Sweet Hearts || Cupcake Delivery Open

The onslaught of parchments and feathers wouldn't end there.

A letter originally intended for Hufflepuff prefect (and lovely paramour of Simon Kincaid), @AngelFyre McCubbin would find its way into the hands of another. @Dennis Tumberton would be the lucky recipient of a sweet and very colorful message sent courtesy of Miss @Emma Wynn, along with a complementary chocolate cupcake filled with decadent salted caramel. And although the buttercream looked a little on the... underworked side, what it lacked in structure and refinement it made up for with bling and sparkles galore- complete with a cute candy heart topper. Maybe AngelFyre would have appreciated the work Emma put into the creation, had she the opportunity to see it. Oh well- it was Dennis's treat to enjoy now!

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"To the best duelling partner a girl could have! So glad you've joined the Prefect team, and we need to get together sometime, it's been a while! Happy Valentine's Day! E.W."

Where there were mistakes, there were also successes. @Kiera Roseline's parcel signed to @Genevieve Delacourt would arrive just as anticipated. A beautiful snowy owl would swoop down to Miss Genevieve, releasing the package from it's talons with a light thwump. Despite the rocky delivery method, the contents were perfectly fine; and Genevieve would find herself in possession of a mouthwatering heart-shaped chocolate cupcake, with fragrant raspberry icing dotting the perimeter, and little heart sprinkles flecked across its top. Hearts seemed to be the theme Kiera had chosen for her friend, and it was unsurprising to find the letter she had written was just as heartfelt... pun intended.

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Dear Genevieve,
Thank you for always being such an amazing friend to me, Hogwarts has been so much better with you here, I’m so glad I met you! I hope that we can always stay friends, and here’s a cupcake for you! I hope you like it, I think I picked stuff that you’ll like, it seemed like something you’d like. Oh yeah and Happy Valentines Day!

Love Kie

Following the trail of correct deliveries would be @Quinn Brook's gift to @Harley Jukes. While the sender and recipient didn't seem like the best of friends (yet)- unlike many others sending and receiving letters- Harley's letter and treat were just as thoughtful as any other sent out today. Her cutely decorated neapolitan cupcake, with creamy chocolate icing, sported a charming pair of pink dancing shoes; perhaps telling of a story that only she and the gift sender were aware of.

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Hey Harley,
How are you, it's Quinn here. Your "dancing" buddy. Remember when I bowled into you? Anyway, happy valentines day! I hope you have a good week!
From,
Quinn Brook

Just when it looked as if things would go smoothly, disaster would strike again in the form of another misdirected letter. Where had things gone wrong? Had they gone wrong? Oh dear- upon closer inspection, the letter and cupcake that had been sent out didn't seem to have a sender or recipient name, nowhere it would have been obvious anyway. A little speckled owl would do it's very best to find a worthy recipient for the package it carried in it's tiny claws. It's round eyes would land on @Willow Byrne- yes, yes she would do, the Ravenclaw looked like she could use a little treat. With great relief, the owl dropped the package in front of the girl. @Marcie Reaves was true to her house, and played things smart by picking a cupcake flavor favored by many- you could never go wrong with a soft vanilla cake topped with rich chocolate icing.

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𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌'𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆.

Paige Mallary would be one of the few students sending a gift out to a paramour, rather than a friend. A little surprising perhaps, considering Valentine's Day profited primarily by exploiting the concept of romantic love to the fullest. It was a very clever, if sneaky, business practice. But, there was nothing wrong with celebrating the day as it was intended by Hallmark and companies of a similar nature. Kai Ledger (@Paige Mallary) was, without a doubt, deserving of his letter and cupcake, provided courtesy of his very thoughtful girlfriend. If he knew what was good for him, he'd remember to return the favor to her. Paige had decided on a cupcake with complex flavors to suit her sweetheart. Cinnamon added a wonderful fragrance to the spongy cake, while a smattering of chocolate sprinkles gave it some textural difference. A pine-green wrapper cupped the decadent treat, complementing the velvety crimson frosting spread atop. And while not edible, a little paper heart stuck into the frosting added just the right touch to help tie the cupcake together.

