The train ride home had changed completely when Leah had burst through the compartment door half an hour like nothing had happened, and nobody bothered to ask about her sudden change in spirits.

This was Leah, after all. She had probably gotten bored of sulking and decided that she was over it.

She just promptly sat herself half on Valentine, half on Draco, something which neither appreciated. Eventually, she ended up on the floor, arguing with Blaze incessantly and stayed there until the train pulled into the station.

Leah immediately stuck her head out the window despite the steam that blew back in her face.

"Mama!" Leah cried out, pointing into the crowd, before being racked with a coughing fit from the mouth full of coal steam she inhaled.

"Mama?" Blaze arched a brow.

"That's what she calls her mother." Draco rolled his eyes. "You know because she's five years old."

"Oh, look! Val, Draco!" Leah shouted excitedly. "I can see Mr and Mrs Malfoy!"

Draco's face instantly lit up at that. He leaned over Valentine to see and Valentine herself turned her head from the window altogether.

"Hey, Liam your grandfathers picking you up, right?" Asked Blaze.

"Well, he said he was, if something came up he'd send someone else to get me."

"HELLO? Liam's grandfather? Are you out there!" Leah shouted wildly, waving her arms about.

"On three, we push her out," Blaze whispered.

"Yeah, and then you'd have to put up with her haunting you for the rest of your natural life." Liam pointed out.

"I am so glad we're friends, man." Said Blaze.

"I'd be glad to be friends with me too if it stopped me from spontaneous murder."

"Trust me." Blaze snorted. "Nothing about me killing her would be spontaneous. Premeditated all the way."

The train hauled to a final stop and Valentine led them off the train and into the thick crowd of parents and siblings.

Valentine and Draco watched side by side as Liam caught sight of his grandfather.

"That's him right there." He said, waving.

The elderly man was finely dressed with a thick beard. He saw Liam but did not wave back.

"That's my cue." Liam shrugged, unbothered. "See you guys in two weeks."

"Don't forget to write." Blaze reminded him.

"I won't."

"LIAM!" Leah flung herself at him, crying again.

"Bloody hell, Leah!" Liam cried out in surprise as she wrapped her arms around his knees. "You should really get off the ground. Do you know how dirty the platform probably is?"

"But-but..." Leah sniffled. "All my friends are leaving me..."

"Yeah." Blaze rolled his eyes. "Because it's the holidays. We want to go home. You know? Be free."

"I don't want you to go." Leah pouted up at Liam with watery eyes.

"Uh..." Liam looked over at his grandfather who checked his pocket watch pointedly.

"Come on, you idiot," Draco growled, stepping forward. "Get up before you get some kind of gross disease."

"No!" Leah clung tighter.

"Leah!" Valentine snapped, pulling the girl's attention. "You're being ridiculous. Get the hell up right now and let Liam go home."

Leah gave Liam's legs one last tight squeeze before falling back to sit on her knees.

"I'll make sure I'll write often, okay?" Liam gave her a warm smile, petting her on the head a few times.

"Okay." Leah wiped at her face.

"Goodbye for real this time." Liam laughed, waving to the rest of them as he hurried off into the crowd.

"Oi, Blaze!" Another voice rung out through the crowd. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Awe, crap," Blaze whined with a grimace. "It's my brother. I gotta go."

"Bye." Draco waved him off.

Blaze froze and sent a hesitant glance over at Leah.

"You're not going to attack me and start crying again, are you?"

"No." Leah shook her head, perfectly serious as she stood, dusting herself off. "I don't think I'll miss you that much."

"Well, now that's just-"

"Blaze!" The voice rung out again. "Blaze Zambini, I am bored!"

"Arg." Blaze facepalmed. "I'll argue with you the second I get back, okay?"

"It's a plan." Leah punched his shoulder lightly with a grin.

Then Blaze was running off into the crowd, attempting to follow his brother's voice.

"And then there were three." Valentine crossed her arms over her chest.

"Valentine! Draco!" A familiar voice called over the roar of the crowd.

"Val, over there." Draco nudged this cousin and motioned towards his parents.

Valentine turned to see her aunt and uncle standing off to the side, as to avoid the bustle around them.

