"Val, where are you going?"
"Out."
"Out where?"
"Outside."
"Valentine." Narcissa sighed, exasperated.
This was hardly their first conversation of this nature but Valentine hoped it would be the last.
Draco watched from the foyer stairs. He had given up on trying to get Valentine to stay and get any details from her about what exactly she'd been doing 'outside' several conversations ago. And with Lucius still off somewhere, avoiding her and licking his wounds, Narcissa was the only one still trying. However vain it always proved to be.
"You should realise by now that it's not your business where I go. I can look after myself just fine."
"I'm your legal guardian, it's precisely my business!"
"Something about the long history of the Malfoy, Black and Lestrange families leads me to believe that they don't hold much credence in what is legal or not."
"Valentine, please." Narcissa half pleaded. "This can't go on like this. I need to know where you are and that you're safe."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I can protect myself without your assistance?"
"You can say it as much as you like but it won't change that I need to know where you are."
"You really must enjoy being disappointed." Thoroughly finished with the conversation, Valentine turned and headed for the door.
"Valentine Druella Elladora Lestrange! Do NOT walk out that door!"
"Don't wait up. I might not be back in time for dinner."
--Pretending To Live--
Valentine watched Delaney forcefully shove a dozen pairs of heels into an already overflowing suitcase. She squashed it under her weight and then struggled with the zipper.
Valentine frowned at her efforts.
"How did you even get it all in there in the first place?"
"Because she didn't pack it last time." Said Zoe as she came in through the open door, in the process of packing her own bags.
"Then who did?" Valentine watched as Delaney stubbornly sat on her suitcase.
"Her mother."
"Seriously?"
"Zoe!" Delaney whined, falling backwards off the suitcase and tumbling onto the bed. "It won't fit!"
They heard Bobby laughing at her from the other room and Delaney gave a loud groan of despair.
"You don't need that much stuff." said Zoe.
"But I do."
"No one needs to carry twenty-five pairs of shoes around with them, Del."
"Ha! It's only twenty-one!" Delaney declared as if that made the world of difference.
Valentine knew that if this had been a normal, everday situation for her, then they could have just used an extension charm on the suitcase, but this was the Muggle world and her magic had no place in it. And thus, Delaney went back to laying over the suitcase, trying to make the zippers meet and Valentine bit her lip to smother her laughter and headed out into the lounge room.
As far as she was aware, this was the last time she'd be in this hotel because soon, the members of 'Ashes 2 Ashes' would pile onto a tour bus and drive away.
A certain Professor hadn't wanted her to come back and see them again. He thought that she would be better off cutting them out of her life altogether, but for her, that would have been like turning her back on Draco, Leah, Blaze and Liam. She didn't think she'd even be capable of such a thing.
What would he know anyway? He doesn't even have friends.
"Given up on helping Del?" Axel asked as he walked past from the kitchen, carrying an arm full of boxed snacks.
"She's beyond help."
"Can't argue with that." Axel went through the door of his shared room.
"And Parker still has about twice as much crap as she does." Bobby slid the balcony door shut behind him. He'd been out there smoking a cigarette as per usual, blackening his lungs to match his clothing.
"Yes, but unlike her, I actually know how to pack efficiently." Parker called out from the other room.
Bobby leaned over the couch and whispered to Valentine in a manner quite unlike a whisper, here meaning that everyone could hear and to call it a genuine whisper would have bejoken utter joke.
"Del hordes shoes and he hordes hair products and booty shorts."
"You're just jealous because my ass looks great!" Parker shot back. "Ouch!"
"You can swear as much as you want on the bus." Axel said gruffly.
"So, what are you gonna do without us all summer?" Bobby asked Valentine, ignoring the others.
...I hadn't really thought about it. There's still over a month before school starts again and I don't want to go back to spending my summers laying about the manor with Draco and Leah...and I highly doubt Liam's going to invite us all over anytime soon either...
Valentine looked down at her arms. How she spent it wouldn't be the only thing that changed this summer. When it was warmer, she tended to prefer short sleeves, but her scar was still visible enough that it might bring on an unwanted conversation. So, still needing some kind of reply, she decided to say;
"You're not my only friends, you know."
"Oh? Do tell?" Bobby toppled over the back of the couch, twisting about until he was laying on his side. "What are they like?"