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Dear Kai, the love of my life,
You were always there for me when I needed it. I am very honoured to spend this year's Valentine's Day with you. You were the sun my life needed.
Love,
Paige xoxo

Much like her friend did with her, @Genevieve Delacourt had @Kiera Roseline on her mind. Fortunately, Genevieve's delivery would be a success, arriving to the hands of her clearly cherished friend. The cupcake crafted by Genevieve was a clear labor of love, right from the hand-picked decorations down to the salted-caramel frosting that curled into an enchanting copper swirl. Just to make sure the caramel flavor really came through, a caramel drizzle had been added all over the top of the cake, pooling over the sides in gooey deliciousness. And while the little confectionery was a sight in and of itself, Genevieve's true artistry and care shone through in a little card she decorated beautifully with sunny yellow flowers.

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𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒦𝒾𝑒, 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝒱𝒶𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑒'𝓈 𝒟𝒶𝓎! 𝐼 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝓂𝒾𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝓊𝓅𝒸𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝓈𝓂𝒾𝓁𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝑒 𝓉𝒶𝓁𝓀! 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓂𝒶𝓏𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹. 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀𝓈 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒! 𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒, 𝒱𝒾𝓋𝒶

Friends, strangers (thanks to the mixed-up owls), lovers, Valentine's had it all. Crushes were also included in that growing list of Valentine's gift recipients. @Tracey Bailey had one thing on her mind when she arranged her letter and cupcake, and that thing was a lucky @Klynn Seacrown. The young Slytherin man appeared to have caught the eye of a very poetic Tracey- and if the point wasn't made clear in her poem, she made sure to dot every single little "i" with a heart. Tracey's sweet poetry was also accompanied by a treat that was just as sweet: a vanilla cupcake with cookies-n-cream frosting- which was an objectively better choice (no this is not bias, this is fact) than the mint chocolate chip she had been considering. Rainbow sprinkles, and strawberries, complemented the cupcake just swell, but a small candy heart would be the final touch to Tracey's creation.

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Dear Klynn,
Two souls, their fates intertwined
Bumping together near a flood of cascading water
Vowing to meet at their haunt
Changing their appearance to look unique.

Their meetings short and sweet
A brewing friendship!
Accentuated by a pet’s love.
A vow to protect, a vow to help, a vow to personal characteristics.

Thoughts are swarming
Surrounding their hearts
Brining them closer
At each passing moment

A chorus of quiet mururs
Draws the souls together
As their walls shatter
Exposing their true beliefs

They’re becoming fast friends
Making plans together
Intertwining their fates
Who knows what may come of it?

I hope you like this poem. It took a while to write, but in the end I was able to write it with the help of a friend, but I also hope you know how special you are to me. When I said I'd curse anyone who said you are threatening, I didn't know it then, but I like you. More than a friend, and I know had like two encounters, and this probably isn't a formal confession, but I hope my feelings got across to you!
-Love Tracey Bailey

Although Tracey's thoughts may have swirled around her blossoming crush, she didn't forget to set some time aside for her friends. @Kylie Johnson would find herself the owner of a very nice care package, tied up neatly with a crimson ribbon. The details of the attached letter offered assurance and gratitude, and if it didn't do the job of showing Tracey's appreciation, Kylie, at least, had a very delicious cupcake to enjoy. Strawberry had been the cake flavor of choice, paired with a bold cotton candy frosting that had been carefully piped into the shape of a pretty blooming flower. A sweet treat for a sweet friend, no doubt.

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"Dear Kylie,
Your an amazing friend! Don't worry about losing Tiger, I have him back and he's very happy to see you again! Oh, and thanks for the book recommendations! I've read two of them and I love them!
- Love Tracey Bailey."

