Two Years Later…
It was the same dream she had been having for the past three summer nights. An old Muggle man with a limp leg was down in his small kitchen boiling some water. But it wasn't that simple; it got worse. When the old man looked up from the stove, there was a light shining from one of the many windows of a mansion a few hundred feet away from his house. Every time, the old man would sigh before lighting a lantern, grabbing a set of keys, and starting out for the mansion. He would enter through the kitchen and make his way up the stairs. It was obvious that he knew his way around. And every time that the old muggle would reach the room that the light was pouring out of, the scene was the same. But only all of the other times she had had this dream, she wasn't able to make out the dialogue. This time was different.
"There is a little more in the bottle, My Lord, if you are still hungry" a voice said from the room. The door was closed in front of the old man so he only heard the voices.
"Later," a second voice said. His voice was high-pitched and strangely sounded like hissing. "Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."
A few small noises sounded from the room. "Where is Nagini?" the cold high-pitched voice asked.
"I- I don't know, My Lord. She set out to explore the house, I think…"
"I will need feeding in the night, Wormtail. The journey has tired me greatly" the cool voice said.
She knew who Wormtail was. Hermione had told her all about him only a few months earlier, and from what she heard… he was a servant of Voldemort's. He had escaped. This couldn't be good.
"M-my Lord, may I ask how long we are going to be staying here?" Wormtail asked.
"A week" the other voice said. "Perhaps even longer. It would be foolish of me to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over. Wouldn't you say, Wormtail?"
"The- the Quidditch World Cup, My Lord? F-forgive me but… I do not understand. Why should we wait until the World Cup is over?" Wormtail said.
"Of course you wouldn't understand you fool. At this very moment wizards from all over the world are pouring into this country, and every single pesky meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be there, on duty. They will be looking out for signs of unusual activity. So we wait."
The next part of their conversation was inaudible because the old Muggle man had turned his ear away from the door. It was as if he were taking time to comprehend what he was hearing but she urged him to turn his ear back so she could hear. She did not want to miss any of this.
"-could be done without Harry Potter, My Lord" Wormtail said. The old man had finally turned his ear back, allowing her to listen to the conversation once more. The weird thing was, this almost didn't feel like a dream this time. It felt as if it were actually happening… as if she were seeing a current event or something that would happen later on through this Muggle's eyes.
"-laying hands on Harry Potter would be very difficult indeed, Mr Lord. He is so well protected-"
"Ah, and so you volunteer to go and fetch me another witch or wizard as a substitute? Is that what you are saying Wormtail? That would be abandoning my plan completely… Do you wish to desert me Wormtail?" the cold voice said.
"N-no, never, My Lord. I would never desert you. I am your most faithful servant, Mr Lord" Wormtail responded.
"You are nothing more than a coward. You came to me out of fear Wormtail, not because you wish to see me back in power, but because you are a coward and have nowhere else to run."
Who was going to be back in power? What the fuck was she listening to?
"One more murder… my faithful servant at Hogwarts, and Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail." the cold voice continued on. "It has already been decided. No more arguments or questions. Be quiet, I think I hear Nagini…"
Just then, the cold voice started speaking another language, a language that the old Muggle man couldn't understand, but she could.
"What is it, my dear Nagini?" the cold voice asked. Who on earth could it be talking to- but then… the old man turned his head down to see a giant figure slithering beside his feet. A gigantic snake was making its way into the room, and it spoke back.
"The old Muggle caretaker is standing right outside of this room, listening to every word you say, Mr Lord" the snake said as it slithered into the room. The door had been slightly ajar the entire time, allowing it to slip through.
"Nagini has interesting news, Wormtail" the cold voice said.
"What is it, Mr Lord?" Wormtail asked.
"According to Nagini, there is an old Muggle standing right outside this room, listening to every word we say. Why don't you invite him inside, Wormtail? Where are your manners?"
Wormtail moved inside of the room and scurried over to the door. He opened it, revealing a large room with a single armchair sitting in front of a burning fire.
"Turn me around so I may face him, Wormtail. I wish to give our guest a proper greeting" the cold voice said. And so Wormtail, a fat man with a bald patch on the back of his head, moved warily over to the armchair and began to turn it around. What in the ugly ass skeleton baby shit was that? But before she or the muggle man could get a closer look, the cold voice spoke again.
