"I hate studying." Said Blaze.
"Hmm." Liam hummed but didn't look up.
"No, like I really hate studying."
"Yeah."
"I don't think you understand just how deeply I loath this particular activity."
"I think I might have an inkling."
"I never want to look at another textbook ever again."
"We live in a school for ten months out of the year, Blaze. I don't like your chances."
"Why have I been cursed to live such a life?"
"Believe me." Liam threw a knowing look across the table at Valentine and Draco. "We're all thinking the same thing."
"Blaze." Valentine lifted her eyes to glare at him over her book.
He froze.
"Yes?"
"Shut the hell up before I shove this textbook down your throat."
"Okay. No problem." Blaze dropped his chin to his chest. "I can do that."
"Hmm." Valentine hummed, unconvinced.
Liam shot her a grateful look that she ignored.
Leah and Olivia were still keeping something of a distance from Valentine at least. Valentine knew however that they had spoken to the others a few times in moments she hadn't been present. Sat in the Great Hall, studying over lunch, it was so quiet without Leah. Even Blaze's chatter couldn't fill in Leah's weird squeaking and tantrums. Valentine ignored that too although it wasn't as easy as she hoped it would be.
"Hello, Draco." Pansy half skipped up to them.
Her cheerful demeanour had Liam and Blaze exchanging tired expressions. None of them were in the mood to be dealing with Parkinson throwing herself at Draco today. Unfortunately for them, Draco seemed almost completely oblivious to this. Valentine knew that wasn't true. Draco wasn't anywhere near as stupid as people thought he was, but he was susceptible to flattery, something that his friends were unlikely to shower him with.
Pansy glanced at Valentine and then sat to the right of Draco. If he had been sitting with Blaze or Liam, she would have probably forced her way in between the two so she could monopolize all of Draco's attention, but God knows she wasn't so stupid as to try something like that. Valentine hadn't broken anyone's bones in many years and it wasn't exactly something she made a habit of but the temptation was definitely there.
"It's so awful what happened." Pansy touched Draco's arm gently. "I was terrified for you. Does it still hurt?"
"It comes and it goes," said Draco. "I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another second or two and I could have lost my arm."
Seems I'm not the only stone-faced liar in this family. Did he forget I was in the hospital wing the entire time? Madam Pomfrey never said a thing like that.
"Weren't you frightened at all?" Pansy battered her lashes at him.
Valentine saw Blaze pretending to vomit into his hands and then wipe it on Liam.
"Not really." Draco shrugged differently. "What's so scary about an overgrown turkey?"
Valentine snorted at that, loud enough so everyone could hear. Draco sent her an annoyed glare and then tried to let it slip by, turning his attention back to Pansy who was now prattling on and on about how impressed she was with Draco.
By now, all their studying had been abandoned. It was rather hard to focus when there was a pest sitting three feet from you. Valentine let her expression drift into something dark and utterly unamused as she grabbed a bread roll from the table and proceeded to rip it into tiny pieces with more force than necessary. Liam and Blaze noticed this. Draco and Pansy did not.
The conversation had shifted from praising Draco for attributes he didn't have, to complaining about how all the teachers favoured Harry, which wasn't even accurate. Liam and Blaze attempted to start up their own conversation, something about an upcoming Quidditch match, but Pansy would just talk louder so that there wouldn't be a chance that she wouldn't be heard by her dearest Draco.
Bloody hell. She's like a female Draco but so much worse.
Valentine felt for her wand in her pocket and wonder how flammable school robes we're. Not her own in particular, of course.
Pansy laughed loudly at something and Blaze slapped his hands over his ears. It wasn't even an especially bad laugh, but right now anything coming from that girl's mouth was unwelcome. Pansy was then rattling on about how Harry Potter leeched off his fame and Draco was eating up every bit of it like a man starved.
Affairs of the heart we're more than a little unfamiliar to Valentine but it didn't seem to her that Draco liked Pansy in the same manner she clearly liked him. At least Valentine hoped not. Valentine was two seconds away from drowning Pansy in the Black Lake and that would put something of a damper on her and Draco's relationship if he really did like her. Valentine already had enough of those kinds of problems with Leah.
Pansy remained utterly obtuse to the tense atmosphere she had created or that fact that Liam was sending desperate looks Draco's way and receiving nothing in return.
Pansy took a moment to grab an apple from the table and the air filled with blessed silence as she took a bite.
"Thank you." Blaze whispered, face buried in his hands.
Then Pansy swallowed her mouthful and once again disturbed the fleeting peace.
"Oh, for the love of- Make." Bang. Blaze smacked his forehead full force on the edge of the table.
"It." Bang.
