TRIGGER WARNING; Contains depictions of child abuse. Not overly graphic, but anyone particularly sensitive to scenes involving child abuse please take care.
"Val. Hey. Hey, Val."
Valentine grit her teeth, hand tightening on her quill. Leah's mood had brightened to a new height in recent days and she seemed to have reached a new level of annoying.
"Val." Leah poked her shoulder. "Val. I know you can hear me with your freaky good ears."
And maybe because you're also barely an inch away from my face.
At the front of the class, Valentine made direct eye contact with Snape who was standing by the blackboard. He saw Leah, knew she was talking and damn near almost grinned.
Jerk.
He just turned away like he'd seen nothing, ignoring Valentine's glare. It wasn't as if she wasn't glad for Leah and thrilled that she was clearly moving on from what had happened, because she was. All those months, she'd wanted nothing more than for Leah to find a way to live with what she had lost and now it seemed that she had. The only downside to that was Leah had months of pent-up energy to expend. She'd missed out on so many opportunities to drive her friends to insanity and it appeared she had every intention of making up for that.
"Valllllll. Val. Val." The forcefulness of Leah's poking steadily increased. "Oi. Valllllllll. If you don't answer me I'm going for your eye next."
As Leah lifted her finger to land another poke, Valentine slapped her hand away.
"Stop it or I'll be the one going for your eye."
"Ah, there you are!" Leah beamed. "I have something to show you! Here, look."
Leah gestured all too excitedly at a haphazardly folded paper crane on the desktop, clearly constructed from a page of her textbook.
Valentine blinked at it dully.
"Isn't it great?" Leah picked it up and waved it in Valentine's face. "I named her Velma."
"You have got to be kidding me." Blaze turned around in his chair in front of the girls. "Velma? I feel sorry for anything named by you."
"Well, I don't." Leah just shrugged and went back to her crane.
Blaze frowned deeply, unable to reply to that.
Although Leah had perked up to near normallness, she hadn't started or engaged in a single argument. Not even when Blaze called her the spaz to end all spazzes. Or when he accidentally spilt gravy on her sleeve at dinner the other night. She didn't even bite back when Draco said only a complete lunatic would ever put up with her enough to marry her. All of that and Leah seemed content to sit back and it with a shrug.
Valentine had never imagined that she could miss the sound of childish bickering over the colour of fruits or what names Leah had given to particular inanimate objects. It was strange, bizarre and downright disturbing. Even the boys couldn't wrap their heads around it. Especially since picking on Leah wasn't nearly so much fun when she didn't scream back at them.
"Val. Hey, Va-"
"What?" Valentine snapped at her. "What the hell do you want?"
Leah held up her hand and beamed at her.
"Look, I made this baby crane for you."
Valentine, against every inch of willpower in her body, almost smiled. She felt her face twitch and just hoped it would be taken as annoyance.
"I don't want it."
"But I made it for you."
"I don't care."
"Valllllll." Leah pouted.
"Oh, for the love of what little will to live I have," Draco groaned from his seat beside Blaze. "just take the damn crane before I kill her and actually somehow feel bad about it."
Valentine glared at him but he was smart enough not to turn around.
Goddamn, softie.
Valentine snatched the tiny crane from Leah and dropped it on to the corner of her desk.
"There. Happy?"
"Uh-huh!" Leah beamed even brighter and reached for her textbook again. "Now, I have to make one for everyone else."
"Draco, I'm not gonna make it through the day." Blaze hissed under his breath, grabbing for Draco's arm.
"This is your problem." Draco shrugged him off. "You got yourself in this situation now deal with it."
"I didn't choose this man. The feelings did. It's their fault."
"I've known Leah my whole life and I've managed to only ever feel unbridled malice and vague tolerance so I can't help you here."
"No, you just refuse too."
"Glad we understand each other."
"Liam." Blaze turned his head to the boy across the aisle, sitting beside Meriton.
Liam, who had evidently heard everything, gave him a pitying smile.
"I'll help you with your emotions once I figure out what I hell mine are doing."
"Ugh." Blaze just collapsed onto his desktop in a pile of woe.
"What's wrong with Blaze?" Leah leaned over and whispered to Valentine.
"Feelings apparently."
"What kind?"
