Sweets for Your Sweet Errand Open

@Cecily Quinn | @Aly Salinger
Mentions | @Marcus Iwasaki

Dee's grin widened at Cecily's mention of the welcome party they had organised for Professor Iwasaki over a year ago, when he had left his job as caretaker to become their Head of House. "Exactly," she agreed, nodding. She attempted to seem serious, but the mirth at this ingenious undertaking was too strong to keep her expression straight for long.

She turned back to her cupcake decoration efforts, nodding along to Cecily's list of recipients, the names mostly familiar. Adam was a blurry memory on the dance floor where she had forced Cecily to demonstrate her own dancing skills after they had won the house cup during her first year. Sylvain was a liked peer, someone she called a friend although they had drifted apart over time. Lavinia she had first met when she had tried to steal Dee's date during last year's Blossom Ball, which had been an interesting experience, although, as it turned had out, not Lavinia's fault at all. One for Cecily herself, of course, Dee could understand that. The idea of a hate cupcake elicited another grin. "I think so. I was planning to send something like that myself, but we're limited to six, so... I decided eating one myself was more important than demonstrating my dislike. I can do that without wasting a perfectly good cupcake."

When Aly attributed the cupcake gifting scheme to Dee's genius, she puffed up slightly, obviously proud of the idea, although honestly, it had been a community effort, birthed from a joking conversation with a friend, the way these things went sometimes. She'd gladly claim responsibility, though. "Why, thank you, I agree," she replied, laughter sparkling in her eyes, both because it was true and to stop Aly's stuttering. The other girl likely had much purer intentions with this project than Dee herself did, but she wasn't going to point that out.

Humming quietly, Dee squirted some chocolate frosting onto the vanilla cupcake, then turned towards the assorted toppings, while Aly listed the recipients for her own cupcakes. Again familiar names. She didn't think anything odd about Aly listing a cupcake for herself, either, it was entirely reasonable after all. Meanwhile, she haphazardly sprinkled toppings onto the cupcakes. Strawberries and nuts for the lemon strawberry cupcake. Chocolate chips and almonds on the chocolate buttercream one. None for her own, but some sprinkles for the other red velvet cupcakes, just to provide some colour.

She looked up again when Aly mentioned her pity that Professor Iwasaki would spend Valentine's day all by his lonesome, her attention drawn. "Not that I know of," Dee replied slowly while her thoughts started racing. "You know... I think you're right. He wouldn't be so grumpy all the time if he had someone, right?" Her eyes fell to the table, the red heart-shaped sprinkles she was currently dropping generously onto one of her cupcakes. Not the one for Jack, of course, nope.

"So... how about we help him out a little?" There was a small but devilish smile spreading on her face, the brilliance of the idea lighting up her eyes. She looked up, ready to, once again, drag Cecily into her schemes. "What if he got a cupcake from someone other than us? Someone," old, "more his age? Wouldn't it be terribly convenient if one of us had a cupcake left that they didn't quite know what to do with yet?" Turn head, look at Aly imploringly. "Don't you think that would make him happy?"

Sugary treats had never been Liana's thing, what with the adverse effects they had on her body whenever she chose to indulge. On top of that, Valentine's Day wasn't an occasion she had heard much about - in all likelihood, it was something the non-magical folk came up with, the Muggleborns brought it to the magical world, and Hogwarts decided to embrace the foreign tradition to demonstrate inclusiveness. Not to mention that colourful hearts, love letters, chocolate, balloons and other lovey-dovey nonsense seemed like the very antithesis of the spooky, exciting celebration of Halloween. Which is why it came as a surprise when Maggie, the number one fan of everything to do with horror, began nagging Liana to come to the Great Hall and participate in the activities. And it is really, really difficult to resist the nagging of one's best friend. Quite understandably, the redhead gave in, although she still remained rather grumpy about the whole thing.

"Why are you so into this Valentine's Day, anyway?" she was inquiring of Maggie as they entered the unusually decorated dining area. "I had no idea you were a romantic." They headed for the Hufflepuff table first, and Liana, after nodding a polite greeting to Professor Rion, picked up six different cupcakes, still trying to think of a way to get around the socially awkward aspect of this whole affair. The implications of sending something to someone on this specific day seemed to be of the amorous kind, and the last thing she wanted was for people to start teasing her about having a crush on someone. She picked a free spot with easy access to the various icings and toppings, her mind already forming a plan as she sat down. Sure, she could just take the easy way out - address all the cupcakes to Maggie and be done with it. But did Miss Hawkins really deserve to get all those treats for essentially bullying Liana into coming here? Ultimately, that would only serve to enforce the bad habit of using the bond of their friendship to get what she wanted. No, she would have to send something to other people she could call friends in certain scenarios. For instance Vale Ashwood and Avery Chen. But then, if she was to send a gift to Avery, he couldn't be the only boy to receive something from her - or it could be taken as a hint at a more-than-friendly preference. The first male her brain suggested for extended friends list was, strangely, Hui Ming, which made Liana worry about the size of her social circle. If Ming, the person who had annoyed her so much in their first months of studies, was the closest thing to a friend after Maggie, Vale and Avery, she really needed to meet some more people.

