Valentine moved through the darkness, her footsteps completely mute. She walked her well-worn path to the Head Masters study, not expecting the slight disturbance in the breeze that lightly whistled down the hall. The hairs on her arms stood up. She stopped but the disturbance behind her did not. She was going for her wand when a voice spoke out.

"Took you long enough, Lestrange." Snape's smug drawl reached her.

She wanted to gag but instead, she just groaned and pulled a hand back through her hair.

As he came closer she could make out his figure in the dark. Like her, he generally wore all black and it was always a good choice when one had a lot of midnight sulking to do.

"Stalking me, Professor?" She continued walking.

"Don't flatter yourself." He scoffed. "I simply didn't want to be burdened by conversation with you."

"And yet here we are." Valentine smiled too brightly at him. "Burdened with conversation."

Despite that, she didn't say anything else and they fell into silence. It was better that way. If they had continued talking they probably start up a fight before they even got to the Head Masters office and then they'd never get there in one piece. Instead, Valentine busied herself with a thought that she had been pondering as of late. Practice. Of the practically magic sort.

Now, she may have proven able to cast certain spells with no prior practise before, but she didn't want to be betting Harry's or anybody's life on something dubious. Things might not also go as planned. She needed real practice, outside of classes.

I can't practice at Malfoy Manor, obviously. And just a random place in the castle could cause a lot of trouble if I was to get caught. Practical studies can get loud, after all. I'm far above the other students my age in most areas but that's no reason to get complacent. Before I know it, I could fall behind. I could one day end up crossing wands with Voldemort! A wizard almost equal to Dumbledore himself! I can't just read books and hope for the best. So, what I need, is a safe secure place to learn spells too dangerous for most seventeen-year-olds. Yes, that's what I need.

They moved across an empty hallway, the light of the moon streaming through a window ahead of them. Valentine heard what seemed like a low rumbling and froze.

"Did you hear that?" She asked she asked aloud.

Snape looked back at her with an expression on questioning annoyance.

Valentine turned to the source of the sound, the wall. Her eyes widened as the brick shimmered and shifted. But a second or two passed and the moonlight was illuminating a large wooden door, laden with black wrought iron steal.

"The Room of Requirement?" Snape moved to stand before it, brow furrowed.

The doors swung open and revealed a room that couldn't possibly be there.

Inside the room was dim, the several candles mounted along the walls giving it a soft yellow glow. The ceiling stood high above them in an arch, a table against one wall, a chair beside it. The far back wall was a mirror from floor to ceiling, stained with age. To the wall across from the table, there appeared to be a tall humanoid figure of sorts, clearly mechanical.

Valentine had heard of this place before but had ever lingered on the rumours.

"The Room of Requirement?" She repeated, venturing inside with careful steps. "The room that's said to be hidden in the school. Only showing itself to those who require it."

"I would appear so." Snape followed, pursing his lips. "What you do require? What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about how I needed to find a place to practice dangerous spells. One's I wouldn't be learning in class anytime soon." Valentine stared at her ever so slightly warped reflection in the wall-length mirror.

"Well, seek and ye shall find." Snape sighed rather dramatically, even for him. "We do have somewhere to be, Lestrange. Or have you forgotten your one and only purpose."

His voice was thick with sarcasm and she was happy to return a dose of her own.

"Seems you haven't forgotten yours." She moved back to the doorway. "Being a jerk."

"One day, you won't be able to make your little jokes so freely," Snape growled.

"Little jokes? Sir, you are the biggest joke I have ever met."

"Arrogant little heathen." He snarled and pushed past her hard enough she almost tipped over.

He moved on ahead, not waiting and rounding the corner. If Valentine had had something to throw, she would have. She looked back into the room and almost did a double-take. There was now a rock in the middle of the floor, not very big, maybe half the size of her palm.

She couldn't help the snort of laughter she let out.

"Some other time maybe." She said with a grin.

The doors swung shut and as quickly as it had appeared, the door was fading, leaving only the bare wall.

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

As student and professor entered the office, the occupant turned to them in greeting.

