One would probably assume that if Valentine Lestrange was late for a class, then it was usually on purpose, as it was when it came to Potions. However, today it was not such a situation. A first-year had run into her on the way to class, quite literally in fact and with enough force to send them on to their backsides. If it had been just a little bump then Valentine could have just cursed at them and moved on but the way her books had ended on scattered on the floor meant this couldn't be treated as a minor incident.
The poor first year, a Ravenclaw boy, was far too afraid to do much more than tremble as she stood with a snarl and glare. She told him that he was an idiot and should watch where the hell he was going. She grabbed one of his own books, also on the floor and threw it through the closest window, breaking the glass. They were on the third floor so she doubted he would be getting the book back anytime soon. She'd then left before someone could come and investigate the noise. Walking away, she regretted actually breaking the window. She knew her uncle would have to pay for it and he would be less than happy to do so.
When she finally got to class, she was around ten minutes late and Lupin had already started the lesson. The desks were set out in an ordinary fashion, unlike their first lesson. On the blackboard was a large and detailed drawing of a Grindylow. Valentine found this rather tame given what she had experienced from him so far. Their first lesson had been facing the Boggart and their second had been revision and chance for the other students to get their chance. Valentine had once again planned to simply slip out of the classroom, but, six turns away from her own, a student's fear of clowns made him vomit and pass out. After that Lupin ended it and finished his lecture in the hall so the smell could air out.
Maybe he's decided he's had enough with practical displays that go wrong?
"Ah, Valentine." Lupin addressed when he saw her. "I was beginning to wondering where you were."
"Mind your own business," Valentine grumbled and sent Liam a look that said 'find somewhere else to sit' as he was sitting beside Draco.
Liam immediately started to gather his books and Lupin cleared his voice.
"Stay right where you are, Liam." He said. "Your friend is late and thus can't expect to sit wherever she likes. There are several spare seats. Choose one and turn to page eighteen."
Valentine studied the man for a moment. He stood at his desk, hands in his trouser pockets, watching her with an expectant and rather unimpressed gaze. This was her punishment for being late and probably her attitude on top of that. Not much of punishment generally speaking but he knew that for someone like her it was demeaning.
"Well?" He prompted when she didn't move from where he stood near Draco and Liam's desk. The entire room was silent. She knew the apprehension well. "Are we going to have a problem today?"
"Hmm." Valentine hummed, seeming no more pleased than him. "I haven't decided yet."
He smiled thinly at her.
"Then, by all means, decide so we can get on with the lesson." He turned away from her, effectively ending the conversation.
Valentine heard more than one person gasp around the classroom at the dismissal.
"Val." Draco whispered up to her. "Just go sit."
She silenced him with a glare and looked about the room. There were three spare seats and she wondered who would have the unfortunate task of sitting next to her. Valentine never sat apart from the others. Not even McGonagall ever separated her from them given that she always did her work and it was actually them who distracted one another without her help. Near the front, there was an empty spot beside Neville.
Nope. Not happening. I've already traumatised one person today and it's not even lunch yet.
When Neville saw her gaze pass over him he turned white a sheet of paper. She rolled her eyes and kept looking, hoping he would see it as disregard. The next empty space was beside Millicent Bulstrode, a Slytherin that was usually sitting with Pansy of all people but today was not. The third was right at the back in the middle. The familiar blond head caught her eye. Meriton froze when their eyes met. A second passed and she could see that he was trying to force a weak smile on to his face.
"Do I need to choose for you?" Lupin spoke up again, somewhat impatiently.
"I thought Snape was the nagging old man." Valentine just scoffed at him and walked to the back of the class.
Meriton had his eyes back down on his book now and she sat beside him without saying a word.
"Very good." Lupin clapped his hands together. "Now, that we are all present and accounted for we can continue. As I was saying, the Grindylows life cycle begins at the larval stage. At this stage, it is typically referred to as a Grypt."
"A 'Gipt'?" Asked Seamus aloud.
The class laughed.
"Grypt." Lupin corrected with a chuckle. "G-R-Y-P-T."
