss! Kill them! Sssso long, ssso long ssssincce I have tasssted their sssweeet blood!: This voice wasn't pleasant or smooth like Tina's, but rather scratchy and starved, an altogether unfriendly, violent creature, and by the sounds of it, bloodthirsty too.

Hasan stared at the blank wall in wonder. Was there something behind the wall? Another parselmouth? Another snake? And why did it hate humans so much?

:Isss thisss true?: the black serpent asked, barring its venomous fangs, beady eyes latching onto Draco.

:Yeesss! Rip! Tear! Kill them all!: the second voice faded away, seeming to slither through something very tight, for the sound of its scales were loud in Hasan's ears. He was only brought back to reality by the gasps coming from the crowd.

"Oh! Draco!"

"Oh, no!"

"Professor!"

"Lupin, Black, Snape!"

"Draco, move out of the way!"

"Hasan!"

In that instant, the snake had plunged down, the vanishing curse on the tip of Snape's tongue. Damn it, Lupin! How had he managed to let the wolf talk him into waiting? This was his godson! These were his Slytherins! Oh, Weasley and Brown were never going to see the light of day again, they'd be scrubbing cauldrons twenty-four seven for the next seven years of their lives! His feet moved to stand just as Lupin began to shout the shield charm. Black was out of the room, running for Madam Pomfrey. And all time stood still.

:Halt.:

The cobra froze, yards away from Draco's blonde head.

:Halt.: Hasan hissed again, arms raised in the universal sign of surrender. :We mean you no harm.:

Its large black head swung to the crowd, searching for the truth in each and every one of their terrified faces. A girl fainted.

:Who hasss brought me here? My name is Ssssossssiaro.:

Sosiaro had apparently found truth in the young wizard's words, for it lowered itself back down and listened.

:I can return you,: Hasan said, :Would you like that?:

The snake nodded, tail slapping the platform in confirmation. It left a dent and sent chunks of platform flying, disintegrating instantly as they smashed against the wards.

:Right, then-: Hasan took a deep breath. "-Vipera Evanesca!"

He waved his wand and pointed it towards the snake, a blast of light shooting out and enveloping the serpent in a cloud of black smoke. But just before he vanished, Hasan swore he heard something along the lines of :Thanksss.:

The hall was eerily silent as Hasan turned towards the Malfoy heir.

"Yes?"

"Y-you're a parselmouth!" Draco exclaimed for the entire world to hear.

"I know."

"B-but! You're a parselmouth!" Draco repeated in awe, his knees quaking beneath him. Not only had he almost died or been severely injured, but his friend, whom he had known for two years had been keeping a secret from him! Who was Hasan to accuse him about trust when he was the one who barely told Draco anything? (Not that Hasan ever accused Draco of anything, this was just Draco's justification for stealing things.)

"When you stop gaping, perhaps you can explain to me why exactly it is that you care." Hasan asked, though was growing uncomfortable by the minute.

"Because only Salazar Slytherin could speak to snakes...and the Dark Lord." Draco whispered. "Oh! Father's going to kill me!"

Lucius was already on the tightrope as it was, straddling relations on both the Dark and Light...once he learned that Draco practically begged him to take on a clearly dark child as part of their family! Draco was dragon meat.

All around them, children were whispering, hissing things (figuratively), growling things, glaring. And as apathetic as Hasan was, the attention made him want to die. He couldn't deal with this! All he had wanted was to save Draco from the damn cobra...and that voice! What was that voice?...

Salazar's monster? Was it true? He recalled Tom once telling him something about a means to rid the school of all but purebloods. It made sense, it fit. But he refused to let Tom know that the creature was still up and about. Hasan wasn't stupid after all! He knew that Tom dearly wished to set the creature loose and would probably have a means of using Hasan's information to do so...

He glanced at Draco who was, by now, deathly white.

"Students! If you could all please quiet down and exit orderly through the main doors there!" Lupin called. The frozen mass of children suddenly bolted towards the door, but miraculously slowed to a pleasant pace once outside.

