Valentine Naturals (1/?)
Title: Valentine Naturals (1/?)
Author: shining_suicide
Pairing: Tom Riddle/OFC, Lucius Malfoy/OFC
Rating: PG - NC17
Genre: Drama, Romance
Summary: The women of the Valentine family have it in their genes to attract trouble, and fall for dark wizards, hard. Post OotP.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing except the Valentine family.
AN: Okay, this isn't a serious story, just a bit of fun. October is meant to portray myself and Tristan is meant to portray my best friend, the story is based on our obsessions. I know it's very AU and silly, but it's just for fun. Flame if you seriously must! Whatever, I warned you. You may think of the sisters as yourselves and your best friend as well! Heheh. I wrote the beginning such a long time ago, just thought I'd pull it out of the closet and blow off the dust. This is post OotP, meaning forget about HBP, so the girls are a bit older than the rest.
~*~
Carrying two over-filled bags in each hand, she sighed heavily and groaned outwardly, "But Mom, I still don't see why we had to be transferred to a school... that's so foreign. I mean, we travelled over the ocean just to get here, and now we have to take a damned train! Why couldn't we just stay in Canada? I don't like this... they all have accents....." October whined, turning around to look at her irritated mother.
"Awwh, come on, Tobey. I mean, I bet it's not half as bad... and I bet there are loads of 'blokes' we could corrupt over here," Tristan, October's sister laughed, nudging her arm.
October rolled her eyes and turned back around, pushing Tristan teasingly a little, "Maybe even some girls too, eh?" she laughed, which only earned her a cold but playful stare.
"Okay, I think it's just around here," their mother, Lena said as they kept walking around King's Cross Station. "Yes, right here. Between platforms 9 and 10," she smiled as they all stopped in front of the two platforms.
October stopped walking and then turned to see their father catching up to them, "Did you find the washroom okay, dad?" she smirked and rolled her eyes. Tristan chuckled and hid her giggles with her hand.
Their father stopped, panting a little from the jog, "Ah, I see you've found the platform alright. Go on, we'll be right behind you two." Calabius said, shooing them to run into the portal.
October sighed and nodded, looking to her sister, "Ready, love?" she asked with a small smile, a bit mischievous.
Tristan nodded, and then immediately ran into the portal. October furrowed her brows, "Hey, don't go without me, you loser!" she called after her twin and then quickly followed after her.
She wasn't surprised that the wall wasn't solid, expecting quite the same thing as the gateway to their own school back in Canada. She scrunched up her nose, looking around to see all of the other students running around with their families and their luggage. She smirked and looked up to see the sign that read 'Hogwarts Express, Platform 9 3/4'. She smiled a little and then looked down to see Tristan.
"Wow, well, this looks peaceful." Lena said happily as she looked around, her arm hooked to Calabius'. He smirked and nodded, "Yeah, I bet they'll ruin that peace twenty minutes into it." he chuckled and then frowned when he was smacked upside the head. "Don't say that! You know they can't help it..." Lena sighed, shaking her head. "That doesn't excuse the fact that we have Dark Lord material daughters," he said quietly. Lena just glared at him.
"Awh, why thank you, father," Both October and Tristan said in unison, giggling as they walked along with their bags.
Calabius stared in a daze, blinking a few times before catching up to them.
Tristan stopped abruptly, October almost bumping into her from behind, "Hey, what's the matter with you. huh?" she scowled and moved to stand next to her.
Tristan chuckled and shook her head. Lena and Calabius caught up to them, "Okay, well, I guess this is where we leave you." she breathed, looking like she was going to start sobbing.
October looked at her and smiled, "Don't worry, mom, it'll go by so fast you won't even know we're gone." she winked, smiling. Tristan nodded in agreement and then moved in to give their parents a long embrace, October did the same.
"You two behave yourselves now, and make sure to owl us before you go to bed tonight and tell us what house you end up in." Calabius said as the two started off towards one of the doors to the train.
Tristan turned around briefly, looking back at their father and then she looked at October, "House? What does he mean by that, Tobey?" she asked, one of her brows raised.
October glanced back at their parents and then shrugged, "I've no clue, maybe we can get some information from someone," she said and then lead the way into the train.
They got into the train, walking down the hallway, looking for an empty space. Ten minutes and over fifteen grunts in frustration later, October groaned loudly and stopped, leaning against the wall, "Where the hell are we supposed to sit, Triste?" she snarled, watching as other students got up from their departments and moved around, laughing and conversing with one another.
Tristan shrugged and sighed deeply, holding onto her bags, "I don't-"
"What are you two lovely ladies doing standing around? Lost, are you?" a male voice said from beside October.
October turned her head to see a tall blonde boy, wearing a dark robe with emerald lining. A badge with a snake that said 'Slytherin' was on the left side of his robe, just over his heart. He had bright grey eyes, almost silver in colour and had a smirk that almost matched their own.
October quirked her brow at the boy, "What's it to you?" she asked warily. She wasn't really ever the type to let anyone near, she was very protective of her and her sister's space.
The boy shrugged, "I don't normally do this, but seeming as I've never seen either of you before... you could come and sit with me, if you'd like." he offered, raising his own brow back at October. "But if that's such a problem..." he trailed off, glancing at Tristan.
Tristan shook her head, "No! ... I mean, we'd love to. And what would your name be?" she asked curiously.
October took a quick glance at Tristan and rolled her eyes.
He smiled a small smile, "The name's Draco." he nodded, "Now, come, follow me." he grinned, turning around and heading down the aisle.
October sighed and sucked in her bottom lip, idly playing with her lip ring, shaking her head as she followed Draco and Tristan followed behind her.
October never trusted anyone outside of her family, never really had the desire to. She had Tristan, and that's all she needed in her life, that's all she welcomed. It was very hard to become friends with her, but once someone achieved that, then she was the most loyal friend one could ever have. She never broke her promises, she never made a promise she couldn't keep. Although she had a dark, mysterious mind, she always knew how to protect the ones she loved.
Draco stopped in front of the compartment and opened the doors to let the two in, "Here we are," he smiled.
October walked inside, noticing another boy sitting down by the window, looking out. She took in a deep breath and sat down opposite him, looking to see Tristan come inside and sit beside her. Draco came in and sat down beside the dark haired boy who was staring out the window, who didn't even acknowledging their presence.
Draco looked at him and then breathed in, "This is... uhm... Tom." he said, looking at the two, sitting back after helping them put their bags up. "So, may I ask your names? Now that you know ours?"
"October Valentine, and this is my sister Tristan." October said, looking at Draco and then crossing her legs. "We're from Canada."
"Ahh, I see. And you came all the way to Scotland just to come to Hogwarts now, eh? What year are you in?" he asked, now looking at October.
"It's our seventh year, actually. Very unfortunate, really that we had to come all the way over here just for one year," she sighed, turning her head to look out the window.
Tristan looked at her and then at Draco, "Don't mind her, she's just not that very enthusiastic about this. She's always been so accustomed to our own country," she shrugged, "I'm really excited to see you're curriculum." she beamed, sitting straight.
Draco chuckled, "What? You a bookworm, like Granger, are you?" he smirked.
Tristan furrowed her brows, "I'm no bookworm, but if we were, me and Tobey would be the most intelligent worms here... and who's Granger?" she asked, leaning back, mentally hitting herself for that lame statement.
He shook his head, "Never mind, just some damned Mudblood Gryffindor." he snickered.
Both October and Tristan snarled in disgust at the mention of 'Mudblood'. October really didn't want to be reminded that this school was practically crawling with half-bloods and dirty bloods, it made her tense and her blood boil. "Ugh, god... don't even get me started on those damned things..." October scowled, still staring outside.
Draco smiled at that, looking at her, "What? Care to share your point of view, October?" he asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
She looked at him and shook her head, "I'd rather not, it's none of your business," she hissed and then looked at Tristan, "Don't even think about it," she said, knowing that Tristan might have told him if she didn't warn her. "It's our past and our own matter..."
Draco grinned, looking at October, "Well, well, well... it looks like there will be another addition to Slytherin house, I'm sure you will fit right in, October." he laughed and then looked at Tristan, tilting his head a little, "I'm not so sure about you... maybe Ravenclaw, but that's only from a glance." he shrugged, looking her up and down, "Though I could totally be off, maybe Gryffindor." he smirked.
Tristan scowled at him, "If I must be in the same house as some mudblood, then I might as well kill myself... besides, I'm not parting from Tobey. We're one." she said defensively, hooking her arm with October's.
October glanced down at their arms and then she looked over at Tristan, giving her a smile before looking back at Draco, "I'm sure we'll be in the same house, whatever that means... why must the students be separated? What's so special about these... 'houses'?" she asked, blinking.
Draco merely laughed and raised his brows at them, "You're serious? You've never heard of Hogwarts? ... It's one of the most famous wizarding schools in the world, though we could use for a new Headmaster, eh Tom?" he smirked, glancing at Tom. Tom didn't even budge, kept looking out to the moving trees.
Draco rolled his eyes and then looked back at the twins, "There are four Hogwarts houses. Slytherin," he smiled proudly, crossing his arms, "We are the cunning... Ravenclaws are stereotyped as being the intelligent. Hufflepuffs are cowards and Gryffindors have the stupidity of being brave..." he mocked and rolled his eyes, "You'd do best in Slytherin." he nodded, "That's where most purebloods land... with the slight exception of Tom here," he said, muttering the last part under his breath a little, thinking no one heard him.
