PRETENDING TO LIVE~ {The Lestrange Daughter #2}

𝟏. Grandfather

"Bishop to 7E." Said Valentine. Her tone was indifferent, but her eyes told a triumphant tale of her future victory.

Blaze looked up at Valentine, down at the board and back up at Valentine again. He did this often and it was a firm sign that he knew she had that upper hand. 

Easy pickings, Blaze. Easy pickings.

"You told me you'd go easy on me!" 

"I did not. I told you I would simply destroy you, opposed to utterly destroying you." Valentine defended herself without much effort. 

"There's a difference?" Blaze muttered bitterly.

"Would you like a demonstration, or are you going to make your move?"

Blaze's hand shot across the chest board with such speed that he knocked over half the pieces in an attempt to move one of his own.

Valentine gave an exasperated groan and placed a hand over her eyes in annoyance.

"I don't know why you bother, Blaze." Liam laughed at his friend's expense from his place on the couch. "You'll never beat her even if she was going easy on you."

"Give up while you still have your dignity." Draco scoffed.

"That's a pretty big word, Draco." Liam considered with mocking thoughtfulness. "You might want to let him know what that means."

"Waste my breath you mean." Draco corrected snidely

Blaze sent a silent glare over at his friends who just chuckled to themselves and returned to their conversation.

This day found the four at the Highcourt residence. Liam had invited all of them to stay for as long as they wished and while the others had spent the last several days laying about the near ancient estate doing very little of anything important, one of their party was missing.

Leah had refused all offers of social interactions since Olivia's passing well over a month ago, instead opting for hiding away in the darkness of her room. The boys had mourned their pieces, they'd moped and sulked and cried and now they were ready to get back to normal. Or least find a new kind of normal to adapt to. They couldn't mourn forever and they knew that but Leah didn't seem to care about anything like that, too wrapped up in her own grief. 

"Knight to 3F." Said Valentine and the black chess piece moved across the board. 

"Oh, come on!" Blaze whined as the black knight unsheathed its blade and ran his own white knight though.

Valentine smiled innocently as if she hadn't ordered the very slaughter they had just witnessed herself, while Blaze stared on in horror.

"Who's up for cards?" Liam interjected. 

"Not me. I've still got a fighting chance!" Blaze declared, causing both Draco and Valentine to scoff.

You wish.

"Uh-huh." Liam gave Blaze a deadpan stare. "You have fun with that. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Asked Draco. 

"To get my new deck." 

"I'll go with you." Draco stood. "It'll be more entertaining than listening to Blaze complain some more when he gets crushed, anyway."

"I'm trying to concentrate here, people." Blaze hushed them.

Draco and Liam left the room with another laugh. 

Blaze made his move and Valentine swiftly took her turn and put her piece into checkmate. Blaze made a loud, strangled type of groaning. It made Valentine smirk with satisfaction and when he saw that smirk his eyes lit up with determination.