she isn't what she says

Chapter 33: Nightmare

Just then Valencia wakes up in a cold sweat, her heart thumping like mad. It was just a dream, it was just a dream. Valencia pulls the covers off her head for air as she tries to control her intense breathing rate. Just seconds later Draco bursts into her room "Valencia?!" His face is covered with concern as he runs to her bed. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"Nothing." Valencia says bluntly laying down and turning away from him, knowing the blonde will mock her for a nightmare. "Something clearly happened, Valencia! Don't ignore me." Draco says angrily pulling her body to face him.

Huffing, Valencia sat up looking into his eyes, "you'll make fun of me." She said looking down. "Why would I make fun of you?" He laughs confused. "You just will." Valencia snapped crossing her arms like an annoyed 4 year old. "I won't, I promise." He says softening his voice before grabbing a chair and sitting on it backwards to face her.

"I just-" Valencia started unsure whether or not she should tell him. "I just, I had a bad dream."

"A bad dream?" Draco practically shouts laughing. "I told you!" I snap again going to lay down but he grabs my arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm not good with this stuff, what happened." Draco says, apologetically trying to suppress his smile, but Valencia can't tell if it is genuine or not. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head she tells him of her dream and when she's done he sits looking at her with his mouth wide open. "I am so sorry." Draco whispers. "What?" She ask him confused.

"If I had just told you who was here and why you probably wouldn't of had this nightmare and I'm so sorry, ah I'm such an idiot-" Draco rushes out but Valencia touches his hand stopping him. He looks down at there hands and Valencia quickly takes hers away.

"It's not your fault ok, calm down, although, can you maybe tell me why he was here, it may put my mind at ease." Valencia asks nervously.

"Yeah, well basically when my mother isn't here over summer, Voldermort-"he stops making sure she's fine with the mention of him name and Valencia nods telling him she don't mind. "well he comes here to look after me a such and each year he tells me how great being a death eater would be and although I always say I'm not ready, he won't hurt me, I am to valuable to be killed off, well that's what he said anyway."

Valencia stays quite for a second, thinking of this new information that has been presented to her, although she is at high alert and scared for my life she has to ask "do you want to talk about it?" Scanning her face for answers, Draco watches her puzzled. "What?" He finally asks.

"You may not admit it Malfoy but I know you don't want to be a death eater, I don't mean to cross a line here but I just wondered if you wanted to talk about it." He is just a boy with an awful father and no choice. Draco tenses for a second but soon returns to a relaxed stance, "thank you Val but you need your sleep, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that he returns the chair to the desk and walks out the door closing it behind him.

Valencia had expected him to not want to talk about it but she did not expect him to act so calm. Maybe this year would be different, maybe Draco was changing?

...

For the next few days Valencia continues to have the same dream but different. The story line, if you like, is the same, Pansy yells and falls with a thud, Valencia rushes to the door with her wand to find her on the floor, Voldermort tries to kill her, for some reason, but the difference is, each time Pansy's injuries get worse.

On the very first night, it was just a broken arm, on the second night, it was a broken arm with cuts all down it, on the third night the arm was the same but she also had multiple broken ribs and last night, the injuries were the same, broken cut up arm and broken ribs but her face and neck had big gashes on them and there was an especially large one across her throat.

Every night Draco would run in to comfort her and tell her it's fine and it was just a dream. Their days normally consisted of getting ready, eating breakfast, exploring the rooms of the great house that were not off limits, well Valencia would anyway, eating lunch, spending time in our rooms, at this time she would usually write to Daphne and Pansy.

"But it could be yours, couldn't it?" Valencia asks.

"No, I don't get letters." Draco replies and Valencia realises why his mood has changed into what it is, he doesn't want to show any emotion even though he is upset he does not receive letters. Valencia really wants to ask him if he is ok but decide against it not wanting to put him in a worse mood. The day flies by in a blur and it's not till after dinner that she decides to read the letter.

To Valencia,

Hello Valencia, Pansy told me to write you this letter, she said something about not bringing suspicions or whatever. Anyway she told me to tell you she has received your letters and is glad Draco isn't too dreadful, and annoying, oh yeah and she said something about her holiday is great, the animals are fascinating, there is lots of snow blah blah blah.

I really wish you could be here Valencia, Pansy and Milicent already got on Blaise's last nerve doing magic now that they are allowed to do it at school. On the first day of being off they turned Goyle into a mouse and it was hilarious,  Blaise was fuming and Goyle had a right hissy fit over it afterwards.

Hope your well, can't wait to see you soon, miss you mate. Also we need to go shopping in Diagon Alley for  dresses for the Malfoy Summer Ball, we'll talk soon, when your back.

Daphne

PS: Pansy misses you loads, she wont shut up! You need to start dating soon or Goyle will have another hissy fit and that would be really annoying.

 Valencia laughs to herself at the contents from the letter and decides that she's going to write to Pansy first thing in the morning telling her to write the next letter so she can hear more about her holiday, honestly she's surprised she even let Daphne write it.

Yawing Valencia rises from the desk chair and changes into her pyjamas before slipping into bed. She lay there for a while thinking of all the possible outcomes of tonight's dreams, all the different injuries Pansy could have tonight. When she thinks of everything she can, she tries sleeping, not at all prepared for what tonight's nightmare shall bring.