"Another mass-obliviation?" Snape muttered in question. Lupin nodded. "You know if Albus finds out, you're fired, right?" Another nod. "Do you want to get fired?" Snape growled.

"I've got a better question: Do you want Hasan to suffer?- I thought so." he said blandly at the look on Snape's face. He would have looked smug but for the severity of the situation. Hasan Castell was a parselmouth. Hasan was a...parselmouth. Both teachers mulled over the idea-no, the enigma that was Hasan Castell...

Draco and Hasan were the last ones out, nearly bumping into Sirius on his own way in.

"Why's everyone leaving so soon?" Sirius wondered innocently. Poppy was bustling behind, wand out and ready to help.

"I thought you said there was a problem, Sirius!" Poppy yelled irritatedly. Her eyes turned to Draco and Hasan, as they were the only kids left in the room, and Draco seemed to pale beneath her gaze. "Well?"

"Terribly sorry, Madam Pomfrey." Hasan cut in smoothly, offering her a charming smile as he shoved Draco through the door. Draco fell through the spell and started at first, but then looked around curiously before turning back towards Hasan.

"The meeting's over already?" Draco asked candidly. "Wow, that was fast!"

Poppy gazed enquiringly at Hasan who just shrugged and followed Draco out.

"Sorry, we're just all tired." Hasan said sheepishly. "Come on, Draco. You got hit in the head with a wayward stupefy and Snape thought it best to cancel before the meeting became too wild."

Draco nodded numbly. A stupefy? He couldn't recall. Right, because he hit his head.

"I need to lie down." Draco murmured. "My head feels...really light. I can't describe it, only that, I felt this way after our first DADA class. Odd isn't it? I think something's wrong with Lupin...Ever wonder if he's a werewolf?"

Draco was trailing off incoherently as they walked down to the dungeons. The combination of the shock, the guilt, betrayal, and sudden obliviation really did a number on a person. Fortunately, Hasan had cast a privacy charm on him from the moment they descended the stairs.

"Shh, it's alright Draco. Just get some sleep."

Draco walked lethargically to his dorm, flashing a grin at Hasan over his shoulder before disappearing inside.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. Luck is really unreliable, isn't it?" Hasan whispered to himself.

.oOo.

Lucius Malfoy was having a wonderful day. His beautiful wife had made him a lovely roast beef dinner, and his Dark Mark had all but faded! (He had been worried earlier in the summer when it had turned a nasty black, but now it was faint against his skin.)

"I'm going to the Greengrass'!" Narcissa yelled, one bright red stiletto in the house, the other on the marble step.

"Have fun, darling!" Lucius called, knowing that these social outings would one day save them if their loyalties were questioned. He watched her apparate away before sending the wards back up and retiring to his bedchambers. It was 10pm, and work had been rather tiring, if very rewarding.

A neat sum of five thousand Galleons made the Minister of Magic much more inclined to let him into the Department of Mysteries. For he had need of a certain library, buried deep within the department, that had books banned from over hundreds of years ago. But all he really needed to look up was Memory charms, spells, collection, and removal. The Malfoy library was in itself, an extensive treasure, but Lucius was completely baffled at what the hell was wrong with him and how he could reverse it. He couldn't let this Altair Castell run his life! Malfoy's bowed to no one! (Except for Voldemort.)

After an exhausted effort of seek and find, Lucius had found (stumbled across) exactly one book on the topic, which wasn't even dark! Organization was simply dreadful down there, and many books were falling apart. What he did manage to learn was very little, and yet, just enough:

"Obliviated memories may not be salvaged from the mind unless at risk of permanent damage. Removed memories, as in using a pensieve, may be returned to the owner if stored and returned properly. The more memories, the more magical energy needed to maintain them. However, it is possible for one to receive flashes of the removed memories if a Fray is left. Similar to a fabric fray, it allows for the reaped memories to be reattached. Without this, the memories may never latch on to the original mind and will quickly be forgotten if viewed within a pensieve or Legilimency..."