"None I would know anything about, I assure you."
"Oh. Okay." Leah just shrugged again and continued with her paper folding.
When the class came to an end, Snape immediately singled her out.
"Lestrange. I need a word with you."
"Excuse me? I was a damn delight for the whole lesson! I may have called you a yellow-bellied creep three or four times, but it was only in my head so that hardly counts."
Snape's black gaze sharpened to a glare.
"Would you like to earn yourself a detention as well?"
"Only if you'd like that three or four to increase exponentially."
Snape just rolled his eyes and when the other students began to file out, Valentine stayed put in her seat and begrudgingly so. She really hadn't done anything to get on his bad side this particular lesson so she knew he must have had something important to discuss.
As the last student hurried out into the hall, he waved his wand at the door and it slammed shut.
Valentine sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over her face and slumping in her seat.
I'm happy for Leah. I swear, I am but she's just so damn annoying sometimes. And cute. She can be very cute, but rather like a dog, she can also break things, take corners too quickly leading to her slamming into a wall and beg for attention an obscene amount. Suffice it to say, I'm not much of a dog person.
"Lovat seems back to her usual obnoxious self." Said Snape.
"So, it would seem." Valentine muttered. "Well? What is it?"
Snape opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a glass bottle.
"For your hormonal imbalance." He said.
Valentine glared at him darkly, standing from her seat.
"I told you, this has nothing to do with hormones. And if it did, you'd be the last person on Earth I'd tell."
"I'm heartbroken." Snape drawled in a tone that suggested he was very much not heartbroken.
"I believe that would require a heart." Valentine snatched the bottle off the desk. "Dosage?"
"A tablespoon every morning should suffice. Given the possible outcome, I wouldn't risk missing a morning if I were you."
"Yes, thank you, because I'm a complete idiot."
"In that, we are agreed."
Valentine shot him another glare. He was being entirely too smug today.
"My wand." She held out her other hand.
"Your wand?" Snape blinked innocently.
"Oh, don't bat your lashes at me, Professor. I'm immune to your greasy, non-existent charms. Now, give me my damn wand."
"You should be grateful!" Snape spat, suddenly not so smug. "I already work day and night to save your unworthy life and then I am forced to put up with you both inside and outside of class! All I do for you and you return it with immaturity and sarcasm!"
Valentine yawned, unbothered by his rage.
"What can I say? I'm a thankless creature."
"Again, we are agreed." Snape glowered as if looks could kill.
"Sure are. Now. My freaking wand."
"You haven't even taken the first dose yet." He said stiffly. "If you're truly in such an erratic state then returning your wand now could lead to disaster."
"Bloody hell." Valentine huffed and pulled free the stopper from the bottle. She took a quick, small sip and swallowed. It was bitter but not nearly as bad as she had expected. "There. Satisfied? I want my wand."
Snape muttered and grumbled darkly under his breath as he fished said wand from his robes.
Valentine snatched it from his hand before he could even hold it out to her.
"Thank you." She hissed between clenched teeth.
"You are most certainly not welcome. Now, leave. I'm sick of the sight of you."
--Pretending To Live--
Valentine watched from a distance, appearing ever so bored from the outsiders perspective. Draco, Liam and Blaze lorded over Neville as they rifled through his book bag.
"Anything interesting in here, Longbottom?" Draco snickered.
"N-no." Neville stuttered, reaching for it. "Give it back."
"Oi there, calm down." Blaze shoved him back lightly. "We're just checking it out, you know. You're an easy target. Who knows what someone might have smuggled in here?"
"I'd say this is interesting." Draco lit up like he'd won an award.
"Oh, look," Liam smirked widely as Draco passed him what looked like a tube of lipstick. "This yours?"
"No." Neville shook his head quickly, trying to force his eyes up off his feet. "Lavender Brown dropped it during class today, I'm going to give it back when I see her next, alright? Can I have my bag back now?"
I can't believe they actually find this entertaining. All the poor guy did was walk within ten feet of them. I can only imagine how good their grades would be if they put this much effort into their studies.
