"They started it." Said Valentine, letting the door close behind her.

Dumbledore just chuckled, not yet looking up from the large book he was pouring over.

It was late as it typically was when Valentine crept through the halls to Dumbledore's office. It had taken over an hour for the others to calm down after they ran from the scene they'd all created.

They sat in the common room, ranting and raving. No one dared to come anyone near them. Valentine expected at any moment, Snape would come storming in to string them all up one by one, starting with her. He never did and she started to suspect that he was going to wait until dark and smoother her in her sleep.

"Hagrid has already informed me of the incident."

"Perfect." Valentine gave a clap of her hands, stepping up to the large desk. "Then you're already in the know. So? What's the punishment? No dinner for a week? Waterboarding? Hanging?"

"Nothing so drastic." Dumbledore seemed amused, peering up at her over his glasses. "In fact, nothing at all."

"You're serious?" Valentine blinked.

"I have spoken to Harry, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley. They agreed that punishment isn't necessary."

"Did you tell them that waterboarding was an option?" She fell into her usual chair.

"I believe Harry said something to the effect of, no form of punishment would alter your mindset and the only viable option would be expulsion."

"So, when do I start packing my bags then?"

"Never fear." Dumbledore stood from his chair. "I, for obvious reasons, couldn't allow you to be expelled."

"Naturally."

"Although, if you could refrain from similar incidents in the future..."

"I'll try my best, sir," Valentine pulled a hand back through her hair. "For what it's worth."

"I trust you can handle any difficulties you come across, my dear." Dumbledore smiled kindly. "I would not have involved you if I thought otherwise."

"Could you do me a favour and tell that to Snape?" Valentine grumbled. "You know, he thought he had the upper hand the other day. Had me cleaning the classroom room for my detention. He assumed I was so incapable that I couldn't organise some books and sweep the floor."

"Well, my dear." Dumbledore gave her a knowing look. "It's not as though you've ever had any trouble with proving him wrong before."

Valentine grinned.

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

"Just give it back, you spaz!"

"Never!"

Leah had Blaze's tie wrapped around her forehead like a headband, cackling madly.

Valentine hadn't been present when she had originally stolen it but Blaze had been chasing Leah around the castle for the past hour now.

Leah being long-legged and much more so than Blaze always kept far ahead of him. He'd tried to tackle her several times and she had made a show of almost allowing him to reach her before spinning away.

"Leah! Just give it to me!"

"Find your own!"

"That is my own!"

"Not any more!" Leah did a demented little dance and dashed across the green inner courtyard.

A group of girls sitting on the grass squealed as Leah ploughed through them and kept going.

Valentine couldn't figure out while Blaze just didn't let her have it. She knew he had another and could always have a new one sent by his parents. She was starting to think that Blaze nearly enjoyed it all.

"When I get my damn hands on you, you'll wish I hadn't it!"

"You have to catch me first!"

Valentine and Olivia leaned against the low stone wall separating the grass and the walkway.

"I don't suppose they'll stop anytime soon." Olivia sighed. "At least Leah will tire herself out. She'll sleep well tonight."

"Right. And she'll be awake again at six AM screaming in our faces."

"I think I may need to talk to her about that."

"Good. Because if I have to be the one to do it, she's not leaving the conversation alive."

"Why do you even need it?" Blaze leaned against the wide trunk of a tree, breathless. "You already have one!"

"Yeah, but I wanted this one too!" Leah danced around him, always just out of reach.

"Why? Why the hell would you want my tie! What kind of fetish do you have?"

Leah paused and cocked her head to one side.

"What's a fetish?"

"Ah..." Blaze froze as well. "Nothing. Don't tell anyone I just said that."

"Whyyyy?"

"Because you don't need to know and I'm not telling you!"

"But whyyyy!" Leah stamped her foot. "You guys are always making jokes behind my back and not telling me!"

"Just drop it, Leah."

"No." She said stubbornly. "I want to know."

"And I want my tie back."

"I'll never surrender!"

"Then there you have it."

"Nooooooo!"

Valentine groaned and rubbed at her temples. She could feel a headache slowly building.

"Are you alright?" Olivia asked softly.

"I'd be better if they were both mutes."

