A/N: Thank you so much @ElloPack for helping me translate some of the dialogue into French! Not all of them has been translated yet, though, so some of the sentences are still in italics to indicate that it's supposed to be in French haha. If there are any more of you who speak it and want to help me translate (I don't trust Google Translate bc the grammar usually gets messed up lmao), feel free to message me or comment! I'd really appreciate it :>
As the date of the Second Task drew closer, so did another big event that boys and girls alike were so worked up over: Valentine's Day. Whether it be between couples who have been together for years or individuals planning on confessing their feelings to their crush, every single person residing within the walls of Hogwarts was anxious about something.
For the first time in her life, Analeigh was one of those people. Being in her first real relationship meant this was the first time she had to give a gift to a special someone — someone who was not just a friend or crush. As much as she didn't want to be like those stereotypical girl whose thoughts were filled with ideas for Valentine's Day as the date approached, she couldn't help but be exactly like them. With her head full of those thoughts, she didn't even notice that a new batch of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students had arrived to watch the next task in a few weeks time.
"Analeigh?"
Analeigh finally snapped out of her thoughts as she was about to turn the corner down to a new corridor. Expecting to find a fellow Hogwarts student when she whipped around to find the source of the voice, she was startled to see someone dressed in the fancy baby blue uniform of Beauxbatons Academy instead.
"Eet really is you," said the girl when she locked eyes with her, flocked by two other girls her age. A grin made its way onto Analeigh's face upon recognizing the all-too-familiar face of her younger cousin.
"Natalie!" Analeigh said happily, her previous worries drifting away for the meantime. Knowing that she was more comfortable with her mother tongue, she switched to French. "Que fais tu ici (What are you doing here)?"
"Madame Maxime a enfin autorisé à la deuxième partie du groupe d'élèves à venir à Poudlard pour le Tournois (Madame Maxime finally sent for the second batch of students to go to Hogwarts for the Tournament)," Natalie explained ecstatically, lightly bouncing on her heels.
"J'avais complètement oublié (I completely forgot about that)," Analeigh admitted.
"Quoi? Tu n'attendais pas l'arrivée de ta cousine préférée pour qu'elle puisse enfin te supporter? (What? You weren't waiting for your favorite cousin to finally arrive and support you?)?" Natalie feigned offense.
"Mon cousin préféré est Hugo (My favorite cousin is Hugo)."
"Il n'a que deux ans! (He's only two years old!)!"
"Je sais. Il est juste assis là et agit mignon (I know. He just sits there and acts all cute.)."
Natalie sighed in defeat, knowing she wasn't going to beat her cousin at this game especially when it was about her adorable baby brother. Suddenly remembering her friends next to her, she said, "Oh, do you remember Jacqueline and Daniella?"
She gestured to the two beside her, the both of them smiling politely at Analeigh. Though Analeigh wasn't close to her cousin's friends since they were all two years below her, she was still familiar with their names and faces.
"Of course," she replied. "It's good to finally see you here. It slipped my mind that all students from all schools would eventually come to Hogwarts to watch the rest of the tournament. How are you liking the castle?"
"It is beautiful," Daniella commented. "A bit drafty, but beautiful nonetheless."
"The food is delicious, too," said Jacqueline.
"I'm glad to hear that," Analeigh smiled. "I was afraid that the excessively prim and proper crowd had gotten to you and that you wouldn't like the castle."
"Hey, you were once like that," Natalie reminded her with a laugh. Before Analeigh could defend herself, her younger cousin continued, "Congratulations on being selected as a champion, by the way. I'm sorry I never wrote to you to say it earlier."
"It's not a problem. Hey, how about I show you three around the castle today?"
"Would that be okay?" Daniella asked shyly.
"Don't you have class?" Jacqueline added.
"Did you skip class?" Natalie said teasingly. "Don't tell me you've become a rebel now that you're in Hogwarts."
"I didn't skip!" Analeigh insisted, nudging the younger girl playfully. "I still value my education. I have free period right now before lunch time, if you must know."
"Analeigh, I was just..." said a new voice from behind, trailing off when he noticed that the person he was lookin for was was speaking to people he did not recognize. "... looking for you."