Valentine generally didn't indulge in this particular kind of bullying. She played it off like it was too juvenile for her to bother with. Even Leah had found better things to entertain herself, mainly flinging herself at the girls in the dorm a few rooms down from them since according to Leah, Valentine was impossible to have some good girly fun with. However, the boys just liked to push people around and give them a hard time for no good reason. If you caught Valentine Lestrange's attention, things were rarely so simple. Thus, she would stand back, ever the bored and intimidating observer unless things escalated. Luckily though, the boys would usually lose interest or a teacher would catch notice long before that could happen. But today, however, it seemed like things just got complicated.
"Oi! You gits!" Ginny Weasley marched right up to them, dwarfed in physical size only. "Why can't you find something better to do than bothering people? Like jumping off a bridge of instance."
Draco wrinkled his nose at her like she'd bought a bad smell, handing the bag to Liam.
"Mind your own business, Weasley."
"Why don't you mind yours?" Ginny stood firm, hands on her hips.
Valentine hadn't had much to do with the girl since the incident with the Chamber of Secrets and it wasn't something she remembered fondly. She doubted Ginny enjoyed recalling it herself. Nevertheless, she'd never imagined the girl as a pushover of all things, especially not when dealing with some cliche, schoolyard bullying. She watched the scene carefully, ready to intervene at any moment.
"We were until you came along." Liam scoffed.
"Yeah, just get lost, would you?" Blaze groaned. "We weren't hurting anyone, just having a nice old chat with our good friend Neville here."
"Ha! That's about as likely as anything intelligent coming out of your mouth!"
"Back off traitor." Draco hissed, stepping in front of Blaze. "You're not wanted here. Or anywhere for that matter."
Neville grabbed Ginny's hand to tug her back but she was having none of it. She just crossed her arms over her chest and squinted up at Draco decisively.
"Look, Malfoy, projecting your issues onto me isn't going to make your daddy love you."
And there is it.
Draco was reaching for his wand as Neville yanked Ginny back and Valentine was descending upon them all.
"Idiots." She spat darkly. "I'm bored. How long are you going to draw this out?"
"Not long." Draco gritted his teeth.
"Right. That's why I've aged a decade just waiting." Valentine rolled her eyes and turned on the two Gryffindors.
Neville seemed to shrink and for the first time since she arrived, Ginny didn't look so sure of herself.
Valentine moved like lightning, grabbing Ginny's tie in an iron grip and pulling her close, Neville's hand still in hers.
"L-let her go!" He urged.
"Shut it, Longbottom." Valentine didn't even spare him a glance, observing Ginny dully. She set her jaw firmly, glaring daggers, but Valentine could see the very real fear in her gaze. "You've got a big mouth. It almost matches the size of your insignificance. The size of your whole family, in fact. It's almost a wonder your parents stop with you since they've been so insistent in covering the world in your filth. But I digress, you've got two choices here, you little vermin. Get the hell out of my sight or I'll be the one projecting my issues on to you. And believe me, you don't want that. It could get very, very messy."
Ginny's lip trembled and she bit down to hide it, doing her damned best to stay strong, but even the bravest lion was still afraid of a monster.
Valentine shoved her away, almost taking Neville down as well.
Ginny swallowed thickly.
"First give Neville his bag back!"
Valentine gestured to Liam to hand it over and he did so without question. She held it out.
Ginny reached for it and Valentine snatched it away.
"I don't believe it belongs to you."
Ginny glared at her in silent fury. She nudged Neville.
"Just take it."
Neville looked like a mouse caught in a trap. He hesitated. And then hesitated some more. And then finally, he stepped forward, eyes on the ground. He was a tightly wound bundle of nerves and Valentine didn't blame him. He was waiting for the catch, but the catch was that she was just waiting for him to take it.
Eventually, Neville's hand shot out and he ripped it from her grasp. He stumbled back slightly, eyes squeezed tight for the expected retaliation, but Valentine wasn't even looking at him anymore.
"There." Valentine shot Draco a look. "Can we go now?"
Draco looked less than pleased but nodded all the same. He gestured for the boys to follow.
Before doing so, Liam tossed the lipstick at Neville dismissively.
"Do us all a favour and let Brown know that this really isn't her colour."
As they walked away, Valentine could just hear Ginny cursing at them and asking Neville if he was okay over the sound of Draco grumbling.
I'm sorry. This is all I can do for now.