"Stop." Bang.
Well, that's a sure-fire way to give yourself a concussion.
"Make!" Bang.
"It!" Bang.
"Stop!" Bang.
"MAKE!" Bang.
"IT!" Bang.
"STOP!" Bang.
"Blaze!" Draco stopped. "What the hell has got into you?"
"You're kidding?" Liam groaned.
"What?" Draco stared back, not catching on.
"What's wrong with him?" Pansy wrinkled her nose at Blaze, his head still pressed to the table.
"You're what's wrong with me," Blaze grumbled.
"Me?" Pansy frowned. "I haven't done a thing."
"And you." Liam still had his eyes on Draco. "I know I'm supposed to be the non-confrontational type but bloody hell, you are testing me."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"It appears that stupidity is contagious." Valentine hissed, her voice making everyone pause. She turned to glare at her cousin. "You should probably stop letting that brainless wonder follow you around. If you haven't noticed, it affects all of us."
"Yeah, since when did we let just anyone hang around us?" Said Liam.
"Seriously. What the hell are you all going on about?" Draco asked, genuinely confused.
"That's it." Blaze raised his head weakly. "He's lost to us. We should save ourselves while we have the chance."
"Agreed." Said Liam.
"Screw that." Valentine bit out. Their group was already divided enough as it was. She then picked up a butter knife from the table and looked directly into Pansy's dark, nervous eyes. "Look here you annoying little rat, it may be blunt but I can still carve your pitiful face into a Jack-o-Lantern. I suggest you learn to appreciate a certain level of silence or you'll never make another sound again."
Pansy swallowed, face pale.She opened her mouth but no sound came out. She looked to Draco for some kind of defence but his eyes were glued to his lap. Pansy shut her mouth, slowly stood and walked away.
"Val." Blaze looked over at her with large pitiful eyes. "I have mentioned how awesome you are, right?"
"Why do you all have such a problem with her?" Draco grumbled under his breath.
"If you need to ask that then it's not worth explaining." Valentine picked up her book again.
"He's been sighted! He's been sighted!"
Valentine put down her book once more. The others all turned to listen as well.
Seamus rushed over to the Gryffindor table slapping down the latest edition of the Daily Prophet. He was quickly surrounded by other students including Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Who?" Asked Ron.
"Sirius Black!" Said, Seamus.
"Duff town?" Hermione exclaimed the first to get her hands on the newspaper. "That's not far from here."
"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts?" Asked Neville. "Do you?'
"With Dementor's at every entrance?" Said Dean.
"Dementor's?" Seamus scoffed. "He's already slipped past them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he won't do it again?"
"That's right. Black could be anywhere." Neville's voice trembled. "It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
--Pretending To Hate--
Olivia's P.O.V-
I caught Val glaring at us from the corner of her eye. It was enough to make me shiver even under my sweater and robes. Leah didn't seem to notice, too busy stumbling through her potions essay.
I don't know what had come over me. Being so bold as to block Val's path when I saw her leaving the library and inviting her to study with us? How stupid am I? I mean, if she's leaving the library then I doubt she had studying to do. Even then she doesn't have to study to get the highest marks in our year! But...well. She had said yes. A yes in this instance being a scoffed and a muttered 'whatever'. Surely if she agreed at all she couldn't still be all that mad?
This was the first we'd spoken to Val in the several days that had passed since that incident in the Great Hall several days ago. It's positively maddening. Val is just being so stubborn about this! Leah apologized. More than once. What else could she possibly want? Regardless, we can't go on like this. I've been able to speak to the boys a few times while Val has been elsewhere and they all agree with me. It's awkward and difficult and Val is practically a ticking time bomb in the centre of it all. At the same time, if she truly, truly hated Leah, then we would know. She wouldn't simply ignore her like this if that had been the case. However Val might deny it, she cares deeply for her friends, Leah and Draco especially. We can all see it even if we can't quite say it aloud. There has to be away for us to go back to normal.
Val must have seen me spot her glare because her gaze hardened before she turned it back to her book. It was large and thick and from across the table, I could see it was some advanced theoretical magic study. I wonder if she ever finds anything she can't tackle in an afternoon. I'd probably need a dictionary and a full week to get through something like that.
"Olivia." Leah let out a long groan. "I don't understand any of this."
"That's probably because you fell asleep in the class the other day." I had to laugh. She'd drooled all over herself. The look on Snape's face had been absolutely hysterical.
"It's not my fault that it was so boring." Leah pouted, playing with the ends of her long hair. "It's not like I'm ever going to need to know the properties and uses of the shrivelfig!"
