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

𝟑𝟏. Denial

With the students returned to school, Valentine could send out another round of care packages. If anything, it might confirm to anyone wondering who was behind it that they had to have been amongst the students who'd left the school for Christmas. Or maybe they'd believe it was a misdirect and start to suspect the students and teachers that had remained. Either way, it would take them a lot more speculating than that to managed to pin it on Valentine Lestrange of all people. 

The Gryffindor common room was her last stop for the day, having already delivered to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. She approached the doorway, scanning her surroundings with her electric eyes. 

She'd been lying in wait nearby for nearly ten minutes and hadn't seen a single student go in or out so she pulled the last small basket out of her bag and then took out her wand. 

The entrance to the Gryffindor common room was a little different to the others given that it could be seen at all times by the portrait that served as the door. Students would have to answer a password correctly to whoever was currently in the portrait to gain entry and thus Valentine couldn't simply walk up to the door with her package. 

She pointed the tip of her wand to the basket and cast a quick non-verbal spell, watching it rise from her hand.

She steered it carefully to the entrance a good twelve feet away, before gently setting it down and then casting the Engorgement Charm to grow it back to its proper full size. She really hadn't done this that many times but had a smooth rhythm to it nonetheless. It wasn't a difficult task in and of itself, but one that could go wrong in many ways. Despite that, she couldn't justify not doing anything for the students at all. 

As she turned to take her leave down the stairs before they changed, she heard voices approaching and quickly ducked back into her hiding place. 

"Please, Professor, I swear I finished the work. I've just misplaced it." Came a voice that sounded very much like Tyler Ness pleading for his life. "It's got to be in my dorm." 

"Mr Ness, you are too old to be using such an excuse," McGonagall replied tersely. "Regardless of whether or not the work was completed, your forgetfulness alone warrants a detention."

"But Professor-" Tyler was cut off by silence and Valentine could practically feel the disapproving stare McGonagall had pinned on him.

She suppressed a cringe. She'd never forgotten to take an assignment or homework to class with her and if she hadn't bought it, it was entirely on purpose. Leah was always less careful and had been in Tyler's position more than a handful of times. 

McGonagall is just maybe a dark horse in the contender for Scariest Hogwarts Resident. Although, she'll have to be a tad more unreasonably violent to beat me. 

"You will attend your detention, Mr Ness or you will receive another and another until the lesson sinks in; Do not forget to bring your essay to class and proceed to make excuses for yourself. Am I clear?"

"...Yes, ma'am." Came Tyler's depleted reply. 

"Good. Now, go and retrieve your work. I will wait here."

There was a set of brief footsteps followed by a pause.

"Oh damn, there's another one." Said Tyler and the footsteps sped up until Valentine assumed he was standing by the package. 

"Wait." Said, McGonagall. "Don't touch it."

"But Professor, it's not dangerous. This is like the fourth one and they always just have food and stuff in them."

"Nevertheless, we do not know even know where these supplies are coming from. Let me see it first."

Valentine listened as the two moved about, neither speaking as McGonagall presumably opened the basket.