- Chapter Forty-Four -
"I'm sorry but you look very familiar."

Pink. The color pink, is thought to be a calming color associated with love, kindness, and femininity. Many people immediately associate the color with all things feminine and girly. It might also bring to mind romance and holidays such as Valentine's Day. Some shades of pale pink are described as relaxing, while very bright, vibrant shades can be stimulating or even aggravating.

Extremely aggravating.

Elladora would rather pour 5 bowls of porridge over her head than wear anything pink. She hated the colour, it wasn't relaxing at all and it doesn't show kindness, or love, or femininity. It show stereotypes. She hated it, it was one of the only things that she hated more than Mulciber and Avery.

That's why she hates Valentine's Day. The teachers take it upon themselves to decorate the castle with different colours of hearts, roses or banners, suspending them in the corridors and even put decorative hearts and roses in the middle of the tables to 'spread positivity'.

It didn't work, though, seeing as Elladora was currently ripping up an origami heart that had been placed on the table where the marauders sat. The boys watched in amusement as she tore it apart and threw the spare pieces to the empty space next to her.

"Not a fan of Valentine's Day, then?" Remus raised an eyebrow, ladling some porridge into a bowl and giving it to her. That had sort of become a usual thing for him to do, they didn't know when it started or when he would ever stop, but they just knew that every time they had breakfast, Remus would be the one placing her food in front of her.

"No." She huffed and grabbed a spoon, digging into her breakfast. "It's stupid. It's like, yeah we get it you're a couple, you don't need a day to snog in the corridors."

"I wouldn't mind." James sighed, putting his chin and his hand and staring down the Gryffindor table at Lily Evans and her friends. "I got her a bracelet, I didn't know what else to get. She probably has loads of bracelets though, right? Yeah, she will do, girls give each other those sorts of things. She'll have too many, she won't want this, I have to her her something else I-"

"You're meeting her at the barrier to the shrieking shack at 12'o clock today." Elladora said to him, taking a drink out of her goblet as the others turned to face her. "What? Just because I don't like Valentine's Day doesn't mean that I can't set my best friend up with the girl that he likes when she obviously likes him back but won't admit it."

"Wait, she said yes? To going on a date with me?" James gasped, there was a look on his face that made Elladora's stomach swim with guilt, she hadn't actually mentioned that Lily would be meeting James there but that had been her plan.

"Well..." She trailed off, bringing another spoonful of porridge up to her mouth.

"Spill." Sirius pointed his fork at her, it had bacon on it which he shoved into his mouth and chewed rather aggressively as he leaned forward to hear the story.

"She found out about the whole Ernie thing and offered to come with us all. But I told her that I thought she was doing something with James, she said no but blushed so much and I knew that she liked you so I told her to meet us at the barrier to the shrieking shack and I was going to tell you so you could pretend that we left you and then you two could be alone on Valentine's Day because I knew that you'd never get the courage to do it and saying it now I realise that it was a horrible plan and I'm practically using you both as objects and I'm sorry." She rambled, putting her head in her hands at the end. "I'll go tell her that you guys are actually meeting us at the three broomsticks."

"No! No, no, no." James practically got up on the table and grabbed her sleeve to make her sit down, but it only ended up with her nearly falling over if it wasn't for Sirius grabbing her waist and stopping her from falling over. "Sorry." He winced and let go of her sleeve. "I just...you're right. I never would've really asked her, ever since that prank last year I've tried not to bother her as much."

"Well something tells me that she misses you bothering her more than she cares to admit." Elladora slipped carefully into her place on the bench. "I'm sorry for not talking to you about it first."

"Don't be." James waved it off. "Because I'm totally on board. But will you guys be okay with one less man saving Dora from her date?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Peter shrugged. "I mean, how bad it could it be? We wait for her to sit down with Ernie, let them talk for a minute before we coincidentally walk in and sit with them. Then when he tries to ask Dora on another date, which he probably will, she can just tell him that she likes someone else."

"But I don't." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't even know how it feels to like someone."

"So?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You can just pretend. And if he asks who then just either say you don't want to tell him or lie."

She nodded slowly and put her chin in her hand, abandoning her porridge for the time being. It was a Saturday today so she had no lessons to distract her from the incoming torture of going on a date with someone. Why didn't Ernie justify that it was a date? Then she would've respectfully said no. Now she has to have Remus, Peter and Sirius come and pretend to be oblivious and sit down next to them. God knows what they're going to say.

•*•*•*•*•

Sirius had claimed that she needed to be dressed in the most unfeminine outfit she could find. She wasn't on board and told him that she could wear whatever she wanted, it didn't matter if she didn't even like this guy, her outfit was her choice. Which was why she was meeting Ernie in Peter's jumper and a pair of black leggings, nothing special but nothing that made her look like she purposely hadn't tried.

This was practically what she wore every day when she wasn't in her school uniform. Black leggings and one of the boys' jumpers or hoodies. Hers were well-fitted or just the right size, but she found herself more comfortable in oversized things. So when Ernie came with a spare jumper in hand, he quickly shoved it in his friends hand that was passing by when he saw her already wearing one.

"Hey." He approached her from behind and she turned around after flinching at the sudden voice, willing herself to keep her fist down as she did so. "You look nice."

"I look the same as I do any other day." She furrowed her eyebrows at him and he just grinned wider.

