tale as old as time, tag ;; harrison

The Scamanders were easily one of the most amazing families that Valmai had ever come in contact with. Mr and Mrs. Scamander were still happily married after apparently more than twenty years and they had four children who they all paid attention to, supported, and loved. And the children all seemed to genuinely love each other even when they always didn't get along. Whenever Valmai was a guest in their house she was always just stunned by the fact that a family could be so happy and so whole and so functional. Her own family was nothing at all like this and Val didn't even really know how a real family should work until Matt had first brought her to his house. She had only been five years old when her father walked out and never returned but she could still remember that day very clearly. Her father had told her that he was going out and that he was going to bring her home a present and Val had been so excited. Her father wasn't exactly nurturing and Val had spent the first five years of her life being ignored and rebuffed by him. This would be the first time that her father had ever done something so nice. She had waited up all night for him, she had fallen asleep by the door but he hadn't returned. That was the first time that Val realized that only the people you cared about could hurt you.

Being around the Scamanders was a wonderful and yet strangely painful experience at the same time. She had been so happy when Matt had invited her to stay with the family for a few weeks during the summer but at the same time she was never sure how to act around his family. Val's mother had never disciplined her or really paid attention to her at all and so her whole life she had just been used to being able to do whatever she wanted. Being around the Scamanders wasn't the same at all even for a guest there seemed to be boundaries and limits that Val wasn't used to containing herself within. But she liked it and sometimes she wished that she could just become a Scamander and be apart of their awesome family.

That evening during dinner Valmai had watched the siblings tease each other, she had seen how close Matt and Piper were and it caused her heart to ache. Many years ago she had been that close to her own sister, Luned. They had been as close as two sisters could be and had taken care of each other when their mother was too wrapped up in her own problems to care for them. But jealousy and rivalry had eventually torn them apart and last year they had had a fight so terrible that they hadn't spoken to each other since. Valmai missed Luned, she missed having her sister around because only her sister really understood her. Luned had grown up in the same environment and knew how it felt. Inspired by the family Valmai had nicked some whiskey, took a few pulls straight from the bottle and set about writing a letter to her sister telling her how much she missed her.

Her owl had returned only a few hours later and Val had eagerly tugged the envelope out of the bird's grasp hoping that Luned had agreed to meet with her in Diagon Alley later that month. But as she looked down she realized that the letter was the same one that she had sent just a few hours ago. Here it was unopened in her hand. Luned hadn't even bothered to read it. Clutching the letter Valmai stood there alone in the Scamander's study her heart beating ragged with the pain. There was no one around, Matt was off with Piper or Vinnie or something and either way Val would never be able to share this with him. Her eyes welled up with tears and they splashed down smearing the ink on the envelope. Maybe she could get it all out before someone discovered her crying here alone.

Harrison loved summers; he got to spend most days at St. Mungo's with his father, learning exactly what he would be doing when he started his own profession. It was a rush, really, being able to help that big of a volume of people with what you did for a career. Things weren't always that simple in those sterile white walls, but what he did day-to-day affected patients directly. He had a big heart and always tried to please those around him. After work, he had his ritual; eat dinner, pour a glass of firewhiskey, and read a book. He was just as predictable as his father, and yet, he was perfectly okay with that fact. When he got home, his father and mother took off for one of their close friend's dinner parties and the house was unusually quiet. Harry didn't quite know where Matt, Piper, or Sammy had gone off to, but regardless, he was going to go about his business. It was better this way anyhow; Matt wouldn't be around to bug him, and he could read in peace. He pulled out a glass from the kitchen cabinet and poured a glass of his father's firewhiskey; the man had gotten used to sharing his alcohol with his eldest son- he had been drinking it as far back as his fifth year without permission anyway. How was he a square? Capping off the bottle, he set it back in it's place and took the glass with him to the living room. Upon setting his drink on the worn coaster, his bluish grey eyes sweeped the room for his book. Piper must've put it back into the study. He wasted no time as he started across the house. For a moment, his mind wandered to where their visitor had gotten to. Valmai was a colorful person to say the least; she was in Harrison's year, but in Gryffindor. There was a large difference between the two- where Harry was calm and studious, she was outrageous and, well, not studious. He liked her enough, though. Even though she often reminded her of his little brother Matt. He pushed open the door, and immediately he saw Val standing in the middle of the room, head stooped over an envelope, and he heard the distinct sound of tears. Harry knew this sound too well- Piper cried at absolutely everything. Whether most of it was on purpose, Harrison never knew. All the boy could tell you was that it absolutely broke his heart to see his little sister hurt. And this scene was no different. The eldest Scamander hated seeing anyone upset. As soon as he recognized her tears, he sprung into action, "Vallie? What's wrong?" He approached her and instinctively ducked his head to get into her view, kind hands reached out to her and moved the strands hair that had fallen into her face. "Tell me what's wrong, and I'll help you, okay?" he offered sweetly, then wrapping his arms about her shoulders, a hand cradling her head to his shoulder. This wasn't exactly an unfamiliar situation to the young man- he was quite frequently the one people spilled their problems out to; he was a kind-hearted individual and would always offer his advice and words in anyone's time of need. He held her, placing his chin a top her head; he was a significant amount taller than the girl, and to be honest she fit perfectly against him. It was strange that in all their years in school together, he had not once seen her upset- he had seen her passed out on the floor of various parties and a bit miffed with Gryffindor lost a match or two. But never like this. He rubbed her back a little with his hand, it was always something he did when comforting anyone, perhaps this would help her too. tagged: vallie / amyword count: 647notes: super short and shotty, sorry!

Why was she so upset? Had she really expected her sister to read the letter and then to come rushing to the Scamander house for a heartfelt reunion? Those types of things only happened in those corny muggle movies that Valmai watched alone in secret when she was feeling down. Luned hadn't even sent her a card on her seventeenth birthday last year despite the fact that it was an extremely important milestone in the magical world. So it really shouldn't have come as a surprise that Luned had taken one glance at the letter and returned right away with the owl. Still it hurt more than Valmai wanted to admit even to herself.

