Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
I
It felt wrong without him here.
His absence was strong in everything she did. From their usually shared chores, to the bedroom they now shared.
Val couldn't help but feel terribly lonely.
She sat alone at lunch now, burying her nose in her beaten down diary in hopes of her peers forgetting her presence for just this once. Her baggy clothes, and unkempt red hair painting her as quite the easy target for bullies.
(Maybe-Maybe just today-)
The sound of someone clearing their throat seemed to cut through the air, as Lorrie Brandon cackled at her, her posse following suit.
(Lorrie who had parents. Lorrie with her golden hair, and bright eyes. Lorrie with her picture perfect smile-)
"Hello Valeria," Lorrie chirped, smiling sweetly. "How are you today?"
(She always did this-)
"I'm fine," Val replied, her voice barely above a whisper. The girls giggled at that, as Lorrie took the seat next to her.
"That's a lovely blouse you have on," The blonde whispered, picking at Val's baggy shirt. "Did you fish it out of a dumpster?"
The laughter that ensued caused Val's fingers to tremble.
(When Harry was here it hadn't been as bad. If only-)
Lorrie fished Val's diary out of her hands. The redhead wanted to yell, shout, do anything to just make it stop-
(But she couldn't. She had always been the weak one. Harry had been strong-)
"You have a crush on Timmy?" Lorrie questioned, her eyes brightening even more. Val's face burned. "Be serious Val. He would never go for someone like you. Didn't your brother get sent off to a school for delinquents?"
Val looked into Lorrie's eyes. Something thrumming beneath her skin.
(She could see it. Lorrie sitting on the step, waiting for her father to come home from work. Lipstick stains decorating his collar as he stumbled in drunk at night. Her mother was crying in the back room. The front they put on so no one could see how broken they really were-)
Lorrie wrenched back, her hand reaching to her temple. Her eyes were blank for a moment.
She threw Val's diary onto the ground, running out of the cafeteria without another word.
Val watched her go, not missing the teartracks making their way down her picture perfect face.
She felt a slight satisfaction curl up within her, as she picked up her diary, and hurried out of the lunch room as well.
Ever since she was young, Val had believed in fairytales.
She believed in princesses, and the princes that were supposed to come save them. She believed in romance.
"How did my parents fall in love?" Val had asked her aunt one summer morning, when she had turned three. The woman had just sneered at her, however.
"Your parents were drunks," The woman replied. "The only thing they loved was alcohol, not each other or anyone else,"
Val had been a bit disheartened by that, but didn't give up on the idea of fairy tales.
She 'fell in love' rather easily, garnering crushes on any boy that would do even the slightest favor for her.
She never actually told any of the boys of course, instead choosing to write it down in her makeshift diary. But she always loved to dream.
One day a prince would come and save her, and take her away to live a life of luxury.
Then Hagrid busted down their door, and Val's world was opened even more,
The worlds she had dreamed of, the fairy tales she had deep down thought would never come true were now a possibility. She couldn't have been more thrilled.
When they had walked down Diagon Alley, Harry getting his school supplies, Val had talked Hagrid's ear off. Asking question after question about the new world they had been introduced to. About the parents that she thought had willingly left them behind.
"How did our parents fall in love, Hagrid?" Val had questioned, ignoring Harry's obvious eye roll. The giant man had chuckled at that, ruffling the redheads mop of hair.
"They were both Head Boy and Girl back in their day," The giant chortled, as Val listened in rapt attention. "They were made for each other,"
Val swooned, as Harry shoved her shoulder. Even so, his eyes lit up at the mention of their parents.
That night, Val had slept soundly. Dreaming of what her parents were like for the first time in a long while. Dreaming of what her new life would entail once she joined Harry at Hogwarts the following year.
Then reality came crashing, and Val quickly realized that without Harry, there was no one else there for her.
No one to take Dudley's punches, no one to ward off Lorrie, she was truly alone.
He promised he'd write to her, he promised he'd find a way. But it had already been four months, and Harry had only sent one letter at the beginning of the term.
(Of course he forgot about you. It's not like anyone would ever stay for you-)
The lightbulb shuttered.
Val looked at it momentarily, heartbeat racing as she felt something rush through her.
She went to sleep after that, dreaming of magical castles, and flying broomsticks. Of happiness.