Analeigh had barely turned her head to the right when Cedric had appeared next to her, a warm smile on his face. Before she could ask him what he needed, he said, "Who are these young ladies?"
She could practically see hearts form in the eyes of her younger cousin and her friends when they took a good look at Cedric's face. Rolling her eyes in amusement at how quickly they were charmed by him, she answered, "This is my cousin Natalie and her friends, Jacqueline and Daniella."
"It's a pleasure to meet you three," Cedric greeted them. The young girls curtsied in unison, much to his amusement. "I'm Cedric Diggory."
"Cedric Diggory?" Natalie repeated in English, voice thick with her accent. "Zis is ze other 'ogwarts champion?"
"That's correct."
"You're so lucky to be friends with such a dashing man," Natalie giggled.
Analeigh scoffed, saying, "He's too old for you."
Cedric blinked in confusion at their exchange, wondering what they were saying.
"What's going on?" asked Cedric. "Care to translate?"
With a sigh, Analeigh said, "As much as I don't want to inflate your ego any further, she just said I'm lucky that I'm friends with someone as... handsome as you."
"Wait —" Natalie began abashedly.
"Friends?" Cedric raised his eyebrows at Analeigh before facing Natalie who still looked embarrassed for being exposed. "I'm your cousin's boyfriend."
The three girls gasped and Analeigh felt her face grow hot at how blunt Cedric was being. Of course, they were clear about how they felt about one another, but she was still not used to how easily he talked about things like that to other people.
"Seriously?" Natalie placed her hands on her hips and faced Analeigh disapprovingly. "Why did I not know this?"
"We don't exactly write to each other during school, do we?" Analeigh shot back sheepishly. "I would've told you the next time we saw each other, which I thought was going to be in the summer."
"I suppose that makes sense," Natalie agreed but still had a small pout on her face, clearly wanting to know more details. "You have to tell me more about this soon, okay?"
"Alright, alright," Analeigh gave in before including Cedric in the conversation once again after seeing how lost the poor boy was. "I was just about to give the three of them a little tour around Hogwarts."
"Oh, is that so?" Cedric stood up straighter. "Well, I'm a prefect, so I know this castle like the back of my hand."
The Beauxbatons girls looked like they really wanted to say yes especially to Cedric's offer, but Daniella interjected in a quiet voice, "Madame Maxime wants us all in the Great Hall for lunch, though."
"Oh, zat's right. I forgot," Natalie groaned then turned to Cedric to translate. "We 'ave to be with ze rest of Beauxbaton's for lunch, so we'll have to decline ze offer."
"That's too bad," said Cedric. "I suppose we'll be seeing you in the Great Hall, then?"
Natalie nodded in confirmation.
"We can always show you around another time," Analeigh reminded the girl.
"Please do," she agreed before starting to back away. "Eet was a pleasure seeing you again Analeigh — and meeting you, Cedric. We'll see you around."
Natalie, Jacqueline, and Daniella all bid then goodbye with a curtsy and a prim smile. Cedric returned it with a good-natured wave, waiting for the three Beauxbatons students to disappear before speaking again.
"So," Cedric began once they were out of earshot. "That was the first time I heard you speak in French."
"Well, I am half French," she dead-panned when she recognized the teasing tone to his voice.
"Then can you tell me how to say, 'You're cute'?"
"You're irritating."
Cedric opened his mouth to copy Analeigh's words, but upon seeing the mischievous smile playing on her lips, he shut them close again.
"Why do I feel like that's not what it actually means?"
★ ★ ★
Who are the chocolates for?
That was the first line Grace Heart wrote in the letter she sent back to her daughter after she had asked for a pretty box of chocolates for a special occasion, making the request as brief as possible. As Analeigh's mother, she just knew this had something to do with a boy. It was nearing Valentine's Day, after all, and she wanted so badly to know what was going on in her daughter's love life. Why else would her only child ask for the best set of chocolates she could find when it was only a few days until Valentine's Day?
After days of contemplating what she should give or do for Cedric on Valentine's Day, Analeigh settled with the basic gift of chocolates. She couldn't be blamed, though. It wasn't like she knew Cedric for that long and they had just started their relationship. This was the safest option, and though it might seem boring to some, Analeigh thought it was at least a little bit special since it came from her mother's dessert shop. She may sound biased, but her mom's pastries and desserts were hands-down the best. Both muggles and and magical folk went crazy over them.
