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

𝟐𝟖. Spirits

TRIGGER WARNING; Contains violence and sexual assault. Please take care if you are sensitive to such things.

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"WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Down the other end of the Great Hall Tyler had opened a very jovial howler that shrieked carols at him in a females voice, only made worse by Benjamin and Leila joining in. 

It was just about to start singing Jingle Bells when Tyler promptly tore it in half several times with no lack of aggression. 

"When I see my sister again, I am going to kill her." He said.

"Awe." Leila pouted. "I was enjoying that, you know."

"Then I'll give you my sisters address and you can sing it together, just far, far away from me."

Light snow drizzled from the enchanted ceiling above, fading into thin air before reaching their heads. The scent of peppermint, fruit cake and gingerbread was so far up Valentine's nose she thought she would never smell anything else again. The Professors at the staff table were talking almost as loudly as the students. Slughorn was wearing a yellow paper crown. Hagrid had icing sugar from a mince pie in his beard. Naturally, it was Christmas Eve. 

Leah's probably screaming carols as well right about now.

Valentine sat separate from the others. She was really just here to have dinner and then leave. What part could she ever have in a celebration like this? She just hoped the others kept Benjamin distracted long enough to keep him from noticing when she inevitably left early.

"Hey, I wanted that pie." Anthony shot Adley an accusatory glare.

Adley gestured to the tray of at least twenty more small mince pies. 

"Are you blind, Whitlock?" 

"No, but I wanted that exact one."

"You know, sometimes it's hard to tell who's the older brother here."

"He's just trying to rile you up." Said Bradley. "He doesn't even eat mince pies."

"Quiet you!" Anthony snapped. 

"You got a death wish or something?" Adley wrinkled her nose at him.

"No, he just likes to start fights," Bradley spoke up again. "It gives him some kind of weird power trip. I've told him it's not normal but does he listen?"

"Ouch." Tyler could barely smother his laughter. "Ousted by your own brother."

"Who knew you were that twisted..." Leila eyed him cautiously. 

"Yeah..." Even Benjamin was struggling to justify this. "That's...a little concerning if I'm honest." 

"Don't listen to him!" Anthony hissed. "He's an evil mastermind! He's trying to turn you all against me!"

"He's eleven." Said Adley. "No one is a mastermind of any kind at eleven."

"I barely even had a mind at eleven." Said Leila. 

"As someone who was eleven only earlier this year," Said Benjamin. "I can confirm; no mind whatsoever." 

"Yeah, and I don't have to turn anyone against you." Bradley scoffed. "Your personality does that on its own."

"Okay, okay," Tara interjected before a real fight could occur. "Let's just calm down and relax now. It's Christmas Eve. We're supposed to be happy and eat pudding and stuff."