--Pretending To Live--
Harry had that shifty look in his eye that Valentine didn't trust one bit. That was his 'I'm up to something that may or may not be completely ludicrous and dangerous and I hope nobody stops me' face. The only problem was that it was very similar to his 'I know the twins are going to stink bomb the Great Hall again and I'm too afraid they will turn my hair purple if I warn anyone about it' face. Basically, it meant that he had something to hide and whether or not Valentine was following him out of the hall to stop him from a premature death or just to escape one of the Weasley twins pranks wasn't in question.
Leah had started talking again and a hundred miles a minute at that, so the others barely had a second to question her leaving as Leah continued to rattle on and demand all and any of their attention.
Harry was alone as he stepped out into the hall and then out into the courtyard. That put Valentine on edge. Hermione was nowhere to be seen and Ron still appeared to be mid-argument with Harry if the glares during class were anything to go by.
But Harry needs them. He'd be six foot under by now without them!
She followed at a careful, steady pace. There were enough students milling about that she could almost blend in as another one of them if she hadn't been so recognizable.
Harry glanced behind him and she made sure her eyes were elsewhere as if she didn't even know he was there. He headed just outside the castle walls, out onto the green expanse where Hagrid was waiting.
Valentine almost relaxed. This could have easily been a social visit but that look of Harry's said otherwise.
She stuck close, just inside the castle wall so she wouldn't be seen. She held her breath,straining to hear them over the breeze.
"...nine o'clock, Harry- no ten- no eleven...bring your cloak. You know the one...is ten too late or too early? Eleven feels a mite too early."
"Hagrid, what are you on about?" Valentine could hear the confused frown in Harry's voice.
"Just...Harry. Meet me at ten-thirty...I'll be waiting for you."
"Alright. I'll be there."
"Good, good..."
"Wait, Hagrid!" There was a pause. "When?"
"Nine-"
"The day, Hagrid."
"Oh. Oh!...slipped my mind!"
"Well?"
"Tonight."
--Pretending To Live--
Valentine sat by the fire with Draco. It was late and they were completely alone, staring into the dying green embers. Liam and Blaze had turned in an hour ago. They'd been determined to stay awake as long as possible for whatever reason, but fate seemed to have other plans. And so, they had gone to their dorm, leaning heavily on each other to stay upright in their fatigue.
Leah had long since turned in as well. Despite her newly restored cheerful mood, the day seemed to tire her like it never had before. Valentine was certain she was pushing it, trying to get on with her life with a little force and acting to help things along. So long as she was still sleeping and eating, Valentine would leave her to it. She didn't pretend to be an expert on mourning herself.
She sat, stretched out along the couch with her legs slung over Draco's lap. They were no stranger to late nights. As children, Narcissa had always kept them on a strict eight o'clock bedtime, but that didn't mean much when she slept a ten to five minute walk away and Valentine and Draco were only separated by a single strip of hallway. Granted by the infallible powers of youth, they were able to stay up past midnight and still be up by seven for breakfast. Valentine's such infallible ability had been ripped away by her reoccurring dream and many times roaming the halls of the school. She was sure when this was all over, she was going to sleep for six months straight.
"How do you think he did it?" Draco asked, rather suddenly.
"What are you on about?" Valentine answered him absently, eyes still on the fire.
"Potter. How the hell did Potter get his name in there?"
"And how the hell should I know?" Valentine sighed. "He probably got an older student to do it. Talk about a fame whore."
Draco choked out a laugh at her coarseness.
"Well, these tasks are supposed to be dangerous aren't they?"
"Apparently. One would think so with how many Champions have died."
"Well, maybe Potter will die and all our problems will be solved."
"I wouldn't get my hopes up."
"I wrote to father about it. He'd already heard though. It's all anyone is talking about at the Ministry too." A cruel smile slid over Draco's face. "Father says Potter won't last five minutes."
"Yes, and anything he says must be true." Valentine scoffed.
"Val." Draco gave her a pleading look.
Don't look at me like that. This is because of him. Because he makes you think you're worthless and then tells you you're better than everyone else.
"What?" She snapped. "He isn't here. And even if he was, it wouldn't stop me from speaking as I like."
He's a tyrant, Draco. He's a monster. We both know this.