The 14th of February fell on a Monday, so it was busier and louder than usual in the dormitories, common rooms, corridors, and the Great Hall that morning. Analeigh anxiously held the box of chocolates by her side, sneakily covering it from view behind her school bag.
"You know," said Hermione as they descended one of the stairs on the way to the Great Hall. "Harry and Ron may not have noticed, but I can see those chocolates you're holding."
Analeigh grinned sheepishly and loosened her tight grip on the said box of chocolates.
"I —"
"What are you lot whispering about?" Ron interrupted, both he and Harry briefly stopping in their tracks to look at Hermione and Analeigh suspiciously.
"About how nosy and yet completely daft you two are," retorted Analeigh, causing Hermione to have to hide a laugh behind her hand.
"We didn't even —" Harry started.
"Just keep walking, will you?" Hermione said. "It's girl talk."
"Oh," said Ron, looking uncomfortable. "We see. No need to elaborate."
Thankfully, they heeded Hermione's words and faced forward again, engrossed in their own conversation and focused on heading to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Hermione directed her attention back to Analeigh and with a lowered voice, she said, "Why are you hiding the chocolates, though?"
"I don't want people to tease me."
"It's Valentine's Day. Everyone's giving something to someone."
"Well, yeah, but it's my first time doing it."
Hermione smiled fondly at the blonde girl, slightly entertained to see her acting so fidgety when she was a usually very composed person, knowing just what to say or how to act in every situation.
"When are you going to give it to him, then?"
"When I see him."
"You mean now?"
"What do you — oh."
Cedric Diggory was standing by the entrance of the Great Hall, chatting with a few of his friends, one of whom Analeigh recognized was Alden Brown. The sixth-year Hufflepuff was was angled perfectly to see whoever was coming down the last set of stairs, and when he finally caught sight of Analeigh, his eyes lit up.
"Let's go, I'm hungry," Hermione suddenly announced, dragging Harry and Ron with her.
"Bloody hell, why are you walking so fast, woman?" Analeigh heard Ron complain as he and Harry were forced to enter the hall without objection.
Cedric left his friends where they stood, jogging away from them to meet Analeigh halfway. An excited smile was plastered on his face as he approached her, his hands behind his back. Once the two champions were directly in front of one another, he stuck out his right arm to reveal a small bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he grinned, showing no signs of nervousness in contrast with how Analeigh was feeling.
She cleared her throat, feeling herself turn red just by that mere greeting.
"Happy Valentine's Day," she said back, taking the flowers from him with a small smile. "Thanks, Cedric. They're beautiful."
"You're not allergic to anything, right?" he clarified hastily. "I mean, you're a pureblood so Muggle allergies wouldn't —"
"Don't worry," Analeigh reassured him with a small laugh. "I'm not allergic to these flowers or any food, for that matter."
"That's —"
"Oh, except for Charm Choc," she remembered all of a sudden, though she was sure that didn't matter since that was just one brand out of hundreds of sweets. "I don't know why, but I think it's one of the charms or magical ingredients they use in the chocolate. I found out when I was eleven, I think, but it's not a big deal."
Cedric blinked once, then twice, and then laughed a strange laugh as if it didn't sound genuine. Analeigh narrowed her gaze at him and was about to question it when he looked over her shoulder and said, "Oh, would you look at that."
Analeigh frowned in confusion and twisted her body to take a peek at what Cedric was supposedly looking at. While she was distracted, Cedric whisper-yelled, "Alden!"
His fellow housemate jumped at the sound of his name. He turned around from where he stood with a few of his friends while they were waiting for Cedric to finish talking to Analeigh. He barely had time to react when a box of Charm Choc was thrown his way coming from Cedric's direction. Alden fumbled for it frantically before finally grasping it safely in his hands, tutting in annoyance at his friend.
"Does she not like chocolate?" Oscar, one of the sixth year Hufflepuffs there said in disbelief.
"No idea. Ced's been acting all confident, but I bet he's dying on the inside by now," Alden said under his breath, causing the others with him to chuckle in agreement.