With a resigned sigh, the girl began working on decorating the treats she would send. Her artistic skills were lacking. For the most part, she just went for simple symbols that would represent something the recipient liked. By the time she was done with the first four cupcakes, she had determined who would be getting the other two as well.

Once finished, she packaged the sweets into the boxes and brought them over to the Ravenclaw table. Steering clear of excessively colourful selection, she picked out plain regular parchment and an inkwell with dark green ink, settling down to write short notes.

To Maggie Hawkins, addressed as Margaret Hawkins in a moment of vengeful spite, she had selected a cheesecake cupcake with whipped cream icing, decorated with some cut strawberries and blueberries laid out in a shape of a heart.

Cheesecake cannot possibly be as cheesy as this Valentine's Day you so adore, but I still hope you will enjoy both.

Liana Kerr

To Avery Chen, she dedicated a vanilla cupcake with buttercream frosting and a slightly crooked picture of a musical note, made of car
efully sprinkled chocolate chips.

Your undying cheer is truly appreciated. Thank you for sharing it with us every day.

Liana Kerr

Vale Ashwood would receive a chocolate cupcake with dark chocolate icing and a spider shape made up of bright red strawberry pieces.

I admire your aptitude for Potions and Herbology - perhaps we could study together one of these days. I would be interested in learning about the potions your family has created or improved.

Liana Kerr

For Hui Ming, she would send a marble cupcake with chocolate icing and some thin almond pieces, without any particular pattern or image. Liana simply could not think of a way to represent details she knew of him in a straightforward icon. The note was also laconic, even though there would have been much more things she could have included.

Thank you for organizing the Wargames.

Liana Kerr

The next cupcake would go to Della Barfield, whom Liana had fought in Ming's event. It was probably why she thought of sending a small token to the pale lioness right after she made one for Ming. Not knowing much about the girl, Liana focused on her house colours: a red velvet cupcake, with citrus icing and some tiny, slightly glittery gold candies. Spelling out the brief message took a long time, since the girl was trying to select her words cautiously so as not to make it seem like she was challenging Miss Barfield to a one-on-one. It had taken the young Slytherin months to recover after a long chain of spellcasting failures, and now that she felt like she was back on her feet, she was willing to face people who had proven to be strong adversaries and learn from them. Or so she thought.

I was impressed by your agility and accuracy in the Wargames. If you ever wish to focus more on duelling as a sport, I would love to be your training partner.

Liana Kerr

The last cupcake was sent to Enrico Gathorne. Baked out of carrots, it was covered in vanilla icing and the most colourful swirl of candy sprinkles Liana could find among the available supplies. While a bit of an oddball, Enrico was an endearing acquaintance, and his bizarre entrance to the Fall Ball had saved her from a prolonged public embarrassment. She felt like she may as well just send him a little something as an indirect thank you for that, if she was to gift sweets to people on this day.

I know that you like tasting various (in)edible things. Hopefully you will find this one enjoyable.

Liana Kerr

Just as she finished inking the last message, she looked around distractedly to see Aurelius sitting at the same table some yards away, packing his gift to someone. Liana watched the boy as he completed the task and walked away towards the Gryffindor table, a familiar amalgam of guilt, regret and nostalgia bubbling in her chest. Having met the young Leeds during what felt like one of the worst days of her whole life, she thought to have found an ally and a confidant in him. During the first weeks of Hogwarts, they interacted quite frequently, sharing their impressions and occasionally keeping each other company. However, their friend circles failed to overlap, Liana became too busy with all the duelling activities and Fall Ball planning, and afterwards fell into that terrible gloom which ate up almost three months of her life. The two of them drifted away, creating a rift that the girl noticed far too late to seal it smoothly. Now, after months of seeing him in classes every day and never having the time, energy or courage to approach him, Liana found that whatever she tried to do to reach out would seem forced and unnatural. Combine that with a suppressed fear that Aurelius resented her for ceasing to confide in him, and it turned into a convoluted issue she didn't know how to even begin unraveling.

Well, perhaps she could solve this problem today. After all, she already reached out to some people she had distanced herself from during her emotional downfall. Of course, them she had only avoided for a few weeks, which was a much more acceptable lapse in friendship than three whole months. She would have to put more effort both into the gift and into the letter, and then somehow gather up enough fortitude to actually leave them to be sent. She rose from her seat and collected the bakery boxes with names of the recipients and the letters she had written for them, transporting them gingerly over to the Gryffindor table. After arranging them neatly, she glanced over at the Hufflepuff table, with the readily-made cupcakes. A limit of six per person had been indicated, and she reached it, which meant she should probably move over to the Slytherin table for this mission. Which was just as well - it seemed like creating chocolate bark would be a much more personal effort from start to finish, as opposed to just decorating a cupcake someone else baked.

The first-year sat down and examined the instructions provided by her Head of House; the recipe seemed simple enough. Then, she selected dark chocolate for the occasion, both as the most sophisticated option possible, and for the flavour balance. After all, if she was going to add other saccharine ingredients to it, better avoid making the combination excessively sweet. She put a few bars into a cauldron and let them melt, in the meanwhile selecting other components she would use. Once the dark chocolate was fully melted, the girl carefully poured it out onto a tray and quickly dropped a bar of white chocolate into the cauldron. Then she evened out the hot dark mass on the tray and sprinkled pistachios all over it. By the time this task was done, the white chocolate was fully liquid. The redhead slowly poured it over the tray, trying to create aesthetically pleasing, even twists and turns. The end result was not quite as attractive as she had pictured when she went for the black, green and white colours, but it was still quite appetizing.

