Rating:
PG
House:
Astronomy Tower
Ships:
Luna Lovegood/Ron Weasley
Characters:
Harry Potter Hermione Granger Luna Lovegood Ron Weasley
Genres:
Romance Humor
Era:
The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Stats:
Published: 03/25/2006
Updated: 03/25/2006
Words: 1,122
Chapters: 1
Hits: 1,249

Cupids Anonymous

Casira

Story Summary:
Ron's just received a Valentine's Day card from an unknown admirer. Uh-oh.

Chapter 01

Posted:
03/25/2006
Hits:
1,249

Valentine's Day at Hogwarts could be a dangerous thing.

Despite a schoolwide ban on aphrodisiac potions -- placed three years ago after two anonymous pranksters (who were nevertheless widely known to be red-haired Gryffindors with a common birthday) managed to slip something into both Snape's and McGonagall's drinks at dinner, with remarkable results -- the students always managed to come up with something. Cheering Charms could be easily modified to purpose. Chocolates from unknown sources were always worthy of suspicion -- one just never knew. And considering the lyrics that were still circulating from some of the singing valentine cards of a generation ago, there were people who looked askance at every envelope as if they might as well be Howlers.

Ron, in fact, was staring at the approaching owl, who had a large envelope clutched tightly in her claws, as if he was utterly doomed.

"Uh, oh," Harry said, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. He was grinning already. Ron felt that this was quite unfair. "Looks like this one's for you...."

"How'd you tell?" Ron croaked, staring at his name on the envelope -- spelled out in giant, glittering letters, of course -- as the owl dropped the card into his hands, then flew out of the courtyard to destinations unknown. "It's... it's...." He made a face. "Very pink."

"Who's it from?" Harry asked. Ron turned it over, feeling helpless. Of course there wasn't any name, and there was scarcely enough handwriting to identify it anyway. It could be anything, he thought. Oh, Merlin.

"It wasn't from me," Hermione said hurriedly, clutching her book against her chest. "Mine's -- well, it's... oh, just open it! I want to see what this is."

Ron shot her a look at the verbal stumble, but then he hauled in a breath and returned his gaze to the envelope. It was, indeed, frighteningly pink. And the letters that spelled his name had just rearranged themselves into a message: Open me!

Harry nudged him. Ron steeled himself. "I'll be brave," he said, then flipped it over, and popped the seal.

Much to his relief, nothing happened. All that was in the envelope was a card: red, with frilly edges, and white hearts pasted on both front and back. It looked hand-made, and as though the maker had put some real care into crafting it... although everything was just a little bit cockeyed. Ron glanced at the "To Ron!" written on one of the hearts -- which was on, he noticed, the back of the card -- and got a sudden, unbidden image of someone who did everything a little backwards, like reading her newspaper upside down....

"Oh," he murmured -- and the card flipped open in his hands.

With no warning, there came a scattering of red paper hearts. The cascade was followed by a whoosh of smoky air that swiftly began resolving itself into a shape. Harry was staring wide-eyed; Hermione laughed in amazement. Ron just gaped. The illusion was becoming a baby -- no, a cherub -- no, it was...

"Oh, hell," Ron gulped, as Cupid lifted his bow, smiled mischievously, and with his wings aflutter, drew a heart-tipped arrow from midair.

"That's incredible," Hermione gasped. "Oh, my--"

Ron backed up a step, nearly into the shrubbery, with his hands twitching around the card. "Uh... I think he's gonna shoot me."

Cupid put the arrow in place. Harry put his hand on Ron's shoulder and grinned as Ron tried to duck. "Ron, it's just a--"

Ron tried to say "I don't care what it's 'just,'" but words were failing, and he all he could do was goggle at the chubby apparition, who was now taking aim directly at his nose.

Hermione put a hand to her mouth, in what Ron felt really ought to be a look of horror -- but she wasn't the one in the line of fire, and she was laughing. Laughing. Girls, honestly. Time seemed to be slowing down all around him. The heart on that arrow was definitely glowing. And Cupid had just...

...winked.

Piiiiiiing....

The arrow flew, straight and true, and before Ron could duck or yelp or do much of anything at all, it exploded in a rose-scented shower of glitter and the sound of girlish giggles. Ron sputtered, as he saw Cupid vanish in a cheerful puff of smoke; the rush of air it made against his cheek felt suddenly like a blown kiss. And then he heard a voice -- one that didn't sound like it had come from the card, but from somewhere else nearby -- calling, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

And then there was silence. The smoke blew away, and Ron was left with nothing but paper in his hands... and a little remaining tingle there, just at the corner of his lips.

"Who was that?" Harry murmured. Hermione was too busy laughing still, and shaking glitter out of her hair.

"Whoever it is, you've got a clever secret admirer -- uh, Ron?"

Ron, ignoring her, had just rushed over to the wall and peeked around the corner. No one was hiding there, but the trees nearby were moving a little, as if someone had just rushed past and set the branches swaying. He looked down. There were indeed footprints. And one stray paper heart was lying on the grass at his feet....

"Who's there?" Harry asked; he'd caught up and was peering into the bushes with a slight frown. "Anyone?"

Ron just shook his head. "Never mind. I...." He glanced at his friends, suddenly wanting to distract them. "We're going to be late for class."

"Oh," Hermione gasped. "And our Transfiguration essays are due first thing--"

"C'mon, Ron," Harry said, lightly tugging at his arm. Ron nodded and waved one dismissive hand at him.

"Just a minute -- I'll be along," he said. The other two nodded and hurried off, in a rush of whispers and what sounded like one more laugh from Hermione.

There was a different one still echoing in his head, though.

Ron bent down, picked up the rough-cut paper heart, and turned it over in his fingers a few times before tucking it into his card. Then he cast his gaze around in midair. He knew perfectly well who the card was from now. And suddenly, he didn't mind so much....

He snorted softly, but it was really a repressed laugh, and before long he was definitely smiling.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Luna," he said.

As he stuffed his card into his bag and ran off for class, he thought he heard one more giggle from behind the trees, high and light and merrily mischievous -- Cupid at work, he thought later, with cleverness to spare, and perfect aim.