Strange Ties--Percy Jackson/Harry Potter

Chapter Forty

Valerie

The dull scratching of quills against parchment filled the classroom as Professor Binns droned on about the Goblin Rebellion of 1612. Valerie rested her chin on her hand, her notes half-heartedly scrawled across the page. History of Magic wasn't thrilling at the best of times, but with the specter of her recent encounters with Percy and the chaos of the Cupid Crush planning hanging over her, she could barely muster the energy to care about goblins and their grievances.

Her reprieve didn't last long. A pointed tap against her shoulder broke her concentration—or what little of it there was. She turned her head just slightly, already regretting it.

"Morning, sunshine," George whispered, his voice dripping with faux charm. "You look positively radiant when you're pretending to listen."

Valerie rolled her eyes and turned back to her notes. "Go away, George."

"Aw, come on," he pressed, sliding his chair closer. "I just thought I'd brighten your day with my presence. You should be thanking me, really."

Her quill snapped. She set the two broken halves down carefully, resisting the urge to throw them at his face. "You're distracting me."

"I'm motivating you," he countered smoothly. "There's a difference. Tell me—what could possibly be more interesting than me?"

"Goblins," she deadpanned.

He clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch. That hurt"

"Good," she muttered, keeping her eyes on her parchment.

But George was relentless. He plucked a spare quill from his pocket and twirled it expertly between his fingers, leaning so far into her personal space that she could smell his cologne—something annoyingly woodsy, as if he thought it made him more rugged. "Valerie," he said, his voice dropping to a mock-serious tone. "You're killing me here. Just one smile? For old times' sake?"

"Old times' sake? You mean all the times you've bothered me before? Pass."

"Come on," he teased, nudging her arm with the quill. "You wound me, truly. I'm just trying to make class less boring for you."

He laughed softly, clearly enjoying himself. "If I didn't annoy you, Val, who would? You'd get too used to peace and quiet."

"Peace and quiet sounds amazing right now."

"Liar. You'd miss me," he said, and before she could snap back, he leaned even closer. "Actually, I was thinking... Valentine's Day is coming up. Why don't we save everyone the suspense and just agree to be each other's valentine?"

Valerie finally turned to glare at him. "Are you serious right now?"

"Completely. You'd be doing the school a favor, really—quelling the rumors, saving lives. Think of it as a public service."

She blinked at him, incredulous. "You're delusional."

"And yet," he said with a smug grin, "here I am, still the best option you've got."

Before she could tell him exactly what she thought of that, a loud throat-clearing interrupted them. Professor Binns' translucent form hovered at the front of the classroom, his ghostly face turned in their direction. "Miss Aesther, Mr. Whitaker. If you'd like to continue your... discussion, please do so outside."

Valerie's face burned as the entire class turned to look at them. George, of course, looked completely unfazed.

"Apologies, Professor," he said smoothly, though his grin never wavered. "Just trying to clarify a historical point."