Sorry for the irregular updates, but I have many things on my mind…various strange fic ideas, school, homework, theatre, not to mention my 'official' work…like my novel and other original works…and random movies, video games and so on…Forget writer's block, I have writer's distraction…(sigh) Thank you all for your gracious patience.

P.S. - I can't write Ginny. So sue me.

Disclaimer: You all know I don't own Digimon. And do I look like J.K. Rowling to you?

Chapter 30: Twas The Day After Valentine's…

Madam Pomfrey's 'prescription' turned out to be a large Cooling Crest potion and a day of bed rest, but it turned out to be just what Kouichi needed, and he was back on his feet the next day. Half a week later he produced the D-Tector he'd been interrupted with…Izumi's…along with a heartfelt report that Lowemon and Antylamon had managed to get away, the former now recovering from a large bite on his left shoulder, the only remains of the strange snake-like Digimon that had attacked them.

Two weeks later and a new buzz filled the school…namely, the red-and-white heart-filled buzz of Valentine's day, the coming Friday, and the day afterwards, a Hogsmeade weekend.

Which, of course, was the reason Takuya and Izumi waited outside the Gryffindor common room Wednesday evening and jumped Tomoki as the younger returned from dinner.

"H-Hey!" he gulped, being pushed into a small side-hall by the larger boy. "What's going on?"

"Oh, we know what's going on, Tomoki-kun." Izumi giggled. "Or should I say…Tohi?"

Tomoki flushed hotly, his cheeks turning beat red as Izumi giggled again. "Of course, Weasley-chan didn't figure it out, 'cause she's not used to Hiragana…"

"You translated it after you wrote it out, huh?" Takuya smirked. "Signed with your initials?"

Tomoki was now red as a tomato, but he nodded dumbly. Takuya grinned, patting him on the shoulder. "Relax, buddy. We're not gonna blow the whistle on you or anything…"

"We just want to make sure your first crush turns out well." Izumi chimed in, circling the smaller boy with a bright smile. "And I do have to admit, Weasley-chan is absolutely adorable…" She clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily. "You'll make such a cute couple."

Tomoki shifted his weight nervously, mumbling. Takuya smiled just a bit, leaning down to his friend's level. "Look, you like this girl, don't you."

"Y-Yes…"

"And you'd feel really bad if you went through the year, got home and never saw her again without telling her, wouldn't you?" Tomoki whimpered another affirmative. "Then you need to tell her."

"And Valentine's is the perfect time to do it!" Izumi grinned brightly. "After all, no White Day in the west. You gotta grab your chances by the horns!"

Tomoki blinked up at them, profoundly confused. "But…But what can I…?"

"Use this." Izumi pushed some sort of parchment into his hands. It was a clipping from the Daily prophet, an advertisement for Honeydukes. "It's a Valentine's special. Not to mention there's a cute little ice cream shop I found with a friend of mine…"

"But…this is almost filled out…"

"And half-paid for." Izumi grinned.

"Just trust us, Tomoki." Takuya smiled. "We'll make sure you have a great time…"

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

The days slipped by quickly, and quite soon it was Saturday afternoon. As per usual on Hogsmeade weekends, the third-through-seventh years tromped down the hill in groups ranging from semi-organized to completely random.

Not so commonly, given the day, they were also separated into several dozen various couples, heading of for a romantic afternoon. Though it was true that many girls, particularly those such as Ginny Weasley, were almost completely surrounded by members of her same gender (including, but not limited to, Luna Lovegood and one Hermione Granger…) who were chattering wildly about affairs of the heart…namely the mysteriously-signed box of chocolates that had been delivered to her the morning before, with a request to meet at the ice cream shop of Hogsmeade.

Of course, hovering several feet away from this bunch was one Ronald Weasley, slightly red in the face and only a few degrees away from steam boiling out of his ears. He was accompanied by certain best friends, although only one was really paying attention to what he mumbled.

Harry was trying very hard not to laugh, the look on Ron's face was astounding. True, it'd been painfully obvious that his friend was jealously overprotective of his sister, but it never ceased to be entertaining, especially when he didn't even know who the admirer was.

"I'm telling you, Harry, if that guy tries one thing…"

Hermione suddenly appeared next to him, a smug grin on her lips. "Oh, Ron, you're really a bother, do you know that?" she sighed. "You should be happy that someone has enough respect for your sister to bring up the courage to ask her, even if it wasn't in person…"

"Respect? Who says he had any respect?" Ron fumed.