"I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you!" Leah was now pointing at Blaze accusingly.

"Maybe it's every annoying thing you've done since birth! You know, like breathing!"

"I thought the punishment was supposed to fit the crime!"

"Yeah, well, welcome to the real world."

"Meanie!"

"Idiot!

"I can say one thing," Valentine grumbled, "none of us deserves this. It's like slow torture every day and we don't even get to die."

"I wouldn't say it's that bad..." Said Olivia.

"Speak for yourself."

Leah was an enigma. Valentine didn't know anyone more nonsensical or hyperactive but that was how she had always been. Full of life, spite and weird habits.

Blaze was equally as ridiculous and yet very in denial about it. At least Leah was aware of her own strangeness. It was something she wore like a badge of honour.

These two were the resident clowns of their little group and it came with non-stop jokes, screaming and short-tempered fights. Valentine thought the only people that were worse than Leah and Blaze when it came to arguing was herself and Snape.

Leah and Blaze were like five-year-olds vying for the same toy. Valentine and Snape were like vicious beasts vying for each other's blood. She couldn't fathom it what be like to watch all that from the outside.

Why do I feel almost proud?

"Val?"

"Hmm?"

"About the other day..."

"Yes?"

"Well, uh...I..."

"Are you going to finish that sentence or are you just trying to waste my time?"

"No, I'm sorry," Olivia said quickly, lime green eyes darting around anywhere Valentine wasn't. "I just...I just wanted..."

Valentine stood straight and turned to face her. She crossed her arms over her chest impatiently.

"I just wanted to..." Olivia wrung her hands in front of her nervously.

"Olivia." Said Valentine. "You have approximately fifteen seconds before your meekness stops being amusing and starts being irritating."

Olivia nodded and took a deep, steadying breath.

"I wanted to ask you...not to start- not to get into any more fights on my behalf." Olivia could barely look Valentine in the eye. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I promise. I think it's amazing you guys care so much but...you could all get in really big trouble. If things get too far out of hand, one of you could get expelled or hurt and I don't think I could live with that."

Valentine could feel the guilt bubbling up from her stomach. It hurt.

"Are you completely stupid?" In an instant, Valentine had gone from vaguely irritated to seething.

"What?" Olivia's eyes widened fearfully. Valentine could practically smell her panic. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Valentine did her best to quash down all the guilt and pity before it could reach her throat. She focused on being as frightening as possible without even having to move an inch.

Once Leah had likened Olivia to a rabbit and at this moment that's what she was. She was a rabbit and Valentine was a fox.

"Were you not listening when I said it wasn't just about you?" Valentine spoke calmly, tone patronizing and bitter. "If you haven't noticed, it's us against them. And you're one of us. That means when they screw with one of us, they screw with all of us. Do you understand?"

"I...yes." Olivia swallowed. "I understand that but I don't want any of you to get hurt."

Valentine scoffed.

"Do you really have so little faith in me?"

"What? No!"

"Then shut your damn mouth and stop apologizing." Valentine snapped. "I can take on anyone who challenges us."

"I know, but-"

"But what? The others get it. Why can't you?"

"I..." Olivia's chin dropped to her chest. "I don't know. But I do have faith in you, I swear it. You're probably the strongest person I know."

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

"I'm so- I mean." Olivia lifted her head hesitantly. "Nothing."

Valentine turned away from her, leaning on the low wall once again.

She was a fox because she chose to be. She didn't regret that choice. She knew it would mean everything when the time came. All she had to do was lie a little.

A deafening silence lapsed between them. Valentine could see Olivia calming herself down and trying to remove herself from the tension in the air, but the dark aura of a Lestrange wasn't that easy to escape

I'm the one who's sorry.

Valentine looked back out over the courtyard. By now Leah was up in the tree and Blaze was shaking his fist at her and cursing. She thought it was safe to say that he wasn't getting that tie back.

There were a group of students walking by, looking confused and somewhat concerned. Then Blaze screamed;

"Leah Lovat, give me that tie or I'm going to set that tree on fire with your stupid ass in it!"

The students moved on a little quicker now.

The group of girls on the grass were starting to pack up their things as well, sending Leah and Blaze annoyed glances.