The process had been interesting enough for Liana to want to repeat it, and she quickly found a reason to do so, for another recipient came to mind. This time, she picked milk chocolate as the base, melted it and poured it onto a new tray and distributed the mass evenly with a spatula. For the sprinkles she selected almonds and dried cranberries, refraining from the use of second chocolate type for fear of overdoing it with flavours.

Afterwards, she carefully lifted both trays and carried them over to the Ravenclaw table again, and picked the same type of plain parchment and green ink as before.

For Hunter Argentum, who would be getting the milk chocolate bark with almonds and cranberries packed in a blue bag with a silvery ribbon, she wrote a belated apology note:

Remembering the clash between our houses back in December still fills me with shame. I hope you don't bear us any ill will, although you have the right to. Either way, please accept this gift as a token of my gratitude and admiration.

Liana Kerr

The last piece of parchment remained empty for a long while, as Liana tried to arrange her thoughts, pick the right words, and muster up the courage to put them to writing. She kept glancing over at the dark chocolate bark with pistachios next to a white pouch with emerald green ribbon, feeling that the treat looked worse and worse as the time passed by. Would she really dare to send something so unattractive to a person she might have inadvertently insulted with her withdrawn silence, as a means of reviving and mending the relationship? It may well be taken as a yet another affront. And to opt for written word instead of facing him, when they were in the same room multiple times almost every day, also seemed somehow unfitting, even though she knew a lot of Hogwarts students exchanged owls during the school year. Before the doubts could fully overcome her, she picked up the quill and wrote the note to Aurelius Leeds, as calligraphically as she could:

For a brief period of time you were my closest confidant, and I find myself regretting having allowed that bond to weaken. There is a multitude of excuses for failing to reconnect with you for so long, but not a single valid reason. Is there a chance of going back to the way we were when school had just started?

Liana Kerr

She put the quill down, read the messages over once more to make sure she left no errors, and got up to move the trays, bags and letters to the Gryffindor table. Second thoughts were sprouting in her mind at an alarming rate, making it a challenge for the girl to not crumple up the last note and just leave the chocolate to be sent anonymously. Rekindling friendships through notes sent on a Valentine's Day had to be among the least suitable methods. But then again, she had opportunities for employing more suitable methods almost every day, and never dared to take them due to fear of rejection. At least if his response was negative, it would not come publicly. Liana took a deep breath, placed the second batch of treats and notes on the designated table, and walked towards the exit. With any luck, she won't die out of embarrassment tomorrow when the gifts are received.

Liana has left the thread.

interacting: @Dealla Prince & @Aly Salinger

Dee was right when she said that it would be a waste of a cupcake to send one in hate, but Cecily still couldn't dislodge the idea from her mind. It was just odd, just unsettling enough to be a delightful mean-spirited prank. If Cecily received a cupcake from someone she very much did not consider a friend, she would be, to say the least, rather uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, even a cupcake from her enemy would still be a cupcake to eat. Unless...

Cecily held back a grin as the evil plan formed in her mind, coming together while she worked on her fifth cupcake-- her last friend cupcake. Chocolate for Lavinia, but this one she would load with citrus icing-- a chocolatey-fruity combination similar to Sylvain's chocolate and strawberry, but different enough to feel like she was making unique cupcakes for all of her recipients. And certainly, the cupcake one slimy snake named Ruby Cazares would be receiving would be unique indeed. Uniquely disappointing, uniquely off-putting.

She listened along as Aly rattled off her own list, seemingly stumbling over her own words when she mentioned one for herself. Must have been a last-minute decision, and a respectable one at that. Cecily nodded in approval as she continued to work on Lavinia's cupcake, sticking to the icing a half-moon slice of orange curving upwards like a smile and carefully placing two chocolate chip eyes above it. A masterpiece, she thought, as she leaned back to observe her work. Surely Lavinia would appreciate the creativity and effort Cecily had put into her cupcake. Lavinia seemed like the type to appreciate a smiley-face cupcake. As Cecily adjusted one of the chocolate chips to even out the two eyes, she seriously wondered who wouldn't. What was there not to love?

This cupcake completed, she only had one more left: the Hate Cupcake, a masterpiece in its own right. A cupcake so unfortunate, so miserable, it sent not a message of Valentine's Day love and friendship, but of pain and disappointment, of a good thing ruined. This cupcake would be sent, indeed, but it would not be sent whole; rather, it would be sent with a hole. Hollowed, filled with despair and disdain. A cupcake that could not be enjoyed without the bitter aftertaste of animosity. Cecily already knew precisely what she would write in the accompanying note-- a phrase that was short and sweet, yet packed, in her opinion, quite a punch. She picked up a nearby spoon and got to work.