Tom's eyes became slits, " Malfoy, " he hissed warningly in a low growl before he turned his attention away once more.
Draco's breath hitched and he hung his head low, " Sorry Master... " he whispered and then took in a deep breath before lifting his head back up. "Never mind that, never mind that," he said quickly, looking at the two.
October looked over at Tristan. 'Master? ... What do you think he meant by Master, Triste?' she asked her sister through thought.
Tristan shrugged and sighed, 'I really don't know, Tobey. Maybe he's mental.' she laughed quietly, covering her mouth. October smirked and nudged her sister playfully. 'Maybe.'
For the majority of the ride, the three of them had discussed numerous things, including school, peers, teachers and spells. Anything and everything, besides their pasts, though they did delve into each other's family just a bit. Turns out, that Tristan knew who Draco's father was, and was actually very eager to meet him, but she didn't tell Draco that, only October knew that little secret of hers.
Once the train had stopped and the two boys exited towards the doors, October looked over at her sister, lifting a brow and smirking a little.
"Oh my god! Tobey! That was Lucius Malfoy's son! LUCIUS!" Tristan ogled, her eyes widened and it looked like she was going to have a heart attack, "I knew he looked familiar! I don't know why I didn't catch it before, I'm such an idiot!" she said, hitting her forehead with her palm, "My god, Tobey, his father is fucking gorgeous!" she squealed, taking her bag and leading the way out.
October merely smirked and listened to what her sister was ranting about, she knew how much of a crush her sister had on the elder Malfoy, because she had never stopped gushing over him since she saw his photograph and found his name. She was even infatuated with his name. Of course, being the good natured sister, October never made fun of her, because she knew what it felt like to have that kind of infatuation with someone.
October had a dark secret, that only Tristan and their mother knew, and if anyone else would find out, they'd probably lock her up in Azkaban just so she wouldn't go do something stupid. October had a very strange obsession with the current Dark Lord. She guessed it was something that was in their genes that made all the Valentine women lust after the dark wizards. They knew that one of their greater Grandmother's had had an affair with the Dark Lord Grindelwald, but they couldn't remember which. Their mother Lena also had once fallen for an escaped convict from Azkaban in her early twenties. Tobey didn't find it strange at all, she was always lured into the dark side of things. This phase was just part of the Valentine line.
On the eve of Tobey's 8th birthday, she had made a new friend for life. A vampire named Jade, he was about the same age as her, only a few months older than herself. He had been out on a hunt with his sire, but had gotten separated while they were jumping on rooftops. Crying in the middle of an alley, Tobey had been out with her mother, but had also wandered off. Finding the huddled boy crying, she comforted him. When she found what he was, she wasn't scared at all, merely interested, and he was interested that she was a witch. She had eventually introduced him to Tristan, and they all became fast friends. Of course, something lingered in Tobey's heart for this vampire, and she found she had fallen in love with him at a very early age of 12. Though as they say, all good things must come to an end, and she had been broken when she found out that he was destined to have a mate. It wasn't her. She had to watch as her beloved fell hard for another, of course by then, they were 15.
They're still friends, and see each other when they get the chance, and October knows that if she was ever in trouble, Jade and his clan would be right there beside her. It was a very big advantage if one has a vampires aid, maybe even a blessing.
"Maybe you could use him, eh?" October whispered her suggestion as they got off of the train, "I mean... if you get close enough, he could maybe invite us to his manor for Christmas or something, y'know?" she smirked, keeping her eyes ahead of her as they followed behind Draco and Tom.
Glancing over at Tristan, she saw that her sister was trying to keep in her smile, but was failing miserably.
"Oh come now, no one knows what we're talking about, smile!" Tobey teased, nudging her sister in the side.
Tristan shoved her back playfully and let out her happiness, biting down on her bottom lip for a moment, "Maybe you're right... and it would be just like us to do something like that, eh?" Tristan said and then suddenly stopped once they got to the carriage, "You know... that the rumor is, Lucius is a Death Eater... of Voldemort, " Tristan whispered softly into October's ear.
For a moment, Tristan knew she saw a dangerous gleam in her sister’s eyes at the mention of the Dark Lord, because she knew what only his name did to her. October's obsession with the Dark Lord had been going a lot stronger than Tristan's with Malfoy, but October knew that once time had passed, Tristan's infatuation would soon become as dangerous as October's with Voldemort. The girls wanted nothing more than to be seen as equals to their 'loves'. They knew they weren't in love with them, but they knew that they had a certain love for them. Maybe it was the power, but they were sure that wasn't it. Well, Tristan did. October was a different story.
October took in a calming breath and relaxed herself as she got into the carriage, "Not his name, Triste... please," she breathed, feeling her heart beat a little faster at the thought of the dark wizard.
"Not whose name?" Draco asked from across them with a raised brow.
Lifting up her hand, October shook her head; dismissing the statement and keeping her gaze down so they wouldn't see the look in her eye.
"So, what's his story?" Tristan asked, motioning towards Tom, who kept his gaze cast away, just like October.
Looking over at Tom, Draco quirked a brow and then leaned over, whispering something into his ear.
A few moments later of silence from the other boy, he nodded slowly, looking at Draco, "Just as long as you know." he muttered, taking a glance at the two girls. "I have a feeling they'll understand..."
Draco smirked and then nodded, looking over at the sisters. "He's actually here because of someone," he started, "He had found out a little while ago that a ritual done a long time ago, is finally taking effect... he's been bound to another soul."
October's ears perked up and she looked up at Draco, "Bound? As in he has a mate?" she asked, blinking, a little dazed. She hated and loved binding rituals. She loved them, because she wished she could have the power to perform one, so she could have a mate, and she also loathed them, because she had lost Jade to one. Well, it wasn't so much a ritual with Jade, but he still had a mate.
Draco nodded, "Yes... and," he paused for a moment and glanced over at Tom, "We believe that his mate is... Potter." he finished, pursing his lips.
The girls' eyes widened at that, "Potter? ... As in Harry Potter?" Tristan asked, surprised, "Oh my god, I totally forgot that he came here," she rolled her eyes and mentally hit herself again. How could she forget?
October blinked a few times and then nodded, "So, you have a last name, Tom?" she asked, smirking and chuckling a little softly, "It's not really a formal introduction, you know." she raised her brows at him.
Tom lifted his gaze to October's and then he tilted his head a little, as if inspecting her. He squinted his eyes a moment, "... Riddle." he breathed out, as if the mere word was like poison on his tongue.
October's eyes widened noticeably, discreetly but quickly reaching over and taking Tristan's hand, giving a tight squeeze.
'Tristan. Tristan. Oh my god, Triste... Fuck, Triste, it's him. It's him.' October said to her sister through their connection.
Tristan squeezed her hand back soothingly, sending over a warm wave of energy into her sister to calm her, 'Shh, it's alright, Tobey... just breathe. Keep calm, not many people know his real name, keep calm... you don't know him. We're Valentine's, keep yourself together.'
October nodded slowly and then gave him a controlled smile, trying to keep herself from freaking out. The man of her affections was right in front of her, and she didn't know what to do. So she just kept her eyes cast downward, not wanting to act like a fool in front of the Dark Lord. She furrowed her brows a little and then closed her eyes, she could feel her eyes tearing up at the previous part of the conversation.
He was bound.
'He's bound, Triste... fuck, I've no chance.'
Tristan looked over at her and then lifted up her chin with her index finger, making Tobey look at her, 'Don't think that way, he probably has no desire for Potter... you can steal him away. I've seen you with so many boys, we've got the charm, it's in our family, remember? Our name isn't Valentine for nothing.' Tristan chuckled, winking at her.
"Do you two -"
"Have a connection? Yeah." Tristan cut off Draco, "We've had it since we were born, we can read each other's thoughts, talk through thought and send good... or bad energy to one another." she explained.
"It's not really common around these parts, maybe a few families would have it, but overseas, a lot of families communicate through thought... I've even heard of whole families who haven't uttered a word for years, or have forgotten how to speak." October smirked, "But our family has their pride, and being silent definitely isn't a sign of a strong family... no matter the pride or power." she rose a brow, crossing her legs.
October furrowed her brows, normally she wouldn't just let out information like that about her family, but she just had. She shrugged it off as just trying to get Tom's attention, trying to get his approval in some way. She felt incredibly nervous around him, and she wondered if they could feel her tension, a rising ache in the pit of her stomach.
Looking up, she smiled softly over at Tom, but noticed that he was clutching onto his stomach for a moment with a look of unease.
"Are you alright?" October asked, a concerned expression on her face, the nervousness vanishing.
Blinking, Tom inhaled and nodded, "Yeah... just felt a little uneasy, my mate was just feeling an intense nervousness." he sighed, composing himself again.
October's heart rate picked up again and without knowing it, she had sent it over to Tristan. Tristan's eyes burst open and she clutched at her chest, "Tobey!" she hissed quietly and nudged her sister in the side, 'I know what you're thinking... don't get too excited, and don't get your hopes up!' With that, Tristan sent over a lower heart rate and literally made her sister calm down, which made her gasp from the quick change of breath.
