Ruins and Secrets (Valentino & Mina)

Guest

Dear Valentino Sheridan-Romano,

I believe you are aware of what I wish to discuss with you. If you've got time, I shall be at the Ancient Runes classroom at four in the afternoon.

Regards,
Mina Kim

The most difficult thing about studying away from home was that Mina could not just summon any of their house elves to do work for her. Though it was rather mortifying to ask a fellow student to pass a note for her, Mina had no choice in the matter—since Valentino was (fortunately, she had always thought, but at the moment it was unfortunately) not a Ravenclaw, she had to look for a Hufflepuff who looked like they could follow instructions.

An owl may have done the job much faster, but letters from owls were also rather conspicuous. The sight of an owl often left students wondering what the letter contained. Howlers were a particular favourite, and Mina considered herself fortunate to have never received such a letter in Hogwarts.

She had considered sending a Howler to her parents—and even to Valentino—when she first received the long letter from Korea. Her angry scrawls on parchment were not enough. Mina wanted them to hear the revulsion she felt towards the idea, and how it was unfair that she would be subject to an arranged marriage when her sisters were free to pursue their own careers. She did not ask for this, and they had better give her a good reason as to why she had to marry Valentino.

When she found Stephen Han, another Korean pureblood who happened to be in Hufflepuff, Mina discreetly handed him a note. 'Sunbae-nim, dangshin-eun Valentino ireul jeonhae ju shigesseoyo?' She made sure to speak in Korean in case someone was listening, and even spoke Valentino's name with an accent. Stephen, who seemed to understand Mina's desire for discretion and subtlety, nodded and smiled. Bowing politely to her upperclassman, she walked away and headed for the Ancient Runes classroom, where she asked Valentino to meet her. [Translation: 'Upperclassman*, could you please pass this to Valentino?' In Korea, underclassmen usually do not refer to their seniors by name, unless they have reached a certain level of closeness.]

At the classroom, Mina sat on a chair by the window. Uncertain if Valentino would show up, she had brought a book with her. The cover was charmed to make it look like the book was about the adventures of a shy herbologist, but on the inside, it was Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. A children's book, and something she had read before at that, but she needed to pass the time, and to find her own secret garden away from the Misselthwaite Manor of her life that was marriage.

Guest

Two letters had come to Valentino in the past twenty four hours. Two letters that he did not want. The first from his parents, the second from his eldest brother. His parents had written to congratulate him on a betrothal he had known nothing about. The one from Atticus had written to ask him not to try anything stupid in response to the letter he had received from their parents.

To accept it, and do his best to make it work.

Neither of these letters had made Valentino happy. Why was he being shoved in to an arranged marriage with a girl he barely knew, and didn't like what he did know about her? This was hugely unfair on him - yes, he had expected an arranged marriage, but his brothers had been given the option of a number of girls before they made the decision as to which one they liked the most.

So, why, then, had Valentino not been given any option at all in this? Why had he simply been told he had (rather hastily in his opinion) been betrothed to Mina Kim? He'd burnt both letters in his anger, hoping that if he destroyed the words it would somehow break the betrothal his parents had made. But, for the fit of anger that had come on receipt of the letters, nothing had changed in any way.

And then another letter had arrived.

A letter that had, basically, summoned him to the presence of the witch he had very little time for. And that was now his fiance. He might be an American-Italian Pureblood, with lower standards than his English counterparts, but being summoned was not something that warmed Valentino to this match.

But he was inquisitive as to what Mina had to say for herself. Perhaps she might have something of a better explanation than what his parents had given. So, at half past four - he was not going to be on time for Mina Kim, she could summon him, but he was not going to make this easy - Valentino opened the door of the Ancient Runes classroom to find Mina sat reading.

"Mina." Valentino greeted curtly, announcing his presence in case the door had not done so for him. Starting the discussion was not what Valentino was going to do. No, if Mina wished to speak, she could do the speaking, he would hear her out and then if he felt like contributing, he would.

But Valentino was still angry and his posture showed he was agitated. Perhaps not with her directly, but agitated nonetheless.

Guest

The sound of the door opening made Mina look up. It did not take a genius to see that the boy who had strolled in was clearly upset, and that this distressed boy was no other than her fiance and future husband. Mina refrained herself from wincing at the thought and struggled to smile politely at Valentino Sheridan-Romano instead.

Of course, as if being betrothed way too early and quickly was not bad enough, he had to have a ridiculously long surname too. It was a surname she had always secretly made fun of, back when her family travelled quite often to Hawaii to meet with the Italian-American family. And now she had to live with the fact that, in a few years, unless she and Valentino managed to find a way out of this, she would be called Mina Kim Sheridan-Romano.

She would never give up her surname. Not when it was a testament to her status in Korea, and who she was as a person. American women, however, often took their husband's surname, and Mina knew that she would someday be forced to take Valentino's. If she were betrothed to a Korean, keeping her surname would not be a problem, but as it was, her parents had decided to send her off to another country. Another culture to get used to. Education was one thing, but marriage? Mina had always thought that, as the youngest, she would be able to get away with anything. And yet there she was, about to have a talk with her husband-to-be.

Straightening up, she held her head high and looked Valentino in the eyes. 'Valentino,' she responded to his curt greeting. The closeness of their families had forced them to be on a first-name basis, but close was the last thing she felt with Valentino. Putting her book down, she turned her head a bit to face him, her body still facing away to show him that she was not the sort of person who would adjust to him and his wants. 'Thank you for acknowledging my letter. I am so glad you are here,' she added coolly, her smile anything but grateful and happy. 'It appears our parents have chosen to... strengthen the ties between our families by having us unite through marriage.'

Mina stood up from her seat, gracefully smoothing her skirt as she gazed out the window. 'I am glad to be of service to my family, and I expect you must be as well... but, I shall not mince words.' Gone was the smile on her face as she turned to Valentino, whose gaze she held with a dark, unfeeling stare. 'I do not wish to get betrothed. Yet. Especially not to you. I hope that shall be clear between us.'

Guest

It didn't take a genius to work out the body language that Valentino was receiving from Mina - she was showing clearly that she was not going to be an easy girl, woman, to be with. That she held herself in a position that demanded respect, and not submission. Any other time, Valentino might have admired this, but in that moment, it was only making him more angry with the whole situation.

What good could ever come from a woman who did not know when to play to their future husband's will?

As she spoke, though, Valentino kept his silence, simply watching her from his position by the door. Yes, their parents had thought this was a good idea, but he did not agree with it in the slightest. Something they would find out when he was next home and free to speak his mind. Though, Valentino was sure Atticus would interrupt him throughout, or his father, Valentino was going to be heard, one way or another.

Valentino's jaw set as Mina spoke of their duty to their family. He wanted to tell her he was not happy to be doing his duty, because this... this was not his duty to fulfill.

The bit that irked Valentino, though, was how she told him (without so much as a hesitation) that she did not want to be betrothed to him. He might not want it, but that... that was just plain rude. "Don't think I want this either." Valentino replied after Mina had finished speaking. "I don't even know why this has come in to being. So quickly. Without consultation. But, I'm not accepting this, so you can rest assured that I'm clear on that."

No, Mina Kim was not someone he wanted to be with. Their history was not one he looked back on fondly, no, she had been the cause of him getting riled up on more than one occasion, and he was not going to allow this to develop.

Valentino fell silent, though, after that, simply waiting for more indication of what the Ravenclaw witch wanted from him.

» Jesse Valentino
» the incompatibility of secrets and younger sisters // raffaele cassan
» Valentino Sheridan-Romano
» Uncovering Secrets (Max)
» The Secrets of the Night [Delia]