"I'm surprised they couldn't locate us via Leah's wailing." Valentine scoffed.

Narcissa smiled as she caught sight of them and hurried to meet them.

"Get Leah and let's go," Valentine told Draco, already moving away.

"What! Why am I on Leah duty?" He was ignored.

So, Draco grabbed Leah's hand and hauled her through the crowd.

"Val." Narcissa cooed, pressing a kiss to the girl's forehead.

Valentine shifted away before she could do more.

"Draco." Narcissa moved on to the next child.

"Stop it, mother." He tried to get away but couldn't.

"Awe." Leah pouted.

"And one for Leah too." Narcissa laughed, pecking the top of the girls head.

"Yay!" Leah lit up immediately.

"Your mother is right- ah, Rose, William!" Narcissa waved over Leah's parents.

"Mama!" Leah grinned, barrelling towards her parents like a wild horse.

"Slow down before you fall." Her mother warned her. "And why is your face so red? Have you been crying again?"

"No."

Rose sighed but then smiled sweetly, kissing Leah's forehead as Narcissa had.

"I missed you, darling."

"I missed you, mama." Leah beamed and then looked over to the tall man beside her. "Hello, father."

"Hello, Leah." He nodded back, touching her shoulder lightly in greeting.

William Lovat had never been a particularly emotional man, but not exactly unkind in his aloofness.

Of the two, Leah's appearance clearly favored her mothers in all things but height, that she had gotten from her father. While William was both dark haired and dark eyed, much taller than his wife and broader in build, Rose was fair haired and dark eyed, lithe framed with an elegant air about her that Leah didn't quite capture herself.

In Valentine's mind, Mr and Mr's Lovat had never looked any other way. Like Lucius and Narcissa, they retained a stately presence about themselves.

"Let's be off." Then said Lucius tersely. "I can't stand another second here amidst the ravel."

-----Pretending To Hate-----

Valentine drank in the words she hadn't read since she left the manor. Although she'd managed to take a decent amount of books with her to Hogwarts she had to draw a line somewhere and she was fairly certain she crossed that line at twenty books when she decided thirty wasn't too far a stretch.

She kicked off her boots and bought her legs up to cross underneath her. She had left Draco to be smothered with affection by his mother, making quite the daring escape. But it wasn't as though she was well hidden. If someone was to look for her, the library would be one of the first places they looked.

And so, that was how Draco found her, sitting on the plush couch before the fire, reading as always.

"That was a dirty trick." He grumbled, referring to how he had essentially been thrown to the motherly wolves.

"Thank you," Valentine replied simply.

Draco threw himself on to the couch next to her with a sigh.

"I missed the silence." He said.

"I don't know how you could with your own talking."

"I never realized how loud the others were until they weren't here." Draco ignored her comment.

"I'm sure that'll be rectified once Leah comes to visit."

Draco groaned loudly and let himself sink down into a slouch.

"I suppose we'll never escape her."

"That is likely, yes."

There was a brief moment of quiet as Draco toed off his own shoes.

"Never imagined she'd find someone like Benson though." Draco snickered. "I do really feel bad for the girl. She doesn't have any clue what she's getting herself into."

"I'm she'll manage." Valentine shrugged. "At any rate, it's far too late for her to run now. Leah is much too attached."

"Well, I did warn her." Draco huffed.

"I wouldn't say Blaze is much better though." Said Valentine. "He's practically taken your place as Leah's main opponent."

"You know, he actually had a nightmare about her a few weeks ago." Draco grinned amusedly. "Apparent she had two heads and bat wings and was trying to bite him."

"That sounds an awful lot like how Leah is usually."

"Yeah, that's what I told him when he woke up screaming." Draco scoffed. "Then Liam ran around the dorm with his blanket like they were wings."

"Was this that time Blaze slept in the common room all night alone?" Asked Valentine, remembering the morning they had woken to see Blaze drooling and half falling out of an armchair.

"No, not all at." Said Draco, wide grin betraying him.

They fell into a steady silence. The only sounds to be heard were Valentine flicking from page to page and the crackling of the fire. Then Draco spoke again.

"You know, the longer it goes on being so quiet, the creepier it is."

Valentine sighed and looked up at him.

"You just said you missed the silence."