How had this happened? Val had so many wonderful memories from her childhood that involved her sister. In fact, all of her actual good memories from childhood had to do with Luned in some way. One of her favorite memories was a night when their mother had gone to bed earlier saying that she had a migraine and she left eight year old Luned and six year old Valmai to fend for themselves for dinner. Val had been hungry and upset and had sat on the ground in the living room of their London apartment crying. It was Luned who was the hero that day taking Valmai by the hand and leading her to the kitchen where they found strawberries and a can of whipped cream in the refrigerator. They had sat on the kitchen floor and had made a feast out of those strawberries until their stomachs hurt. Then they had climbed into bed together in Luned's room and fallen into a contented sleep. Val really couldn't believe that she and her sister, who had gone through so much together, hadn't spoken now in nearly two years.

She was so wrapped up in her memory that Val failed to hear the door open and didn't realize that she was alone until her intruder spoke. It wasn't Matt's familiar and playful voice and Val was forced to look up momentarily and realized with embarrassment that it was the eldest of the Scamander children who had discovered her. Harrison was in her year but he was a Ravenclaw and while she got along fabulously with Matt her and Harrison weren't exactly close. It probably had to do with the fact that she was constantly teasing him about what a square he was. He was incredibly smart and had a lot of ambition but Val had yet to learn to appreciate such virtues in another person.

"I am fine." That was her automatic response when Harry crossed the room asking her what was wrong. It was as if she thought she could actually convince him that she was perfectly fine even though there were tears running down her cheeks. She couldn't hide from him though he was already near her and ducking down to get a look at her face. Val couldn't help but wonder how terrible she looked. It had been a long time since she had cried in front of someone. She fully intended to continue with her deflection and find some excuse to get away from him but then she felt his hands pushing her hair out of his face, his arms moving around her shoulders and it was more than she could take.

The two of them stood there in the middle of the study, Harry with his arms wrapped around her and Val couldn't help but nestle her head against his shoulder. She let the envelope flutter down to the ground and stood there helpless crying into his shoulder unable to hold herself back. Usually she was so good at keeping her emotions locked up inside. She liked to appear strong and confident as if nothing in the world could affect her. But beneath the armor Valmai was still that little girl waiting desperately by the door for her daddy to come home. In Harry's arms in this moment the mask was dropped and she was young and vulnerable. Not at all the girl she pretended to be.

After a few minutes she was able to contain the worst of her crying and pulled back from him slightly. "I'm sorry about that." She apologized, her voice thick with the tears. Looking up at him Valmai was about to tell him that she was alright and that she was going to be fine now but instead she opened her mouth and these words tumbled out. "I wrote to my sister. I was trying to apologize for our last fight and I wrote to tell her I wanted to meet with her. But she returned my letter unopened. She wouldn't even look at it." Saying those words made her eyes well up again. Damn, what was wrong with her. "I miss her, Harry." That was all that she could get out before she covered her face with her hands as if she wanted to hide this revelation from him.

Harrison shook his head when she said she was fine. It was denial at it's peak; there was nothing fine about anyone standing in the study crying over something. He knew it wasn't really his place to barge in- even if it was one of his favorite places in the entire house- but he was going to do it anyway. Things like this were where he dropped all his annoyances, distractions, and reservations to make someone's day better. Harry was undoubtedly a nice guy and he wasn't about to leave a soul hurting when he happened upon them. It would be uncharacteristic and, quite frankly, rude. Harrison could definitely be a jerk, but he wasn't rude! Holding and consoling a woman was often where he failed on the road to acquiring a girl. There had been countless situations where he certainly let something happen, like a kiss because she was vulnerable, and he was just there. It's not like Harry was the one who moved in like that, but he certainly didn't stop it. And then once the girl was happy once more, he would walk her back to her common room and the next day she would go on and on about how he was such a good friend and that they appreciated him. That was it; game over. Once a girl called you a friend to your face- it was all over for you. that potential relationship entirely depended on the usage og the word 'friend.' Who knew that one word could say so much? When it's said to your face by a person of the opposite sex- the whole world could crumble around you along with your hopes and dreams. But when the word is used with that person's friends? That's when it was a good sign. "Oh we're just friends." Never really means exactly that. These were the kinds of things Harrison had figured out with relationships in his eighteen years. He had several actual girlfriends- normally things moved rather fast because the boy just was a romantic at heart. He loved the thought of love, and he loved to think he was in love. He stayed silent as she cried into his shoulder. Harry hated that sound, and oddly enough it was so freakishly familiar to him. His little sister would cry at anything, and almost every girl he knew at school had cried to him at one point about something. Finally she drew back and apologized, "No need to say sorry, Vallie." Before the moment he crossed the threshold, he had only called her Vallie is sort of a joking manner, but now, it seemed like a comforting thing- he couldn't very well call her honey or any other pet name, so it would just have to work. He looked at her face, and though it was tearstained, she was still gorgeous. How did that work? Most women looked- no offense intended- like crap when they cried. But Val... just wasn't. Harry listened while she talked, and it was sad. Sure, he didn't always get along with Matt, but really they both genuinely cared about the other. It wasn't like they weren't still brothers even though they rubbed one another the wrong way on a daily basis. "I think she's crazy for not wanting to talk to you," he told her, sliding his hands to rest on her shoulders so he could see her properly. "And I bet she misses you too. She's just too afraid to face that she has something to apologize to you for." He looked at her with kind eyes, and when she covered her face he let out a playfully exasperated sigh, "So now I don't get to see your pretty face?" He smiled smally, pulling her close and placed a ginger kiss on her forehead. He had this sort of soothing voice, and it really displayed that his heart was always in the right place. Harrison had kissed many a forehead, which wasn't so much as a kiss and just a silent way of portraying that he cared- that he was there and he wasn't going to stop just because something had gone ary in the person's life. Piper had recieved this same gesture time after time. He didn't really feel for Val like she was his sister... and he wasn't necessarily out to date her or anything. Well, who knew really. Valmai had this way of drawing him in, and even if they weren't close friends, they were still friends. "Come on, it'll be okay. She'll come 'round." he cooed at her. tagged: vallie / amyword count: 766notes: d'awww!