After a very long ride, they finally landed at the front gates of the castle.
Although they weren't first years, Tristan almost had to sneer at the little first years for taking the scenic route with the boats, but October merely laughed, though she would have liked to do the same. It was their first time overseas and to this new school, after all. She felt as though she were as young as they were, gawking at the large castle in front of them, but she quickly shook it off, the look on Tristan's face telling her to close her mouth.
"What? Don't I have the right to be impressed?" October laughed, shrugging as they walked.
It was so much easier getting to the school without the hassle of hauling their luggage with them, though they could have just as easily shrunken their belongings, October knew that Tristan didn't like doing that herself, neither did she, in a way, but at the same time, she didn't like the idea of someone else handling her things.
Receiving a strange look from her sister, October stared down at the ground as she walked, and a moment later, she walked right into Tom, who had stopped right in front of her.
Cursing as she fell to the ground, she felt her heart speed up as she realized who she had slammed into, a deep red blush covering her face - she couldn't even hear the sound of her laughing sister she felt so embarrassed.
"They're close..." Tom murmured softly, looking around briefly, not having noticed October at all.
Still sitting on her butt on the grass, October quirked a brow and then looked around, confused. A second passed before she saw a few other students walk passed, laughing and talking to each other.
"Oh, hey, are you alright?" she heard one of them say from behind her, a boy by the sounds of it.
Looking over, she blinked and then her eyes widened. Anyone would recognize him anywhere, by the looks of that scar. She noticed that he was about to help her up, but then she felt another pair of arms from the other side of her quickly pull her up, "Yeah, course she's alright," she heard Tristan say, dusting her sister off for her.
October didn't know what to say.
"Yeah, I-I'm fine..." she said slowly, stuttering a little in a daze. This wasn't happening.
Looking back ahead of her, she saw that Tom was far ahead of them already. Tobey frowned; he hadn't noticed her at all, not even when she quite literally bumped into him, and now she really knew who his mate was. It was Potter, he was just behind them and Tom could feel it.
"Well, that's good," he smiled.
"Harry! Come on! We're going to be late,"
The two sisters looked over and noticed a girl run over to them from up ahead. A very pretty looking girl, with, well, slightly big hair - Tristan smirked.
"Oh hello, you must be the transfer students, am I right?" the girl asked, "There was talk about you coming for a while now, it's nice to meet you, I'm Hermione." she introduced herself, holding out her hand.
"Yeah, that's us. I'm October and this is my sister Tristan," October said, shaking her hand and then watched as Tristan did the same.
"Valentine, right? I've heard there are a lot of you where you come from,"
Tristan shrugged, "Kind of, but we're not really related to most of them. Our family is a bit more reserved than most."
"Well, come on, I'm sure you don't want to be late, you still have to be sorted, just like the first years," she said, leading the way.
October followed, keeping a relatively safe distance from the boy walking along side her, she didn't want anything to do with the boy. He had been trying to kill the man she wanted for years now, and now only to find that he was the one bound to him, not her, it drove her crazy, but she didn't want to do anything rash. Sure, there was time to do some damage later on, even if it meant whatever she would do to the boy would get her punished by the Dark Lord, she would welcome the pain he brought. If you can't love, then hate, it's the next best thing, wasn't it?
'Calm down, Tobey, I know what you must feel. It's okay, I'm here.' Tristan said to her sister silently, looking over at her sister with a worried expression, gently taking October's hand and entwining their fingers. October looked over at her and feigned a smile, 'Don't worry about me, please Triste. I'm fine.' she said and then broke off from her sister and went ahead, their hands breaking apart.
~*~
Standing in the middle of the hall had felt completely embarrassing; being the only ones taller than 4'11 meant that most of the school's eyes were on the two of them, standing behind all of the young little first years who were first being sorted into their houses. They could literally feel all of the eyes boring into them, it was incredibly unsettling.
"Now that that is settled, I would like you all to welcome our new students from afar. Tristan and October Valentine. If you will, ladies, please come forward," Dumbledore said with a smile and a gleam in his eye.
Grabbing each other’s hand, October and Tristan walked forward and up the steps to stand next to the Headmaster, shaking his hand in greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster," they said in unison, politely, a smile upon their lips. What an act.
"Oh, what manners!" he grinned and then motioned to the sorting hat, "If the eldest would like to be sorted first," he said, looking between the two of them.
For a moment, October was about to step forward, wanting to be the first one to be placed, but stopped herself, watching her sister Tristan step forward and sit down on the stool. Sometimes the role of the eldest sister was pushed back and forth between the two, depending on what mood they were in, they could have both been the youngest. Though Tristan was older than October by a few minutes.
Crossing her arms behind her, October watched as the Transfiguration's teacher, McGonagall take the sorting hat and gently place it on Tristan's head.
She couldn't hear what the hat was saying to her sister as it was murmuring softly, just as she heard faint whispers on Triste's half, but she knew Tristan would tell her later on. A few more moments later of contemplation...
"Slytherin!" the hat roared and cheers could be heard from the side of the room, a few of them standing up.
Tristan blinked and then got back up as the hat was taken from her, she went and stood back beside October, not wanting to go to the table alone.
"If you will," McGonagall said, motioning to the stool as she nodded to October.
October dropped her hands to her sides, curling her lips for a moment before situating herself on the seat. Feeling all eyes on her, she rose a brow and then straightened her posture, it felt a little endearing that all eyes were focused on her, it made her feel a surge of power for a moment, not realizing that the hat had already been placed on her head.
'Ah, power hungry, are we, young one?'
"Not really, no," she answered aloud, not caring if the school could hear her side of the conversation. "... okay, maybe a little bit," she chuckled softly, glancing up at the hat for a second. "Why, is it really that obvious?" she wondered.
'No, but I've seen a lot of it over the years to know, your sister is the same as well... and I also know how obsessions grow. Yours will not flourish, young Valentine... SLYTHERIN!"
The hat's words rang in her ears, and she couldn't help but wonder what it meant by that, it almost tore her up inside even more. Yours will not flourish. What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean? She knew it really only meant one thing, that her addiction would not be satisfied, her love would not be returned.
Standing up and feeling the hat being taken away, Tobey waited for Triste to join her as they headed down the steps toward the Slytherin table where there was cheering all around. October hadn't been paying much attention to anything else but the hat's words and her own thoughts, but she could vaguely hear her sister chatter to a few other fellow Slytherin's that they had sat beside.
She hadn't even noticed the rest of the Headmaster's words and how the food just suddenly magically appeared soon after. She didn't feel very hungry or social at all.
"Something on your mind, October?" a kind smooth voice asked from beside her a while later.
October was jerked out of her thoughts, looking over and finally noticing that she had been sitting beside Tom, who held a rather amused expression on his face. Oh, she could fall in love all over again, just with that smile. She didn't doubt the man his great potions skills, that aging potion, or spell, whichever it was, was brilliant, he was gorgeous. She couldn't help but smirk as she felt a few eyes stalk towards them, knowing that some of the Slytherin girls must have noticed his beauty as well. Though what she didn't count on, was that quite a few of the males were staring at her and her sister as well.
"No, nothing," she shrugged, reaching for her drink.
She hadn't known what the Dark Lord had looked like before when he was in his younger years, but she had done some research and a lot of other things to get her information. The Valentine obsession doesn't stop so easily, they have to get to the root, the primary source, they'll get anything they can get their hands on. She learned about his history, a bit of it anyways, which orphanage he had gone to, what happened to his muggle family, the events that happened at his years at Hogwarts. She knew the man well enough, but she didn't actually know him. She didn't even care that he was said to look snake like, or like some kind of slippery monster. It hadn't mattered to her, and this form definitely didn’t make much difference than before either, although it was very nice on the eyes.
"Don't lie, although it is expected where you landed... I don't get you, October,"
"Are you supposed to?" she rose a brow, looking at him.
"I can usually tell someone's intentions and aura by looking and studying them, but you... I can't get anything,"
"You shouldn't say that, Tom. That's a weakness, you shouldn't tell people your weakness, now I know I'm like a brick wall to you." she smirked, "Maybe I intend to keep up that brick wall and add more cement," she breathed, though that was not true at all. All she wanted to do was tear down that wall and run into his arms, and kill anyone who got in her way.
"Now why would you want to do that?" he asked, raising his own brow at her, "What could I possibly do to you?" he asked, drawing out his words slowly.
Narrowing her eyes a little, she shook her head and then looked down, putting her goblet down on the table. She didn't feel like having this conversation, not with knowing that she couldn't have what she desperately wanted, what she craved. Him.
"Tobey? Something wrong?"
Glancing to her side, she shook her head and smiled at her sister, "No, Triste, I'm okay," she smiled, feeling the calmness wash over her from her sister. "I... I think I wanna go, I'll see you later," she said to her sister, getting up from the bench.
"I'll come with you," Tom suddenly said, also getting up from the bench and standing beside her.
"You really don't have to," she said, feeling a shiver run through her.
"You don't know your way around,"
"Neither do you," she blinked, though of course, she knew that he did.
"Well then, we can get lost together," he smirked, walking past her and leading the way.
For a moment, October merely stood there and then looked back at Tristan. 'This isn't happening, what do I do?'
