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As the world celebrates Valentine’s Day, some of us go back in time and wonder: Who were the people who shaped our own ideas of love? Was it our parents? A couple we saw on the movie screen?

Those who call themselves both bookworms and romantics will point to literary couples that have contributed to their own definition of love.

But most of literature’s greatest romances, those that have made a lasting impression, don’t have happy endings: Orpheus and Eurydice; Romeo and Juliet; Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, to name only a few in a seemingly endless list of broken hearts, regrets and tears.

But not all is bad. So, for Valentine’s Day, here are five couples who managed a happy ending — well, sort of.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley from ‘Harry Potter’ by J .K. Rowling

Who are they?

Harry Potter’s best friends, sidekicks and partners in crime.

Why do we love them?

The “Harry Potter” books are, obviously, about Harry Potter and his quest to destroy the evil Lord Voldemort. Hermione and Ron are his loyal companions throughout, albeit smarter (Hermione) and funnier (Ron). That the two eventually fall in love is not surprising, but author Rowling waits until the very end before they finally get together, overcoming many obstacles along the way: teenage hormones, he-who-won’t-be-named, Harry’s “nobody likes me” phase and a grim quidditch player named Victor Krum, to name a few, all of which prevent them from confessing their mutual attraction to one another sooner.

Over their teenage years, Hermione and Ron go through more challenges than normal couples do in a whole lifetime, and their fair share of near-death experiences strengthens the bond between them.

Their love story is vibrant, refreshing and a stark contrast to the feelings that Harry develops for Ginny Weasley. They have as much chemistry as a pair of old socks, and many times, we want to shout, “Stop thinking about girls, Harry, and go save the world!”

When Hermione and Ron finally kiss, however, there is only a sigh of relief and utter happiness.

Clare Anne Abshire and Henry DeTamble from ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger

Who are they?

A lone time traveler and his loving wife — talk about complicated relationships.

Why do we love them?

Imagine this scenario: You marry the love of your life, but since he is a time traveler, he tends to vanish from one moment to the next, and you have no clue where he went or how long it will be until he comes back.

Sounds like a pretty messed up situation that one should probably avoid if possible.

But not Clare. Even the absurdity of their situation doesn’t stop Clare from spending her life with Henry in this great story of everlasting love, trust and faith. It’s a tough and somewhat unfulfilling life and, as readers, we feel for her when she is left behind yet again, stricken with worry and, inevitably, loneliness. We cry with her when Henry dies in her arms.

Terrible story? But here comes the upside and the happy, though bittersweet, ending: Even after Henry passes away, Clare gets to see him occasionally as he travels through time — and always back into her arms. Love is stronger than death. Even Romeo and Juliet knew that. And Clare and Henry make us believe in it once again.

Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza from ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Who are they?

A recently widowed woman and the man who has been waiting for her for more than half a century.

Why do we love them?

Florentino falls in love with the young Fermina, but is deemed not good enough by her father, so she marries a doctor instead. Florentino vows to stay faithful to her for the rest of his life.

This, of course, doesn’t prevent him from sleeping with other women. Many other women, to be precise, because what he meant by “being faithful” was being spiritually chaste, not physically.

Well, isn’t that convenient? But despite the years spent apart, the genuine feelings between Florentino and Fermina prevail throughout the course of the book, and it carries the universal message that it’s never too late to follow your heart.

If nothing else, the following quote makes for a simple reason to adore this elderly couple: “I have waited for this opportunity to repeat my vow of eternal fidelity and love,” said Florentino. “Get out of here,” Fermina replied.

Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon from ‘Sense and Sensibility’ by Jane Austen

Who are they?

The wild and romantic young girl with a fondness for Shakespeare and the old man who admires her from a distance.

Why do we love them?

Sometimes, the main love story in a novel is very much in your face, and the more subtle and marginal characters can warm your heart in a less obvious, yet still engaging way. Such is the case with Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon.

Most Jane Austen fans would point to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy as the writer’s greatest literary couple, but try giving it a second thought — they are awfully stubborn and proud, and it is not only their own relationship they almost ruin, but also the one between Jane, Elizabeth’s sister, and Mr. Bingley, Darcy’s friend. There’s just too much meddling and interfering.

Marianne and Colonel Brandon might be an unlikely pair, but the Colonel’s patience and quiet persistence is heartwarming, his dignity even when rejected is admirable, and his reading of stories to Marianne as she recovers from illness is achingly sweet. Forget about their age difference: If a man is as honorable and devoted as the Colonel, a woman should snap him up as fast as she can.

Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester from ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte

Who are they?

A rich man with a deranged wife locked away in his attic, and the innocent girl he falls in love with.

Why do we love them?

It’s not so much him the readers love (it’s quite difficult to take a liking to the uncommunicative and grim Mr. Rochester), but rather the young woman, Jane, an abused orphan who comes to work for the wealthy Rochester. She falls in love with him after discovering that underneath that rough exterior, he has a tender heart.

What she doesn’t know, however, is his fondness for polygamy — and it is a most cruel thing to find out something like that on your own wedding day.

Naturally, Jane runs away as fast as she can. But when she learns that Rochester has been in an accident that takes away his eyesight — and most conveniently, his mad wife — Jane hurries back, giving the phrase “love is blind” a whole new meaning.

Get this: Jane forgives his grumpiness and the fact that he was already married when he walked down the aisle with her, a situation that makes her an object of mockery and ridicule. And still, she finds it in her heart to return to him. Can there be greater proof of true love?