"Well, that's the assignment I'm afraid." I smiled sympathetically. Leah often had trouble with subjects that didn't catch her entire attention. "Here, show me the part that you're caught on."
Leah shoved the book towards me.
"All of it."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Well, all of it, it is then."
Val scoffed under her breath and forced myself to ignore it. I know she, and the others for that matter, thought I was too soft on Leah, but she's so sweet, how can I not be?
I read over the text and explained it to Leah the best I could. She was more intelligent than what people gave her credit for, it was simply her attention span that seemed to get in her way.
"Does it make more sense now?" I asked.
"Uh, I think I got it." Leah nodded, clearly a little unsure.
"Well," My eyes flickered over at Val for a fleeting second. "if you're still having trouble then maybe Val can help if she has the time. I'm sure she'd understand it better than me."
Val didn't even react to the mention of her own name. Leah looked over at Val herself, another fleeting glance, even more hesitation then my own.
"Nope, it's fine." Leah pulled the book back towards herself. "I think you did a great job of explaining."
I wonder if that dismissal hurt Val at all. I wonder if this fracture between them made her regret the things she had said or done. If she did, she didn't show it. Not that I believed she was a completely honest person. Of anyone had secrets it was Valentine Lestrange.
This really has been going on for too long. Leah is usually so loud and near uncontrollable, now she hardly even raises her voice! Things between Leah and Val will never be fixed if they won't even talk to each other. But then...what would I be fixing it for? I've got secrets of my own after all...
"I'm finished," Val spoke up suddenly, she stood from the table, holding the heavy book to her chest.
"Already?" I asked.
"What part of 'I'm finished' are you confused about?" She snapped.
"Are you going back to the common room?" I sounded almost panicked and I hated that but had no clue how to sound otherwise.
"What's it to you? I don't recall where I go or what I do to be any of your business."
I tried not to flinch and failed.
"I...I just thought we could go with you."
"I'd rather be alone," Val said stiffly and was walking away before I could even say another word.
She headed straight for the door, a cluster of younger students separating to form a path for her like she carried some deadly disease. Val didn't even seem to notice them.
I hate this.
"I hate this..." Leah dropped her head on the table and my heart leapt in my chest. Had I maybe said that out loud?
"Don't worry," I assured her, knowing so hardly sounded reassuring. "I'm sure she'll come around."
"But Val hasn't been this mad at me in years." Leah sniffled.
"You've fought like this before."
"Not really." Leah shrugged, turning her head to face me. "We used to argue sometimes when we were younger but it never lasted. Draco always stayed mad for longer than she did. But that was then, before, you know, stuff happened. Val hasn't been with mad with me since the violin indecent."
"What's the violin indecent?" I frowned. And here I had thought I knew nearly everything there was to know about Leah's childhood. She spent hours narrating the years she had experienced before Hogwarts. To be completely honest, they made me jealous. It made me wonder about what kind of childhood I could have had if I'd had siblings.
"I think were we seven or eight years old and I was over at the Malfoy's. Val was playing the violin for me. It was beautiful, every note was perfect. And she learnt it so fast." Leah laughed, but it was solemn and melancholic. "That's a super genius for you."
"I didn't even know she played."
Somehow the image of Val with a violin seemed to suit her.
"I don't think she has for years now, but she and Draco were amazing, only Draco played the piano and not the violin. Anyway, I begged Val to teach me and she said yes. She was more...well, more nice back then. She even let me use her violin to practice. But...then I lost it. When I told her, she didn't believe me. Nobody did, not even my parents. They all thought I broke it and hid it or something. Val was so mad that she didn't talk to me for days!
"She could have just gotten a new one, couldn't she?"
"Yes, everyone told her that but she said that didn't matter. Apparently what mattered was that she thought I was lying about breaking it but I really did just lose it!"
"And did you ever find it?"
"Nope." Leah sighed. "I have no clue where it went. Me and Penny looked everywhere and even Draco helped look once but it's like the stupid thing vanished or something."
"Well, how did Val forgive you that time?"
"I dunno really...I think she was just as sick of fighting." Leah sat up, resting her head in her hands.
"Then maybe you just need to give her some more time," I suggested. "Like back then. She might get sick of all of this and forgive you."
"Maybe. But that was before she changed." Leah's eyes were glassy with tears. "She's just so different now, you know? Wait, no, you wouldn't actually know, but trust me. She doesn't laugh like she used to, or smile. I mean, she still laughs and smiles, but they aren't the same anymore. If all that changed, then maybe this won't be like last time."
"Oh, Olivia." I sighed. "What if it is? Val doesn't hate you, I know she doesn't. Time might be all she needs."
Leah pouted.
"I hate waiting."
I smiled lightly.