"Good evening, Severus, Miss Valentine." Dumbledore smiled.

"Evening, sir." Valentine made straight for the chair just across from the desk, while Snape only grunted in reply then stalked off to some dark corner of the room like the poisonous fungi he was. "Any news on Black?"

"None, so far." Dumbledore took off his spectacles and sat them on the desk. "It would appear that since the break-in, he has gone into hiding."

"Goody." Said Valentine.

She knew this was a situation they had little control over. It was a waiting game and although she hated waiting, she was blessed with a decent amount of logical thinking. At this juncture, with the end of term and Christmas fast approaching, having Black as far away from Harry as possible was favourable. She already hated leaving Harry here every Christmas when she was dragged back to Malfoy Manor.

"I am still fully willing to search the forest, Head Master." She added. "As a precautionary measure."

"I will let you know if there is a need," Dumbledore answered swiftly like he had anticipated what she would say. "Have you anything else to add?"

"We found the Room of Requirement."

"Really?" Dumbledore"s brows shot up.

"Hmm, yes." Valentine nodded. "It was by complete coincidence. Professor Grump and I ran into each other and passed it on our way. I'd been thinking about a place I could use to try my hand at certain spells and there it was."

"I had my own experience with the Room of Requirement, myself." Dumbledore smiled. "You see, many years ago now, I was in great need of a bathroom and was blessed to find a room full of bedpans."

"Very convenient, sir."

"Very, although I had never managed to find it again since."

"Well, if in the future, if I disappear suddenly, you can assume I'm there or that Snape has had a mental breakdown and brutally murdered me."

"I'm not some unstable, fiend incapable of self-control!" Snape objected.

"Oh, hush." Valentine waved him off. "As if the thought of shutting me up for good doesn't make your mouth water."

"Unlike you, I am not a wild animal." He spat.

"Me? An animal?" Valentine pulled her face into a far too convincing frown. "But, sir, it's all an act I assure you! All I wish is for your approval!"

"Do not make me rethink murder, Lestrange."

"But really, Professor!" Valentine jumped to her feet and rushed over to him. Snape jerked back like she was going to attack. She pouted and stared up at him with big, doe eyes, looking ever so innocent. "I would hate for you to think of me that way. You're my favourite teacher!"

Snape curled his upper lip at her, inching away.

"It appears you are the one who has had a mental breakdown."

"Head Master!" Valentine turned her distraught gaze on the thoroughly amused man. "He doesn't believe me. What am I going to do?"

"Really, Severus." Dumbledore frowned disapprovingly without missing a beat. "The poor girl is beside herself."

"How can you encourage this kind of behaviour?" Snape seethed as the joke only grew.

"I'm sorry if I've displeased you! I swear I really am trying to be better!" Valentine pleaded.

She took one eager step closer to him and he recoiled immediately. God, how she wanted to burst out laughing at the site of it. He was absolutely revolted.

"Clearly she has the best of intentions," Dumbledore added and Valentine had honestly no clue how either of them were keeping a straight face.

"I cannot believe you are going along with this ridiculous display!" Snape growled. "As if she isn't deplorable enough!"

"Oh, calm down, sir." Valentine dropped the pouting and pleading in an instant, expression falling into the natural ease of a mocking smirk. "You wouldn't want to pop a blood vessel. At your age, it could trigger a heart attack."

"Now, now, my dear. You shouldn't tease him, he can be quite fragile." Said Dumbledore seriously.

"Of course." Valentine reverted back to a face displaying the perfect image of innocence with horrifying agility. "Do forgive me for my words, Professor."

"The two of you," Snape growled under his breath. "Honestly. We come here to discuss serious matters and yet you spend time playing games."

He gave the pair one last scathing glare and then exited the room like a bad-tempered teenager, slamming the door behind him.

Valentine looked over at Dumbledore and shrugged.

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

The next night, they were gathered in that same office. Valentine hadn't had potions that day and had only seen Snape at breakfast and dinner. He did not seem happy. That didn't change when he stepped in the room and Dumbledore greeted him with a well-meaning smile.

