February 14th was Valentine's Day—and a weekend.
Just the day before, in the Quidditch Match, Hogwarts had defeated Beauxbatons 300 to 100, sending students from three houses into celebration.
The reason it was only three? No Slytherin students had been selected.
Even Ravenclaw at least had Cho as a reserve Seeker.
The hero of yesterday's match was Harry, who had caught the Golden Snitch, though many credited Angelina's contributions too.
Of Hogwarts' fifteen goals, the spirited girl had scored ten alone.
Rumour had it that scouts among yesterday's spectators were already preparing to contact her.
On Valentine's Day itself, the school cooperatively scheduled a Hogsmeade visit.
By early morning, students who'd finished breakfast were already heading to the village.
Wayne entrusted his case to Cho—they could play with the Unicorn or visit Norberta, ensuring they wouldn't be bored—and left Gabrielle in their care too.
Meanwhile, he took Fleur back to Paris.
Having been away so long, Fleur missed home, and this was the perfect chance to return.
Holding her hand, Wayne Apparated several times in succession, arriving at Paris's Champs-Élysées.
As the axis between the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe, it was one of the world's three grandest avenues. Coinciding with Valentine's Day, the romantic French had adorned the street beautifully.
Yet whenever Wayne saw the flags—no white flags—fluttering outside shops, he couldn't help recalling how decades ago, a certain moustachioed man had paraded his army down this very street to accept France's surrender.
"Let's go, what are you thinking about?" Fleur noticed Wayne had been standing there in a daze after teleporting over, so she tugged at his sleeve.
"Oh, just some amusing thoughts." Wayne shook his head, casting aside all those Francephobic notions.
Damn, he'd been brainwashed by Uncle Humphrey for so long that he couldn't think of France without negative associations now.
The historical entanglements between Britain and France were truly terrifying.
With a flip of his palm, a blue rose appeared in Wayne's hand, emitting a faint, delicate fragrance.
"This flower will never wither, just as your beauty will never fade." As he spoke, Wayne gently tucked the rose behind her ear.
Fleur outshone the flower itself, smiling radiantly as she let Wayne have his way.
"What if I grow old and lose my looks? Would you abandon me then?"
"Of course not," Wayne said with absolute certainty.
"I don't believe you." Fleur clung to his arm as they strolled beneath the elm trees. "You only like young, beautiful women. When I become an old crone, you'll definitely kick me aside."
"What I mean is, you'll never grow old." Wayne admired Fleur's breathtaking beauty—it was something he could never tire of looking at. "When you turn eighteen, you'll stay that way forever."
"Ah! So you do only like young, beautiful women!" Fleur pretended to be angry and turned her head away, only for Wayne to forcibly turn her back and plant a kiss on her lips, instantly making her beam with joy again.
Every girl had a different personality, and Wayne's experience with each of them varied accordingly.
Like Fleur, her temperament was the proudest and most aloof among the girls.
Wayne usually didn't indulge her too much; instead frequently engaged in playful banter with her, which had its own unique charm.
The two resembled the most ordinary Muggle couple—though not entirely ordinary, given their striking looks that frequently drew glances from passersby. At one point, a photographer even approached, asking to take their picture.
Wayne readily agreed. After the shoot, while leaving their address, he also cast a subtle Memory Charm.
The photographer would only develop one set of photos, sending it to them before destroying the negatives.
Entering a shop, Wayne picked out several silk scarves and some accessories for Fleur. These items would later be enchanted with protective spells after he brought them back.
By noon, the two arrived at the Ministry of Magic to meet Monsieur Delacour for lunch.
Seeing his daughter suddenly return, Monsieur Delacour was pleasantly surprised, though slightly disappointed Gabrielle hadn't come back with her.
"It's been so long—Gabrielle must miss her parents terribly," Monsieur Delacour said mournfully. Fleur offered a polite yet slightly awkward smile.
Not at all!
That little one had found powerful backing at Hogwarts and was living her best life every day.
