Disclaimer: I own my plot chars.. everything else, like Snape-for instance, is J.K. Rowling's... oh how envious I am... to own Snape..what a thing..lol

A/N: Story has a few chaps left..here we go...(Don't worry there's a sequel coming)

Chapter 24: Merve and the Sorrowful Seamus

Snakey-Snape's detention passed pretty well that detention night of mine. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Neville, Seamus, and I had to scrub the Potions classroom top to bottom with no magic. It was a breeze.

Two weeks swam by like serene seashore waters. No tests, no dilemmas, no problems at all. With the exception of this lovely black day. The worst day in the year, the day where everyone celebrated being in love. I purposely wore a black, knee-length skirt and a black t-shirt to go with it. This was my day to bring anarchy among lovebirds.. To bring hatred amongst hearts... Ok, I wasn't going to provoke fighting or any bad stuff, but I was going to show my hatred for this deathly day.. Valentine's Day.

Walking through the halls to go to first class, Charms, I came across a living, breathing, real cupid. It was an actual flying man in nothing but a diaper and his curly, blonde hair to make him look cute. He spotted me, smiled, and I ran to class before he could stop me for a chat. Honestly, who like being poked in the arse by a pointy arrow?

In Charms, Professor Flitwick taught us an incantation to make sparkly, glittery, red hearts appear in mid-air. Yeah, I had these back at the orphanage..They were called fireworks. With the exception of making heart-shapes in the sky, it was pretty cool.

Most of the classes were centered around Valentine's Day, (Death-day) but neither Potions nor Flying Lessons. In Flying Lessons, we had the day off to just fly around anywhere in school grounds. When it was all over, I prepared myself for Potions.

"Everyone sit down!" Snape was in an angry mood like always, but I was glad. Thank Merlin he wasn't bobbing around with his head in the clouds over some dame. Thank God he seemed to be against love too. See, we could be friends!

"No Love Potions, no cupids, no candy, no hearts, no Valentine's day. We are in this Potions class to learn potions that will help your future, not destroy it with frilly dreams of men in diapers." Damn! Snape was really on my good side today.

As to spite him, a cupid came through the doors and giggled, "I'm here to bring good cheer. A few special people have some flowers and wishes of love coming to them. Where is Hermione Granger?" The cupid looked around the room and saw Hermione waving her arms in the air.

Before Hermione could get the rose from the Cupid, Snape practically ran over to the Cupid, took his arm in a tight grip, and yelled, "Do you think you could wait until the end of class to send out these lame lovey-dovey cards and flowers? I, unlike anyone else in this school, am a real teacher trying to teach my class the required lessons. If you want to bother a classroom, GO BOTHER LOCKHART!"

The Cupid wimpered and flew out of the classroom like he was about to get shot with one of his own poisonous arrows. Snape-my saviour for the day-slammed the door behind him and walked down the isle to his desk. I was overwhelmed with ecstacic feelings. Severus actually loathed Valentine's Day, the worst day of the year, and so did I.

For the rest of the class, no one spoke a word. We sat and worked on the assignments Snape gave us, and that was that. When the bell rang for next class, a lot of students raced out into the hall to retrieve their "Cupid-Grams," or the roses and cards that people bought for their 'significant other.' It was a lousy way to waste money, if you ask me.

..And an especially bad waste of time...

Next was Lockhart-Poptart's lovely class. He decorated the room with paper hearts that hung from the ceiling, floating roses, candy boxes (which weren't to be touched), and a sign that read, "Welcome Cupids!" What was wrong with Gilderoy? I had respect for him in some aspects, but the decour for V-Day just killed it all.

"Welcome my lovely, little, love-birds," Lockhart made me want to throw-up, "It's Valentine's Day at last. Now, as you know, there are cupids going around the school. I have invited one of them into our classroom today to tell us all about this great holiday. So, please welcome, Cupid!"

A man with dark hair, in a diaper, with a sack full of arrows and roses came into view. He flew next to Gilderoy, showing the class that he wasn't a normal Cupid; He was a full grown man in a Cupid costume that just happened to be bewitched hence the flying. Ugly...

"Actually, Professor," A deep, scratchy voice roared from the man, "my real name's Merve. The other guy who was going to come today was shot with his own arrow and fell in love with his couch. Not a pretty picture. Anyways, I'm filling in for him. I do, however, have some Cupid-Grams to give out, so after my speech I'll send them to their rightful owners."

I thought things couldn't get any worse than seeing a full grown man in a diaper, but I was wrong. Along with his very long, very boring lecture on V-day, he turned around and his diaper started to fall off. This put a damper on situations. Even Lockhart was ticked off.

"Seeing as there's ten minutes left of class," Merve stated, "I think it's time to give out the roses and cards.. Let's see..." He looked in his bag of V-Day stuff and pulled out the first rose with a letter attached to it, "Harry Potter?" Harry raised his hand and Diaper-Man gave him the rose. It was from Veronica, no doubt.

Seven minutes went sluggishly by, and Diaper-Man pulled out his last rose. With a deep breath, he said the worst, "Maranda Maguire?"

I shrank in my seat as Hermione pointed to me. She knew I wouldn't raise my hand. Merve flew over to my desk and handed the rose to me. It had a card attached to it, so naturally I read it. It was signed anonymous, but there was a poem written on the inside.

Roses Are Red,

Violets Are Blue,

My Lips Are Sweet,

So Kiss Me You Fool!

Whoever wrote the poem to me was obviously not a natural poet. I faked a smile and Merve flew back to the front of the room. I smelled the rose...and wanted to die...

"Have a Lovely Valentine's Day, everyone!" wished Merve as the bell rang. Oh the bell, my savior!

I wanted to throw the rose in the trash can, but decided to be a little nicer than that. So, I stuck it in my knapsack instead. Running to supper, I dodged and avoided the Cupids like it was a football game. Stay away from the Cupids or you will get tackled and probably murdered or stabbed by their stupid arrows. Poison arrows...Damn poison arrows.

"Maranda!" Seamus called to me when I was about to leave supper, "Wait up!"

Standing outside the Great Hall doors, I watched as Seamus rushed to me, "What's up, Seamus?"

"Did you like my poem?" He laughed at the shocked face I made. he sent the rose? He made a fat, ugly, old guy wish me a Happy V-Day? GAH! How dare he ruin my perfect hatred of Valentine's Day with a silly friendship symbol!

"Uhh...Yeah, but the lips part freaked me out a bit.. Good joke.." I giggled nervously.

Seamus lowered his head, "That wasn't a joke..."

Whoa! "Excuse me? You mean you..."

"I thought you knew I liked you.." He was as red as me when I blushed my worst.

"Seamus," I frowned, "I do like you..but as a friend.."

Silence..

"I don't believe in relationships, Seamus. I don' believe in love.." My words exploded in his ears.

..And his words only exploded in return, but louder than mine, "How can you not believe in love? Your parents loved each other, did they not? They had you, right? How can love be non-existant to you when you witness it everyday with your closest friends?"

"Friendship isn't love," I blurted, seeing a tear fall down his flushed cheek.

"No?" He wiped the tear and looked in my eyes, "Then what is it?"

I searched for an answer...but couldn't find one. Speechless...Answerless...Confused...Clueless...

"You know what, Maranda? You think you've gotten somewhere this year by becoming a someone from the no one you were when you entered this school. But the truth is...You're still a nobody...A nobody who will grow old and alone because you were too bloody stubborn to realize that love is a part of life. Happy Valentine's Day..."

Seamus walked away with not only himself, but the friendship we just lost... I was left in the hall alone...Alone...As Always...