'Follow him, you idiot! I'm working on my plan, you've got to work on yours!' Tristan said, staring at her sister and then averting her gaze back to Draco, who was sitting next to her.
Her breathing seemed to pick up from the adrenaline, but she quickly felt another wave of calm wash over her and then a nudge from Tristan's elbow made her walk down the hall. "Brat." she muttered over her shoulder before she was out of hearing range, though she knew she could always send a thought towards her sister if she ever needed her. Their bond was incredibly strong and this castle surely wouldn't be able to break that, even if they were on opposite ends of the school, there was no doubt they could still speak to one another.
She watched as Tom exited the Great Hall and slowly picked up her pace, before she knew it, she was jogging towards the slowly closing doors. Running through the small crack, she gasped as he felt an arm collide into her chest, effectively stopping her just outside the doors.
"Ugh, you've got to stop doing that," she muttered, feeling a little breathless, he could have very well knocked the wind out of her - not that he already did, of course.
"My apologies... also for what happened outside on the grounds, I'm incredibly sorry," he said solemnly, giving an apologetic smile.
It isn't like the Dark Lord to apologize , she thought to herself for a moment, but then she nodded, "It's alright, I suppose." she breathed, sucking on her lip ring for a moment before looking around. This place was pretty huge, and she knew that she would love to get lost in here, she didn't know why, but she found that getting lost was one of her ways of getting to know a place, she also knew there must be loads of secret passageways and doors. It was like a maze or some kind of labyrinth that she needed to memorize. Well, no problem there, she loved challenges, and she knew Tristan did as well.
"Doesn't that hurt?" Tom asked as they started walking towards one of the corridors.
Glancing back at him, she tilted her head, "Hm? Does what hurt?"
"That," he said, pointing up to her mouth, "That thing on your lip, it doesn't hurt?"
Furrowing her brows, she looked down for a moment before she realized that he was talking about her piercing. "What? No," she answered, lifting up her hand to gently touch the little bead on the silver ring, "It kind of stung when I got it, but it heals, like everything else," she shrugged, dropping her hand to her side again and looking around the corridor.
"So you believe that?
"What?"
"That everything heals?"
"... In time, I suppose. It's a kind of a stupid saying, but then again, some things... time just can't heal." she shrugged.
"Know from experience?"
"No, not necessarily, but..." she trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say. She had gotten over Jade quite fine, but she knew there was a small spot reserved inside of her heart just for him, but that was different. She had a feeling that the wound she would receive from this boy would take a lot more than time to heal, and the wound had barely begun to rip. "I've seen enough from this world to see that not everything is as it seems, that even with the strongest will, things can be tore down." she said carefully, raising her arm and trailing her fingertips along the bricks.
"Pessimistic, much?"
"No, just being realistic. I've got a lot of optimistic ideas, though to some... they might not be," she said, not being able to stop herself, the words just escaping from her mouth.
"Really now? What kind of ideas?"
Stopping at the end of the hall, she looked left and right down the separating corridors, "Never mind, it's nothing," she sighed, before deciding on going right, Tom following right behind.
"I do believe our common room is in the dungeons..." Tom muttered a moment later.
"So?"
"So, where are you going?"
"It's not going to be of any use getting lost trying to find classrooms in the morning, is it? Purposely getting lost and figuring it out for yourself is a good way to get a handle on things... plus, I'm good at memory." she said, turning another corner, her fingers still brushing against the cold stone.
"I see..."
~*~
'So, how is it going, Triste?' October asked after a while of wandering around the castle with Tom.
'I think it's actually going great, we're just about to be dismissed, and Draco seems to be very talkative, I'm not sure what it is, but I'm glad it's working... Yeah, and there's this funny looking girl across the table that keeps giving me dirty looks, and not in the good way, mind you. I think she's jealous.' Tristan answered, and October could hear her sister's laughter. 'I think she has some sort of crush on him, not that she'd know that I really don't think of him that way...'
'Ah, but you have to make them believe you do. You should try and get him to be your boyfriend, the sooner to get up there, right?' October chuckled softly out of nowhere, earning a confused look from Tom.
"Sorry, just my sister," she muttered to him, shaking her head.
"You mean you can still talk to her? From this distance?" he asked, clearly impressed.
She nodded.
"How long have you two been able to do that?"
"For as long as we could remember. When we were younger, it was even harder to separate us, it would have been an accomplishment if someone had been able to," she grinned.
"So you two are twins? You look very much alike,"
"Yeah, fraternal twins. There are differences, but at a glance, some wouldn't know,"
"I could tell, you both seem to have a lot in common... though," he paused for a moment, looking at her, "You seem to be a bit more..."
"... A bit more what?"
"... More shielded."
October smirked and then shrugged, "I'm a lot more protective, that's for sure." she admitted, looking down.
"Protective... of what?"
"Everyone else."
"By everyone else, you mean... the darker witches and wizards?"
"Not exactly. Anyone who would be a threat to her,"
"What about yourself?"
"I can take care of myself."
"You're sure about that?"
"Positive."
Tom chuckled, his own hand running along the walls. "Tell me why you're so sure,"
October stopped walking and then turned to him, taking a step backwards so that she could lean against the stone wall, "Things are a bit different where I come from... the laws are a little more lenient. Unlike here, you wouldn't be sent to a place like Azkaban. We were allowed to practice our magic outside of school, as long as we were with our parents or an adult, it was fine. We're a lot more trained in our nature."
"So how come you don't trust Tristan?"
"What do you mean? I trust her completely."
"Not with her own life, you don't. You still think she needs protecting. If she's like you, then she would know how to defend her own self without your help." Tom challenged.
October was silent for a few seconds, "... That doesn't mean that I have to stop worrying about her. Isn't that what family is for?"
"I wouldn't know."
"It's like unconditional love, worry won't just disappear. Parents have the grief of having both." she laughed softly, knowing how much Lena and Calabius worried over their children. She didn't want to press into his own life, she knew enough to know how frustrating it must have been, to have grown up with so many muggles surrounding him, and then the mudbloods at the school, wizards not quite understanding him.
"I suppose you're right," he smiled, shaking his head a little and then glancing back down the way they came, "I guess we should be heading back down, don't you? It is pretty late,"
Biting her lip, October glanced down in the same direction and then moved off from the wall, "Guess so, I hope Triste didn't do anything stupid," she smirked, heading back down the way they came.
~*~
Finally having made it to the Slytherin common room and separating from Tom, October found Tristan in one of the couches in the corner of the room, sitting beside Malfoy and a few others were seated across from them.
"Tobey! There you are! I was wondering what had happened to you," Tristan smiled just as October ran over and jumped on the couch next to her sister, almost squishing her.
"Yeah, turns out this place isn't so difficult after all," she laughed, shrugging although it had taken them a while to get back. Tom seemed to have went the right way without thinking about it, without realizing that he wasn't supposed to know where they were going, it almost made October grin.
Draco had been looking in the general direction that Tom had went, and the sisters guessed that he wanted to check with his 'friend', "Well, it was nice meeting you both, but I think it's time to head in. Night!" he said, getting up from the couch and heading towards the boys dorm, the other boys following him. The one girl who had been sneering at Tristan also getting up and heading to her own room, leaving the two sisters abandoned on the couch.
Moving over, Tristan wriggled herself free from her sister and sat where the younger Malfoy was sitting previously, getting more comfortable.
"Soo... tell me everything," she grinned over at October, "You know you can't hide anything with that huge ass grin of yours,"
"Oh? Am I grinning? I hadn't noticed," October laughed, rolling her eyes as she felt as though she could well enough melt into the sofa. "I can't tell you how amazing that was. It was like I was in some sort of fairy tale, walking in some kind of.... field with my love or something,"
"Field transforms into a dingy hallway," Tristan cut in, laughing quietly.
"Shut up... but seriously, wow," October smiled, "Half the time I had to try and force myself to relax, telling myself that I wasn't supposed to know who he was. It's like mom said...." she trailed off, leaning back against the couch and closing her eyes, a blissful look on her face.
"What? ... What did mom say?"
"That it's a part of us,"
"Well, that much I know,"
"Shut up and wait," October laughed, "I mean... when you're with them, it just feels like some kind of dream, it's hazy, and you can't help but feel incredible and in control. If it wasn't for that, I might have just pounced him, I might have told him everything..." she breathed, opening her eyes, fiddling with her robe. She suddenly frowned, "But it's just a dream... he's out of my reach Triste, it's hopeless to dream of a Dark Lord who's fate is tied to someone else’s..."
"Don't you fucking think like that, Tobey!" Tristan swore, earning a few shocked stares from a few first years that happened to be around. "You know as well as I do that you have it in you, so what if he's bound?"
"Tristan, listen to me. You know that I've lost more than enough from binding, and it's not an easy thing to break, pretty much impossible,"
"No, you listen to me, October. I know you were in love with Jade, with everything you ever had, but his mate was a part of his life, she was a part of him, but Tom... it's a spell, and spells can be broken. I'm sure there are some books in the library here that can help us out, and believe me... you're not alone on this, I'm going to help you win him over. I promise you, Tobey. You'll have him." Tristan said, her hands on her younger sisters.
October couldn't help but smile. "... Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you, Triste," she smiled, "I don't know where I'd be without you."
"In the gutter, that's where," Tristan laughed, moving over a bit so that they were cuddling against each other.
