𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄~ {The Lestrange Daughter #1}

𝟐𝟏. Red

Valentine had always been aware that Draco, Leah, Liam and Blaze had been stealing from Crabbe and Goyle's sweets stash all year. The boys were too thick to realise it was happening and just assumed that the candy was disappearing because they were eating it. And the others kept their mouth shut knowing that Crabbe and Goyle would continue to restock the stash every few weeks.

Being aware of this all year, Valentine had never personally taken any of it. She didn't have a sweet tooth so ravenous that she would need to resort to stealing. Strictly speaking, this was no longer true. She hadn't taken it from the stash per say but that was certainly where Draco had gotten it from.

Valentine simply nicked it from his hands. He looked almost ready to snap and then he saw who had taken it. That wasn't a battle worth fighting. He could steal more and keep his life.

Valentine tucked the Chocolate Frog into her robes and walked away with a word. Being so utterly terrifying came with unexpected perks. Then she waited until lights out until Olivia finished brushing out Leah's hair and managed to wrangle her into bed. Only then did she slip back out into the common room and into the halls.

Sticking the shadows was something she had become very adept at and they carried her all the way to the hospital wing.

She poked her head inside. Only one bed was occupied.

Harry Potter still hadn't woken up. It had been a full day since Snape had carried him from the room of the last trial and he was yet to even open his eyes.

Madam Pomfrey insisted that for the most part, he was in good health. A little bruised but that wasn't a concern. A little scratched up but that would be fine. Valentine, however, didn't think it wasn't a concern and it certainly didn't feel fine.

Why hasn't he still woken up? It's been an entire day.

Valentine snuck into the hospital wing without a single sound and shut the door behind her. Harry was tucked into his bed, dead asleep. His bedside table she found, had already been blessed with a decent handful of confectionery.

Hermione and Ron had explained the situation to Dumbledore, what they knew at least. Harry had gone onto the last trial alone. He was the only one who knew what had happened but that didn't mean that the entire school didn't know that something had happened. It seems Harry had more admirers than ever before. It was easy to forget with the kind of company Valentine kept.

Valentine's best deduction of what happened that night was that the pile of clothing and dust had in fact been Quirrell as she had speculated. Professor Quirrell had completely disappeared. On the same night that everything that happened? It was certainly telling.

Valentine took the Chocolate Frog from her robes and looked at it. It was nothing to the pile that had already accumulated but she didn't think Harry would mind, it wasn't like he would even know. She set it on the tray at the end of the bed and glanced at Harry.

She turned away from him. Watching people while they slept wasn't exactly a pass time of hers.

He'll be fine.

That was what she told herself.

Madam Pomfrey would have noticed if something was wrong by now. Anything could have happened. He could just be in shock. He'll be fine. He's alive, that's what's important here.

Harry had done something no other student would have and when the adults couldn't help he didn't falter. He had his friends and his gall and that was all he needed. It almost seemed believable that this was the boy who stopped Voldemort a decade ago.

"Good work," she whispered even though she knew he couldn't hear her.

She hoped he could keep this up only with less intrigue and more minding his own business.