The appreciation for friends didn't just stop there, friendship was bountiful around these parts. And you know, it really was charming to see friends come together for the sole purpose of showing how much they meant to each other. @Reyna Evergreen was a girl on a mission, and that mission was to make @Linda Ramirez's day better, even if by a smidge. While her letter was short and sweet, it perhaps spoke of a best friendship for the ages. Even then, the cupcake she made for Linda overpoured with bounties of her affection. Chocolate frosting had been meticulously spread over a vanilla cupcake. Pink, red, and white sprinkles methodically covered the frosting, providing the perfect place to imbed a few pink heart-shaped cookies.

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Dear Linda,

Some sweet cupcakes for the sweetest person alive. Thank you for being an amazing bestie!

Love, Reyna

Another crush confession would find its way into the mix of letters and cakes, however, this one would fall victim to another fault in the delivery system- those damned owls. Ah, well, win some lose some, right? @Nellie Lam wouldn't be winning anything except for, perhaps, the opportunity to evade a potentially awkward confrontation with Dennis Tumberton. Fortunately for her, the subject of her affections would never get the letter intended for him. Hopefully poor Nellie didn't have her heart set on him receiving it. Luckily, Nellie's beautiful cupcake handiwork and penmanship would not go to waste; because @Inara Yang would become the new owner of a delicious-looking red heart-shaped cupcake, and complementary confession note! Talk about a deal!

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A rust-colored Tawny Owl had the privilege of making a very important voyage to @Mellani Miller. Entrusted in it's shiny onyx claws was a parcel from Linda Ramirez, Mellani's "bestie for the restie"- that's what all the cool kids called it, right? In any case, it was an important package from, and to, an equally important person. Friendship was truly the sweetest ship of them all. Naysayers could go eat a sock. Doodles reminiscent of the passing summer months decorated the margins of Linda's letter to Mellani; they were charming and perhaps reflective of some cherished memories the girls shared- but, only they would be able to confirm or deny that.

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Dear bestie,
Today I just want to remind you that you are so special and awesome person. I'm so happy to have you as my bestie.
Love, Linda

In an interesting turn of fate, some dear friends would be coming full circle on this day. @Kaitlyn Connor would find her Quill Pal @Quinn Brook deserving of something pleasant on Valentine's. What better way to celebrate their blooming friendship, than with a letter?! Quidditch motifs lined the unwritten spaces of the parchment, a hint at an interest the recipient may have had in the sport. Kaitlyn may have had a future as a pastry chef because her cupcake decorating skills were just as charming as her illustration skills. Quinn's cupcake had been frosted with strawberry shortcake icing molded into a heart shape; to put a unique twist on cake decals, it had also been adorned with a silly little face. Two shiny candy hearts sat in for eyes, while a sprinkle or two sufficed for a nose. Two strawberries formed a pair of lush, kissable lips- how sweet!

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Hi Quinn the Quill! I love how we got paired up to be Quill Pals. I think we’re so similar! And thank you so much for offering, and from what we did just yesterday, teaching me to fly. You did such a good job, thank you so much. I wanted to send you this to show my appreciation for our budding friendship. Thank you so much for putting up with me in my letters. Does this one count for that, anyway? I have no idea. But, please, enjoy this cupcake!
Love, Kaitlyn

A certain someone had noticed @Renelle Dalton's work as both a prefect and a student, acknowledging her as someone worthy of endless appreciation. Ah, but words could only express so much, even if they were genuine! A tousled snowy owl swept through the great hall with Renelle's package, placing it down in front of the girl before flying off for another delivery run (er- fly?). @Sere Nade's letter to her friend outlined a few feats Renelle had accomplished; the most important clearly being the recovery of Sere's beloved bunny rabbit. As a result, Renelle appeared to have won both the adoration and respect of the sweet Gryffindor letter sender.

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To the amazing Renelle Dalton,

Happy Valentine! Please don't be surprised! When I'm thinking about gift giving, you are in the top of my mind. I sent this cupcake as a 'thank you' to you who helped me found Buddy! I heard that you do lots of amazing things during your time here. You're doing great! Keep up with it!