"Ah, Professor. Feeling better?"

"I hope we didn't hurt your feelings." Valentine grinned, not quite so well-meaning.

"Keep going Lestrange and I'll hurt more than just your feelings."

"I do believe we should get immediately down to business, after last night's...festivities." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Awe, do we have to?" Valentine slumped in her chair.

Snape hissed something under his breath and then pulled a small mason jar from his robes and all but slammed it down on the desk. The liquid inside was as black as a draught of Living Death but bubbled in a way Valentine had never seen before.

"I finished it the other day." He said.

"Wait." Valentine's brow twitched. "Is this the new potion? You held off giving me the potion to save my life because you were teased and got all angsty?"

Snape said nothing for a moment and then arched a brow at her plainly.

"Would you like me to deny it?"

You're kidding me! Why am I not even surprised?

Valentine groaned, pulling a hand back through her hair.

"You are possibly the most unethical person I have ever met."

"I hardly think you of all people deserved to be treated ethically."

"You really want to talk about what people deserve?" Valentine narrowed her eyes into a glare.

"Ahem." Dumbledore cleared his voice. "May I interject? We are certainly not here to talk about ethics."

"Perhaps. But can we talk about how Snape just conveniently forgot that I'm living on borrowed time?"

"This potion is designed to rectify that issue. It will not kill the parasite." Said, Snape.

"Well, that the hell is it meant to do then?"

"It is to lengthen your pitiful life so that I will have more time to solve this little issue once and for all." Snape sneered.

"By how long?" It was Dumbledore that asked.

"Twelve months."

"A year then." Said Valentine. "So, I have approximately fourteen months before I reach my expiry date."

"You could put it like that, yes."

"If the potion actually works that is." She saw Snape's hands clench into a fist. "You haven't exactly been treading a path to success."

"Perhaps I shall leave you to deal with it then? Enjoy your excruciatingly painful death."

"Bloody hell, tone down the dramatics would you?" Valentine dragged the jar a little closer, a slight grimace on her face. "I don't suppose it tastes like cake or anything even remotely edible does it?"

"Use your imagination." Dumbledore smiled encouragingly. "Anything else to add tonight? I've been daydreaming of actual dreaming you see."

"Unless one of you has spotted Black then I believe we're done here and you can dream all you like." Said Valentine.

"We both know if anyone has seen him it wouldn't be one of us!" Snape exploded in a sudden burst of anger, slamming both hands on the desktop. If Valentine and Dumbledore had been anyone else, they would have jumped a foot each. Snape's black eyes burned like coal fires. "There's only one person who would let Sirius Black into the castle."

"Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "I trust Remus to do the right thing."

"Well, that makes one of us." Snape scoffed, still seething.

"Two of us," Valentine added.

"You can't reasonably ignore the possibility!"

"Professor, you're clearly biased." Valentine gave a sigh of her own, resting her chin in the palm of her hand and her elbow on the chair's arm. "You can't be trusted to look at this situation objectively. Lupin was best friends chairs with your personal childhood bullies, dare I say, even one of them himself. And, speaking as a childhood bully to many an unlucky student, your not exactly supposed to associate us with rainbows and kittens."

"I am completely objective!" Snape slammed his hand down on the desk again. "You do not know Remus Lupin. He and his group of miscreant friends would have done anything for one another! You are just an irritating, egotistical child who knows nothing about the world! Do not talk to me about objectivity!"

Valentine stared at him for a moment, eyes glowing with malice that equalled his anger with ease.

"Who's the bully now?" Her voice was even and calm, contrasting starkly with the man before her.

Snape's mouth twitched as though yearning to scream again. His eyes glared daggers into hers. The tension was thick enough to swim through. She wouldn't have been surprised if he tried to curse her right there and then.

His hands, tightened into fists trembled and then we're released. He scoffed and shook his head at her.

"I won't be bated by the likes of you." He spat in disgust, then turned and left the room.

"Oh, but that's no fun!" Valentine called after him as the door slammed shut.

She looked at the mason jar on the desktop, the liquid bubbling suspiciously. An extra year was nothing to be ignored. She thought might even thank him one day. Might.