Fleur hadn't heard Gabrielle mention missing home even once these past few days.
But she couldn't say that out loud—otherwise, Monsieur Delacour would immediately break down in tears.
After lunch, Fleur considerately let Wayne take her back.
"Aren't you supposed to spend the afternoon with Sakura? Don't take too long—remember to come back early."
She pressed a light kiss to Wayne's cheek. "Tonight, you're mine."
Thus, Wayne only had time to hastily wipe off the lipstick mark before rushing downstairs to Sakura and Tomoyo's dormitory door.
The door opened, and Tomoyo led Sakura out, then placed Sakura's hand in Wayne's.
"I'll leave Sakura in your care~"
Today, Sakura wore a pink sweater paired with loose jeans, radiating youthful energy.
"Tomoyo~" Sakura mumbled shyly, not daring to lift her head. "This is just a practice date, not the real thing."
"Of course, I believe you," Tomoyo replied with an amused smile, making Sakura even more reluctant to meet her gaze.
Wayne, however, was thick-skinned. Far from being embarrassed by Tomoyo's teasing, he grinned and shot back:
"Jealous? Why don't you discuss it with Sakura and split the time? The day's still long."
"Exactly!" Sakura chimed in from behind him, waving an imaginary flag. "It's only a little past two—I'll take him till eight, then he's yours after that."
Wayne's expression darkened as he pinched Sakura's bun.
What kind of phrasing was that? He wasn't some tool—what did she mean by "take him till eight"?
Sakura stuck out her tongue playfully, while Tomoyo watched their exchange with a soft smile, shaking her head. "Not today. But since you offered, Wayne, perhaps we can try it another time."
A spark of curiosity flickered in the young lady's eyes. "Dating is something I've never experienced either—not just Sakura."
"No problem."
With that promise, Wayne took Sakura's hand and left the school, returning to London.
In the wizarding world, there aren't many places for couples to go on dates. Take Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, for example – such a tiny place, yet with just a hint of romantic atmosphere added, it became the holy grail of dating spots for countless young witches and wizards.
The options were far too limited.
So Wayne decided today's itinerary would follow Muggle conventions instead, which he thought would be more interesting.
"Where are we going?" Sakura asked curiously upon seeing the iconic Big Ben.
Wayne flashed a mischievous grin. "A haunted house."
"Ah!"
The girl's face instantly turned ashen. She was terrified of anything ghost-related.
"They're just staff dressed as ghosts. You've seen real spirits before, no need to be scared." Not giving Sakura a chance to refuse, Wayne grabbed her hand and marched forward.
Haunted houses are excellent for deepening relationships. The dark, enclosed environment triggers fear, which in turn stimulates the desire for closeness. The more vulnerable party develops a strong need for support.
It acts like a catalyst, helping many ambiguous couples cross that most difficult threshold and rapidly advance their relationship.
Of course, this only works if the other person already fancies you.
Otherwise, no matter how scary it gets, it's pointless – might even backfire.
For Wayne and Sakura, there was no problem. The moment they entered, the eerie atmosphere combined with mournful background music made the poor girl immediately reach for her wand.
Wayne quickly stopped her, confiscating both her cards and wand.
Screams kept echoing through the rooms – it was hard to tell whether they came from Sakura or the staff.
They entered side by side, but half an hour later, Sakura emerged clinging to Wayne like a koala, nearly crushing him in the process.
The gains were substantial, though. Even after calming down, Sakura kept tightly hugging his arm, making the already blurred boundary between them practically disappear.
After the haunted house, they went to see a film.
The Remains of the Day had Sakura sobbing uncontrollably. Even after leaving the cinema, she was still sniffling: "W-why couldn't the butler and housekeeper be together? They clearly liked each other, but still missed their chance."
"That's workplace protocol," Wayne explained gently, handing her a tissue. "When servants form relationships, they might collude to deceive their employers, so they can't be allowed to get too close."
Hearing this, Sakura suddenly remembered that the boy before her was also from a wealthy family. She asked curiously, "Wayne, does your family have butlers and servants too? I didn't see any when I visited last time."
