seventeen : A SECRET SHARED

chapter xvii : a secret shared

"pinky promise me you won't tell a soul."

THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMOTION IN THE HOUSE. The Weasley twins had bewitched their trunks to fly down the stairs, a supposed shortcut to save time from having to carry them. Instead, it resulted in the luggage hurtling straight into Ginny, knocking her down two flights of stairs into the hall. Mrs. Weasley was screaming at the top of her lungs. "—COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS!"

Valerie Potter came hurrying into the room, just as her twin brother was putting on his shoes. She had woken up a little earlier today to put effort into her appearance since it was the first day back at Hogwarts: she had applied semi-glam makeup. "Are you ready yet?"

"Nearly. Is Ginny alright?" Harry asked, shoving on his glasses.

"Mrs. Weasley patched her up," Valerie continued. "But now Mad-Eye's complaining that we can't leave unless Sturgis Podmore's here, otherwise the guard will be one person short."

               "Guard?" Harry repeated. "We have to go to King's Cross with a guard?"

"Because of us," Valerie answered. "Well—mostly you."

"Why?" Harry irritably questioned. "I thought Voldemort was supposed to be laying low, or are you telling me he's going to jump from behind a tree to try and do me in?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It's just what Mad-Eye says. Come on, hurry up, we don't want to miss the train."

It took them twenty minutes to reach King's Cross on foot and nothing more eventful happened during that time than Sirius, in his animal form, scaring a couple of cats for Harry and Valerie's entertainment. Once they entered the station, they waited until the coast was clear before falling easily through platform nine and three-quarters.

The Hogwarts Express stood over a platform packed with departing students and their families. The twins inhaled the familiar scent of engine smoke and felt their spirits soar.

"Nice dog, Harry and Val!" A tall boy with dreadlocks called.

The twins grinned in unison. "Thanks, Lee."

Sirius wagged his tail frantically.

"Well, look after yourselves." Lupin shook hands all around. When he reached Harry, he gave him a clap on the shoulder before embracing his goddaughter last. "Take care, Valerie. Keep yourself out of trouble."

She grinned before breaking away from the hug. "Sure will."

"Keep your head down and your eyes peeled," Moody instructed as he shook Harry's hand. "And don't forget, all of you—careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."

"It's been great meeting all of you," Tonks exclaimed, hugging Hermione, Ginny, and Valerie. "We'll see you soon, I expect."

A warning whistle sounded, the students still on the platform started hurrying on to the train. "Quick, quick!" Mrs. Weasley hugged the Potters. "Write...be good...If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on..."

For one abrupt moment, the black dog reared onto its hind legs and placed its front paws on each of Harry and Valerie's shoulders, but Mrs. Weasley shoved the twins away towards the train door. "For heaven's sake, act more like a dog, Sirius!" She hissed.

            "See you!" Both Harry and Valerie called out of the open window as the train began to move.

The figures of Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shrank rapidly. However, the black dog was bounding alongside the window, wagging its tail. Blurred people on the platform were laughing to see it chasing the train, then they rounded a bend, and Sirius was gone.

Harry, Valerie, Ron, and Hermione walked down the corridor, searching for an empty compartment.

Harry felt a fresh wave of irritation.

Ron and Hermione were talking animatedly about something, but Harry's mind was still on Moody's guard and the fact that he was the reason for it. He felt like he was being watched, being treated like a ticking time bomb.

As they passed a compartment, Ron's eyes lit up. "Hey! D'you guys see the badges?" He said, pointing at the new, gleaming pins on his and Hermione's robes. The gold and silver badges, shaped like the school crest with a bold 'P' for prefect, were a new addition.

"Oh, right, prefects," Valerie said with a smile. She had been so caught up in the morning's chaos that she had forgotten about her own badge. She now noticed the silver pin on her chest, a symbol of her newfound responsibility. Draco Malfoy had also been chosen for Slytherin, and the thought of them both having this new role gave her a sense of excitement.

"Yeah!" Ron beamed. "It's awesome! Even though we're offered our own dormitories, I've decided to stay in the dorm with you and the boys." He said, nudging Harry.

Harry's face tightened, but he forced a weak smile. He was happy for his friends, but a part of him was angry and disappointed. He had always been the one in charge, the one who fought and led. Now, he was being left behind, treated like a child while his friends were given new responsibilities.

They continued their walk, when they spotted a familiar head of platinum-blond hair. Draco was standing in the corridor, looking for her. When he saw her, his face lit up with a genuine smile. "Valerie," He said, walking towards her. He greeted her with a warm hug, pulling her close. "Hey," He murmured into her vanilla scented hair. "Glad you're with me for every single day now."