"Well, I did at first but now it's just unnerving," Draco grumbled. "It's never a good thing if it's quiet at school. It usually means Leah's up to something."

"You sound almost as if you missing school already."

"Don't be stupid." Draco's voice twisted into a snarl. "I've never been happier to be out of that wretched place. I don't have to listen to morons going on about how great Potter is. Stupid Potter."

"You have a point." Valentine returned to her book.

"Ah, here you are." The library had open and closed without either Valentine nor Draco hearing it. Now, Narcissa stood in the middle of the room with a light smile. "So, eager to get studying again?"

"As if." Draco huffed under his breath.

"No, Draco seems to be allergic to such things." Said Valentine.

"So, I've heard." Narcissa arched a brow at her son.

"Thanks a lot." Draco sank even further still into the couch, throwing a frown at Valentine.

"Draco you should be applying yourself more." Narcissa sighed.

"Well, I passed everything didn't I?" He muttered under his breath. "We can't all be geniuses."

"Now, now, Draco." Narcissa shook her head at him and moved to stand in front of the fire. "I don't expect you to be like Val."

"Good." Draco pouted sourly. "Because I don't think there's anyone else like Val."

"I just want you to push yourself to do the best you possibly can." Narcissa eyed him sternly.

"Is that a threat, mother?" Draco arched a brow at her.

"If it needs to be." Narcissa smiled pleasantly, then sat in the armchair to the left of Valentine.

Once more they fell into silence.

"Well?" Narcissa prompted expectantly. "Which one of you is going to tell me about how you've been?"

"We wrote all the time." Draco groaned.

"One of you did." Narcissa gave Valentine a pointed started at was ignore. "But it's hardly the same thing. Tell me about your new friend. This Benson girl that Leah is so fond of."

"She's small." Draco shrugged.

"Small?" Narcissa frowned.

"Yeah." Said Draco. "Mostly in presence. Leah calls her a mouse."

"Ah." Narcissa nodded, clearly still not completely understanding.

"She's timid." Valentine sighed, not looking up from her book. "Very well mannered and far too mildly at that. She's essentially become Leah's glorified nursemaid."

"I see." Narcissa seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Well, I don't suppose anything can be done for it if Leah likes her so much."

"Like is an understatement." Draco scoffed. "It's more like obsessed. You should have seen the fit she threw when it was time to leave."

"Leah has always been a particular one." Narcissa laughed. "What about your other friends? Highcourt and Zambini?"

"Liam and Blaze." Draco nodded. "They're my roommates."

"I was friends with the Zambini's in my school days, though I haven't seen them in years." Narcissa smiled. "They were quite a pair. And such a pity about Diana and Gilbert. They died entirely too young and leaving a son behind as well."

"Diana and Gilbert?" Asked Draco.

"Yes, your friend's parents." Narcissa nodded somewhat somberly.

Even Valentine had to look up at that.

It was true, she realised, that Liam had never even mentioned his parents, though he had his grandfather multiple times.

"I assume his grandfather took him in?" Said Valentine.

"Yes, I believe so." Narcissa thought back. "Poor thing."

"I knew his parents were dead." Said Draco. "He told me and Blaze a while back, but he didn't say how."

"Oh, they were just unfortunate accidents." Narcissa waved him off. "But for them too died within six months of each other? That's the real tragedy I'm afraid. Now, how about we talk about something more cheerful?"

Draco almost immediately launched himself into a rant about Harry Potter and Valentine tuned out accordingly.

She hadn't given her friends lives much thought before. She knew that Olivia lived with both her parents. She liked her father and seemed to have some kind of issue with her mother, despite still loving her. She knew that Blaze also lived with both his parents and that he had an older brother. As for Liam, all she had known before tonight was that he lived with his grandfather.

She felt real, honest pity for him now knowing that both his parents were dead.

How had their lives outside of school never really come up before? Well, I suppose Liam wasn't jumping at the chance to chat about his dead parents. That is usually the type of thing people prefer to keep out of casual conversation.

"Valentine." Narcissa was then speaking her name, her full name.

"Hmm?" She glanced over at her aunt.

"We really should talk about this."

"About what?" Valentine frowned.

"About your behaviour." Narcissa sighed. "Particularly in Potions Class."

