Shaking. Valerie Gray was shaking and it had little to do with the prolonged exposure to the cold she had just endured. Seeing and seething red, her eyes looked around frantically for the sole source of comfort she knew of here at Hogwarts.

Only he was not here. Not yet.

Her hand still gripped tightly around the cherry wood, the Wampus attempted to dig her fingernails into her palm as a way of relieving some of the tension taking over her body. Only the sweet relief of the subtle pain did not come. Because she was still wearing her damn leather gloves. Snarling and shoving the wand between her teeth, Valerie tore her gloves off and threw them as hard as she could into the stands with a roar through clenched teeth not caring one bit if they hit anyone.

Her grey eyes flew to the screens showcasing the competition and her stomach tied in knots. Nausea ate at her insides and she nearly threw up. All she wanted was Ryan back. Screw the scores of the competition (one she needed desperately to win for her future but this thought was far from her mind at present), she just wanted to know her eight year old cousin was safe and at least physically unscathed from this experience. The emotional and mental strain she was just trying not to focus on now.

Her eyes met with her fellow competitors who had made it to the stands and as her cold eyes locked with each of them share a rare tender moment with each as her expression soften just enough for each of them in shared sympathy.