Val wasn't completely shut off from the world and she did have friends but most of those friends were people that she liked to drink with. Other than that she knew very little about the people that she called her friends. The only exceptions were Matt who she had shared some of her personal issues with but that usually only happened after she had knocked back a few gin and tonics. And Finn who knew quite a bit about her family at this point but even with Finn she still acted like nothing affected her. It was easier this way because over the years Valmai had built herself a dam to block everything inside and she started to allow cracks in the structure then the whole thing would come tumbling down. If she didn't keep a strong front then she would be forced to admit to herself that sometimes she didn't really like who she was.

Unfortunately, Harry had caught her in one of her rare vulnerable moments and it was pretty hard to convince someone that you were just fine when your face was tear stained. Even if she wanted to cover it up it would have been impossible with the way that he was speaking so tenderly to her. Even his teasing nickname, Vallie, was so endearing in this moment that gathering up her emotions and packing them back in seemed nearly impossible. What was it about Harry right now that made it so impossible for her to put on that brave face for him like she did with everyone else? Val was pretty sure that if Matt had been to walk in that she could have laughed and played it off saying that she stubbed her toe really bad or something. But even as the words formed in her mouth she couldn't spit out those lies to Harry.

She laughed slightly when Harry said that her sister was crazy for not wanting to talk to her. Her laugh was muffled by her hands but it was clear enough to be heard. What did Harry know? It was moments like these that Val was so sure there was something wrong with her that made it impossible for even her own family to like her. She hadn't spoken to her sister in years and her mother only really paid attention to her now because she had joined a professional Quidditch team. Her father had been able to walk away without a second glance. What was it about her that made her so hard to like? "She hates me. She hates me because our stupid mother doesn't give a shit about her success but goes crazy because I happen to be good at throwing a ball through a hoop." Usually Val was so excited about her talent at Quidditch that it was strange that she would put in those terms. Put a ball through a hoop as if she didn't even care. "My mother is just living vicariously through me. It is so obnoxious!" God, now she was spilling her issues with her mother to him. She really needed to get it together and fast.

Valmai didn't resist when he pulled her hands away from her face, her eyes closed a few tears squeezing out from under her eyelashes as she felt his lips on her head. Why was he being so kind to her? It wasn't like they were super close friends or anything. Mostly Valmai just teased him for his bookish ways although deep down she always kind of admired him for his ability to let her teasing roll off of him. He was always able to throw it right back at her and that was something that Val found kind of attractive. It was strange but true. "It has been two years, Harry." She said, her voice small. She looked up at him looking so small and defenseless. Val wanted to go back into his arms but was afraid to. "She won't even open the letter. How am I supposed to try and mend that bridge when she won't even acknowledge that I am still alive?" The crying was done but Val was still upset, she pushed her fingers through her hair looking down at her feet. What was she supposed to do?

Harrison Elmer Scamander was a nice guy. There is no denying that fact. There were things one could do to make him act like a jerk, but those were besides the point. He was generally a guy that would stop at nothing to take care of everyone around him. It was like there was something programmed into his mind that made him care about pretty much everyone. Aiding and helping was in Harry down to his genes; his father was a healer- and obviously that meant he cared and did his fair share when it came to comforting people. Well-versed in the manners of how to handle situations like this, he shook his head at her when she said her sister hated her. Though that was a tough situation to be in- a parent choosing one child over the other for such a mundane reason as whether not they're famous or not. For a moment, he wondered what kind of life she had. It wasn't like he didn't like her and didn't ever wonder, they just hadn't had any chance to talk about it. he figured Matt knew all the intricate details of said fight, but he wasn't going to get into that. Harry very well knew that he couldn't solve this problem, just ease it's effects and comfort Valmai. She was a good person, and so clearly not always so overwhelmingly confident and boisterous as she played off. But not everyone really was what they appeared to be. "Your sister will come around, I promise. And she doesn't hate you, Vallie. She's probably still steaming over whatever happened. I know there's no way someone can stay mad forever." That was a fact. No matter how hard Harry had tried, he couldn't stay angry with anyone for more than a few weeks tops- and that was if they had really done something horrible to him. Harrison wasn't one who held grudges very long, just because it took so much effort to. When he was upset, he often just distracted himself and kept busy, and soon, all the emotions would melt away. Two years was definitely a long time for Valmai's sister to be mad, but some wounds were deep and needed longer to heal. "Well, no matter the reason your mom is paying attention to you, you deserve it. You really do work hard on the field. You are a formidable opponent." Perhaps his vocabulary was over the top and completely unnecessary, but that was just how he was. He liked his words, and he smiled a little, trying to make her smile. Harry didn't think it should be possible for a pretty girl like Val to be upset and frown. It just wasn't right. His hands moved to hold her face, and he wiped the final tears from her face with his thumb on either side of her face. He gently pulled her forward and placed another kiss on her forehead, "Two years, or twenty years, it's all going to work out in the end. Take this from someone who always overthinks things, it's much easier to take everything day by day. Soon, your sister will get over it. You've got a great thing going for you with the Magpies and she can fuss over it, or she can be happy for you. Just wait, when she gets over her problems, she'll be back and you won't be able to get her to go away." he smiled at her, and then added, "And if that doesn't work, you just say the word and I'll hunt her down and build that bridge again for you." And he really would do his best if she asked him to. tagged: vallie / amyword count: shorrrrt D:notes: none right now!

She wanted to believe him so bad when Harry said that he was sure that her sister would come around eventually. Val wanted to believe that Luned wouldn't stay mad forever and that eventually she was going to have to open her letters and read them. He was so optimistic and she wished that she could be too. But that wasn't who she was. Her childhood had taught her that getting your hopes up and being optimistic was the best way to set yourself up to get hurt. It was better to have the lowest expectations possible for the people around you because then they would never have the chance to disappoint you. Many would say that this was a ridiculous way to live because if you didn't take the gamble then you could never win in the end. But Val hadn't experienced anything yet in her eighteen years of life that convinced her that taking the gamble was worth it.