"Avada Kedavra" the voice hissed.
A blinding flash of green light flashed before her eyes. This had never happened in her dream before. She had never gotten that far. The dream usually ended with the door being opened by who she now knew was Wormtail.
Valencia jolted upright in her bed, sweat dripping from her forehead. Ew. She was sweating in her sleep? The area behind her left ear was burning with pain, so she brought her hand up to rub it, hoping that it would help the feeling subside. She was panting as she looked around the unfamiliar room.
"Val? Val are you alright? What is it?" Hermione asked as she moved over to the side of her bed.
"N-nightmare" she mumbled in response.
Another figure in the room flicked on a light, revealing who it was. Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger were both looking at her with concerned eyes. Valencia had arrived at the Weasley's house the day before and she had spent the night with the two girls in Ginny's room. She had received a letter from Ron, saying that they had an extra ticket to the Quidditch World Cup… Wait. The Quidditch World Cup. Her dream. Someone was going to act at the Quidditch World Cup? What was that supposed to mean? It was just a dream… right?
"Valencia, are you alright? Do you want some water or anything?" Ginny asked her.
"No I'm alright, thank you Gin" Val responded. She hoped the smile she gave her was reassuring enough.
"Hey, erm… Val would you mind if I take a look behind your left ear?" Hermione asked.
"Erm- why? I just have a headache" she responded.
"Yes but you have been getting random headaches in the exact same spot for the past four years. Just- let me take a look. Alright? I'm sure it's nothing" Hermione said.
"Oh alright. But like you said, it's nothing, so you aren't going to find anything" Val said.
Hermione gave her a light smile before moving closer to Val. Hermione moved her messy hair out of her face to get a better look at the area. Val could have sworn she heard a small gasp escape from her friend's mouth but she ignored it as Hermione continued to study the area behind her left ear.
"Erm- what did you find? Nothing?" she asked after Hermione pulled away from her.
"W-well… not exactly. Y-you have a scar Valencia" Hermione stuttered.
"Oh, it was probably just from the time that Leah hit me in the head with a water glass. I-it was an accident," she said when she noticed that both of the other girls' eyes had gone wide with shock. "Well- she actually meant to hit Luca with it, but I got in the way. Her aim has also always been atrocious."
"I don't think that's what it is Val," Hermione continued, unconvinced. "Your scar- it looks exactly like Harry's…"
"But it's probably just a coincidence, right?" Ginny asked. "I mean Val's probably right. It's probably from getting hit in the head with a glass. It probably shattered and cut her-"
"Yea- yea of course, you're probably right" Hermione said.
"Hey Val, what was your nightmare about?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, just erm- something stupid. I don't really remember if I'm being honest" she lied. She remembered everything, but the only reason she didn't say anything was because she wasn't quite sure what it meant, and it had only been a dream. Right? "Hey when's breakfast?" she asked.
"Val, it's one in the morning," Hermione said with a laugh.
"Oh, right," Val replied. "Erm- do you know what time we have to be up tomorrow morning?"
"Mum said she was going to wake us up at like four," Ginny said. "So we still have a few hours to sleep."
"Okay, well… good night then" she said.
"Night."
"Good night."
Ginny turned off the lights and then she and Hermione went back to sleep. But she didn't. She couldn't. Val had read enough books to know what had happened at the end of her dream only minutes ago. That old Muggle man had been murdered. By some sort of… ugly ass skeleton baby. What the fuck? She tried and tried again to reassure herself that it was just a dream- but it had seemed so real. Way too real.
The hours of two and three a.m came and flew by as she continued to lay in her bed, staring at the wall in front of her. Surely it was a dream. It could have only been a dream. But her mind wasn't bright enough to think up something like that. And why the fuck would she dream about a place and people that she had never seen? It was impossible to do that. Right? It was just a dream. Only a dream. A very realistic dream, but just a dream she reassured herself.
It was still dark by the time that Mrs. Weasley came into their room to wake them up. Well- to wake Hermione and Ginny up. She hadn't managed to fall back asleep ever since she woke up in that panicked sweat. Nasty. While the other two girls stayed in the room to groggily get dressed, Val bolted up from her bed and decided to take a quick shower. No way was she going to go to the Quidditch World Cup smelling like that.
