Sparkling (Nerisei, Jacques, Mercy)

With the Christmas Holidays over, Nerisei, along with the rest of the students, returned back to Hogwarts, ready to continue with their studies. The witch's life was a total mess, she knew that very well, but if she wanted to pass her exams in June, she would have to pull herself together and ignore anything that could potentially hurt her. Anne had been by her side, the moment she stepped foot in the castle, and had refused to leave her alone, in order to make sure she truly was okay. The brunette had insisted that she was fine, and that everything would turn out to be lovely, but no matter how hard she tried, Anne wasn't persuaded, and she had every right not to be. Neri had always been a terrible liar, after all.

The Ravenclaw witch had been thinking about Dimitri, even though she had tried so very hard not to. Her trip to Italy, right before the holidays had led to... a series of events she had not regretted, but she still wasn't sure about it. Jacques Clement was a true gentleman, and had treated her with the utmost respect, making her feel beautiful and safe at all times, but he was not Dimitri. Of course, Nerisei had not forgiven the wizard for what he had done to her, but feelings couldn't be forgotten that easily. Hell, she had been in love with the Moreau heir for over a year, how could you delete a man like that?

When she returned from the Holidays, though, Nerisei hoped that Dimitri would try to approach her again. They had, of course, not spoken or texted each other over Christmas, and Nerisei felt completely and utterly empty, but she still had hope. The young woman had tried, discreetly, to approach him, try to catch his attention, anything to prove to herself that Dimitri still cared about her... but he was cold. He was always cold. Therefore, Nerisei decided that it would be wiser if she simply let him go, and tried to move on. Her career as a model had just begun, but her fame was growing rather rapidly. Fellow students started complimenting her, and boys were trying to approach her. Almost everyone wanted to spend time with her, except the only person that was tormenting her heart.

February arrived faster than what the witch had expected, and soon enough, the whole castle was filled with gossip and discussions about Valentine's Day. Nerisei felt like she wanted to cry. Memories of last year, when she had spent this lovely day with Dimitri flooded her mind, making her sad and depressed. She had hoped that this year, they could finally spend the day as a couple, and not as just friends, but nothing went according to plan. Instead, not only was Nerisei not going to spend Valentine's Day with Dimitri, as a couple, she doubted she was going to spend that day with him at all.

And then, jealousy hit.

Was he going to spend the day with another woman? Had he managed to find someone to replace her that quickly? Was this the reason why he had been avoiding her so much? Why he hadn't tried to win her back again? And what if she stumbled upon them on that stupid day? Was she going to cry? No, she could not allow herself to cry over a stupid jerk, like Dimitri Moreau. But she wanted to... even at the thought of it.

A couple of guys had approached her--including Phil, Dimitri's best friend, of all people--, asking her out, but Nerisei had turned down each and everyone of them, not really interested in spending the day with someone other than her first love. Which... ended up with her having no date for Valentine's. At first, Nerisei felt kind of sad that she had not accepted one of the guys' invitation, but after some thought, she found it was better. After all, did she really want to celebrate? No. She could, therefore, stay in the Castle, locked up in her dorm --unless one of the girls needed to occupy it, then she would immediately flee--, and wait for the day to pass, away from all the festivities.

What she hadn't expected though, was the text she had received the day before, from Mimosa. Nerisei had grown quite fond of the young Slytherin, to the point they could be considered very good friends. Which meant that, Nerisei had found herself unable to deny Mimosa anything. So, when the young witch had asked her to meet in the Girls' Bathroom, on the morning of Valentine's Day, Neri had replied with a quick 'Of course, my darling <3', without even thinking about it. What exactly Mimosa wanted, though, Nerisei did not know.

On the morning of Valentine's Day, Nerisei got dressed in a dark pair of pants and a dark red shirt, before checking her phone. It was already 8:50 A.M., and she had told Mimosa that she would be there at 9:00 A.M. Cursing under her breath, the Ravenclaw witch put on her boots and after shoving her phone in the back pocket of her trousers, exited the room.

