February 1st.
Thirteen days until Valentine's Day.
Thirteen days until Valentine's Day with Damon White.
Last year, the holiday had been dull. Everyone knew the Savior was at school, of course, but few really knew Harry—and no one had shown much interest in him. Damon, meanwhile, had already been crowned the "Prince of Duels," but his fame back then was limited to a handful of younger students. It was nothing compared to the feverish frenzy surrounding him now.
This year, everything was different. He had grown taller, stronger, and with that came a magnetic presence. Even if Damon was doing nothing more than eating breakfast in the Great Hall, people looked at him as if a living legend had wandered into their midst.
Even those who claimed they didn't care couldn't help but glance his way. And afterward, no one ever said he was "just so-so." Not once.
Especially the witches.
The proud, aloof ones, the fiery and unpredictable ones—none of them were immune. At most, they would turn away in silence, only to find his image etched into their minds, returning again and again unbidden.
Perhaps, after a time, some would force themselves to forget. But with everyone around them constantly whispering Damon's name, discussing his every move, no one could truly escape.
At Hogwarts, friendships could be forged on a single question: "Do you know Damon White?" Strangers became companions in seconds.
But as February arrived, those bonds began to crack. Some friendships soured into bitter rivalry, while others grew stronger, bound by a shared obsession.
And the question spreading like wildfire was this:
How do you get Damon White to drink a love potion?
No one knew how many such potions had been smuggled into the castle, but Professor McGonagall had already confiscated over two dozen.
The wizards were growing restless. Valentine's Day was unbearable enough with couples flaunting their affection in corridors. Now, with witches scheming openly about Damon, the frustration deepened into jealousy.
Harry knew that feeling well.
Recently, he had met Cho Chang, Ravenclaw's graceful Seeker. She was radiant—her smile warm enough to make his heart stumble. When she waved at him, he felt dizzy with possibility.
He wanted to know her. He couldn't wait.
Which is why he must have lost his mind.
"Um—excuse me?" Cho's curious voice pulled him in. For a heartbeat, Harry froze. The silence stretched. To break it, he blurted out the one question he would regret all night:
"Do you… know Damon White?"
Cho blinked, momentarily puzzled. Then she smiled gently, her voice soft and kind.
"No. But you're his friend, right? I've seen you with him."
"Yes—yes," Harry stammered, his nerves tightening. The realization that he sounded nervous only made him worse.
And then he said the second thing he'd regret:
"Do you… want to meet him? I could introduce you."
"Really?" Cho's eyes lit up, a hint of surprise in them. "If you don't mind… I'd be curious."
"Of course! Come have breakfast with us tomorrow."
"Alright," she agreed, smiling. "So… it's a date?"
"Yes! A date—" Harry's face burned crimson. He turned and fled before he made it worse.
When he told Ron, his friend stared at him as though he'd grown a second head.
"Mate, let me get this straight—you like her?"
Harry nodded, sheepishly.
"You barely know her?"
Another quick nod.
"And the first thing out of your mouth was asking if she wanted to meet Damon White, the most popular bloke in the entire school?"
Harry winced, nodding again.
Ron groaned. "I really don't understand you sometimes."
Harry nodded, dejected.
"But look," Ron continued, softening a little. "Don't worry. Damon won't fall for her. He's got standards."
That didn't make Harry feel much better.
"So what now? Did you even tell Damon? Mate, this is dangerous. Do you realize what you've done? The entire school is watching him. The witches look at him like starving wolves—I swear, sometimes I feel like I'm about to be torn apart just for standing near him."
Harry swallowed and nodded timidly.
"For Merlin's sake, will you stop nodding?" Ron snapped.
Harry gave a weak smile. At least, despite everything, he had talked to Cho. She'd even said they could be friends.
Damon would never fall for her anyway. They weren't rivals.
"Hey, Ron—maybe you could help me out? Tomorrow, when Cho joins us, you could… introduce her to Damon for me. Make it casual."
Ron frowned. "Fine, but I don't trust her. Not with the way things are right now. Have you noticed Hermione? She's been avoiding us lately. Those girls—Damon's so-called admirers—they've started watching her too."
"What? Hermione?" Harry asked, startled.
"Think about it. She's been with us—and with Damon—for months. Some people are whispering that something's going on."
"Ron… are you saying it's possible?"
"What do you mean?"
Ron's expression flickered. He tried to brush it off, but Harry, too focused on his own worries, didn't catch it.
"Wait… do you think Damon and Hermione could—?"
"Don't be daft," Ron said quickly. "It's just… he treats her differently. Have you seen him act this way with any other girl? Senior Farley practically throws herself at him—smart, beautiful—and Damon barely spares her a glance."
"Maybe he just hates Slytherins," Harry suggested weakly.
"Then what about Ginny? Or Luna? Both younger, sure, but Damon's never given them half the attention he shows Hermione."
Ron trailed off, looking unsettled.
Harry stared at him. "Ron… you're acting strange."
"I'm not! Just—just surprised, that's all."
In truth, Ron didn't like the thought either. He had never considered what would happen if Hermione started dating one of them. Their trio, their friendship—what would become of it?
He sighed.
Could Damon White really fall in love this Valentine's Day? If so, who would he choose?
The thought worried everyone, even Ron himself.
"Hey—" Harry muttered.
"Hey—" Ron echoed.
They sighed at the same time, then laughed, clapping each other on the shoulder.
For now, at least, things were still the same.
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(End of Chapter)