"Ohhhh." Seamus nodded, the students laughed again and Lupin continued with a bemused smile.
At that moment, Valentine found it hard to imagine that this man was cursed to change into an uncontrollable, bloodthirsty beast once a month. Even though she knew better.
"Now, Grindylows, as you probably know, are very aggressive by nature, towards both magical and non-magical folk alike. Can anyone tell me what is their official Ministry Classification?" Hermione's hand shot straight up. "Yes?"
"Two X's, sir."
"Correct." Lupin nodded in praise. "Despite the Grindylows inherent aggressive behaviour, it is ranked rather low. Does anyone know why?"
Hermione's hand was right back up in the air.
"Ah, someone else this time I think." Said Lupin, kindly as though to let Hermione know that he wasn't overseeing her for any negative reason. "Let's us see if our latecomer knows. Valentine?"
She heaved a great sigh like this was some arduous task.
"Well, for one thing, they can be warded off easily by any witch or wizard worthy of the name."
"And?" Lupin prompted like he knew she could do better.
"And," Valentine sighed again. "merpeople have been known to tame them and keep them as pets. A species that can be subdued and practically domesticated isn't going to be seen as much of a threat in the grand scheme of things. Not when compared to something like a Acromantula for instance."
"You say 'in the grand scheme of things'. So then, by your words, a Grindylow can be dangerous when comparisons are disregarded?"
"As I said, they can be warded off with ease by any witch or wizard worthy of the name. Not all are worthy nor have the skill to do so."
"Ah, skill." Lupin latched on to that one word. "And that would be why Grindylows in folktales are often told to drown small children as they are usually defenceless against them. And now, as lectures of this type can be a bit dull, some vision aid is called for."
Lupin stepped behind the large backboard and wheeled out a sealed tank on a stand. The students were immediately a buzz. Inside the tank was none other than today's topic, a Grindylow.
This is feel's more like a Remus Lupin class now.
It was a small, sickly green creature with tentacles and sharp, serrated teeth for biting down and tearing its way through its prey.
Students near the back of the room jumped up from their seats to get a closer look. Beside Valentine, Meriton craned his neck to see.
"Back in your seats, please." Said Lupin. "Don't worry, everyone will get a chance to see. Back you in your seats now."
The students retreated reluctantly, eyes still on the tank. Lupin began to wheel it slowly down between the aisles.
"Everyone stay seated." He added. "The last thing we need is an accident like I believe you had last year."
"The pixies." Seamus's pulled a face.
"Please, let's not talk about the pixies." Neville groaned.
"Don't worry," Lupin assured them with a laugh. "if everyone stays in their seats, we'll have no problem."
As Lupin came closer, Valentine could see the creature again. The tentacles and teeth pressed up against the glass staring back at them. Its reflective eyes glinted with anger, mouth chewing ineffectively at the glass. Valentine was sure if it could have broken free and attacked it would have. Now that would have been visual aid.
As he pushed it around, Lupin continued his lecture, describing it's usual habitat and diet. Valentine already knew all that and instead just watched the creature. She wondered what would happen to it after the class was over.
Lupin took it back up beside the blackboard and left it there, shooting the class a knowing look before saying.
"Now to see if you were using your ears as well as your eyes, I want two hundred words on our little friend here." The students groaned but reached for their quills. "You have ten minutes. If you finish early, please keep your voices down and be considerate to the other students still writing."
Valentine watched the class get down to work, glancing up at the tank every now and then. Valentine didn't move an inch. She remembered back to her first Christmas as a student, that day in Diagon Alley and the book Liam had gifted her on magical marine life. He'd said it was perfect for her because it was so advanced that he couldn't understand half the words.
Valentine let her eyes stray over to her friends. They were writing away, probably wanting to get the task out of way so they could sit there and stare into the tank. She glanced at Meriton beside her and down at his parchment.
"Idiot." She muttered, loud enough so only he could hear. "You spell algae with an 'E' not a 'Y'."