Valentine promptly snapped her book shut and glared over at Draco.

"Don't look at me." He quickly raised both hands in surrender.

"I've been received several letters from Professor Snape since you started at Hogwarts and I am less than impressed young lady." Narcissa pinned her with a firm stare.

Valentine felt her entire being groan in annoyance. She was a whole another country away and Snape's arrogance could still reach her.

"What a bloody tattletale," Valentine grumbled under her breath.

"Valentine," Narcissa said in a warning tone. "You're a smart girl. There is no reason for you to act out so."

"That's part of the problem." Valentine narrowed her eyes darkly. "I'm too smart to be treated like I'm an idiot. It's hardly my fault he finds my intelligence intimidating."

"You're also smart enough to know better." Narcissa shot back. "I do not want to hear a single thing about this kind of behaviour when the school term resumes."

"I wouldn't hold my breath," Valentine growled. "Snape is an incompetent moron and I will not allow him to get away with the things he says to me."

"Val-"

"No." Valentine snapped, cutting off Narcissa and standing. "If I wanted to argue about Snape I would have stayed at school and done it face to face with the grand old bat himself."

"I'm not done talking." Narcissa stood, rising far above her.

Narcissa could cut a decently intimidating picture when she wanted to, especially when she thought she was being disrespected, but Valentine knew the woman wouldn't do anything to her. Not her own niece.

"I'm not at liberty to care." Valentine turned on her heel and marched from the room.

Bloody Snape. I'm going to throw a chair at his face the next time I'm blessed with his presence.

-----Pretending To Hate-----

Valentine pushed back the dark covers and stretched, giving herself a moment before she swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet upon the cold wooden floor. Dull rays of light filtered through her curtains, painting stripes along her floor and over her feet as she walked over to the window.

Malfoy Manor was as dark and depressing place in its own grand and stately kind of way, and Valentine found that it hadn't changed a bit since she and Draco had been away at school. She also found that she hadn't missed it. Despite all it's fine furniture and marble pillars, it somehow paled in comparison to Hogwarts.

Valentine looked out over the snow cloaked gardens and realized she'd never been away from them for so long before. It seemed so strange to be back in her large room, sleeping in her large bed, looking out her large window.

Nothing about Hogwarts was small or quaint but somehow didn't seem so smothering with its grandeur.

She'd forgotten how easy it was to feel like you were the only person alive when alone in a place like this. She decided she'd be much happier when the two weeks were over.

A knock at the door pulled Valentine from her thoughts.

"What is it?" She answered lazily.

The door opens and Haley stood in the doorway, eyes averted to the floor.

I hate this.

"Mrs M-Malfoy has requested your presence for b-breakfast." The maid shuddered lightly in the girl's wake.

Haley didn't naturally have a stutter. Valentine knew this. It was her presences that made the girl shake so.

"Fine. Tell my aunt I shall join them in a few minutes." Valentine replied.

Haley seemed relived, moving quickly, she turned and started to leave, one hand on the door.

"One second, Haley." Valentine stopped her in her tracks.

The maids back visibly stiffened, as she clenched her hands into a fist as a failed attempt to cease the shaking in them.

Valentine knew how much she utterly terrified Haley.

That was intentional.

"Y-yes Miss?"

The tension was heavy as if someone had filled the room with wet cement.

"Never mind," Valentine said dismissively.

Haley nodded, letting out a breath and quickly making her getaway.

Valentine liked to avoid the staff at Malfoy Manor. They knew the very worst of her and had experienced being in her line of fire. But somehow Valentine had to have learned how to be as she was now. It took practice and training to find the invisible line of what she could cross and what she couldn't. It didn't hurt her nearly as much as it hurt them.

When she had begun her training, they would whisper, 'Miss Valentine. She's snapped'. That was what she needed them to think. And how else could they justify her suddenly turning into such a monster? Blood, broken bones, bruises and screams. Valentine pressed them deep into the back of her mind. Those dark days. Those two years spent figuring out the character she would play, how she would do it. Her mission was built on the suffering of others before it had even begun and she promised herself that when it was all over, she fix what she had broken to the best of her ability.

-----Pretending to Hate-----

"You certainly