She hurried over to the small bathroom after grabbing the clothes that she would be wearing, and began to strip her clothes. She stepped into the hot water of the shower and stood there for a moment, soaking in the warm comfort, before washing her hair. In second year, June had found a spell that prevented hair from growing back on her legs and in other places, making her shower routine much shorter. And so after only ten minutes, she stepped out of the shower, dried herself, and began to dress.
Val had grown to love wearing skirts over the years, so she had decided to wear a short black pleated skirt and a dark green crew neck sweatshirt that bunched up around her hips. She tended to like wearing clothing that accentuated her figure, but she went for a loser top today. Her body had definitely changed in the past two years. Her hips had gotten wider, while her waist had shrunk slightly. Her hair had gotten longer but she had only grown a few inches. Her lips had gotten plumper and her chest had done the same. Hermione also always pointed out how her cheeks had a natural red blush to them and Ginny had always said how she wished she had her eyelashes, although Val didn't see why. She had always hated her body in the past, but over the years she had begun to take better care of herself, resulting in her hating herself slightly less.
She used a drying charm on her hair and then brushed her teeth before slipping out of the bathroom and back into Ginny's room. After putting on her pair of all white converse, brushing her hair, spraying her favourite perfume, and doing some light makeup, Val made her way down the many flights of stairs and down into the kitchen with everyone else.
"Ah! There you are Valencia. Come and eat up dear, your breakfast will get cold" Mrs. Weasley said as she ushered her to sit down at the large dining table. She had always adored Mrs. Weasley. Although she had been slightly skeptical of Val when she had found out she was a Slytherin, she had grown to understand that Val didn't fit the prejudice stereotype of all Slytherins. Although Val could be rude when she wanted to, she knew when and who to be nice to and how to respect others around her.
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," she said as she took her seat at the table next to Ginny.
She grabbed a few pieces of toast, some eggs, and a piece of bacon before having to practically shove it all down her throat when Mrs. Weasley had told them that they needed to leave in only five minutes.
"Why did we have to be up so early?" Ron asked as he joined them at the table. "It's still dark out."
"Yes well, we have quite a long walk ahead of us. You should hurry up and eat while you still can" Mr. Weasley said.
"We're walking to the World Cup?" Harry asked.
"Oh heavens no, that is miles away" Mr. Weasley said. "We only have to walk a short way, but it's best to get an early start. We don't want to attract the attention of any Muggles, which will be hard to do, especially with a big event like the World Cup going on."
"Oi, when did Martin get here?" Fred asked. He grabbed a piece of toast and took a bite all while looking at Val.
"I was here yesterday Fred… did you not see me?" Val said.
"Afraid not, love" Fred said as he moved to take the seat next to her. He gave her a quick wink before taking another bite of his toast.
"George!" Mrs. Weasley said sharply causing them all to jump.
"What?" George said innocently.
"What is that in your pocket young man?"
"N-nothing. I don't know what you're talking about" he lied.
"Accio" Mrs. Weasley said as she pointed her wand at George. A few pieces of brightly colored candies came flying out of George's pocket and into Mrs. Weasley's outstretched hand.
"I thought I told you two to destroy these things!" she said in a stern voice. Mrs. Weasley then hurriedly took the rest of the candies out of George's pocket before it was time for them to go.
Mr. Weasley gave Mrs. Weasley a quick kiss goodbye before the rest of them made their way out the door. It was a cold morning, making Val regret her decision of wearing a skirt, but Hermione assured her that it would warm up later in the day.
"How are we getting there anyways?" Val asked as she walked with Ginny and Hermione.
"I think dad mentioned something about a portkey," Ginny replied.
"Well, that does make sense," she said.
They continued to walk for a few more minutes. Val surveyed the area around her. The tall trees that seemed to stand miles above her were painted with golden rays as the sun slowly began to creep its way up into the sky. The grass below her feet had small drops of morning dew on them, plastering her white shoes with water. Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Mr. Weasley all walked ahead of the three girls. Hermione and Ginny were whispering about something that Val was unable to make out. She was too focused on her thoughts to understand their words.
"Now we just need the portkey," Mr. Weasley said. They had reached the top of a rather steep hill and had come to a halt. "Come on now, let's spread out and search for it. It should be something small…"
"Over here Arthur! We've got it!" A voice sounded from slightly in front of them.
"Amos!" Mr. Weasley said as he greeted a wizard with a brown scruffy beard and a slightly rounded face.
