Justin sighed, and took another long draught of his beer.

He needed it.

Valentine's Day. A day for loved-up couples around the world to canoodle, buy gifts, send flowers and generally be sappy and romantic.

And that was okay. He didn't have any problem with it.

At least, he wouldn't have if he wasn't all alone today.

It was hard, he thought, to get through today without throwing something.

He hadn't always been like this.

When he was young (perhaps he still was, he was only twenty-three, but he hadn't felt it since what should have been his Seventh Year) he hadn't actually cared much about it.

Then...then he and Susan had gotten together, and suddenly it was one of the most important dates in the world.

But now he didn't have Susan anymore. They weren't together anymore, and God he missed her.

He loved her. Still.

It hurt him every day, but today was the worst. Always the worst. An entire day celebrating happy couples. Reminders everywhere he looked.

He sighed and took a deep breath. And another draught of beer.

She and Ernie were together now. And they were happy.

And he was happy for them. Genuinely, he was happy for them.

Not just because she was happy, and he wanted her to be happy, but he was happy for Ernie, too. He was happy for them because they were his friends.

He wasn't sure if they knew that he still loved her.

He was determined that they'd never find out. He was determined that it wouldn't affect their friendship. He would always be there for them, no matter what.

He'd stand by Ernie as his Best Man when he married Susan, no matter his feelings for her. He'd be godfather to their children, even if he desperately wanted them to be his.

He would.

But today, today he'd left himself be sad. Today, he'd let himself mope. Today, he'd let out the tiniest bits of resentment he had towards Ernie.

Then tomorrow, he'd put all of those feelings behind him, and be the loyal friend he was.


Padma sat on the couch, reading Murder in Mesopotamia. (Over her time at Hogwarts, and the last few years, she'd been introduced to Muggle Literature. Her current love for Muggle mysteries could be attributed to Terry. He was a half-blood, as were both his parents, but all the Boots had a deeply-held love of Muggle literature, thanks to their Muggle ancestors.)

It was already 7:45 pm, but she didn't expect Terry to be home for at least another half an hour.

It was Valentine's Day, and he'd volunteered to cover for the other workers in the Office of Prosecutions, since almost all of them had plans.

She wasn't resentful or upset or anything. (Though according to Michael and Lavender and Parvati she should be.)

It was the logical thing to do, and the right thing to do after all.

She and Terry didn't really celebrate Valentine's Day, they didn't really see the value. A whole day devoted solely to bold and frankly somewhat ludicrous declarations of love? Not for them; they both preferred the little things, the daily things, a comforting squeeze of the other's hand, a hot dinner waiting when one of them got home from working late, a back rub or a shoulder massage, a few whispered words to elicit a smile and a laugh, or the bringing home of some favourite food, a little treat, picked up on the way home from St Mungo's or the Ministry.

Finally, at 8:20, the door opened, and a rather tired-looking Terry entered.

Padma smiled at him.

'Dinner's all ready, it's on the table. We're having biryani and salad.'

He grinned back.

'Sounds wonderful, Pad. Thank you very much. I apologize for being home so late; I wanted to leave earlier...'

'But duty calls. I know. I understand.'

His grin grew wider, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

'I knew I love you for a reason.'

He reached into his bag, and pulled out a tub of chocolate chip peppermint ice-cream, kept frozen by a stasis charm.

Padma grinned.

'And I knew there was a reason I love you too!'

He raised an eyebrow, smiling.

'Only because I bring you ice-cream? I'm hurt, Pad!'

She slapped his arm lightly.

'Well, I can't deny that is a factor, can I? But you know better.'

He slipped an arm around her shoulders.

'Yes, yes I do.'


Michael Corner hummed to himself, smiling as he styled his hair so that it was mussed up just-so.

Tonight, he was going to see the woman he loved.

His brow furrowed slightly.

What as her name again?

What had he told the florist to change the name to? (She'd been very judgemental about that. She'd actually glared at him when he went in to change the delivery of twelve long-stemmed red roses from his former love to his new one. So what if he'd broken up with his girlfriend the week before Valentine's Day, only three days after ordering roses for her? So what if he had to go change the name for the order three days later? Love was love. He had no control over it.)

He sprayed some cologne on.

Ah, right. Marissa. Her name was Marissa.

Grinning at his reflection, he headed off to meet his love.


They couldn't go out to dinner tonight, not to any fancy restaurant in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Not even to anywhere like the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks or even the Hog's Head.

Never mind that it was Valentine's Day, they couldn't go out anywhere in the Wizarding world on any night without being utterly mobbed.

Harry Potter, the Man-Who-Lived, and his Holyhead Harpies girlfriend?

They were the centre of attention pretty much everywhere they went.

Well, definitely not here, at least.

They were in the middle of a moor, in the middle of nowhere. No Muggles, no wizards, no dwellings or lights in sight.

Only each other.

Ginny took a deep breath, feeling the night air in her lungs, glancing at Harry.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

With a mischievous smile at her fiancé, she mounted her broom.

'Bet you can't catch me.'

She took off.

Harry grinned, mounting his own broom.

'Don't be so sure!'


Hannah Abbott groaned, rubbing at a particularly sore spot on her left shoulder.

Today had been a long, long day. It was Valentine's Day after all. There were happy couples visiting the Alley or having dinner, the regulars who came rain or shine, and, of course, the depressed and heartbroken and lonely keen to drown their sorrows in alcohol.

And it wasn't over yet.

Not nearly over.

In fact, the Leaky was about the experience the after-dinner rush.

She steeled herself. There was work to be done, and she'd never been a shirker.

Hannah exited the bathroom, and returned to the bar.

Fifteen Firewhiskies, fourteen Butterbeers, and a handful of cocktails later, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Can you get away for a few minutes?'

She turned around, smiling at her boyfriend.

'Well...as you can see, we're rather busy...' She grinned. 'But, I can spare a moment for you, like always.'

Neville smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her through the kitchen, out of the Leaky into the little patch of garden behind. (It had once been just a mess of weeds and cobblestones, but after a couple of months of Neville's weekend projects, it was now a garden to be proud of.)

However, Hannah noticed a new addition.

A beautiful rosebush stood proudly in a pot tied with a pink ribbon, yellow-red flowers in bloom.

Neville wrapped his arms around her waist.

'Happy Valentine's Day, Hannah. Do...do you like it? I bred it myself...Yellow and red, for Hufflepuff and Gryffindor...'

He looked so scared, so doubtful and unsure.

Hannah wiped the tears from her eyes, and kissed him softly on the cheek.

'I love it, Nev. I love you. Don't you ever, ever doubt that, Neville Longbottom.'


Demelza Robbins trudged through the cemetery, a bunch of bright red roses in hand, an issue of Quidditch Weekly in the other.

Reaching her destination, she stopped, and bent down to place the magazine on one of the graves before her.

'Well, you were never much of a romantic, but enjoy the magazine, Jimmy.'

She turned to the adjacent grave, placing the roses tenderly before it.

'Happy...Happy Valentine's Day, Colin.'

She kissed the palm of her hand, pressing it against Colin's gravestone.

A moment later, blinking back tears, she turned around, preparing to Apparate.

Valentine's Day was no excuse to not visit Ritchie. Besides, he'd always loved chocolate.