He'd never tried to woo anyone before.
To be frank, he hadn't needed to. Zander had never been in
love. He was charming, funny, and good-looking. The only
reason Lorcan didn't have girls — and guys — hanging off
his arms too was because he didn't want that.
Lucy was funny, Lucy was pretty. Lucy was a W e a s l e y.
Lucy was his best friend, and this should never have happened,
but what could he do about it now? This moment had probably
been fifteen years in the making.
Taking care to dress appropriately, Zander stuck out his tongue
at his brother and hurried down to the foot of Ravenclaw Tower,
mentally preparing himself for the day.
The Hogwarts house-elves were committed to their work, but
Zander found that they were also more than willing to help
students with whatever small tasks they needed doing. He
never took advantage of that fact, really, but they were fairly
useful.
A handwritten note on her bedside table was the first thing Lucy
noticed when she woke up, and she knew immediately who it
was from. Zander wrote much like he spoke — it was carefree
and arrogant, but also very tidy.
I hope I haven't woken you too early, my dear. Breakfast is
downstairs waiting for you — I made sure the chef(s) provided
your favourites.
On top of the note lay a single orchid.
"Lysander Scamander, you are such a prat."
Sure enough, when Lucy had come up to the Great Hall, a spot
at the Hufflepuff table had been laid out for her, as Lorc waited
opposite.
"More flowers?" she asked him, sitting down. "I didn't think
your brother was one for flowers."
"No, neither did I. Surprises us all, that boy."
In response, Lorc reached into his jacket to pull out— another note.
Enjoy your food. My brother has kindly offered his services to me
this morning, but feel free to give him a kick if he extends his
welcome. He'll accompany you for a little walk once you've finished.
After quite a hearty breakfast, which had, indeed, included all of
Lucy's favourites, Lorc stood up, offering his arm.
"I daresay I'm not as charming as Lysander, but come on, we
have places to be."
They walked out through the oak front doors into the morning sun,
poking fun at the other boy's excessive formality. Still, Lucy did
find it rather endearing. And, more importantly, a little romantic.
It was another few minutes before they found themselves in the
little village beside the train station. Even with other students
milling around on their weekend off, it was refreshing to be able
to get out of school sometimes.
They found Lysander sitting at the bar, sipping a mug of Butterbeer.
"Butterbeer's a bit tame for you, isn't it?"
Both brothers grinned at each other, knowing that the remark
really just meant thanks, and Lorc disappeared off into the crowd.
"My lady. I trust you've had a wonderful morning?"
"You, sir, are the most arrogant, pompous, romantic boy I've ever met."