A Friend for Valentine's Day

[Merrill Piper]

Merrill was so excited to be going to her first school dance. She had opted not to go to the last ones because she didn't really have anyone to go with, but this time she didn't want to miss out on the fun. She had asked Solomon to go with her, as friends of course. The young girl had no interest in actually dating anyone quite yet. Merrill had bought her outfit just for the occasion. Her parents would never buy her dresses. It wasn't practical enough for their tastes. So with her first pay cheque from the apothecary Merrill had gone on a shopping spree for all the silly little things her heart desired. New pretty clothes, candy, and even a broomstick for herself. She was hoping to be good enough to try out for the quidditch team next year. When she got to the entrance hall she noticed that Solomon hadn't come up from the dungeons yet. Merrill hoped he wasn't too long. She wanted to give him his valentines, and start dancing already.​

 

[Solomon Mordaunt]

With a photo in hand, Solomon stared at his features in the mirror, focusing on the way his hair currently looked - an unruly mess of blond, not fit for any formal occasion. His eyes squinted, shifting from the photo that had been carefully cut from a men's style magazine, to his own reflection until slowly, his unkempt hair smoothed into a more appropriate combed back position, sitting comfortably in place as if it'd been professionally done. Smiling, the metamorphmagus adjusted his tie, a cobalt blue against his black suit, and headed out of the bathroom to finish getting ready. For the event, his father had sent him his suit, which he had not worn since the man had remarried, while his new step-mother gifted him with handcrafted cuff-links that resembled dice, the material of which reminded him somewhat of bones, as well as a preserved dittany flower, which he left in the breast pocket of his coat.

Departing from the Dungeons, Solomon made his way to the Great Hall, a short trip compared to some, and caught sight of Merrill waiting for him. He had not expected to be invited to the dance with her, but he was glad to not be attending alone. The Slytherin had yet to make many friends, more than happy to do his own thing or spend time with Merrill, one of the few people he felt he had something in common with. "Miss Piper." The boy greeted her, uncertainly holding out his arm for her to take before they walked in. He wasn't entirely sure what they were supposed to do as each others Valentine dates, but it was what he'd seen some of the other students doing. "Your dress is nice." He commented, though he couldn't tell if it were a dress, or a skirt with a top. Men's clothing was a lot simpler by comparison.
​

<i></i>

 

[Merrill Piper]

Merrill perked up when she saw Solomon coming up the stairs. She had never seen him in a suit before; he cleaned up nicely. The young girl couldn't help but giggle when Solomon greeted her, and held out his arm. No one had ever treated her like, well like a lady before. She quite liked it. Merrill took his arm like she had seen all the girls in her story books do it. "Mr. Mordaunt. Thank-you for accompanying me tonight." Merrill greeted, but she fell back into another fit of giggles as she did. "Thank-you! Your suit looks really nice too." Merrill told him. She wondered if it was new or if he had gone to something like this before. "I noticed your flower. You planning on getting hurt tonight?" Merrill teased. She had recognized the flower almost at once. It was one of her parents most used tools out on a hunt. As the pair entered the great hall they were instantly transported into a sea of red, white, and pink decorations. Someone had clearly put a lot of effort into this. "Oh, gosh, it's so cheesey, and I love it." Merrill told her date. Just as the entered "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love" started playing from... somewhere. "We have to dance to this! It's so bad!" Merrill exclaimed as she pulled Solomon out to the dance floor. The young girl took one of his hands in hers, and placed the other on his shoulder, and waited for him to lead.​

 

[Solomon Mordaunt]

"The pleasure is all mine." Mordaunt smiled as his friend struggled to contain her giggles, though his gaze trailed absently toward the tall double doors looming overhead. Merrill took no time noticing and pointing out the flower in his breastpocket, a fact that didn't surprise him considering how much time they spent collecting herbs together, and now with both of them being employed at the Apothecary, he felt they were far more superior to their classmates in the subjects of herbology and potion-making. "Just a precaution, in case you break my heart." He returned her tease in a joking tone and lead her on through to the Great Hall, almost immediately taken aback by the amount of themed decorations throughout. Hanging hearts and streamers, the repetitive use of red, pink and white made the room look and feel busier and louder than it was. It was a lot to take in at once. "It's...well. Someone is definitely a fan of Valentines, that much is clear." The boy commented, stopping for a moment as a vaguely familiar song came on. "Merlin, that song is old. This is something my mother would have listened to when she were younger." And alive. The music didn't fill him with the same positive emotion that his partner seemed to be feeling, but Merrill's enthusiasm was enough for the both of them, and before he realised it, they were dancing. Not that he would openly admit it, but Solomon had only ever danced with his sister. Their father thought that dancing was a necessary skill to have in life, if even on a basic level, and it was apparent that he was correct. This wouldn't be the last dance he'd have in his life, so the Slytherin was glad to have some sense of what he was doing. His eyes wandered around the room, unable to linger on Merrill for too long, and as he took in the expressions of the students around them, a thought occurred to him. "I wonder if anyone is under the effects of a love potion tonight." He spun the Gryffindor girl around on the spot, before resuming their previous position. "If we try to brew some for next year, we could make a lot of money out of it."
​

<i></i>

 

[Merrill Piper]

Merrill didn't think she had ever felt happier as she twirled around with Solomon on the dance floor. Tonight she wasn't the daughter of werewolf hunters. Tonight she was just a girl dancing with a boy. The young witch felt just like a princess. Solomon spun Merrill around on the sport just as the song ended. Merrill was about to thank her partner for the dance, but what he said threw her off quite a bit. She hoped no one was using love potions at Hogwarts. They were so yucky. If you really loved someone you would want them to be happy even if it wasn't with you. It all seemed so obvious to the twelve year old. But Merrill didn't want to say that to Solomon. He was her only friend here at school, and she didn't want to upset him. So instead she came up with a better idea. "If we just tell people its a love potion, but really it's not we can save money on ingredients, and watch people act stupid for no reason." She said giving a playful smile. Merrill hoped he would like that idea better. She wondered what kind of crazy things they could get people to feed their crushes under the guise of love. Since Solomon didn't seem to keen to dance for the next song Merrill made her way over to the refreshment table for some juice, and a cookie. Dancing worked up an appetite. Merrill grabbed the cookie that was covered in the most frosting, and dug in. The fake sugary goodness was amazing. After swallowing she turned back to Solomon. "I bet we could even offer to brew it in front of people as a guarantee. The younger students wouldn't know any better, and probably some of the older ones too." She suggested.​