PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟓𝟖. Slughorn

Valentine walked with Draco to her left and Liam to her right. Neither Blaze nor Leah had achieved the scores that Snape would have accepted for sixth-year Potions students, even with him being so lenient towards Slytherin's. Not that either of them were too cut up about it. This meant the two had a free period and Valentine could only imagine the trouble they must have been getting into.

"Anyone else feel like Blaze and Leah two are going to burn this place to the ground before class is over?" Asked Liam as though he had read her thoughts.

"Good riddance." Draco scoffed. It was the first two words he had strung together that entire morning.

"They'll have to take responsibility for their own idiotic actions eventually." Said Valentine.

"Yeah." Liam sighed. "Somehow that doesn't make me feel any safer."

"Morning everyone." Jane Philips suddenly stepped up beside him, Christine and Rebecca trailing behind her.

"Good morning." Liam blinked when he saw her. "You never mentioned you'd be taking Potions."

"Disappointed?" She pouted mockingly.

"Oh, no!" Liam shook his head in earnest. "I'm glad. You just never mentioned is all."

"Well, here I am." She linked her arm with his and turned to smile at Valentine and Draco. "Zambini and Lovat?"

"Probably destroying everything they can get their hands on." Valentine grumbled under her breath while Draco didn't reply at all.

"Hmm, yeah, we probably should have made them come with us." Said Liam. "Those two cannot be trusted alone."

"Well, you can hardly babysit them all the time." Said Jane.

"Old habits, I suppose." Liam shrugged.

When they reached the Potion classroom, Slughorn was already standing by the door waving Hermione and Neville inside.

"Ah! Welcome! Welcome!" He smiled and waved to them also.

"Morning Professor." Jane returned his smile.

"Morning." Slughorn nodded and then seemed to catch something of interest, his eyes lighting up. "Ah, ha! Miss Lestrange, I believe?"

"You believe correct." She eyed him critically.

"I look forward to teaching you, young lady! I've heard many good things about you."

"How pleasant. I'm sure Professor McGonagall told you I'm very bright and Professor Sprout told you that I top my classes every year." Valentine shot her words at him rapidly. "And no doubt Professor Flitwick told you that I am innately talented, but I'd much rather know what Professor Snape has said to you."

"I'm sorry?" Slughorn blinked at her.

"Professor Snape." She clarified with an air of impatience. "The broody, sour one with the smell of pretension about him. I don't believe for a moment that he wouldn't have taken the first chance he had to warn you. All while slandering me, of course."

"I'm not sure what you speak of." Slughorn laughed sheepishly. "Warn me? Warn me of what?"

"I can be quite the handful, Professor. And I'd like to know what Snape told you."

"Ah, well..." Slughorn wrung his hands together and looked around as though searching for an escape from the conversation. "Professor Snape may have...mentioned something..."

"Yes, Professor?" Valentine prompted innocently.

"Professor Snape did have something to say...about yourself..." Slughorn tried to look away but was trapped in her gaze like so many before him. "All in good humour I assure you. He said that, and I'm just paraphrasing...while your intelligence might be of substantial size...your mouth is also...of substantial size..."