Meanwhile, as her own plan was taking shape, Cecily could hear Aly and Dee making one of their own. A plan to... set up their Head of House, it seemed. How was it that every time Cecily set foot near Dealla Prince, she was dragged into yet another scheme? She laughed. "It would be terribly convenient indeed," Cecily agreed, joining Dee in looking pointedly at Aly. "Someone his own age, someone perhaps new to the castle, who perhaps doesn't have many connections yet?" And wasn't it terribly convenient, too, that there happened to be an adult who sprang to mind and checked every box. "Someone like... the new flying professor?" A sly smile spread across Cecily's face. She wasn't trying to start any trouble, but she was down to clown a little bit. Harmless clowning. Clowning that wouldn't hurt anyone. Innocent clownery, that's what this was. Nothing that would even result in real trouble.


wc: 479 + 521 + 577 = 1577
to be continued once again.

♡

MAGGIE HAWKINS

♡

interacting with: @Liana Kerr mentioning: @Edme Achillian | @Avery Chen | @Della Barfield | @Hui Ming | @Vale Ashwood | @Hildegard Schneider

February 13, 2022

XXXXValentine's Day. For some, it was a dismal reminder of loneliness and the candy-coated happiness that many found so enticing about the holiday. There were two types of people, really, in Maggie's mind. There were those who hated Valentine's Day (or otherwise found it to be silly and unnecessary) and those who loved the holiday. Maggie was the latter, which was quite unfortunate, considering her best friend, Liana Kerr, was the former. Not that Maggie really minded, because her gentle cajoling (it really was more Maggie begging Liana to come and celebrate, in all honesty, but that was beside the point) had ensured a nice celebration between friends. Two of them, really, but that didn't matter. "Because it's fun, duh," while the holiday couldn't be more different from the dreary, spooky concept of Halloween, Maggie adored it. "And I wouldn't consider myself a romantic, honestly. Just someone who likes sweets. And the color pink." Today, Maggie felt bouncy. Her hair was bouncy, flouncy, filled with volume and air. Liana, beside her, seemed a little more slithery. Like a snake. Honestly? Maggie loved the dynamic. Though Liana was clearly not too hot on vocal admiration or articulating her friendship and appreciation for others, Maggie sure was grateful to be her friend. Not only was Liana, like, one of the smartest people in their year, but she was also cool and kind and pretty. What better way to let her know than with a sweet treat for Valentine's Day? "Boo, you're in such a drab mood today," Maggie scoffed, stopping at the Hufflepuff table to examine the cupcake selections. "Lighten up, Li, it's Valentine's Day. Don't have to be so crabby." Maggie hummed and observed the flavors. Who would get what? What did each flavor say about her, if she sent it, and what did they say about the person who would receive it? Oh, shoot, who was going to get a treat from Miss Maggie Hawkins? She set to work. Maggie hummed as she began decorating, slathering the cupcakes in frosting and decor. Her lack of artistic ability had been established prior, back when she had created a fairy house for Della Barfield. Didn't mean that Maggie wouldn't try, though. Once finished with her decoration, Maggie packaged up all six cupcakes and carried the boxes over to the Ravenclaw table, where she would write notes and address the cupcakes she had created to other students. Even though it was just a silly school activity, nothing to stress about, Maggie felt a little ball of anxiety start to unfurl in the pit of her belly. What if someone thought she was weird? Or perhaps got the wrong idea of what she meant by sending them? Humming, Maggie pushed it out of her mind. Liana Kerr would receive a lemon cupcake slathered in buttercream icing, sprinkled with shredded coconut, and garnished with a candied lemon peel curl. Li, this is nice and sour, just like you. Also, you should totally be my Valentine. Love, Mags Hui Ming would be sent a chocolate cupcake, topped with peppermint icing and little crushed peppermint pieces. Maggie had rolled the edges of the frosting in red sprinkles. You kinda remind me of peppermint. Spicy. Happy Valentine's Day! Maggie H To Avery Chen, a carrot cupcake with cream cheese frosting and little sliced almonds arranged in a smiley face. I'm way better at Quidditch than you are. Love you, Ave! Maggie Vale Ashwood would be sent a marbled cupcake slathered in citrus frosting. A strange flavor combination, for certain, but then, so was Vale, herself. Maggie decorated the frosting with black sprinkles, with two little candy eyes stuck in the center. Then, right beneath the eyes, she had a line of red gel icing. A spitting image of her pet spider, Familia. Vale, I hope this cupcake is creepy enough. It's Familia after eating people. I can't imagine you're a fan of Valentine's Day, but I tried! Maggie To Hildegard Schneider, a cheesecake cupcake with strawberry frosting, topped with fresh strawberries. Hilda, I don't think you like me much. Maybe you'll like my cupcake better. Maggie Hawkins Then, to Della Barfield, Maggie had prepared a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting. Maggie had tried to shape a fairy on the surface of it with gel icing, but it really looked like a police sketch of a murder victim. No matter. It was surrounded by shiny blue sprinkles, like magic. Thanks for helping me with Tink and Dessa. You're cool! Hope you like my fairy. Maggie H That was that for the cupcakes. Maggie smiled in accomplishment at what she'd done, but then the Slytherin table, almost taunting her, caught her eye. So many ingredients to make chocolate bark, so little time. Maggie really shouldn't. It looked like Liana was getting just about finished, ready to leave, but Maggie couldn't help herself. With a groan, eager feet carried her to the Slytherin table. She began to melt her chocolate, a milk and white chocolate swirl, then poured it carefully into one of the baking trays provided by the supervisors of the event. Once smoothed, she poured the rest out and dragged a bamboo skewer through to make a design. She attempted a heart, but it didn't work out, coming out all lopsided instead. Very last, she added little M&Ms and heart-shaped sprinkles to the chocolate. She left the tray next to a bag and a hastily written letter. One bag of chocolate bark for Edme Achillian. Parker, I hope this isn't too weird. Happy Valentine's Day. Stay warm! Maggie H Then, Maggie got to her feet and scrambled to get out of the Great Hall. Man, the smell of the cupcakes and chocolates was starting to get almost too aromatic. Like toxic fumes. "Coming, Li!" She called, and then she was gone through the massive double doors at the end of the hall. WC: 983

Felix had always disliked valentines day. There were many reasons why so, but in general, he wasn't much of a lovey dovey person. He didn't like people at all, much less love them. Oh god.

