"Come along." Lucius Malfoy said sternly, not bothering to look back at the children behind him.
Valentine and Draco followed him though the dark and dirty streets of Diagon Ally. Draco clutching a small chest that his father had instructed him to carry with care. The man hadn't told Valentine or Draco what was in said box and neither of them were going to ask.
What is in that chest? And why are we here? We haven't been back here in months. What is my uncle up too? It most definitely has something to do with what is in that box. Does it have anything to do with the Ministry or Harry Potter? If so, its nothing good. No good can ever happen in a place like this.
Upon seeing a familiar store Draco and Valentine move ahead of there Uncle. They both peer though the dusty and dim windows in curiosity. Draco opens the door and immediately rushes inside, Valentine at his heels. There eyes looking over everything in the shop in fascination.
"This is new." Draco said to Valentine, his voice barley a whisper, as they looked over a wood statue, Draco placing his hand on its craved shoulder.
I understand Dracos curiosity, but its troubling. His interest in the most questionable things is growing. He actually researches this stuff. I wasn't aware the Chamber Of Secrets existed until Draco began talking about, he went so far as to even ask uncle about it. I on the other hand, will be asking Dumbledore about this.
Valentine reached out to touch it also, her curiosity getting the better of her. The two heard foot steps behind them and just as the silver top of Lucius Malfoys cane hit the dark wood, Draco moved his hand in a flash movement. His action practiced and precise.
"Don't touch anything, Draco." The man growled.
"Yes, father." Draco muttered, ashamedly.
"That goes for you as well, Valentine." The man moved his cold gaze to his niece.
"Of course uncle." Valentine replied, emotionlessly, her vibrant blue eyes seemly void of all feeling.
Damn my curiosity.
The man turned from them and moved on farther into the store, surveying the room with indifference, while Valentine and Draco observed the dark and mysterious items.
"Mister Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again." The old decrepit store keeper, limped over to front desk. "And young Master Malfoy and Mistress Valentine too, delighted."
Valentine and Draco gave the man nothing but a glance, having seen the sly and filthy old man many times before.
"I must tell you, just in today and very reasonably priced-"
"I'm not buying today, Morgan." Lucius cut off the man, his words catching Valentines attention. "I'm selling. Draco."
Draco walked up the counter, placing the chest down and returning to Valentines side, still looking about the shop. While Valentine watched the two men out of the corner of her eye.
"You are aware no doubt that the Ministry of Magic is conducting more raids on private houses. There are even rumors of a new Muggle Protection Act..." Lucius practically hissed.
"Pure wizard blood is counting for less everywhere, I'm afraid." The man nodded.
"Not with me." Lucius growled dangerously. "Anyway I've bought a few items from home that might prove, ah...embarrassing if the Ministry were to call. Certain poisons and the like..."
Valentine watched the two discreetly, committing every word she heard to memory. She watched as the shop keeper dug though the box hurriedly, until his watery blue eyes grew wide.
"Look at that..." The man whispered in what Valentine couldn't tell if it was utter shock or amazement.
"That...particular item...is not for sale." Lucius growled once more.
"I understand. It has unique qualities, one would't want to see it falling into the wrong hands." The man agreed.
Valentine moved towards a metal cabinet beside the counter, attempting to catch a look at the item in question. Draco stepped up beside her, reaching up a running his fingers across the metal, the twitch of a smile on his face.
"You can keep the box." Lucius muttered.
Valentine watched the store keep give her uncle a disturbing smile and also watch her uncle turned to Draco, anger in his eyes. Valentine quickly step out of the way as her uncles cane hit the middle of the cabinet, reaching over Dracos shoulder to do so.
"What did I say?"
"Touch nothing."
"Exactly." Lucius glared.
"Sorry, father." Said Draco.
Lucius glared down at his son for another moment before speaking.
"On come, were going."
Draco looked over at his cousin. Valentine looked back at him, showing no emotion.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Mister Malfoy. Always a pleasure."
Valentine and Draco followed there uncle out the door in silence.
Something is going on here. And weather or not it has something to do with Harry Potter...I have no idea, but I don't like it one little bit.
-Pretending to Hate-
Valentine and Draco stood together once more, but on longer were they in the dismal and unsavory place the were before. They stood on a raised floor above the rush of the excited people below them, who were all there on account of one man. Gilderoy Lockhart.
"This is absolutely ridiculous." Valentine hissed.
"Hmm." Draco answered.
"There is no proof that this weakling has done any of the things that he's written in his books. If you can even call them books."
"Hmm."
"I can't believe he's actually qualified to teach." Valentine growled.
"Hmm." Draco mumbled again.
"Are you even listening to me?" Valentine turned to glare at her cousin, who had his face buried in a book, with a rather questionable title.
"What? Sorry, did you say something Val?"
"I swear. Your worse then Leah sometimes."
"Now thats just cruel!" Draco pouted."
"Then how about you learn to listen. Maybe you'd have decent grades for once."