"You don't know Luned. She is an expert grudge holder. When she was in her second year one of the girls in her year borrowed her necklace without asking. Luned never spoke another word to the girl and they had to sleep in the same dorm together for five more years!" Val worried that she would end up like that girl who had taken Luned's necklace. She worried that twenty years from now she would still be receiving nothing but silence from her sister. They had their differences and Valmai hadn't exactly been understanding about Luned's feelings. In fact Val had accused Luned of being a jealous harpie. Not exactly her best moment. When Harry complimented her Val couldn't help but smile. He was right, she didn't have to be ashamed of her achievements just because her mother was a total bitch. "Thanks. That means a lot." And it did mean a lot coming from him. Strange that she felt that way.

His hands cupped her face and Valmai looked up at him feeling infinitely better. It was so strange that just a few moments ago she had felt so terrible that all she could do was stand there and cry. And now she was looking up at Harry and actually smiling at him. There was just something about his smile. And there was something about the way he so gently wiped away the last of her tears with his thumb, it was like he was wiping away her sadness as well. His lips against her forehead nearly chased all of her negative thoughts about her sister away. How could he do that? "I really hope its not twenty years." She said with a shaky laugh. But his words did have a soothing affect on her. It was like he had peeked into her mind and had pulled out exactly the perfect thing to say to make her feel better. Valmai could feel her body relax slightly as she let go of that stress and all of the terrible feelings that had taken over when she had first seen that unopened envelope. "I suppose I just have to keep trying. Right?" She sighed. It was harder than she made it sound. Sharing feelings and being open was not something her family was known for.

Val laughed when he said that he would hunt her sister down for her. She could just imagine Harry going and tracking down Luned and demanding that she forgive and forget. Luned would probably rip him a new one but it was still sweet of Harry to make such an offer. It was sweet of him to hold her and to kiss her forehead and to do everything he could to soothe her. "I can't believe I am saying this but I am really glad you found me in here." And she was telling him the truth. Usually Val would have been horrified to be discovered crying but Harry had made her feel better. He had seen the more vulnerable side to her and he had run away screaming. Quite the opposite. Suddenly Valmai couldn't stop herself from leaning forward, standing on her toes and pressing her lips to his.

Kissing him was wrong. It was wrong because this was Harrison Scamander aka a Ravenclaw and aka a total and complete square. They were nothing at all alike. Harry was smart and he was ambitious and he cared about making a difference in the world. Valmai lived in the moment and cared more about herself than anyone else around her. He was the kind of guy that would take a girl out for dinner and buy her flowers and Valmai was the kind of girl who made headlines in the newspaper because she was hooking up with a guy whose last name she didn't know. And there was the little fact that Valmai, in a drunken state, had fooled around with Matt more than once. But right now as her lips pressed against his all of those things flew out of her mind. Her brain froze and she felt a strange sort of twisting sensation in her stomach that was so unfamiliar to her that she couldn't identify it. All she knew was that she really just wanted to keep on kissing Harry.

He was sure that Valmai's sister couldn't hold something against her for the rest of their lives. That was simply impossible to comprehend in Harrison's mind. If he could forgive Matt for being, well, Matt, then how could someone hold something for so long against Valmai? She wasn't a saint by anyone's standards, but certainly, she was not the world's worst either. It was blasphemy to even hold that much anger for family. This was probably due to the fact that even though the Scamanders bickered and fought, they always made up, and they always stuck together. Harry hadn't ever even thought that there was any other way to live in a family unit. "I don't know her, but you're family. Doesn't that account for something with her?" Harry was certain that everything would work out. Didn't it have to? Perhaps something was going on with the sister and she just couldn't possibly reply to the letter? Maybe she was in the middle of a fight with her significant other and just was overwhelmed with everything that she sent it back? There was certainly many scenarios that Harry could- and probably would- think up. It was just imperative that he make Vallie smile and feel better for the time being. He couldn't have a house guest that wasn't happy and pleased. He was glad that she took his compliment without a fight- there were plenty of girls that denied him the satisfaction of complimenting because they were too convinced that they weren't pretty or talented. Which really just lowered the amount of appeal. He smiled down at her, still holding her face in his hand. His eyes took in her features; from the plumpness of her lips to the curvature of her cheeks and those eyes. Why did those eyes seem completely different than they had only days earlier? Well, other than the obvious fact that they were teary and sad. Those eyes were also vulnerable instead of hard and steely like he had always known them to be. It wasn't like she was a horrible person, she just always put up that front that she was tough and strong and void of all negative emotions. But that wasn't the case, and he could clearly see it now. Harry chortled, "It won't be twenty. I can assure you of that. And you'll just have to keep trying and she'll have to pay attention to you." For a moment he wasn't quite sure what he was feeling about this scene. It was common for him, sure, but what was really odd was the feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had felt it before- but never this strong. And then his mouth opened and words slipped out without him even trying to make sense of them, "It's really hard to not pay attention to you, you know that?" What? What did he just say, and how did that apply to anything? It sounded like he was changing subjects, yet they were still talking about her sister... Weren't they? Two things then happened as if in tandem- at least that's how it played in his head. She thanked him- and kissed him. He was definitely used to the thanks, but she hadn't used the word 'friend' nor did she try and unwrap from his grasp. But this kiss, this kiss. It was unexpected and it was brilliant. Harry was one to think and to plan a date for this sort of thing. Normally he would bring flowers and woo a woman as she deserved to be wooed. It was just his way of doing things. Things like this. He kissed back for a moment, and then remembered that Valmai was in a vulnerable state- was she doing this just because she wanted to sink back into some sense of her normality? He knew she had fooled around and been completely opposite of him in the world of love... But why did this feel like it should? Harry broke the kiss, and looked down at her, asking cautiously, "Vallie, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you just had a hard time, and I don't know if you're doing this because of that?" He wasn't sure how much sense he made, but his head was still spinning with the feeling that kiss had left him. It was mind-boggling and everything it should be- with someone who shouldn't arouse that sort of emotion in the pit of his stomach. This was Valmai- a girl of whom shared more in common with Matt than himself. tagged: vallie / amyword count: 764notes: d'awww. shutup harry!