Author: shining_suicide
Pairing: Tom Riddle/OFC, Lucius Malfoy/OFC
Rating: PG - NC17
Genre: Drama, Romance
Summary: The women of the Valentine family have it in their genes to attract trouble, and fall for dark wizards, hard. Post OotP.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing except the Valentine family.
AN: Okay, this isn't a serious story, just a bit of fun. October is meant to portray myself and Tristan is meant to portray my best friend, the story is based on our obsessions. I know it's very AU and silly, but it's just for fun. Flame if you seriously must! Whatever, I warned you. You may think of the sisters as yourselves and your best friend as well! Heheh. I wrote the beginning such a long time ago, just thought I'd pull it out of the closet and blow off the dust. This is post OotP, meaning forget about HBP, so the girls are a bit older than the rest.
~*~
Carrying two over-filled bags in each hand, she sighed heavily and groaned outwardly, "But Mom, I still don't see why we had to be transferred to a school... that's so foreign. I mean, we travelled over the ocean just to get here, and now we have to take a damned train! Why couldn't we just stay in Canada? I don't like this... they all have accents....." October whined, turning around to look at her irritated mother.
"Awwh, come on, Tobey. I mean, I bet it's not half as bad... and I bet there are loads of 'blokes' we could corrupt over here," Tristan, October's sister laughed, nudging her arm.
October rolled her eyes and turned back around, pushing Tristan teasingly a little, "Maybe even some girls too, eh?" she laughed, which only earned her a cold but playful stare.
"Okay, I think it's just around here," their mother, Lena said as they kept walking around King's Cross Station. "Yes, right here. Between platforms 9 and 10," she smiled as they all stopped in front of the two platforms.
October stopped walking and then turned to see their father catching up to them, "Did you find the washroom okay, dad?" she smirked and rolled her eyes. Tristan chuckled and hid her giggles with her hand.
Their father stopped, panting a little from the jog, "Ah, I see you've found the platform alright. Go on, we'll be right behind you two." Calabius said, shooing them to run into the portal.
October sighed and nodded, looking to her sister, "Ready, love?" she asked with a small smile, a bit mischievous.
Tristan nodded, and then immediately ran into the portal. October furrowed her brows, "Hey, don't go without me, you loser!" she called after her twin and then quickly followed after her.
She wasn't surprised that the wall wasn't solid, expecting quite the same thing as the gateway to their own school back in Canada. She scrunched up her nose, looking around to see all of the other students running around with their families and their luggage. She smirked and looked up to see the sign that read 'Hogwarts Express, Platform 9 3/4'. She smiled a little and then looked down to see Tristan.
"Wow, well, this looks peaceful." Lena said happily as she looked around, her arm hooked to Calabius'. He smirked and nodded, "Yeah, I bet they'll ruin that peace twenty minutes into it." he chuckled and then frowned when he was smacked upside the head. "Don't say that! You know they can't help it..." Lena sighed, shaking her head. "That doesn't excuse the fact that we have Dark Lord material daughters," he said quietly. Lena just glared at him.
"Awh, why thank you, father," Both October and Tristan said in unison, giggling as they walked along with their bags.
Calabius stared in a daze, blinking a few times before catching up to them.
Tristan stopped abruptly, October almost bumping into her from behind, "Hey, what's the matter with you. huh?" she scowled and moved to stand next to her.
Tristan chuckled and shook her head. Lena and Calabius caught up to them, "Okay, well, I guess this is where we leave you." she breathed, looking like she was going to start sobbing.
October looked at her and smiled, "Don't worry, mom, it'll go by so fast you won't even know we're gone." she winked, smiling. Tristan nodded in agreement and then moved in to give their parents a long embrace, October did the same.
"You two behave yourselves now, and make sure to owl us before you go to bed tonight and tell us what house you end up in." Calabius said as the two started off towards one of the doors to the train.
Tristan turned around briefly, looking back at their father and then she looked at October, "House? What does he mean by that, Tobey?" she asked, one of her brows raised.
October glanced back at their parents and then shrugged, "I've no clue, maybe we can get some information from someone," she said and then lead the way into the train.
They got into the train, walking down the hallway, looking for an empty space. Ten minutes and over fifteen grunts in frustration later, October groaned loudly and stopped, leaning against the wall, "Where the hell are we supposed to sit, Triste?" she snarled, watching as other students got up from their departments and moved around, laughing and conversing with one another.
Tristan shrugged and sighed deeply, holding onto her bags, "I don't-"
"What are you two lovely ladies doing standing around? Lost, are you?" a male voice said from beside October.
October turned her head to see a tall blonde boy, wearing a dark robe with emerald lining. A badge with a snake that said 'Slytherin' was on the left side of his robe, just over his heart. He had bright grey eyes, almost silver in colour and had a smirk that almost matched their own.
October quirked her brow at the boy, "What's it to you?" she asked warily. She wasn't really ever the type to let anyone near, she was very protective of her and her sister's space.
The boy shrugged, "I don't normally do this, but seeming as I've never seen either of you before... you could come and sit with me, if you'd like." he offered, raising his own brow back at October. "But if that's such a problem..." he trailed off, glancing at Tristan.
Tristan shook her head, "No! ... I mean, we'd love to. And what would your name be?" she asked curiously.
October took a quick glance at Tristan and rolled her eyes.
He smiled a small smile, "The name's Draco." he nodded, "Now, come, follow me." he grinned, turning around and heading down the aisle.
October sighed and sucked in her bottom lip, idly playing with her lip ring, shaking her head as she followed Draco and Tristan followed behind her.
October never trusted anyone outside of her family, never really had the desire to. She had Tristan, and that's all she needed in her life, that's all she welcomed. It was very hard to become friends with her, but once someone achieved that, then she was the most loyal friend one could ever have. She never broke her promises, she never made a promise she couldn't keep. Although she had a dark, mysterious mind, she always knew how to protect the ones she loved.
Draco stopped in front of the compartment and opened the doors to let the two in, "Here we are," he smiled.
October walked inside, noticing another boy sitting down by the window, looking out. She took in a deep breath and sat down opposite him, looking to see Tristan come inside and sit beside her. Draco came in and sat down beside the dark haired boy who was staring out the window, who didn't even acknowledging their presence.
Draco looked at him and then breathed in, "This is... uhm... Tom." he said, looking at the two, sitting back after helping them put their bags up. "So, may I ask your names? Now that you know ours?"
"October Valentine, and this is my sister Tristan." October said, looking at Draco and then crossing her legs. "We're from Canada."
"Ahh, I see. And you came all the way to Scotland just to come to Hogwarts now, eh? What year are you in?" he asked, now looking at October.
"It's our seventh year, actually. Very unfortunate, really that we had to come all the way over here just for one year," she sighed, turning her head to look out the window.
Tristan looked at her and then at Draco, "Don't mind her, she's just not that very enthusiastic about this. She's always been so accustomed to our own country," she shrugged, "I'm really excited to see you're curriculum." she beamed, sitting straight.
Draco chuckled, "What? You a bookworm, like Granger, are you?" he smirked.
Tristan furrowed her brows, "I'm no bookworm, but if we were, me and Tobey would be the most intelligent worms here... and who's Granger?" she asked, leaning back, mentally hitting herself for that lame statement.
He shook his head, "Never mind, just some damned Mudblood Gryffindor." he snickered.
Both October and Tristan snarled in disgust at the mention of 'Mudblood'. October really didn't want to be reminded that this school was practically crawling with half-bloods and dirty bloods, it made her tense and her blood boil. "Ugh, god... don't even get me started on those damned things..." October scowled, still staring outside.
Draco smiled at that, looking at her, "What? Care to share your point of view, October?" he asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
She looked at him and shook her head, "I'd rather not, it's none of your business," she hissed and then looked at Tristan, "Don't even think about it," she said, knowing that Tristan might have told him if she didn't warn her. "It's our past and our own matter..."
Draco grinned, looking at October, "Well, well, well... it looks like there will be another addition to Slytherin house, I'm sure you will fit right in, October." he laughed and then looked at Tristan, tilting his head a little, "I'm not so sure about you... maybe Ravenclaw, but that's only from a glance." he shrugged, looking her up and down, "Though I could totally be off, maybe Gryffindor." he smirked.
Tristan scowled at him, "If I must be in the same house as some mudblood, then I might as well kill myself... besides, I'm not parting from Tobey. We're one." she said defensively, hooking her arm with October's.
October glanced down at their arms and then she looked over at Tristan, giving her a smile before looking back at Draco, "I'm sure we'll be in the same house, whatever that means... why must the students be separated? What's so special about these... 'houses'?" she asked, blinking.
Draco merely laughed and raised his brows at them, "You're serious? You've never heard of Hogwarts? ... It's one of the most famous wizarding schools in the world, though we could use for a new Headmaster, eh Tom?" he smirked, glancing at Tom. Tom didn't even budge, kept looking out to the moving trees.
Draco rolled his eyes and then looked back at the twins, "There are four Hogwarts houses. Slytherin," he smiled proudly, crossing his arms, "We are the cunning... Ravenclaws are stereotyped as being the intelligent. Hufflepuffs are cowards and Gryffindors have the stupidity of being brave..." he mocked and rolled his eyes, "You'd do best in Slytherin." he nodded, "That's where most purebloods land... with the slight exception of Tom here," he said, muttering the last part under his breath a little, thinking no one heard him.