"Me too," She answered softly with a smile.

He pulled away, his eyes lingering on her for a moment before he glanced at the rest of his friends. He gave them a quick nod before turning back to her. "I was just about to go catch up with Blaise and Theo."

Valerie smiled. "Go ahead. I'll catch up with my friends too. You haven't seen them in ages. We've seen each other basically all summer."

Draco nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. He gave her a final, lingering look before heading off down the corridor.

Valerie found her friends, and they found a compartment.

The tall girl with blonde straight hair with an edgy appearance, whispered into Valerie's ear. "I have so much to tell you. But I can't say a word until we're alone."

Valerie laughed. "Oh, you and your secrets. Fine, I'll be patient."

The compartment filled up with the rest of her friends: Eric Lewis, Daphne Greengrass, Ivory Davis, and Miranda Lim.

           "You're a prefect!" Ivory exclaimed. "I'm so proud of you! But we're going to miss you being our roommate."

         "I know," Valerie said, her heart swelling with affection. "It's going to be a quiet room without me." She grinned.

Daphne, with a mouth full of a homemade cookies, managed to say, "Neville and I spent so much time together this summer. I even met his grandma!" She practically vibrated with excitement, her red hair shimmering with tiny specks of silver glitter. "And she said my homemade banana bread is yummy! That's a huge compliment!"

"You two make such a cute couple, Daph." Eric complimented, earning a smile from Daphne as she continued to munch on her cookies. A wicked grin then spread across his face. "I have a little secret I'm keeping... All I'll say is that Professor Flitwick and I have a deal... and it's going to be a performance for the ages." He then turned back to his mirror to check his lip gloss.

Miranda, who was in the middle of a competitive game on her phone, joined in the conversation. "I've been training all summer for Quidditch, and all I had was my parents' cooking. I am BEYOND READY for the Great Hall."

As the train rattled on, the conversation continued, a comfortable mix of gossip, jokes, and excited chatter about the upcoming school year. The compartment, once an empty space, was now filled with the warmth of friendship, a happy sound that made the journey to Hogwarts feel like coming home.

The four house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling. Candles floated in the air all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were scattered around the Hall and the faces of students talking eagerly, exchanging holiday news, shouting greetings from other houses, examining another's new haircut and robes. Again, the Potter twins noticed people glancing at them while they passed and sharing whispers to one another.

              "Why do people keep looking at me?" Valerie muttered, as she walked further into the Hall with Eric and Draco. "Even on the train."

Draco grinned. "Because you're too beautiful," He teased, causing his smirking girlfriend to lightly smack his arm.

The three of them found seats which were around Daphne, Millicent, Ivory, Miranda, and Blaise. Valerie scanned the staff table as she searched for a particular someone. "He's not there..."

"There's no way Hagrid left," Eric sounded slightly anxious.

"He wouldn't." She replied firmly.

"Who's that?" Draco pointed towards the middle of the staff table. He was sitting right beside Valerie, and her eyes followed his. There was a woman sitting next to Dumbledore, who was talking into his ear. She had short, curly, mouse-brown hair and she wore the colour light pink from head to toe. The woman turned her face slightly to take a sip from her cup and Valerie recognised her toad-like face.

"It's that Umbridge woman!"

"Who?" Miranda Lim asked.

"She was at Harry's hearing, she works for Fudge!" Valerie noted.

               "The Minister??" Daphne's dreamy voice called from across the table.

Millicent wondered, "What on earth is she doing here, then?"

A few seconds later, the massive doors emerged open and a long line of nervous first years entered. The commotion of chatter in the Great Hall faded away. The first years lined up in front of the staff table, and Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of them, then stood back. The sorting of the first years was finished and they had all seated at their chosen houses.

In the meantime, Valerie and the rest of her group of friends gave a puzzled stare towards Eric Lewis, who was making his way towards the platform of the Hall by himself.

"What is he doing??" Draco whispered into his girlfriend's ear and she simply shrugged out of confusion.

The Great Hall, which had been alive with excited chatter moments before, was now hushed. All eyes were on Eric Lewis as he strode to the front of the hall with a dramatic flourish. He bowed deeply, his face radiating confidence.

Professor Flitwick, looking both amused and bewildered, cleared his throat. "Mr. Lewis wishes to share a performance. He has agreed to a rather unconventional assignment to pass his music class." Flitwick explained and he cast a subtle spell.