(She dreams of a bright green light, and the screams of a woman she had never gotten to know)
Harry finally wrote to her
He sent her his letter in the form of a tiny creature called Nan, as he did months before.
"Message for Missus Valeria Potter!" The creature squeaked. Val smiled at that.
"Thank you, Nan," The redhead said softly, hugging the letter to her chest, watching in wonder as the creature seemingly popped out of existence.
She ripped the letter open.
Her smile grew, as her brother spoke of Quidditch matches, a sport played on a broomstick of all things. Of the friends he had made. Of-
Val dropped the letter.
It hit the ground softly, as Harry recalled what exactly he did on Christmas, while she was anxiously waiting for a letter from him.
'I saw them, Val," The boy had written. 'Mum looks just like you. It's called the Mirror of Erised, and Professor Dumbledore had said-"
Harry had seen them.
Val bit down on her lip, as feelings of jealousy bubbled within her.
She had dreamed of her parents, longed for them just as much as Harry did and he was the one who got to see them? He was the one hailed as the Boy Who Lived?
The thought made her clench her fist.
(Why is it always him-)
A gold necklace laid on the ground, peeking out of the envelope the letter had been in. A tiny note was attached to it.
'I'm sorry it's a bit late,' The letter stated. 'I just wanted it to be special. Love, Harry,"
Val picked up the gold necklace, a wolf insignia hanging off the end of it and grinned.
Wolves were her favorite animals. She had always admired how they were the predators instead of the prey. How ferocious they were.
She picked up the letter, folding it properly and placing it back into the envelope. She put it with the letter he had sent her in September.
She clutched the necklace in her palm, before putting it around her neck.
The rest of the school year dragged on, with Lorrie avoiding her and Val trying her best to remain under the radar.
She held onto Harry's letters like a lifeline, taking in his adventures as if they were her own.
(With every letter, Val felt her bitterness grow slightly)
Harry had already made friends. Harry was the youngest seeker in a century.
(Without her holding him back. He was already so popular)
Val loved her brother.
(There were times Val hated her brother-)
Harry was kind.
(Harry was self righteous)
Harry always knew the right thing to do.
(Harry could be incredibly stuck up)
She clutched her new necklace, as something thrummed beneath her skin.
Val used to say she was a princess.
She would tell it to anyone willing to listen, no matter the laughs she received.
She didn't actually believe it, she wasn't a complete fool, but she liked saying it. She liked to dream.
Princess Valeria was strong. Princess Valeria was smart. Princess Valeria was-
(Everything the real Valeria wasn't)
Harry was coming home soon.
Val missed her brother. She allowed herself to smile at the thought of him coming back to tell her of his adventures in person.
Aunt Petunia, of course, saw this as her being disrespectful, and only piled on the amount of chores she had to do.
For once, Val didn't care.
She tended to the garden with a cheerful smile. She hummed as she made dinner.
Harry was coming home, and she wasn't going to be lonely anymore.
Nothing else mattered.
Someone gently tapped her foot.
"Go away Dudley," She muttered, pulling the pillow over her head.
In hindsight, Val should've been smarter. Dudley would never be gentle, and he would most certainly never go away because she told him to.
Her foot was tapped once again.
She pulled the pillow off of her face, slowly, ready to face the day.
"What do you want, Dudley?" She grumbled, pulling her knees to her chest. "Don't you have places to be? People to torment?"
The person remained silent.
Val cracked an eye open.
Green eyes that were identical to her own stared back at her. His luggage sitting behind him.
"I think I look better than Dudley," The boy replied, looking slightly offended. His eyes were filled with mirth. "Honestly, Val-"
Val tackled him in a hug.
Okay, so I've tried to write this story so many times but it's never come out the way I want it to. This time, I'm trying something different.
For starters, Val isn't Harry's twin. Other than the fact that the idea has been done to death, I thought it would be interesting if Val was a year younger.
Val also isn't a reincarnation. This time around Val is a regular OC, and this story is serving as more of a writing exercise for me than anything else. Val-as you can see- starts off as a very mentally weak character. She relies on Harry too much, and even resents him slightly. By writing this story I hope to practice executing proper character development. I hope you guys enjoy reading this story as well. This chapter served as a breather chapter, but things will pick up next chapter. Even though Val isn't a reincarnation, this story won't follow canon completely.