You mean a lot for me. I hope we can be closer as the time goes by,
Sere Nade

Renelle Dalton was a popular recipient of Valentine's treats, so the owls would decide too. She was even deserving of treats that were not initially hers to receive. @Madi McQuade would never get the letter and cupcake crafted by @Delainie Silverwing. But it was the thought that counted, right? Poor Madi, she'd never be able to taste the saccharine cotton candy frosting Delainie had picked for her, or see the effort she put into selecting a vast array of decorations. Glitter, candy hearts, chocolate, and oodles and doodles of sprinkles- all for what? All for Renelle now!!

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Happy Valentines Day!
I just want you to know this cupcake is going to you for a specific reason, you’re so amazing and I need you to know that. If I never came to Hogwarts I wouldn’t have ever met you, and I don’t know what I’d do. Having you here in my life is amazing, even though we haven’t known each other for long. On that note, I hope we can get to know each other better as the year goes on along with our journey with magic! It’s so much better being here at Hogwarts, but you make me enjoy it so so much! Thanks for being here!
Anyways, that’s all, but I hope you have the most amazing day ever!!

A gold and ivory barn owl brushed over the head of @Reyna Evergreen, it's great wings blew any unanchored papers across the long tables of the great hall. It let go of the package clasped in it's beak, dropping it before Reyna. If one thing was for certain, Linda Ramirez really knew how to treat her friends; the gifts she sent were proof of the care she harbored for each of them. Her assorted cupcakes she sent were without a doubt decadent, but the little details outlined across the attached letter were worthy of much acknowledgment. Purple ink formed a pair of drawn friendship bracelets: a testament to one of the first and purest forms of love a girl could experience- the love of having a very best friend.

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Dear Rey,
You are so amazing best friend! I hope that we will get to spend more time together and see more places like we did in summer.
You are the best and I hope you are enjoying these days, because someone so special like you deserves to be only happy.
Love, Linda

There was an oddball among the mix of letters @Mylo Atkins would be one of the very few non-binary students to send out a Valentine's to anyone. Why this day seemed to be more popular among girls specifically was anyone's guess; maybe the non-binary folk and young men of Hogwarts were simply too bashful, or perhaps they were murkily aware of the kind of drama that could sprout from Valentine's mishaps. Maybe their disinterest was strategic. In any case, @Sienna Caldwell was one lucky recipient of Mylo's thoughtfulness. While the cupcake Mylo decorated was simple (but an easy fan favorite, therefore a great choice), with its vanilla cake base and swirled green frosting, the card he made for Sienna was anything but. A great deal of effort had clearly gone into shaping and cutting the card into a perfect silhouette of the Hogwarts Express.

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Dear Sienna,
Thank you for entering the near empty carriage I was also in on the train, and for being my friend. I hope we stay friends for the time to come and that you know that I'm very thankful for your friendship.
Mylo

Much like Renelle, Tracey Bailey was a popular gift recipient. Either she was very popular among the student body or she had amassed a wonderfully caring little fan club during her time at school. Kaitlyn Connor, sweet as ever, drafted her letter in neat calligraphy- crossing each "t" and dotting every "i" with a perfect little heart. As for the cupcake for Tracey, Kaitlyn had made the excellent decision to go with a tasty strawberry shortcake frosting flavor. Multi-colored sprinkles were carefully placed to bring attention to the frosting that had been shaped into a heart. Strawberries placed atop the cake added a bright and tasteful touch to the dessert.

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Thank you so much for being my best friend. You’re so kind, caring, and you think so much about others, I wanted to show that I’m thinking of you today. I’m ecstatic to have found such a great friend! I’m sure Tiger and Demeter will get along well. You have no idea how much our friendship means to me. Thank you so much!
Love, Kaitlyn

That wasn't the end of the treats for Tracey. @Emiline Hunter also had the little Ravenclaw on her mind. Emiline had been one of the few students to try her hand at working with fondant when decorating her cupcakes for her chosen people. The end product was well worth the effort though! Tracey's cupcake she would get from Emiline was terribly cute, white and orange fondant had been rolled out and shaped to resemble a kitty cat- one the Ravenclaw would likely recognize- and placed atop a bed of silky caramel frosting. Between the little fondant cat's orange paws was a glistening candy heart.