Which confirmed one thing: if Lucius cooperated, there was a chance, a slim one, of recovering his life. Oh, dear Salazar! He was doomed! He needed Altair and Altair knew it! Damn the man, damn the dagger, damn their sons! There was no way to harm the kid now that he was under Malfoy protection!

Walking into his chambers now, it seemed much like fate that there should be a tawny owl standing on his desk, a slim letter tied to its leg. He quickly freed the feathered creature of its burden, before shooing it away out the window. He smoothed the letter out on his desk and began to read...

By the time he reached the end, he was fisting strands of his platinum locks and banging his elbow on the table. Shit! Shit! Shit! Altair truly had him wrapped about his finger in every single way. Memories of Altair! Yes, he could live without them! Memories of Narcissa! His dear, beloved wife? That was taking it too far. He needed to cooperate. He needed back his memories and his life and his peace of mind!

"Dear Altair Castell,

You knew I was condemned the moment I opened the very first letter and read the very first word. Well, have it your way: I swear on the honor of the Malfoy name, that I will complete these tasks to my utmost. This being said, I do indeed know of the diary I think you are referring to. However, it is out of my power to deliver it to you. I have no idea where it might have landed by now except that it's in Hogwarts. As requested, I will not ask my three questions until the next task has been delegated and completed. So consider this rhetorical: There is something I cannot recall of this diary, but something I am sure you know. What is the diary's purpose?

Regards,

Lucius Abraxas Malfoy"

He sighed and rested a bit with his hands to his burning forehead. There was nothing he could do. He was well and truly trapped. No one to call. No one to blame. He didn't even dare to tell Severus! Nothing to risk those memories. Nothing at all.

.oOo.

Draco Malfoy, meanwhile, had woken from a long and altogether unpleasant sleep. He dreamed he had killed Hasan. Well, ha, that was funny...

He groaned and rolled over, surprised at the diary lying beside him. He hadn't remembered writing in it last night...actually, he didn't remember anything much of last night. But he was sure that he had gone to the Dueling Club, he remembered talking about it over lunch. How odd.

He opened the diary now, reaching blindly for his hand and his pen in his cabinet.

"Hello Tom." Draco wrote, sitting up and propping the book on his pillow.

"Oh, good morning, Draco." The words were immediate, as if Tom had been expecting him to write. It was disconcerting to say the least, but Draco was so concerned about his own problems to ponder any more.

"I can't help but feel as if...I've forgotten something."

"You went to the Dueling Club last night and wrote to me, but as soon as you mentioned that it was your turn to duel, you suddenly stopped writing. I assume you had fallen asleep."

"Oh." Draco stared at his hands and thought. He had fallen asleep, just like that?

"Are you sure you're alright? You mentioned that Hasan walked you to your rooms."

"Hasan wouldn't-"

"Of course, because Hasan wouldn't hide anything from you..."

Secrets...Draco frowned at the diary, angry at something he couldn't recall. And why couldn't he recall it?

"I can help, you know. " Tom wrote in earnest. "I know where he keeps it."

"Keeps what? Keeps what where?" Draco demanded.

"I'm sure I could show you later...it'll just be our little secret."

.oOo.

Hasan paced restlessly up and down the seventh floor corridor. Damn snakes! Why had he felt the need to step in? Why not vanish it? Why not slam it into the wards?

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! But it had been an immediate reaction! A reflex! He hadn't even known about parseltongue until Tina explained it to him! He had thought that he was speaking English, well not yesterday, but up until Altair! Stupid! How could he have done that?

The whole thing was wholly uncomfortable: the stares, the awestruck faces, the glances, the glares, the whispers...and worse! Lupin had to cast another obliviation on the door! If no one caught on, it would be a miracle. But that was it, he was sure that someone caught on, and he was terrified if Neville or Draco should ask him about it. So what happened last night? Who dueled? Who won? Hasan couldn't bear it!