Draco diverted his attention to the dying embers.
"Are you going to spend your whole life being afraid of him?" Valentine swung her legs off his lap. "Look at me, Draco."
Valentine grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip and when his eyes met her it was like he was staring at a girl he knew in his childhood. Those bright, bright eyes, narrowed in earnest.
"How many more years will it take for you to understand that he can't hurt you here? And you know what? He won't be hurting in that damn house either. You will listen to me and me alone. Your father is a fool and I refuse to put up with it any longer." Valentine's eyes clouded over to something more sinister, something possessive. "I will look out for you, Draco. But you have to do what I say when I say it."
A single tear slid down his cheek and he quickly turned away from her, like he couldn't face the bluntness of her words.
"I'll break him. I swear I will." Valentine's grip tightened. "He won't touch you ever again."
"I...I can't disobey him." Draco's voice hiked up an octave and broke like a thousand pieces of glass. "He's my father. He's family."
"I'm your family, Draco." Valentine pulled Draco's arm into her lap. "Just do what I say. Okay? Just do what I say and I can keep you safe."
Draco looked over at her, a steady stream of silent tears falling from his pale blue eyes.
Valentine could see herself reflected in her cousin's icy gaze and she suddenly realised how decent and honest she looked.
Damn it.
She'd never slipped like that before. She was suddenly worried that the potion Snape had given her hadn't worked.
Before she could cover for herself, spin some cruel line about how Draco was a coward she had her arms full of him.
Valentine froze. Her instincts told her to hug him back but she didn't. They hadn't hugged since they were children. Six years old, in fact. Draco had been crying then too.
Eight Years Ago-
The door slammed across the hall and Valentine nearly jumped. Then she heard the shouting and the door opening again. Her uncle. Her aunt. Draco.
"How could my own son be such a disappointment!"
"Lucius you need to calm down!"
She found herself throwing open her door without another thought.
Across the hall, Draco's door was wide open, the boy himself cowering on the far side of the room. Lucius stood with his arm stretched above him, his cane poised to strike.
"No!" Valentine shot forward across the hall.
"Valentine!" Narcissa reached for her arm to hold her back.
"Let me go!" Valentine struggled against her, eyes anchored on Draco.
He was curled up on the floor, pressed up against the wall, arms covering his face, eyes were squeezed shut. Waiting. Just waiting for the blow to come.
Valentine hated waiting.
"Let me go!" Valentine twisted violently in Narcissa's grasp. "He's going to hurt him!"
"Stay out of this!" Lucius glared over his shoulder coldly at her. "The both of you."
"He's my son too." Narcissa bit out. "You're taking this too far."
"If he is to take over this family one day, it's best he learns to assert himself! He will not do that by disobedience! He will not do that by failing his lessons! This is the way he will learn!"
"The only thing he's learning is to fear you!"
"As he should. Fear breeds respect." Lucius turned back to his son.
No!
Valentine let loose an animalistic scream, wrenching herself from her aunt's hold. As Narcissa reached out to grab her again but Valentine was quicker.
Lucius was raising his cane again as she shoved past him and threw herself over Draco's shaking form.
"Out of my way, you ingrate!"
"Don't you dare hurt them, Lucius!"
"I won't let him hurt you." Valentine whispered in Draco's ear, his body quaking beneath hers. "I won't let him hurt you."
Then she felt hands on her waist and the air rush around her as she was thrown several feet back without a second to prepare herself. She hit the floor hard but barely felt it.
"LUCIUS!"
"I am the head of this family! I demand respect and obedience!"
"They're only children! Our children, Lucius!" Narcissa pleaded.
"All I see is one disappointment of a son and one burden that shouldn't have been ours in the first place!"
Valentine wasn't listening to the ongoing argument, already crawling back towards Draco. She wrapped her arms around him as he sobbed.
"I won't let him hurt you." She said. "He won't hurt you."
Draco didn't speak, but let out a pathetic whine.
"You little cretin!"
Valentine felt the wood of the cane and the bite of the silver snakehead crack against her back. She gasped at the sudden pain, biting down on her lip and holding Draco tighter.
"Stop! Stop this now!" Narcissa screamed.
"I won't let him hurt you. I won't let him hurt you." Valentine repeated again and again.