Tom's eyes became slits, " Malfoy, " he hissed warningly in a low growl before he turned his attention away once more.
Draco's breath hitched and he hung his head low, " Sorry Master... " he whispered and then took in a deep breath before lifting his head back up. "Never mind that, never mind that," he said quickly, looking at the two.
October looked over at Tristan. 'Master? ... What do you think he meant by Master, Triste?' she asked her sister through thought.
Tristan shrugged and sighed, 'I really don't know, Tobey. Maybe he's mental.' she laughed quietly, covering her mouth. October smirked and nudged her sister playfully. 'Maybe.'
For the majority of the ride, the three of them had discussed numerous things, including school, peers, teachers and spells. Anything and everything, besides their pasts, though they did delve into each other's family just a bit. Turns out, that Tristan knew who Draco's father was, and was actually very eager to meet him, but she didn't tell Draco that, only October knew that little secret of hers.
Once the train had stopped and the two boys exited towards the doors, October looked over at her sister, lifting a brow and smirking a little.
"Oh my god! Tobey! That was Lucius Malfoy's son! LUCIUS!" Tristan ogled, her eyes widened and it looked like she was going to have a heart attack, "I knew he looked familiar! I don't know why I didn't catch it before, I'm such an idiot!" she said, hitting her forehead with her palm, "My god, Tobey, his father is fucking gorgeous!" she squealed, taking her bag and leading the way out.
October merely smirked and listened to what her sister was ranting about, she knew how much of a crush her sister had on the elder Malfoy, because she had never stopped gushing over him since she saw his photograph and found his name. She was even infatuated with his name. Of course, being the good natured sister, October never made fun of her, because she knew what it felt like to have that kind of infatuation with someone.
October had a dark secret, that only Tristan and their mother knew, and if anyone else would find out, they'd probably lock her up in Azkaban just so she wouldn't go do something stupid. October had a very strange obsession with the current Dark Lord. She guessed it was something that was in their genes that made all the Valentine women lust after the dark wizards. They knew that one of their greater Grandmother's had had an affair with the Dark Lord Grindelwald, but they couldn't remember which. Their mother Lena also had once fallen for an escaped convict from Azkaban in her early twenties. Tobey didn't find it strange at all, she was always lured into the dark side of things. This phase was just part of the Valentine line.
On the eve of Tobey's 8th birthday, she had made a new friend for life. A vampire named Jade, he was about the same age as her, only a few months older than herself. He had been out on a hunt with his sire, but had gotten separated while they were jumping on rooftops. Crying in the middle of an alley, Tobey had been out with her mother, but had also wandered off. Finding the huddled boy crying, she comforted him. When she found what he was, she wasn't scared at all, merely interested, and he was interested that she was a witch. She had eventually introduced him to Tristan, and they all became fast friends. Of course, something lingered in Tobey's heart for this vampire, and she found she had fallen in love with him at a very early age of 12. Though as they say, all good things must come to an end, and she had been broken when she found out that he was destined to have a mate. It wasn't her. She had to watch as her beloved fell hard for another, of course by then, they were 15.
They're still friends, and see each other when they get the chance, and October knows that if she was ever in trouble, Jade and his clan would be right there beside her. It was a very big advantage if one has a vampires aid, maybe even a blessing.
"Maybe you could use him, eh?" October whispered her suggestion as they got off of the train, "I mean... if you get close enough, he could maybe invite us to his manor for Christmas or something, y'know?" she smirked, keeping her eyes ahead of her as they followed behind Draco and Tom.
Glancing over at Tristan, she saw that her sister was trying to keep in her smile, but was failing miserably.
"Oh come now, no one knows what we're talking about, smile!" Tobey teased, nudging her sister in the side.
Tristan shoved her back playfully and let out her happiness, biting down on her bottom lip for a moment, "Maybe you're right... and it would be just like us to do something like that, eh?" Tristan said and then suddenly stopped once they got to the carriage, "You know... that the rumor is, Lucius is a Death Eater... of Voldemort, " Tristan whispered softly into October's ear.
For a moment, Tristan knew she saw a dangerous gleam in her sister’s eyes at the mention of the Dark Lord, because she knew what only his name did to her. October's obsession with the Dark Lord had been going a lot stronger than Tristan's with Malfoy, but October knew that once time had passed, Tristan's infatuation would soon become as dangerous as October's with Voldemort. The girls wanted nothing more than to be seen as equals to their 'loves'. They knew they weren't in love with them, but they knew that they had a certain love for them. Maybe it was the power, but they were sure that wasn't it. Well, Tristan did. October was a different story.
October took in a calming breath and relaxed herself as she got into the carriage, "Not his name, Triste... please," she breathed, feeling her heart beat a little faster at the thought of the dark wizard.
"Not whose name?" Draco asked from across them with a raised brow.
Lifting up her hand, October shook her head; dismissing the statement and keeping her gaze down so they wouldn't see the look in her eye.
"So, what's his story?" Tristan asked, motioning towards Tom, who kept his gaze cast away, just like October.
Looking over at Tom, Draco quirked a brow and then leaned over, whispering something into his ear.
A few moments later of silence from the other boy, he nodded slowly, looking at Draco, "Just as long as you know." he muttered, taking a glance at the two girls. "I have a feeling they'll understand..."
Draco smirked and then nodded, looking over at the sisters. "He's actually here because of someone," he started, "He had found out a little while ago that a ritual done a long time ago, is finally taking effect... he's been bound to another soul."
October's ears perked up and she looked up at Draco, "Bound? As in he has a mate?" she asked, blinking, a little dazed. She hated and loved binding rituals. She loved them, because she wished she could have the power to perform one, so she could have a mate, and she also loathed them, because she had lost Jade to one. Well, it wasn't so much a ritual with Jade, but he still had a mate.
Draco nodded, "Yes... and," he paused for a moment and glanced over at Tom, "We believe that his mate is... Potter." he finished, pursing his lips.
The girls' eyes widened at that, "Potter? ... As in Harry Potter?" Tristan asked, surprised, "Oh my god, I totally forgot that he came here," she rolled her eyes and mentally hit herself again. How could she forget?
October blinked a few times and then nodded, "So, you have a last name, Tom?" she asked, smirking and chuckling a little softly, "It's not really a formal introduction, you know." she raised her brows at him.
Tom lifted his gaze to October's and then he tilted his head a little, as if inspecting her. He squinted his eyes a moment, "... Riddle." he breathed out, as if the mere word was like poison on his tongue.
October's eyes widened noticeably, discreetly but quickly reaching over and taking Tristan's hand, giving a tight squeeze.
'Tristan. Tristan. Oh my god, Triste... Fuck, Triste, it's him. It's him.' October said to her sister through their connection.
Tristan squeezed her hand back soothingly, sending over a warm wave of energy into her sister to calm her, 'Shh, it's alright, Tobey... just breathe. Keep calm, not many people know his real name, keep calm... you don't know him. We're Valentine's, keep yourself together.'
October nodded slowly and then gave him a controlled smile, trying to keep herself from freaking out. The man of her affections was right in front of her, and she didn't know what to do. So she just kept her eyes cast downward, not wanting to act like a fool in front of the Dark Lord. She furrowed her brows a little and then closed her eyes, she could feel her eyes tearing up at the previous part of the conversation.
He was bound.
'He's bound, Triste... fuck, I've no chance.'
Tristan looked over at her and then lifted up her chin with her index finger, making Tobey look at her, 'Don't think that way, he probably has no desire for Potter... you can steal him away. I've seen you with so many boys, we've got the charm, it's in our family, remember? Our name isn't Valentine for nothing.' Tristan chuckled, winking at her.
"Do you two -"
"Have a connection? Yeah." Tristan cut off Draco, "We've had it since we were born, we can read each other's thoughts, talk through thought and send good... or bad energy to one another." she explained.
"It's not really common around these parts, maybe a few families would have it, but overseas, a lot of families communicate through thought... I've even heard of whole families who haven't uttered a word for years, or have forgotten how to speak." October smirked, "But our family has their pride, and being silent definitely isn't a sign of a strong family... no matter the pride or power." she rose a brow, crossing her legs.
October furrowed her brows, normally she wouldn't just let out information like that about her family, but she just had. She shrugged it off as just trying to get Tom's attention, trying to get his approval in some way. She felt incredibly nervous around him, and she wondered if they could feel her tension, a rising ache in the pit of her stomach.
Looking up, she smiled softly over at Tom, but noticed that he was clutching onto his stomach for a moment with a look of unease.
"Are you alright?" October asked, a concerned expression on her face, the nervousness vanishing.
Blinking, Tom inhaled and nodded, "Yeah... just felt a little uneasy, my mate was just feeling an intense nervousness." he sighed, composing himself again.
October's heart rate picked up again and without knowing it, she had sent it over to Tristan. Tristan's eyes burst open and she clutched at her chest, "Tobey!" she hissed quietly and nudged her sister in the side, 'I know what you're thinking... don't get too excited, and don't get your hopes up!' With that, Tristan sent over a lower heart rate and literally made her sister calm down, which made her gasp from the quick change of breath.