The door emerged from the stone wall, jutting out as a gold adorned port. Hasan walked through absently, dreading the moment he would have to confess or deny. Dreading the betrayal of people who were more than just acquaintances, but friends. Damn it! People like him shouldn't even have friends.

The room was furnished with black plush chairs and a warm cream rug. The walls were red, with gray accents like lamps and tables.

"Where is everyone?" Hasan asked to the empty room, already anxious that they had figured it out and had refused to be in his presence any longer- Figured out that they had been oblivated all year and that he was a dirty Slytherin. A parselmouth! The very epitome of evil. It was only a stone's throw away from Harry Potter, the boy wonder, the survivor, the one destined to save them all. They'd think: If he was hiding this, what else is he hiding? We know so little about him. What else is he hiding? Let's find out! Let's find out!

"Shut up, Hasan." he growled to himself. "Just, stop trying to guess what others will say." His heart rate sped up, his breathing coming out in labored gasps. This wasn't healthy, he told himself. Well obviously, Hasan. Just stop thinking, would you?

He heard the door creak open form behind him, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around. Was it Draco come to demand the dagger back? Neville deciding that Ron was in the right to send a lethal cobra after them? Or, Merlin forbid, Luna...

"Hasan." It was Luna's voice! Cool and smooth and lovely. "Hasan. What're you doing? Come sit with me."

Hasan stole a glance and blinked at her hair that was neatly braided over her shoulder.

"I wanted to be like you. See, like it?"

Hasan nodded, before following her to the couch.

"Draco and Neville?"

"Not coming." Luna said. "They, like the rest of the Dueling Club, have woken up with splitting headaches. Unusual isn't it?"

"Yeah." Hasan sighed. "I suppose you sensed the obliviation?"

Luna smiled. "I always do. It only takes a lucky charm to dispel those. You must be extremely lucky. It never seems to affect you at all."

Hasan forced out a merciless laugh. "I wonder why."

"Don't worry, Hasan. I can keep secrets you know. Hey, do you trust me?" Her silver eyes were wide as she gazed at Hasan with full on trust. "Do you?"

"Anyone who can forgive me deserves trust." Hasan murmured.

"That's good." Luna said, playing with her braid. "Because I've got secrets too."

"I see." Hasan said, though he really didn't. One could only imagine the many things going on inside Luna Lovegood's brain.

"There's a reason why we met, I think. I've told you before: I can sense things. They don't make a lot of sense sometimes, but...they always come true." Her eyes dropped to her lap where her hands were folded gently, the silver ring glinting on her finger. "I'm psychic."

Hasan gaped. "You're psychic?" he repeated. It really shouldn't have come as a surprise. She had practically told him the last time they had met, but hearing it now. It just made it so final.

"Yup!" Luna cried. "Here, I'll prove it. Before I came to Hogwarts, I had this niggling thought of a diadem. Did you know that? The Sorting Hat called it the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, and the next thing I knew, I was in Ravenclaw!"

"A diadem?" Hasan asked. "Oh, Merlin!" He clenched his eyes shut as a wave of fatigue rolled over him. "A diadem? Isn't that like a crown?"

"A tiara." Luna specified. "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

Hasan nodded. "I'm not sure what's wrong with me. I've just, oh gods...I don't know anymore."

"It's alright. It's not very important anyway. It's missing, did you know?" Luna asked curiously.

"Mi-missing?" Hasan echoed. There was a faint ringing, that of a chime or distant Angel's horn...he needed to find it. He needed to find the diadem. But why?

"Yes. They say You-Know-Who was after it. It's supposed to give the wearer knowledge, you know? The Grey Lady told me, and she must be right."

"I see."

"But Hasan, I'm only explaining this so that you know...that I know what it's like to be...sort of different from everybody else. Sometimes I babble on about things I have no knowledge of, simply because the inspiration takes me." Luna sighed and fingered her ring. "But I'm glad I've got you."