This was why, upon walking into the great hall that morning, he nearly choked on his own saliva, his face souring as his eyes were burned by the vibrant colours of pink and red. How disgusting. Heart shaped balloons danced in front of his eyes, and he momentarily let his face go slack with disgust, his feet itching to swivel around and run. Streamers painted the walls and over the entrance of the door, he felt as though he’d just walked into the aftermath of a volcanic eruption of pink. The candles still floated where they usually did, although that did nothing to calm him, as they seemed to radiate a romantic glow.

Gritting his teeth, he turned to stride out of the hall, wrinkling his nose in disgust, however he was yanked back by the smell of something wonderful. Was that? Is that? Chocolate? Amongst the swarming students, he could just make out what was laid upon the four house tables. A closer look wouldn't hurt. He reached the hufflepuff table, the sweet smell clouding his senses. He absentmindedly sat down and reached for a cupcake. How did he do this again? What was he doing? Holding the piping bag in a way he was so sure was wrong, he squeezed, the red strawberry icing he had picked squirting out the end. A few cupcakes later, and he was finished. The four cupcakes he had chosen were vanilla, red velvet, carrot, and carrot again. The icing was all the same, and he was quite proud. The cupcakes now read;

‘You. Suck. Big. Time.’

He let a small smile dance its way across his features, before packing the cupcakes into one of the white bakery boxes sweeping off to the ravenclaw table, where people were writing letters. Excellent. Maybe valentines day wasn't so bad. The Felix ten minutes ago would have certainly laughed at the sight of him decorating a cupcake for a valentines day celebration and coated in the midst of pink, gold and yellow. It was a rare and bizarre sight. However, he was suddenly reminded of who might have an even better laugh at the sight of him sitting here, looking so uncharacteristically sweet and vulnerable, and so decided to write her a letter.

Dearest you-know-who-you-are,

I hope you enjoy the cupcakes I made you, since I put a good deal of time into them. The first one is a vanilla cupcake. I chose it because It looked plain and boring, like you. The second one is made of red velvet, and I chose it because it's the colour of blood, and the colour I'd like to see your nose splattered in if I ever was granted the privilege to punch you in the face. The third and fourth ones are carrot cupcakes, and I must inform you that I chose this flavour because I hate carrot cake. Just like I hate you. I wanted to emphasise that I chose the worst ones, in honour of you. Now you must read the writing on the cupcakes very carefully, that's if you can read of course. (I might have overestimated your skills) However, I made sure it was written very simply, so that your slow brain could understand.

I won't wish you a good day, or any love, because you don't deserve it.

-Felix

wc: 586

|| Interacting with @Dealla Prince and @Cecily Quinn, open to further interactions ||

Say what you would about Dealla Prince. Say that you were scared of her because she was a prefect, that her harebrained schemes occurred more often than not, that she was impossibly energetic to the point of rivaling Aly herself on that front. But you could not say that her ideas were anything short of absolutely fantastic, and timely, too.

Giving a cupcake to Professor Iwasaki, but pretending it is from someone else. Why Aly lowered the voice of her constant, ever-present internal monologue to a whisper when no one else could particularly hear it, she had no idea, but she had to admit it was a fabulous plan. A bit out of line, perhaps, but wonderfully fabulous nonetheless. And- well- not technically against the rules, at least as far as Aly knew. Nothing about identity theft in the Hogwarts penal code, right? And if Dee suggests it- well, she's a prefect, so that makes it a-okay!

Cecily, however, was the one to come up with the perfect subject- the brand-new Professor Stube, who had just taken up Flying all of two months before. It was one of Aly's favourite subjects, and the dark-haired Professor seemed so sweet... the perfect match for the perpetually stony-faced Ravenclaw Head of House. A cheeky grin spread across Aly's face; perhaps Aaron's troublemaking tendencies were beginning to rub off on her. "I think that sounds like an absolutely brilliant plan, you two," she praised, clapping her hands together in delight. "Oh, you are a rather devious pair!"

The sixth cupcake in Aly's little row- all lined up like ducklings following dutifully after a swimming mother- was already frosted with whipped cream, just like the rest of them. However, instead of nonpareils- one would have to have some degree of disconnection from this not-quite-crime, after all- the ringleted Ravenclaw reached for a small bowl of perfectly red, ripe strawberries sitting nearby. Professor Iwasaki seemed not like the kind of person that would enjoy sugar upon sugar upon sugar- no, sweets such as those would just have to be reserved for none other than Aly herself- but, rather, someone who would prefer a bite of freshness over a mouthful of saccharine sweet. Thus, Aly plucked two of the smaller strawberries from the bowl, trimming off the greeny bits with a small dull knife that had been lying on the table nearby.