At 9:00 A.M. sharp, Nerisei arrived at the Girls' bathroom. The moment she walked in, though, the young witch felt her breath catch in her throat. The once, ugly and old looking restroom, was transformed into an enormous and elegant walk-in closet. No matter where she looked, she could see clothes, jewelry, makeup and so many other things. Her jaw almost hit the floor, matching the look on Moaning Myrtle's face, who had come around to see what all the fuss was about.

"Mi.. Mimosa?" The witch finally asked, her eyes landing on the blonde witch, who looked way too happy about all of this. Oh that little devil was definitely up to something... "What's all of this?" Neri asked, a small, nervous giggle escaping her. Nothing would have prepared her for this.

Nerisei's attire.

As it turned out, helping house elves really paid off. Though Mimosa was almost certain they would have helped her regardless. But would they have actually dispatched three of their brethren to her complete service in such short notice, the child would never know. The elf Pepper and the one she and Sterling had helped were doing so much better now and they had insisted the little Miss Clement get everything she wanted.

After giving them a long list of things she would need - they didn't even have to write it all, they could just remember. elves were great that way! - the girl had pondered on what else and half added "And I guess aplace to get ready. If I dress here, the girls will be too nosy." The elves had taken her word to heart and completley transformed the second floor bathroom to an almost identical replica of ehr own walk in closet back at the palace. the only thing mising were her Grandmere's hand knitted throws and the faint smell of Dahlias Mimsoa could always sense around her grandparents.

Along with the closet replica, the elves had also taken the liberty to transporting all her dresses - and some had actually been packed, still in crates from the palace since they'd been sent. As it was, Mimosa turned out to have a lot more choices than she had initially thought. Ignoring all the obvious pinks and reds of the occasion because everyone would be wearing those, the tiny witch chanced upon a black and silver number that was definitely from the palace. It spoke Clement but in a much more modern sense meaning it had probably been given to Grandmere to approve of. And Mimosa's grandmere had fantastic taste.

Changing into the dress, the American model picked out her jewelry, opting to customize the look with green. On went the emerald and diamond bracelet Jacques had sent her upon making Slytherin, and then the emerald broach her grandparents had fashioned in Portugal when when she made the Slyherin team. the green shoes she had bought with Clara when they were in Italy last year, with Uncle Seb's expert advice. the shoes even had a tiny heel because Mimosa was now allowed to wear heels.

the only thing left was her hair, but help was on the way in the form of Nerisei Gerber. So when a knock resound around her dressing room for the day and the Ravenclaw entered, Mimosa's face simply glowed. Everything was coming together as expected. "Nerisei," the child squealed, running at the older girl and then slowing down before giving the taller witch a biiiig hug.

"What's all of this?"

"I'm planning a Valentines' Day surprise," the eleven year old admitted proudly, grinning from ear to ear. "The person I was supposed to go with is not well so I figured I could bring the surprise to them. What do you think?" mimosa waited for the older witch's approval, sure that Nerisei would like this plan too.

"But I don't know how to do my hair," the second year finally confessed, the smallest of frowns touching her smooth forehead.. Reaching into her dressing table drawer, she pulled out the magazine clipping that had been her inspiration. "Can you make me beautiful like you? I want to look really good when I go, and the girls in my dorm are all useless." This was said with a slight huff, as if no girl who couldn't help Mimosa had any right to be there at all.

The witch couldn't help but smile brightly as Mimosa run into her arms. Hugging the small witch back for a moment, Nerisei allowed herself to feel happy. When was the last time she had felt this good? When you had been with Jacques, the voice in her head reminded her, causing her to blush inwardly. Thinking about Jacques at this hour was not appropriate. After the witch pulled back, the brunette had the chance to take a good look at the little girl. She was dressed impeccably, in her black and silver dress, making Nerisei feel so... simple. Mimosa looked extravagant, there was not doubt about that.

"I'm planning a Valentines' Day surprise,"

Nerisei had to blink a couple of times, as she stared down at the younger witch. She wasn't sure she understood what young Mimosa wanted to do, until the blonde further elaborated on her plan, earning a knowing grin from Nerisei. It seemed like the young Slytherin was far more cunning than what Neri had believed her to be. "That is actually a very good plan, my darling. I am sure the person you're going to surprise will be so happy." The Ravenclaw witch admitted, giving Mimosa an encouraging smile. At least someone was going to have a nice Valentine's.

