Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter, it really stopped me worrying about Tanith. Reviews are always appreciated so that I know which scenes you guys like best, so I can write more scenes like that later :)


Tanith watched with interest, hiding her distress quite well Valkyrie thought, as Skulduggery summoned the dummies for a demonstration. As Valkyrie successfully dodged and attacked, she noticed Tanith curiously sparing a glance at the students reactions' to the scene, trying to get a grip on how much of what was going on was actually normal to them. Valkyrie also noticed how many of them weren't even watching the demonstration, but were instead doing a typically Fletcher-ish thing – staring at Tanith. It was mainly boys doing the staring. A few girls were glancing out of curiosity, but mainly boys. Tanith had that affect on most men. Valkyrie laughed internally as she slammed a punch to the dummy's face – if only they realised how old Tanith actually was. And who she was already taken with.

Skulduggery called the dummy off, setting the fifth years to work in pairs, and Valkyrie went to lean on the wall next to the windowsill where Tanith was perched.

"It's weird, huh?" Valkyrie said, not moving her gaze from right in front of her.

"Yeah." Tanith agreed "You'd be about the same age as these guys, right?"

"No, I'm three years older. They're mostly fifteen, I'm eighteen."
"You're eighteen! Since when?!"

"Few months ago."

"I missed your birthday! And the most important one too! Right, that's it, tonight we are having a celebratory smash-fest."

"Smash-fest?"

"That's right, we are both going to get blind stinking drunk! My treat."

"Tanith, you are not getting me drunk."

"We'll see." Tanith said, and Valkyrie glanced at her to see she was thinking deeply with a small, mischievous smile on her face. Valkyrie began to get worried.

"So, anyways, where's Fletcher? I would have thought he wouldn't have let you out of his sight." Tanith looked around slightly, as if expecting to see him at any moment.

"Fletcher?"

"Yeah."

"Um, Tan, me and Fletcher broke up. Ages ago."

"Oh. I've really missed out on a lot, haven't I?"

"Yeah…"

"It wasn't because of that vampire guy was it?"

"Kind of…"

"Oh, Val, I thought I taught you better than that."

"I know, I know. But, we're not a thing anymore anyway."

"What happened?"
"Oh you know… he tried to kill me."
"WHAT!"

"Shhh! I don't want the tragic tale of my love life to become the gossip of the whole school!" Valkyrie hissed.

"What happened?" Tanith whispered.

"Basically I broke up with Fletcher, and then I broke up with Caelen, but he didn't like it, so he tried to turn me into a vampire, and Fletcher came to my rescue and saved me. Caelen got killed, and Fletcher migrated to Australia."

"Damn girl! You really know how to pick 'em." Tanith said sarcastically.

"Shut up. Anyway, Fletcher has a new girlfriend now called Myra."

"Do you hate her?"

"I wanted to hate her, but then Fletcher introduced us, and I just couldn't. She's too nice and too pretty to hate. And she's mortal, so it wouldn't really have been fair."

"She's mortal? A teleported like Fletcher chose a mortal girl."

"Yup." Valkyrie said with a sigh.

"So, who's the latest?"

"Latest what?"

"Your boyfriend. Who is it now?"

"No one, I'm single."

"Single. Uh-huh. You expect me to believe that?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"No. Now, I'm guessing it's someone in this room." Tanith glanced around observantly "I'm guessing, it's him." She spoke with a little point of her hand, and Valkyrie followed it with her eyes.

"Harry? No, he's not my boyfriend. I told you, I'm single."
"Oh really. Because I have seen you looking at him more times than anyone else in the room." Tanith smirked as if she had stumbled onto a huge secret. Valkyrie beckoned her head over to whisper.

"That's Harry Potter, 15, Gryffindor house. He's a wizard, but he's learning sorcery under our private tuition. He has one of the world's darkest wizards after him, and he saw a good friend of his get murdered last year. He was also tortured before he escaped. We organising an investigation."

"Oooh, I get it. You're undercover as teachers, when really you're acting as his bodyguards to make sure hat happened to his friend doesn't happen to him." Tanith nodded "But that doesn't mean he's not your boyfriend." Valkyrie smacked her, and Tanith smiled a bit.

"Ok then, what about, that guy? He's staring at you a lot. See, he's always glancing over." Tanith pointed again, and again Valkyrie looked.

"That's Seamus Finnigan, he lives down the road from me back home."

"So, he's your boyfriend?"

"No. I. Am. Single."

"Really, because he is staring at you a lot. See, look, he's doing it now." Valkyrie did look, and did see that Seamus was looking at her, but as soon as he noticed she had noticed, he turned away back to his partner.

"I sense a relationship." Tanith whispered in a sing song voice. Valkyrie hit her again.

