The months came and went seemingly overnight. Christmas wasn't much of an event- Sakura spent her winter break with Satoshi, while Shiro was only with his family for half of it. For the first few days, he stayed with Konata and Blaze at the Verdent household. Mr. Verdent ended up making him sleep on the floor when he caught him snogging Konata under mistletoe in her bedroom. Apparation lessons were also available now for anyone who would be 17 by the following August; however, Shiro refused to sign up for them since Konata wouldn't turn 17 until September and he wanted to learn with her.
January was even more uneventful, except that Blaze started to become more solo than usual. Still, Shiro, Konata, and Sakura were too involved in their schoolwork and relationships to notice her increasing absences. It was February when the issue made itself known. Well, more like Ron made the issue known.
"Shiro, Konata, I- Oh, blimey, didn't realize you're busy…" Ron had been searching for the couple, and didn't bother to ask what they were doing as he asked around for their location. Consequently, he ran upon Shiro and Konata giggling and snuggling over their textbooks. His ears turned red and he stared at the ground as the flustered Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff situated themselves into normal positions. "E-er, I just… Have you noticed that your friend Blaze hasn't been around as much?" Ron murmured. Konata tilted her head.
"Oh, hey… Come to think of it, yeah…" Her eyes widened. "Everything's okay, right…?"
"Yeah, yeah, I mean, probably… It's just that, Harry and I have noticed that she's been standing outside the Room of Requirement more than once. You might wanna make sure she's alright…" Before anything else on the topic could be said, the red haired boy swept off. Konata bit her lip, turning to face Shiro.
"Room of Requirement? I wonder what she's, y'know, requiring?" she pondered. Shiro shrugged.
"Dunno… Maybe it's just been a coincidence that they've seen her there… I guess we shouldn't think too much into it. Besides, we could always ask her," he reasoned. Konata nodded her agreement, sliding a notebook out of her bag. "Hey, you've been taking that thing out a lot… What's it for?" Shiro questioned, bending over to get a look at its pages. However, Konata held it against her chest, concealing it from sight. She stuck out her tongue.
"What if I don't want you to see it, you snoot?" She grinned and loosened her grip on the book. "Lately I've taken an interest in writing. Apparently I'm kinda good at it… I've got some drafts, and ideas, and summaries, and doodles in here," she explained.
"Do you? Hm, brilliant! What types of stories do you have planned?"
Konata lay on her back, flipping absently through the notebook's pages. "A few topics that I think would make good non-fiction books, but mostly romance… There's romantic comedy, and dramatic romance too." She smirked. "I've even started forming a boy love novel- you know: yaoi, gay love, whatever you wanna call it…" She sat up and mischievously poked her boyfriend's nose. "And the main lovers are a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw named Drake and Shaun. They're totally not based off of anyone I know, no way…"
Shiro's face flushed pink. "You're evil, you are," he muttered, a grin seeping onto his lips.
The current topic in mind, it was almost as if Ron had never been there and they'd never acknowledged that Blaze was spotted by the Room of Requirement on multiple occasions. This fact was almost erased from their thoughts as Blaze was still her normal self and their study buddy when they asked her to be. Although, come February thirteenth, the couple was sharply reminded of Blaze's almost unnoticed disappearances, plus they learned the reason behind them.
"So, Blaze, I was thinking… Shocker, right?" Konata chuckled under her breath at her own feeble humor, adjusting the position of her arms so Tar could crawl over her. Mischief sat curled up on Shiro's lap, her eyes intently following the rat's every movement. "Shiro and I are gonna have a lot more Valentine's Days together, but come graduation, we might not see you that much anymore. That being said, I figured we should spend every holiday together, the three of us. And since you're, y'know, single, I thought we could shove the romance of Valentine's Day to the back of our minds."
Smiling to herself, Blaze silently continued doodling on a spare piece of parchment. An expression that said she had made her mind up about something appeared on her face, and she rolled up her paper. "That sounds great. But, I might as well tell you… I'm not single."
While Konata's hands flew to her mouth, Shiro choked on air. "WHAT! When did this happen? Who are you dating!" Shiro demanded, sounding much like an overprotective father.
Looking around to make sure nobody could overhear, Blaze leaned forward, grinning like a pleased school girl, and whispered: "Draco Malfoy." A shocked grin stretched across Konata's face; Shiro, however, looked devastated.
"Blaze… This isn't funny. Come on, we're your friends, you can tell us," Shiro murmured slowly and steadily. Blaze's smile faltered, and the sparkle in her eye dimmed slightly.
"I'm not joking. He's really truly my boyfriend. I've been going to the Room of Requirement-"
"-to make out with him?" Konata interrupted, her face lighting up rambunctiously. Shiro could have sworn he saw her fingers inch toward the tip of her notebook. Irritation washed over Blaze's face, and she groaned very quietly in her throat.
"Konata, PLEASE. I've been going to the Room of Requirement- er, by the Room of Requirement-because Draco has a little mission he has to fulfill, and I've agreed to help him."
