After helping Cho clean the last bits of confetti from her hair and robe.
Alexander gently took her hand again.
Her cheeks were still slightly pink, but her smile never faded.
He led her toward the tall window overlooking the Hogwarts grounds, the winter night stretching endlessly beyond the glass.
Snow covered the courtyard below, with the moon high in the sky.
Cho leaned closer to the window.
"It's beautiful tonight…"
Alexander smirked.
Then said, "Peeves… showtime."
BOOM!
Fireworks exploded across the sky without warning.
Cho gasped in surprise as colors burst open above the castle.
Green serpents.
Red lions.
Yellow badgers.
Blue ravens.
Each house animal formed from fireworks, clashing and dancing across the night before dissolving into shimmering sparks.
Then another volley shot upward—
And words formed in blazing light:
Happy Valentine's Day
Happy 1st Anniversary A.C ♥ C.C
Cho froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her emotions overflowed all at once.
She turned toward him, and before he could say anything—
She kissed him on the lips.
Alexander's eyes widened in shock.
He had planned the perfect timing.
The perfect moment.
But she beat him to it.
After half a second of surprise, he kissed her back.
It was soft and warm.
Their very first kiss.
Fireworks continued exploding around the tower, painting the sky in waves of color while they remained lost in the moment.
Time seemed to slow.
Neither of them pulled away.
As they finally separated slightly, more fireworks rose.
But this time, names appeared.
Couples across Hogwarts.
Old couples.
New couples.
Confessions that had succeeded earlier in the month.
Cho blinked, still flustered.
"What's with all the names…?"
Alexander glanced up casually.
"New couples this year. The twins and Peeves must've planned it."
She laughed softly, still embarrassed.
They didn't speak much after that.
He simply wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close while they watched the rest of the show.
For nearly thirty minutes, the sky remained alive with color.
Hearts. Constellations. House animals.
Finally, one last message burned across the stars:
Happy Valentine's Day
To New & Old Couples Alike
See You Again Next Year
The fireworks slowly faded.
The sky returned to quiet winter darkness.
Alexander let her go gently.
They packed the gifts and decorations together.
Before leaving, he helped place the necklace around her neck, fastening it carefully so the locket rested perfectly.
She touched it softly, smiling.
They walked back through the castle halls slowly.
Students filled the corridors:
Friends congratulating new couples
Couples taking nighttime strolls
Laughter echoing everywhere
Since it wasn't curfew time yet, Valentine's night still buzzed with life.
When they reached the empty Ravenclaw common room, they paused.
Alexander glanced around subtly.
Good, no one is around.
He leaned in and kissed her.
"Goodnight. See you tomorrow."
Cho smiled warmly.
"Goodnight. See you tomorrow."
He stood there a moment, watching until she disappeared up the stairs.
Only then did he turn away.
He threw the invisibility cloak over himself and slipped into the corridors.
Destination: meeting the twin in their secret location.
The twins were already waiting.
The moment he removed the cloak.
They started grinning.
"Well, well…"
"Someone looks accomplished tonight."
Before they could continue, a familiar cackle echoed.
Peeves appeared mid-air and bowed dramatically.
"Young Master Chen. Another splendid evening."
He floated forward and presented a massive stack of photos.
"I took extras this year. Your gift was… exceptional. Peeves will always accept more gifts."
Alexander smirked slightly.
The gift he'd given Peeves came from his American friends.
Magical "golf sticks."
When swung:
They made absurd, loud noises when swung.
Caused harmless damage when hit, but chaotic sound explosions.
Dissolves after impact.
Reusable and disposable versions alike.
Peeves had fallen in love with them instantly.
Peeves then turned and dropped towering stacks of photos in front of the twins.
Stacks and more stacks of photos.
George stared.
"…I didn't think it was this many."
Fred, however, was already stuffing them into enchanted pockets.
"Another long night."
George sighed.
"But think of the money."
They both froze.
Then slowly grinned at each other with identical excitement.
Fred looked up at Peeves.
"So when are you calling us Young Masters?"
"Yeah, we're business partners too," George added.
Peeves floated silently for a moment.
Then turned away from them.
He bowed again to Alexander.
"Pleasure doing business with you again, Young Master Chen. Until next time."
And vanished.
The twins groaned in unison.
Alexander chuckled.
"Later."
He threw the cloak back over himself and disappeared down the corridor.
Behind him, the twins gathered all the mountains of photos, already complaining about sleepless nights.
While smiling about the incoming money.
Valentine's Day had ended.
Romance achieved.
Business booming.
And memories made.