Chapter 8

The dimly lit hallways echoed with the soft footsteps of Victoria Ollivander and John Matthews as they patrolled the castle. The paintings on the walls were already asleep. So would be the case for Victoria too if Hannah, the Gryffindor prefect, and her friend Marcus, the Head Boy, weren’t out on a date, leaving her in charge of the patrolling shift for the night.

Thus,she found herself patrolling the hallway with John, a Muggle-born, who often found himself wrestling with the complexities of the magical world, especially when it came to interacting with pureblood students like Victoria. Despite his initial hesitance, he admired her confidence and determination, qualities that had earned her the prestigious role of Head Girl.

The tension between them crackled, making Victoria aware of John’s unease. “I don’t possess the fangs of a Hungarian Horntail," Victoria said. “I know, I’m aware,” he replied hesitantly. Victoria looked at him. “Well then, I know it’s been a while since we spoke, but you are awfully quiet for a Gryffindor. Care to explain why?”

As they walked down the corridor, they unexpectedly encountered Lucas Finnigan, John's best friend. In that moment she immediately understood why John had been so silent. She had observed his behaviour enough over the years to conclude his nerves were mostly around pureblood people and had thus assumed his behaviour was caused by her heritage, but it seemed to be caused by her history with his best friend.

Lucas, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, couldn't resist teasing Victoria. "Victoria," he said, a sly smile on his face, "if Reginald Selwyn's arranged marriage with Octavia Rosier was annulled, would you take him back?"

Victoria stopped breathing for a second. Taken aback by his audacity. “In a heartbeat,” she thought. There was no flicker of doubt in her mind. Reginald and Victoria were the IT-couple at Hogwarts for half a year. He was a year older, but that never seemed to hold their relationship back. Until his parents decided to form an alliance with the Rosier family, another member of the sacred 28. Victoria had been having difficulty accepting it, as she didn’t understand why his parents neglected the relationship they had, even though it was short-lived. She often wondered what would have happened if they had realised their feelings for each other sooner. Would he have fought for her?

Her breathing resumed as quickly as it stopped. Her composure seemed untouched as she raised an eyebrow. “That is not any of your concern Finnigan.”

The right corner of his mouth curled up as he said with a smug expression : “Isn't it, though? I can't help but be curious about the heart's desires of the one who got away.”

Lucas and Victoria had been in a relationship during their third year, which had ended abruptly due to Lucas's lies, including his claim of being a pureblood.

Victoria narrowed her eyes at Lucas, her tone firm, “That's ancient history, Finnigan. I suggest you focus on the present and leave the past where it belongs.”

Lucas chuckled, the mischievous glint in his eyes still present. “Ah, but Victoria, the past has a way of resurfacing when we least expect it. Don't you agree?”

She felt a pang of annoyance but refused to let it show. “I don't have time for your games, Lucas. I suggest you go find someone else to entertain before I write you up.”

Lucas leaned against the wall, blocking her path with a confident smirk on his face. 'You're still as feisty as ever. But tell me, Victoria, do you ever wonder what could have been if things were different?'

Victoria remained composed, though her mind betrayed her with fleeting memories. While exploring ‘what ifs’ can be intriguing, they are not always supposed to be explored, Finnigan. Besides as you can see I have responsibilities, unlike some.'

Lucas pushed himself off the wall, taking a step closer. “Responsibilities can be overrated, you know. Sometimes, taking a detour to explore the road not taken can be enlightening.”

Victoria met his gaze, unyielding. 'I don't need enlightenment from someone who specialises in deception.”

Lucas, his confidence wavering, responded, "Come on, Victoria, don't be so uptight. We were good together, you can't deny that.'

“You lied to me, Lucas,” She sneered, her tone cutting through the air. “Reginald is betrothed to somebody else. That's a significant difference.”

Lucas, sensing his plan going awry, struggled to regain control. 'Victoria, it wasn't meant to hurt you. I thought...'

But Victoria interrupted him, her tone sharp, 'Save your justifications, Finnigan. You may have fooled me once, but I won't let it happen again.”

As these words dawned upon him, it seemed he finally understood. Victoria continued her patrolling silently, not uttering a single word to John. Her mind buzzed with thoughts of Reginald.


“Your hair looks lovely without your headband,” he laughed as he brushed a lock out of her face. She shook her head leaning into his touch, “That’s not true,” she chuckled “I’d look like a mess” . “Impossible,” he muttered before closing the distance between them.


She gritted her teeth at her thoughts. She knew she couldn’t–or shouldn’t–indulge in them. It was just too painful. She was a pureblood after all, her life had been written for her, not by her. It had been planned from the cradle to the grave, something she despised with every fibre of her being. She just hadn’t realised the gravitas of the situation before the arranged marriage was announced. It was from that moment on that she felt truly trapped in a cage. She had analysed the entire situation, but there was no escape, she had to adhere to the pressure put on her. It did not matter if she was a top student, nor did it matter if she found a pureblood man herself, she didn’t have a choice.