"Well, we can't all be geniuses like you and Benson, now can we?" Draco glared.
"But you can still try. Uncle will never be happy with your grades as there are."
"Do you think I don't know that!"
"Shh!" Valentine hushed her cousin as a familiar face came into view on the floor below.
Harry Potter! So, he manged to survive the holidays?
"Hey, don't 'shh' me!"
"Shut up and look Draco." Valentine growled, grabbing her cousins arm and yanking him over to the railing.
"Potter." Dracos eyes grew hard and cold. "Whats he doing here?"
"I don't know? Buying school supplies like everyone else?"
Draco ignored Valentines jab, if he'd heard it at all.
Valentine looked down in the crowd of people, Harry Potter fading in amongst them as if he were a completely ordinary boy. Things grew quiet as Lockhart posed for photographs and a man pushed though the crowd, claiming to be from the Daily Profit. Suddenly Harry was up there with Lockhart looking confused and embarrassed. Draco didn't seem to pick up on this.
"Stupid famous Potter." Draco muttered though clenched teeth.
"Ignore them. That moron Lockhart is only doing it for publicity and no doubt Potters enjoying immensely." Valentine rolled her eyes.
Oh, please. He looks like a confused child. He wouldn't enjoy this if you payed him.
"Doesn't it annoy you?" Draco growled.
"Of course it does. But I happen to think that Potter isn't worth the minute of the day. I have better things to think about." Valentine snapped back.
Lockhart brags about his new book, gives Harry a set of them and pushes him on his way.
"Come on." Draco says and starts making his way down the to the first floor, only to be distracted by the book in his hands. His eyes quickly scan the page.
"What is it?" Valentine asks.
Draco says nothing and tears the page from the book and tucks it in to his robes.
"What are you doing?" Valentine hissed at him.
Draco ignores his cousin and rushes down the last few steps, blocking Harry Potters path. Valentine, with no choice rushed down to his side.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco glared at Harry and his group of friends. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Leave him alone." A small ginger girl steps bravely up to the older boy.
"Oh! Look, Potter. You've got yourself a girlfriend!" Valentine glared menacingly down at the girl. "How positively adorable."
"And a Weasley. How fitting." Draco sneered.
Suddenly the silver top of Lucius Malfoys cane came down upon Dracos shoulder, how quickly stepped aside, moving Valentine with him.
"Now, now children...play nicely." The man scolded. He turned his gaze to Harry Potter and stepped forward slowly. "Ah, Mister Potter. Lucius Malfoy."
The man extend Harry a hand.
"We meet at last. Forgive me. Your scar is legend. As of course, is the wizard who gave it to you." Valentine holds herself in place as her uncle pulls Harry Potter to him, pulling his hair across with the tip of his cane, reveling his scar. She wanted to go over there push her uncle away and tell Harry to run, but somehow, she anchored herself to one spot.
"Voldemort killed my parents." Potter said, glaring at the man as his face fell. "He was nothing more then a murderer."
Careful Potter. This is not the time to be bold.
"He? You must be very brave to speak his name." Lucius's mouth twitched into a evil smirk. "Or very foolish."
"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Hermione Granger spoke up, glaring at the man.
Lucius eyes slide over to the girl.
"And you must be..." He looked over at Valentine and Draco for confirmation. "Miss Granger. Yes, Draco and Valentine have told me all about you. About your parents. Muggles aren't they?"
The girl simply glared daggers at Lucius, refusing to speak, but also refusing to back down.
"Let me see. Red hair, vacant expressions, tatty second hand book," The man reached and pulled a brown leather book from the small ginger girls cauldron. "you must be the Weasleys."
A tall ginger haired man came up behind the children and put his hands protectively the small girls shoulders.
"Children! Its mad in here. Lets go outside."
"Well, well, well, Weasley Senior."
"Lucius." The ginger man said stiffly.
"Busy time at the Ministry. All extra those raids. I do hope they're paying you overtime. Judging by this," Lucius gestured to the battered book in his hand. "Obviously not. What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it."
"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Mr Weasley said, trying his best to be civil.
"Clearly. Associating with muggles." Lucius glared at the other man, dropping the battered book, along with another back into the girls cauldron." And I thought your family could sink no lower."
What was that? He slipped another book into her cauldron.
Valentine looked up to see if anyone else had seen the other book. Her heart panic and skipped a beat for a second as her eyes met with Harry Potters. She quickly narrowed her gaze into a cold glare and look back towards her uncle.
For a moment Mr Weasley looked as if he was going to strike the other man, but he managed a strained smile at the children.
"See you at work." Lucius growled turned to exit the shop.
Draco stepped up in front of the other students.
"See you at school." He glared at Potter and went after his father.
Then Valentine also stepped up. Her face betrayed no emotion, her eyes dead and cold. Then she allowed a small sly smirk to stretch across her lips. She gaze a satisfied 'hmp' and followed after her uncle and cousin.