Till Forever Falls Apart

Buying Time

May 8, 1993

It was the day of the Gryffindor's match against Hufflepuff, and it was upon the ninth hour of the eighth of May where Valentina Lupin-Black had diagnosed herself with fear of missing out.

    She had accepted her so-called detention with her Charms professor graciously. After all, if that was the way she was to pay for her "crimes" against school policy, she would welcome the test with open arms. But as morning came and her friends gleefully placed their bets on agility, scores, and results, Val ate her porridge in glum silence, pouring more sugar into the bowl so she could not hear their expectations over the crunch of sweetness.

    At least, she thought, she looked like them. Padma and Anthony had decked out in yellow and red attire, so that if either side won, they could easily say "I told you so" without any prior opinions on the match.

    "I'll tell you all about it when we get back to the common room," Padma offered. "Trust me, it probably won't even be exciting. I think Gryffindor's secured the spot for the Cup."

    "Hufflepuff has some pretty strong players," Anthony fiddled with his bracelet. "I can't wait to see the competition between Cedric and Harry."

    "You've been looking forward to seeing Cedric fly for a while," Padma smiled mischievously.

    Anthony unfurled his daily copy of the muggle newspaper, straightening the parchment so he could read, hiding his face behind the sports headline. "Have not."

    "I think someone has a crush on Cedric Diggory..." Val teased, her cheeks sore from smiling at her friend's playful embarrassment.

    "I don't blame you, Anthony," Padma adjusted the red and gold headband she had borrowed from Parvati. "He is cute. And strong."

    "I don't like Cedric Diggory!" Anthony bent the newspaper furiously to look at them over it, his face turning the color of crimson.

    Val coughed, almost spitting out her water at his sudden change in emotion. "For a hypothetical question, you're getting awfully defensive."

    "I don't think you're one to talk, LB," the other girl poked her with her fork. "He's not the only one who's mad for another certain fourth-year..."

    "Hey!" Val scooted away from her. "At least I've confronted my feelings, no matter how hopeless they may be."

    "Honestly, you two," Anthony primly folded his paper and took a final bite of his breakfast, stalking off to another part of the castle.

    Val and Padma looked at each other. "Teenage drama."

    They cleared their plates of any leftover food, noticing that most of the students were beginning to leave, the mass of kids pushing to get the best spots in the quidditch stands. Padma broke from Val, wishing her the best of luck, and promising to give her a play-by-play when she came back. With that oath, she disappeared into the crowd to find her twin sister.

    She took her time leaving the Great Hall, walking slowly down the marble steps, swaying on the staircase as she called to mind the charms she wanted to keep fresh in her memory. Surely Professor Flitwick would not harm her, or cause her any great amount of pain.

    Right?

    She let these thoughts marinate, running a hand across her wand as Hermione knocked into her.

    "Oh!" Her friend cried, dazed for a moment as she recovered. "I'm so- Val! Come with me! There's something I need to show you!"

    "I have to go to Flitwick," Val resisted her pulling. "What is it?"