"Well, I'm afraid that's your new assignment."
"Arggggg." Leah groaned. "More homework?"
Time is good and all but what Val reacts the most too is action. Something has to be done.
--Pretending To Hate--
Liam had been fidgeting all morning and it was a nervous habit not lost on Valentine. Given his usual calm demeanour, it always caught Valentine's eye when he was otherwise. Blaze wasn't much better, in fact, he was worse, avoiding eye contact, walking into things and mumbling under his breath like he had voices in his head. Clearly, something was up. She had planned to snap at them sometime during the trip into Hogsmeade and demand they tell her what was wrong so they could stop annoying her with the constant fiddling and collisions. As it turned out, she didn't need to wait that long.
She watched from the corner of her eye as Liam gestured across the courtyard at Olivia and Leah. He shared a look with Blaze who nodded, jaw clenched.
Ah.
Valentine twisted the serpent ring on her finger.
The girls walked over, not rushing, but not too slow as to seem like they were stalling. Valentine glanced at Draco, he was talking to Crabbe and Goyle and appeared to have no clue of what was happening.
When Olivia and Leah arrived the first thing Valentine noticed was that Leah was smiling and properly too at that. Big and wide and almost demented with excitement. It was sight Valentine hadn't seen in days and it appeared to be infectious as suddenly Liam and Blaze were doing the same.
"Hi." Olivia nodded to the boys.
"We're going to Hogsmeade!" Leah sang, bouncing around happily. "We're going to Hogsmeade!"
"Hello too you to, Leah." Liam laughed.
"Ugh." Draco peered over Blaze's shoulder. "I thought I heard screeching."
"We're going to Hogsmeade! We're going to Hogsmeade!"
"I'm going to hell." Draco sang to the same tune although without the same vigour and cheerful spirit as Leah.
"Ha, ha!" Leah pointed at him triumphantly. "There isn't a thing you can do or say that will ruin my good mood!"
"She's very excited." Olivia giggled.
"Really? I couldn't tell." Blaze rolled his eyes.
"And you!" Leah shifted her finger to him. "Same as Draco! There isn't a thing you can do that will bring me down!"
"Oh, yeah? That a challenge?" Blaze leered at her with a grin.
"I don't know." Leah leered back at him. "Think you can actually be a challenge?"
"Oh, you are going down, Lovat."
"What? To you're height? I'd have to go back about six years in time."
Valentine wanted to laugh and she would have if she could. This felt right. This was what her world was like even if it hadn't been for the longest handful of days in her life. She assumed they had plotted this, Liam, Blaze and Olivia. They probably didn't trust Draco not to blab and Leah not to screw it up somehow. Now she knew why they'd all been so nervous. For all, they knew she was two seconds away from starting a spontaneous blood bath. But none of them were looking her way and she also knew why on that account as well. They were waiting for just that to happen. For her to react. For her to make the decision for them on whether or not this was happening. She decided they had waited long enough and rolled her eyes.
"Shut up." She growled under her breath. "The both of you. I'm not putting up with this all damn day."
Blaze looked at her for the first time that day and then looked immediately back to Leah with a grin. Liam and Olivia exchanged similar expressions. Valentine assumed they were silently congratulating themselves on their success. Even if it might not have seemed like acceptance on the outsider, those on the inside knew better. She hadn't outright shunned them and that, in this case, was a success.
Then McGonagall cleared her voice and Valentine remembered just where she was. In the courtyard with the rest of the third year's preparing for their first trip into Hogsmeade.
"Remember! These visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege." She warned. "Should your behaviour reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again."
"So, basically they don't want us to have any fun." Draco scoffed under his breath.
"Lighten up, Draco." Liam laughed at him. "For once we might not have to cause trouble to have fun. Personally, I plan to gorge myself on the best of Honeyduke's."
"Here, here!" Leah cheered.
While the others fell in excited conversation, Valentine was still looking over at McGonagall. Harry was by her side and seemed to be asking her something and receiving a less than positive reply. Valentine knew immediately what was happening. It made her wonder for the briefest of passing moments, what it would be like less aware of her surroundings, but wondering was useless because she was aware.
Aware that Harry's home life with his own uncle, aunt and cousin was not a particularly easy one. She hadn't gotten her hopes up that Harry would have been able to have his permission slip signed. She felt conflicted. More than a little part of her was compelled to stay behind just in case. Hogwarts could be an unpredictable place after all and it was better safe than sorry, especially with a psychotic murdered on the loose. Then she felt Draco by her side and she remembered what Dumbledore had told her.
"We're going to Hogsmead! We're going to Hogsmead!" Leah was singing again, skipping circles around Olivia.
