Happy Single People are Losers Day by Snarry4ever
Description: An unusual object makes its way to Hogwarts. How will Harry and Severus deal with it?
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. Only the plot belongs to me.
Author's Note: Story two of the Holiday Series. This is the Valentine's Day story. I intended to make it a short one shot to post on Vday but it quickly got out of control. Then my muse died. Hopefully it will resurrect some day soon.
14 February 1997
Severus Snape opened the staff door to the Great Hall with great caution, knowing that what the great room contained would be worthy of Severus' worst nightmares. He cringed as he saw the room. It was even worse than he had expected. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping the horror of it all would go away if he pretended long enough. He cracked one eye open. Nope.
The Great Hall, terrible enough on a normal day with its hundreds of screaming students (or what sounded like screaming to Severus), was bathed in a shower of pink and red. Huge hearts were hanging suspended from the ceiling and all the student tables had been exchanged for dozens of heart- shaped smaller tables. Even the staff table had been affected by the curse- for that is clearly what must have happened to transform the room. Each place- yes, even Severus' own- had a red, heart shaped plate with a pink goblet set to the side.
It was, as Severus had feared, nightmare worthy. And Albus bloody Dumbledore had the audacity to wink at him. Severus scowled his worst scowl- the one he usually reserved for one of Neville Longbottom's feats of prowess in potions- and stomped moodily over to his usual spot at the far right side of the table. To the Potion's Master's annoyance, the place settings resisted all attempts at transfiguring them to a normal color and shape. Seething, and in a rare show of pique, Severus dropped his plate and goblet onto the rough stone floor. Some of the students closest to the tables looked up at him in shock. Unfortunately for Severus, Albus must have anticipated that he try this, for the settings merely bounced off the floor and flew right back and landed in front of the fuming man.
Suddenly, Severus found that he wasn't hungry enough to deal with this kind of crap this early in the morning. Albus knew how much he hated this bloody awful holiday and yet, here he had decorated the entire Great Hall to celebrate it. Well, bully for him. If Severus could, he would cut 14 February out of the calendar for good. A day to celebrate love, thought Severus cynically. What a bunch of bullshit.
The angry man pushed back his chair, intending to stomp out in a grand show of angst. The Headmaster, however, had other ideas. "Severus?" he called out. Severus stopped where he stood but did not turn to face the man. Bloody, buggering hell. The pissed off professor heard the scraping of a chair and Dumbledore's distinctive hobbling gate. Severus did not move, even when the old coot put a hand on his shoulder. "Please stay, my boy. I have an important announcement to make and you need to hear it. If it makes you feel better, I'll even change your place settings back to normal."
Severus breathed out a huge, put-upon sigh and reluctantly nodded. "Fine, you manipulative old man. I am going to pay you back for this disgusting display," he muttered threateningly.
Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly if you understood Albus Dumbledore, the older wizard simply chuckled. "I would expect no less of you, child."
The younger man turned back around and with as much dignity as he could muster, sat back down, relieved to see that Dumbledore had followed through on his promise to change the settings. Seconds later, a fork was heard dinging against a glass. Severus, as well as the students and staff, all turned to stare at the elderly wizard. "Attention, attention children. First off, let me say, Happy Valentine's Day! What a wonderful holiday this is, a time to celebrate love and life!" Severus thought he might vomit.
Albus continued his speech. "Before we dig into our delicious breakfast, I have an important announcement to make. We have had the utmost privilege this year to obtain a Soul Mate Sphere. The Department of Mysteries at the Ministry has graciously allowed us to borrow it for today. For those of you unaware of the purpose of the Sphere, it is as the name suggests. It is essentially a crystal ball. When you look into its depths, you will see the one person that is destined to be your soul mate."
He had to pause a moment as loud mutterings were heard from the students.
"Yes, yes, it is quite fascinating! However, only those who do not have a current boyfriend or girlfriend may gaze into the sphere."
Albus held up his hand when groans echoed throughout the Hall.
"I know this seems unfair, children, but imagine if you will that your current love's face was not the one seen in the sphere. The knowledge could be very destructive for your relationship. If that is the case- and I'm not saying that it is- you will be left to wondering, I'm afraid. It will all work out in the end for you. Soul mates are destined to find each other at some point in life, after all. But I digress. Students who are unattached may approach a staff member at any time today and ask to see the sphere. But I must warn you that the face you see may not be the one you wish to see. Or it may be someone you have never met. None of you are required to look in the sphere. It is only for the curious. If you do not desire to know, you don't have to look. Good luck, children, and may love surround you today! And now, breakfast!"
With the last word, food appeared on the tables. Everyone dug in except for two notable exceptions: Harry Potter and Severus Snape. These two wizards were deep in thought thinking about the orb and the implications of what looking into it might be.
For you see, both these wizards were very lonely and both hated Valentine's Day with a passion. To them, it seemed a whole day designed to mock their lonely singleness. Neither man knew that the other was feeling the same way. If they had, they would have both been very shocked at the similarity of their thoughts.
As soon as the speech was finished, Severus pushed back his chair and stalked out of the room.
Harry Potter, now in his seventh year at Hogwarts, watched his teacher leave the room in a rush. 'He looks pissed,' Harry thought. 'Wonder what got him so riled up? Maybe he hates this stupid day as much as I do.' Harry looked around at the couples surrounding him and felt a wave of depression descend upon him. They were all holding hands and looking in each other's eyes and just being disgustingly romantic. Harry hated it. He was glad for his friends, sure, but would someone ever look at him that way? He was in his final year at Hogwarts and he didn't even have a special someone. He had kissed Cho once and as an experiment, kissed Seamus, but he had never had a serious relationship. He had a crush on someone, but knew that that someone would never in a million years like him back.
'Stop thinking about that,' he told himself firmly. Harry stirred his porridge listlessly, not feeling at all hungry.
'No point sitting in here alone,' he mused. He grabbed his bag and started to get up.
"Haemaywarugng?" Ron mumbled around his food.
Hermione looked at her boyfriend, disgusted. "Swallow before speaking, Ronald, if you please."
Ron made a show of swallowing before stating, "I said, Hey mate, where are you going."
Harry looked at his friends with a tiny smile on his face. Where would he be without them? "Just heading to class a bit early. Not hungry." He faked a bigger smile for Hermione's sake, knowing she would be suspicious. That was just Hermione's nature, annoying as it sometimes was. "But Harry-" she started. Ron nudged her and muttered, "Leave the man be, Herm." The clever witch glared at her boyfriend, but said anyways, "Yeah, alright Harry. See you in Potions."
Harry almost groaned. He'd forgotten. Potions. Damn.
Not willing to sit in Snape's classroom for 40 minutes by himself, Harry headed back to his dorm room. Maybe he could fall back asleep or something.