"Huh?" Meriton looked at her with startled blue eyes, peering out from strands of long hair that had fallen over his face. He looked back down at the parchment. "Oh, ah. Thank you."
Valentine just grunted in reply. Minutes and passed and she sat there, ever the bored look on her face, scratching her dry quill on the parchment. Then Lupin was by the desk, clearing his throat.
"Have a cold, sir?" She didn't look up at him. She didn't want to fight or argue. She liked Lupin and as did the whole class. It was probably only Draco who wouldn't admit to it, excluding herself of course.
"I believe I set a task."
"Hmm."
"And not one that should be difficult for someone apparently as smart as you."
That 'apparently' caught her ear. It was there for a reason. Now she did look up at him, bright eyes narrowed into a glare.
"I don't like to waste my time on information I already know."
"Revision then."
"My memory is more than sufficient."
Lupin sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Is this usually how you behave in your other classes?"
"So, the other Professor's didn't warn you then? You must be quite unpopular."
"There was a word or two said."
"You should probably heed them."
Lupin pursed his lips in thought for a moment.
"So, if I was to ask you to stand up and tell the class everything you know about Grindylows-"
"We'd be here for an hour after class ends." Valentine cut him off. "Besides, I'm not here to teach."
Lupin shot her a meaningful look.
"No, you're here to learn."
"And if I do not then I believe that would be your failing."
"Well, if you honestly feel you cannot possibly obtain any more knowledge on the topic of the Grindylow, then I suggest you read ahead." Lupin gestured to the closed textbook on her desk.
"I've read it." She said.
"The whole thing?" Lupin's brows shot up.
"Yes." She rolled her eyes in reply. "Ten minutes is up. Are we done here now?"
"Stay behind after class, if you please." Lupin said wearily, turning so he could hear back to the front of the room. "We have some things to discuss."
"No, thank you." Valentine set her jaw stubbornly.
"That wasn't a request. It shouldn't take too long." Lupin gave her a hard look that suggested she couldn't get out of this by sarcasm alone.
"I don't care how long it'll take." She growled lowly.
"Nevertheless, you will stay back after class."
"I wouldn't bet my life on that."
Deciding this conversation wasn't going to get anywhere, Lupin took his place at the front of the class once more, telling everyone they could put their quills down. He had a few students read out what they had written so that the others could add anything they might have missed. Then let the students come up in small groups of three and four to observe the Grindylow again, encouraging them to let their observations be known, however comical those observations might have been.
Valentine didn't get up for a closer look although her friends did, and when they were done, they huddled back near the classroom to tell her everything, drawn in like moths to the flame.
She and Leah still hadn't said much more than a few words to each other but that fact that she and Olivia were back with them and interacting in the open was still something. It told Valentine that things could still go back to normal.
When the bell rang throughout the castle, Lupin dismissed everyone from the side of Valentine's desk, as if reminding her that he was serious.
"Valen-"
"Save it." She snapped. "You are welcome to stay, sir, but it'll be all by your lonesome."
The students filed out quickly, not wanting to stick around to see how horribly this could end.
"If you refuse to do as you are told I will have to write you down for detention," Lupin said sternly.
Valentine tilted back her head and laughed. Lupin stared at her in confusion.
"I won't stay behind after class but you've somehow gotten into your head that'll attend detention?" Valentine laughed again, bitter and patronising. "There goes my hope that you aren't a total fool."
Lupin frowned deeply.
"I don't understand the-"
"Exactly." Valentine cut him off, laughter gone and replaced with a biting edge. "You don't understand and although it is not my job to teach, it's very simple so I shall explain. Listen closely now and I'm sure even you could catch on. I don't care about whatever authority you believe you inherently have as a teacher. I do what I want when I want and someone who looks like they stumbled off the street and into a classroom isn't going to change that. Don't worry about my grades because they're given and don't worry about me because I don't want or need you to. Do you understand, sir? Was that clear enough for you?"
Lupin had been staring at her with the same, almost disappointed look on his face the entire time. It didn't change when she grabbed her book and shoved past him.
