Though there weren't many more large holidays, Valentine's Day was quite an event. Shiro learned that he had a rather large amount of fan girls, while Konata had a few secret admirers herself. Blaze got chocolate gifts from 3 anonymous boys. "I'm sure MUCH more boys are crushing on you, they were just scared to approach you- even I'M a bit afraid of you- or just didn't want to start hinting toward it yet," Konata assured her as the girls sat on a blanket beside the lake. She unwrapped her third chocolate frog, ribbing off one of the legs and tossing it to Tar. Blaze just shrugged; to her, romance was about as useful as having a pet flobberworm. Still, she felt compelled to play cupid for her friends.
"So, do you have your eye on anyone?" she questioned, hesitantly grabbing an Every Flavor Bean. Konata shook her head, but blushed.
"Not particularly, no… Naturally I think some specific boys are cute, but no way would I ask them out…"
"Is one of those boys Shiro?" Blaze asked mischievously.
"Of COURSE not! I'll never think of him as more than a friend, except maybe as a brother. Nothing romantic. But, say I DID have a crush on him. Look at all the competition!"
"So you do have a crush on him?"
"Blimey, Blaze, no!" Frustrated, Konata took what appeared to be an earwax flavored bean and jammed it in Blaze's mouth.
"Mm, caramel," said Blaze with a wink. Konata groaned, but a smile seeped onto her face.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Shiro rushed to join them at the blanket, Mischief running at his heels. He sat beside them, terribly out of breath. As Mischief started grooming herself, Shiro heaved a deep sigh and used his hands to brush his normally tidy hair back into place. "I swear, you two are among the very few tolerable girls in this school. I had a whole group of them ask if I'd received their chocolates. I told them I did- you know, just to be polite- so they go and ask if I'd eaten theirs. How would I know? They didn't give me a bloody hint as to who the chocolate is from! It didn't even have MY name on it, actually. For all I know, the treats could have been for one of my roommates and just ended up on my bed! Anyway, the girls started fighting over whose gift was the most heartfelt, and who was the most determined to win my heart… Blimey, if you girls ever act like that, I'm feeding myself to the squid."
"Honestly Shiro, like I'D ever act like that. I want to strangle those airheaded girls that do," Blaze told him, gathering up her various untouched sweets. Konata, on the other hand, was starting to work on a sugar quill.
"Seriously, Konata? That stuff is horrible for you. If you eat too much, you'll get cavities and become fat," Shiro advised her.
"The cavities part isn't too good, but some extra fat is just what she needs. She's skin and bones," grinned Blaze, pinching Konata in the ribs. Konata flinched, letting out a sigh that sent a puff of warm breath into the cold air.
"Oh, bother, you're right. I'd never be allowed this much candy at home, and for a bloody good reason, I reckon. I'll save the rest for a few days in the future… Probably should split some with my roommates…" she muttered quite disappointedly.
"Oh, poor little Konata. Come here, give Shiro and Blaze a hug," Shiro said in a rather pouty tone. Smiling a little, Konata leaned over and wrapped her arms around the two. "Happy Valentine's Day," they said in unison.
When Konata resorted to her dorm at the end of the day, she was quite puzzled and flattered to find not more chocolate on her bed, but a small bouquet consisting of 5 neatly trimmed yellow roses tied together with a pink silk ribbon. Hanging off the ribbon was a heart-shaped piece of parchment that had been painted red. All it said on the heart was: Happy Valentine's Day, Konata . Konata felt her cheeks go red, but smiled timidly as she recognized the handwriting: it was identical to her partner in Potions.
The little gift didn't faze Konata at all, especially when she learned Shiro had given very similar bouquets to Blaze, Cho Chang, and all their female professors. Besides, when word was leaked that exams were only a few months away, Konata's mind was wiped of everything except work.
"Konata, you do realize the exams aren't for a couple MONTHS," Blaze indicated when Konata asked her if she would be her tutor.
"Oh, don't remind me! I love this school so, SO much, and if I don't start studying now, I'll flunk out of it! I don't want to be a bother to you, I'll just study by myself until exams get closer," Konata replied frantically with a gulp. She never even acknowledged the Easter holidays, nor did any other students, with the amount of homework they were drowned in. Come exam time, everyone was even more worn down. By the end, Blaze and Shiro had breezed through with straight O's (Outstanding), while Konata scraped by with all E's (Exceeds Expectations) and A's (Acceptable). Before anyone knew it, the third week of June had come upon them, and the students started packing their things to return home.
Konata said teary good-byes to all her new friends as they loaded themselves onto the Hogwarts Express. She had managed to send a letter to her parents through Jakkin, and they agreed that Blaze would be allowed to spend the summer holiday with them, so those two didn't say any parting words to each other.
It seemed that Konata and Blaze stayed in the arms of Shiro the longest. "We simply MUST meet up over the break. Blaze, you have Xalia, and I have Jakkin, so we'll at least be able to keep in touch. I'll miss you girls SO much," Shiro said quietly as Konata and Blaze hugged him tightly. They nodded, too upset that they'd be leaving him to speak.
"Well… Best be going," Shiro whispered as the train whistled. They nodded, then proceeded to the train. They planned on sitting together, but halfway down the aisle Shiro seemed to be caught up in something. When Konata glanced back, she saw a pale, blonde-haired boy speaking to him. Malfoy… She shook her head, reminding herself that the boys had been close since they were very young. It took a lot not to be aggravated that Shiro sat with Malfoy and his ugly companions, but she managed.
"Good-bye, Hogwarts," Blaze murmured as the train began moving down the tracks.
"See you in a few months," Konata added. The girls simultaneously turned to each other and smiled. What an amazing, fantastic, truly unforgettable year they'd had.