PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟑𝟒. Raven

Valentine watched her feet sink into the snow as she walked. It had come in so rapidly this year that practically both Hogwarts and Hogsmeade were buried overnight. It seemed as though it had arrived just for their trip into the village.

I'm honestly surprised that Umbridge hasn't even tried to ban the trips this year.

She felt Liam's shoulder bump into hers and he discreetly tried to move away under the guise of whispering something in Philips's ear.

Valentine looked to her left where Draco had been watching her and then quickly looked away.

"What?" She frowned.

"Nothing." He shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Valentine sent him a silent glare and turned her eyes forward just in time to see Leah shoving Blaze to the ground with a vengeance. He landed in the snow right at Valentine's feet with a pained thud.

Valentine and Draco immediately stopped walking, staring down at Blaze in irritation. Leah had her arms crossed, glaring down at him herself.

Valentine and Draco exchanged glances before simply stepping over his body and continuing along the path. This was not their problem.

Liam and Philips were ahead of them by now, not hindered by Blaze's body like they had been.

"Even the people are cold today." They heard Blaze whimper. "Leah...Can I get up now?"

"Do you take it back?"

"Can I get up if I do?"

"We'll see when you take it back."

Valentine shot Draco a cruel smirk.

"Remember when that was you?"

When they'd been young, before their years at Hogwarts Draco had been the butt of all of Leah's jokes and the target of all her shenanigans. There wasn't a day they weren't in the same room that she didn't drive him into screaming fits. Leah was just talented like that.

"Please." Draco snorted, avoiding her gaze. "I was never as much of a pushover as Blaze is."

Neither one of them were convinced but they didn't say so out loud.

They heard footsteps come up behind them and braced themselves for what could have been a disaster. Instead, Leah threw an arm over each other's shoulders with a malicious giggle.

"You left Blaze lying there in the snow didn't you?" Said Draco.

"You bet I did." Leah confirmed cheerfully.

"...why?"

"He knows why." Her eyes suddenly darkened, tense and meaningful.

Valentine lifted Leah's arm off her shoulders, leaving all of the other girl's weight on Draco, nearly taking them both down.

"Leah!" Draco whined and shoved her away. "Go annoy someone else."

"Alrighty then." Leah shrugged, unbothered and bolted through the snow towards an unexpecting Liam and Philips.

"I'm so over Hogsmeade." Draco scowled, adjusting his scarf. "It's as bad as that stupid castle."

"Then just stay behind."

Draco made a sour face at that. Valentine knew he was never going to be pleased with much of anything so long as it was the same thing his father would have sneered at.

When they reached the little village, Leah ran back up to them to drag Draco to Honeydukes with Liam, Philips and herself.

Valentine elected to stay outside. It was always so crowded inside, especially during the first Hogsmeade trip of the year when the third year's practically lost their minds. To mention that Umbridge's general ban on sweets inside the school grounds had starved many a student of their beloved sugar.