Flich gestured at the third year's to follow, McGonagall taking up the rear.
"Time to go." Olivia quickly grabbed Leah and steered her in the right direction.
"I'll race you to Honeyduke's." Said Blaze to Liam.
"You hate running." Liam laughed.
"For candy? I might just make an exception."
"You want to waste all that energy just so I can beat you?"
"Woah, someones cocky today."
"What utter children." Valentine huffed so that only Draco could hear.
"Are you really surprised?" Draco shrugged. He'd ditched the sling yesterday. If Valentine had to guess she'd say it was because he was worried they wouldn't let him down into Hogsmeade if he was apparently. Still injured.
"I'm never surprised."
"And that doesn't surprise me."
Valentine shook her head at him while he seemed quite pleased with his joke.
"We need to talk about the pest." She said.
"Which one?" Draco looked pointedly at the others ahead of them.
"Parkinson."
"Oh."
"It's time for her to go."
"That's ominous."
"Good." She said. "I'm sick of her. You need to get rid of her or I'll do it myself."
"Val...she's not that bad."
"You're just saying that because she's infatuated with you."
"No!"
Valentine shot him a look.
"Okay, yes." Draco sighed. "I know she can get kind of annoying. I honestly don't really listen when she talks sometimes."
"Then why the hell haven't you told her to get lost? Because she compliments you day and night? Telling you how brave and valiant you are when we both know you got hurt because you let your ego override our logic?"
Draco stared at her like a fish, mouth opening and closing. He glanced hurriedly around at the other students as if making sure no one heard.
"Do you have to talk so loud?" He forced out through clenched teeth.
"We both know I can get louder." Valentine stopped to look right at him. Draco swallowed heavily. "Next you'll be telling me that you return her gross little feelings."
"Of course not!" Draco shot back. "Whenever she brings it up I just change the subject."
"Honestly. I understand you like the attention, but if you don't get rid of her, I will. You know full well I'm not playing a game here, Draco." Valentine's voice was cold and sharp like ice. "She's a problem we could do without. She pushes around Liam and Blaze when it isn't her place, she interjects her continuously where she isn't wanted and most importantly, she needs to learn to keep the gaping hole she calls a mouth shut."
"I get it, I get it!" Draco shoved his hands in his coat pocket with a grumbled. "I'll tell her when we back."
"You had better."
"Lestrange, Malfoy!" McGonagall sliced through the tension like a knife, gesturing them onwards. "No dawdling now."
They did as they were told and kept moving. Draco leaned down over to her and spoke lowly.
"I said I'll do it so I'll do it."
"Good. Now," Valentine shot a pointed look at the others, laughing loudly at something Leah had said. "why don't you go play with all the other children?"
"Were the same age, Val."
"Not mentally."
"Or physically."Draco quipped, looking her up and down.
Valentine's expression didn't change as she stuck one foot out to the side sending her cousin stumbling, toppling and landing on his hands and knees.
"Maybe if you weren't so freakishly tall, you would have seen that coming." Valentine turned her nose up at the sight of him on the ground and walked on ahead.
"What are you doing down there, Mr Malfoy?" Valentine heard McGonagall's disapproving tone. "Come on now, before you get left behind."
--Pretending to Hate--
"It tastes so good!" Leah exclaimed shoving another handful into her mouth.
At this point, Valentine couldn't even tell what she was eating. She'd bought so much and was grabbing so many pieces at random that she could have hand four different types of candy in her mouth at any given time.
"Okay, I know I was the one who said I wanted to gorge myself but you need to slow down." Said Liam. "At this rate, you're gonna make yourself sick."
"Never fear for I have an iron stomach!"
"Still," Olivia added, pulling a bag of Salt Water Taffy from Leah's grasp. "you should probably slow down."
"But I don't want to."
"Don't be such a baby," Blaze grunted. "Do you really want to puke all over yourself?"
"Maybe I'll just puke on you instead!" Leah crept suspiciously close to him.
"Over my dead body!" Blaze leapt back, hiding behind Liam.
"If that's what it takes!"
"Okay, gross." Liam made a face.
Valentine stood back watching the madness continue, chewing on a piece of toffee she'd taken from Blaze.
"Leah, maybe you should only eat one at a time," Olivia warned, taking what candy she could from Leah's arms when the girl wasn't looking.
"Don't underestimate the size of my mouth!"
"Trust me." Blaze scoffed, still cowering behind an amused looking Liam. "That's not in question here."
"Say that to my face!"
"Not after those puke threats I'm not!"
"Scaredy-cat!"
"I'd rather be a scaredy-cat than covered in your vomit!"