Hasan nodded, but his mind was locked and her silver eyes held the key. The longer he gazed, the longer her felt himself falling into a vat of warm molten silver.

"But anyway," Luna began again, shaking the moment away with a brush of her cheek. "I think I've got the visualization down. I'm nearly on par with Neville now because he spends so much time with Ginny. Perhaps we can try next year. I have a feeling that things will get very busy. But most of the time my feelings are nonsense. Don't you agree?"

"-No!" Hasan interjected, blushing at the sound of his own voice. He hadn't meant to say anything, and yet, he found himself coming to the blonde witch's defense. "No, feelings...aren't stupid." Hasan said, feeling the truth even as his mind shouted 'liar, liar, liar.' "No, we need emotions, Luna. They counter out our thoughts; otherwise we'd all go crazy."

Luna sighed. "Thank you, Hasan. And...good-bye."

She jumped lightly off the couch and ran towards the door, waving happily behind her.

What was this warm feeling? Was it trust? Was it... was it love?

"Merlin, Luna! I think I'm losing it."

.oOo.

Valentine's Day arrived with all the glamour of millions of multi-coloured roses, flying cupids, and chocolate hearts. Ginny Weasley, for one, assaulted Neville outside the boys' dorms with a handmade card and box of chocolate frogs. It was Sunday, so he had taken the extra hour of sleep and emerged fully dressed and beaming in his brand new wizards robes. He started at first at her sudden presence, but quickly wrapped her in a hug.

"Love you, Nev! Happy Valentine's Day! Open it!" she shoved the candies and card into his hands and urged him to open it faster by hopping up and down, like the frogs inside the box.

The unsuspecting Neville pealed open the bright pink envelope, only to jump back in surprise as the words flew out of the card in bright red ribbons, to float and dance around in front of his face.

"He's hidden so long

That our love can't be wrong

Forever together we'll stay.

He's saved the whole world

And I'm his one girl

On this Happy Valentine's Day!"

The words erupted into pink rose petals and fluttered to the ground, some catching in their hair.

"I love you, Neville!" Ginny smiled brightly, hugging him tight around the waist.

"Yeah, love you too," he said, blushing furiously. He couldn't believe it. He really couldn't. Someone loved him, someone saw him...he was elated by it, by her. "I love you, Ginny."

They walked down together to the Great Hall, their hands clasped tightly as Ginny waved and smiled to the people who would watch.

"Neville's really in love, isn't he?" Theo sighed. "Wish my life would be as easy, but..." he sighed in melancholy, before picking himself up again. "Well, here goes!" Theo grinned to the rest of his table and jumped off the bench, a dozen red roses in his hand.

He quickly scanned the room for Hermione and found her sitting beside Neville and a very amorous Ginny. Her warm chocolate eyes snapped to meet his as he approached, and he felt his face heat up embarrassingly.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Hermione." Theo announced, handing her the bouquet rather stiffly. Her entire face lit up radiantly as she smiled up at him, her large front teeth not even distracting from the sheer beauty and joy on her visage.

"Oh! Theo! You didn't need to!" she cried, flinging herself into his body. He shuffled awkwardly, not sure what to do. Was he supposed to pat her on the back? Wait, was that more consoling? Was he supposed to breathe in her shampoo? Strawberries...

"Er, you're welcome." Theo said as they pulled away. "And... y- you look very nice." He stuttered before trailing off lamely.

'You look very nice' had to be the understatement of the year. She was wearing a soft pink dress in favor of the holiday, with little flower earrings to compliment her dress.

"Thank you!" Hermione murmured, eyes shining, and a blush creeping over her cheeks. "Oh, look at Professor Lupin!"

Like Hermione, half of the hall was staring at the professor whose face was blazing crimson. Sirius Black, wearing a black tux and silver-studded collar, was walking proudly into the hall from the back door, a box of chocolates under his arm. Most of the staff table, too, craned their necks for the best angle, and Severus found himself in that peculiar position between a rock and a hard place.