"We'll also have to start thinking about a letter, if you two think we could pull off that sort of thing," the third-year waxed aloud as she thought, her hands deftly slicing little cuts into the strawberries to form petal-like shapes. "I'm afraid our handwritings would be too recognisable, but perhaps if we put our heads together and figure something out." Almost forgetting she had a knife in her hands, her finger slipped, but she caught herself just in time before she could accidentally lop off a finger- not that she really could have with this knife, anyway, as it was rather dull to begin with. "And then there's the whole matter of that we don't want to write anything too specific, else Professor Iwasaki catch on to our plan or think something is wrong. Right?"

The first strawberry, which Aly had tried her best to carve into some semblance of a rose, came out perfectly; the second one, however, not so much, as the too-dull and too-small knife slipped again... and though Aly's deft fingers saved her skin from being chopped, one of the "rose" petals was not so lucky, and Aly (with a hefty sigh) picked up the only successful rose after checking in the strawberry bowl to see if there were any other viable candidates (of which there were not- they were all too misshapen, which was fine. Strawberries are there to eat, not to look at. But she would still have preferred a second one).

"One will have to do," she muttered, adding the successful stroseberry to the top of the whipped-cream cupcake; as a finishing touch, she sprinkled a few round white candies onto the cream, though they nearly blended in, being the same colour and all. It made the creation look classy. Elegant. Like something a professor would do, not a thirteen-year-old student with a sweet tooth and too much time on her hands. Pushing herself back from the table and standing up, Aly grinned down at her two companions. "There! That looks good, don't you think? Now, just hang on a second, and I'll be back in just a minute or two with some parchment for the letter..."

Aly peeled herself away from the bench and meandered over towards the Ravenclaw table, somewhere she was far more comfortable sitting as that was what she had grown used to over her nearly-three years at Hogwarts. Not unlike its normal state, the eagle table was littered with different kinds of parchments and inks (though the glitter was a new, and not entirely unwelcome in Aly's opinion, touch). Figuring that Dee and Cecily could take a few minutes to debate exactly what they'd write in the faux letter "from" Professor Stube- they seemed more the type to actually come up with these wild plots, anyway, far more than the mild-mannered and bright-smiling flower girl of Ravenclaw- Aly slipped into an empty seat at the Ravenclaw table and pulled a manner of different parchments and inks towards her. She had five letters to write, after all! (Plus, this would let her write Cecily's without being seen.)

First, a letter to Syl, on a pale blue parchment, in shimmering bronze ink, and decorated with an absolute heap of dark blue glitter that shimmered like a frozen lake at high noon in winter:

Letter #1: Sylvain Wyllt

Reducio

Dear Syl,

I really can't describe how wonderful of a friend you've been this past year. And you're fantastic at Quidditch, too - really an inspiration to all of us on the pitch! Your brain is a rarity, too - no wonder you were placed in Ravenclaw! Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and enjoy a little something sweet whilst you're at it...

For the second letter, Aly stayed with the pale blue parchment, but switched the colours of the ink and glitter, so that she was writing in dark blue and adding sparkly bronze to the corners and back:

Letter #2: Pericles Dralt

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Dear Peri,

We need to be better friends! I know that's a rather odd thing to place in a letter, rather than to just tell you in person, but you are honestly quite wonderful and I should someday love to get to know you more. Hope you like the treat- heard 'round the grapevine you're a fan of lemon!

Switching it up from the pale blue parchment for her third letter, this time Aly opted for a pastel yellow and black ink, finishing this one off with silver glitter spattered all across the stationery:

Letter #3: Aaron Jones

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Dear Aaron,

I must admit that I still don't know you all too well, but from what I have gathered, you're a fantastic soul with such a big heart. I should think of no one else I would more like to get in trouble with! Enjoy the cupcake - though it's not quite as sweet as you!

Like most Ravenclaws, Cecily wouldn't mind dark blue, of this Aly was quite sure - so, returning once again to the shimmering bronze ink, Aly wrote it in careful strokes against a midnight blue parchment, finishing it off with a touch of black glitter just on two corners for elegance.

Letter #4: Cecily Quinn

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Dear Cecily,

On this Valentine's Day, I hope you know that I really look up to you - as a Ravenclaw, as a Quidditch player, as a person, the lot of it! You are an inspiration on and off the field, and I want someday to be just like you. I know I said that this cupcake was for me, but it was yours all along... I hope you like it!

The final one was for the Professor himself, and whilst Aly was quite sure he wouldn't be a "glitter person" as it were, she couldn't help but throw a touch of light blue and bronze glitter onto the corners of the dark blue parchment she decorated with bronze ink.

Letter #5: Professor Marcus Iwasaki

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Dear Professor Iwasaki,

Words cannot describe how lucky we are in Ravenclaw House to have you as our Head! Sure, you might be a little tad scary at times... but we do have to show those other Houses who's boss once in a while! Thank you for all you've done for us, and have a lovely Valentine's Day!