"My cousin's a bit of an idiot, but it's not his fault." Valentine sighed, sitting down on the other couch. "And my friend, Leah, well she's actually an idiot, but she's a lot like Del so at least she enjoys it. Then there's Blaze, he's Leah's boyfriend. They drive each insane, so none of us are sure how they ended up liking each other in the first place. I don't think they even know themselves. Blaze liked her for months before she realised it and they caused a hell of a scene when they actually did confess to one another. Then there's Liam...he's easily the sanest of them all, which isn't saying much. Generally calmer and less likely to get on everyone's nerves...bad taste in women though."
"They sound like a riot." Bobby grinned.
"Well, they're not boring in the very least. It's a boarding school so we live together for most of the year. Either way, you end up pretty close whether you're surrounded by complete morons or not."
"So, that's it?" Asked Parker, walking over to the couches, obviously, he'd been listening in the other room. "Just the four of you, including yourself? I always imagined you were way more popular."
"There was another one of us." Valentine looked down at her hands. It was so easy to show her natural emotions in a space where she didn't have to keep up the act, but she reined in her sombre expression nonetheless. "But she died two years ago."
Parker grimaced guiltily.
"Oh. Sorry."
"Trust you to ask the awkward questions." Bobby muttered under his breath.
"It's fine." Valentine spared a smile. "Leah took it the hardest. They were really close and it was very sudden."
"Man, that sucks." Bobby sighed.
Then Delaney stepped into the room, sweat running down her face, breathing heavily. Everyone turned to stare at her and she froze, sensing the tension in the room.
"Okay, so I definitely just interrupted something."
"Hurry up, Del!" Zoe scolded her from back in their room. "You've still got a lot left to pack!"
Delaney gave a loud high pitched groan and trudged backwards like she was being dragged to the executioner's block.
"There's a container of hair gel in here bigger than my head and if no one comes to get it I'm throwing it out!" Axel called out from the bathroom.
"Oops." Parker jumped up. "That would be mine."
"Are you already finished packing?" Valentine asked Bobby.
"Yeah, I pack light." Bobby explained. "All I need are my boots, cigarettes and lighter."
"And don't forget this." Axel said in the deadpanned voice, appearing behind him. He dropped a black shirt over his head.
"And this." Bobby admitted, shoving the shirt into the band of his jeans and letting it hang there.
"Hey, when's Adrian getting here again?" Parker appeared again, carrying what really was a very large container of hair product.
"About twenty minutes." Axel replied.
They heard Delaney scream in anguish.
"ARGGG! WHERE IS IT?"
"Ah." Bobby let his eyes fall shut. "Months stuck on a bus with that."
"I'm sure you'll survive." Said Valentine.
"Nah, I should run while I have the chance."
"But what would you do? Get a normal job?"
"Gross, scratch that. Maybe I can just get rid of Del instead."
"Not to put a hole in your plotting," said Axel. "but if Del's not there, then who's gonna sing?"
"Parker can do it." Bobby shrugged.
"Right, I'd like to see him sing and cover drums for a two and a half hour show."
"You're just here to set fire to my dreams, aren't you?" Bobby scowled.
"Tis my purpose."
"Boys." Zoe popped her head out of the other room. "Del's lost an earring and she won't let us leave until she finds it."
"You're kidding?" Bobby sighed.
"I'll look in the kitchen." Axel volunteered begrudgingly. "She was rolling around on the floor in there last night."
They watched him go and then Parker leaned over the back of the couch, whispering to Valentine and Bobby.
"Oi. I think I know where her earring is."
Parker gestured for them to follow.
Valentine and Bobby exchanged questioning glances, but stood anyway and followed him into what was soon to be the boys former room.
"Where is it?" Bobby asked once they were inside, voice low.
"And why are we whispering?" Valentine added.
"Under here." Parker knelt down on the floor beside the bed on the far left.
"Under there?" Said Valentine.
"Right." Bobby suddenly realised. "We were playing Hide and Seek the other day."
"Hide and Seek?" Valentine's brows raised at that. Although on second thought, she could perfectly imagine the group of fully grown adults playing a laughably hardcore game in the small apartment.
"Don't fucking ask me how she got under there," Bobby shrugged, somewhat impressed. "but she did. Took an entire bottle of Vodka and half a cold pizza to lure her out too."
"With how much that bottle cost, we should have left her under there." Parker grumbled.
"Guys." Valentine snapped her finger in front of their faces. "The earring?"
"Right, the earring. I need you to lift the bed," Parker pointed to Bobby and then to Valentine. "and you to find it."
"Okay, but why can't you find it?" Valentine eyed at him suspiciously. "You're small enough to fit."
