The sound of foot steps echoed along the walls as the two ran on wards, by the time they had reached the third floor, Snape was regretting giving into Valentine. Skilled or not, if the child died it would be on his head. Where as Valentine was regretting that her favourite meal of the day had been cut short.
They both come to stand before the door that Valentine had watched three Gryffindors disappear into and soon after bolt out screaming one short month ago.
"What should happen Quirrell already has the stone?" Valentine asked, still out of breath and brushing locks of her hair from her eyes.
"He won't. Not yet. There are several obstacles he'd have to make his way through first, If he managed to get here before us." Snape answered.
"Then we still have time. The last I saw of him he was laying face down in the middle of the Great Hall." She nodded. "Are you ready, Professor?"
"Lets get this over with." Answered the man, his face betraying no emotion.
Snape pulled out his wand and in swift movement of his arm, the door slammed open, creating a sound that reverberated down the hall behind them. The open door reviled nothing but what Valentine had seen that night. Fluffy slept peacefully, the harp in the corner playing a soft melody.
"I'm surprised that didn't wake him." Valentine mumbled to herself. "Quirrell hasn't been here."
"Which means...he's still coming." Snape added, turned his back to the door, as with another flick it shut.
Valentine removed her own wand from her robes, scrolling mentally through the short list of defensive spells she knew.
"You should leave, Lestrange. I'm sure your cousin will notice your disappearance." Snape ordered.
"I said before, I am not leaving. It is my right." She growled. "I haven't been cruel to half the wizarding world for no reason."
"I can deal with Quirrell myself. You are not needed in this." Snape hissed back.
"I already gave you my answer, Professor." Valentine stood her ground, refusing stubbornly to be persuaded.
"Stubborn brat." Snape grumbled. "Far to much like Bella."
"That's the point though, isn't? To be as sadistic, hateful and stubborn as my mother?"
Valentine words trailed of into nothingness and silence overcame the two. Then mere moments after, there ears were met with the echo of light foot steps upon the stone floor.
"Get ready." Snape whispered, swishing his wrist towards the pedestal of light, snuffing out the flame and blanketing them in darkness.
The footing grew louder as they came closer. Valentine focused on the sound, her mind singling out the most effective spells she had learned.
Severing Charm: 'Diffindo'.
Fire-Making Spell: 'Incendio'.
General Counter-Spell: 'Finite'.
Seize and Pull Charm: 'Carpe Retractum'.
Any of these would be useful, though I've only read about both General Counter-Spell and the Seize and Pull Charm. There both second and third year spells. I was able to use 'Colloportus' and 'Alohomora' before, but there simple first spells even if it had been the first time I used them. I suppose 'Incendio' and 'Diffindo' would suffice, but I have no knowledge of Quirrells duelling abilities. ARG! I can't get myself overwhelmed like this. I need to remain clam.
The potions professor watched his student from the corner of his eye. He could almost hear her thoughts, through her face show no trace that she was even thinking at all. Was she really as clam and composed as she appeared?
The foot steps were close the echo that reached Valentines ears was like thunder on a silent night. Then, just as a dark figure approached the two, the foot steps ceased. The outline drew closer slightly and Valentine could just make out the face of her Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, that she'd seen face down on the floor minutes ago.
"P-p-professor-or S-Snape. M-miss Les-strange. W-what are you do-doing here? I came t-to-"
"Stop your blubbering, Quirrell." Snape said, his voice hard and cold, wand raised and ready. "Turn around... and walk away."
"B-b-but I-I-" Quirrell stuttered, taking a tentative step forward.
What a fool. Can't he tell when he's beat?
"I said...stop." Snape took a step towards the other man. "Not...another...step."
"P-p-please...I'm o-only-"
Now, I believe its my turn.
"Didn't hear Professor Snape, Quirrell?" Valentines voice broke through the man nervous stuttering, innocent and soft besides Snapes harsh tone. She smiled sweetly. "Surely you did? Encase you didn't, he told you to not take another step."
"O-oh, please I-I-"
"Quirrell." Valentines growl caused the fumbling professor to gasp, the innocent in her voice now going and replaced with quiet anger, her eyes staring coldly as if attempting to freeze his soul. "This can be done easily or not so easily. The easy way will benefit you more, but it won't prove much fun for me. Now choose."
The man stood silently shaking, his body ridged, his eyes wide. All the tell tale signs of fear.
