Mischievous-A Marauders Fanfic

14-The Trials of St. Valentine

One and a half weeks had passed since the Ravenclaw V Gryffindor game, and Sephy was still in the hospital wing, bored half to death. The gang had come to visit daily, yes, sometimes one at a time and sometimes all together, and they had brought tales of shenanigans and detentions and bombarding Severus Snape with tiny paper planes, but it was one thing to actually carry out those plans, and quite another to sit in a bed with all manner of vile concoctions smothered all over your arm, and listen to it all.

Nashville came to visit too, but Sephy was shamed to admit that she pretended to be asleep for most of them. She still hadn't quite gotten over what Madame Pomfrey had said, and despite usually being able to box up her romantic emotions and hide them in a tiny corner of her mind labeled 'DO NOT OPEN', Sephy just couldn't quite shake off this particular case.

February had arrived a few days before Sephy had been admitted to hospital, and when she woke up on the 14th with her arm encased in a mould of what looked like solid grey beeswax, Sephy almost forgot what day it was.

She remembered soon enough, however, when James charged into the hospital wing all of a giggle.

"Parabola!" he muttered, sitting down hurriedly on her bed. "Guess what?"

"What?" Sephy groaned, still a bit groggy.

"Colton and Halley have gone to Hogsmeade for Valentine's Day!"

"I knew it!" Sephy giggled. Where are the others?"

James sighed.

"Sirius is sulking in his room. He says he's got a headache, but I think he's sulking cos Halley's got a date. Sammie and Remus are revising for O.W.Ls in the library, I called it a study date but then Peter popped up and made everything awkward..."

"How have the girls taken Halley going with Colton?" Sephy asked eagerly.

"Badly" James replied. "Marlene McKinnon was sobbing her heart out in the common room as I left. Lily was comforting her."

"Poor Marlene" Sephy said pityingly.

"Anyway, Primrose, I need you to help me come up with something to do for Lily."

Sephy rolled her eyes.

"Just write her a note. Something sweet. Not like the massive great floating cherub you charmed to follow her around last year."

"But..." James began in protest.

"If you honestly like her" Sephy said firmly. "Don't be big, or loud, or extravagant. Do it so she doesn't even know it's you."

James sighed heavily, and seemed to deflate a little.

"Alright, Pacman" he said. "You're the expert here."

Sephy smirked.

"Too right I am."

There was a pause.

"What do I write?" James asked, pulling a sheaf of heart shaped notecards from the back of his jeans. Sephy snorted.

"You only need one, Potter!" she said derisively. James pulled a face at her.

"Shut up, Pantomime. I was thinking we could have a bit of fun with the rest of them."

"Oh?" Sephy asked wickedly, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean-you're so good at mimicking people's handwriting..." James began.

"I've got better!" Sephy giggled. "James, pass me my wand. What's that spell you use to turn a letter into a Howler...?"