PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟐𝟏. Muggles

Valentine stepped down off the bus and turned to watch it drive away, a small smile on her face.

That was...cool?

She'd just experienced her first bus ride. It had been exactly as described in her Muggle Studies class. A transport vehicle, larger than a car and designed for many passengers to travel to certain pre-assigned areas. The only thing like it in the wizarding world was what they called night buses. Only they were specifically designed to help stranded witches and wizards as opposed to general public transportation.

It had been a long trip, but she'd been interested enough in watching the scenery of the everyday muggle lives that seemed to fly past. It reminded her of watching out the window of the Hogwarts Express. Only on the Hogwarts Express, the only view offered was miles of the rolling Scottish countryside.

Muggle towns she found, were filled with people going about their days the same way any witch or wizard would. It was summer, so children chased each other up the pathways, riding bicycles, getting in the way of adults, but seemingly not caring. Elderly people moved slowly with the aid of walk sticks and wheelchairs. Teenagers grouped together outside shops, laughing loudly and playing music. It appeared to be nothing more than a display of normal, average lives. It almost made Valentine wonder what that would be like.

She glanced down the street she'd gotten off at, hands in her coat pockets, the thick woollen scarf she never wore pulled up high to her chin. There was a heavy mist that hung in the air all around her. The streets were narrow and reminded her of Knockturn Alley. The buildings were tall and straight and sat in many rows. In the distance, she spotted a tall spire, which she assumed was a mill of some kind.

She looked down the slope behind her from where the bus had dropped her off. Hidden in shrubbery, she could see a narrow, brown river, litter built up a line along the bank. She was sure she'd gotten off at the right place.

She had yet to do much walking in a public place mostly populated by Muggles, but from what she'd seen, one would look for any vehicles in the road before crossing. So, she looked both ways and then quickly crossed the street. Unlike the many places she'd gone through on the bus, she'd yet to see a single soul out and about.

Valentine searched out a street sign. The first she found read, 'Ellan Rd'.

Not this one.

It seemed that several houses were all joined together to create a block of units and that between each block was a narrow alleyway dividing them from the next. Moving through the alleys, it didn't take her long to move on to the next row of dreary houses.' Leeden St'.

Not this one either.

As she passed one house she heard shouting inside and paused for a moment. It sounded like an argument of sorts. She couldn't make out many of the words but she did hear a door slam and someone screeching in frustration.

She continued on, the distant shouting making her recall that morning.

Earlier that day-

Valentine picked at her food. She glanced at her cousin beside her. Draco may have appeared to be eating breakfast unbothered, but she could see the stiffness in his shoulders and neck. Narcissa was the same although she hid it much better, likely from her many years of practice. Pretending like nothing was wrong. Valentine had never been much interested in that kind of approach when she actually had the ability to choose.

Haley and Emma stood against the wall on the opposite side of the room from Valentine. They kept their heads low.

Lucius sat at the head of the table, his food before him untouched. She and Draco had returned home for the summer less than a week ago and she and her uncle had already butted heads numerous times.