One group was beginning to be particularly loud. They were other first years, Valentine recognised several of them, a mix of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws she noted from their robes.
They had been keeping to their own space but we're slowly getting a little too confident with their merriment for it not to be just a little obnoxious.
"Someone needs to shut them up," Draco growled under his breath. "I can barely hear myself think."
"Woah!" Leah gasped. "I didn't know you could think!"
"That's it!" Draco snapped his book shut and smacked her on the forehead with it.
"Ouch! Draco!" Leah rubbed at her forehead. "Val! Did you see what he just did!"
"You're making me wish he knocked you unconscious with your whinging." Valentine's brow twitched irritably. "Go cry to Olivia."
"I will!" Leah sat up with a deep pout. "Oliviaaaa!"
"Oh, dear." Olivia sighed and smiled ruefully as Leah dragged herself across the grass to the girl.
"I sat next to Harry Potter in class, you know!"
That name caught everyone's attention and they looked back to the rambunctious group.
"What? Since when?" A girl eyed the boy who had spoken dubiously.
"When you were sick."
"Uh-huh."
"It's true! Ask Ryan."
"What's he like?" Another boy asked. "He doesn't look all that special to me."
"What does it matter what he looks like!" A small girl exclaimed. "He's The Boy Who Lived!"
"Yeah, can you imagine defeating You-Know-Who as a baby? No one normal can do that."
"Oi!" Draco was already on his feet before Valentine saw him stand. "Would you keep it down? Some of us are actually trying to study!"
"Shove off, Malfoy!" The first who had spoken, a Gryffindor shot back.
"What did you say to me?" Draco spat.
"Chris stop." A Ravenclaw boy grabbed the Gryffindor's arm.
"Yeah man," Another said. "It's not worth it."
"Haven't you lot got anything better to do than gossip about that simp, Potter?" Draco glared over at them.
"Just mind your own business!"
"Maybe I could if you weren't practically screaming!"
"Draco." Valentine stood.
She didn't raise her voice. She didn't have to.
Draco just barely glanced over his shoulder at her as she approached.
The loud group had fallen silent, watching her with apprehensive eyes.
Valentine crossed her arms over her chest, eyes glowing murderously.
"Here I am trying to studying and all I can hear is a swarm of rats screeching about Harry Potter." Her tone was too casual to match the venom in her gaze. "Believe me when I say that there isn't anything about that idiot that warrants your attention. I suggest you find a better use of your time."
"We can talk about whatever we want." The Gryffindor boy bit out, not sounding nearly as brave as he likely intended.
"Bloody hell, Chris, stop." The Ravenclaw hissed.
"Let's just go somewhere else or something." Said a girl.
"Actually," They all paused when Valentine spoke again, taking a measured stepped forwards. "he's right. You can talk about whatever you want in the technical sense. But that doesn't mean I'll allow it."
Valentine took a few more steps and several of the students inched backwards as if afraid sudden movements would cause her to attack. But that Gryffindor, Ryan, was caught like a screaming rabbit in a snare. He couldn't have moved even if he tried, the body is rigid, eyes wide.
Valentine stepped closer. Now she was toe to toe with the boy. He had inches on her but seemed so incredibly small, dwarfed by her mere presence.
"I'll only tell you once," Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "shut your goddamn mouth. If I hear one more word about bloody Potter and you'll wish you'd of stayed home with your mummy in whatever rat hole you were born in."
Ryan swallowed hard and seemed to suddenly regain the ability to move. He half stumbled back, crashing into one of his friends.
"You're insane!" He shook his head and pointed at her accusingly.
The courtyard slowed and stopped to watch the commotion.
"You might want to run then." Valentine lifted both her brows in light suggestion. "Wouldn't want to be around when I snap and kill someone, now would we?"
"Let's go." The Ravenclaw insisted again, grabbing Ryan's arm and hauling him away, the others quickly following after them.
Valentine watched them go, dropped her arms back to her side.
"I had it under control, you know," Draco grumbled sourly behind her. "Father said it was my duty to remind people of their place."
"Your father would also beat you half to death if he saw your grades in their current state."
"He would never kill me!" Draco stared at her incredulously. "Why would you say that?"
"Because he would?" She turned to him.
"He's the head of the house, Val. How else is he supposed to keep order?"
"Whatever." Valentine sighed heavily. "I'm not in the mood for your 'Daddy, please love me' crap."
"Why are you like this?" Draco shook his head at her. "He's still your family no matter what you think of him."
I suppose we're not counting the vast number of relative's that the family has outright disowned and abandoned, then?
"Draco." Valentine hissed up at him, low and dark. "I said I'm not in the damn mood."
She saw the fear in his eyes as he backed away slightly. She then shoved past him, heading back to the tree.
Olivia and Leah were still sitting there, having watched the whole thing.
Leah grinned up at her.
"You scared them out of their shorts."
"Are you sure they won't tell a teacher?" Was Olivia's question.
