NO MORE A PRETENDER~ {The Lestrange Daughter #3}

𝟏𝟒. Imperius

Since the new school year had begun, Valentine, Draco and Liam hadn't attended a single potions lesson in full. Even on the days that they had shown up with the rest of the class, it didn't take long before they left without so much of an explanation. It was honestly easier than pretending that they cared about their grades at this point and for Valentine, it saved her from seeing that look of disappointment on Slughorn's face. With so many of his students turning to the dark side, she didn't wonder why. 

Today, they hadn't bothered showing up at all. When the bell had rung for class, Valentine, Draco and Liam headed out to the tree just outside the castle walls. They tended to stay away from stairs during this particular period, not that any of them acknowledged it out loud. 

"If you make me ugly, I swear I will end you." Draco shot Liam a glare.

"Yeah, yeah, just hold still." Liam muttered absently.

He had a notebook sitting in his lap, sketching a picture of Draco who was posed, leaning against the tree.

"I'm serious."

"Draco, I promise I will do my best with my limited art skills to capture your raw beauty on paper, now if you'll just shut up and stop moving..."

It was something of a ridiculous past time but it gave the boys something to do without having to scream to entertain one another. This meant Valentine could read her novel and for once, could actually pay her full attention to it....but she could also see Liam's drawing from where she sat and could say with confidence that Draco would not be pleased. Liam hadn't been lying about 'limited art skills'. Not that Valentine was going to say anything, not when her own artistic chops were easily just as bad or possibly worse. She preferred to leave that area to Leah who was deceptively talented in that area.

"Are you done yet?" 

"No."

"Liam."

"Draco."

"...are you done yet?"

"I just said I wasn't."

"When I agreed to stand here I didn't realise this was a lifelong contract."

"Can you not be dramatic for five seconds?"

"I am not dramatic!"

"Val, Draco says he's not dramatic."

"Draco is incorrect." Valentine kept her eyes on her book.

"That's not fair!" Draco growled. "She's not involved with this discussion!"

"What discussion? You're screaming about how you're not dramatic and I'm just trying to make sure that I draw both ears vaguely the same shape. You're taking everything that's happening right now way too seriously."

"Shut up!"

The two carried on like that for some time and Valentine found it oddly cathartic. She was always hoping for a quiet day, a little peace and a nap but when her friends weren't arguing or causing a scene everything just felt wrong. They were never going to be normal. Or quiet or peaceful. They were just kids struggling to get a breath of air before being reminded of everything that was happening around them. Valentine couldn't have pitied them more. 

When Liam was finally done, he frowned down at the notebook almost cautiously.

"Please, tell me you're finished." Draco sighed.

"I mean...technically, yes."

"Technically?"

"I did something very bad, Draco."