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

Valentine had opted for sitting on a bench being antisocial while her friends pranced about Hogsmeade with more pocket money than any thirteen year old should ever have. She chewed on bubblegum, watching them dashing about from store to store, only stopping to pelt one another with snowballs or drop off a bag beside Valentine on the bench. Somehow she had become the designated watchdog of their spoils.

I can't wait until they realize that they have to carry this all back.

Leah and Olivia weren't in sight. If Valentine had to guess, she'd bet anything that Leah was off eating snow somewhere and Olivia was trying in vain to stop her. The boys were standing in a little group whispering not quite so quiet as they should have been.

"Don't her hands get cold?" Asked Liam.

"Well, she says they don't," Draco answered. "She does the same thing at home, she refuses to wear them even when it's snowing."

"How has she not gotten frostbite?" Said Blaze, through chattering teeth. Leah had knocked him down into the snow on the way down from the castle, rendering his coat practically useless. "It's like Jacks Frost's armpit out here."

"Jack Frost's armpit?" Draco snorted. "Really?"

"What?"

"That was lame as all hell, Blaze."

"Oh, come on! How can anyone's brain work at full capacity under these conditions?"

"Well, don't have much to compare it to considering I don't think we've ever seen your brain at full capacity."

Liam burst into laughter as Blaze stuttered over his words, trying to find a decent come back.

"There is no way you can come back from that!" Liam patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Shut up!" Blaze snapped. "Draco, I think you've been spending too much time around Val!"

"No." Draco scoffed. "You're just not used to me having the chance to insult you before Val or Leah do."

"You're a jerk!" Blaze punched Draco's arm.

"And you're an idiot!" Draco shoved him back.

"Okay, children calm down now." Liam snickered, throwing an arm over each of there shoulders. "Let's go buy some more tooth rot shall we?"

"Yeah, okay," Blaze grumbled.

"I should get some more gum since Val is definitely eating mine over there." Added Draco.

"Let's go then." Said Liam and started to steer them away.

Right at that moment, Leah came bounding into view.

"Olivia, look at me! I have a snow moustache!"

"Uh, Leah...I don't think that's such a good idea. Your lips are going blue..."

"Huh?" Leah blinked and tried to wipe the snow away. "GAH! It's stuck! Olivia, help! I don't want to die like this!"

"Calm down." Olivia quickly rushed over. "You're going to die. It probably froze to your skin so you just need to melt it a little."

"How do I do that?" Leah blinked away tears.

"Here." Olivia took off her scarf and handed it to her. "Hold this over the ice for a while. And you should probably get inside, that'll help."

"Okay, thanks!" Leah hurriedly wrapped the scarf around her face even though she hadn't been told to do that. "Wait here for me!"

Then Leah was rushing off to the first store in sight.

"Are you sure you don't need me?" Olivia called after her but Leah was already out of earshot. "Only Leah could get into this kind of situation."

Ain't that the truth.

Olivia turned and spotted Valentine. She waved and headed over.

"Hey, don't you want to get anything? I can watch the stuff while you do."

"No, thank you." Valentine waved her off. "I'm fine where I am."

"Did you see Leah's moustache?" Olivia laughed a little.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I swear, I only had my back turned for ten seconds and she was face down in the snow." Said Olivia. "She must have given her parents a run for her money when she started crawling."

"If I recall, she actually completely skipped that phase altogether and went straight to walking."

"Wow. Impressive. And kind of concerning."

"It's both a miracle and curse that she has survived this long."

"What were you like when you were that age?"

"Disturbing, apparently."

"Oh." Olivia blinked, unsure of how to respond.

"According to my uncle I hardly ever cried. Or made much noise at all. I just sat there and stared. Narcissa insists that was a good thing, especially given how loud Draco and Leah were."

Of course, Valentine couldn't attest for herself as a baby but it was true for now at least, that she never cried. Now, that she thought about it she couldn't remember a time she ever had had even wanted to.

"I guess you haven't changed much then." Olivia laughed good-naturedly. "My father said I