" 'Cause I don't trust Bobby not to drop the bed on me."
They both looked at Bobby who simply shrugged and didn't object.
"He's got a point."
"Fine then." Valentine conceded, and knelt on the floor beside Bobby.
"On three." Bobby crouched and anchored his hands under the bed. "One...two...three."
Then like he said, on three, he stood and pulled the bed up with him and Valentine leaned forwards underneath it.
"What does the earring look like?" She asked.
"It was a long dangling one, right?" said Bobby. She could hear the strain in his voice.
"Yeah, and they had this red stone in them." Parker added.
Valentine glanced across the floor, scanning the area.
"Is it under there?" Bobby asked.
Valentine inched under a bit further and saw a small object near the head of the bed.
"I think I see it." Valentine said and reached forward to grab it.
"Cool." Bobby rasped. "Tell me when you're out of the way."
Valentine snatched it up before quickly backing away and Bobby carefully lowered the bed back onto the floor.
"Got it." She looked down at what was a single earring in the palm of her hand.
"Man." He sighed. "That shit's heavier then it looks."
"Yay!" Cheered Parker. "Teamwork!"
"Teamwork my ass." Bobby scoffed. "You just stood there."
Parker took the earring from Valentine's open hand and smiled devilishly at them.
"Now, you two just keep your mouths shut, sit back and watch."
"What are you up to?" Bobby's dark eyes narrowed.
Parker shrugged and tucked the earring into his pocket.
"Did you guys find it?" Zoe stuck her head in through the doorway.
"Nope." Said Parker, lips pursed.
Valentine and Bobby glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes.
Oh, boy.
Zoe gave the floor an annoyed look and went back into the lounge room, calling for Axel.
"So, hey." Said Parker, turning back to Valentine, his voice having lost its mischievous tone. "What happened the other day..."
"Yeah, with that guy." Bobby added, suddenly serious as well.
I just knew this was going to come up eventually.
"It really was nothing." Valentine said quickly. "Axel completely overreacted."
"He's a protective kind of guy." Bobby shrugged.
"Was that weirdo really your teacher?" Parker asked.
"Yes. He knows my aunt and uncle. He went to school with them. They'd asked him to see where I'd been going lately as I'm not, shall I say, always forthcoming. That's all it was."
"Really?" Parker was obviously not completely convinced. "What does he teach?"
"Chemistry." Valentine crossed her arms over her chest, not approving of being questioned like this.
"We're not trying to get all up in your life," Bobby interjected. "but he really didn't look like a teacher to me."
"He's not normal." Valentine admitted. "But he's not some pervert. He doesn't even like me in the general sense. To be completely blunt, we hate each other's guts. He only came to find me because my uncle has influence and could make things difficult for him. He's really just your standard, grumpy old Professor."
"I have had my share of them." Bobby nodded in understanding.
"Okay." Parker sighed. "I believe you, but...Axel was really riled up after you left. I don't think he'd accept that he was just a harmless old guy."
"Well, he's not going to have a choice and it's not my business if he can't accept it." Valentine uncrossed her arms and planted a hand on either hip. "You're going to be travelling around the country and I'm going to be in a classroom getting taught by the old bat and there is nothing anyone can do about it."
"Hey, maybe one day when you're a big kid, you can come with us." Bobby grinned.
"I'm plenty big, thank you." Valentine poked him in the ribs hard.
--Pretending To Live--
Out on the sidewalk, Delaney sniffled and pouted with all the drama of a three-year-old mid-tantrum.
"It's just an earring, babe." Zoe rubbed her back comfortingly.
"But I really liked that earring."
Valentine, Bobby and Parker all exchanged knowing glances.
"You only have about sixty pairs." Axel said as he loaded the last bag inside the bus.
"It's forty-four." Delaney corrected with a whimper.
The tour bus had arrived over half an hour ago, but the search for Delaney's earring had halted them. Eventually, they all decided that a single earring wasn't worth pushing back Adrian's schedule even further. Well, all but Delaney herself. Now, they were standing in the street preparing to leave.
"Be a good girl and we can buy you a new pair." Adrian patted her shoulder.
"But I wanted that one!"
"It's just an earring." Bobby rolled his eyes.
"You don't understand!"
"You're right. And I don't care too."
Somehow Valentine felt as though she'd heard a similar conversation to this in the past.
Well. Del is a lot like Leah, after all. Something similar has probably been said at some point or another.
"We looked everywhere," said Axel. "If it was in there, we would have found it."