Leah just stuck out her tongue at him and lowered herself so she was dangling from her hands about two feet off the ground.

Blaze seemed to get an idea and crept ever close.

"Uh, uh!" Leah shook her head. "Don't you dare!"

Blaze ignored her and brandished his fingers like claws. He slid ever closer and Leah grew decreasingly distressed, trying to kick out at him.

"Stay away, you evil fiend! Stay back I say!"

Blaze was not tall enough to reach up and grab the tie from where it was around Leah's head, but the stretched out position left her unguarded in other ways.

Blaze pounded like a kitten on a dandelion. He aimed for Leah's sides and stomach.

"Take this, you damn weirdo!" He tickled furiously.

Leah was immediately laughing and desperately trying to kick him away.

"No- no! Stop!" She bit her lip try to stop her own laughter. "That's not fair! Stop it!"

"To throw your words back in your face, NEVER!"

Blaze had seemed so gleeful and triumphant.

Valentine was rubbing at her eyes again and Olivia was giggling under her breath as if she didn't want anyone to hear.

After a decent ten seconds of Blaze tickling Leah like a mad man and Leah wiggling around like a worm on a hook, she finally got the brilliant idea to let go of the damn branch.

She released her hold and without warning took Blaze down with her as she fell. Olivia gasped. Valentine knew it would take more than that to truly injure either of them. Leah ran into doors and walls regularly and once Valentine had accidentally smacked Blaze full force in the face with a door. If they survived that to do to stupid crap like this, she wasn't going to be concerned.

The two landed in a mangled pile of limbs, mostly made up by Leah.

"Idiot!" Blaze shoved at her. "You could have killed me!"

"Shut- OUCH! Get off my hair!"

"It's not my fault you have so much of it! Gah! How do you live like this?"

"You guys alright?" Olivia hurried toward them.

"No!" Said Blaze. "Leah's about to be murdered because as soon as she gets off me I'm going to freaking lose it!"

"I'll get off once you get out of my hair!"

"How am I supposed to do that? It's everywhere! It's like a silky web of destruction!"

"Thank you."

Olivia reached them and helped Leah roll to one side and then helped Blaze detangled Leah's hair from his hands and shirt buttons.

The second Leah was free she was running again, same manic cackle as before.

Valentine's headache was steadily making itself more know.

Ugh. I need a nap and solid twenty-four hours away from them.

Leah headed for the walkway leading back into the castle. But she didn't get far because she ran smack, bang right into Snape.

Am I dreaming again? Is this a nightmare?

Leah leapt back with a yelp. She lost her footing and went rolling to the floor where she tried to press herself as far into the stones as she possibly could.

Snape stood there, half gawking at the girl, half glowering. The impact hadn't done a thing to him and even buried under a knotted curtain of hair, Snape knew who it was. He immediately started scanning the courtyard. His dark gaze passed over Blaze and Olivia still beneath the tree, unsure of what to do. Then his gaze landed on Valentine.

"Lestrange!" He snarled across the yard.

Oh, piss off.

"There is no way you're blaming me for that!" she bristled. "I'm all the way over here!"

"She's your friend, is she not!"

"She's your student!"

"Come here this instant!"

"Why the hell should I!"

"Because I am your teacher! That's how it works!"

"I don't know what delusion you live in, sir, but that's not going to happen!"

Snape was grumbling under his breath bitterly as he started to march towards her.

Olivia and Blaze rushed to Leah to scrape her off the floor she was attempting to meld with. Several passers-by had stopped to observe the scene from a safe distance.

Meanwhile, Valentine lifted her chin and crossed her arms again. She dug her heels in. She fully intended to make him walk the entire way himself.

"Just begging for another detention, aren't you?" He said

"For what?" Valentine asked, "because Leah ran her stupid self into you?"

"For your dis-"

"Disrespect! I know! And for my arrogance and uselessness. Really sir. I think it's time to find some new complaints."

"You have no authority to tell me what to do!" Snape arrived before her, crossing his own arms over his chest.

"Well, now you finally know how I feel don't you!"

Blaze, Leah and Olivia were watching from the tree now, with nothing to do but stand there and hope someone wasn't dead by the end of this.