By now, other passers-by on the street were throwing them odd looks. Although the occupants of Hogwarts might have been used to this, those of Hogsmeade certainly we're not. Valentine watched a befuddled middle-aged woman pick up her feet to pass them.
Run while you can.
"Are you guys done being lunatics?" Draco huffed. "Can we get going now?"
"Where to next then?" Asked Liam.
"To Zonkos!" Leah thrust her fist into the air. She then grabbed Olivia with one arm and Liam with to others, launching forward with them in tow. "Let's go men!"
"Oi!" Blaze hurried after them. "Wait for me!"
"Idiots." Valentine swallowed the last of the toffee.
"Yeah, I know right."
Valentine felt her jaw clench like a vice at the sound of that ever too present voice.
Does she never learn?
"What the hell do you want, Parkinson?" Valentine hiss venomously, turning on the girl.
"I...um-I..." Pansy stumbled over her words nervously before finally managing a pitiful squeak. "Nothing."
"Then get lost. Go suck on Draco's tongue or something."
"...Really?"
"No! Disgusting..." Valentine grimaced. "Just get out of my sight!"
Pansy didn't spare her another glance and rushed off to attach herself to Draco.
"Hey!" She stood close to him as though for protection.
"Hey..." Draco glanced over at Valentine, who simply arched a brow, following behind at her own pace.
He was lucky Valentine hadn't done much worse than snap at her with the way she'd insulted her friends like she had the right. Valentine wasn't sure where Pansy had gotten the idea she was somehow included in their group. It was delusional, to say the least.
Valentine observed the cobblestone beneath her feet, the storefront windows and wide alleys. Hogsmeade wasn't busy in the least when compared to Diagon Alley but it did have the reputation of having an entirely wizarding population. She'd been looking down at it from the castle for years and now to actually be here it was strange to think of all the people living here. Hogwarts had also felt so isolated upon its mountain and yet here was a solid community.
She spotted a group of third years mucking about with a handful of Zonko's products and could already see the havoc Leah and Blaze were going to cause with such things. Then she realized that she much preferred Leah wreaking havoc compared to how low she had been lately. Perhaps Hogsmeade was just what they'd all needed.
"Psst! Val."
Valentine looked over her shoulder at Blaze, rubbing his hands together mischievously.
"What is it?" Valentine frowned. "I thought you we're all going to Zonko's?"
"Don't look at me that, we found something better to do and you'll love it." He assured her. "We've been trying to come up with a plan to get rid of Parkinson."
Valentine most definitely did love that.
"What did you have in mind?" Her eyes lit up.
"Well, I said we should put a sack over her head and throw her in the Black Lake. Liam said we should just tell her to stay away, boring I know. Leah said she doesn't really mind Pansy because she's an idiot but all that sugar has definitely gone to her head so she'll do it anyway. And Olivia is just worried that we'll get in trouble."
"You four don't exactly have a head for scheming." Valentine hummed, unimpressed.
"Yeah, we know." Blaze slumped and then peered up at her expectantly. "Unless...you know...you want to come up with something..."
"You are painfully predictable, Blaze."
"It's part of my charm?" He laughed awkwardly.
"Well, it's part of you alright." Valentine sighed and tucked her hands into her pockets. Draco had said he would deal with it, but this was Draco she was considering here. Love him like a brother though she might, he wasn't exactly all that motivated to remove the object of his constant ego boosts.
That was when Liam wondered over, trying his best to look casual.
"She's in." Blaze grinned.
"Shut up, I'm thinking." Valentine cut in before Liam could reply. She glanced over at Pansy and her cousin, wheels turning in her intelligent mind. They were sitting on a bench not too far away, not paying a whole lot of attention to their surroundings. Valentine, as always, was otherwise. She spotted an older student with glossy blonde hair and a young boy standing just inside a nearby alley, stuffing his face with candy. About fifteen seconds passed and then she looked back to Blaze and Liam. "Tell Leah to distract Draco and Parkinson. I'm sure she can come up with something ridiculous like she always does. The two of you and Olivia need to find me these things; a piece of parchment, a quill, ink, a tube of lipstick, preferably pink and lock of...her hair."
Valentine gestured over to the Hufflepuff, judging by the scarf, with blonde hair, standing alone outside the post office as if waiting for friends.
"What? Why?" Liam frowned.
"Just do it." Said Valentine. "You have ten minutes."
"On it." Blaze nodded and then paused. "Wait, what we're we getting again?"
"Parchment, quill, some ink, lipstick, preferably pink and a lock of that girl's hair." Liam relayed.
"Well, let's do it then." Said Blaze, heading off towards the girls with Liam.