But the young Slytherin was frowning a moment later, speaking of how she had no idea how to do her hair. Truthfully, the moment Nerisei had laid eyes on the witch, a very beautiful hairdo had come to mind, but Neri had not wanted to push the witch into doing something she did not want. Though, what came next took her completely by surprise.

"Can you make me beautiful like you? I want to look really good when I go, and the girls in my dorm are all useless."

Nerisei's eyes landed on the photograph Mimosa was holding, and sure enough, there she was, standing next to Jacques. Her memories from Italy came flooding back, causing Neri to inhale sharply and blush slightly. Breaking her gaze away from the picture, Nerisei took a moment to calm her beating heart down, before smiling at the witch. "Um, I could give you the curls I had at that party, but, to be honest, a nice curly updo would suit you better." After the witch agreed to it, Nerisei made light work of curling the young witch's hair, before pinning some of it away. Using some hairspray to finish the look, Nerisei took a step back to admire her work.

"You look so... beautiful, Mimosa." Nerisei said, placing a small kiss on the Slytherin's cheek and smiling at her. After the brunette was sure Mimosa was satisfied, the duo exited the Girl's bathroom. Nerisei had no idea where they were going, but she would have to wait and see. After all, Mimosa was leading the way.

Mimosa's Hair

Mercy felt bad. Not just physically, though that was part of it. After the full moon two days ago, she had spent all of yesterday asleep in the hospital, fading in and out of consciousness every couple hours. She'd woken up early this morning--around 6:30--with a throbbing skull and a body that felt like lead. Her bones still ached when she moved. But she was used to that.

The worst part was that it was Valentine's Day, and she had let Mimosa down. She felt so stupid for making plans, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to follow through. But Mimosa had been so excited, and Mercy couldn't avoid making plans without looking suspicious, so she had tried to convince herself that maybe this time two days would be enough time to recover. Obviously, she'd been wrong. And now Mimosa was probably upset and it was all Mercy's fault. She'd ruined Valentine's Day.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She punctuated each thought with a weak punch to the mattress, which hurt her more than it hurt the mattress. She groaned softly and squeezed her eyes shut. What if Mimosa was mad at her now? She'd have to make it up to her somehow, but...it wouldn't be the same as celebrating Valentine's together.

Maybe...maybe she could do something from her hospital bed. It definitely wouldn't be as fun as going to Hogsmeade together, but at least it would be something. With great effort, she pushed herself up to lean against the headboard in a sitting position. The nurse hurried over, and Mercy leaned up to whisper in her ear, making a request. The nurse smiled and nodded, leaving the room.


Mercy looked down at her creation with satisfaction. Some of it was a little shaky, but overall, it looked pretty good. She swept the leftover mess off her mattress and onto the empty tray on her bedside table, then stashed her project under her pillow. She could have someone deliver it for her, but she wanted to give it to Mimosa herself. Her best friend was bound to visit at some point. She hoped, anyway. As long as the younger girl wasn't mad at her for ruining their plans.

The Gryffindor sighed and slumped in her bed. She was tired. And hungry. But mostly tired. She felt her eyelids start to droop, and she slumped down even further as she began to doze off. Next year, she thought as she drifted into oblivion, next year she wouldn't let anything ruin Valentine's Day. No matter what.

"--entine's Day!"

Mercy awoke with a start, jumping slightly as her body quickly adjusted to being awake and her eyes focused on--whoa.

Mimosa was standing in the doorway. Mercy's jaw dropped as she fell backwards a little in surprise and...awe. Her heartrate picked up considerably, and not just from the shock, though she tried to tell herself that was it. Her best friend was gorgeous. Even more so than she always was, which was saying a lot. Had Mimosa dressed up just for her? Mercy's face felt hot and she was sure she must be blushing. She couldn't take her eyes off of the younger girl...she should probably say something.

"Y-you too," she managed breathlessly. No, not that. You can do better than that. Except she couldn't. She was coming up blank. And now even her ears were hot too. Why wasn't her heart slowing down? The shock was over. And what was that weird fluttering in the pit of her stomach? Did she have a fever? No, she...oh. Oh no.

