One. Last. Time. {Oliver Wood}

Fourth Year

September 1, 1991

"I better not get word from Dumbledore that my daughter is going around snogging a certain Gryffindor!" Remus chided Valerie as he hugged her on Platform 9 ¾.

Valerie felt a flush creep up her neck, "Dad!" She said, feeling embarrassed.

Her father chuckled at her, "Enjoy yourself, alright?" Remus bent down and kissed her forehead while brushing a tear that rolled down Valerie's cheek. "Not too much." He added with a quirked brow.

Valerie laughed and bid her father goodbye with a sad smile before hurrying onto the Hogwarts Express.

She walked with her owl and trunk along the corridor, looking for an empty compartment. Valerie was strolling past one with a girl in it who was wearing a mini skirt to match her black combat boots and shoulder-length black hair looking out the window. The girl turned her head slightly and Valerie realized with a start that she had familiar bright blue eyes. "Angelica?" She asked the girl as she slid open the door.

"Hey Val." Angelica said easily and patted the seat next to her.

Valerie furrowed her eyebrows and stayed where she stood. Angelica hadn't been able to see her best friend over the summer because of her tediously strict parents, Valerie almost didn't recognize her. "New look?" She asked.

Angelica turned her head even further and Valerie noticed she had wings drawn with black eyeliner on her eyes, "It was originally as a rebellion to my parents' idiotic ways." She paused to brush a lock of black hair away from her face, "It's kinda growing on me though."

Valerie grinned and agreed with the girl. Although she looked totally different, she had this new look of style to her that would make any person fall in love with her. "It's totally badass."

The girl across from her smiled a wicked smile in agreement before it vanished from her face when she spotted something. No, someone from behind Valerie's shoulder. Angelica's eyes went incredibly wide, and her jaw hung open.

Valerie raised an eyebrow at her before she turned to see Ace looking identical to Angelica, his eyes wide, his mouth open and his eyes set not on Valerie, but on the shocked-looking girl across from her. She almost let her own mouth slide open when she scanned Ace with her eyes.

Ace must have grown several inches over the summer because he easily towered over Valerie. His usual shaggy, dirty blond hair had formed into loose curls and became a brighter, less dull shade of blond. He had a leaner build to him as well, he lost his awkwardly tall and lanky posture. He looked surer of himself than Valerie had ever seen him.

If Valerie wasn't so in love with Oliver, she would've snogged Ace right then and there. Never mind, Valerie thought, Angelica would have me in a body bag in ten seconds flat.

Angelica. She remembered the girl was sitting a couple feet away from Valerie and Ace looking just as shocked. Valerie cleared her throat awkwardly and said to Ace's still astonished face, "Hey Ace, er... good summer?"

Her words seemed to snap Ace out of his daze, though his eyes were still trained on Angelica, "Oh...yeah it was...great." He bent down exceptionally low to hug her absently. He stood back up and continued to stare at Angelica.

Although she would've loved to see how this would play out, she couldn't take the tension swarming the room and walked over to Angelica, giving her a light shove in the arm. The girl blinked multiple times in Ace's direction before letting her newfound swagger wash over her, "Alright Newman?" She said easily and leaned her head back so her sharp, Lestrange jawline showed. Valerie had to admit, both of her best friends were blessed with good genes.