The air shimmered, and a faint backing track of "Diamonds" by Rihanna began to play, filling the hall with a strange, pop-music hum.

Eric took a deep breath, his hands gesturing grandly.

He was truly giving it his all.

           "Shine bright like a diamooond!" He belted out, his voice cracking on the high note and sounding more like a strangled goose than a pop star. The lyrics were... almost recognisable, but the melody was lost somewhere in a cavern of off-key wails and strained notes.

Overall, he put his heart into it, but it sounded like he was being strangled.

From the Gryffindor table, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had their hands clamped over their mouths, their bodies shaking with silent laughter.

The Weasley twins, however, were less restrained. Fred and George stood on their benches, whooping and singing along in exaggeratedly terrible voices, their arms waving in the air, trying to hype up the crowd.

At the Slytherin table, the friends were trying their best to stay composed, but it was a losing battle.

Blaise Zabini, with his phone discreetly pointed at the stage, was recording the entire thing, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Daphne had tears streaming down her face, her glittery headband askew as she pressed a napkin to her mouth.

Miranda's head was buried in her arms as her body convulsed with laughter.

Even Draco, sitting beside Valerie, had to stifle his laughter. He had a look on his face as if he had smelled something horrible, but a genuine smile was trying to fight its way through.

Valerie was shaking so hard she thought she might fall off the bench.

Eric continued to sing, completely oblivious to the chaos he was causing.

               "YOU'RE A SHOOTING STAR I SEE! A VISION OF ECTASYYY!"

The song went on for what felt like an eternity.

Professor Flitwick, his tiny body trembling with a mixture of amusement and pain, finally had enough.

He looked at Dumbledore, who was watching the scene with a slight smile on his face, before raising his wand.

The music abruptly cut off.

The silence was deafening, except for the lingering sounds of laughter from students.

Flitwick, his voice strained but firm, clapped his hands together. "A round of applause for Mr. Lewis!" He said, his applause sounding forced.

Eric, his chest heaving, looked down at the professor, his face still radiating confidence. "Huh? I'm not finished—do I get the grade?"

"YES!! YOU WILL!! JUST GO BACK TO YOUR SEAT!" Flitwick said, his voice a little too loud, but he gave a thumbs up.

Eric beamed, taking a dramatic bow before heading back to the table. He high-fived the Weasley twins on his way back. When he returned to his seat, his friends were still laughing so hard they couldn't speak, but he simply grinned.

He was a man of his word, and he had gotten his passing grade.

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THE SPEECH OF DOLORES UMBRIDGE WAS A DISASTER. She had droned on in her sugary-sweet voice, a contrast to the venom in her words. She spoke of order, of progress, and of preserving 'what is to be preserved.' The students of the Great Hall had listened in a tense, uncomfortable silence. It was clear from her very first words that she was there not to teach, but to control, and everyone, from the first years to the seventh, felt a deep-seated dislike for the woman in pink.

When the feast finally ended, the prefects' first duty began.

Valerie, Ron, Hermione, and Draco each led a group of nervous-looking first years out of the Great Hall. The corridors were a sea of new faces, their wide eyes taking in the moving staircases, the talking portraits, and the ghostly figures floating through walls. Valerie found herself walking beside Draco, and they exchanged a smile as they steered their young charges toward the Slytherin common room.

When they arrived, the first years disappeared into their dormitories, and Valerie made her way to her new prefect's room. She opened the door, and her friends were waiting for her inside.

"SURPRISE!" They all yelled in unison.

The room, though smaller than her old dormitory, was a blank slate with a single queen sized bed. But her friends had been at work.

In the corner sat a large, white heart vanity.

On the bed lay a pile of wrapped gifts.

Valerie whispers, her heart swelling with emotion. "You did all this?"

                "Of course we did!" Eric said, beaming. "I, for one, couldn't have my best friend living in a room without a proper vanity."

As they all began to help her decorate, she opened her gifts one by one.

There was a soft, light pink duvet cover from Millicent, a set of matching light pink pillowcases from Miranda, a cute heart light pink lampshade from Daphne, and a matching heart clock from Ivory.

The room was quickly transformed into a cozy, cheerful space filled with the thoughtful, vibrant gifts from her friends.

It took them an hour, an hour filled with laughter, smiles, and the comfortable rhythm of true friendship.

When they were finished, Valerie's new room was a reflection of her.

It was a space filled with warmth, love, and a touch of whimsy.

When her friends left to go to their dormitory, a comfortable silence settled over the room.