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“Dear Tracey, Me- wow! Someone is looking beautiful today. Hope you like the cat pun. ”
~From Emiline.

Oh dear. The owls couldn't seem to get any of Nellie Lam's deliveries right. Was the girl an omen for bad postage luck?! Not a single one of her packages would make it to the people she had in mind to receive them. Granted they would get... close enough? @Howard White was certainly not @Willow Byrne. Not by a longshot. But perhaps it was their shared association with Nellie that would cause a mix-up with the owls- if owls were even capable of comprehending social dynamics between the students that ordered them around. Upon opening the "Willow"-marked cupcake box, Howard would find himself face-to-face with... uh, well, a face! Yellow frosting had been worked across a heart-shaped red velvet cupcake, and decorated to look like a smiley. The phrase “You Rock” glistened across two pink candy heart eyes. The silly cupcake stared up at Howard with a charming black grin, made from a fondant half-circle.

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Willow,

You rock! I hope this makes you smile and you have a great Valentine’s Day.

Your friend,
Nellie Lam

A contribution from @Argahlon Vexius added to the rare handful of students sending letters out to lovers. A black box held neatly with a bow (had the boy tied it himself? How impressive if so) would find its way to @Wren Mornstern via a very tiny Eastern Screech owl. It was a wonder how the little thing managed to carry a parcel almost twice it's body size. Miss Mornstern had not one, not two, but three fluffy chocolate cupcakes waiting for her; all topped off with a healthy piping of vanilla, and buttercream, and chocolate icing- oh my! Gosh, Argahlon must have really liked her or something if he was willing to max out his three-cupcake limit on her. What a lucky gal. If those treats weren't sweet enough, then Wren could sink her sweet tooth into the note attached to the cupcake box.

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To Wren Mornstern. I can't really express in words what you mean to me. To me you are my world; to me you are my everything. I just want to tell you one thing. I truly love you from my heart and soul. Forever yours, Argahlon Vexius

Self-love was the most important form of love, and there were a few students who would perhaps recognize this. Two girls in particular had set a cupcake aside for themselves, and even went so far as to write a letter that their future selves could appreciate and reflect on. Why so much work if they already knew what to expect when their parcels arrived? Simple really. They knew they deserved acknowledgment just as much as anyone else. This was a chance to remind themselves to be kind- not only to others, but to their own spirits. Maybe, just maybe, it would be wise to take a small page out of Renelle Dalton and Sere Nade's figurative books.

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Dear Ms Renelle Dalton,

I’m actually not sure if this is allowed. As far as I know, there aren’t any rules saying it wasn’t though, so… yeah. Anyway, since we’re supposed to be all sappy in this, you’re awesome and… Just keep being you!

P.S. Fun fact: It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky. Did you know that? I bet you did. Fascinating, isn’t it?

Best wishes XXO,
The other Renelle

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Hey, another me who can't control the lust!

Whether it looks delicious or not, whether it looks beautiful or not, don't complain too much! Just eat this! The taste will still be the same!

From yourself who knows your lust,
Another Sere Nade

With the last few letters and cupcakes finally distributed, the flutter of overhead feathers faded into the sound of joyful (and maybe even some frustrated) chattering from the students occupying the great hall. The owls returned to... wherever the owls went once they were no longer needed- somewhere to rest, presumably. And while their little bird brains may not have been able to comprehend the joy and chaos they had just brought to the student body, their break time was well deserved. Hogwarts was not their circus, and the students were not their monkeys. Whatever was to ensue would be left entirely to creatures with hands. As to whether or not those hands were capable, was not something for them to judge. They did not care for they were just owls, and they did not understand trivial things such as hands or Valentine's Day.