"That's Cedric's dad" Ginny whispered to Val. "You know, the dad of the kid you've had a slight crush on for the past year."
Her cheeks flushed at Ginny's words and she playfully shoved her shoulder to get her to shut up.
"You better not say shit" Val whispered back to Ginny.
"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," Mr. Weasley said. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Ah, and I assume you all know his son Cedric?"
"Hi" Cedric muttered. A few people sort of whispered hi back awkwardly. Cedric was a Hufflepuff, and a sixth year; two years older than Val. There was no denying that he was extremely handsome. Half of the girls in the school could be caught wooing over him.
"You picked a cute one Val" Hermione said in a teasing whisper.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. "I didn't pick him by any means Mione. Besides, I'm pretty sure he likes Cho."
"Oh really? Then why is he staring at you right now? Hmm?" Ginny said as she nudged Val's shoulder.
Val looked up to see that Ginny was right. Her eyes locked with his. They stared at each other for a few awkward moments before she smiled at him and turned away.
"What the fuck. Please tell me my cheeks don't look like fucking tomatoes. Oh that really is embarrassing-"
"Relax Val," Hermione said with a giggle, "your cheeks don't look any more blushed than they usually do."
Amos and Arthur bantered back and forth for a few minutes before Mr. Weasley turned back to look at Val, Harry, and Hermione. "You just need to touch the portkey, that's all. A finger should do" he said.
The three girls looked at each other before they made their way up to stand with everyone else. An old and ugly tattered boot lay on the ground in front of them, at the very top of the hill. They all formed a circle around the boot. Val was tucked tightly between Ginny and Hermione as she reached out and placed her pointer finger on the boot.
"Three… two…" Mr. Weasley began, "one…"
They began to spin in a circle and Val closed her eyes as a wave of nausea washed over her. Her feet slammed into the ground no less than ten seconds later. They all tumbled to the ground, all except for Mr. Diggory, Mr. Weasley, and Cedric, who all stood above them.
Harry and Ron quickly scrambled to their feet and began to brush off any dirt and grass that clung to their clothes.
"Here," a voice said from above her. She was still slightly nauseous from the trip so she had stayed on the ground a few seconds longer than all of the others. When Val looked up, she saw it was Cedric who had spoken. He had his hand outstretched, offering for her to take it so he could help her up.
"Thanks," she said with an awkward smile. She grabbed his cold hand and he hauled her up. Like Harry and Ron had done, she brushed the back of her skirt with her hands to ensure that no grass or dirt had clung to it.
Cedric smiled at her again. His rosy cheeks almost matched the bright pink color of his lips, and his soft brown eyes had the ability to melt anyone they looked at. Apparently they melted her too.
"Erm- we should probably catch up with the others" he said. Val looked up to see that everyone else was a few paces ahead of them, making their way down the hill that they had appeared on.
"Oh, er- right. We should" she said awkwardly.
"Are you looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?" Cedric asked as the two of them walked side by side. They were slightly behind the others. Ginny and Hermione had both taken turns looking back at the two of them and then they had both quickly turned back abound and giggled with each other.
"Well, I would say I am, but mostly only to see my friends. I don't really fancy having to do more of Snape's annoying essays" she said.
He smiled lightly to himself but continued to look ahead.
"They really are the worst aren't they-"
"Hurry along would you Ced? Our tent is over this way" Amos Diggory called to his son.
"It was nice talking to you Valencia Martin" Cedric said. He gave her a nod before hurrying off to join his dad. He turned around to look at her, flashing her a smile that she returned, before he and his dad turned a corner and disappeared.
She joined the rest of the Weeasleys and Harry and Hermione, who were all standing in front of what looked like a small cottage door. Beyond that, Val was able to make out hundreds of small tents spread across a wide field.
"A map of the campsite for you" a muggle man said as she approached them. He handed Mr. Weasley a piece of parchment that she assumed was the map.
"Thank you very much," Mr. Weasley said.
Val joined back up with Ginny and Hermione as they began to walk across the large field to find their tent.
"Sooo…" Ginny began, "what did you and Cedric talk about?"
"Oh- erm, just school" she replied.
The two other girls didn't seem to believe her, so they pestered her about their short conversation until they reached their tent. With the size of the small structure in front of them, there was no way that everyone would fit.
