Depths of Despair ✶ Theodore Nott

twenty two. new aquaintances

"Lily?" James Potter called out into an empty house the very second their surroundings cleared up. Eyes narrowed, features displaying a frown, it was rather obvious concern was beginning to pinch his mind at his wife's and son's absence.

     However, after a deep breath to collect his composure, he calmed down and turned toward Valerie who was appearing rather disorientated.

     Although perhaps you would expect luxury from the Potter family, their house was surprisingly... Cozy. Walls painted in white or warm tones, the rooms relatively small and decorated to perfection: her eyebrows shot upwards, for it contrasted the empty and lifeless mansion she had grown up in oh so much.

     "You— You have a really nice home," Valerie stuttered out, before her eyes landed upon the couch only a few steps away. Although she was never usually unsettled due to apparition, her head was now spinning, heart pounding heavily within her chest. Stumbling forwards, she almost fell into the comfortable seat — under constant observation from her father's wary eyes.

     "Valerie, are you okay?" He remained where he stood, still on edge while awaiting Lily and Harry's arrival, however urged to ease whatever bothered her.

     "Yeah," Valerie replied, leaning her head into her hands while inhaling and exhaling heavy breaths of air. "I just need a moment."

     James nodded his head, "Of course." Without another word his footsteps could be heard leaving the room, disappearing into the kitchen. Valerie expected him to not come back — she was used to her feelings being disregarded by her mother, who would indeed leave whenever having not the energy to care for her daughter — however the man returned before even giving her a chance to ponder upon his departure: holding a glass of water. "Here."

Valerie smiled when he placed it upon the table before her, "Thank you."

Tense silence reigned upon the room, however it was not awkward. Valerie sat silent, attempting at blocking out her father's scattered thoughts as well as possible. His mental shields were rather abysmal, rummaging completely out of control whenever in distress. Lily and Harry were on his mind, as well as images of the death eater almost firing the killing spell toward Valerie occasionally flickering past his recollection. Valerie was caught off guard every time she even appeared amongst his many concerns, however was immediately reminded of the fact that she was indeed intruding on his privacy — guilt flooding her conscience as she tried her best to restrain herself.

Although relatively unsuccessfully, considering the thoughts still remained a distant echo at the back of her head, she decided upon interrupting his very destructive line of thought as more and more catastrophe interrupted his sense of logic. "Are you okay?" Valerie asked a moment later. He had been so busy making sure she was alright, it seemed reality was only now catching up.

James looked up from the floor in surprise, "Yeah, I'm fine." Able to spot the doubt written across her features in response to his reassurance, his eyes seemed to soften in realization. "You can hear my every thought, can't you?"

Her silence was answer enough, and immediately did James feel guilty. "I'm sorry," Valerie exclaimed shortly thereafter, however her words were disregarded with a wave of his hand.

"Eh, don't worry about it," her father spoke while walking over to sit down next to her. Perhaps it was for the best, at least trying to calm his own racing heart — if not for himself, then for his mind-reading daughter out through the misery of being within range of his unprotected thoughts. "I've always been terrible at occlumency, sorry about that."

Valerie stared blankly at him. "Well, I'm the one snooping around on everybody's minds, it's really on me," she then declared, however decided to drop the subject. "I'm sure Harry and Lily are okay, you shouldn't worry too much."