Completely forgetting to sign any of them in her hurry to return to Cecily and Dee, Aly gathered up the still-drying, glittery letters, as well as an extra white parchment, black ink, and absolutely no glitter (for professionalism). However, as the petite third-year turned to rush back to her companions, she nearly crashed into them- they'd apparently come to join her... and brought all the cupcakes with them. "Oh! You're here," she exclaimed, only slightly breathlessly. "Perfect- I could use your help... I don't think I'll be any good writing some kind of faux romance letter!"

Still, though, she grinned at the other two girls. If only Hesper Livingston-Salinger could see her now: troublemaking, and enjoying it. "Oh, this is bound to be so very exciting! I just don't know what to write..."

Word Count: 1,435 + 1,576 = 3,011 / 400
(Still not done, though- will drop off cupcakes and letters at Gryff table later. Staying for interactions.)

The Final Cupcake:

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@Cecily Quinn | @Aly Salinger

Writing love notes to @Pericles Dralt | @Hanako Tone | @Aaron Jones | @Jack Warren | @Marcus Iwasaki
(in case you're interested in what she has to say, as whether they actually get delivered correctly remains to be seen)

Dee's smile only grew when Cecily immediately caught onto her meaning, taking the plan and spinning it further. It turned, if possible, even more mischievous when Aly jumped on board - Dee glowed a little at the praise, the plan really was brilliant - and agreed to sacrifice her cupcake for a good cause.

She didn't know much about the new flying professor, having dropped the subject after her first year due to an immense dislike of, well, flying. They'd had a short encounter not too long ago during the first broom race of the season, but beyond that, the woman was a stranger. Which was the point, really, she supposed. Professor Iwasaki and Professor Stube would (hopefully) be mostly strangers to each other, too, which would make it harder for the trio to slip up when trying to impersonate her. Well, write a letter from her. They weren't going to slip into a too large trench coat and sunglasses and pretend they were her to his face.

The letter seemed to be Aly's concern, too, but Dee wasn't too worried. They'd be fine. How hard could it be. When Aly took off to fetch some parchment, Dee took the opportunity to put finishing touches to her cupcakes and put them into boxes, attaching labels with the recipients' names as she went. The handwriting issue was something she hadn't thought about. Her own writing was usually a mess of barely legible block letters. If she were to imitate someone else's writing, she'd probably need magic far more advanced than she currently knew. Also, Professor Stube was old a grown-up. "Do you know how to write cursive? So that it looks good, I mean. Professor Stube probably writes in cursive, don't you think? Have you ever seen her handwriting? We should probably keep it short, less room for mistakes. Just something like... uh... She likes his smile. Assuming she's ever seen it. And... they should hang out some time, or whatever it is that adults do instead of hanging out. Do you think Professor Iwasaki likes brooms?"

When she was done, Aly wasn't back yet, and she squinted in direction of their house table. How long did it take to find some parchment and come back? "Maybe we should just go over there," she suggested, starting to box up Aly's cupcakes too, and grabbing a handful of labels for her to use. The one from "Professor Stube" really did look very grown-up.

Cupcakes stacked high in her arms, Dee almost dropped them when Aly decided to rejoin them with a proper amount of enthusiasm right when they reached the Ravenclaw table. The collision was closely avoided, and the cupcakes survived with no casualties, thankfully.

She carefully set them down onto the table, then snatched a few sheets of parchment for her own letters. They'd all get the same type, not like they'd know, of sand coloured parchment with green ink. "Is either of you good at changing your handwriting?" she asked. "Aly, you seem like you write neatly. Hold on, I'll just need a minute."

Her letters would all be short notes, after all, she could talk to these people any time. There wasn't that much to say, except if she intended to pour her heart out for some reason. Which she didn't. No glitter, because she had just made it through her first completely glitter-free week since Christmas and wasn't looking to break that streak.

Pericles first, to be delivered with a lemon cupcake with strawberry frosting, a strawberry and some crushed nuts on top. Hopefully he wasn't allergic. She wouldn't know.

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Let’s partner up again soon, it’s not the same without you. We should knock on some trees before the next stage, too.
See you in practice.

- Dee

That one was quickly done, as was the one for Hanako. He'd get the chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting, chocolate chips and almonds on top.

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A reward for lessons well learned, mostly. Don’t you dare claim that it’s stale. I put effort into this.
Enjoy, and happy Valentine’s Day.

- Dee

The next one warranted just a second of hesitation before she started scribbling, thinking back to a conversation she had had with Aaron a few months ago. Hopefully he'd like the red velvet cupcake with lemon frosting, she wasn't sure how the combination would taste, but he seemed like the type who would be happy to try. There were some colourful, star-shaped sprinkles to make it more interesting, anyway.

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Hope things are better with your family. I haven’t gotten any letters thrown in my face lately, so I’ll take that as a good sign.
Happy Valentine’s Day, I hope you like cupcakes.

- Dee

Her note to Jack was easier, written with a smile on her lips, to be delivered with the vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting and definitely not heart-shaped sprinkles.

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Some sustenance so you don’t fall of your broom again. Don’t feel too bad, even if you were slower than a couple first years.
Been stealing any flowers lately?

- Dee

Then, last, the note for Professor Iwasaki. Short, perhaps somewhat insolent. Signed with initials to not immediately reveal herself as the culprit, although it was undoubtedly easy to figure out with a bit of effort. Genuine, nonetheless. At least he got the other red velvet cream cheese cupcake, a superior combination, that should be honour enough.