Hermione turned back slightly as they entered the town, giving him a smug smile. "Well for one, he's been very shy these past few weeks, sending her small gifts and little tokens of his affection…"

"Sounds like he's scared." Ron grumbled.

Hermione eyed him coolly. "Do you remember looking for a date to the Yule Ball?"

The redhead faltered a moment, then flushed a deep red. Harry held back an involuntary shudder…searching for a date had been one of the least-pleasant experiences in his life, including all his life-or-death battles. Of course, he knew Hermione had brought up the point for another reason…Ron hadn't even had the nerve to find his own date, Harry had to arrange it for them both.

"Okay…Fine. He's pretty bold." Ron hissed through his teeth. "But that still doesn't mean…"

"Oh, give it a rest, Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes. She turned back to give Ginny some last-minute good lucks (the girl didn't need any advice), though Harry thought he heard her say, "At least he picked someplace nice and not that gaudy Madam Puddifoot's shop…"

Ron sighed. "…Women." he groaned, turning his eyes skyward, and headed to the Three Broomsticks for a good drink.

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

The ice cream shop was a very pleasant place, colored mostly in pastels that matched the gleaming colors of fresh ice cream in every flavor you could imagine and more. It was a small, welcoming place, but just large enough that someone could sit and spy on another table without being too apparent.

It was at one of these tables that Takuya and Izumi had positioned themselves, just close enough to be able to keep an eye on Tomoki, waiting nervously for his date to show up. Kouji, Kouichi and Junpei were at a table just behind them, partially for extra insurance, but mostly because they were distinctly entertained by all this.

Kouji did note, however, mere seconds after Ginny appeared at the door and was directed to Tomoki's table, that her older brother appeared, closely tailed by Potter and Granger, who both looked more amused than anything else. He casually pointed them out to Takuya with the air of 'watch him or something might happen.' The brunet got the drift.

"Tomoki?" the redhead blinked slightly in surprise, then smiled. "I should've known…It even sounds like your name."

Tomoki shifted anxiously. "Y-You look n-nice, Ginny."

"Thanks." she smiled at him, batting her eyelashes fetchingly as she sat down. A hot blush rose into Tomoki's cheeks, so bad he was hardly able to order for them and pay for the sundaes when they came.

"I think it's going well." Izumi giggled to Takuya.

"They do seam to be getting along…" Takuya nodded, sipping a bit of the milkshake he'd ordered to make the waitress stop glaring at them.

Kouichi smiled just a little, but then a concerned look passed across his face. He turned his he slightly towards the front of the store, frowning.

Kouji glanced over at him. "What's up?"

"I don't know…" Kouichi turned back with a shrug. "I thought I heard something…"

There was suddenly something like a high-pitched shriek that echoed from the outside. Junpei snapped his head up with most of the other patrons. "Okay, I heard that…"

Before anyone could even open their mouths to wonder what had made the racket, something large and round and yellow came crashing through the glass window-front of the store. With another animal-like shriek, it leapt up to reveal itself as very animal-like…ape-like, to be exact.

"Apemon?" Takuya gasped, starting to stand. The Digimon suddenly let out another shriek and swung with its heavy bone-shaped boomerang, turning several sets of tables and chairs into decorative scrap metal, as their patrons rushed screaming to the exit. It was right about now that the levels of mastery in Defense Against the Dark Arts came to the surface, as most of the Hogwarts students turned tail and ran without even reaching for their wands. A few, however, had wands in hand and were on their feet in an instant.

Takuya reached into his robe, but not for his wand. Izumi grabbed his arm. "We can't Digivolve here!" she shushed.

"Then what're we supposed to do!" he hissed back urgently. "We can't just leave it here, it's gonna hurt somebody!"

As though responding to his worries, Apemon suddenly spun on one of the standing, a certain redhead.

"Back off, creep!" Ginny growled, sounding relatively like an angry cat, pointing her wand at its chest. "Immobulus!"

The invisible spell that flew from her wand bent air just enough to watch it bounce harmlessly off the Digimon with no more effect than getting him even angrier. He raised his bone-club high, aiming for her head.

"Ginny, move!" Tomoki gasped, tackling her to the floor as two more voices rang out.

"Incendio!"

"Stupefy!"

Ron's flames and Harry's red sparks merged instantly and crashed into Apemon. It knocked him back a bit, singeing his fur slightly and enraging him ever more. He roared and crashed his club through the nearest wall.

"Ginny, get out of there!" Ron shouted.

Unseen to them, Kouichi gritted his teeth. "He should've disappeared by now."

"We have to get that thing out of town." Kouji growled slightly.

"Oh yeah? And how do we do that!" Junpei insisted, mere moments from panicking.

