Disclaimer:

K: I doubt that the authors of Negi or Harry actually speak Spanish…

A: o Zorian… Pero esta es un tópico muy diferente…

Author's notes:

K: We're baaaacckkk [and it hasn't been forever THIS time…]

A: El capítulo que ustedes estén esperados por está aquí.

K: But is this REALLY the chapter you've been waiting for?

A & K: Thank Yous are awarded to Ryuus2, GoulHunter15, Ian, havelock Vetinari, NegiYaoi-chan, && Kingtaso. Muchas gracias [thank you ;)]

Capítulo Nueve OR Saint Valentine's Day

There was a small heart shaped box of chocolate sitting outside of Professor Umbridge's office on the merry morning of Saint Valentine's Day—a day she usually detested despite all of the frilly pink decorations. Nobody ever sent her Valentine gifts. And it was because they were all afraid of her superior intelligence and eternal beauty. But today, today was different.

The box was just as frilly as her top and as pink as her satin pumps. Her name was written in spidery spindles. Little hearts dotted every "i" on the package. Just the sight of it all made her heartbeat accelerate.

Quickly glancing left and right down the corridor for any sort of prying little snots, she quickly snatched the package off of the floor and disappeared into the depths of her classroom before locking herself away in her kitten festered office. Her heart was beating so rapidly, however, that she could barely hear their gentle mewing.

She knew that handwriting.

No, it couldn't be. The love of her life couldn't've, wouldn't've sent her chocolates. It would be highly inappropriate of him. Not to mention way out of character for a man of his caliber.

No, if he wanted her to know it was truly him sending her his love he would do so in a more romantic, less cliché manor. Such as –who was she kidding? He wasn't romantic in the least. In real life anyway. In her fantasies that was a different story entirely, but highly implausible.

But that handwriting, she knew it so well. It was nearly impossible to mimic…

Unconsciously she pulled open her desk drawer and wrapped her hand around a wrinkled hall pass. Upon it he had scrawled a quick message of leniency toward their favorite student, Draco Malfoy.

Yes, the handwriting was indeed, one in the same. Minus the heart-dotted "i"s, but that was more doting than uncharacteristic, right?

"Did you see?" Tisiphone nudged Ron in DADA.

"See what?" He demanded, suddenly pleased to have her full attention.

"Snape came out of his dungeon," Hermione told him, mimicking her twin's obnoxiously loud gossip tones.

"So… He can't live down there, `Mione. He's not actually a snake."

"Yes he is," Harry retorted.

"Watch yourself," Draco mouthed from across the room, glaring at him.

"So," Tisiphone attempted to rein the conversation back in. "He left this morning."

"Before breakfast," Hermione added.

"Way before breakfast," Tisiphone corrected.

"Again," Ron growled exasperatedly. "So?"

"So!" They cried together.

"He really is daft, isn't he?" Tisiphone turned to Hermione.

"I told you he was," Hermione confirmed.

"So…" Ron pressed.

"It's Valentine's Day!" They cooed together, making goo-goo eyes at him.

"So…" His response more aggravated than the last.

Harry glanced between the two of them, panic written across his face. "Oh shoot."

"Oh shoot?" Tisiphone demanded.

"I uh—" he was sweating profusely. "I'll be right back."

"They're never going to get to the bloody point!" Draco exclaimed.

Negi nodded. "They do have a tendency to get slightly off topic."

"Slightly?"

"Okay, majorly. If they were attempting to write a paper together they would fail," Negi admitted.

"Right," Draco gave him a funny look. "Because I always relate life to school…"

"Regardless," Eva interrupted. "They need to get their act together, quite literally or they're going to ruin the point!"

"I concur," Negi supplied helpfully.

"Can I bite them?" Eva asked.

"No," Negi told her flatly. "But you can have this."

"What is that? Ohmigod. That's a—" Draco stared wide eyed at the Valentine gift Negi was offering Eva, a simple heart shaped, chocolate covered blood pop. He looked like he wanted to faint.

"—Valentine's day gift?" Ron demanded, looking at Harry as if he'd fallen off of the face of the planet and was replaced by a Zorian speaking alien. "You risked the wrath of the Toad—I mean, Umbridge for a Valentine's Day gift? For Tisiphone?"

"This," Tisiphone purred, accepting Harry's box of chocolates with much gusto, "is what VALENTINE'S DAY is all about, Ronald."

"A day for receiving candy," he drooled. "I can handle that."

Hermione shook her head. "You do the giving. We girls do the receiving. That's how it works."

"Whyyy?" He whined. "I'd rather eat the chocolate."

Suddenly Luna popped her head into the room. "Ronnie-Kins! I couldn't find you at lunch, but I'd be honored if you accepted my homemade chocolates!"

Ron's face paled. "I take it back. Somebody save me."

"If I were you," Eva purred at Draco, "I'd take a hint from my Boya and Potter. If you want the girl you'd better find some chocolate."

-El Fin del Capítulo Nueve -