Mr. Weasley entered the tent first and he had to almost crouch down as he did so. Fred and George followed, and then Val made her way in after. Her eyes went wide with shock. The tent opened up into a room much larger than the exterior could provide. There was a kitchen, a dining table, a bathroom, and two separate areas where they would sleep. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny followed her into the tent as she began to make her way over to the dining table. Val set the small bag she had packed onto the table and looked around once more, taking everything in.
About an hour passed before Val and Ginny decided to take a walk around the field, while Hermione had opted to stay and talk with Harry and Ron.
"Do you see anyone from school?" Ginny asked as the two of them weaved between the hundreds of tents.
"Erm- not really. Oh- wait, I see Oliver Wood over there" she said as she pointed to the former Hogwarts student.
The two of them took turns pointing out anyone that they recognized before they came to the field's end.
"Want to go sit by that river?" Ginny asked. A small river sat just below them, separating the field from a forest.
"Sure" Val agreed.
Valencia conjured up a small blanket for the two of them to sit on so that the wet muddy ground wouldn't touch their clothes. The two of them sat and talked about the school year to come, but mostly they talked about boys. All of the hottest boys in the school, all of the most annoying boys in the school, and Ginny even talked about her crush on Harry. Val had always known that Ginny liked him, but she had never straight up told her before.
"Honestly Gin, I think that it could be a possibility in the future. I would say now, but Harry needs to grow a pair of fucking balls. You would most definitely wear the pants in the relationship" Val said with a cheeky grin.
Ginny let out a snort at her words. "I should probably just give up on it for now. I mean like you said earlier, there are plenty of fine ass men in the school."
"Well- I wouldn't exactly call any of them men but yea" Val said, the grin still obvious upon her features.
"We should probably head back. Dad's probably been looking for us all over and I think we need to head up to the pitch soon" Ginny said.
"Yea, you're probably right" she agreed.
The two of them sat up from the blanket that disappeared when it no longer had a use. The temperature of the air had come to a comfortable heat, but now that the sun was beginning to set slightly, it was dropping to the same coolness that it had in the morning.
"Oh you really are going to be freezing during the match later" Ginny said as the two of them climbed the small hill that led away from the river. "I have an extra pair of jeans if you would like to wear them" she offered.
"I'll consider it, but I think I should be fine. The Slytherin common room has gotten me used to low temperatures, although this is a different type of cold" she said. Not only was the temperature dropping, but the once barely there wind was now growing in strength.
"Okay, well don't be afraid to ask if you want them" Ginny said with a smile.
"Ah, there you two are," Mr. Weasley said as they approached the tent. Val noticed that Bill and Charlie Weasley were standing next to Fred and George, who were standing behind Mr. Weasley. Although she had never met either of them, it was obvious that they were Weasleys because of their bright red hair. Ginny had talked a bit about the two of them over the years that they knew each other as well.
"It's time!" Mr. Weasley continued. "Come on then, let's go!"
Mr. Weasley led the large group through a small lantern lit trail that then led them up to the gigantic stadium. The Quidditch pitch looked miniscule from their high angle. Witches and wizards crowded into the stadium.
They climbed the endless steps that led up to their seats, taking a break every now and then to look out onto the field.
"How far up are we dad?" Ron complained.
"Let's just say, if it rains, you'll be the first ones to know" a cool voice drawled from below. Lucius Malfoy; prat. And his son stood next to him.
Draco Malfoy was wearing an all black suit, accompanied by the silver ring that never left his finger. His silver-grey eyes looked up at the group of them, and then locked onto Val's. They held eye contact for a few awkward seconds before he gave her a glare.
"Father and I are sitting in the Minister's box, on personal invitation from Cornelius Fudge himself" Malfoy sneered once his eyes left hers.
"Don't boast, Draco," Lucius said, "there's no need with these people.
Val and the rest of the people in their large group glared down at the two Malfoy's before turning to continue their journey up the stairs.
"Do enjoy yourselves," Lucius said with a sly grin on his face, "while you can." And with that, the two white-blonde haired prats left.
They continued up the steps until they reached the very top of the stadium where their seats were. After a few minutes of waiting with anticipation in their seats, both teams made their dramatic entrances onto the field.
"Ladies and gentlemen… welcome to the four hundred and twenty-second, Quidditch World Cup" Fudge said. He must have used the sonorus charm because his voice was booming throughout the stadium.
