Leah leaned over Draco's lap to breathe on the windowpane and draw pictures in the mist.

"Cut it out." Draco slapped her hand away and pushed her off him.

"Vallll! Draco hit me!"

"Oh?" Valentine didn't bother to look over at them. "Should I give him a gold star now or later?"

"Liaammm!" Leah turned to him next.

Adjacent to them in the compartment, Liam threw up his hands in surrender.

"I reject any and all responsibilities in these proceedings."

"Huh?" Leah grimaced.

"He said no." Valentine clarified.

"That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair."

"Doesn't anyone care about my feelings!" Leah exclaimed with a dramatic slump.

The compartment door slid open and Blaze shuffled inside.

"Already started have we?" He asked Liam as he sat.

"I just want to be loved!"

"It would appear so," Liam grumbled.

"Stop screaming in my ear would you?" Draco nudged her with his elbow. "You get to see Olivia later. Save your crazy for her."

"Oh, man, that poor girl." Blaze nodded solemnly.

"But I don't want to wait! I want to see her now!" Leah demanded.

Draco dug a hand in his pocket and grabbed a handful of coins. He tossed them into Leah's lap dismissively.

"Here. Go find the trolley lady." He told her. "And make sure you get me something."

Leah scooped up the money with a scowl.

"I'm not doing this to admit defeat," She said. "I'm doing this because sugar is my greatest ally."

Leah turned her nose up at him and headed out into the corridor.

"So," Liam watched her go for a minute and then turned to look at Valentine and Draco. "How was the rest of your holiday?"

"Awful," Draco replied immediately. "Leah was around practically every day."

"You say that as though she didn't always do that." Said Valentine, not paying too much attention to the conversation.

"She was annoying then and she's annoying now." Draco sniffed and wiped away Leah's artwork from the window.

"I honestly don't know how you've stayed sane." Said Blaze.

"I'm sure she'll calm down a little once she gets to see Olivia again," Liam added reassuringly. "She wrote me a three-page letter about how much she missed her. It would be almost cute if she didn't do it once per day."

"Leah doesn't exactly grasp the concept of moderation." Valentine shrugged.

"Enough about that spaz," Blaze rolled his eyes. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but how did you like the books?"

Valentine blinked. Well, now she had to pay attention.

"I read Liam's first." She sat straighter. "It was actually quite interesting. Malfoy Manor's library is fairly substantial but it's non-fiction titles lean more towards Dark Art's then magical creatures."

"Uh." Liam swallowed. "So, you liked it then?"

"That's what I said." Valentine huffed.

"What about mine?" Blaze asked, seemingly a touch more nervous now.

"It was certainly amusing, to say the least." Valentine thought back on the novel. "The main character was a little irritating at first but she manages to mature along the way."

"So..." Blaze trailed off expectantly.

"It was good." Valentine rolled her eyes and Blaze let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, I'm glad you like them." Liam smiled.

"Been enjoying your pretty comb?" Draco had to smirk at that.

"Yes, actually." Liam's face blushed pink and she smile become strained. "Thank you for bringing that up."

"My brains wicked." Said Blaze. "The one in the jar, I mean."

"Let's see if you can manage a passing grade with two brains at your disposal." Draco sniggered.

"Ha, ha, you're hilarious," Blaze grumbled.

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

Leah had been ready to climb out the window once they started pulling into the Hogsmeade Station. She was basically vibrating with excitement, entire body shaking in a way Valentine knew just couldn't be healthy. And so, she was the first off the train, leaping down on to the platform.

"I have returned! Now! Where's my Olivia!"

"And so, it truly begins." Blaze gave a heavy sigh as the rest of them stood and started out of the compartment.

"You could always try not teasing her." Liam laughed. "I think it might make your life a little more peaceful."

"None of your blasphemy, man! Or I shall have you burned at the stake!"

Liam laughed again.

They stepped down on to the platform where Leah was looking around frantically for Olivia.

She blinked owlishly up at Hagrid.

"You're not Olivia."

"Um." The half-giant blinked back down at her.

"It's almost time for dinner, idiot." Said Blaze. "That's where she'd be."