"Not gonna happen."

"Ok, so, list me out your new weird friends, and after I meet them, I shall make you a match."

"A match? So, you're a match-maker now?"

"Just call me Cupid." Tanith said with a grin. Valkyrie gave a contented sigh. It was good to have the old Tanith back.

"Well, there's Harry, his two friends Ron and Hermione, Ron's older twin brothers Fred and George, Seamus, and a few other Gryffindors, mainly Seamus's friend Dean and Ron's younger sister Ginny, and that's about it.

"Get you, little miss Popular. Who's single and who's in a relationship, obviously, excluding all the girls. Unless that's changed too since I was away-"

"God no!"

"Didn't think so. So, who's this Ron? Same age as Harry?"

"Pretty much. That's him, there." Valkyrie said pointing. He was Harry's partner and was trying to land a light punch to Harry's shoulder, but Harry was too quick for him, and kept blocking it.

"Is all of his family ginger?"

"All the ones I've met are. George and Fred look a lot like him except skinnier and taller."

"And what are they like?"
"Pranksters."

"Ah. And this Dean person?"

"Him, over there." Valkyrie pointed to Seamus's partner, who wasn't doing very much, but Tanith just nodded. Then she pointed to a pale skinned, scowling boy.

"Who's that?"

"Draco Malfoy. He's an ass. Thinks he's better than everyone else because he comes from a rich family. He's always tormenting Harry and the others, insulting Hermione's parents and Ron's family."

"Why?"

"Hermione because she's from a non-wizarding family – what they call muggle born – and Ron because his family is poor."

"That asshole."

"I know right." Valkyrie nodded.

"Anyways, you said Fred and George were older than Ron. How old?"
"They're 17. Identical twins."

"Aha, closer to your age. Methinks I'll be focusing on them for a little while."

"Hey, we're just friends, ok?"

"Your protests say it all my dear Valkyrie." Tanith said, smirking. Valkyrie scowled.

"What does age have to do with anything, anyway? You and Ghastly aren't the same age."

"Oh, so it is someone younger!"

"No that's not what I meant!"

"So it is someone the same age?"

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"I think it is!"

"It really wasn't!"

"You're blushing Valkyrie. I can see it. You can't get anything past me! Ha!" Valkyrie blushed even more and punched Tanith's shoulder, sending her into fits of stifled laughter. Valkyrie had the feeling she would have minded much more about the accusations (which in her mind were not true) if Tanith hadn't needed to distract herself so much from everything that had happened – as long as it didn't result in Tanith interrogating her friends, and especially if it didn't end up with Tanith asking each of them in turn what number they thought Valkyrie was on the Hotness scale of 1 – 10 like she had with Fletcher (who at the time had blushed furiously, but then answered ten anyway as Valkyrie was in earshot).


Minerva McGonagall once again found herself escorting Ghastly Bespoke through the Hogwarts corridors. Only this time, he was dressed in a suit he was quickly patting invisibly dust from, and a tie he was constantly straightening. He kept running a hand over his scarred head.

"How are the criminals, Mr Bespoke?"

"Haven't seen them." He replied, straightening his tie again.

"They're still in custody, though, yes?"

"Yes, of course." He grunted in reply. Minerva tried again.

"You seem distracted, Mr Bespoke?"

"Do I? I do apologise."

"Is something troubling you?"

"N-No. Not really." Minerva fell silent again, until suddenly Ghastly paused and brushed his shirt quickly.

"Do I look alright?" He asked, almost worriedly.

"You look fine, Mr Bespoke."

"Good. Good." He started walking again.

"Would this have anything to do with the woman staying with the Detectives?" She asked hesitantly. He laughed nervously.

"You could say that." He was silent for a moment, and then started talking again "It's just that I had only just found the courage to… ask her out – on a date, I mean –when she was possessed by the remnant. I've been trying to find her for two years, and now she's finally back…" His voice trailed off "I just wonder if she still… I mean, such an experience can change a person you know. I mean, not physically, but…"

"I understand, Mr Bespoke." Minerva nodded to him, and he nodded quickly back at her, glad he didn't need to say more.

"She's with the detectives in a lesson. They thought it best to give her a distraction."

"Yeah, Skulduggery and Valkyrie know what to do. They're good like that."

"You're close to them, yes?"

"I'd give my life for each of them, and equally place my life in their hands." He responded almost immediately, leaving Minerva to wonder just what sort of a man would trust is life in the hands of a seventeen year old girl. The same sort that would wait for two years for a woman who might not love him anymore, she supposed. That made her heart pang slightly – it truly was sweet. Like out of a muggle fairytale. And all fairytales have happy endings, right?