The class was empty by now but she could see her friends lingering in the hall. When she reached the door Lupin called out to her.
"Tomorrow after last period!"
She paused. Then kept walking, slamming the door behind her.
--Pretending To Hate--
"-yeah, so that's why I don't eat lemons anymore."
"That's nice, Blaze."
"You weren't listening were you?"
"Of course, I was!"
"Highcourt..."
"Okay, so I may have zoned out a little while ago."
Valentine didn't blame him of that. She'd been walking with them for the last twenty minutes and Blaze had only been halfway through his story when she arrived.
"You know, sometimes you make me feel so unappreciated." Blaze pouted.
"Hey, I don't say that, man." Liam touched his shoulder. "It's just that sometimes you're easier to appreciate when your mouth is closed."
"Wow." Blaze blinked. "Were you always this much of an ass?"
"I don't think so. Draco may be rubbing off on me."
"Yeah, good point." Blaze looked over at Valentine. "Hey, Val? Was Draco always...you know, as Leah would put it, a meanie."
"From birth and probably to death." Valentine, she shrugged.
"Ah, that's our Draco." Liam sighed wistfully.
"Judgmental and bossy." Said Blaze.
"But with great hair." Added Liam.
"Here, here!"
They were rounding the corner on to the first floor, heading for the Great Hall when Valentine felt it.
Crap.
It had been over two weeks by now and Valentine had been hoping that that would be it. The end to the ticking clock on her life. She was glad she hadn't gotten her hopes up too high.
"I'm going to the bathroom." She turned around and starting walking away without waiting for a reaction.
The closest bathroom was three minutes away if she hurried so she did, practically holding her breath. She could feel it like an itch and moved faster. Despite it all, her head still felt clear and affected and she would have given her right arm to keep it what way.
She almost pushed over a girl who was in her way, not that it was anything out of the ordinary for her. She had her sleeve up by her chin, prepared to cover up the blood that was about to come gushing out of her nose.
She thought she heard a teacher at one point, shouting at her as she barrelled around a corner. She broke so many rules in one day that she no time to ponder what teacher was mad at her in this particular moment.
Her sleeve came in handy as she approached the bathroom. She held it to her face as she felt the blood start to fall, bursting into the blessedly empty room.
She headed for the first sink she set her eyes on and hunched herself over it. Leaning her head forward, the blood blocked her nose for a moment and she sucked in a breath through her mouth.
A drop gathered at the tip of her nose and landed on the white porcelain, slightly stained with age. It was quickly joined by others and she turned on the faucet to wipe it away. She didn't bother to take a glance at her bloodied face. She knew what it looked like by now.
Damn.
She didn't feel as disappointed as she thought she probably should. She was dying. Her days were numbered and much, much shorter than others her age. But there was still time. Over four months in fact. Hate Snape with a boiling passion though she might, he wasn't lacking in ability when it came to potions. All she could do was wait.
She cupped a half full of water and splashed it over her face, cleaning away the evidence of her affliction like it was never there.
I'll go see Snape after lights out, let him know that he's a huge failure and needs to do better. Sure. That'll motivate the old bastard.
Valentine was halfway to the Great Hall and taking her time when she rounded a corner and was almost taken off her feet by a panicked looking Liam and Blaze.
They both moved at the same time, each grabbing one of her arms to keep her from falling.
"What the hell is wrong with you two!" She snarled lime a feral beast and shoved them away. She took several large steps back, eyeing them darkly. "Seriously. You can't even manage a few minutes alone so I can-"
A voice well known to her echoing down the corridor drowned her out.
"All students to the Great Hall immediately. All students to the Great Hall immediately. NO exceptions and NO dawdling."
"That's what's wrong with us!" Blaze huffed, wiping sweat from his brow.
"It's Sirius Black." Said Liam with an air of urgency. "We overheard in the Great Hall that he got into Gryffindor Tower."
Valentine's throat tightened so severely she almost couldn't breathe.
"Professor Sprout was gathering everyone onto the hall." Said Blaze. "We only just barely managed to sneak out."