Her anger bubbled up inside her until it was all she could feel. Hot and burning like fire in her stomach.
Why is he doing this?
"Lucius, listen to me! They're only children!"
"Out of my way, woman!"
I hate him.
The walls around them creaked noisily and the candles extinguished, dimming the room. Both Lucius and Narcissa fell silent.
I hate him.
The heavy curtains over the large window wiped and billowed in a strong breeze with no natural source. A crack split along the high ceiling.
I hate him.
A glass lamp fell from the bedside table, pieces scattering across the floor. A painting came tumbling off the wall, pushed by some invisible force.
I hate him.
The door to Draco's bathroom slammed shut, something falling inside and breaking.
I HATE HIM.
The window shattered, glass spraying across the room like rain. The sound was near deafening. Narcissa screamed. Draco whimpered.
Fingers twisted in a handful of Valentine's hair and yanked her head back. Lucius's eyes were wide with a fury and fear that she would never forget.
"Stop it!" He growled venomously. "Stop this now!"
Valentine's bright eyes narrowed and Lucius was shoved back several feet, skidding along the glass. He stared at her in horror, struggling to keep his balance.
The room continued to tremble, furniture shifting, floorboards vibrating, the heavy bedroom door shuttering in its frame.
"Valentine, please stop." Narcissa stepped towards her.
"STAY AWAY!" Valentine bellowed and the crack in the ceiling spread to each corner, streaking down the walls audibly.
Narcissa immediately backed away, swallowing thickly.
Valentine shifted to pull a shaken Draco on to his knees with some effort. She pulled him into her arms and squeezed tightly. He gripped his hands in the back of her dress and sobbed into her shoulder.
"I won't let him hurt you." She breathed out as the room slowly began to settle. She locked eyes with Lucius, still frozen on the spot. "You're safe, Draco. I'm here. You're safe."
Present Day-
It was easier said than done as she found. Back then, her magic, as with most children, was unstable and unpredictable. They were times when she could almost control it, nudge it in the right direction, but it was volatile and stubborn. It would have been so easy for things to go wrong. She could have easily injured Draco in the process or brought down the manor on top of them. That left her with only her own body as a shield and she did so, again and again. Her bouts of accidental magic weren't frequent, but when they came, the collateral damage was always extensive.
After that particular incident, Valentine and Draco stayed with the Lovat's for a week. Narcissa didn't speak to Lucius for twice that. Valentine didn't speak to either of them for three months. Even now, it was easy to forget Narcissa's role in all this. During those three months Valentine tried to hate her but she couldn't. She had so very few in her life that loved her. Looking back on it now, she knew it was a poor excuse, she might have been more secure in that if she had ever figured out how to hate her.
But this wasn't about her or Narcissa. It was about the boy crying in her arms.
"I won't let him hurt you." Valentine whispered into his shoulder.
"You can't promise that." Draco croaked out, voice so small and fragile he sounded like that six-year-old boy again.
"I can." Valentine said firmly. "He'll never touch you again, Draco. I'd kill him first."
--Pretending To Live--
Draco had taken so long to calm down and head off to bed that Valentine had nearly forgotten the time. She moved quickly through the castle, barely skimming the shadows in her haste.
When she got outside, she could see Harry off in the distance, heading down the hill towards Hagrid's house. Or rather she saw his floating head with the rest of his body hid behind his invisibility cloak.
Right. Because walking around outside at night alone is such a great bloody choice. No, not dangerous at all. With just his head visible something will probably attack him out of fear or self-defence.
Valentine sighed and hurried to follow him, always careful not to be seen.
She stopped a fair distance away, disguised amongst a thicket of trees as of course, Hagrid's house was in a clearing with no cover to be seen around it. She watched Harry walk up to Hagrid's door, shrugging off the cloak completely. He lifted a fist to knock but then the door open and Hagrid stepped out...looking oddly well-groomed.
They exchanged a few quick words and then Hagrid, a large lantern in his large hands, was leading him into the forest.
Wow. Well, aren't we making just splendid choices on this fine evening?
Again, she followed, jogging down the hill so she wouldn't lose them.
What is he up to? What could they possibly need to do in the woods in the middle of tonight? Hagrid should know better than this. He does know better than this.