Valentine watched them talk hurriedly amongst themselves for a few moments before Leah broke away from the group with a battle cry, threw her gloves at a random stranger and declared herself Queen of Hogsmeade.Draco and Pansy both sent her annoying looks.
Ridiculous yet effective.
Then Liam, Blaze and Olivia rushed off to collect the items. As it turns out the blonde girl had been waiting for someone, a Hufflepuff boy and girl stepped out from the post office and they shared a smile as they headed off. Blaze, who had clearly landed that particular task, bit his lip and went off after them, disappearing off into the village.
Leah now had Draco and Pansy's full attention as she forced Draco to get up and dance with her, a prospect that horrified him to do in board daylight, surrounded by strangers and school mates.
Valentine kept a weather eye on the young boy, still munching away on his candy. He wasn't as a student and was maybe seven or eight years old, minding his own business and staying out of the street. Valentine thought it was more than a pity that he had chosen I stand there, in her line her sight and unaware of who she was.
Roughly twelve minutes later Liam returned with a piece of parchment, a quill and a small bottle of ink.
"Am I the first back?" He panted.
"Obviously." Valentine drawled.
Then Olivia appeared as well, also out of breath and clutching a tube of lipstick.
"I could only...find purple." She held it up for them to see.
"It'll do." Said Valentine.
"So, where's-?" Liam was cut off as they caught sight of Blaze barreling towards them like he was being chased. "Ah."
"I'm coming!" He shouted just as Leah was forcing Draco and Pansy to be her henchman and for the unfortunate stranger, she'd thrown her gloves at to be her one true love. The poor old man was terribly confused and more than a little disturbed.
"I'm..." Blaze wheezed as he half collided with Olivia. "Sorry, back...I'm back."
"Then we have everything?" Asked Olivia.
"Parchment, quill and ink." Liam held his bounty up.
"Lipstick." Olivia joined.
"Bloody..." Blaze panted, raising a fisted handful of shiny blonde. "...hair...You have no...idea how...bloody hell."
"I'm surprised you managed that" Valentine stared at him for a moment. "After all, I wasn't being serious."
"What...?" Blaze looked as though he was going to pass out any second. "A joke...?"
"Whatever, we can still use it." Valentine brushed off his look of pure betrayal and devastation. "Now, you three should recall last year when you wrote that revolting love letter for Lockhart."
"I don't think I'll ever forget." Said Liam.
"Good." Valentine. "Because I need you to do it again and quickly. Address it to Draco from a secret admirer. And make sure he can't recognise your handwriting."
"Uh, okay." Liam just shrugged and used Blaze's hunched over form to write on, Olivia by his side to help.
"It doesn't have to be very long," Valentine added. "Or even well written, just get it done within the next few minutes."
"Right." Olivia swallowed heavily and nodded. "Oh, um, Liam there should be a comma there."
"Oops, thanks."
"No problem."
Valentine passed a glance at Leah. She appeared to be wearing both Draco and Pansy's coats as well as her own now. She threw another glance at the boy to find he was still right there where she needed him.
"Done." Liam breathed out.
"Next the lipstick." Valentine held out her hand for Olivia to pass it to her. She did so and Valentine motioned for Liam to come closer.
"You need to put this on."
"I'm sorry, what?" Liam blinked.
Valentine pinned him with a glare and then grabbed his cheeks in bruising grasp. She forced him to crane his neck down to her height.
"Hold still or you'll eating it." She growled and quickly coloured the blushing Liam's mouth with the purple lipstick. Then she yanked the letter from his hands and pushed it up to his face. "Kiss this."
"I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Not in the least."
Liam sighed and quickly pressed his lips to the corner of the parchment, face bright red. Valentine ripped the lock of hair from Blaze's hand, placed it on the parchment and then folded it.
"What do we do now?" Asked Olivia.
"Just sit back and watch." Valentine let an untrustworthy smirk rise on her lips and turned on her heel.
Valentine went straight for the boy. He was digging his hands into the bag of candy when he noticed her.Valentine shoved down the disgust she had for herself at this moment.
"Hello." She leaned down towards him, not having to go far.
The boy stared up at her with big brown eyes and she felt her heart split cleanly in two. They looked so much like Leah's that it hurt.
The boy swallowed whatever was his mouth before speaking in a quiet, hesitant voice.
"My dad said that I'm not allowed to talk to strangers."
"And he's right." Valentine nodded. "Which is why you're not going tell anyone about this, okay?"
The boy's brow crinkled in confused before Valentine yanked the bag out of his grasp.
"Hey!" The boy pleaded as she held it up beyond his reach. "Give them back!"