He looks like he's going to faint. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
"Professor Snape, I do believe that our friend Quirrell here has chosen the not-so-easy way." She added, when Quirrell refused to say anything, her voice reverting back to soft and velvet like.
"Indeed." Snape answered and rose his arm, ready to attack the man.
"Wait! Don't. Please I was just coming here to protect the stone! I swear!" Quirrell pleaded, the stutter in his words gone. "I'm telling the truth!"
"My, my. Quirrell, you should rejoice. That horrible speech impediment of yours seems to be disappeared." Valentine smiled cruelly at the man, whos eyes widened at the realization of his now broken identity.
For a single moment Quirrell stood like a deer caught in headlights, before pulling out his wand, his reflexes like lighting and throwing a spell at Snape, who easily deflected it. By the time Snape had deflected the spell Qurriell had turned on his heel and begun to make a run for it.
I can't let him get away!
" Carpe Retractum!' " Valentine shouted, her wand flashing.
A rope of bright light shot out of the tip of Valentines wand, it flung itself round the fleeing professors ankle. The girl pulled her wand back, attempting to drag the man towards her, but physical strength won out. The wizard, tripping in the progress, ripped his foot from the glowing rope, that then retracted back into her wand.
Damn! At least he's off his feet.
Snape threw a binding spell down at the man, who roll onto his back, narrowly missing the spell. Quirrell scrambled to his feet hurriedly, Snape and Valentine already on his heels.
The two chased Quirrell along the hall, pedestals of fire lighting as there ran. Once the three exited the third floor they were met with another corridor and a entry to the tower with the self decidedly moving stairs.
Quirrell bolted down the hall, Snape following.
We'll never catch him let this.
Valentine turned away from the hall and began to make her way down the stairs. She passed through here every day and offend again at night on her way to a meeting. By now she knew her way perfectly, but the stairs had a mind of there own and occasionally seemed to work solely against her. She bounded down the stairs and into a corridor, that would take her directly into Quirrells path. This way she and Snape could box him in one area.
Simple yet elegant.
The corner of the hall reached Valentines eyes. Just she was about turn into the path that would lead her to Quirrell when voices rung out and stopped her in her tracks. Valentine pushed herself against the wall and listened.
"Quickly, the troll has been sighted in the girls lavatory. The voice was Professor McGonagalls.
"Y-yes, right awa-way!"
Valentine peaked around the corner to see Professor McGonagall, Professor Quirrell and Professor Snape standing in the corridor. None of them seemed to notice her. Valentine then watched as they hurried off towards the girls bathroom. She quirked an eyebrow as she watched the potions master walk with off a slight limp. As the Professors neared the end of the hall, Valentine stepped around the corner and made her away over to where the three teachers had stood. Something dark on the stone floor caught her eye.
Valentine bent down for closer inspection, she gently touched the dark liquid and upon observation of her fingers found it was blood. She looked up to where the Professors had disappeared around the corner, realization shining in her electric blue eyes.
What happened in those mere seconds that I'd gone the other way?
-Pretending to Hate-
Valentine waited until the other Slytherins had begun to make there way back the common room before joining them.
"Draco! Leah!" Valentine called over the crowd of Slytherin students, as she spotted her friends, or rather heard Leah.
"She could be dead! She could have been- She could be alive and well!" Leah was the first to see Valentine. "See, I told you she's OK!"
Valentine pushed through the students, glaring and hissing 'move out of my way' more then once.
"You were the one freaking out, you spaz!" Said Blaze.
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Was TOO!"
Blaze and Liam laughed at the girls mistake.
"Wait! I-I mean...I mean...ARG! You guys are so cruel!" The girl then buried herself into Olivias side.
"Val, where have you been?" Draco asked as Valentine neared them.
"I went to ask Snape where we supposed to go. We couldn't go back to the dungeons. I couldn't find him, and by the time I'd come back to find you, you had already left."
"You didn't think to bring one of us with you? Or at least tell us where you were going!" Draco snapped.
"Please, you were to preoccupied with freaking out about the troll." Valentine roll her eyes.
"Was not!" Leah shouted.
"Shut up!" Liam said. "We are not starting that again."
"Everyone shut up!" Draco demanded, and turned and stormed away, Crabbe and Goyle quickly following.
"And I thought Leah was melodramatic." Blaze mumbled.
"Don't worry, she still is." Liam smiled.
Draco...ARG! Either I go back on my word and leave Potters protection to Dumbledore and Snape or I continue to destroy my relationship my cousin! This sucks...