It was nearing the end of the lesson when Skulduggery called for a final demonstration. Valkyrie stepped up, waiting for the dummy, but Skulduggery shook his head.

"Actually I was wondering if Tanith would like to fight you today. As a bit of a change."

"I'm not fighting without my swords." Tanith responded, looking slightly glum.

"It's a good thing that I happen to have them with me then." Skulduggery turned on his heel and walked to the back of the classroom, reaching behind the only desk in the room as Tanith leaned forwards curiously. He pulled out two long scabbards and tossed them to Tanith.

"Oh yes!" Tanith grinned, standing and grabbing them. She unsheathed the swords and twirled them before gripping tightly. She laughed delightedly as the students paled slightly at the brutal but sleek looking weapons. Valkyrie turned to Skulduggery.

"But I haven't fought with swords in over 2 years."

"Well it'll be good practice for you too then, won't it." Valkyrie glared at him before Tanith tossed her a sword. At the familiar feel of the hilt, a slightly warm sensation crawled its way up her arm. Just like old times.

She and Tanith faced each other, swords ready.

"No running on the walls." Valkyrie said after a moments thought. Tanith grinned.

"I'm not making any promises, Val." Tanith lunged forwards with a swipe that Valkyrie quickly deflected, dodging out of the way and slicing a path of her own that Tanith easily avoided. They watched each other for a split second, then lunged again. This time the sounds of swords clashing rang out into the room as each dodged and attacked in their own way – Tanith's ferocious good play, and Valkyrie's slightly rusted version of Tanith's ferocious good play. She had learned a lot from her Adept mentor.

At one point Valkyrie seemed to have the upper hand, driving Tanith backwards, before she realised this was what Tanith wanted. But she was too late to retreat. Tanith's foot pressed backwards against the wall, and then she was attacking from the wall on the side before moving to the ceiling, her biggest advantage. Valkyrie had to focus even more on avoiding swings, settling for dodging rather than even attempting to attack. The ceiling was Tanith's territory, and Valkyrie couldn't beat her on it, so there wasn't any point in trying. She saved her energy for defence before her sword clashed against Tanith's and she pushed, slightly disorientating the angle of Tanith's wrist at the hilt, so she had to move to a different position on the ceiling. Valkyrie seized the opportunity and swung. Tanith dodged and let go of the ceiling, flipping down back to the ground.

"Spoilsport." Tanith grinned.

"I learned from the best." Valkyrie grinned back as the swords clashed again. Within a few seconds of being back on the ground, Tanith had decided there was a better time and place for such fighting, and drove Valkyrie to the floor, blade pointed at her neck, the sword sliding out of reach. Tanith moved the sword away and offered her hand to help Valkyrie up. She accepted gratefully with a grin. Skulduggery moved back into the view and focus of the baffled young witches and wizards.

"Ok, I think that's enough for today. There'll be a test next week to see how you've progressed. No exceptions." He said smoothly, then the door opened, and Professor McGonagall strode in, a tall, well built man with scars on his head behind him. Tanith stiffened slightly.

"Ghastly…" The name escaped her lips quietly, but the whole room heard it in their silence.

"Ok, this class is definitely over for today. Everybody out! Out! Out! Out! You too Val, c'mon." At Skulduggery's sharp bark, the class scrambled for the door and out into the corridor. At the mention of her own name, Valkyrie found herself being taken by the arm and led out of the room past a slightly stunned McGonagall and a very frozen Ghastly – who seemed to be wearing a new suit, Valkyrie noticed. She tried to protest.

"What, but -"

"We'll talk to you later Ghastly. Professor McGonagall I was wondering if I could have a word, would you care to follow us?" McGonagall nodded and followed them out. Skulduggery closed the door quietly.

"Come along Valkyrie."

"But I didn't even get to say hi." She protested.

"There'll be plenty of time for greetings later. For now, this time is theirs."

"I don't quite understand, Detective." McGonagall said, walking by their side down the corridor "Am I needed for anything?"

"No, no. I do apologise for my deception. They needed everybody out of the room." He glanced to Valkyrie "Ghastly and Tanith have both undergone a very sudden shock over these past few days. It'll be better for them to get it out in private on their own terms rather than wait." Valkyrie nodded her agreement, but couldn't help but protest more.

"But what if they need us?"

"I find that highly unlikely."


Ok, I'm not going to include the scene where Ghastly talks to Tanith purely because I'm pretty rubbish at writing romance scenes, so you can guys can make up that scene for yourselves of what you think would happen. I'll try to update soon, but until then please be patient. It's also quite likely that this story will end soon (not really soon, but I'm about 3/4 of the way through, so, yeah) so be expecting some dramatic scenes :) I'll update when I can!