The large crowd erupted in cheers before Fudge continued. "Let the game begin!" he said.
The small referee in the middle of the pitch released the quaffle, and the game began. Only a few goals were scored by the time that Valencia began to shiver.
"I- I think i'm going to go get a Butterbeer, I'll be right back" she said to Hermione.
She slipped past Hermione and Ginny and made her way down the steps and over to a small concession area that sat near the Minister's box.
"Urgh" she groaned to herself as she rounded the corner and saw the massive line leading up to the stand. There was only one middle-aged man that was handing out the food and drinks which only increased the time that she would have to wait. But there was no way she was going back up to her seat without the Butterbeer to warm her up. And so she joined the long line and waited; shivering.
"Cold much, Martin?" a familiar voice said from behind her. It was almost as if the person who was speaking was right next to her ear. Well- that's because they were.
"What do you want Draco?" she asked when she turned around to see who it was. He had grown significantly taller over the years causing him to tower above Valencia's small stance. His white-blonde hair was situated perfectly on top of his head and his all black suit was flawless.
"Butterbeer," he said coolly. "You really should have worn something else, you're dafter than I thought."
"Yea well, I like skirts… and I'm getting a Butterbeer to warm me up so there should be no problem" she said as she raised an eyebrow at him.
They stood there in the line for a few minutes in silence, both avoiding any further eye contact.
"Can you stop fucking shivering, Martin?" Draco snapped suddenly, causing her to jump.
"Well maybe if I weren't freezing my arse off over here-"
"I already told you, that's your fault you daft idiot-"
"Oh shut up you conceited git-"
"What's going on here?" a third voice said. Cedric Diggory approached the two of them, interrupting their not-so-friendly banter.
"Oh nothing, just Martin shivering her arse off because she was daft enough to wear a fucking skirt. I mean honestly, who is that fucking stupid-"
"Why don't you go run back to daddy, Draco? I'm sure he would love to hear how you insulted a mudblood like me" she snapped.
"Oh please, why won't you just-"
"Can both of you just shut it already?" Cedric said, interrupting them once more.
"Sorry," Val mumbled. Malfoy only rolled his eyes before crossing his arms across his chest.
"Don't cross your arms too tight, otherwise it will ruin your perfect black suit that you bought with daddy's money" Valencia whispered to him once everything had gone silent.
"Shut it Martin" Malfoy snapped back in a whispered tone.
Cedric only looked between the two of them, trying to figure out what they were saying, before he rolled his eyes. The three of them waited in the long line together for another two minutes.
"Here," Cedric said, "take this." He unwrapped his Hufflepuff scarf from around his neck and motioned for Val to take it.
"How romantic" Draco scoffed.
Val rolled her eyes before stretching her arm out to take the scarf, but Cedric was already moving to place it around her neck himself. Her cheeks flushed a bright red as he gently wrapped his scarf around her.
"T-thanks" she stammered. She smiled at him, he smiled back. They held eye contact for a few seconds before Malfoy groaned with irritation from beside them.
"God, Martin, if you don't move forward and take your turn to order your sodding drink then I will" Malfoy said. She looked ahead of her to see that he was right, it was her turn. She moved forward, away from Cedric, and approached the middle-aged man that stood behind the counter.
"What can I get for you dear?" he asked her with a smile.
"Two bottles of Butterbeer, please" she said as she returned the smile.
"Sure you're going to be able to afford that, Martin?" Malfoy jeered from behind her. She ignored him.
"That will be eight sickles," the man said as he placed two bottles of the golden drink on the counter. She gladly handed him the money and then grabbed the two bottles.
"Er- here. I assume you want this back-" she began. She had already started to unwrap the Hufflepuff scarf from around her neck before Cedric interrupted her.
"Keep it," he said. "You look far more cold than I am anyways."
"What a true Hufflepuff," Draco said. He had already gotten his Butterbeer and was now moving past them to go back to his seat.
"Shove it up your small arse Malfoy" she spat at him. He rolled his eyes and left the two of them alone as he marched back into the Minister's box.
Cedric let out a small laugh from beside her and she looked back over to him to see that his eyes were still looking directly at her. "Thank you," Val said. "For erm- this" she said as she pointed to his scarf. "I should probably head back now," she continued, "I've probably missed all of the exciting plays made in the game so far."