When Analeigh had faced Cedric again because she had not seen anything important behind her, he was quick — but not quick enough — to return to his previous position. She noticed that he had moved and done something while her back was turned. Having a hunch as to what may have happened, she glanced at Cedric's friends standing a few feet away from them and spotted a box of Charm Choc in Alden's hands that she didn't see earlier.
"Um, were those yours?" Analeigh asked Cedric slowly, eyeing Alden as he tried to act like nothing happened.
"What are you talking about?" Cedric gave a charming smile but she could see right through it. With a sigh, he nodded. "Okay, they were. It was either the Charm Choc Valentine's Day chocolate box or the Assorted Fudge Flies set — the latter seemed so much less appealing."
Analeigh couldn't help but giggle, feeling as if the tension she held inside of her was finally leaving for good after seeing the effort Cedric had put in.
"Well, you're right about one thing," she comforted him. "I wouldn't have wanted Fudge Flies for Valentine's Day."
Cedric sighed. "I'm sorry. I should've asked earlier if you had —"
"It's fine, I swear," she told him quickly, not wanting him to feel bad. In reality, she was really touched by his gesture. "I should've told you, and it's not like it was common sense that I can't eat Charm Choc."
Cedric still didn't look convinced and huffed. "Maybe I should've just gotten a bulk order of Chocolate Frogs. You can never go wrong with those."
Analeigh felt that this was the right moment to retrieve her own box of chocolates, perfectly wrapped in a maroon box and brown ribbon. Cedric was pleasantly surprised to see that she had prepared something for him as well.
"Or you can just eat these," Analeigh said, handing the chocolates to him with a grin.
"Thanks, Analeigh," he beamed, taking it from her hands. "Oh, they're from Spellbound Sweets? Isn't that that dessert shop right in the middle of the muggle and magical communities in Ottery St. Catchpole*?"
Slightly taken aback at how accurate his description was, Analeigh nodded slowly.
"It is. How did you know that?"
"I went there a lot last summer. Mum was obsessed with the pudding for quite a while and she always made me buy more. I used to sneak in a bit of cookie bites for myself using her money, but she caught me soon enough."
"You did?"
"Yeah. I live nearby, and so do the Weasley's don't they?"
Analeigh laughed at this revelation, causing Cedric to look up from the box of chocolates.
"What is it?" he asked.
"That's my mum's shop," Analeigh explained with a grin. "We live in Tinworth*, though."
"You're joking," Cedric said, eyes wide. "Your mum's shop has been in my village this whole time? That's mind-blowing."
"That's a relief, though. At least I know you'll like the chocolates," Analeigh said confidently.
"Even if they taste like dragon dung, I'll appreciate them because you gave them to me," Cedric teased. Analeigh didn't even have time to think of a comeback when he leaned forward and placed a quick peck on her lips. She jumped a bit, startled at the unexpected action. And then, he was running away from her, a triumphant grin on his face.
"You don't get to do that and just run away!" she called after him, a blush forming on her cheeks. He merely sent her a cheeky smirk before disappearing into the Great Hall, knowing that she would be making her way there in a few moments, too.
That night, Analeigh decided to finally reply to her mother's question in the letter she received that morning together with the chocolates she had asked for. As close as she was with her mother, she wanted to drag on the suspense a little longer, preferring to tell her the details face to face, anyway.
I won't tell you the details just yet, she wrote on a clean sheet of parchment. But it was for the same boy I went with to the Yule Ball.
*Note: Ottery St. Catchpole and Tinworth are villages in West Country composed of both muggle and magical communities. The Weasley, Diggory, Lovegood, and Fawcett families canonically live either inside or on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole, whereas Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's Shell Cottage is located in Tinworth.
(found all those facts on Harry Potter Wiki just to make sure lmao I hope they're correct!)
A/N: I finally found the motivation to write a chapter since the death of my iPad #RIP. Not gonna lie, I was really discouraged at first since all my drafts were in there :( I can't do anything about it anymore tho so I guess this is a good way for me to start anew since majority of this chapter wasn't part of the old version of this fanfic + at least I can be more productive during this quarantine HAHA. The next chapter is finally going to be about the Second Task and I'm so excited. I hope you're all safe and healthy wherever you are!