"Padfoot...!" Lupin groaned. "What did I tell you about doing stuff in public?"

"What?" Sirius gasped in surprised. "This?- It's just a necklace, Moony, c'mon! Look, I got you chocolates!"

He placed them carefully in front of the wolf, and Lupin quickly hid them beneath the table. Sirius brushed off the slight rejection, reaching into his robes for-

"IT'S A RING!" one of the students cried.

"Oh my!"

"They're getting married?"

"HE'S GAY?"

The Great Hall ignited into instant applause and chatter, the Gryffindors clapping loudest of them all. Theodore, caught in the Lion's Den, simply clapped as discreetly as he could while making the most noise. A skill, one can be sure.

Severus watched emotionlessly as Sirius dropped to one knee on the other side of Lupin, and asked the fated question.

"Remus John Lupin, will you marry me?"

Lupin's face, if not yet red, turned five shades darker. "Sirius!" he pleaded.

"Well?"

The hall dropped to a silence, save for the myriad croaking chocolate frogs from everyone's red ribboned Valentine's boxes...

Remus looked up into Sirius' shining eyes and smiled. "Always, Sirius. Yes."

And just like that, the applause was back, ten times louder. Sirius grabbed Lupin in a hug, before slipping the telltale ring onto his finger.

"Well, well! Congratulations my boys!" Albus came in, clapping with the rest of the staff table, with a large smile stretched from ear to ear. "How wonderful! Simply delightful!"

"The best Valentine's day, I'd say!" Hagrid chimed in from down the table.

"Stop! You're making him blush!" Minerva chided jovially. "Oh, it's really wonderful. Good luck, the both of you."

Lupin glanced helplessly all around the Great Hall before finally locking gazes with Sirius. "If you'll excuse us." he announced, sliding easily from his seat and grabbing the chocolates and Sirius in one swipe. Knowing grins were sprouting up about the room as Lupin ushered his new fiancé out, looking suddenly ten years younger.

.oOo.

I need Ravenclaw's diadem. I need Ravenclaw's diadem. I need Ravenclaw's diadem. Hasan chanted over and over in his head. It was Valentine's day, and he just had this...feeling, this most peculiar feeling, that he should come to the Room of Requirement and simply ask for the lost tiara. Why? He didn't know. Perhaps it was because he wanted something to give to Luna- but even on that note, why? He didn't know. Was it love? Infatuation? Let it be known that Hasan could not be infatuated by anyone or anything. It was all rather puzzling, and he paused a moment before entering into the room of come and go.

The inside of the room was pure white, save for the beautiful ice blue sky and floor. On a plain wooden table lay a jewelry box, open with blue satin lining, and the most breath-taking piece of jewelry Hasan had ever seen. For sitting innocently in the case was a shimmering silver tiara with a large sapphire set as a raven's body. It cast light as a prism would, a beautiful wholesome glow that made the whole room that much luxurious and divine. What was this?

He felt the pulling again. Wear me. Wear me.

But he refused to let those feelings surface. Something ominous hovered about the diadem, and Hasan was dead set on finding what it was, before he just handed it off to Luna. He accio-ed it into his backpack and left the room as quietly as he came, heading down the steps to breakfast. On his way, he saw Remus and Sirius fleeing from the thunderous applause in the Great Hall. He supposed it had to do with their romance, and so continued on his way.

He worked his way through the Great Hall, past all the loving couples, finding his way to the safety of the Slytherin table. Very much relieved that no one had caught him or suspected something of his absence. The tiara hung heavily in his bag as secrets do in the presence of such gracious trust, and he decided to ask Tom about it later. He was practically a walking encyclopedia of Hogwarts' History, knowing even more than Hermione, which was saying quite a lot. Every which way he thought of it, he could not derive any backlash from informing Tom about his suspicions. He was so eager for answers that he quickly excused himself from the table, only to realize one crucial thing: Draco wasn't there. Hmm, come to think of it, neither was Tracey...Hasan smiled knowingly to himself as he exited the Hall, nearly ten minutes after he came in, and headed down to the dungeons.