By now, a steady stream of students were all heading in the same direction. Valentine stepped closer to the wall and hissed at the boys.
"You should have stayed there."
"But-"
"Go on without me." Valentine cut Liam off. "Make sure the others do as well."
"What about you?" Asked Blaze. "I know Black's your cousin and all but he's still a murderer! And you've said again and again that he betrayed the family! What if he recognised you?"
"Please, just come with us." Liam urged.
"Oh, stop it, you'll make me cry," Valentine said with possible the most apathetic face she had ever worn. She then reached forwards and grabbed each of them by the shirt collars. "Now, do as you're told or Sirius Black will be the least of your worries."
--Pretending To Hate--
Valentine picked up a curl from her shoulder with a dissatisfied finger and grimaced. She was in a broom closet. A particularly dusty one. And her hair seemed to be collecting it as if it was some priceless delicacy.
She was waiting for the sounds of Professors Trelawney and Burbage's whispering to fade. The two were clearly on the hunt for Sirius Black and Valentine assumed most of the teachers would be. These two weren't much of an issue for her. Hell, when Trelawney had opened the closet door, Valentine wedged behind it and wall, she'd had no idea that she was there. Now Valentine knew that seeing the future was no exact science but that may have been enough to make her doubt the Professor's abilities, at least a little. They really didn't pose a threat for her. There were much worse teachers for her to run into.
On that subject, where the hell is that greasy old bat? Usually, I've run into him by now. He has the uncanny habit of always appearing when I least expect and often when least need it.
When the voices and footsteps finally disappeared, she stepped out from the closet, picking a thread of spider web from her shoulder. She'd been at these for hours now and it was horribly reminiscent of the night that Harry had spent battling a fragment of Voldemort's memory and a ginormous, literally petrifying snake. She's scoured the castle from top to bottom, avoiding the Professors and any Prefects about. This time she was comforted by the fact that she'd overheard Trelawney and Burbage saying that Harry was in the Great Hall, seeming having known as well that he might be a possible target. Valentine could make the educated guess that Dumbledore had informed them for Harry's particular safety.
She continued on with her search, checking classrooms, used and unused, the Greenhouses and courtyards. Even that particular third-floor corridor that was now completely abandoned like some dystopian world. It was no longer forbidden after Dumbledore had Fluffy removed and sent over to Greece to be socialised with more of his own kind, much like Norbert the dragon. It had already been summer when this occurred so Valentine wasn't present to witness any sulking on Hagrid's part but she was certain there would have been something of the like. She kept her wand firmly in her hand the whole time. Just encase. Despite whatever man, Black had been before twelve years ago, it had been twelve years and all of them served in Azkaban. She is no way expected him to be a sane man in any meaning of the word.
By the time Valentine was approaching the Astronomy Tower, it was completely dark outside. Inside the tower was a spiral case that would take one to the top. Her stomach rumbled and it served as a reminded that she had totally disregarded dinner, not that there was much to do about that now.
She heard sudden footsteps thundering down the stairs and moved quickly. She stashed herself away under the stairs themselves. The stairs may have been may from metal grating that one could look through, but she was hoping this person was in as much of a rush as they sounded to be.
The thudding grew nearer, Valentine held her breath and waited. The person was right over her head when the pain struck her. Right through the temple like a red hot poker. She slapped a hand over her mouth, curling the other holding her wand and curling in the hair above her scar as if that would somehow relieve the pain.
The footsteps continued but she could barely hear them over the blood rushing to her head and the pounding in her ears. Another strike hit her, making her stumble back like she'd been hit with an invisible force. She didn't hear her boot scuffing on the floor or her back thumping against the wall.
She did, however, see movement out of the corner of her eye and a flash of bright light just in time to rip her hand from her hand and cast.
"Protego!" She moved on pure instinct and a shield shimmered before her.
The spell shot at her smashed against it, taking the shield with it as well. Valentine, gritting her teeth against the pain, raised her wand again and- paused.
Oh.