She couldn't help but smile when Harry asked if family meant anything to Luned. It was so simple in his mind. Valmai and Luned were sisters therefore nothing should be able to come between them. It was such a reflection of his upbringing. To Harry family was this sacred thing and no matter what happened at the end of the day you had your family and you had to forgive them. If only that were true for everyone but as Valmai saw it the Scamanders were a rare breed. A family that genuinely loved and cared for each other. As much as Valmai tried to shove it to the back of the mind there were times when she had to acknowledge that most of her behavior stemmed from the fact that she was angry at her family and it was the type of anger that didn't just go away. She was angry at her mother because Gwendolyn had been such a piss poor caregiver. Gwen had no business having children and Valmai wasn't one of those who was all grateful just because her mother had given her life. Her whole life Gwen had been selfish and self absorbed, a petty little child who couldn't even drag herself out of bed in the morning because she was so depressed over losing her sad excuse for a husband.

Valmai was angry for all the times that she had gone hungry at night, she was angry for all the times that her mother spent the night out with a strange man, she was angry for her father walking out. She had all of this anger against a mother who never wrote to her to ask how school was and who could care less when the professors wrote to tell her how Valmai's behavior was becoming a real issue. Valmai knew that she was more than just a talented Quidditch player, she was a smart girl but what was the point in trying? No one gave two shits about if she got an O or a P in Herbology so long as she could throw a Quaffle through a hoop. Even this made Valmai angry and the anger made her hard and cold until she was this untouchable thing who just wanted to scream at the world all the time. These thoughts overwhelmed her until she felt like she might truly go crazy.

The strange thing was that in this moment the anger had faded. The touch of Harry's hand on her cheek quieted her so that the anger dissipated and she felt relief. Valmai had tried for years to soothe the anger with alcohol and in the arms of any decent man who would have her. But nothing had ever had the affect that Harry's touch had on her right now. She was so busy trying to sort out that feeling that she almost missed his words about how she was hard to ignore. What did that mean? Was he still talking about Luned? It didn't really seem like it. It seemed more like he was referring to himself. Did Harry find her hard to ignore? Her heart made a strange lurching movement that she didn't quite understand. Had her heart really just skipped a beat?

When Harry finally broke away from the kiss Valmai felt disoriented as if she had just woken up from a strange and very realistic dream. How much time had passed since her lips first came into contact with his? It had felt like an eternity and yet still not long enough. Her ears were full with the sound of her own heart pounding so that his words sounded distant as if he were talking to her through a tunnel. Honestly she had no idea how to answer his question because she wasn't really sure if she wanted to be doing this. Valmai wasn't even sure what had driven her to kiss Harry except that it had seemed like a physical necessity. Like breathing. Maybe she was just kissing him because she was reverting to her old state being. It wasn't out of character for her to use men to repress her own feelings. But this didn't feel like that. When she was sober she actually felt a sense of revulsion with herself if she tried to get with some random guy. In a sober state she realized the full extent of what she was doing and it sickened her. Of course she had never shared that fact with anyone. But kissing Harry had only filled her with a sense of elation. She didn't come away from it with a sense of self loathing.

"I'm sober." She blurted out and then realized that that would make no sense to him. He wasn't inside her head. "It usually takes a few shots of vodka before I want to kiss someone." There was a tinge of confusion of in her voice as if she didn't quite understand why she felt like kissing Harry despite the lack of alcohol in her system. "I really really really want to kiss you again." Her voice was softer than usual, all of the harshness that it usually held was faded out. Without asking permission or really giving him a choice Val wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, stood on her toes and kissed him again.

She had always scoffed when people talked about kisses igniting fireworks in the pit of her stomach. Valmai had just imagined that it was some stupid feeling that people invented to assure themselves that love was real. She had kissed a lot of guys but she had never felt any fireworks. You would think that at least one of them would be able to inspire that awe struck feeling in her. A kiss was just a kiss and it meant nothing except to hopeless romantics who blew it out of proportion. But kissing Harry threatened to make a believer out her. Their lips touched and Valmai could have sworn she felt the earth move beneath her. It was exhilarating and yet incredibly frightening at the same time. This time it was Val who broke the kiss. As much as she wanted to seem casual it was pretty hard to hide shining eyes and flushed cheeks. "Damn." She exhaled the word, a word that carried a lot of meaning. The universe was clearly playing a big joke on her if it allowed her to feel this earth shaking thing for Harrison Scamander.

