PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟔𝟔. Selena

Liam had tried to leave early in the morning before the rest of them woke. He'd left a note with a maid and planned on leaving without a sound. That was not how things turned out.

Nathaniel happened to be a ridiculously early riser and so was already awake. Then after ten minutes of a conversation, Liam tried desperately to escape, Leah clambered downstairs to beg him to stay.

Valentine knew he was a sucker for her puppy dog eyes. They all were, after all. It was part of the reason Valentine was so sure that something important was forcing Liam to keep silent. But Leah had more than wide eyes to make him stay. 

She had also decided, at the very crack of dawn, that Olivia deserved a visit.

When she told Valentine this, she'd been thoroughly confused. Then Leah elaborated. She wanted to visit the actual grave of Olivia that was on the land of the Benson's home. Then before Valentine could ask further questions, Leah had remembered that Liam was leaving that morning and rushed to catch him encase he was about to make his getaway.

Liam couldn't deny the opportunity anymore then he could usually deny Leah's puppy dog eyes. Leah had gotten the address from Benjamin months ago and there was nothing else to be said.

So, everyone was woken, fed and dressed for the day ahead of them. Nathaniel volunteered to take them, saying that he'd been there once before- during the first war, Valentine assumed- and knew the location. 

Right as they gathered to leave, Samantha grabbed Valentine's arm and pulled her aside.

"Be careful." She warned her in a low voice. "The Benson's and Lestrange's have always butted heads. Your mother and Selena Benson in particular. So, if she says anything to you, anything at all, just ignore it. Don't let her get under your skin with some stupid rivalry that happened before you were even born." 

"I won't." Valentine had nodded stiffly.

What did she mean? Always butted heads? Did that have anything to do with the mission that Olivia death?

When Valentine woke that morning, she'd been fully expecting another day of doing nothing, but now she only had thoughts if Olivia and what answers she could get from the home the girl had lived in.

Nathaniel apparated them to a hillside, grass pale and fragile with frost. He offered to stay and go with them, but Blaze rolled his eyes and told him they could handle a visit on their own.

Nathaniel promised to meet them back there in an hour and was gone.

The hill itself led to a tree line on one side and to a river on the other. On the other side of that river, was small Muggle village, easily half a mile away. 

"They lived here?" Draco asked incredulously.

"No." Leah shook her head. "Olivia said that they lived near a village, not in it."

"That must be their house then." Liam spoke up. They turned to look at him and saw that he pointed into the trees. "It's hard to see at first, but it's there."

First, all Valentine saw were the trees, then she caught sight at what looked like a tall iron fence.

"I see it." She said.

"Where?" Blaze frowned.

"Stand here." Liam told him. "And look between those two trees."

"Oh! I can see it." Said Leah.

"Me as well." Draco nodded. 

"I'm still not seeing this house guys." Said Blaze.

"Just, come on!" Leah just grabbed his arm and towed him forwards.