She was able to think in a strange moment of clarity.
I was wondering where he was.
Snape's black eyes widened in almost what she perceived to be horror. He stared at her for what could have been five seconds or five minutes. Valentine's couldn't tell, her mind clouded over by the pain once more. She could feel the waves growing weaker and hoped that meant it would be over soon.
"Lestrange!" Snape suddenly barked, dropping his wand arm.
She glared at him with heavily lidded eyes, willing her gaze to say 'can you give me a bloody minute?'. He didn't seem to get the message.
"You absolute imbecile! Are you completely mad? I could have killed you!" He roared. "Of course, you're here putting your nose in then it shouldn't be instead of in the Great Hall. Is there no situation you wouldn't inject yourself into?"
"This one?" She grunted weakly, leaning her head back against the wall and heaving a sigh.
Every second the pain faded seemed to let her float back into reality. The problem with her reality was that it contained an angry Severus Snape.
Snape studied her for the briefest of moments with an unreadable look in his eye.
"The potion didn't work?"
"The potion didn't work?" Valentine now had the strength to growl good and proper. "What the hell does it look like?"
"I'll presume you don't actually want an answer to that."
"Just shut up and give me a second." Valentine pulled and hand back through her hair, sucking in a breath. She rubbed at her face, straightened her back and then her clothes. "It seems Black has left the castle."
"Obviously." Snape ground out. "The students are likely already sleeping in the Great Hall. You should join them before you get yourself killed."
"Like sleeping in the Great Hall could protect me from your cast first, ask questions later attitude."
"You should practice what you preach, Lestrange. You are hardly one to talk on the subject."
"What? Mad because I deflected you whilst in immense pain? Annoyed at how very impressive I am?"
"The only thing impressive about you is your bounds of endless arrogance."
"It's probably hereditary if I had to chance a guess."
Snape just snarled another insult under his breath and snatched up one of her arms.
"You are going to the Great Hall."
"Are you seriously going to drag me the whole way there?"
"If that's what it takes." He tightened his grip, not that she was trying to escape with a large amount of her energy still to come to her.
And of course, she used that energy to open her mouth.
"If you could struggle with yourself to be logical for one second you would see that if I could deflect your spell in a compromised state like that then I can perfectly capable of protecting myself!"
"This is not up for discussion." He yanked her out into the hall. "We questioned your little friends about your whereabouts but they acted the fool. Every teacher in the school has been told to keep an eye out for you."
"How flattering."
"Hardly. The other students are bound to think you have some further inclusion in this situation given how you disappear the second Black is confirmed to have infiltrated the castle."
"Oh, calm down, Professor. It's not as though I haven't been accused of heinous deeds before. Hell, there are probably still people who think I had something to do with the Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk. Besides, if anyone cared enough to do more than two minutes of research, they'd find that Black was disowned before he even finished school! Narcissa doesn't even let Draco and I talk about him. The only thing we have in common is Black blood and that counts for nothing as far as what's left of the family is concerned when one has been completely excommunicated."
"What precisely has that to do with the current situation?"
"Bloody hell, do try and keep up. There isn't a possible way for me to be involved with Black or whatever he is up to, especially seeing as how I've never met him before. People can speculate all they want. It's not going to cause me any trouble when it's so utterly baseless."
"Just be silent," Snape growled, pulling them around in a corner and into a long hall.
"You're the one who bought it up!" Valentine sent him a glare in the dark.
She could just barely make out his weathered features. It was dark but they both had no problems getting about.
Valentine's shoulder quickly grew tired of being held up at an odd angle as he had hold of her elbow. She tugged on it hard and managed to use the element of surprise to wrench herself away. He reached for her again on instinct but she leapt out of the way.
"I don't need you to tow me along!" She hissed. "Black isn't here so I have no reason to run off!"
She could feel his intense glare even in the dark. She ignored it and kept walking.
"If there is anything we should be doing, it's figuring out how he got past the Dementor's in the first place."
"It is most likely he has an accomplice," Snape said a little too quickly.
