PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟔𝟓. Announcement

No matter the situation, Valentine was glad to always have a book on hand. There was no finer distraction, in her opinion. So, while her friends talked and laughed, she read her book and was perfectly content.

Blaze sat with his brother-in-law, Seiya Takasu, conversing comfortably at the other end of the long couch.

Seiya was a pleasant man with dark eyes and dark hair and Valentine, knowing that Seiya had lived primarily in his home country of Japan, briefly wondered how he had met Bridget Zambini in the first place. He was quite meek compared to the demanding presence of his wife but from what Valentine had seen, they seemed perfectly matched. Valentine couldn't find much to fault him with. He was polite and charming in a humble way. It really made her wonder how Bridget hadn't eaten him for breakfast and picked her teeth with the bones.

His daughter, Willow, was on the floor with Leah, playing with a colourful assortment of toys and stuffed animals. Willow was two years old and appeared to take after her father ever so more slightly then her mother. She wore her hair in two tiny pigtails on either side of her head, pulled up by small yellow bows. Leah had been talking about them consistently since the Takasu family had arrived earlier that morning.

The other occupants of the room were just out of Valentine's sight. Liam and Beckett were in the chairs by the large window.

They were surprised that Liam had agreed to come at all. Instead, he had his just declined to stay the full week that the others intended to stay. He planned to leave tomorrow after all the Christmas celebrations were out of the way. He'd spun some obvious lie about his grandfather wanting him home to see other family. They all knew the Highcourt clam was a small and rather disconnected family. Liam would be going to home to likely not do much at all. He was really only here at all because of Leah's guilting and begging. He hadn't said much to them, but appeared more than happy to talk with those who involved with their latest cause of grief.

Beckett said something with dramatic hand gestures that Valentine could just see if she turned her head slightly.

Liam laughed and smiled brighter at him then she had seen in weeks.

Valentine was just glad he was here in the warmth of the Zambini household where they could keep an eye on him.

Draco was the other occupant that she couldn't see. He was lurking somewhere behind her, probably staring off at nothing lost in his own mind, she supposed.

In the three days since Slughorn's dinner party, Draco hadn't spoken a word to Valentine. It was painfully reminiscent of the year before when they'd been divided over the monster that was Umbridge. Only back then, he hadn't been mad at her. He'd simply been frustrated and disgruntled. Now he was just angry. At her and Snape. She gave him space, knowing that he was already too close to the edge to be pushed in any direction. She'd fix anything however she could, but first, she needed to let Draco be mad.

She spared a glance at the roaring fireplace that kept the room so warm. Blaze and Beckett had informed during their previous stay that the room had once been a nursery. That was, at least until Blaze was too old for a special room filled with toys and distractions. Now it was something of a drawing-room space. Too nice for storage but not quite lavish enough to be another open sitting room.

Leah had grumbled for an hour that morning at the idea of being housebound. She wanted to go outside and play along the beach. Everyone else unanimously agreed that such an idea was ridiculous due to the cold weather. It hadn't snowed just yet where the manor was situated, but Nathaniel insisted that it would in time. Either way, it was far too cold to spend any extended length of time outside.

"Miss, Lestrange?" Seiya's voice caught Valentine's attention.

"Hmm?" She blinked.

"Told you." Blaze laughed. "She'd got this crazy laser focus."