One Person's Valentine's

It was late afternoon. Ondrea was taking a break from searching for the missing Zander, though, perhaps she should have avoided some place public. There were just so many... couples everywhere.

That made Ondrea feel inordinately alone. Not only was she single on Valentine's day (as she always was - it wasn't as though she had ever actually dated anyone), but it was her birthday. Everyone but her family seemed to forget that.

Usually, she'd be home during break, especially on her birthday, but Zander had disappeared into the woods around Beauxbatons and Ondrea was determined to find him. So it was that she was sitting in a pub on her birthday while everyone else seemed to be celebrating Valentine's day. Sipping disinterestedly at a butterbeer, the werewolf sighed, dark amber eyes sweeping the faces around her.

She had been searching the entire day trying to figure out where she could find Drea. The girl could be almost anywhere and it was getting late. She would have to return to the farm soon if she couldn't find the other girl. That was something she didn't want to do. It was Drea's birthday and an owl was just too impersonal. It got her off the farm and away from her parents was just a bonus.

Sighing Vette pushed open the door of the closest pub and slumped in, hand caressing the package in her jacket pocket. She got a coffee from the bar before turning to look at the myriad of people in the place. Mostly couples it seemed, out for Valentine's Day. Vette had never dated anyone, living on the farm wasn't really full of dating opportunities.

Her eyes scanned the crowd and it took a couple of minutes before she recognized one of the few single people in the crowd. The very person she had been searching for. Slipping through the crowd of tables Yvette gave a small smile as she approached Drea. "Happy Birthday, Ondrea," she said quietly setting the package containing the white gold necklace chain with a rearing mustang dangling from it, bright sapphires used for eyes.

Ondrea, mind wandering, looked up in rare surprise, smiling brightly at the sight of her friend. "Yvette!" she greeted. "Wait..." The girl reached out to pick up the package, smile widening into a grin.

"This is for me? I - Well, I had it on good authority that almost everyone forgot it was my birthday," Ondrea laughed, turning it over in her hands. "Shall I open it, then?"

Without waiting for a response, she did just that, carefully peeling the tape from the wrapping paper and unfolding it. Setting that aside, she opened the box, gasping in delight.

"Oh, it's so pretty!" Ondrea exclaimed, holding it up so it sparkled in the light. She held it out to the other girl, turning so her back was towards her. "Put it on for me?"

"I could never forget your birthday," Vette replied in a soft voice. She could no more forget Drea's birthday than she could forget Christmas or the first day of school. It was hardwired into her memory just like her feelings and emotions.

Setting down her coffee as the necklace was held out to her she allowed herself a small smile. "Anything for you," she murmured taking the chain in both hands and settling it around Drea's neck. Fingers fumbled for a few seconds with the clasp before finally getting it in place. As she lifted the girl's soft hair out from in front of the chain the cowgirl allowed her fingers to linger just those few extra moments. It was unlikely she'd ever get a chance like this again to be close to the girl.

"Beautiful." She stepped back in front of Drea and picked up her coffee again. "It suits you. I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not." Biting her lip she stopped herself from talking before she said too much.

It seemed to Ondrea that Yvette may have been allowing her touch to linger just a bit longer than wholly necessary. Then, she mentally shook herself. Why would Vettie do that, anyway? She must have imagined it.

"Like it?" Ondrea echoed. She turned back towards her friend, a hand raising to touch the pendant. "Vettie, it's lovely. Thank you," she repeated sincerely, smiling warmly.

Vettie gave a small smile as she stood awkwardly next to the table, fingers gripping her coffee cup tightly. "I'm glad. I mean it took a while to pick it out cause I wanted something that would be meaningful, you know. Something that you might remember me by even if I'm not there."

"It's my patronus, you know," she continued, shifting in her boots. Her mind was flitting from thought to thought and she couldn't seem to string a cohesive sentence together without embarrassing herself. Getting her feelings out in the open was ludicrous and Drea would probably laugh at her, Valentine's Day or not. "Anyways, I'm sure you're waiting for someone, right. I mean it is both your birthday and Valentine's Day so I'm sure you have someone that swept you off your feet and asked you out on a date. Beautiful girl like you probably going out with Julian or someone."

"I love it," Ondrea said. "It will remind me of you always."

The werewolf ducked her head, giving a soft laugh. "Okay, um... Well, first, Julian and I have only just gotten to the point where we can interact nicely without insulting each other. Second, I don't date - too messy. And third... outside my family, I'm pretty sure you're the only one who's remembered that it's my birthday." Ondrea smirked wryly.

"Actually, the only thing I'm doing today is looking for Zander," she concluded, then nodded to an empty chair. "Join me until I finish my butterbeer?"