The Scamanders were an uncommon familial group, it seemed. There had been times where Harrison had figured this out, but for whatever reason it was just too common to him to care most about his family. He had always gotten weird looks from his friends when he first mentioned his siblings to them. Even though he spoke about his brother annoying him, his little sister crying about everything, and Sammy being Sammy, they figured Harry hated his siblings. But it was just the opposite; he loved them. Harrison would spend time with both his brothers and even if Matthew just wouldn't grow up and learn from anything he did, Harry kept on seeing him every chance he got. Scamanders were all over the place- Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and of course Ravenclaw. They were a known family at Hogwarts- Harrison for being one of the smartest in his year as well as a prefect and just that go-to guy. Matthew was known for, well, just being Matt. He was a childish pain in the ass and somehow he had charm. Odd how that happened. Piper was just the world's most friendly person ever. She tried to like everyone and her laugh was unmissable. Samuel was the baby of the family, and was commonly known to be coddled by Piper. It was actually quite odd since normally the sisters were more sheltered and protective than the brothers. Such was true when it came to Harrison. He watched out for Piper more than Matt and Sam- choosing to let the boys learn themselves. Men were manly like that- they had to screw up and learn from such. This kiss from Valmai made about as much sense to him as Matthew did talking with his mouth full. How was she kissing him- she was that type of girl who went after any guy that moved if he didn't know the properties of mandrakes or the ingredients of veritaserum. She didn't like people like Harry. She liked people like Matt. They had so many differences that they just couldn't possibly get along properly. Why did this kiss cause so much... so much... emotion in the pit of his stomach? It didn't make an ounce of sense. And to someone like Harrison- there wasn't much that puzzled him. What was going on here? And he knew it wasn't just him- because Vallie was acting strange too. Okay, now he was always referring to her as Vallie? This wasn't happening. It had to be some sort of dream. He was probably in his armchair right this second, sleeping and dreaming. Why was he dreaming of Valmai? Doing this was odd- Valmai was a quidditch player for the Magpies. She had quit school. She wasn't his type. At all. Samantha Wilkinson was his type. Sam was intelligent, driven, organized, witty, and she still had this little spark of fierce in everything she did. Samantha was fiesty without being obnoxious and craving for everyone's attention. Harrison had often thought that he and Sam would be together one day. Sure, she was a year older and in a relationship with that Drew guy... but still. He was a romantic and he knew he could sweep her off her feet one day. But right now, he wasn't thinking of sweeping Samantha off her feet- but Valmai Morgan. He could treat her well and make her know that there was really a reason to love. Monogamy and all. He was a one woman show, and he knew he could convince her to be a one-man lady. Wait. Quit, Harrison! This was ridiculous. He had almost forgotten he had spoke when she replied with an all too vague response saying she was sober. What? That had little to do with anything? And then she added onto it, and it made more sense. What bepuzzlement had appeared on his face soon disolved and left a small smile on his face. She really wanted to kiss him again. So she really had felt something between them when she kissed him earlier. Val kissed him again, and this time, his own heart skipped a beat while his hands ventured to her waist. All too soon, she broke the kiss, and at her single word, he beamed. "Now I really want to kiss you again." The words were cheesy, and seemed to be something out of one of those novels Piper would read and gawk over. But that was Harrison. He was a cheesy guy and it worked for him- obviously. He pulled her to him, kissing her once again. This time, something clicked within him and he just wanted to know her. Know her life, her dreams, her past, her body. Those lips. It really was inappropriate, but the fact that the house was void of any other person, it could be accepted. Harrison was something of a surprise when it came to things in the love department. He could be that man who praised you, brought you gifts, but he could also be that man who just wanted a woman in all her beauty. And this, was more of the latter. Adventurous hands pulled her as he blindly led her to the desk, leaning onto it for support. All of this was enough to send them both toppling off not only their feet, but the figurative edge. It was all so weird, yet at the same time, so... earth-moving, mind-boggling, and amazing. Strangely amazing. "I don't," he said while catching his breath, "think anyone will be home until late tonight." This was more like a proposition than a statement. What a dirty Harry! His hands were clasped on her lower back, a sexy smirk playing at his lips. Oh yes, Harrison was an intelligent man, but he could play the field just as well as any other guy- perhaps even better.tagged: vallie / amyword count: 975notes: (: "what a dirty harry!"

This whole moment had a rather surreal quality to it and Valmai was starting to wonder if maybe she was actually dreaming this all. It wouldn't be the first time that her brain had subconsciously paired her with some random guy. Albeit Harry was the most random so far. If someone had told Valmai to guess which Scamander boy that she would be kissing during her stay at the house she would have said Matt without hesitation. Matt was her friend, the one she knew the best, the one that she had the most in common with. And she and Matt had shared a few drunken kisses in the past. In fact, when Matt invited her over to stay she had assumed that at one point or another those sloppy drunken kisses would be repeated at least one of the nights during her stay. But here she was as sober as could be and locked in Harry's arms. Strangely instead of feeling ridiculous and forced it felt just right. It was like she had just stepped into a place that she had no idea that she had been missing.

This was wrong. Valmai Morgan did not under any circumstances feel something so ridiculous for someone. When she actually felt something then it took the control from her hands and that was something that scared her out of her mind. It was so much easier when she could just get naked with a guy and then walk away afterwards with no emotion for him, no attachment, no desire to see him again. But this kiss with Harry already threatened to shatter her precious rules. She should shove him away right now, tell her that it was a fluke and that she was just feeling vulnerable and all of those other excuse. But just the thought of cutting him off like that twisted her heart painfully. What the hell? This was Harrison Scamander. This was one kiss! It meant nothing! Why was she letting herself get all worked up about one stupid, insignificant little kiss?

They were stumbling blindly around the study back towards the desk where Val had caught Harry reading like an old man on a number of occasions already. It was just another reason on the list of why they weren't good together. Harry got ready for bed by reading a book and drinking a glass of whiskey. Valmai got ready for bed by showing off her ass to random strangers. They didn't mesh and their lifestyles certainly didn't match up at all. They weren't compatible. So why did it feel so much like they were? The chemistry was obviously there but Valmai wasn't going to be the stupid girl that let herself fall for some stupid chemical reaction in her brain. That was all this was and she was going to prove it. Her feelings right now were Harry were just blip on the radar and she fully intended to be able to walk away from him after tonight.

"Perfect. I really don't want to be interrupted." The last thing that Val wanted was for Mrs. Scamander to walk in and see Val naked with her oldest son. Valmai wanted to prove that she was still herself tonight although Harry wasn't really helping her case. That dirty proposition, pointing out that no one would be home, was so unlike the stodgy old Harry that she knew. This Harry was sexy and dirty and Val wondered how long this part of him had been hiding underneath his proper exterior. She wanted to know more about him and who he was, what there was below the surface that he presented. She wanted to know what it would take to keep a guy like him interested in her. Wait. No! That was the opposite of what she wanted! Valmai didn't want to get to know him she wanted to use him to prove that she was still herself. She wanted to prove that that vulnerable girl that he had held in his arms was nothing but a brief glimmer of weakness.

AND THEN THEY HOLD HANDS AND STARE INTO EACH OTHER'S EYES. JUST KIDDING. THEY DO THE DIRTY ON THE DESK.

