Valentine lets a heavy sigh flow from her lungs and she leans back, laying down on the stone bench. The gardens were the only thing she missed about Malfoy Manor. She lifted one hand and lightly fingered her left temple, where she felt the slightest of bumps, forming a pale pink scar about a inch long and half hidden in her dark hair line. She didn't bother to pay the yellowing bruise on her upper cheek bone any mind, not wishing to recall her uncles rage.
I'm sick. Theres something wrong with me. Something that makes blood run from my nose and causes my head to ache.
Valentine reached into the coat pocket, her fingers winding around the tear drop shaped vile. Her potions professor had instructed her to take only one drop of the translucent purple liquid with a glass of water once day. As it was nearing the end of the holidays the vile was only a handful of days from being empty.
Professor Snape doesn't know what it is, professor Dumbledore doesn't know what it is and I've found no record of any possible illnesses that could have caused it. As is I wasn't already busy enough, keeping a eye on Potter and maintaining my cover all day, everyday.
Remembering her potions professors reaction when she mentioned the dreams that had plagued her for over a year now, Valentine thought back to the first time she'd ever had one.
Christmas Holidays First Year-
"My god..." Valentine whispered, pushing past the frozen foliage and climbing over rocks.
"Told you." Draco followed behind her. "Its never frozen over before."
"It
is especially cold this winter." Said Valentine.
She crept close to the edge, peering down into the darkness.
"Be careful." Draco warned, not willing to near the edge himself. "If you fall I'm not saving you."
"Oh, thank you so much cousin. Your affection for me is over whelming. " Valentine mumbled.
"It doesn't have to be." Smirked Draco. "That's what Leahs for."
Present Time-
...The falls, it was the first time they'd ever frozen over...I had the dream right before the woke up after I'd slipped on the ice. Do the falls have anything to do with this? I haven't been there since the end of first year, when Dumbledore requested I do away with the last of the Philosophers Stone by throwing it into the falls dark depths.
Valentine sat up suddenly felt a warm sensation on her lip. She wiped at her nose and stared down at the scarlet substance smeared across the pale skin on the back of her hand. Valentine pulled her black handkerchief from her coat pocket and wiped away the rest of the blood.
I haven't a nose bleed since the first week of holidays. Perhaps my body is growing a immunity to the potion? Never the less, I have less then a week until school commences, I'm sure I can hold off till then. Now. The only possible clue I have is the falls.
The girl stood from her place on the stool and turned towards the direction of the falls, relieved to finally have a lead of any sorts.
"Miss Lestrange?"
Valentine stopped in the tracks as a small voice reached her ears.
Not turning to face the maid, Valentine spoke.
"Haley." Her words plain and bored. "What is it that you want?"
"Y-your aunt request you to wear your gloves while outside." The maid answered meekly.
Arg. I'm not in the mood to play the bratty little Lestrange girl today. I'd much focus on my annoyingly mysterious illness.
Valentine slowly turned to the girl, looking up into her brown eyes, filled with worry.
"Did she now?"
"Yes." Haley lowered her eyes.
"Hmp." Valentine tore the woolen gloves from the maids hands. "I'm not in the mood to play with you today, run along and dust the banisters or something."
Valentine waved the girl off nonchalantly.
"Y-yes, Mi-ss Lestrange." Haley bowed and her head and quickly turned away, seeming more worried then actually refiled.
I'm probably going to have to compensate for that later. I'll be extra difficult at dinner or something.
Once Valentine stepped into the clearing, where the water fell deep into the earth. She tried to envision everything that had happened that day. The precise bush that blasted rodent had leaped from, where her feet slipped out from under her. She located the area the best she could. When the incident had actually occurred the entirety of Malfoy Manor and its surrounding grounds had been buried under a thick blanket of white, now everything was painted a dark green.
Valentine crouched down, observing the ground, as if it would tell her all she needed to know. Valentine brushed the grass aside with a gloved hand. Nothing.
This is where it happened, where it first had my dream. They have to be related somehow.
Standing back to her full height, Valentine walked as close the falls edge as she dared, the strange hallucination nation she'd had about Draco dangling over above the darkness, her struggle to save him and her, herself falling into the darkness. It wasn't a memory she enjoyed to revisit often.
Valentine stared down passed the rushing water that seamlessly disappeared into what would seem like another world, filled with even more darkness then her own. Nothing had changed since the last time she'd been here. Nothing had changed since she had ever lived at Malfoy Manor.