She entered the forest, treading carefully on the foliage beneath her feet. She could just see the light of Hagrid's lantern through the trees and used that to guide her.
What made this all the more strange was that Harry was alone. She knew that he and Ron had had some kind of falling out and she'd overheard that it had something to do with Harry being a Champion, but what about Hermione? Part of the reason why both of those boys were still alive to argue in the first place? She was comforted only slightly by the knowledge that Hagrid would die before he let anything happen to Harry, but that wasn't the point. She didn't want anything to happen or anyone to die.
A twig crunched under her boot and she froze. Ahead of her, neither Harry nor Hagrid seemed to have noticed.
"Have you bought your father's cloak like I asked you?" Asked Hagrid, voice echoing off the trees.
"Yeah, I bought the cloak." Harry answered dismissively. "Hagrid, where are we going?"
"You'll see soon enough. Now, pay attention, this is very important."
There was a moment of silence and then Harry sounding very confused.
"What's with the flower? Hagrid, have you combed your hair?"
"As a matter of fact, I have." Hagrid said stiffly. "You might like to try the same thing now and again."
Ouch. I mean, he's not wrong. Harry has been looking a little shaggy lately.
As Valentine was climbing over a large root, a loud inhuman cry carried through the trees. Valentine froze again, as did Harry and Hagrid. She knew what it was immediately and suddenly felt rather foolish for not realizing this earlier.
"Hagrid?" A distinctly french voice called out.
Hagrid started to almost skip forward when he seemed to remember that Harry was still there.
"Oh, the cloak! Put the cloak on." He told him.
Harry does as he was told, swinging the shimmering fabric up over his head and covering his entire body.
"Bonsoir Olympe."
Valentine inched forward to see Hagrid and Madame Maxime approach each other.
"Oh, Hagrid." The woman gazed down at him. "I thought you weren't coming, I thought perhaps you had...forgotten me."
"Couldn't forget you, Olympe." Hagrid damn near fluttered his lashes.
Okay. I did not expect to want to see that.
"What is it you want to show me?" Asked Madame Maxime, caressing the large flower on Hagrid's coat. "When we spoke earlier you sounded so exhilarated."
"You'll be glad you came. Trust me."
Hagrid took her hand and started leading her further into the trees.
Has everyone gone mad all of a sudden? Blaze and Leah? Liam, Philips and his fanboy crush on Krum? Krum and Hermione? And now Hagrid and Madame Maxime? Since when did everyone decide to start drooling all over one another like dogs? God, I'm starting to think that I'm the strange one here.
Valentine's thoughts were interrupted by another noise, this distinctly a roar joined by a bright bloom of light.
Hagrid pushed back the branch of a tree and revealed a wide clearing.
"Ah, c'est magnifique!" Madam Maxime explained.
It was quite the scene of chaos. There were four huge wooden crates, each one rattling with great force from the inside. Somewhere near a dozen people in uniform ran about the clearing, trying to keep the crates secure as fire burst from random sections.
"Can we get closer?" Asked Madame Maxime, doing so before she could receive a reply, watching it all in awe.
I should have bloody known. Dumbledore told me what the first task was and naturally Hagrid would know. Of course, he would tell Harry. I can't believe I really came all the way out here just to watch Hagrid and Madame Maxime make eyes at each other.
Harry seemed no less impressed than she but for very different reasons.
"Dragons?" He pulled the cloak off his head as Madame Maxime crept closer. "That's the first task? You're joking."
"Come on, Harry." Said Hagrid. "They're seriously misunderstood creatures."
As if on cue, the wooden panelling one of the crates fell away and the presumed handlers leapt out of the way as the dragon inside let out a screech and stream of fire.
"Although, I have to admit that Horntail is a right nasty piece of work. Poor Ron nearly fainted just seeing him, you know."
"Ron was here?" Said Harry.
"Oh sure. His brother Charlie helped bring them over from Romania. Didn't Ron tell you that?" Hagrid looked at him strangely.
"No, he didn't. He didn't tell me a thing." Harry bit out.
Right, let's add some conflict between friends to up the drama because that's just what we need. As if dragons aren't enough!
Valentine sighed and leaned against the tree closest to her.
Honestly, I'm already so done with this year.