"Right, well, er- see you around." He gave her another one of his classic smiles before she turned on her heel, Butterbeer in hand, and started back up the stairs. She unscrewed the cap on one of the bottles and took a large swig of the golden liquid. Warmness seemed to encase her insides as the liquid ran down into her stomach.
The game had ended. Although Bulgaria's seeker had caught the snitch, Ireland had still won. Fred and George made sure to pester Ron about his team losing on their way back to the tent.
When they arrived at the tent, Valencia immediately dove into her small bag and pulled out her sleepwear. Since everyone was still in the common area, she decided to change in the bathroom. She was exhausted.
She took off Cedric's scarf and then slipped off her crew neck sweatshirt and her skirt, leaving her in her underwear and bra before she slid on a pair of grey sweatpants and a tight fitting white tank top. She then brushed her hair and teeth and left the small room. She wanted more than anything to snuggle up in the warmness of her temporary bed.
After being told by Mr. Weasley that the three girls would be sleeping together in one area, Val said good night to everyone and slipped out of the common area once more. She laid down in one of the three beds and drifted off to sleep with ease. She only hoped that the dream wouldn't come back to her. The voices, the snake, the blinding flash of green light. She never wanted to see it again.
She had been dreaming about that day at the lake with her family when she was startled awake. Mr. Weasley was shouting.
"Get up! Hurry now! Hermione, Ginny, Valencia… get up, come on!"
"What's the matter?" she groaned. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she spoke.
"There's no time to explain. Up! All of you!" Mr. Weasley insisted.
Valencia thought she could hear distant shouting and panicked voices but she only thought it was her imagination. "Come on now, make sure you grab something warm" Mr. Weasley said.
Now alert and panicked, she pulled on her green crew neck sweatshirt and grabbed her wand. She had no time to put on a pair of shoes before Hermione was tugging her out of their small room and into the cold night air.
"What's happening-"
She saw it then. Well- saw them. A group of people were marching towards them, all wearing masks and pointed hoods. Some of them were holding burning torches while others were focused on the four struggling figures floating above them. They seemed to be writhing in pain.
She looked around and saw that the figures had been lighting every single tent they could on fire. While some tents had been burnt to nothing but ash, others were burning brightly with newly lit flames. What the fuck?
Tents crumbled and fell all around them and- and the group of marchers seemed to be… chanting something. What was this? Some sort of satanic cult? And then it hit her. Hard. Her dream. The voice's words. "It would be foolish of me to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over. Wouldn't you say, Wormtail?" the voice had said. She remembered every word. Was this- was her dream actually reality? She could have stopped this. It was her fault. She knew something bad would be happening today. Why the fuck hadn't she told anyone? God she was a blithering idiot.
"Valencia! Snap out of it! We need to go! Now!" Hermione said as she attempted to pull her along. She hadn't noticed that the group of people had gotten much closer and she didn't even notice the hundreds of panicked people bumping up against her as they fled into the trees. She had been too caught up in her guilt. Her fault. This was her fault. She could have stopped this. Why didn't she say anything?
Someone bumped up against her, hard, jolting her out of her idiotic trance. With her wand still clutched tightly in her right hand, Valencia allowed Hermione to tug her along through the crowd of people. Not everyone was darting towards the forest though. Others were running in different directions, making it twenty times harder to maneuver through the large crowd.
And then their hands were pulled apart.
"Hermione!"
"Valencia!"
No use. The crowd separated them. She was shoved and pushed as she attempted to make her way back to Hermione.
"Hermione!" she called again. No response. And now she was just another panic stricken person in the crowd. Pushing her way past people, trying to get to safety. "Mione!" she called again, hoping for something, anything. Nothing.
She stopped dead in her tracks, looking around her with wide eyes, attempting to look for even a slightly familiar face. Her hands grew clammy and she was clutching her wand so tight that her nails began to dig into her skin, drawing blood. Fuck.
Hundreds of people were still scurrying around her, fleeing the scene. But she felt rooted to the spot. She couldn't move. It was her fault. All of this was her fault. Why the fuck hadn't she said anything? What if Hermione got hurt? What if they all got hurt?
And then she was shoved so hard that she fell to the ground. She hit her head on a sharp rock, and her vision went blurry. Her fault. All of it.