But not for long.

A soft knock came at the door, and Draco Malfoy stepped inside.

He took in the room, the light pink and hearts, a stark contrast to the stark green and silver of the Slytherin common room.

He smiled softly.

                  "It's... so you," He said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Valerie leaned into him, burying her face in his shoulder. "Thank you for being here."

He held her close for a long moment, the quiet of the room a welcome change from the chaos of the day.

He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes.

He leaned in and kissed her, a long, deep kiss that spoke of all the unspoken words between them.

It was a kiss of reassurance, of love, of a promise of the days to come.

When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. "I'll see you tomorrow, I love you."

"I love you too," She whispered back, watching him leave.

A wave of pure, unadulterated happiness washed over her.

She was in a new place, with new responsibilities, but she was surrounded by people who loved and supported her.

She felt like she could take on anything.

Moments after her boyfriend left, there was another knock on her door. "Come in!" She called.

It was Millicent Bulstrode.

Her face serious, her usual playful expression gone. "Val," She said, closing the door behind her. "It's time to tell you."

Valerie comfortingly led Millicent to sit on her bed, a gentle squeeze to her hand. They both relaxed into the new light pink pillows, sitting up straight. For weeks, Valerie had been full of curiosity about Millicent's secret, but she had never seen her friend so nervous before.

"Pinky promise me you won't tell a soul," Millicent whispered, her voice barely audible. "Please. Not even Draco."

Valerie's brow furrowed with concern. "Millie, what's wrong? Don't worry, your secret will be safe with me."

She wrapped her pinky around Millicent's.

It took Millicent a moment to speak, her face turning a deep shade of red.

            "I lost my virginity... to Blaise," She finally confessed, her eyes darting away from Valerie's. "Over the summer."

Valerie's jaw dropped. A million thoughts raced through her mind.

She hadn't even known that people her age did things like that.

She had always assumed that it was something that happened after marriage, something intimate and formal.

The whole concept of 'intercourse' was something she hadn't given much thought to.

"VALERIE, SPEAK TO ME!" Millicent said, her hands on both of Valerie's shoulders, shaking her.

           "Okay, okay!" Valerie said, shaking her head as if to clear it. "Sorry... I'm just ... shocked. The girls and I always suspected you and Blaise liked each other, but I didn't know you two were dating now—"

"We aren't a couple." Millicent corrected her softly.

"Huh??" Valerie asked, her mind still trying to catch up. "So how does that work? Don't you have to be in a relationship to do that?"

Millicent chuckled, a nervous, breathless sound. "Oh, Valerie, you're so innocent. No, you don't have to be dating someone. You can just... do it, you know."

Valerie's voice was a whisper, filled with genuine curiosity. "I'm not educated about the whole intercourse thing, but... how did it even happen, if you're comfortable telling me?"

Millicent blushed again, but a small smile touched her lips as she recounted the story. "Blaise was over at my manor because my family were hosting a party. We got bored and chilled in my room. We were just... talking. The moment after the next... we ended up kissing and bam, we just did it, you know."

Millicent's words hung in the air, leaving Valerie with a new kind of silence. The room, which had been so full of friendship and love just moments before, now held a new, adult secret.

It was a secret that felt both thrilling and terrifying, a secret that made Valerie realise there was so much more to the world than she had ever imagined ...

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💞 i love you all so i decided to post another chapter after this one 💞

please vote for my chapters 🥺 i put a lot of time and effort into writing, thank you!

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we are now back at hogwarts !! 🧙🏻‍♀️

what did you all think of eric singing? hahaha

i was inspired by the same actor in sex education, he had to play his instrument in front the whole school and it was a rather awkward performance

originally, eric lewis did the same thing . . . but my friend and i went to do karaoke for the first time and it was the best thing ever, it was hilarious! i had such a great time (we're horrible singers and thats what made it so funny lol) - i had to add something like that in the story !

i am particularly looking forward to explore the new layer of depth in Valerie's character.

her conversation with Millicent marks a significant turning point, a moment where the world as she knows it expands in a new and unexpected way.

her journey of understanding and self-discovery is just beginning, and i can't wait to see how she navigates these new, more adult themes in her life.

as one of my goals for this story is to make this very human/teenage/life—relatable.

thank you for ur reads, votes, comments !!

I LOVE YOU ALLLLLL *KISS KISS*

💋 💋 💋

lets dive into next chapter !!

( authors personal notes ) published — 10:44am august 24th 2025current amount of reads — 59.5kword count — 3,647