Was this a crush? Was this what a crush felt like? She couldn't have a crush on her best friend! This was bad. Mimosa probably didn't like her that way. What if she got weirded out? Okay, play it cool.

Everything she'd been feeling all year suddenly made sense, but Mercy was not sure she liked the conclusion. Now she had one more thing to hide from Mimosa, and she hated hiding things from her friends. But if she told Mimosa...what if the younger girl got scared off? What if she didn't want to be friends anymore?

Mercy realized she'd been staring for too long without saying anything. She cleared her throat, and reached behind her under her pillow, taking out the card she had made.

She'd learned how to make paper hearts when she was little, and she was really good at it, so she had decided to put those skills to good use as befitting the season. She'd plastered hearts of all different sizes over a pink card and doused it with glitter. "HAPPY VALENTINES DAY" was written on the front, and on the inside were more hearts and the words, "To my Best Friend." It was a little too pink and girly for her own tastes, but she thought Mimosa might like it. Plus, she'd worked really hard on it, so she was proud of how it turned out.

Heart still hammering, she held it out for Mimosa to take. "I, um, made this for you," she said with a bashful little smile. "You look...wow...by the way." Wow? Wow? Merlin, she was doomed.

Mercy knew the Slytherin was saying something, but whatever it was didn't quite break through her daze. She just nodded reflexively and hoped that was an appropriate response. When Mimosa clapped her hands, however, and a table appeared, laden with every sweet Mercy could ever possibly want, the Gryffindor thought she must be dreaming. Merlin's beard and whiskers, that's a lot of chocolate. Her jaw was somewhere near her toes.

And there was more. Mimosa pulled out a cactus charm bracelet, and Mercy's eyes shone as she reached out to accept it. She was overwhelmed. She couldn't believe her best friend had done all of this for her.

"Blimey," she breathed, taking it all in. Her own contribution seemed tiny in comparison--laughable, even. And yet, as she handed it to Mimosa, the Slytherin reacted as if Mercy had given her the best present in the world. Mercy let out a surprised giggle as Mimosa jumped on top of her, then instantly wrapped her own arms around the smaller girl and hugged her tightly in return.

"Thank you, for all of this. This is amazing!" She didn't even know how to express everything she was feeling right now, as she clasped the bracelet over her wrist. "You're amazing! I--" love you, she was about to say. But that was weird, now that she'd established that she did in fact have a crush on the beautiful model sitting in her hospital bed. "I don't even know what to say," she finished lamely. "I can't believe you did all this for me."

Mimosa was right in front of her, practically in her arms even after they released their hug, and Mercy felt like she was soaring as she looked into her best friend's face. Their arms were touching, which made Mercy's stomach do somersaults, and she had the overwhelming urge to be even closer. She didn't want this moment to end. When she caught herself wondering what kissing would feel like, she forcibly turned her attention to the table full of sweets. She couldn't kiss her best friend, that was weird.

She extricated herself from the hospital bed, and slid down to the floor as gingerly as possible. Her legs still hurt. She'd forgotten about that. She winced as she stood, and wobbled slightly.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" she asked to distract herself from the pain as she took a shaky step towards the table.

"Where did you get all this stuff?"

"Well," Mimosa began, carefully sliding off the bed to follow Mercy towards the candy table, her face till plastered in perpetual happiness at how well her surprise had gone. "The House Elves helped get the table an the pretty dishes. the Candy came from all over, the palace always sends too much anyway. And my dress came from there too." Once again, the child twirled happily, showing off the black tulle. It was such a god idea to not go with red or pink, now she stood out.

And somehow, dressing up for Mercy felt more... rewarding. Though why that was, Mimosa couldn't exactly say. It just made her happy to be beautiful for her friend.

"Suit the most important bit I had help with, was my hair," the brunette confessed, gesturing to the waterfall of curls her lustrous locks were arranged into. "And I brought her here to say thank you. "Nerisei, can you please come in now," the child squealed, hoping her voice would carry towards the entrance of the Hospital Wing where the Ravenclaw was waiting. the Slytherin needn't have worried, ehr voice carried to most places.

"May I present, Ms. Nerisei Gerber," Mimosa announced formally like she would have if she was at the palace presenting her friend to her Grandmere. "She made me look pretty for today."