"Inside the castle?" Valentine asked incredulously. "Who the hell would do that?"
"I have my suspicions."
"Care to share with the class?"
"This year we have gained a new member of staff. One that just happens to be old friends with Black."
"Alright. Calm your suspicions, Professor. Lupin? Really? Are you really so petty as too let old rivalries come into this?"
"Lupin," he said the name with so much distaste Valentine almost laughed. "cannot be trusted. His connection with Black should not be overlooked."
"Dumbledore trusts him."
"That may be but-"
"Dumbledore trusts him," Valentine repeated firmly. "and he certainly doesn't give off the air of a murders accomplice."
"You cannot presume to know him in as little time as you have had!" Snape hissed.
"What part of 'Dumbledore trusts him', was unclear to you?"
"It would be foolish to simply dismiss the possibility!"
"There's a million possibilities!" Valentine snapped back at him. "Dementors are fickle in nature and anyone that can escape Azkaban is surely skill enough to break into Hogwarts! He might not have needed any help!"
"Oh, yes, let's just give him the credit of a mastermind!"
"Arg!" Valentine growled. "Sometimes talking to you is like talking to a damn brick wall!"
"The feeling is mutual!"
The space between them filled with tense silence for several long minutes and although it was usually Valentine that broke that silence, typically with something insulting to say, this time it was Snape.
"Lupin has told me that you refused to do your work in his class and then refuse to accept a detention."
"And?" She scoffed. "As if that's new for me. We were doing a unit on Grindylows and there wasn't anything for me to learn. As for the detention, I do have a reputation to uphold, you know."
"As you're house leader it then falls to me to discipline you!"
Does he enjoy pissing me off? I swear he does!
"Yes, because let's start that three-act drama." Valentine bit back with a roll of her eyes. "Look. Why do you care if I cause some trouble for Lupin? You don't even like him. You think he's in league with a bloody murderer!"
"I don't understand why you insist on being such a constant inconvenience to me!"
"Trust me! I have my reasons!"
--Pretending To Hate--
"Head Master," Snape strode into the Great Hall, Valentine trailing along unenthusiastically. "I found this while performing my search."
"Excuse you." Valentine frowned. "I am not a 'this'."
The Great Hall's floor was covered almost wall to wall by slumbering students in sleeping bags. Flitwick and Flich were wondering about the hall, keeping an eye out likely for safety.
Snape ignored Valentine and went straight for Dumbledore.
"Miss Lestrange." Dumbledore, however, did address her and rather sternly at that. "I assume you had a good reason for wandering about the castle in a time such as this."
Valentine grinned. She could tell from the look in his eyes alone that he was being far from as serious as he sounded. Even if there were things for them to discuss, this was not a safe place to do so.
"Not according to, Professor Snape."
"Well, I would hope you have learnt a valuable lesson from his inevitable scolding."
"Oh, never, sir."
Dumbledore sighed but she could see how his eyes twinkled.
"Very well. To bed with you then." He gestured to a corner of the back of the hall. "I believe your friends saved a sleeping bag for you."
Valentine did as she was told, although walking slowly as she listened to Snape converge on Dumbledore the second she turned away.
"I have searched the entire school personally, including the dungeons. I have found no sign of Black."
"I didn't really expect him to linger."
It really is such a crime that I'm not allowed to laugh at certain things, I mean, really.
"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter the castle on one's own, completely undetected..."
Okay. So, he can say all that but I simply state that Black probably didn't need help and I get crap for it?
"You may recall, that prior to the start of term, I did express my concerns when you appointed a certain Professor."
Give it a break, would you?
"I do not believe a single Professor inside this castle would have helped Sirius Black enter it, Severus. No, I feel quite confident that the castle is safe..."
Valentine had strayed too far to hear them clearly now and so she sought out the others. They were in the corner that Dumbledore had gestured to. There was an empty sleeping bag laid out between Draco and the wall, Liam and Blaze on the other side of him, Leah and Olivia at his head.
Valentine had to tiptoe between Leah and Olivia but she did it without anyone stirring. She sat down, took off her boots and robe before laying down.
