Huflepuff x Slytherin & Griffindor x Ravenclaw

Her life

Valerie walked into the Great Hall and saw Lisette chatting with Andrea and Miya. 

Lisette looked up from her conversation and when she saw Valerie, she smiled and waved.

Valerie waved back and sat on the Hufflepuff table with a huff. She took a bowl of porridge and began eating.

-minutes later-

The Great Hall was soon full and it became less quieter since then. Alyssa was among those loud ones because she was scolding Valerie for not going to the Hospital Wing.

"You never listen, Val." Alyssa frowned as she ate her sausages.

Valerie laughed lightly. "You know me too well." She smiled.

Alyssa rolled her eyes with a smile on her face.

Kitara walked up to the Hufflepuff table with a big smirk on her face. "Good morning, Joyce. Do you like the cut?" She snapped.

Alyssa looked at Valerie with widened eyes. "You have a cut?!" She screamed not too loudly but loud enough for half of the Great Hall to hear (Not including the Staff Table).

Valerie looked at Kitara then at Alyssa. She knew her lies were only believable to drunk people. And besides, she can't lie to her friends. She sighed and nodded just as Zayn walked up to their table.

"YOU HAVE A CUT?!" He screeched furiously, looking very angrily at Kitara.

"Yes...." Valerie answered then instantly regretted it.

"What did you do, Kitara?!" He growled at Kitara with a death-like glare.

"I didn't do anything. Hufflepuffs are klutzes, you know that." Kitara shrugged.

Zayn looked at Valerie with much softer eyes. "Where's the cut?" He asked firmly.

Valerie hesitated before lifting her right leg. The cut was obviously new since it looked like a recently earned scar. "Don't blame Kitara. I tripped." She lied, but this time the lie sounded believable and it gave Valerie a bit of a shock.

Zayn looked at Kitara with death covering his glare as though he wanted to just grab a random goblet and throw it at Kitara's face. Then he sighed. "Get back to the Slytherin table before I change my mind and just hex you." He said in an order kind of way.

Kitara shrugged then walked back to the Slytherin table.

Zayn looked at Alyssa, who was looking shocked. "Can you give us some privacy?" He asked softly. 

Alyssa nodded then moved to the end of the Hufflepuff table. 

Zayn turned to Valerie. "Are you sure you just tripped?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm positive. Don't worry about it." Valerie replied with a smile.

Zayn sighed. "Scoot over." He said as he waved his hand gesturing Valerie to move over.

Valerie did as she was told and Zayn sat next to her. They first stared blankly at the table until Zayn breaks the silence by saying,

"I'm sorry...."

Valerie looked up at him with a frown. "Why are you saying sorry?" She asked.

"All of this is my fault. If you never met me, you would never have to face this." Zayn sighed again.

"I may not face this fight per say, but I'd still be facing fights, so it isn't your fault and it never will be." Valerie said softly.

"No fight can be worst than this fight. If you didn't meet me, your fights would never include you getting hurt." Zayn retorted.

"Zayn, every year we return home. I return to my parents." Valerie raised a brow.

"Surely they don't cut you or kick you or punch you or push you to the ground?" Zayn said, raising a brow as well.

Valerie looked at him and sighed. "They don't, but they starve me, say things to me, curse me, lock me out of the house, and many more I can't remember." She said.

Zayn opened his mouth to retort, but couldn't. It must've been hard for Valerie to go through all that and still be able to smile. What's more, she could bare the pain Kitara gives her. Instead, He just asked her, "What do they tell you?" to change the subject.

"They tell me that they regretted having me and taking care of me. They say they can just make another child and just throw me away. They sometimes just say they hate me and that they never wanted a useless child like me lurking around every corner looking like a homeless freak who doesn't have parents even though they work their arses off to give me my everyday needs." Valerie said sadly, looking down at her fingers which are playing with her hair.

Zayn looked at her sadly. "Are you going home to them on Christmas?" He asked.

"No," Valerie shook her head. "My parents want me away for as long as I can stay away. I'll be spending all holidays here."

Zayn looked at his hands then looked back at Valerie. "And you're going home to them after this year?" He sighed.

Valerie nodded. "I don't have anywhere else to stay. My aunts and uncles think just as horridly as my parents do, and my grandmother and grandfather don't want me in front of them because they think I'm a mistake." She sighed as well.

"Now you do. You'll be spending your summer holidays at the Cromar mansion." Zayn smiled.

"I couldn't. I wouldn't want you all fussing over me." Valerie shook her head in protest.

"You won't be much trouble. I'd be more worried if they kicked you out because I broke one of mum's things." Zayn laughed.

Valerie looked at him with a look of awe. "But my parents would probably scream blood curdling ones with rage if I don't return home." She muttered.

"Then stay there for a few weeks then mum and I can take you to the mansion with Floo Powder." Zayn shrugged.

Valerie laughed lightly. "You obviously won't stand down." She said with a smile on her face.

"I won't. I wanna spend as much time with you during the summer holidays as I can." Zayn smiled.

"Zayn, I hope you know you're weird." Valerie giggled.

"Believe me, I do." Zayn winked.

Valerie giggled louder.

After breakfast, the two parted for lessons.

"See you later, love." Zayn said softly.

Valerie blushed lightly and looked away. "Yeah....see you later..." She said then ran to Defence Against the Dark Arts.