"But my earring..." Delaney sniffed miserably.
Valentine and Bobby kept throwing Parker expectant looks but he was purposely avoiding their gaze.
"It's time to get going." Adrian gestured to the bus.
Delaney suddenly gave a loud startled gasp.
"Val!" She shrieked. "I forgot we were saying goodbye."
Delaney attacked her in a tight embrace.
"Earrings can be distracting." Valentine told her in a strained voice, Delaney's hug pushing the air from her lungs.
This is it. They're really leaving now.
"Don't hog her." Parker wrenched Delaney off Valentine and pulled her into a quick hug himself. "See you around. When we come back, we'll be twice as famous and you won't be able to miss us."
"Bye." Valentine smiled at him as she watched him climb onto the bus.
Bobby hugged her next. He took the chance to whisper in her ear.
"If that fucker waits much longer to give her that earring, she's gonna kill him." Then pulled back and ruffled the top of her hair. "Next time I see you, you better still be rocking the black."
"Of course." She said, batting the hand off her head.
Once Bobby had moved out of the way, Delaney was wrapping her arms around her again, lifting her off the ground.
"I'm going to miss you!"
"You too." Valentine choked out.
"You're going to kill her, babe." Zoe made her put Valentine back onto the ground. "We really will miss you though."
Zoe gave her a kind smile as always. Valentine returned it with ease.
Who knows when I'll see them again.
"Val." Axel towered over her and Delaney who was still stuck to her side. At first his expression was frustrated but it quickly softened. "Sorry about the other night. I'm going to miss having you around."
"There's no need to apologize."
Zoe gave them a questioning look but didn't say anything.
Axel nodded over at Adrian, who then leaned inside the door of the bus and pulled out Axel's violin case.
"Here." Axel took the case from him and held it out towards Valentine. "I want you to have this."
She blinked.
"I can't take your violin, Axel."
"Sure you can." He said encouragingly. "I could never play it as good as you anyway."
"Just take it!" Bobby shouted out a window on the side of the bus.
"You really do play better than him!" Parker appeared as well.
Valentine caved with a laugh and took the case into her hands.
"Thank you." She told him sincerely. "I'll look after it."
"I know you will." Axel"s gaze flooded with warmth.
"We should probably leave before he starts crying." Bobby called out again.
"My numbers' in there too." Axel gestured to the case, ignoring Bobby's comment. "And Adrian's if you can't reach me."
"Thank you."
"Okay, everyone." Adrian clapped his hands together. "We're already behind schedule."
"See you when I see you then." Axel gave her one last smile and a wave and then climbed on to the bus.
"We have to go now, Del." Zoe eased her girlfriend off Valentine.
"It seems like it was just yesterday me and Axel took you to the apartment for the first time." Delaney said with very real tears in her eyes.
"It may have well been." Valentine reminded her. "It's only been two weeks."
It really hasn't been that long at all.
"You better call!"
But...
"I will."
It feels...
"You better!"
Like I've known them a lifetime.
"I promise."
"Come on, now." Adrian nudged her towards the bus.
"Oi, Del!" Parker shouted over to her. "What did your earring look like again?"
When she turned to look at him, Parker hung his arm out the window, the earring dangling from his fingertips.
"You bastard!" Delaney roared, almost knocking down Adrian as she scrambled onto the bus in a rage.
"Sometimes I want to kill him." Zoe grumbled, rubbing her eyes, like she was already tired of this.
"Good luck." Valentine chuckled.
"I hope you have a good school year." Zoe touched her cheek lightly and went to break up the fight that had broken out in the bus.
"Wish me luck." Adrian laughed but it was thin and hesitant.
"If anyone can deal with this, I'm sure it's you." Valentine assured him.
"Thanks." He didn't sound convinced. "And don't be afraid to call. It won't be too long until they're all moaning about you the same way as Del."
Adrian climbed up onto the bus and closed the door behind him. After a few moments and some shouting, the engine rumbled to life and began to pull away. The band appeared at the back window, waving and shouting out to her, all wearing beaming grins.
She could only smile and wave back. She stood there until the bus rounded a corner and was no longer in her sight. She sighed and pulled her hair back with the hand that wasn't clutching Axel's violin.
What the hell do I do now?
--Pretending To Live--
Valentine opened the fridge door and frowned at its contents.
"Out of my fridge, Lestrange." The stern voice from the other room growled.
"Not much of a fridge." She bit back.