"Awe!" Leah stamped one foot. "But I want my Olivia now!"

Despite all Leah's whining, it would not get her to the girl she wanted any faster. And so they started the journey up the castle, Leah pouting the entire way.

The second they stepped into the Great Hall, Leah seemed to spot Olivia instantly and was squeezing her tightly in a bone-crushing hug.

"I miss you so much!"

"I...missed...you...to...but I...can't..." Olivia wheezed.

"You're killing her," Liam said casually as he sat.

"Huh?" Leah blinked and then looked down at Olivia's face that was quickly turning purple. "Oh! Sorry!"

She quickly jerked away and Olivia started to cough, waving one hand around to dismiss her apology before she could even get a proper breath back into her lungs.

"Well, I saw that one coming." Draco scoffed under his breath just loud enough for Valentine to hear.

Olivia smiled honestly as she regained control of her airways.

"Welcome back."

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

"Do you truly believe that a being as powerful as Voldemort would be complacent with his current position?"

"Now, don't judge me too harshly. Animal taming through the art of the harp isn't exactly my speciality."

"I always wanted a wife."

"Do you think he really has the scar?"

"He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!"

"You will look at me when I speak to you."

"I'm getting hints of bacon, orange juice, pepper, sausage and...yeah, that's definitely milk."

"Perhaps it does not even know itself."

"I smell the blood of a well-deserved suffering."

"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!"

"Clean that up."

"Do you...do you ever miss your parents?"

"Oh, to hell with it! SLYTHERIN!"

"Just because you find the lesson boring does not give you the right to take a learning opportunity away from others."

"This world isn't yours to command."

"Merry Christmas, Professor."

"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor."

"Sir, I don't treat anyone with respect between the hours of ten PM and eight AM."

"She's a scary one."