"Give what back? Oh, you mean these?" A sadistic smile stretched across her face as she poured about half the bags contents on to the ground.
"You can't do that!"
"And are you going to stop me?" Valentine's eyes flashed with a menacing light that made the big visibly step back. "Hmm? I can't hear you, speak up. What's that? Nothing else to say? Good. Now listen up unless you want the rest of this to end up on the ground. You see that boy over there? The blond one standing with the two girls?"
The boy nodded quickly, wide eyes glassy with tears.
"You're going to give him this." Valentine held out the letter from him to take.
"Why?" The boy whimpered. It hit her like a punch in the chest.
"Because if you don't, bye-bye candy."
"No!"
"No?" Valentine pouted patronisingly. "Then you better do as I say and that includes not telling anyone. Understand?"
The boy seemed to think for a second before nodding.
"Good boy." Her tone was soft, but her eyes were sharp and unmistakably cold. "Now, I'm willing to leave you alone forever. You'll never see me again if can do this one little thing for me. Just give him this and say that a pretty girl from Hogwarts gave this to you and told you to give it to him. You can do that, right?"
"Uh-huh." The boy nodding again, eyeing her with caution.
"Go on then." Valentine motioned. "You can have the candy back when you've done it."
The boy eyed her for a moment longer before doing as he was told.
I'm sorry.
He went straight for Draco, tugging on the older boys arm and speaking quickly.
Valentine set the bag just inside the alley where he had been standing so that he would be able to find it. She took a few sickles from her pocket and threw them in the bag as well. It was alright, she could tell the boy wouldn't be telling this to another living soul. She then watches Draco take the letter from the boy, Liam, Blaze and Olivia heading over as well to watch it play out.
"Thank you," Valentine whispered, only for her own ears. "And sorry."
The boy was then hurrying back her way and Valentine walked off without a single glance at him, joining the others at Draco's side.
"Wait." She spotted Liam's face and grabbed his arm with a hiss. "You're still wearing the lipstick you fool."
Liam blushed again, wiping the lipstick immediately.
By now the poor, unfortunate old man had made his escape and all eyes were on the letter in Draco's hands, especially Draco and Pansy's.
"I always watch you at mealtimes, I like to eat the same thing as you so I can imagine we're together." Draco read a line aloud. "Sometimes I dream about what our life could be like together, one without that idiot, Potter."
Draco held up the lock of hair, studying it with wide eyes like he had had some kind of epiphany.
"Sounds like they really like you." Appraised Liam with a faint smile.
"It's probably a prank Draco," Pansy said quickly, reaching for the letter. "Here, I'll get rid of it for you."
"Oi!" Draco pulling it out of the girls reach. "At least let me finishing reading it."
"Jealous Parkinson?" Blaze grinned.
"No!" She scoffed unconvincingly. "Why should I be?"
"Maybe because you've done everything besides proposing at this point!" Blaze couldn't hold in his laughter.
Pansy flushed bright red.
"Ohhhhh." Leah eyeballed the lock of hair. "So shiny."
"It's-it's probably fake." Pansy stuttered out.
"Looks real to me." Said Blaze.
"That kid said that girl was really pretty too." Draco hummed. He was reading the letter again.
"Draco," Pansy whined, sniffing at the offensive piece of parchment. "why would you care about some random girl who wouldn't even talk to you upfront?"
"Actually," Olivia cleared her voice. "I think she sounds mysterious."
"Yeah!" Leah chimed in. "Like buried treasure!"
"Who asked you?" Pansy snapped at her and both Draco's and Blaze's voices rose as one.
"Hey!"
"What's wrong with buried treasure?" Leah frowned, not quite keeping up. "I thought everyone liked pirates?"
"Parkinson," Draco looked her sea in the eye. "if you can't handle Leah at this level then you should probably keep your distance.
Pansy's red face was furthered coloured with shock.
"But-but-but...but Draco! What about us!"
"Us?" Draco frowned. "What do you mean 'us'?"
"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" Pansy burst into tears, sobbing hysterically. "YOU LIKED ME JUST FINE BEFORE THAT STUPID LETTER!"
"I don't recall saying I liked you, Parkinson."
"BUT YOU-"
"No!" Draco cut her off. "When the hell did I say that?"
Pansy, tears dribbling down her face frantically looked at the others but found herself without friends or even sympathy.
"You'll regret this when she turns out to be so ugly troll! Just you wait!" Pansy stomped away from them, not looking back.
The group burst into laughter, sharing around high fives and claps on the back at their triumph. Even Valentine was smiling at the sight of Pansy's fleeing figure. It was Draco that stood quiet amongst the merriment, reading over that letter, again and again, wondering who his mysterious admirer could be.