Valentine’s Day. A day filled with romance, where you found out just how special you were according to other people, where you needed no excuse to eat chocolate or giggle when he looked at you or sent you a card. A day that to everybody without a boyfriend was a Monday spent dodging stray arrows from nappie-clad dwarves and claiming that the reason you weren’t grinning ridiculously around the clock was because you didn’t believe in Valentine’s Day.
Simple as that.
And it worked, sort of, at least.
At least Alicia had almost convinced herself that it had worked when Oliver, of all people, had asked her on a non-date. So much for claiming that it didn’t matter, though then again, maybe it wasn’t all that bad. After all, how often hadn’t he claimed that he didn’t date, not to mention the giggle she and the girls had had when they had seen him fleeing Madam Puddifoot’s last year? Now that was a precious memory, and if she had to be honest with herself, a good run-down of the last Falcons/PU match would be a great way to wipe the visions of today from her brain... Maybe it even felt a little good to be asked to go by one who she knew for a fact had turned down quite a few offers.
So, a non-date, on the Quidditch Pitch with Oliver Wood it was. For some reason that one had been difficult to sell even to Angelina and Katie, who had insisted on helping with her hair and that she at least put on just a little more makeup than her normal lipgloss. That was when Alicia had simply looked oddly at them, shaken her head and set her direction towards the Quidditch Pitch. She completely ignored the fact that she had stopped by the girls’ bathroom to make sure her hair wasn’t frizzy and that the curls were just curly enough... and maybe, just maybe add that light bit of makeup that looked as if it wasn’t there.
Tucking today’s Daily Prophet under her arm – thank Merlin, the thing wasn’t all pink today – she turned into the Pitch, and then stopped for a moment. “Candles?” she chuckled, then shook her head as she crossed the grass towards Oliver. She had to give it to him, now if anyone saw them, they could both claim that it had been a date, when really they both knew better. They were off the hook, and she was grateful for that.
“D’you think they ran this special on the Quafflepunchers today because their robes are pink?” she asked him when she got close enough not to have to raise her voice for him to hear her, tossing the paper to him so he could see for himself. Alicia couldn’t help but smile a bit as she saw him. Had he combed his hair?