"Wait! Don't. Please, I was just coming here to protect the stone! I swear!"

~~~

Valentine's eyes snapped opened and for a moment she'd forgotten where she was, she looked at the room around her to find herself back in her Hogwarts dorm. Even with all her excitement to get back, she'd gotten used to life back at Malfoy Manor. But that wasn't what concerned her.

"That was...weird. Again."

Images and words swirled around in her mind. Jumbled together with no apparent order. She recognized all the scenes that had been laid out before her, every phrase and occurrence, but the order in which she saw them made no sense. She didn't feel any different, albeit a small part confused as she'd never had a reoccurring dream before. It wasn't as though her life wasn't filled with oddities. She decided that, although strange, the dream didn't have any significance.

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

Draco glanced at Valentine and waited for her next move. She rolled her eyes.

Today they were brewing a Cure for Boils and Draco was happy simply to copy whatever it was she did. Her textbook lay closed on the workbench. She didn't need to check the ingredients or the methods. As she worked it all flowed back to her.

She crushed the fangs and added them to the cauldron. She then added four-horned slugs and took the cauldron off the fire before adding two porcupine quills.

Potions had always come easy to her as all one had to do was follow the instructions as told. She couldn't quite figure out why Leah's seemed to harden within minutes of starting or how Seamus Finnigan continued to set his cauldron on fire no matter the potion. She supposed that some people simply weren't meant to brew potions.

As Valentine stirred five times clockwise she watched Harry, Ron and Hermione on the other side of the room.

Hermione seemed to be scolding Ron and trying to help him but the boy was being stubborn and refusing her advice. Harry just stood there, listening to Hermione and Ron while his cauldron started to boil.

Then came Snape with his swishy cloak and his foreboding glare.

God. He never takes a day off from being an ass, does he?

Hermione and Ron immediately fell silent as Snape began to berate all three of them.

Meanwhile, Valentine set her brew aside, finished and early as usual.

"How are you already done?" Draco grumbled, still adding the horned slugs and begrudgingly reaching for his textbook now that he'd actually use it.

"What?" Blaze gaped.

Blaze and Liam were at the table in front of them and they both turned to stare at Valentine in disbelief.

"It's so unfair." Blaze pouted. "How come you get to be so good at everything?"

Valentine threw a passing glance Blaze's brew.

"If you don't turn up the heat on that you'll have to start all over again."

"Huh?" Blaze turned back to his cauldron. "Crap!"

"Honestly, I'm with Blaze." Liam glanced over his shoulder at Valentine. "You've got to save some intelligence for the rest of us you know."

"Something tells me that would be a grand waste." Valentine scoffed.

As if on cue, at the desk directly behind them, Olivia spoke loudly.

"Um, Leah, stop. It's four slugs not...why do you have eleven?"

"I'm bored!" Leah announced flippantly.

"I see what you mean." Liam sighed.

"Lestrange." Then there was Snape again, riding in on a wave of condescension.

Ugh.

"I'm finished," Valentine said before Snape could scold her for a lack for productivity.

Snape didn't even bother to glance down at her cauldron. They both knew it would be perfect. Making a big deal and calling her incompetent only to be made a fool of himself would just be embarrassing for both of them at this point. If the first term had taught them nothing else, it was that Valentine was annoyingly flawless when it came to potions and she revelled in how it infuriated him.

"I suggest you keep to yourself then." Snape hissed. "You're not the only student here and you are a distraction."

"How nice of you to say, Professor."

"I'll have none of your sarcasm." His black eyes narrowed.

"Oh, but I insist." Valentine smiled elegantly.

"I will not put up with your blatant disregard for my authority!" He snapped.

"Alright!" Valentine stood from her chair and looked around at the other students. "Which one of you told Professor Snape he had authority? It's really quite unkind of you to mislead him like that."

She heard Blaze give and snort and Snape quickly silenced him with a burning glare.

"Sit down." Snape ground out between his teeth.

Valentine could have grumbled under her breath and done so. Gone on with the lesson. But then she would be missing the high light of her day, which at this junction, was seeing just how furious she could make Snape.

"I don't feel like it."

"I don't care what you feel like." Snape did his best to tower over her and he did it well.

Very threatening and yes, very towering, but Valentine was quite accustomed to intimidation and unless Snape was going to beat her cousin as penance for her behaviour, then she had dealt with worse.

"I'm not asking you to care." Valentine returned smoothly. "I'm asking you to get the hell out of my face and go annoy someone else for a change."

Snape moved quickly, snatching up her wrist and yanking her out into the aisle.

"Let go of me!" She pulled back. "Keep your damn hands off me!"

"I will not be subject to your disrespect any longer!" Snape growled back at her.

The class watched in tense silence. No one was stupid enough to get in the way of what was happening.

"Let me go!" Valentine snarled, kicking at his shin.

Snape gave a pained hiss but it didn't stop him from dragging her to the door.

She struggled against him, fully expecting to be thrown out into the hallway and the door slammed in her face. Instead, Snape kept her in that bruising grip and continued to pull her out the door and along the corridor.

After a few minutes of trying to pull herself free Valentine stopped. Her arm hurt and Snape wasn't about to let go. So, she dug her heels in and forced him to stop moving.