She shut the door, harder than necessary and then started opening the cabinet doors. Cups, cans, bowls, plates. Eventually, she found a box of unopened biscuits sitting up on the top shelf. She recognised them as the same type as the ones that Delaney had eaten during one of her visits. In fact, it was the day that Liam had confessed to her. Valentine hauled herself up onto the bench and stood carefully.
"What are you doing in there?" Snape hissed. He could hear her movements.
"Wishing I was taller." Valentine grumbled, more to herself than Snape.
She grabbed the box and held it to her chest as she climbed back down. She gave them a bittersweet smile.
The band had left on their tour two days ago and Valentine was completely and utterly, brain numbingly bored. She could only listen to Leah talk about Blaze so much and after realizing there were places in the world where she didn't have to keep her act up, Malfoy Manor lost all the appeal it never had in the first place.
When she'd turned up on Snape's doorstep once again, he'd refused to open the door. Valentine had resorted to staring at him through the windows until eventually, he let her inside, not wanting the neighbours to notice and draw attention to him. He'd been fairly furious to find out that she was annoying him out of pure boredom. Not that it bothered her anyway.
Valentine ripped open the top of the box and then the plastic casing inside. She casually strolled into the front room, a biscuit between her teeth.
"You're replacing those." Snape glared at her over his newspaper.
"Hmm." She waved him off flippantly.
She fell into the chair beside the window, placing the box on the table and reaching down to unlace her boots.
"This isn't a hostel." Snape's hands clenched, causing wrinkles in his paper.
"Hmm." Valentine hummed again as though in agreement and toed off her boots.
She bit down on the biscuit and dipped her hand into the box for another.
Not bad.
She eyed the hectic pile of papers and books on the table and started to sort through them. Valentine could feel Snape's burning glare aimed at her but ignored it. The mess seemed to be mostly loose potions notes and threadbare books. When she reached the bottom she found a familiar item. It was a chessboard. The kind with hinges that allowed it to fold in half, becoming storage for the chess pieces themselves. She eased the board off the table, careful not to knock anything onto the ground.
She pried open the board, peeking inside at the pawns and knights. She grinned and stood.
"Care for a game?" She asked the Professor.
"You shouldn't touch what isn't yours." Snape hissed.
"Don't be such a wet blanket."
"Put it back."
"What? Your dignity? I'm not completely sure if you had any to begin with."
"Lestrange." He growled, black eyes cold enough to kill.
Valentine just smiled wider.
"Afraid you'll lose?"
Snape stared at her in silence for a moment and then began to angrily fold the newspaper.
"You're ridiculous." He spat.
"And you're going down."
Valentine surprised herself with how much she was looking forward to this. She'd never been defeated before and she didn't plan on that changing, but as much as she would have disliked to admit it out loud, Snape was smart. He was a teacher after all and had gained that status at a young age. She was sure this was going to be a more interesting match then Blaze versus herself in the very least.
Valentine snapped open the board. It was old, she supposed it could have been in the house as long as Snape had himself. She set up the pieces quickly. Choosing the black side for herself. If Snape objected, he didn't voice it. Snape moved a piece first as white always did and the game was afoot.
Aside from the occasional gloating, they played in silence, too busy concentrating on the game to sneer and glare at each other as much they usually did.
Valentine took one of Snape's pieces, which incidentally had been reduced to pieces. His eyes flickered over to her with a growl as he moved a piece of his own and destroyed one of hers. Valentine frowned.
I need to think this through more. I'm not up against Leah or the boys.
"Pawn to D7."
The game carried on, garnering small triumphs and bitter losses. Eventually, Snape backed himself into a corner unbeknownst to him, too focused on taking out Valentine's queen to see her king dangerously close to his own.
"King to F5."
As she spoke those words Snape's eyes immediately looked over at his king and he saw his mistake. Valentine stretched her arms above her head, grinning smugly.
"I've never lost a match." She told him. "Good game, though. Much more interesting than playing against Blaze at any rate."
Snape just glared at her, seething in silence over his loss and being compared to Blaze's meagre skills.
"How about we up the stakes?" She leaned forward on the palms of her hands. "If I win, you have to play whenever I want and if you win-"
"You'll get out of my house?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of lunch."
"Lunch? You can make food?" Snape asked dubiously.
"Of course I can make food." She insisted. "I have hands, don't I?"
"I'd be surprised to hear you've ever seen your own kitchen."
"I think you underestimate my uncle's willingness to limit food as a punishment." Valentine scoffed. "Besides it's not hard to make a sandwich or heat something up on the stove."
