Valentine Daze

Valentine Daze

As the February days grinded on, Severus Snape grew more and more aware that he was not a happy person. Friendless and alone as he had been all his life, working at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry just wasn't all he had hoped for.

He loved making potions, but it just wasn't as exciting as he wanted it to be. If only he could get appointed as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, he might find that elusive bit of satisfaction he currently lacked. Or if only he could find that special person - a friend - perhaps more than a friend - with whom he could spend those quiet moments in his dungeon, his heart might be a little fuller. And there was that intolerable racket the blasted Merpeople created with their singing. And of course - Potter. That little brat didn't seem to think that rules applied to him, but he always seemed to be heaped with accolades for accomplishing some new brilliant task. More than anything, Snape loathed Harry Potter.

On Valentine's Day, Snape strode into the Great Hall for breakfast. Taking his seat at the head table, he found himself in the distasteful position of having to make conversation with Hagrid.

"Mornin', Professor Snape," said Hagrid who was beaming at the Potions Master. "Professor Sprout tells me the giant cabbages are comin' along nicely. She says t' thank you for the flesh-eating slug repellent potion you gave her. Makes the little buggers into purple goo on the spot, it does."

"Lovely," snarled Snape, sinking lower in his chair and staring at the table. "Will you pass the bangers, please?" Snape didn't look up from his plate and continued to scowl most unpleasantly hoping to convey his miserable mood to the grounds keeper.

"Hermione Granger turned in the most amazin' paper on Flobberworms yesterday," continued Hagrid while passing Snape a plate piled high with delicious smelling breakfast sausages. "Turns out, they don't like lettuce. They prefer sausage grease. I bet a plate like this would keep 'em goin' for ages!"

The thought of Flobberworms thriving in the plate of sausage turned the Potions master's stomach. Pushing the plate back toward Hagrid, Snape said, "Um - no thanks. I've managed to lose my appetite." And with that, he rose from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall in a rapidly growing rage.

Snape didn't care much for Hagrid in general. But the constant reminder that Hagrid could hold the job that best suited his temperament of love of "interesting" animals - the Care of Magical Creatures post - just made Snape all the more angry today. If only Snape could convince Dumbledore to finally let him teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, perhaps his sour outlook on life might change.

Stomping to the dungeons, with his face twisted into worse than his usual glower, Snape ran into a pair of Slytherin students on the stair. They seemed to be joined at the lips by what he thought must have been a permanent sticking charm.

"Malfoy! Parkinson! What do you think you are doing?" Snape bellowed at the pair.

They parted with a squelching sound. "Well, professor - it is Valentine's Day. We were just ... um ... exchanging our...." Pansy Parkinson stammered.

"Silence, idiot girl!" spat Snape who was now baring his teeth at the pair as though he wanted to bite them. "I have already been put off my breakfast this morning. After this display, I don't think I will be able to eat all day. Five points will have to be taken from Gryff ... er ... Slytherin - for this disgusting display of sentimental tripe. Now get out of my way!"

He thought about how he almost took points from Gryffindor out of habit. "Insufferable gits!" he thought. "The Weasleys ... and of course Potter ... and ..." He stopped walking as he contemplated how horrible it was to be surrounded by students who felt rules were optional or thought they knew everything. He finished his thought, "And Granger!" He shuddered.

Snape's day was going very badly indeed. It was enough to have to coexist in the same school with that know-it-all Granger child whose expertise seemed to have now extended to the disgusting eating habits of Flobberworms. But on top of that, to have to come across couples who were happy together was just too much.

Slamming the door to his office and taking a seat behind his desk, Snape's mind began to wander back to his days as a student. And as was often the case when he thought of the old days, his memories came to rest on Lily Evans. She was brilliant at making potions and she had those dazzling green eyes. She had even, once or twice, been nice to him.

Snape thought of the improvements Evans had made to standard recipe for the Draught of Living Death potion that had won her special marks from their now retired professor, Horace Slughorn. He remembered carefully scribbling down her thoughts on several potions in the margins of his copy of Advanced Potion Making. If only he had told her how much he liked her, he thought to himself. Maybe she wouldn't have ended up with that James Potter imbecile.

"A little bit of skill on the Quidditch Pitch and she thinks he can do no wrong!" simpered Snape in the depths of his brain. "It's probably what afflicts that Parkinson girl too! Delusional - that's what they are. Students these days think they know what it is to love someone," thought Snape. "They have no idea what monumental disappointment is lying in wait for them."

Then, song began to creep through the walls of his dungeon office. "Oh bloody hell. What now?" said Snape aloud, to no one in particular, as he was alone. "Those insufferable Merpeople. Why must they go on singing like that?"

The sound that was now torturing the disgruntled teacher was a Valentine's Day song being sung by the Merpeople who inhabited the lake above Snape's office.

Love flows like the daily tide

It keeps us whole and warm inside

Up on the ground you will not know

That on this day Merpeople glow

And so we sing our song to thee

On bended fin not bended knee

Hear our lyrics soft and fine

Wishing you Happy Valentine!

It was enough to make him vomit in his cauldron. Snape couldn't stand the Merpeople. And worst of all was when they broke into song. He contemplated using the Muffliato jinx on himself to block out the sound, but thought better of it. Instead, he decided to leave his office for some part of the castle a little farther from the lake.

With his day growing steadily worse, he set out to the quiet of the Staff Room. Hopefully, no one would be in there to disturb his misery and he could just mope in peace. Upon entering the room, he was greeted by Professor Binns, the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts.

"I would love to stay and converse with you. But Alas - I must take my leave to teach my class, Simon," Binns said in a boring voice and not quite looking at Snape. He then floated through the wall toward the History of Magic classroom.

"Lucky bastard," thought Snape. "It's days like this that make me wish I was dead."

This thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Harry Potter.

"Potter - leave me at once!" commanded Snape as he prepared to slam the door in Harry's face.

"I just need to find Professor McGonagall," Harry said calmly. "Dennis Creevey is causing a bit of trouble with the Fat Lady. It seems that after he gave her a Valentine, she was so touched that now she won't listen to anyone saying the password to open the portrait hole. No one can get into Gryffindor tower!"

"I don't care!" spat Snape. "The Gryffindors can all stay outside today. Maybe the cold will do them some good. Now LEAVE ME!"

There was no person Snape hated more than Harry Potter. Not only did he look exactly like his father James, whom Snape hated for capturing Lily Evans' affections, but also Harry's eyes were eerily reminiscent of Lily's. To look at Harry was to look into his past and into the eyes of his unrequited love. "Dumbledore's pet ... can't get into his own stupid common room ..." Snape thought to himself in disgust.

After he had dismissed Harry, Snape sat alone in the staff room where he hoped to finally find some peace. But instead, images of his days as a Hogwarts student kept popping into his head. Tortured by his thoughts and memories, he found that he was too restless and that he had to do something lest his feelings consume him. He decided to visit the only one who understood him at this entire wretched place.

Snape wandered to the edge of the lake. He ate the handful of slimy gray-green Gillyweed he was holding, and walked into the icy water. He was off to spend the afternoon with his only real friend at Hogwarts - the giant squid.