.oOo.

Severus Snape was still uncomfortably stiff at the wolf and mutt's amorous declarations. He never had a girlfriend, though Lily Evans came close, and he never fancied anyone else. It was a lonely existence, being Severus Snape. But he supposed it was for the best- in his line of work, sometimes going solo was best for everyone all around.

He stood up, leaving behind a semi empty plate, and was just leaving when Dumbledore caught him with those damn twinkling eyes of his.

"So soon?" he asked lightly. "Don't you wish to see who's dating who?"

Snape fought to roll his eyes. "Headmaster, while the love affairs of my students are no doubt riveting, I'd rather not."

The bearded man nodded solemnly. "To each his own, but Severus, if you could- meet me in my office later?"

Snape nodded though his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And may I inquire as to why?"

Dumbledore's eyes had lost their twinkle and he smiled rather sagely. "Love is supposed to be wonderful, isn't it?"

.oOo.

Hasan imagined he would be met with a scene of Tracey and Draco snogging on the Slytherin couch, not Luna, Tracey, and Draco looking up at him astonished as he entered the common room.

"Where've you been?" Draco demanded, sounding as if he had just spent the better part of the morning looking for a runaway.

"Nowhere particularly interesting." Hasan said innocently. "Joyeuse Saint-Valentin, by the way."

Luna was beaming. "See, I told you he'd be back!"

"We were worried sick about you! We thought you'd taken off or someone had drugged you or something!" Tracey protested. "I wanted to go down to breakfast ages ago!"

"Luna, why are you here?" Hasan asked curiously. Usually, students weren't allowed to visit other dorms unless personally invited, which meant that she had to have had a purpose in visiting. It didn't occur to him that she might have wanted to see him.

Tracey groaned and looked to the sky. "Merlin! Help us!" She turned to Draco and tugged on his hand, "Come on, I'm starving!"

The two Slytherins made their way hastily out of the dungeons, though Hasan swore he saw them smirking.

"Bonne Saint-Valentin, Hasan." Luna smiled, approaching him in the empty dorm. Hasan felt his face heating up as it finally dawned on him what she was here for. Certainly, he was fond of her, but for her to return those feelings? And even then, Hasan was so unfamiliar with the term 'love' and all that it entailed.

"Oh. Happy Valentine's Day, Luna." Hasan said sweetly. The tiara rose to the forefront of his mind, and he felt this inexplicable, burning need to give it to her...but the need came from outside himself...and he didn't trust it one bit.

Luna smiled and held out a red envelope addressed to Hasan in neat black cursive, as well as a small pouch.

"Luna-I can't-" Hasan stuttered uncharacteristically. He hadn't gotten her a thing and he hated debts! Why hadn't he thought of buying chocolate frogs like the rest of the Wizarding world?

"Take them, silly. Consider it recompense for the Animagus work."

His train of thought halted instantly, accepting this new piece of logic. His mind annoyed even him sometimes, but he was grateful for the gateway nonetheless. He took the envelope and pealed the gold sticker away in the shape of dirigible plums. The parchment inside was heavy and probably expensive, but it was what was written upon it that captured Hasan's interest.

"I'll read it." Luna offered immediately, taking back the paper nonchalantly, much to Hasan's surprise. "I actually didn't write it, they're lines from 'A Nymph's Passion' by Ben Jonson. We were in the library and Ginny was writing something for Neville, but I couldn't quite find the words. Some people just have the knack, and others. Well others just have a harder time with it." She finished thoughtfully. Hasan blinked in interest before she took a deep breath and began.

"He is, if they can find him, fair,

And fresh and fragrant too.

As summer's sky, or purged air,

And looks as lilies do..."