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Thank you for not being a terrible teacher, I suppose. We could have had worse luck.

- DP

Done with that, she folded them up and set them next to the appropriate cupcakes (if they would stay that neatly sorted will be determined by the organisers), then turned back to focus her full attention on the task at hand.

"Okay, I'm ready." She thought about it for a moment. Professor Stube seemed rather energetic and easy-going, quite a contrast to Professor Iwasaki, but that would be good for him. Maybe he'd ease up a little. "How should we start? Dear Mr Iwasaki- no, we should go with first names, what do you think? Dear Marcus? And then... I noticed that you have a nice smile, although you don't seem to use it very often. Maybe this will help." Dee grinned a little. She probably wasn't very good at this impersonating people thing, but he really should smile more often. She narrowed her eyes. "Would you like to watch the next Quidditch game with me? Something like that?"

Gemima cautiously strode through the doors of the Great Hall. She staggered backward a bit as the sweet smell of pure sugar hit her nose. She couldn't help but sneeze at the rich scent. It did smell delicious, however, decadently so.
Valentine's Day was tomorrow, so she supposed it was to be expected. She walked further into the festivities, growing more excited by the minute.
So, she was supposed to make a sweet for someone, and write them a letter... But what would she make?? Her gaze drifted over to Professor Lécuyer over at the Hufflepuff cupcake-making table. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, poor guy, but the display he'd put together was still very impressive. There were several bowls of icing in all sorts of colors, and whatever decorations the heart desired. Gemima hesitated, seeing many students already making a mess of the table. She wasn't too keen on getting sticky icing all over her uniform.
Besides, she thought anxiously, Not everyone can eat cupcakes. Some of her neighbors had gluten intolerance, so her mother often had to accommodate the household snack table accordingly.

Chocolate bark it was then! It sounded like a great challenge. She inched her way over to the Slytherin table, spotting Professor Jensen creating her own confectionery. Other students were also there, some carefully pouring chocolate into trays, others sprinkling various decorations onto their sweets. Gem took a deep breath and tied her hair back into a ponytail. Then, she got to work, determined to put her best effort into the task at hand.
Gemima took a look at the chocolate flavors available to her. Maybe white chocolate? An acquired taste! I don't think everyone will like it. It's not even chocolate, anyway... Then dark chocolate? Ew no! Too bitter.
In the end, she settled on using milk chocolate and caramel. She carefully melted the chocolate in her cauldron, stirring so it wouldn't burn. Soon, the sugary sludge thickened and bubbled. It was ready! As an afterthought, she grabbed some ground cinnamon, and stirred a little bit into the chocolate.

Gemima slipped on some nearby oven mitts, and carefully poured the milk chocolate over her tray. She made sure to cover every corner of it, and when that was done, she hurried over to drizzle the caramel on top. She didn't really have a pattern in mind, she just let the caramel flow wherever. Her tongue poked out of the side of her mouth in concentration, and with one last flick of the cauldron, the chocolate part was finished!
Gem grinned to herself as she perused the topping options. So far so good! After a few moments, she took some dried strawberries and heart sprinkles, and dropped them as evenly as she could over the steaming choco-caramel-y goodness.
At last, Gemima stood back proudly. It looks almost as good as the stuff in Molly's sweet shop back home!
She licked a bit of stray chocolate off her finger, and almost swooned at the taste.
No, better than Molly's.
Gemima prepared three bags, attached three name tags, and set them beside her tray. Then she skipped off to the Ravenclaw table. If she wasn't feeling the holiday spirit before, she sure was now!

She approached the table, nodded a hello at Professor Proulx, and took a seat. Her eyes were immediately overwhelmed by the sheer amount of colored ink and paper. Gemima sat there for a beat, feeling anxiety seep back into her gut. She hadn't even decided on what to write yet! Gem put her head down on the table. The cool, worn wood pressed into her cheek as she thought deeply about her time at Hogwarts so far. She had met so many wonderful people, and for the first time in her life she had solid friends, who she knew would always have her back.
Her heart warmed at the thought. Gemima smiled and grabbed a pot of pink ink and some classic white parchment. She held her quill at the ready and began to write.

First, a letter to Winter...

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I hope you like chocolate! I tried my best to make something delicious, and I think it turned out great. I'm so happy that we met on the train that day. You're really cool, and I hope we can get to know each other and become even better friends! Here's to a sweet Valentines day.
Love from Gem

Then, one to Victoria...

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This chocolate is surely as sweet as you! I'm so glad to call you a friend, and I hope you have the best Valentines Day ever. I'd love to spend more time with you, and get to know you better. You're an amazing person, broom racing, drawing and all!
Kisses~Gem

Next, one for Junhee...

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May my sweets reach you on a fantastic Valentines Day! You're so funny and caring, and I'm so happy to have met you. Laughter is such a lovely thing to share, and I hope that I can continue to share it with you! Even if you're not a big fan of all the lovey-dovey stuff, please enjoy the chocolate
Gem

Before Gem knew it, she was signing her name on the final letter with a flourish.
Satisfied, she folded the letters neatly, and stacked them in a pile on the Gryffindor table. Gemima left the great hall with an extra spring in her step. Her heart was fluttering happily in her chest. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough!