Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of either series or the events that take place within either of the original series.
Skulduggery strode to the entrance of the courtyard where Professor McGonagall was watching an already large amount of students that had gathered in preparation to go, Valkyrie nearly jogging to catch up with him. They were 15 minutes early, but it already felt like they were late.
"Attention everyone, we'll be departing in 15 minutes, so do not wander away from the courtyard." Professor McGonagall raised her voice, but didn't need to yell. As soon as the first syllable escaped her lips the students were listening. Valkyrie wished she had that much respect, most people just chose to ignore her or talk over her at the Sanctuary.
In the midst of the crowd Valkyrie could see two red patches of hair standing on two tall stick like people. Fred and George. Valkyrie smiled slightly. Maybe they'd be able to show her around. Providing she was allowed to wander of course.
After a further 15 minutes, everyone seemed to have gathered, including another professor, who was acting as another supervisor. McGonagall raised her voice again.
"Students, stay within the village at all times and do not attempt to leave the designated route to Hogsmead. Do as you will but remember your manners and do not cause trouble. While you are in the village you are representing Hogwarts school as a whole. Professor Flitwick will be leading the way." The small man, named Professor Flitwick, began waddling away to the front of the group, calling out names and instructions. Skulduggery put his hands in his pockets and began to walk after them, Valkyrie following closely in an attempt not to get lost in the sea of students, and found that the two of them ended up towards the middle. As they left the castle, something seemed to happen to Skulduggery, as if he had just had an electric shock, or a brilliant idea.
"What?" Valkyrie asked. Skulduggery tilted his head as he walked and took his hand out of his pocket. She watched him curiously as he tapped his collar bone and his façade began to reappear on his face, not as fast as usual, but there none the less. Skulduggery exclaimed happily.
"Wonderful!" He grinned, and as his façade was active, he could show it "I was wondering if this would work outside the castle. It feels good to have a face again." Valkyrie rolled her eyes, while he carried on grinning before settling with a satisfied, slightly smug, expression.
Hogsmead was definitely not like Roarhaven. There were shops of all shapes and sizes, people of all types wearing all sorts of strange clothes, and they all seemed partially friendly. Skulduggery was still happy he had a face again, and Valkyrie was trying to put up with it. The students quickly dispersed in all directions, making sure they stayed in their own friendship groups as often as possible. Valkyrie remained with Skulduggery, despite Fred and George's protests for her to join them. Although she had wanted to look around, she was just too tired, and Skulduggery knew it.
"More dreams about Darquesse?" He whispered once they were alone (or as alone as you could be in a village full of wizards, witches and students).
"Yeah. Tanith keeps cropping up as well, with Sanguine."
"They won't be able to find you Val, Hogwarts is-"
"-unplottable and safe, and they'll never find me, and coming to a place filled with magic people is a very bad idea, I get it Skulduggery. I get that it's super highly improbable they won't find me, but there's just that slight chance that they will."
"There's no proof of that."
"Scapegrace and Thrasher managed to find me, and they weren't even looking."
"Yes but Scapegrace and Thrasher stumbled across Hogwarts by mistake. Plus, they're idiots."
"Exactly, so what will Tanith and Sanguine, highly skilled sorcerers one of which has never stayed in prison for more than a few days because he can tunnel out, be able to do? If they get even the slightest hint I'm here…" She left the sentence hanging. Skulduggery sighed, thinking deeply.
"Val, no one will let anything happen to you. You have wizard friends here that I bet won't just stand by if Tanith or Billy-ray decide to show their faces, and I sure as hell won't let them near you. Besides, Albus Dumbledore is supposed to be one of the most powerful wizards in the world, if anyone can stop them, he can."
"But Dumbledore is the headmaster, he's not my friend."
"That doesn't mean he'll let them try and kill you, much less any other student."
"But I'm not a student."
"You're a member of staff, it's the same principle."
"But what if he's not there?"
"Will you stop saying 'but', it's very off putting."
"Sorry. I just," Valkyrie sighed "I'm just worried."
"I know you are, Val. But there's really no need to be. I sometimes think you doubt yourself too much."
"Doubt myself?"
"Yes, you're very powerful as Valkyrie. You can handle them."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Valkyrie muttered, recalling all the times Sanguine had managed to drag her under the ground with her being helpless to do anything but cling on and hope he wouldn't leave her there to suffocate and die.
"And I'll be there of course." Skulduggery said, waving the thought away as if it wasn't very important "We've taken down much worse together."
"Like the Grotesquery" Valkyrie smiled slightly "and Baron Vengence."
"Don't forget Nerferian Serpine"
"And the remnants, and Tesseract"
"Don't forget the white cleaver."
"As if I'd forget about him." Valkyrie found herself smiling, despite the fact they were referring to situations they had almost died in multiple times, when fear Valkyrie had ever known has been seeping through her veins.
"And Melancholia. God I hate necromancers."
"Do you hate me?"
"Does it look like I hate you Val?"
"Not particularly."
"Then I don't hate you." They were silent for a moment "How's Gordon doing?"
"He's ok. Trying to finish a book."
"I think the publishing company would find it a bit strange if a dead man started writing new books again, wouldn't you?"
"He'd use a different name."
"Yes, but I still think it'd be weird."
"Well, you're dead and you still work as a detective."
"I am brilliant at being a detective though. What would the world do without me?"
"Um, have less of their grand mages being threatened at gun point?"
"Shut up."