They said blood is thicker than water and while that may be true technically speaking, Valentine didn't believe she should love her family indiscriminately because of it. Some of the people in her family weren't worth her love. She didn't need the kind of family bound by blood. To her, it seemed fickle and restricted.
She threw a wry smirk at Leah as she sat.
"It's hardly difficult to frighten a bunch of cowards."
No, she had the family she chose. Blood played no part in the people she chose to love. It never had.
Draco dropped back down beside her, still with an expression like he had swallowed a lemon whole. He was still close enough that their shoulders and knees touched. He didn't look at her but he didn't move away.
They rarely apologized to each other for anything. They'd been taught that being sorry displayed a weakness that could never be shown to the world. They'd been told that succumbing to such base notions as apologizing was not appropriate for their stature. But they didn't need to apologies to say sorry.
Valentine didn't shift away either and stayed where she sat, because they didn't need apologies they just needed to know that the other was there. Because down in the core of their being and their human instincts, they knew that if the other was still there, things were alright.
Leah swung her long legs over Valentine's crossed ones, her feet in Draco's lap, head in Olivia's. It was like she was saying 'don't forget about me, guys! I'm here too!'.
Valentine would have smiled had her situation allowed her.
-----Pretending To Hate-----
Valentine paused at the fork in the hall. It only took her a moment to remember which way to go and then she was on her way.
It was far into the night by now and the only thing that lit the halls was the moonlight streaming in through the windows. Of course, this couldn't be said for certain hallways that had no windows and were just long streaks of pitch black.
Valentine was lucky that she had never been afraid of the dark as a child the way Draco and Leah had. The darkness had always been there. In their lives, in their families and it wasn't going away. Fearing it seemed rather pointless.
Valentine peaked around a corner before stepping out and continuing. She hadn't been caught so far and she very much wanted to keep it that way. Prefects, professors, Flich and his cat. They all were all possibilities and she didn't want to discover any of them.
This is just what some of her nights are like. Creeping through the halls to the Head Masters office. He'd promised her the meetings would get less frequent lest a situation arise. She didn't complain even if it snatched away her sleep. It felt like a petty thing to bring up when she knew how important this was.
She made it to the office without any complications, the door opening for her before she reached it.
I'm late.
"You're late."
Valentine rolled her eyes heavily at Snape as she entered and shut the door with her foot behind her.
"It couldn't be avoided. Leah's stolen a tooth from somewhere and insisted on staying up to catch the tooth fairy."
"That's is..." He blinked in mild confusion. "...rather disconcerting."
"Yes, well, that's Leah for you."
"Did she say where she took this tooth from?" Dumbledore spoke up from his desk, clearly curious.
Valentine shoved past Snape quite literally and headed towards the large desk, moving up the steps to the raised platform boarded by curved staircases and walls line with books.
"Whenever we asked she just told us that it was a gift from the heavens or something like that," Valentine said flippantly. "It's honestly quite normal for Leah."
"Yes, she does seem to possess a rather unique spirit." Dumbledore chuckled.
"To her parent's dismay, yes."
Dumbledore just laughed again. He always seemed to find her words amusing whether she was making a joke or not.
"I heard Potter's being made seeker of the Gryffindor quidditch team." Valentine dropped into a chair in front of the desk.
"He is," Dumbledore confirmed. "Professor McGonagall was extremely impressed with his abilities."
"As am I." Valentine sighed, slouching lower in the chair. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy watching him dangling a hundred feet in the air. Once was more than enough."
"Then perhaps you should have acted." Snape sneered at her.
"Oh, please do shut up, sir." Valentine didn't bother to look at him. "There was nothing I could do that wouldn't raise suspicion."
"You forget where you are, Lestrange." He growled lowly. "This world isn't yours to command."
"And neither is it yours." She answered swiftly. "Professor."
"Do you see how she disrespects my every word?" Snape turned to Dumbledore, pointing accusingly.
"Severus, I do believe Miss Lestrange is simply standing up for herself." Dumbledore peered over his glasses at him.
"Am I not afforded some form of respect as a teacher?" Snape gritted his teeth.
"You're hardly a teacher." Valentine scoffed. "You're just a big bully in a position of minor power."
Snape sent her a scathing look of hatred over his shoulder, his hands gripped the corner of the desk tightly.
"You talk too much."
"You don't like it, do you? Someone putting your sorry existence into words?"
"How can you except this?" Snape turned back to Dumbledore incredulously. "I knew bringing her into this would be a fool's decision!"
"Severus, despite your reservations about Miss Lestrange's behaviour, I do still firmly believe that her involvement will be extremely beneficial," Dumbledore replied with perfect measured words.
"Well, I do not." Snape hissed and turned on his heel, sending Valentine one last glare before he stormed from the room.
The door slammed behind him like thunder and Valentine sighed contemplatively.
"You know," She said. "I'm starting to think that he doesn't like me."
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