After a very long ride, they finally landed at the front gates of the castle.
Although they weren't first years, Tristan almost had to sneer at the little first years for taking the scenic route with the boats, but October merely laughed, though she would have liked to do the same. It was their first time overseas and to this new school, after all. She felt as though she were as young as they were, gawking at the large castle in front of them, but she quickly shook it off, the look on Tristan's face telling her to close her mouth.
"What? Don't I have the right to be impressed?" October laughed, shrugging as they walked.
It was so much easier getting to the school without the hassle of hauling their luggage with them, though they could have just as easily shrunken their belongings, October knew that Tristan didn't like doing that herself, neither did she, in a way, but at the same time, she didn't like the idea of someone else handling her things.
Receiving a strange look from her sister, October stared down at the ground as she walked, and a moment later, she walked right into Tom, who had stopped right in front of her.
Cursing as she fell to the ground, she felt her heart speed up as she realized who she had slammed into, a deep red blush covering her face - she couldn't even hear the sound of her laughing sister she felt so embarrassed.
"They're close..." Tom murmured softly, looking around briefly, not having noticed October at all.
Still sitting on her butt on the grass, October quirked a brow and then looked around, confused. A second passed before she saw a few other students walk passed, laughing and talking to each other.
"Oh, hey, are you alright?" she heard one of them say from behind her, a boy by the sounds of it.
Looking over, she blinked and then her eyes widened. Anyone would recognize him anywhere, by the looks of that scar. She noticed that he was about to help her up, but then she felt another pair of arms from the other side of her quickly pull her up, "Yeah, course she's alright," she heard Tristan say, dusting her sister off for her.
October didn't know what to say.
"Yeah, I-I'm fine..." she said slowly, stuttering a little in a daze. This wasn't happening.
Looking back ahead of her, she saw that Tom was far ahead of them already. Tobey frowned; he hadn't noticed her at all, not even when she quite literally bumped into him, and now she really knew who his mate was. It was Potter, he was just behind them and Tom could feel it.
"Well, that's good," he smiled.
"Harry! Come on! We're going to be late,"
The two sisters looked over and noticed a girl run over to them from up ahead. A very pretty looking girl, with, well, slightly big hair - Tristan smirked.
"Oh hello, you must be the transfer students, am I right?" the girl asked, "There was talk about you coming for a while now, it's nice to meet you, I'm Hermione." she introduced herself, holding out her hand.
"Yeah, that's us. I'm October and this is my sister Tristan," October said, shaking her hand and then watched as Tristan did the same.
"Valentine, right? I've heard there are a lot of you where you come from,"
Tristan shrugged, "Kind of, but we're not really related to most of them. Our family is a bit more reserved than most."
"Well, come on, I'm sure you don't want to be late, you still have to be sorted, just like the first years," she said, leading the way.
October followed, keeping a relatively safe distance from the boy walking along side her, she didn't want anything to do with the boy. He had been trying to kill the man she wanted for years now, and now only to find that he was the one bound to him, not her, it drove her crazy, but she didn't want to do anything rash. Sure, there was time to do some damage later on, even if it meant whatever she would do to the boy would get her punished by the Dark Lord, she would welcome the pain he brought. If you can't love, then hate, it's the next best thing, wasn't it?
'Calm down, Tobey, I know what you must feel. It's okay, I'm here.' Tristan said to her sister silently, looking over at her sister with a worried expression, gently taking October's hand and entwining their fingers. October looked over at her and feigned a smile, 'Don't worry about me, please Triste. I'm fine.' she said and then broke off from her sister and went ahead, their hands breaking apart.
~*~
Standing in the middle of the hall had felt completely embarrassing; being the only ones taller than 4'11 meant that most of the school's eyes were on the two of them, standing behind all of the young little first years who were first being sorted into their houses. They could literally feel all of the eyes boring into them, it was incredibly unsettling.
"Now that that is settled, I would like you all to welcome our new students from afar. Tristan and October Valentine. If you will, ladies, please come forward," Dumbledore said with a smile and a gleam in his eye.
Grabbing each other’s hand, October and Tristan walked forward and up the steps to stand next to the Headmaster, shaking his hand in greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster," they said in unison, politely, a smile upon their lips. What an act.
"Oh, what manners!" he grinned and then motioned to the sorting hat, "If the eldest would like to be sorted first," he said, looking between the two of them.
For a moment, October was about to step forward, wanting to be the first one to be placed, but stopped herself, watching her sister Tristan step forward and sit down on the stool. Sometimes the role of the eldest sister was pushed back and forth between the two, depending on what mood they were in, they could have both been the youngest. Though Tristan was older than October by a few minutes.
Crossing her arms behind her, October watched as the Transfiguration's teacher, McGonagall take the sorting hat and gently place it on Tristan's head.
She couldn't hear what the hat was saying to her sister as it was murmuring softly, just as she heard faint whispers on Triste's half, but she knew Tristan would tell her later on. A few more moments later of contemplation...
"Slytherin!" the hat roared and cheers could be heard from the side of the room, a few of them standing up.
Tristan blinked and then got back up as the hat was taken from her, she went and stood back beside October, not wanting to go to the table alone.
"If you will," McGonagall said, motioning to the stool as she nodded to October.
October dropped her hands to her sides, curling her lips for a moment before situating herself on the seat. Feeling all eyes on her, she rose a brow and then straightened her posture, it felt a little endearing that all eyes were focused on her, it made her feel a surge of power for a moment, not realizing that the hat had already been placed on her head.
'Ah, power hungry, are we, young one?'
"Not really, no," she answered aloud, not caring if the school could hear her side of the conversation. "... okay, maybe a little bit," she chuckled softly, glancing up at the hat for a second. "Why, is it really that obvious?" she wondered.
'No, but I've seen a lot of it over the years to know, your sister is the same as well... and I also know how obsessions grow. Yours will not flourish, young Valentine... SLYTHERIN!"
The hat's words rang in her ears, and she couldn't help but wonder what it meant by that, it almost tore her up inside even more. Yours will not flourish. What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean? She knew it really only meant one thing, that her addiction would not be satisfied, her love would not be returned.
Standing up and feeling the hat being taken away, Tobey waited for Triste to join her as they headed down the steps toward the Slytherin table where there was cheering all around. October hadn't been paying much attention to anything else but the hat's words and her own thoughts, but she could vaguely hear her sister chatter to a few other fellow Slytherin's that they had sat beside.
She hadn't even noticed the rest of the Headmaster's words and how the food just suddenly magically appeared soon after. She didn't feel very hungry or social at all.
"Something on your mind, October?" a kind smooth voice asked from beside her a while later.
October was jerked out of her thoughts, looking over and finally noticing that she had been sitting beside Tom, who held a rather amused expression on his face. Oh, she could fall in love all over again, just with that smile. She didn't doubt the man his great potions skills, that aging potion, or spell, whichever it was, was brilliant, he was gorgeous. She couldn't help but smirk as she felt a few eyes stalk towards them, knowing that some of the Slytherin girls must have noticed his beauty as well. Though what she didn't count on, was that quite a few of the males were staring at her and her sister as well.
"No, nothing," she shrugged, reaching for her drink.
She hadn't known what the Dark Lord had looked like before when he was in his younger years, but she had done some research and a lot of other things to get her information. The Valentine obsession doesn't stop so easily, they have to get to the root, the primary source, they'll get anything they can get their hands on. She learned about his history, a bit of it anyways, which orphanage he had gone to, what happened to his muggle family, the events that happened at his years at Hogwarts. She knew the man well enough, but she didn't actually know him. She didn't even care that he was said to look snake like, or like some kind of slippery monster. It hadn't mattered to her, and this form definitely didn’t make much difference than before either, although it was very nice on the eyes.
"Don't lie, although it is expected where you landed... I don't get you, October,"
"Are you supposed to?" she rose a brow, looking at him.
"I can usually tell someone's intentions and aura by looking and studying them, but you... I can't get anything,"
"You shouldn't say that, Tom. That's a weakness, you shouldn't tell people your weakness, now I know I'm like a brick wall to you." she smirked, "Maybe I intend to keep up that brick wall and add more cement," she breathed, though that was not true at all. All she wanted to do was tear down that wall and run into his arms, and kill anyone who got in her way.
"Now why would you want to do that?" he asked, raising his own brow at her, "What could I possibly do to you?" he asked, drawing out his words slowly.
Narrowing her eyes a little, she shook her head and then looked down, putting her goblet down on the table. She didn't feel like having this conversation, not with knowing that she couldn't have what she desperately wanted, what she craved. Him.
"Tobey? Something wrong?"
Glancing to her side, she shook her head and smiled at her sister, "No, Triste, I'm okay," she smiled, feeling the calmness wash over her from her sister. "I... I think I wanna go, I'll see you later," she said to her sister, getting up from the bench.
"I'll come with you," Tom suddenly said, also getting up from the bench and standing beside her.
"You really don't have to," she said, feeling a shiver run through her.
"You don't know your way around,"
"Neither do you," she blinked, though of course, she knew that he did.
"Well then, we can get lost together," he smirked, walking past her and leading the way.
For a moment, October merely stood there and then looked back at Tristan. 'This isn't happening, what do I do?'