"You cause trouble so often it's as surprising as you insinuate."
"When Draco and I were young, Lucius was always mad at us for something or other." Valentine shrugged. "Draco got the worst of it. I can't count the number of times I've snuck him food in the middle of the night."
Valentine could recall crawling under her desk and into the hidden passage in the wall multiple times. She'd sneak into the kitchens and make Draco a snack, then creep over to his room without ever being seen.
"And now it's the other way around, is it not?" Snape arched a brow. "Lucius certainly doesn't seem to have any affection for you. Not that I'd blame him.
"Whatever he might feel about me is irrelevant so long as he remembers that I won't be pushed around by him any longer. As it stands at the moment, my uncle is more afraid of me than I ever was of him. Do you really think he'd just let me disappear all the time if he thought he could stop me?"
Snape blinked, he seemed a little taken aback by her words but covered it quickly.
"Lucius always was weak to the core."
"Too bad it took me so long to take advantage of it." Valentine scoffed. "Now. That game?"
--Pretending To Live--
Valentine Lestrange couldn't believe she'd lost.
"I can't believe I lost." Valentine growled bitterly to herself.
I haven't lost a single game since I first picked up a chess piece!
As much as Valentine looked forward to a challenge, defeat was always a sour taste.
She didn't bother to knock before shouldering the door open and entering the house. She completely ignored Snape who was watching her with triumphant glee from his armchair. She dropped the bags on to the kitchen bench and started unpacking. The fridge had sorely lacked much of anything she could use to make a decent sandwich. Valentine sighed and pushed the hair from her face before beginning.
She buttered the bread, sliced the ham and ate small cuts of cheese as she went.
Stupid bloody Snape. Next time I'll beat him and he'll be making ME food.
She spied the washing detergent on the windowsill and an evil thought formed in her mind. Although in the end, she decided the fight that it would bring on, would hardly be worth it. Not when she knew Snape had the physical strength to literally remove her from the house as well as the ability that all adults had to use their magic outside of Hogwarts. But, regardless she sniggered to herself at the mental image of her potions Professor coughing out a soapy bubble.
She finished the sandwiches and placed them onto two plates. She walked into the front room, thrusting one plate into Snape's face carelessly. He glowered at her, ripping the plate from her hands.
"I hope you choke." She glared right back and then sat in her spot by the window.
She took a bite from her sandwich, the taste serving to lighten her bitter mood a small part. By the fireplace, Snape studied his sandwich dubiously.
"Just eat it." Valentine rolled her eyes. "I only considered poisoning you."
Snape just huffed at her and took a cautious bite.
"See?" Valentine prompted as if she was reassuring a small child. "I know what I'm doing."
She took another bite of her own and stood to scan the rows of books for something to read.
"What are we supposed to be studying next term?" She inquired.
"Planning to cheat?" He eyed her.
"Oh, please." Valentine scoffed. "As though I would ever need to cheat."
"Your humility is positively refreshing." Snape drawled sarcastically but answered her nonetheless. "We'll start with brewing a Draught of Peace once school resumes."
"Draught of Peace, huh?" Valentine nodded, thinking back through her mental library for what she could recall of it. "It's mostly used for anxiety and stress isn't it?"
"It is." Snape took another bite of his sandwich. "Madam Pomfrey gives it to the weaker students who can't handle the pressure of the O.W.Ls."
Valentine looked at the book her finger had settled on and eased it from its place, taking it back to her seat.
"Do you know who's taking over for Defence Against the Dark Arts?" She asked.
"Haven't a clue." Snape grumbled, somewhat sourly.
"Not you then." Valentine deduced.
"Do me a favour and drop dead, Lestrange."
"Fuck off."
Valentine could practically hear the rubber band snap in Snape's mind.
"Lestrange!" He snarled.
"Seriously? Are we still on this?" Valentine frowned at him. "They're just words, Professor. They can't hurt you."
"You should do well to remind yourself who's home you're in." He growled.
"You sound like Axel." Valentine grumbled as she lifted her sandwich to her mouth.
"Axel?" Snape arched a brow at that.
"My friend." She said. "You've met him actually. He shoved you in a dark alleyway."
"Ah. The fool." Snape grimaced distastefully.
"Axel is not a fool." She snapped at him. "He thought you were some weird old pervert up to no good and to his credit, that's generally what you look like!"
"He's hot-headed and arrogant."
"You don't even know him."
"And I don't care to."
"Just shut up and eat your fucking sandwich like a good boy." Valentine hissed frustratedly.