PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟐𝟗. Apology

"There. Very nice." Umbridge reached out to touch Valentine's shoulder but she immediately jerked away. Umbridge seemed annoyed by this but let it slide and walked to the front of the class. "Good morning everyone. If you could please take out your books and open to page twelve."

Umbridge then looked back over to Valentine whom she knew didn't have a book. She grabbed a textbook off her desk and dropped no Valentine's.

"There we go. You won't be able to deface this one."

She must have charmed it. Something so I can't rip or tear any pages or set it on fire again.

Valentine could have tested her theory, but wasn't about to risk trying and failing in front of Umbridge.

So she opened her book to page twelve and sat in silence doing her work. She didn't have to put much thought into it at all seeing how the tasks were incredibly rudimentary.

I can't go in too hard just yet or I'll be suspended within the week. Been there done that, no thank you. I'll let her think she's got me for now. Let her underestimate me, it's not like anyone's going to speak up and tell her that she should keep an eye out. If she thinks I've been knocked back for good then she'll let down her defences and that's exactly what I want.

-----Pretending To Live-----

Valentine could feel the pressure as Snape worked his way into her thoughts. They had been at it for hours in Snape's office and neither were in the best of moods.

"You're doing it again." Snape growled at her.

"Shut up." She snapped at him. "I'm trying."

Her current problem was keeping her mind blank long enough for Snape to enter and exit without seeing anything. She'd be able to empty her mind at first, but then she'd think about how much she hated having someone else inside her head and would lose the emptiness she'd achieved. To top it all off, Valentine would have to fight against her own instincts to simply push him out of her mind.

"Need a break, Lestrange?" He sneered patronisingly.

"Only if you do, professor." She returned his sneer.

His eyes darkened.

"Legilimens!" He raised his wand again, only giving her seconds to clear her thoughts.

Nothing. Nothing. Silence. Blankness. Nothing.

Valentine stared at a single spot in the middle of Snape's chest. Whenever she had to look him in the face she couldn't help but think of several different things. About how annoying he was, overbearing, how arrogant, how self-important. And she couldn't stop thinking about how this annoying, overbearing, arrogant, self-important jerk had heard her think all these things while inside her head.

She fought to keep herself relaxed. She wasn't used to finding things difficult or challenging, but that only forced her to work harder. She refused the possibility that Severus Snape could do something she couldn't.

"Stop overthinking this." She could distantly hear him growl at her.

Nothing. Nothing. Just an empty space. Just blackness. Nothing inside. Nothing inside.

Valentine could feel everything fade away. There was nothing. Nothing in her mind for Snape to see. Once she'd reached that point she had just to withstand it.

Nothing. There is nothing...

She felt the pressure leave, as Snape pulled back.

"Finally." Snape sighed.