"We used to."
Wayne held her small hand as they walked towards their reserved restaurant.
"My parents passed early. Until third grade, our old butler took care of me. When he got too old, we considered having his son take over, but I wasn't comfortable with strangers at home, so I arranged for his son to work in our family company instead."
"There were still a few servants afterwards, but then I went to Hogwarts. It wouldn't do for Muggles to learn about the wizarding world, so we let them all go..."
After hearing this, Sakura stopped dwelling on the rules about butlers and maids not being allowed to date, her heart now aching for Wayne instead.
The two arrived at the restaurant, a French establishment owned by the Lawrence family. Wayne hadn't cleared out the venue.
Having an entire restaurant to themselves would have felt eerily empty – better to have more couples around for atmosphere.
For a first proper date, the food's taste mattered less than the sense of ceremony and ambience.
Among all global cuisines, only French dining, with its intricate rituals, was truly suitable.
Throughout the meal, they shared many personal stories. Most had been told before, but recounting them in this new setting made everything feel freshly interesting.
French courses arrived sequentially at a leisurely pace, and with constant conversation, their meal lasted over three hours.
Emerging afterwards, Wayne felt as if he hadn't eaten at all – he'd need supper later.
"Are we going back now?" Sakura asked, watching the fully darkened sky with subdued spirits.
Somehow, this afternoon had flown by faster than normal.
"Back?" Wayne looked at her in surprise. "There's one final activity. But if you're tired, we can return."
"No no," Sakura quickly replied. "Not tired at all."
"Then let's go."
...
Five minutes later, they stood before Battersea Funfair on the Thames' south bank.
The entire park blazed with light, every ride adorned with colourful lanterns.
"One last thing," Wayne pointed at the attractions, smiling. "We'll head back once we've had our fill."
Sakura dashed in like an excited lark.
She'd long been curious about Muggle amusement parks – rollercoasters, carousels, drop towers – eager to experience every novelty.
Wayne followed as they first tried bumper cars. Taking advantage of Sakura's initial clumsiness, he mercilessly bested her for several rounds. On the carousel, Wayne produced a small crystal crown for Sakura, capturing numerous photographs.
His only regret was not bringing Tomoyo's designed outfits – they would have looked even better.
Approaching midnight, they'd tried every ride except the final Ferris wheel.
Sakura gazed upwards, lost in thought.
"After this, we'll go back."
Wayne nodded gently, leading the girl into their cabin.
As the wheel began turning, their compartment gradually ascended. By halfway, London's sea of twinkling lights became visible.
"So beautiful..." Sakura pressed against the window, transfixed.
"I must bring Tomoyo here next time."
Wayne murmured agreement: "After the tournament ends, we could visit during summer break."
While Sakura remained absorbed by the view, Wayne secretly dialled a number, hanging up immediately after connection.
Within five seconds, distant fireworks erupted across the sky, forming a giant female portrait with text beneath:
"Happy Valentine's, Sakura Kinomoto."
Sakura stared in wonder.
"Satisfied?" came Wayne's tender voice.
"Mmm," the girl nodded softly. "So this is what dating feels like?"
"More or less, but life can't be full of surprises everywhere. Finding happiness in the simple, everyday moments together—that's what real life is."
Wayne gazed at the fireworks in the sky. Though such gestures would later become synonymous with clichés and cheesiness, for an inexperienced young girl, as long as the sentiment got across, it was effective.
Clearly, Sakura was quite taken by it.
As the Ferris wheel reached its peak, the clock struck twelve.
Wayne checked his watch and joked, "The 'one-day couple' event ends here. Were you satisfied, miss?"
"Not satisfied," Sakura shook her head earnestly.
Wayne was taken aback. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, you did everything perfectly." The girl stared into Wayne's starry black eyes, recalling the novels Tomoyo had shown her.
"Only one thing was missing."
"What?..."
Before Wayne could finish, his lips were sealed by something soft.