"Shouldn't we do something?" asked Olivia.

"What are we supposed to do about that?" Blaze gestured pointedly to them.

"You're constant disregard for all forms of common sense is clearly something your little friends have learnt from you!" Snape growled.

"Common sense? COMMON SENSE? Sir, I haven't seen you do a single damn thing that makes sense since we met!"

"Then perhaps you weren't looking hard enough!"

"Perhaps there is nothing there to see!"

"...right." Olivia conceded.

"Besides." Blaze grinned. "It's kind of awesome to watch, don't you think?"

"I feel endangered." Said Leah.

"Good." Blaze suddenly lunged for her head, tugging on his tie.

"Oi! Get off me!"

"Really, you too?" Olivia sighed. She looked between Leah and Blaze and Valentine and Snape, utterly lost.

"It's a good thing you'll never have to work to survive because no one would put up with your attitude!" Snape growled.

"Then it's a wonder you're still alive, isn't it!" Valentine spat.

"I know more about life than you'll ever be able to understand!"

"And how many lives is that now, sir? It's starting to show!"

"One day you'll realize how wrong you are and when you do, don't come crying to me!"

"Well, I'd agree with you just to get you to shut up but then we'd both be wrong!"

"Ah, excuse me?"

"WHAT?" Both Valentine and Snape turned in this intruder as one.

Lockhart stumbled back in surprise almost tripping. He quickly straightened himself and gave them a toothy smile.

Oh. PISS OFF.

"I ah, couldn't help but notice that you're both having a little trouble."

"Only now that you're here," Valentine replied snarkily.

Lockhart's mouth opened and closed uselessly for a moment.

Valentine irked a brow at Snape.

"Aren't you going to scream some more about me disrespecting teachers?"

"Teachers?" Snape frowned.

"Ah." Lockhart cleared his voice. "I believe she means me."

"Oh." Snape looked at him dully. "Right. Of course."

"So." Lockhart placed a hand on each hip and smiled. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually." Said Valentine. "I love your hair."

"Really?" Lockhart blinked in honest surprise, touching the top of his head. "Why, thank you, Miss Lestrange."

Meanwhile, Snape was staring at her like he was trying to figure out which one of them had just had a stroke.

"Yes. Do tell me," Valentine smiled sweetly, "just how you managed to get so much of it to come out of your nostrils?"

Lockhart's eyes widened in horror and he slapped his hand down over his nose.

Behind them Leah, Blaze and Olivia were laughing loudly. Valentine turned to bow to them.

Lockhart ripped his hand away.

"Professor!"

"What?" Snape growled.

"Well, you- you can't just let her say that!"

"Please." Valentine scoffed. "I'll let you know when this old bastard has any control over me."

"But...but, Professor!" Lockhart stood there, mouth agape.

"What?" Snape was on the edge of his limited patience.

"She is from your house, isn't she?"

"Regrettably." Snape sighed heavily.

Jerk.

"Well!" Lockhart threw up his hands incredulously.

"Well?" Snape arched a brow at him.

"You should do something!"

"Should I?" Snape's gaze was quickly changing from indifferent to cold. "If you do not wish to punish her yourself then I can't see how it would be any of your business whether I do or not."

Lockhart was standing there again, stunned into silence, mouth not able to form words.

"You can try if you really want to." Valentine rolled her shoulders and started stretching out her neck. "I'll consider Snape the warm-up and you the main event."

"Ah, no, no, no." Lockhart was smiling and shaking his head while backing up not so discreetly.

"What?" Valentine let her lips twitch into a dark smile. "Not so strong without your pixies?"

"That was an unfortunate accident."

"I was talking about the pixies, Lockhart. Not your conception."

Leah, Olivia and Blaze could be heard laughing again.

"You little-" Lockhart's voice had dropped into a deep growl but he stopped himself.

He glanced at Snape and tried to smile again. He stepped right up to the man, and place a hand on his shoulder casually.

"Quite, the handful, isn't she?"

Valentine knew what Snape looked like when he was mad. It was the face she often caused personally on a daily basis. But this wasn't just mad or furious or seething. He was livid to the point of possible homicide.

Oh, my, God.

Snape looked down at the offending hand and the world