THE NEXT DAY...Things last night had gotten, well, a little crazy. Harrison hadn't thought that he would have been in the study doing anything up reading with someone who was quite different than him. If you had to extract words from Harrison, he probably couldn't really say anything but 'wow.' It was a magical evening consisting of dirty details that wouldn't be escaping Harrison's lips. He liked to be a proper lad and keep personal things personal. It was their own little secret, Valmai and Harry. The odd thing about it was that he couldn't quit mulling the events over. Harrison wasn't the guy that you just slept with and had no relationship with. He had felt something the previous night, and he hadn't felt something like that in a great deal of time. Gentleman, he was a gentleman and that was quite uncharacteristic of him to do with someone that he wasn't dating or convinced he was in love with. But in all the steamy action that had occured, he defended his actions with the fact that he had felt there would be love between them. It wasn't often that you got that electrifying feeling from a kiss- and it just could not be ignored. Now, they all sat at dinner- the entire Scamander brood with the addition of Valmai. Conversation was never short here- their parents would juggle a chat between themselves and Harrison (on any normal day) and then chime in on Matt, Piper and Sam. However, today, Harry was in a daze. Since it was a Saturday, he had spent the first part of his day at St. Mungo's and then the afternoon was spent in London at various shops that he and his father often frequented. Harry had been just as distracted all day. He wasn't meaning to be, but any time he looked about, he could just see flashes of Valmai. Hopefully, no one had noticed that he had creeped over to the study to straighten up in the early hours of the morning. Wasn't he just a sneaky bloke? "Well I don't think that'd be too much trouble," his mother was saying as Harry pushed around the shepard's pie on his plate. He had a faint smile on his face- one that had been present all day. His eyes slipped over to Vallie, she was smiling as she had some interesting conversation with Matt and Piper about god knows what. It wasn't like he was paying attention to anything today- quite unusual. She was radiant in the bright light of their dining room. He couldn't help but eye her a little longer until his mother was begging for a response, "Don't you think so, Harry. Harry- Harrison!" His eyes turned to her, "What? Oh yeah, sure." He hadn't a clue about what he had just agreed to. Normally he would be having that adult conversation that he loved so much, sitting at the adult side furthest from Matt. It used to be because he just wanted to be away from the boy as much as he could- now it was for the stimulating discussions about all the affairs of adulthood. He took a bite of his food while his mother was questioning her eldest son, "What's gotten into you today? It's like you're as far removed as your brother." She knew. She had to know! What mother wouldn't have at least a clue about something like this in her own son's life? His mom's eyes flickered to Valmai for a moment before looking back at Harry, "I want my son back. After dinner you and your father are going to help me with the dishes and you'll go right to the drawing room and reading. You hear me?" This wasn't much of a punishment for his distance that day, really, so much as a distraction of a distraction. His father turned to him and smiled. He had to know too. Maybe he was just paranoid- what was up with this? His head nodded at his mother who sat across the table from him. Valmai sat next to Harrison- which wasn't any change from the time she had spent here, but it felt different to him. He had feelings for her. Silly Harry, actually thinking that he would be the one to tame a wild heart like Valmai's. But it wasn't silly to the lad- he definitely knew he could. He could show her that monogamy wasn't dreadful. A silent mission, Harry declared. He didn't have to share his business with his mates nor his siblings. Lord knows Piper would just throw a hissy fit, Matt would scoff and think it to be a suicide mission, and Sam, maybe he wouldn't care. He didn't seem to care anyway.tagged: vallie / amyword count: 796notes: :D

Last night had been, in a word, monumental. What had started out as a terrible evening had progressed into something that Valmai was sure that she'd never forget. Valmai was no virgin, she hadn't even had a passing acquaintance with the status since she was fourteen years old. But last time had been, for lack of a better term, different. In the best of ways it had been different. Over the years Val had become so jaded when it came to matters of sex that she often felt like she was just going through the motions. In fact, with a lot of men her mind would actually wander during the act as she thought about Quidditch or errands that she needed to run the next day. Sex was fun and Val liked the attention but most of the time she felt like she was putting on some kind of performance and just trying to prove to a guy how sexy she was. It wasn't like that with Harry. Her mind had not wandered, she didn't feel like she was going through predetermined motions, she hadn't had to fake anything. To be quite honest it was mind blowing which was not something she would have expected from Harry. He was bookish, he was a romantic, he was a square. And apparently he was also good in bed...erm...desk. Whatever.

Harry had seen Val in a vulnerable state and she had assumed that if she slept with him she would be able to just prove that he was like any other guy. Just another notch on her bedpost that she could walk away from with a second glance. But all the day the only thing that she could thing of was Harry and the events that had transpired between them in the study. She had spent the day with Matt and Piper but honestly she couldn't really recall anything that they had done or said. Val had had an even shorter attention span than usual as she wondered what Harry was up to at that moment, wondered how he felt about last night, wondered if he was thinking about her too. She had tried to lecture herself about how this was all so wrong and that she and Harry had nothing in common. What was she expecting anyway? Some kind of relationship? That was ridiculous. Valmai Morgan did not do relationships.

However, she couldn't deny that when she had walked into the dining room and say Harry sitting in his usual seat her heart skipped a beat. How was it possible that in the span of twenty-four hours he had some how become even more good looking? Val couldn't take her eyes off of him as she walked to the seat next to him and then she realized how strange that was and looked away. She had to maintain some sense of normalcy or the whole family would pick up on the fact that something was different. Except Matt. Matt never noticed anything.

Valmai tried her best to keep a running conversation going with Matt but it was difficult. She was acutely aware of Harry next to her noting his every move, listening to his stilted conversation with his mother. Pushing her food around on her plate Valmai moved her foot over finding Harry's foot under the table and rubbing against it slightly. Footsie. Really? This was what she had resorted to? All she wanted to do was kiss him but there was no way she was going to jump him right in front of his family. Even though there was shoes and socks between their feet Valmai still felt a quiver of electricity run up her body. What was wrong with her? Obviously this was not her normal behavior. Was it possible that she actually felt something for Harrison? The universe had a cruel sense of humor.