"Exactly."

"I don't get it..." She trailed off and his grin was slowly sliding off of his face but then realisation took over her face and he perked up hopefully. "Oh! Oh, thank you."

"It's only a fact." He returned her smile before he took note of the slightly baggy hoodie. "Uh, who's is that?"

"Oh, it's Peter's." She told him. "I like baggy jumpers but I thought that since I'm going out into Hogsmeade I should get a smaller one."

"Is that your way of saying that Peter's small?" He chuckled, looking down at her as she fiddled with the sleeve.

"Smaller than the others." She corrected with a small smile and he laughed once again before they drifted into silence.

It wasn't all that comfortable, but it wasn't all that awkward either. Of course it wasn't like when it was with the boys but it wasn't like when she had to sit next to someone she didn't know before Christmas. Elladora cleared her throat and looked up at him again, to see him already staring.

"Should we go?" She asked, not bothered by his staring as she nodded to the paths that led to Hogsmeade Village.

"Oh yeah." He smiled and glanced around them before he started walking, Elladora right next to him as they walked.

Luckily, Peter, Remus and Sirius had hidden from view just before he looked around so they wouldn't be caught stalking them on their 'date'.

Goosebumps popped up all over Elladora's skin as they walked down the path. The snow had all melted through January and the beginning of February, but the low temperatures were still floating around the air, causing her teeth to chatter silently as they walked. There was little conversation, mainly small talk about what their favourite sweet was. Elladora told him that hers was Caramel or Hazel chocolate and that Remus always bought her some since her parents didn't really give her any money for the school year. Ernie expressed that he loved Chocolate Frogs, which she wholeheartedly agreed to as they walked.

Soon enough they arrived at the Three Broomsticks and the familiar warmth enveloped them as Ernie pushed the doors open. It was quite crowded today, with it being Valentine's Day. Some couples would've gone to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Emporium due to the overall lovey dovey atmosphere for dates, but a lot of couples probably preferred to be away from the sweet smelling shop.

There was an old couple at the bar and something about the man was familiar to her but she decided to ignore it and instead follow Ernie to a booth in the corner.

"Is here okay?" He asked with a smile and she nodded slowly as they slid into it, next to each other as the candle in the middle of the table flickered in the slight breeze they gave off.

"So, uh..." She started off the conversation, fiddling with the sleeve of Peter's jumper. "Why did you ask me to come here...with you...y'know, today?"

"You want the truth?" He asked with a meek smile and she sat up straighter, nodding. "Well, the truth is that I hadn't really noticed you at first but when you started hanging out with James and all that...you became really well known in Gryffindor, so you got more attention. My eyes just kept on going back to you whenever you walked past me and I didn't know why until after the Christmas Holidays when you had that smile on your face and that glow on your cheeks. You're super pretty and-"

"Oh, hey there Dora!"

Three figures approached the table, wearing uncharacteristically large smiles as they all slipped in the booth, Sirius making a large effort to worm himself in the middle of Elladora and Ernie. Peter sat on the other side of Elladora whilst Remus sat next to Peter.

"Fancy seeing you guys here." Sirius batted his eyelashes in fake innocence as Ernie's smile dropped.

"Uh..." Ernie trailed off, laughing nervously. "We were actually-"

"Going to get some butterbeers?" Sirius interrupted, feigning innocence again as he smiled. "Great idea, Ernie. Come on Dora, two hands are better than one." He stood and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the booth.

"That was quick." She laughed as they approached the bar, where Madam Rosemerta was tending to the familiar-looking elderly couple.

"Yeah, you guys walk really slow." Sirius said as they leant against the bar, waiting to be served.

"Your legs are just long." Elladora waved it off, glancing back to the booth where Remus, Peter and Ernie were engaged in an awkward conversation, both marauders looking too happy to be looking normal.

Sirius ordered the drinks from Madam Rosmerta and whilst he did so, Elladora glanced around, the elderly couple catching her eyes again. They must've noticed someone staring at them as the old man turned around to face her with a kind, but confused expression on his face.

"Forgive me," She straightened up, clearing her throat softly. "I'm sorry but you look very familiar. Have we met before?"

"Well," The man chuckled. "I can't exactly say, my memory's not what it used to be. Do you have a name that could spark a memory or..."

"Oh, I'm Elladora Hargreaves." She introduced with a smile as Sirius turned to face them.

"I don't think I've heard that name before." He furrowed his eyebrows momentarily before shaking his head free of the confusion. "My names Newt, Newt Scamander."

It became silent between the elderly man and the young girl as she simply stared at him for a moment before it actually settled in and she stumbled backwards slightly, falling into Sirius. He made a noise of surprise and caught her before she slipped out of his grasp and the man she had been talking to, widened his eyes in surprise.

"Dora," Sirius whispered and patted her cheeks slightly but her eyes remained close as he slowly and guiltily looked up to the man. "I think she's fainted."

"Oh-"

"Only because of you're absolute awesomeness, sir." He reassured before looking back at the table where the rest of them sat. "Boys, little help over here please!"

•*•*•*•*•
A/N:  30K READS?!?! What the fuck? Thank you so so much, this story was literally made just for fun and today I hit 30,000 reads and I'm so grateful. Your comments, votes and follows make my day so thank you thank you thank you!