He turned on her with a vicious glare and she returned with one of her own.

"You know you'll be the first suspect if you kill me."

"As if I'd go through with the trouble." Snape scoffed.

"Good to know you'd think me a challenge then." She sniffed indignantly. Before Snape could rebut her she spoke again. "If you're not killing me then where the hell are we going?"

"You can be someone else's problem." Said Snape, pulling her along again.

"You do realize that you're my head of house, right?" Valentine arched a brow at him and walked quickly to try an keep up and not just be dragged along. "If other teachers can't handle me then I go to you. I'm not so sure it works the other way around."

He didn't reply and just kept walking.

Valentine sighed. She was quite over their little spat but he seemed no less angry than before. Then they turned a certain corner and it clicked in Valentine's mind. There was only one person above the heads of houses.

"Are you kidding me?" Valentine shot him a look as they entered the hall leading to the Headmaster's office. "You're telling on me to the Headmaster?"

Again, Snape didn't reply.

As they approached the door it swung open, Dumbledore was already sitting up in his chair, watching them enter.

"I refuse to have such a disobedient brat in my classroom!" Snape growled and shoved her forward.

She turned to glare daggers at him but he was already walking away, slamming the door behind him.

Valentine rubbed at her arm with a scowl. She looked back to Dumbledore.

"Bloody hell. He acts like every move I make is some personal vendetta against him." She scoffed.

"So, you're entirely innocent in this then?" Dumbledore gave her a knowing look.

"Uh." Valentine pointedly looked at the wall. "Yes. Totally innocent."

Dumbledore just laughed.

Valentine wandered over and sat in her usual place in front of the large desk.

"Sherbet lemon?" He gestured to the bowl of yellow sweets.

"No, thanks." She said. "Not a fan of lemon personally."

"Well, then." Said Dumbledore. "What brings you here?"

"An angry Professor?"

Dumbledore laughed again.

Valentine wondered why he always found her so funny. He always seemed to be laughing at her but not in a teasing or cruel way. He simply found her...funny.

"He's always looking for things to fault in me." Valentine rolled her eyes. "He does it to practically everyone else as well. Only when he does it to me he struggles to find things to fault because I'm just great like that."

"And what was it today?"

"I may have mentioned something about him not having any authority." Valentine shrugged. "So, apparently my fault is not taking his crap."

"I don't believe Severus is accustomed to being questioned." Dumbledore smiled.

"Well, if he, a fully grown man, wants to bully eleven-year-olds, then he'll just have to put up with it," Valentine said stiffly.

"I think it'll be good for him."

"Ha! Don't let him hear that, Professor. He'll be kicking you out next."

"Now, that would be a sight." Dumbledore chuckled.

"Honestly though," Valentine shook her head. "He's hated me from the very start. And Harry. Just what is his problem with Harry Potter? That boy has certainly never done anything to him."

For a long moment, Dumbledore was silent, looking for at nothing. Valentine cocked her head at him.

"Sir?" She blinked and then realised what the silence meant. "There is a reason isn't there? This isn't just Snape being some grumpy old man, he actually has a reason."

"Yes." Dumbledore finally nodded, voice sounding strange and almost distant. "There is a reason. A reason why Professor Snape is a Professor at all."

Valentine inched forward in her chair. She could tell how serious this was. Dumbledore wasn't laughing anymore. There was no twinkle in his eyes. Snape had a story behind his hate and her curiosity riddled her.

"Well?" She prompted. Dumbledore glanced at her like he was debating whether or not to speak. "Who would I tell, sir?"

Dumbledore sighed. He seemed resigned to this.

"It was during the war," Dumbledore began. "back when Severus was hardly more than a boy and the Dark Lord's most devoted follower. He had been very much in love with a girl named Lily Evans for much of his life. And that girl became Lily Potter, Harry's mother. Severus and Harry's father James were not friends, to say the least. To be frank, they despised one another. James and his friends made Severus's life at Hogwarts somewhat difficult and well, it cannot be said that Severus himself was innocent when it came to their interactions. In the end, Lily chose James. Severus chose Voldemort. As you may know, Lily and James Potter were members of the Order of The Phoenix who stood against the Dark Lord and when he came to where they hid, he killed them both. Of course, you know what happens next."

"Well, yes, somehow the spell rebounded and killed Voldemort himself." Valentine nodded.

"Ah, a mothers love." Dumbledore smiled sadly. "You see, it was Lily's love for her son that protect him. That's what rebounded the Dark Lords spell."

A mothers love?

"I don't understand." Valentine frowned.

"She sacrificed herself for him." Dumbledore's voice was soft and sombre. "There are some types of magic that reach outside our understanding, my dear. And her pure love for her son created such magic."

Narcissa and Draco flashed through Valentine's mind. The way Narcissa had looked at Draco on the platform months ago.

I think I understand.

She nodded.

"But what does this have to do with Snape?" She asked.

"The night Lily Potter died was the night he lost what he loved the most. He was ready to die himself, but then there was Harry. A combination of what he both loved and hated. We both knew the Dark Lord would someday return and when he did, he would come for Harry to finish what he started."

"So, he really is just trying to protect Harry?" Both Valentine's brows raised.

"What did you think his