A strange noise that was a combination of a squeak, gasp, and moan erupted through Shiro's semi-parted lips. "Blaze! Don't you-?" He looked around frantically, and even though he was aware the trio was alone, he moved so close to Blaze that they could barely budge. "Look, I didn't want to tell anyone because I am somewhat still friends with Draco, but… Blaze, do you know why he's been disappearing so often? Why he's given up his prefect duties? Why he's called in sick for Quidditch? It's because he's a-"
"Death Eater, I know." To most people, the casualness of her tone would be revolting.
"Yet you're still helping him with this little 'mission' of his! Do you even know what the mission is?" Shiro hissed.
"Yes I'm helping him! No, I don't know what the job he's doing is… Listen, though. You know I wouldn't be stupid enough to help him do something that I know nothing about, but this situation is unique. He told me that if he doesn't succeed… Voldemort- oh man up, you two- will kill him, and I'm positive he's sincere about that. Don't ask how I know, I just do. I'd be willing to do anything to save him." Her voice increased its pitch. "Guys, he loves me! Yes, he's a manipulative little liar, but I may have spilled some truth serum into his drink over the summer…" At this point, Blaze was so determined to explain everything that she was actually quivering. "Frankly, I love him too, so please, just, trust me on this one!"
For a few incredibly tense seconds, it was silent. "Of course we trust you, Blaze… If you're happy, we're happy," Konata breathed, patting her friend's hand. Blaze smiled, yet only for a fraction of a second, for she caught glimpse of Shiro glaring at her.
"Konata, love, for once you can't speak for the both of us. I don't trust her. Blaze, I never thought the day would come that you were a complete idiot," he snarled.
Blaze looked a mixture of shocked and disgusted. "Idiot? Oh, you did NOT just call me an idiot. Following my instincts doesn't make me an IDIOT, Shiro! Even if this blows up in my face, it doesn't make me dumb!"
"Riskily falling in love with a boy? That's bad instincts. Falling in love with a malicious, lying under-aged Death Eater? That requires brains, thus making you stupid," Shiro insisted in a dangerous tone.
"Yeah, thanks for the advice Mummy, I'll be a good girl," Blaze responded sarcastically. "I appreciate that you're caring about me, but stay OUT of my love life, you hear me?"
"Oh, I hear you, but it's making no bloody sense. You're making a big mistake, Blaze."
"You don't know that. You're just being obnoxious."
"I'm just trying to help!"
"Well it's not working!"
Shiro cried out wordlessly, stomping to his feet (which knocked Mischief off his lap, making her hiss) and yanking Konata to hers. "Whatever. When he breaks your heart and kills you before you can mend it, don't expect me to feel bad for you."
"I don't need your sympathy anyway," Blaze growled. She stood angrily, made a haughty turn, and strode off, leaving Konata to stare sympathetically at her back as Shiro dragged her away with his cat trotting at his heels.
Before storming off to bed, Shiro had given Konata an unaffectionate kiss and told her they could have a date alone tomorrow, and that he'd supply her with more details later. Nevertheless, he spent the entire following day in an irritated silence and once classes ended, he was nowhere to be seen. Blaze, too, was being more unsocial than usual.
"Er, Luna?" Konata called that evening, trying not to think too much of the fact that the blonde Ravenclaw was swatting gently at the air around her. She tilted her head far to her right in acknowledgement of Konata's presence. "Um… Have you seen Shiro?"
"Oh, yes, I saw him heading up to the library… You may want to leave him be though, he looked quite angry," she responded casually in that dreamy voice of hers. Konata murmured her thanks and dashed off to the library.
She closed the door behind her once she arrived, making sure to do so without a sound. She was struck dumb for a moment when she looked around the library. It was more packed than she'd ever seen it, but it was so utterly silent she never would have guessed the large amount of people. As she cautiously stepped around all the students, she recognized most of them as people that were single. She felt her heart turn icy in her chest, and had to remind herself that Shiro was probably still recovering from his fight with Blaze and had completely forgotten he told her they would spend the day together.
It took a while, but Konata finally found her boyfriend. He was sitting not in a chair but on the floor, facing a bookshelf. In his hands was a complex-looking book entitled Dreadful Denizens of the Deep. Hesitantly, Konata kneeled behind him. Very slowly, she reached out and wrapped her arms around the brown haired boy's stomach. He barely even flinched.
"Hello, my dear prefect..." she whispered. Shiro didn't move. "Is that a good book?"
"Not sure. I've reread the same line at least 12 times..." A small smile formed on his lips. "I'm glad you're here, though, love."
Blushing slightly, Konata closed her eyes and hugged him tighter. "Happy Valentine's Day," they told each other softly.
"I'm sorry I've been such a git today… I just-"
"Nuh uh uh, no apologizing," Konata interrupted, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. "It's done and over with, let's just… Go find a place to be alone." Shiro nodded and began to reply, but Madam Pince had come over and scolded them for talking. As a result, Shiro put his book back on the shelf, grabbed Konata's hand, and exited the library.
That night, Konata went to bed grinning distractedly, having just snogged and shared chocolates with Shiro. I wonder if Blaze and Draco had a romantic Valentine's Day too, she wondered vaguely as she pulled on her nightgown. She had no idea that Blaze had spent the holiday naively guarding her boyfriend as he worked on a sinister plan that could lead to the downfall of Hogwarts. The two blondes were both mutually positive of a couple things: this plan must succeed if Draco was to keep his life, and that despite everything, they were unconditionally in love with each other.