Except...except for the falls freezing over. The first and only time the falls had ever frozen to a stop was the same day that I had split open my temple on the ice...I can't be a mere coincident? Will I even be able to find any signs of the thing that could have afflicted me when it was almost two years later and the opposite of covered in snow? If I want to revisit this place and have the closet reenactment of that day I'll have to wait the several long months till winter.
Valentine sighed, brushing her curls out of her eyes. She had better things to do then worry about herself. She had Harry Potter for that. Valentine turned away from the site that held so many memory's and returned to Malfoy Manor. She wasn't just able to preform spells several levels above her age without constant study.
-Pretending to Hate-
Haleys P.O.V-
We always worried when the young Miss Valentine was acting strangely. While we weren't exactly worried about her, we were, in general, worried. For a child who was already, sadistic, cold, violent and cunning as she was, for her to be out of sorts put the whole house on edge.
I remember when she just a small child. She had been only seven years old when I came to work at the Malfoy Manor, and besides from being very intelligent, extremely sarcastic and oddly mature, she appeared to be like any other child. She would complain about taking baths, getting her hair brushed and coming back inside the house once it grew dark out. And I can't pin point the very moment when she changed, but never the less, she did. Intelligence turned to a dark sly mind, the sarcasm turned cruel and her mature if anything, long intensified. Shes the only child I've ever seen that uses words like 'Degenerate' and 'Quintessential' while rolling her eyes like its complete normal.
Miss Valentine was particularly blood thirsty in her physical treatment of the staff when she was nine years old. Broken bones and bleeding skin quickly became the norm. Several months after she become so violent, she stopped. She didn't stop being violent, but she did lessen her attacks on the staff, all while leaving me unscathed.
I didn't know weather the absence of her physical abuse was a curse or a blessing. Did she have know interest in breaking me in any other way then mentally? Or was she waiting until I least expected her to strike? Either way, her presence always made my insides grew cold and caused my hands and voice to shake of they free will.
Her actions confused every member of the Malfoy house hold, from the staff to her cousin, aunt and uncle. But no one attempted to figure out the small child. They simply let her be. For a child who had no recollection of her murderous parents, she herself was quite murderous.
I roll the bed sheets in my arms and quickly leave the room. It best to deal with anything to do with the young Miss Valentines room when she was out of the house, or be caught in the cross fire of one of her sudden willingness for violence.
I move through the house like I'm not even there. Silent and hidden in the shadows. I reach the laundry room in minutes. And upon my arrival I see Emma, the Manors only other maid and Theodore, the Manors grounds keeper. Emma sat on his lap, whispering in the mans ears. I clear my voice, not bothering to hide the smile on my face.
Again. Really?
Emma and Theodore gasp and move to there feet like lightning, fear coloring there faces. When they see my face they both let out heavy sighs of relief.
"My god, Haley!" Theodore held his hand over his heart. "You scared us half to death!"
"Why did you do that!" Emma collapsed into the chair dramatically.
"Well, did you expect me to just sit here and watch?" I shrugged my shoulders with a smirk.
"Doesn't mean you can give us a heart attack!" Emma exclaimed.
"Oh, calm down Em." I rolled my eyes playfully. "Theres no need to be so dramatic, you know."
"Says you." The other maid mumbled.
"Yes. Says me. You know what else I say? I say that you should hurry up and get the bed sheets from Master Dracos bedroom already."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later my delightful little teddy bear." Emma climbed to her feet and crooned up to the man that stood almost two feet taller then her.
You gotta be kidding me...
"And I'll see you later my cute little bunny rabbit." Theodore croon back.
"For the love of all thats mighty, can you save it for later?" I slap a hand to my forehead.
"I'm going! I'm going!" Emma grabbed her apron, that was slung over the back of the chair and quickly ties it around her waist. She stands up on the points of her toes, gives the man a kiss and leaves the room.
I roll my eyes again and move past Theodore to get to the water basin.
"You know have to be more careful." I scolded the man lightly. "Anyone could have walked in and you know that Mrs Malfoy forbids romantic relationship between the staff-"
"We could lose our jobs. We know." Theodore sighed and sat down in the chair.
"Or worse. She could just fire one of you. You'd be split up. Em would probably die." I shook my head solemnly.
"Not to mention a evil little girl would use it as cannon fire for who was left behind." Theodore growled.
I wanted to tell him everything would be fine. But I couldn't. It most likely wouldn't be fine, it would just get worse and worse until she finally kills someone. Maybe then her aunt and uncle might make some sort of move against her, but that was doubtful.
Valentine Lestrange is dangerous, and even with the option of quitting we all have our reasons to stay. Reasons that make us fight though the abuse, physical or mental. We all have our reasons.