𝐄𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 || 𝐒. 𝐁.

𝐗𝐈𝐈

┌── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┐

└── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┘

Valerie sat in her room, bandages on her arms, legs and head and a sling on her right hand. Sighing through her nose, she pushed herself off the bed with her left hand. The pain rippling through her body was too much for her to be able to do anything. 

She picked up her sketch pad and her colour pencils. "At least my left hand is fine..."

She flipped the pages to a blank one and started to draw. Her mind drifted away as the colours dripped onto the paper. 

Her mind drifted away back in time to her birthday. The blissful happiness that had bubbled up inside her made her forget her home life. Playing something as simple as a card game kept her grounded. Seeing her friends laugh made her laugh. Her dates with Edan as they discussed random and useless topics made her feel like an ordinary teenage girl.

She stared at the sketch she had made. The Marauders, Lily, Marlene, and Selina, sat around the tree. The lake was shimmering in the background. The sun was shining upon them. They were all laughing, blissfully unaware of the dark horrors of the real world.

Valerie smiled. She wished she could go back to when she was a first year. Her only worry was exams and her father.

So much had changed in five years; her father was more of a threat, her mother was now mute, and she had to deal with suitors. Exams were the last thing on her mind. She aspired to become an auror. Some would say she excelled in Quidditch but she played Chaser mainly to annoy her father. 

A knock vibrated through the door. 

"Come in!"

Twinky walked in, "Lord Bellerose wants to see you," She whispered, giving a low bow and vanishing away.  

Valerie sighed, getting up and flattening her dress before stalking out of the room.

She saw Evan Rosier and his parents sitting on one of the couches in the parlour in front of their father, Evan looking as uncomfortable as her.

She had seen Roseir Sr before but never his wife. She looked pretty, with light brown hair that looked almost golden and a polite smile. But her dark hazel eyes were cold and distant, with carefully masked cruelty that showed if you looked carefully. She was youthful compared to her husband and not much older looking than her son. 

Valerie walked down the stairs, raising an eyebrow at her father. "You called?" She asked, casually sitting down. 

"Why don't you and Heir Rosier go to your study? Lord Rosier, Lady Roseir and I need to talk," Each word her father uttered was deep, sharp and commanding. 

Valerie nodded, guiding an awkward Evan behind her. 

"Nice home, by the way," Evan said, standing uncomfortably, rubbing his hands on his forearms as Valerie sat down on a chair.