The cursed words of love

Not much has happened since I got back to the castle. I finally finished assimilating the knowledge for classes and most of the interesting options during my free time. Now, I dedicate it to keep an impeccable physical form, to improve the magiphone and prepare its production line, and to read as many books as possible from the library. I also started to read the books in the restricted section of the library using the room on requirement to make an exact copy of it.

It does allow for a few breaches of the school rules. But I don't really understand why these books are prohibited. It is true that some of them are black magic books, but most of them deal with alchemy, rituals or really advanced potion. Some of them can even be found at Flourish and Blott.

One morning I was also surprised to see Harry heads to the table in the library where I was reading with Hermione, Daphne, Susan, Hannah and Edward.

"Uh,... hi." Harry seems particularly embarrassed. " Could you give me a hand to catch up on class?"

We look at each other. Everyone seems hesitant except Daphne, who is clearly opposed. Ron is sticking to Harry like his shadow, and he is way less enthusiastic about him asking us for help. "Harry gives up. It's clear that they don't want to help you. Come on, let's have fun by the lake."

I know others are reluctant, but I'm not going to miss a golden opportunity like this to put Harry back on the right track and possibly make him my pawn. "Of course, Harry. Sit down and tell me where you're having problems. " He sits next to me and pulls out his potion book to show me the recipe for the cure for boils.

He turns to Ron. "I'll stay here for a while. Go first if you want, I'll join you later."

Ron turns around and seems quite mad. I appreciate this small victory even though it costs me to give Harry private lessons almost every day I'm at the library.

Since then, a small study group has formed around my table in the library. First of all, Daphne and Hermione are almost always present. Then there is Susan, who is often accompanied by Hannah, and Megan from time to time. And Edward and Blaise come when they have homework to do. The only two who are never there at the same time are Harry and Draco who comes in turn. I kind of suspect that Draco is joining us just to bother Harry.

Today is Valentine's Day. Strangely, the others avoid me and leave me sitting alone with several free places between me and the nearest Slytherin.

I continue my lunch quietly when the morning mail arrives. Many letters and chocolates arrive near the popular boys and girls of the school. I suddenly see a shadow flying over my head before I hear a package fall next to me with a thud. I look up at the entrance in the ceiling the owls use to enter, and I can see fifty or so of these damned birds fixing me. I'm sure I saw the equivalent of a vicious smile on the face of some of them!

I hide under the table while a rain of letters, gifts and chocolate is crashing on the ground all around me. When the calm seems to return, I take my head out of my hiding place to see everyone in the great hall watching me while laughing.

"That's some deadly love letters." I start picking up the packages while trying to maintain what little dignity I have left.

I gather the packages and letters, cramming them next to me on the table. So as not to end up like Ron with Romilda, I decide to cast a spell to detect the presence of a potion on each box. Fortunately for me, none of them seem to contain any. I open a box of chocolate and start reading the letters while nibbling on the chocolates.

Most of them are signed by <an admirer from "insert the name of a house">, but others more daring, bears the name of their sender. It's kind of strange for me to be the target of so many girls' affection without having to make a special effort. I used to be a normal guy who spent his time trying to seduce a girl while partying with my friends in order to either bring her home or build a more lasting relationship with her. And like all normal guys, I got ignored more often than I got a real phone number. I don't know if it's just because of my velaa blood, but it's quite a pleasant feeling.

"Haha, it was as fun as we predicted." Edward and Blaise come sit next to me and take some chocolate from the pile in front of us.

"Did you know this was going to happen?"

"I'm surprised you didn't know. There were several rumors that girls were going to send you chocolates. But it's true that I didn't expect there to be that many." I count the packages at a glance, there must be some after about 50 I would say.

"It's true that I don't pay much attention to rumors. I'm way too busy for that. But it's still pretty extreme. I hope I don't get it every year or I'm really going to die."

I was about to take another chocolate when a hand grabbed mine to prevent me from. I was about to protest, but when I turn around, I come across the coldest look I have ever seen emanating from Daphne. Edward and Blaise don't say a word, and like them, I focus on my plate.

Daphne sort the packages one by one while throwing them in the fire by adding a comment in the passage. "Whore, bitch, slut, slut, bitch,..." At the end of her sorting, she gives me back a single package wrapped in green paper. "You can keep this one."

I don't really understand what's going on with her, but she scares us enough that I just take the package without saying a word. There is no word or indication of its sender on the package. It contains an assortment of praline, I eat one and they're pretty good.

She seems to calm down a bit when she sees me eating the chocolate and sit down with us.

"You could have given them to us instead of burning them." Daphne is staring daggers at Edward, who seems to shrink on his seat "... or no chocolate is fine too."

Edward, Blaise and I look at each other without saying anything and focus on our plates. I don't really know why she's so angry for some chocolates.

We quickly eat our lunch with the guys before slipping away while Daphne continues to stare at the girls at the different tables. We end up finding a quiet corner in the park of the castle where we eat the pralines while talking.

"What is happening to Daphne today? I don't think I've ever seen her so angry." I was really shocked and a bit afraid of her behavior at the table. I wonder what went through her head.

"The girls are all crazy. I'll never understand what's going on in their heads. One day they talk to you like nothing happened, and the next day they avoid you like the plague." Blaise is still young, but I admit that I too sometimes have trouble understanding what goes through their heads.

"It seems obvious to me." Blaise and I turn our heads towards Edward.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, in some species of antelopes, it's the females that chase after the males that they like. And if two females covet the same male, it can generate conflict."

"You mean Daphne... likes me?" It's too early, way too early. In a few years, why not. But she's barely eleven. Nope, no romantic relationships until the girls are 15 or 16, I will absolutely not change my mind on that.

"I think it's pretty obvious. The way she follows you everywhere, the fact that you're always in the same group in class, and today how she just threw gifts from her opponents so that you only have hers."

"Wait, are the chocolates we are eating her?" I didn't think she was gonna send me any. She doesn't really seem like the kind of girl whose really into sentimental shit like that.

"Yes, I saw her, wrapping it in the common room the other day."

Fuck, I didn't expect love problems to start before the beginning of the Vampire Diaries events.