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HARRY AND VALERIE talked their heads off at Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, the former explaining why he hadn't been writing to her. Valerie however, chose not to mention her letter, finding it all too embarrassing. She'd just hoped that the house elf who stowed them all away wasn't a snoop.
Harry's questions about her exchange with the Malfoys were quickly answered, and he had to say that a weight was lifted off his shoulders at that. Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short when Daphne Greengrass pulled the Grindelwald girl away, insisting that they 'catch up.'
Their always seemed to intervention whenever Harry and Valerie were together, as if the world was pulling them apart, as frightened as either of them were to admit it. The next time they would see each other was aboard the Hogwarts Express weeks later, which just so happened to be on this particular day.
"You can have it, you know."
Valerie sent her grandfather a small smile, watching as he stared longingly at the pendant in his hands, the one Headmaster Dumbledore had given her. Gellert Grindelwald tore his eyes away it, violently shaking his head as he motioned for her to come closer. He clasped the necklace on his granddaughter, "Remember what we always say?"
"Wear it all times," they both chorused, causing Valerie to sigh.
"Think of it as the last thread of life your soul can hold on to," Gellert told her. Valerie nodded, but the pendant just seemed so important to him, and she was sure that it would be safer in Nurmengard than hanging loosely around her neck as she sauntered around Hogwarts.
"I love you, grandfather," Valerie threw her arms around the aged wizard, who let out a hearty chuckle.
"I love you more, sweetheart," he replied, before pointing to an agitated Harriet, "You should go, I think she's getting impatient."
"Of course she is," Valerie laughed, picking up the Scops Owl's cage before waving goodbye to her grandfather, "I'll write you!"
"You better," Gellert crossed his arms at her, giving her a look. He smiled as she walked out of his prison cell and into the stone halls. But, he failed to notice as she discreetly unclasped the pendant around her neck, hanging it by his doorknob.
Valerie would choose her grandfather's safety over hers, any day.
* * *
The guard, Oscar, had apparated her to King's Cross. This time, she decided to start a conversation with him in hopes of keeping her nausea in check. Only then did she get to know him as he spoke in his American accent, telling her that he'd been wanting to become a guard since he was a boy.