Kouji glanced at Izumi, crouching where she and Takuya were taking cover behind their overturned table. "Izumi, Kazemon's faster than the rest of us. Can you…"

"I'm on it!" Izumi snapped, suddenly scrambling from out of her crouch and behind the now-abandoned counter. Seconds later, with a rush of wind and data, Kazemon suddenly burst out.

"What the…ANOTHER ONE?" Ron exclaimed, leaping back as Harry and Hermione raised their wands again.

Kazemon didn't give them a chance, immediately lunging for Apemon and grabbing him under the arms. "Up and away, big boy!" she chirped, lifting the fighting form off his feet and spiriting him out of the shop.

"Takuya, let's go." Kouji muttered, standing.

"Right." Takuya nodded, jumping to his feet and racing out the back door.

"HEY!" Junpei exclaimed. "What're we supposed to do?"

"You guys take care of things here." Kouji snapped. "And whatever you do, DON'T tell them what it was."

"You think I'm stupid?" Kouji looked tempted to answer that, but hurried after Takuya instead. Junpei turned and stared at Kouichi, who simply shrugged it off and hurried to help Tomoki…

"Ginny! Ginny, are you all right!" Ron exclaimed, leaping over the tables and other rubble to reach his sister, Harry and Hermione on his heels.

The two younger students were crouched on the floor behind their table, Tomoki raised up on his knees to cover Ginny from the rubble. Kouichi reached them before Ron did, putting a soft hand on Tomoki's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…Yeah, I think so." Tomoki sighed as the two of them uncurled from their protective position.

"Ginny!" Ron slid to a stop, gasping down at his sister. "Ginny, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ron." the girl sighed softly, then turned to look up at Tomoki in a kind of awed bewilderment. "Tomoki, you…saved me."

"Oh no…" Tomoki blushed. "I just…that is, I mean…"

Ginny's face spread into a cute smile. She leaned up and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thanks."

Tomoki turned red, as did Ron, but for different reasons. Harry and Kouichi gave him a small Look, then each gently pushed a shoulder to knock the over-protective older brother over a fallen chair.

Hermione, on the other hand, had other things on her mind, staring out through the broken windows at the specks that used to be Kazemon and Apemon. Her brow was furled with confusion. "What are those things?"

Harry straightened with another frown. "I say we follow them and find out."

"No!" Kouichi, Tomoki and Junpei exclaimed at the same time getting some very strange looks from the others.

"Uh…that is…" Tomoki gulped.

"It's too dangerous." Kouichi whispered.

"Yeah, you don't what those things are capable of!" Junpei insisted.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Do you guys…know something we don't?"

"Come on, Granger, that's not it!" Junpei insisted, bristling defensively. "But you saw what happened! Spells bounce right off it! Whatever it is, magic isn't going to work!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed once more, but nothing more was said. The remaining transfers breathed a sigh of relief at that.

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

"Execute, Spirit Evolution!"

There was a rush of blue data and flashes of light through the trees outside of Hogsmeade. To Kazemon, soaring over them with a raging Apemon, this was a most welcome sight. She let the ape-like Digimon fall, into the grasp of Agunimon and Lobomon.

"If he's not leaving, we'll have to get rid of him, huh?" Agunimon growled.

"That's about it." Lobomon muttered, extending the beam of light that served as his sword. "Lobo Kendo!"

Apemon leapt back, kicking off one of the tree. He growled…Kouji began to suspect his vocal cords had been damaged…and through the club at him. Kazemon sudden appeared behind the creature. "Tempest Twist!"

On of her legs connected with his head, knocking him to the floor. He growled again, starting to pull himself up, then Agunimon stepped forward. "Pyro Tornado!"

His blows of flame through the beast-Digimon back. With one last strike from Lobomon's sword and a loud, unearthly shriek, Apemon disappeared in a flash of data.

The three Legendary Warriors DeDigivolved into their normal, human forms, each tired and out of breath. Izumi put a hand to her heart and took a very deep breath. "So much for a quiet Valentine's…"

Kouji sighed, shaking his head. "Come on…" he muttered, nodding back towards the village. "We better get outta here, before someone comes looking for monsters."

With that, the group wandered back into town.

TBC…

My chapter endings always suck. Always always always. Anyway…I hope you like the chapter besides the stupid ending. I think we only have another chapter or two before the 'finale' starts…But I'm not gonna spoil that! (Although your ideas are always very entertaining, so guess away!) Oh, and what'd you think of the Ginny/Tomoki couple? I got the random idea and it just kinda…fit. See you next time!