'Follow him, you idiot! I'm working on my plan, you've got to work on yours!' Tristan said, staring at her sister and then averting her gaze back to Draco, who was sitting next to her.
Her breathing seemed to pick up from the adrenaline, but she quickly felt another wave of calm wash over her and then a nudge from Tristan's elbow made her walk down the hall. "Brat." she muttered over her shoulder before she was out of hearing range, though she knew she could always send a thought towards her sister if she ever needed her. Their bond was incredibly strong and this castle surely wouldn't be able to break that, even if they were on opposite ends of the school, there was no doubt they could still speak to one another.
She watched as Tom exited the Great Hall and slowly picked up her pace, before she knew it, she was jogging towards the slowly closing doors. Running through the small crack, she gasped as he felt an arm collide into her chest, effectively stopping her just outside the doors.
"Ugh, you've got to stop doing that," she muttered, feeling a little breathless, he could have very well knocked the wind out of her - not that he already did, of course.
"My apologies... also for what happened outside on the grounds, I'm incredibly sorry," he said solemnly, giving an apologetic smile.
It isn't like the Dark Lord to apologize , she thought to herself for a moment, but then she nodded, "It's alright, I suppose." she breathed, sucking on her lip ring for a moment before looking around. This place was pretty huge, and she knew that she would love to get lost in here, she didn't know why, but she found that getting lost was one of her ways of getting to know a place, she also knew there must be loads of secret passageways and doors. It was like a maze or some kind of labyrinth that she needed to memorize. Well, no problem there, she loved challenges, and she knew Tristan did as well.
"Doesn't that hurt?" Tom asked as they started walking towards one of the corridors.
Glancing back at him, she tilted her head, "Hm? Does what hurt?"
"That," he said, pointing up to her mouth, "That thing on your lip, it doesn't hurt?"
Furrowing her brows, she looked down for a moment before she realized that he was talking about her piercing. "What? No," she answered, lifting up her hand to gently touch the little bead on the silver ring, "It kind of stung when I got it, but it heals, like everything else," she shrugged, dropping her hand to her side again and looking around the corridor.
"So you believe that?
"What?"
"That everything heals?"
"... In time, I suppose. It's a kind of a stupid saying, but then again, some things... time just can't heal." she shrugged.
"Know from experience?"
"No, not necessarily, but..." she trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say. She had gotten over Jade quite fine, but she knew there was a small spot reserved inside of her heart just for him, but that was different. She had a feeling that the wound she would receive from this boy would take a lot more than time to heal, and the wound had barely begun to rip. "I've seen enough from this world to see that not everything is as it seems, that even with the strongest will, things can be tore down." she said carefully, raising her arm and trailing her fingertips along the bricks.
"Pessimistic, much?"
"No, just being realistic. I've got a lot of optimistic ideas, though to some... they might not be," she said, not being able to stop herself, the words just escaping from her mouth.
"Really now? What kind of ideas?"
Stopping at the end of the hall, she looked left and right down the separating corridors, "Never mind, it's nothing," she sighed, before deciding on going right, Tom following right behind.
"I do believe our common room is in the dungeons..." Tom muttered a moment later.
"So?"
"So, where are you going?"
"It's not going to be of any use getting lost trying to find classrooms in the morning, is it? Purposely getting lost and figuring it out for yourself is a good way to get a handle on things... plus, I'm good at memory." she said, turning another corner, her fingers still brushing against the cold stone.
"I see..."
~*~
'So, how is it going, Triste?' October asked after a while of wandering around the castle with Tom.
'I think it's actually going great, we're just about to be dismissed, and Draco seems to be very talkative, I'm not sure what it is, but I'm glad it's working... Yeah, and there's this funny looking girl across the table that keeps giving me dirty looks, and not in the good way, mind you. I think she's jealous.' Tristan answered, and October could hear her sister's laughter. 'I think she has some sort of crush on him, not that she'd know that I really don't think of him that way...'
'Ah, but you have to make them believe you do. You should try and get him to be your boyfriend, the sooner to get up there, right?' October chuckled softly out of nowhere, earning a confused look from Tom.
"Sorry, just my sister," she muttered to him, shaking her head.
"You mean you can still talk to her? From this distance?" he asked, clearly impressed.
She nodded.
"How long have you two been able to do that?"
"For as long as we could remember. When we were younger, it was even harder to separate us, it would have been an accomplishment if someone had been able to," she grinned.
"So you two are twins? You look very much alike,"
"Yeah, fraternal twins. There are differences, but at a glance, some wouldn't know,"
"I could tell, you both seem to have a lot in common... though," he paused for a moment, looking at her, "You seem to be a bit more..."
"... A bit more what?"
"... More shielded."
October smirked and then shrugged, "I'm a lot more protective, that's for sure." she admitted, looking down.
"Protective... of what?"
"Everyone else."
"By everyone else, you mean... the darker witches and wizards?"
"Not exactly. Anyone who would be a threat to her,"
"What about yourself?"
"I can take care of myself."
"You're sure about that?"
"Positive."
Tom chuckled, his own hand running along the walls. "Tell me why you're so sure,"
October stopped walking and then turned to him, taking a step backwards so that she could lean against the stone wall, "Things are a bit different where I come from... the laws are a little more lenient. Unlike here, you wouldn't be sent to a place like Azkaban. We were allowed to practice our magic outside of school, as long as we were with our parents or an adult, it was fine. We're a lot more trained in our nature."
"So how come you don't trust Tristan?"
"What do you mean? I trust her completely."
"Not with her own life, you don't. You still think she needs protecting. If she's like you, then she would know how to defend her own self without your help." Tom challenged.
October was silent for a few seconds, "... That doesn't mean that I have to stop worrying about her. Isn't that what family is for?"
"I wouldn't know."
"It's like unconditional love, worry won't just disappear. Parents have the grief of having both." she laughed softly, knowing how much Lena and Calabius worried over their children. She didn't want to press into his own life, she knew enough to know how frustrating it must have been, to have grown up with so many muggles surrounding him, and then the mudbloods at the school, wizards not quite understanding him.
"I suppose you're right," he smiled, shaking his head a little and then glancing back down the way they came, "I guess we should be heading back down, don't you? It is pretty late,"
Biting her lip, October glanced down in the same direction and then moved off from the wall, "Guess so, I hope Triste didn't do anything stupid," she smirked, heading back down the way they came.
~*~
Finally having made it to the Slytherin common room and separating from Tom, October found Tristan in one of the couches in the corner of the room, sitting beside Malfoy and a few others were seated across from them.
"Tobey! There you are! I was wondering what had happened to you," Tristan smiled just as October ran over and jumped on the couch next to her sister, almost squishing her.
"Yeah, turns out this place isn't so difficult after all," she laughed, shrugging although it had taken them a while to get back. Tom seemed to have went the right way without thinking about it, without realizing that he wasn't supposed to know where they were going, it almost made October grin.
Draco had been looking in the general direction that Tom had went, and the sisters guessed that he wanted to check with his 'friend', "Well, it was nice meeting you both, but I think it's time to head in. Night!" he said, getting up from the couch and heading towards the boys dorm, the other boys following him. The one girl who had been sneering at Tristan also getting up and heading to her own room, leaving the two sisters abandoned on the couch.
Moving over, Tristan wriggled herself free from her sister and sat where the younger Malfoy was sitting previously, getting more comfortable.
"Soo... tell me everything," she grinned over at October, "You know you can't hide anything with that huge ass grin of yours,"
"Oh? Am I grinning? I hadn't noticed," October laughed, rolling her eyes as she felt as though she could well enough melt into the sofa. "I can't tell you how amazing that was. It was like I was in some sort of fairy tale, walking in some kind of.... field with my love or something,"
"Field transforms into a dingy hallway," Tristan cut in, laughing quietly.
"Shut up... but seriously, wow," October smiled, "Half the time I had to try and force myself to relax, telling myself that I wasn't supposed to know who he was. It's like mom said...." she trailed off, leaning back against the couch and closing her eyes, a blissful look on her face.
"What? ... What did mom say?"
"That it's a part of us,"
"Well, that much I know,"
"Shut up and wait," October laughed, "I mean... when you're with them, it just feels like some kind of dream, it's hazy, and you can't help but feel incredible and in control. If it wasn't for that, I might have just pounced him, I might have told him everything..." she breathed, opening her eyes, fiddling with her robe. She suddenly frowned, "But it's just a dream... he's out of my reach Triste, it's hopeless to dream of a Dark Lord who's fate is tied to someone else’s..."
"Don't you fucking think like that, Tobey!" Tristan swore, earning a few shocked stares from a few first years that happened to be around. "You know as well as I do that you have it in you, so what if he's bound?"
"Tristan, listen to me. You know that I've lost more than enough from binding, and it's not an easy thing to break, pretty much impossible,"
"No, you listen to me, October. I know you were in love with Jade, with everything you ever had, but his mate was a part of his life, she was a part of him, but Tom... it's a spell, and spells can be broken. I'm sure there are some books in the library here that can help us out, and believe me... you're not alone on this, I'm going to help you win him over. I promise you, Tobey. You'll have him." Tristan said, her hands on her younger sisters.
October couldn't help but smile. "... Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you, Triste," she smiled, "I don't know where I'd be without you."
"In the gutter, that's where," Tristan laughed, moving over a bit so that they were cuddling against each other.