As the summer was winding down, the days were getting shorter, and Harrison wasn't finding his feelings wearing down like he thought they might. No, it wasn't that he didn't think he could love Valmai. It was the fact that she wasn't known for loving anyone else. What sense did that make? The boy who fell in love too quickly, and the girl who never would? Harry was, however much he tried not to be, a romantic at heart. And his gestures toward Valmai weren't considered anything but Harry-sized. The boy completely went above and beyond flowers and candy. And this time? He had out-done himself entirely. He smiled, looking at his work before him. In the guest bedroom down the hall from his own room, he had decorated for Valmai. At first, it sounded completely homosexual. But it was anything but. He had used his wand to extinguish any other lights in the room, and had used a charm to write glowing words across the ceiling and walls around the bed. Now what did all these say? "Meet me in the garden. XO- Harry" And the garden. No, it wasn't just the garden any longer. He had used his knowledge of all random spells and incantations to grow the garden into an intricate maze. And at the center of the maze? Harry had laid out a checkered blanket and made a picnic with a bottle of wine. Had he really done all this for her? Well of course. This was Harry's ways of wooing a woman- though he was sure it was all unnecessary since their first date had been after they already had intimate relations. But it was also her last night at the Scamander home, and Harrison was going to make sure it was one she would never forget. He peeked out of her room to check it the coast was clear and then silently made his way down the stairs and out the back door. It wasn't too late now, but the sun was just setting and Vallie would be home any minute with Matt and Vinnie. Sure it was dangerous that they weren't home alone, but he had set enough muffling charms that nothing would be heard inside. Plus when Harry's door was shut, it was a general warning that disturbing him would end in yelling- which was something the Scamanders liked to avoid.He made his way through the maze with ease- it was made by him, after all! And sat on the blanket, setting his wand to the side. He eased himself onto his back to look up at the slowly emerging stars and awaited on the sound of footsteps to come through the garden and lead her to him. He kept thinking about all that had happened between them in the time she was visiting- from the night in the study, family dinners, their secret date in town, triapsing through the feild behind the house and the countless kisses, touches, glances. Harrison smiled just thinking about it all. He loved Valmai Morgan, he really did. He had felt this love before, for Cameron, but now- it was just a faint memory and Valmai was his present. Though he knew he shouldn't say those three words to her, he definitely wished he could. Someday, maybe when he was absolutely sure she felt the same way about him, Harrison would tell her. tagged: vallie / amyword count: 568notes: short as hell, sorry!

The end of summer was approaching rapidly which meant that for Valmai Morgan her time at the Scamander house was drawing to an end. Hot summer days and nights had passed far too quickly for her taste and now she was packed and tomorrow was her day of departure. She had come to the Scamander house from her mother's home and she would be leaving to go to her new flat and her new life with her room mate and team mate Finley Darcy. And she was going a changed woman as much as she wanted to deny it. Valmai wanted to see herself as the same girl that had stepped foot into the Scamander house excited to spend time with her closest friend. But anyone who was observant enough would see the subtle changes in her demeanor, in her smile, in the way that she carried herself. These summer days had wrought a change in her very core and that change was slowly spreading outwards to manifest itself on the surface. It was that night in the study at the very moment that her lips first came in contact with Harrison's when the shift had first occurred. Valmai was no stranger to physical relationships and had lost her virginity at a young age. It had become so easy for her to be emotionally detached to the act of having sex and it was to the point that she literally could turn off all emotion without any effort at all. It was second nature to her.

Not so with Harry. This summer had been a bit of a whirlwind for the young woman who found herself caught up in emotions that she had never felt before. Every night she had had this mental battle with herself with her head commanding her heart not to feel anything. Harrison was just so wrong for her in so many ways it made her head spin. To her he had always just been Matt's dorky older brother who had a really weird love for books. Now he was the man who set her heart pounding whenever he smiled at her. The man who had actually convinced her to go on a real date with him in town. All summer it had been stolen glance, the brush of a hand under the table, secret moments. It was the stuff that one read one about in Victorian romance novels. It most certainly wasn't typical of Valmai. She was a wild child! She was crazy! She liked to drink and dance on tables. She had a dragon tattooed on her ass for godsake! Never in her life had she loved anyone other than herself. That wasn't completely true. She had loved Luned and look how well that had turned out.

Tonight was her last night before she had to go back to her own home and Valmai was surprised at how depressed she was about it. She had Finley and Quidditch to look forward to so why was she so sad? Of course she had put up a good front for Avin and Matt who insisted they have a fun day out in Cardiff. One last hurray before she left and before they had to go back to school. Valmai pretended to be enthusiastic about it but truth be told she really wanted to be spending this day with Harry. She imagined the two of them curled up in his room nestled up on his bed just talking. Talking? What was wrong with her? She seriously needed a drink. Unfortunately she hadn't seen Harry at all except briefly in the morning but his mum had been there and there was no opportunity for her to say anything to him. And evening was falling and Valmai felt like the entire day had been wasted. When they got back to the house Piper mentioned that Harrison was already in his room and Valmai's heart fell. In his room. That meant that she wouldn't see him at all tonight. He kept his door locked as she had discovered.

Valmai felt hurt even as she tried to harden herself against that feeling. This had been nothing but a summer fling and Harry was acknowledging that fact by shutting her out tonight on their last night. She would be able to return to her old self and her old life guilt free. That was what she wanted, right? But as she climbed the stairs up to the second floor and made her way to the guest room all she felt as incredibly depressed. She knew that Matt wanted to hang out all night but Valmai told him that she was feeling sick. Really all she wanted to do was curl up in the bed and spend the rest of the night listing all the reasons that her thing with Harry had been nothing but a lapse in judgement. God, she had really become pathetic. Some how Harrison Scamander had turned her into a sniveling mess. Gross.

Reaching the door of her room she was determined to be angry and to shut Harry out from her mind. No man was allowed to make her feel this way! And Harry was just another notch among many notches in her bed post. Valmai let the door swing open and she stepped into the dark room only to realize that the walls were glowing. She stared for a moment before comprehended that the glowing lights were actually words. Meet me in the garden. A message from Harry. Her heart lurched so hard that it was almost painful as she shut the door behind her and locked it with a swift click. There was no way she was going to let Matt barge in here and see these words. Valmai felt breathless. In the garden. He was waiting for her. With the expertise of a girl who had spent many a night sneaking out of her house Valmai swung her leg out the window and descended the trellis on the wall until her feet came in contact with the ground.

The garden was transformed. Instead there was a maze that had clearly been put there by magic. Valmai really had to admit that Harry was incredibly clever. She entered the maze navigating her way through it until she came to the very center. There was a blanket, a picnic laid out and a bottle of wine. The most utterly romantic thing that Valmai had ever seen her life. And right there laying on the blanket was Harry. For one horrific moment Valmai actually felt a heat behind her eyes and a welling of tears but out of sheer will she choked them back. Oh no, she was not going to cry. She never cried. Stepping to the edge of the blanket Valmai descended down to her knees, then placed her hands on the ground and crawled until she was hovering over him. There were no words, Valmai didn't trust herself to speak. Instead she just lowered her head until her lips found his and she kissed him with all the passion and all the desire that she could muster up. Her mind was far away from food and wine, there was only one thing she wanted on this night. Just Harry.