Some quotes (from Lockhart) directly from Rowling, J.K, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", 1998 Bloomsbury Publishing, London, p. 176. I won't mark them specifically for easier reading, although my soul rebels against such direct plagiarism.
There had been no new attacks since the 18th of December. Hermione Potter's birthday parties had lightened the mood considerably among the rest of the staff, much to the distaste of Lockhart, who furrowed his eyebrows whenever Minerva, Filius and Pomona would recite some insult they remembered from Snape's birthday party and laughed themselves silly, and so he announced a Valentine's Day surprise. A morale-booster, he called it, for the entire school, and Severus had to admit that although Hermione's parties had made the mood easier amongst the staff, the student body as whole was on the edge.
Severus had always detested February the fourteenth, and he had to struggle against his urge to Hex Lockhart when he entered the Great Hall for breakfast: the walls were covered in lurid pink flowers, heart-shaped confetti was showering down from the ceiling, and Lockhart was gracing the table in disgustingly gaudy pink robes. Severus sat down and glanced briefly at his fellow instructors: all but Lockhart were looking rather grim and annoyed, although Albus seemed to be in his usual good mood, smiling absently to his breakfast and humming something. Minerva seemed to be biting back insults and Filius groaned in exasperation, although quietly. The students were arriving, many of them looking quite disgusted, although many of the females were giggling in delight.
Severus noticed Hermione Potter arrived and pausing at the door, taking a look at the decorations and begin giggling. She seemed to find the whole thing quite thrilling, really.
Severus noticed there was a white envelope next to his plate, and he opened it carefully after casting a series of Charms to detect any Hexes, Curses and potions and finding none. He opened the envelope carefully using a knife he transfigured from his egg cup, and found a Valentine's card. The first one he'd ever gotten. No clues as to who'd sent it, it was tasteful as far as those cards usually went. And although it bore the irritatingly pink hearts involved with the day, they were paler than the lurid ones Lockhart seemed to favour in his decorations, accentuated with purple and blue flowers and green ferns in the background. His first card for Valentine's Day. He'd given Lily cards for many years and watched everyone else receive them: even the brutish idiots like Mulciber or snivelling cowards like the late Peter Pettigrew seemed to get one at one point or another, but Snivellus Snape had never gotten one.
Until today.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted, and Severus tore his eyes away from the card. "And may I thank the forty-five people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all — and it doesn't end here!" the irritating twit said, clapping his hands imperiously, and in marched a dozen dwarves: all looked more than a bit annoyed and irritable, and no wonder, considering they were all wearing golden wings and carried harps. A ridiculous sight if there ever was one, and Severus had to struggle to keep himself from laughing: it would have frightened the students out of their bloody minds. Severus risked a glance at Minerva and saw a mixture of blatant disbelief and amusement in her eyes: Minerva's seemed to be gripping her thighs with her fingernails to keep herself from laughing.
"My friendly, card-carrying cupids! Lockhart continued, smiling widely. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop there! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"
Severus heard Filius groan lightly as the diminutive Charms Master buried his head into his hands, and Severus scowled at the student populace, his expression warning them of even daring to mention the day in his presence, let alone ask questions about illegal potions.
He observed Ron Weasley asking something from Miss Potter, who shook her head vehemently and blushed, before turning to her bag and rummaging through it.
All through the day the irritating dwarves kept barging into classrooms until Severus locked the door with a handy spell and silenced it when the knocking began to irritate him. Blessed relief! There had been two accidents during the first lesson alone when a brewing student was disturbed by a dwarf delivering a card. The other teachers were equally enraged and fuming in the staff room, several of them bearing expressions that promised Lockhart imminent retribution: Lockhart wisely chose to remain out of sight after Filius Charmed his pants to shrink several sizes quite unexpectedly and rapidly. Rolanda offered Filius a butterbeer and called for three cheers.
Minerva bragged about how many Valentine's cards Hermione Potter had received. The Girl-Who-Lived, despite being a bookworm with massive hair, had special status as the Chosen One, although Minerva declared loudly that her kind and considerate character probably contributed to the cause as well. Severus agreed: she was not the prettiest of girls with that ridiculous hair, and though her green eyes were striking, the main attraction about her would have been her fame and her kindness. Young boys would not appreciate intelligence, not at their age, when everything was about Quidditch, food and handy little Jinxes.
"She'll grow up to be a beautiful young woman, you mark my words," Minerva said, defending her favourite cub loyally, like the lioness she was. Severus, remembering the striking, although starved, brown-eyed young woman he'd seen in Albus' memories, could only agree, although silently at the back of his mind.
"I saw you received a card today as well, Severus," Albus remarked with a good-natured smile. The conversation at the staff lounge paused as every other professor present turned to stare at Severus. "Who was it from, do you know?" Severus scowled at him furiously, jumped off his chair and stalked off, slamming the door furiously behind him.