She looked up at the ceiling, now realizing that it had been enchanted to appear like a swirling galaxy, heavily laden with stars. She assumed it was Dumbledore's doing
She lay there, staring up at it for nearly ten minutes before she remembered that she should have been sleeping. She looked around and found Dumbledore and Snape had taken their leave, Flitwick and Flich standing a far way off.
She closed her eyes and the second she began to feel the tendrils of sleep reaching for her, Leah shifted in her sleeping bag.
"Psst. Val." She whispered in that manner she always did, disqualifying it from really being a whisper at all.
"What?" Valentine hissed back, throwing a glance at Flitwick and Flich.
"...I need to talk to you."
"It's literally the middle of the night."
"Please, Val?"
Valentine huffed and rolled on to her elbows as Leah had done. There sleeping bags were placed head to head so they were able to face each other straight on. Leah's hair was mussed and tangled around her shoulders. Valentine couldn't fathom how she put up with it being so long.
"What is it?"
"I..." Leah swallowed, lowering her eyes to the small space of floor between them. "Um..."
"Leah." Valentine shot her a look. "Hurry up and just say whatever you need to say so I can go to bloody sleep."
"I'm sorry."
"Arg. I already knew that."
"No, like I'm really, really sorry." Leah bit her lip, risking an earnest glance up at Valentine. "I know you just wanted to help Draco and I got in the way. But I just panicked. I moved without even knowing it. I can't go back and fix that but I'm sorry. I don't want to fight forever."
"Who's fighting?"
"So, yeah, I'm real- wait, what?" Leah blinked. "Aren't...aren't we fighting?"
"I mean because I was mad at you for a few days? Leah, I'm usually mad at you."
"Oh." Leah blinked again. "Yeah, you are. So...we're not fighting then? Like at all?"
"Would you rather we were?"
"Of course not!"
"Shut up." Valentine hissed, catching Flitwick turn their way out of the corner of her eye. "We're not fighting, alright? Now, stop being an idiot and go to sleep."
"Ahem." A voice cleared above them and for the first time in their lives, they looked up at Professor Flitwick. "Excuse me, young ladies, but now is not the time to gossip. You have classes in the morning."
Leah pulled a face and crumpled back into her sleeping bag. Flitwick shot Valentine a look and wouldn't walk away until she had turned on to her back again.
"Good night, Val." Leah whispered at a volume that may have actually been considered a whisper.
"Good night. Now, shut up and go to sleep."
Valentine took one more long look up at the glittering ceiling before closing her eyes. At least she now had the Leah part of the problems settled. Now, all she had to worry about was a notorious mad man and murderer Sirius Black and the magical parasite in her head.
Piece of cake.
"They're waiting to see which one of us is going to petrify the other."
"Was that Lockhart looking like a rainbow reject?"
"Don't underestimate the size of my mouth!"
"It's so weird when you're not being all obnoxious and bright. It's not the end of the world. We still got cake to look forward to, you know?"
"Professor McGonagall! They've been found. All of them. They're all alive."
"You are not worth the effort of an insult."
"It appears I win due to the sudden and gratifying death of my rival."
"RONALD WEASLEY!"
"Why does she have bigger balls than every male in this school combined?"
"Professor...Did you just spike my drink?"
"Things can't go on like this. Another person will die, Albus."
"You've been a failure since day one. Even got your parents killed in the process."
"No one as stupid as you could possibly be sad with an edible star on their face."
"Respect is earned and mine is rarely given."
"The one thing I can't quite figure out...is how you manage to look so angry and sad at the same time."
"How do we stop a monster when we don't even know what it is?"
"Taking the form of a giant spectral dog, it is among the darkest omens in our world. It is an omen...of death."
"You can tell Draco that he has disappointed me. Through your influence no doubt."
"If you haven't noticed, it's us against them. And you're one of us. That means when they screw with one of us, they screw with all of us. Do you understand?"
"Is it really my fault that Snape's emotional state is so flammable?"