PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟏𝟕. Philips

Valentine stared at Leah and Blaze's joined hands and did her best to seem disgusted with it all. While the idea of having to hold someone else's hand in the romantic sense herself was honestly unappealing and really quite unsettling actually, she wasn't the one involved here. If this was what her friends wanted, then she was happy for them. It wouldn't be the first time she didn't understand why this kind of thing bought so much joy.

Leah said something in that wild, dramatic tone of hers and Blaze laughed, bumping his shoulder against hers, a little rough but still playful.

"Do they have to do that in front of us?" Draco grumbled from Valentine's side.

He didn't have as much patience for the situation as she did. Valentine was fairly certain he was just determined to be discontented in life, no matter what. That was kind of his thing.

They all waited in the main courtyard along with Liam, for Jane Philips. Liam had made quite the scene when he'd asked if she could join them in the next up and coming trip to Hogsmeade. Draco had applauded him, asking him if he was going to finally make a real move. Whatever that meant. Blaze and Leah had been busy trying to finish their Transfiguration homework half an hour before it was due so that McGonagall wouldn't skin them alive and Valentine had expressly told him as long as she didn't become another irritant like Parkinson, she couldn't care less who he invited.

"Should she be here by now?" asked Draco, looking around at the crowd. "Everyone's about to leave."

"Just give it a minute." said Liam, fiddling with his shirt cuffs. "She'll be here."

"Maybe she changed her mind." suggested Draco.

"Oh God, please do not say that." Liam went pale at the thought.

He paced quickly for a few steps, stopped and tugged at his shirt collar and then repeated it all over again. This continued for several cycles before Draco groaned loudly.

"Liam, stop. You're even making me feel nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"And I'm not staggeringly beautiful."

"I am not nervous, okay? See?" Liam sucked in a breath and gave his best smile.

"That has got to be the most pitiful thing I have ever seen." said Draco, unimpressed.

Liam's shoulders slumped forwards.

"And with that my confidence dwindles ever further."

Valentine then spotted Philips walking towards them, weaving through the crowd.

"Look alive." She shot Liam a pointed look. She swore he got paler.

"Good day all." Philips greeted them with a smile. "Sorry, it took me so long. I was a little busy."

"Nothing important, was it?" asked Liam. "I don't want to keep you from anything."

"Oh no, don't worry about it." Her hazel eyes sparkled. "Everything's been handled."

"Okay, that's good to hear."

"Thank you for inviting me by the way."

"No problem." Liam was quickly relaxing.

Leah then came bounding over, dragging Blaze along with her.

"Can we go now?" She whined. "I need candy post-haste."

"Yeah, because what you need is more energy." Blaze rolled his eyes.

"Heck yeah!" Leah fist bumped the air.