𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 | 𝐝.𝐦

𝟔𝟖

Kaimana Valencia | July 1996

"Kai, sweets, can you get me my tool box in the closet?" Stephen asked as he slipped shoes on. "I think I'm going to get at this old car I found, and see if I can fix it."

Kaimana went to the closet by the front door and grabbed the tool box from the top shelf. "Be careful, Dad," she said, handing him the tool box.

"I will." He smiled a bright smile before slipping out the door to work on the car in the front.

"Mama!" Zaiyah's voice echoed from the living room. "Mama, pay!"

"Mama's coming." Kaimana strolled to the living room to see her daughter on the floor with her toys.

"Mama pay wi Iyah," Zaiyah beamed, shoving her hands in the air, her hands occupied with her toys.

"Mama plays with Zaiyah." Kaimana smiled and sat down, criss-crossed in front of her daughter.

Aisling, and Kehlani had left to go home a few days ago. Everyone else was still here since they'd rather be there than their own homes. They were scattered around the couch and on the floor and arm chairs, occupying themselves.

"I'm going to make a sandwich." Quinn stood from the couch. "Anyone want anything?"

Everyone replied their answers of no before Quinn left the room to go across the hall to the kitchen.

"Pass me that, Cardin." Flynn leaned forward on the couch, pointing to a book on the sidetable next to the armchair Cardin was sitting in.

Cardin grabbed the book and handed it to Flynn over Zaiyah's head. "Where's Elijah and Jax?" he asked, brows knitted together.

"Diagon Alley," Meleah said, laying on the couch with her feet over Flynn's thighs. She had a magazine in her hands, flipping through it. "They wanted to waste money on things they don't need."

"I hope they bring back sweets," Kaimana mumbled, and leaned against the couch as Zaiyah played. "I'm craving something sweet, and nothing in the kitchen hits the spot."

"Are you pregnant?" Cardin asked, obviously joking. He was wagging a finger at her as he asked this.

"No." Kaimana rolled her eyes. She wasn't. She took the pill the every morning after she and Draco had sex. "But I am on my period."

"Iyah an eet!" Zaiyah stood, jumping up and down as she clapped.

"Zaiyah wants sweets too, huh?" Kaimana smiled and yanked her baby into her chest to smother her in kisses.

"Honey, I'm home!" Jaxon's voice was sing-song as he bursted through the front door.

"Shut up, Jaxon," Meleah said, focusing on her magazine.

"Thanks, Mel. Could always count on your for a warm welcome." Jaxon was grinning as he walked into the living room with a few bags in hand.

"Hey." Elijah followed behind, smiling.

"Did you get sweets?" Kaimana's eyes were hopeful.

Elijah pulled out a paper bag from another bag and tossed it to her with a wink.

She blew him a kiss before opening the bag and digging into the sweets inside of it, sharing with Zaiyah, who was sitting eagerly on her mum's lap.

"Guess what we also found." Jaxon shoved Meleah's legs off of Flynn's, so he could sit down between them. He placed his bags by his feet.

"What?" Quinn strolled into the room with a sandwich in hand, taking a big bite.

"Lucius Malfoy was the face of the Daily Prophet." Elijah sat on the arm of the armchair as he pulled something out of another bag. "He killed himself."

Kaimana couldn't suppress her heavy gasp. "He what?" She snapped her neck to look at Elijah, as did everyone else.

He handed her a copy of the Daily Prophet.

She took it and saw the big picture on the front, which was a crying Narcissa and a blank Draco at the front of Malfoy Manor as people took Lucius' body.

"Holy shit." Kaimana's eyes were saucers, completely astounded. "Lucius Malfoy killed himself? But why?" She handed the Daily Prophet to Flynn, who asked for it.

"Doesn't say," Elijah said quietly as Zaiyah went to him to share her jelly slugs.

"A funeral is being held next week," Flynn said after reading. "I wonder who's going to go."

"I'm not," everyone in the room except Zaiyah said in unison.

"That's a bit contemptuous." Flynn tutted, tossing the Daily Prophet to Cardin next.

"Why would we go, Flynn?" Meleah sat up straight, pulling her two French braids in front of her shoulders. "Lucius was a person, yes, but a vile person at that—not to mention he was a Death Eater."

"But he's dead." Flynn frowned, tilting his head.

He hit Draco on multiple occasions for no reason. Like hell I'm going to that ghastly man's funeral, Kaimana said in her head.

"Your point?" Quinn arched a brow, leaning against the frame of the living room entrance as he ate his sandwich.

Flynn was silent for a moment. "I suppose you're right," he eventually said, relaxing into the back of the couch.

"But why would Lucius Malfoy kill himself?" Cardin mused out loud, face screwed up in befuddlement. "I don't get it."

"Probably something bad happened and... I don't know, he couldn't handle it?" Quinn was guessing.

"But Voldemort's back," Jaxon pointed out, folding his arms over his chest. "Why would Lucius kill himself after Voldemort returns? Lucius is Voldemort's number one fan."

"Maybe that's why he did it," Meleah added in a dubious tone. "Maybe because he just couldn't handle whatever sick shit Voldemort's planning, so Lucius just ended it."

Sick shit, Kaimana thought to herself, me. Voldemort is after me.

"Maybe we shouldn't make assumptions," Flynn said, tipping his head back and shutting his eyes.

"Maybe you should stop talking," Cardin said, shrugging as he leaned back in his seat.

Flynn flipped him off.

"If what Mel suggested is true," Elijah said in a low tone of voice, "Then whatever Voldemort is planning must really be horrible."

He's after me because I killed his pathetic excuse of a stepdaughter, Kaimana said in her head.

"Dumbledore is probably going to talk about this when we go back to Hogwarts," Jaxon said, and appraised the contents of the inside of his bag.

"Of course he is." Quinn scoffed, finishing off his sandwich. "Because Lucius Malfoy is big and well-known. Dumbledore wouldn't give a damn if one of our parents were dead." He spoke between chews.

"Take Kai's mum for example," Cardin said, and Kaimana tried not to roll her eyes at the mention of her odious mum. "Kai's mum died years ago, and Dumbledore didn't make any big announcement of it or spoke a few words about it."

"I actually don't think Dumbledore will talk about it. Lucius was a Death Eater for goodness' sake. Dumbledore won't talk about it," Elijah said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands cupping his chin. "But maybe more stuff will be posted on the Daily Prophet too."

As everyone got into conversation about Lucius' death, Kaimana had a conversation with herself in her head.

Lucius Malfoy killed himself. But why?

He had no reason to kill himself. He would probably be the last person on earth to just go and kill himself. He had a beautiful wife and a perfect son. He had money, the family name, connections—pretty much everything.

Yes, Kaimana knew sometimes things were more complicated than that. But she still didn't believe Lucius Malfoy of all people would kill himself.

She had a pit feeling in her stomach that told her it wasn't suicide.

That pit feeling knotted tightly twice as she thought hard—for two words.

Draco. Malfoy.