Laurent Burke

Truthfully Valencia didn’t give a damn about politics. The Minister of Magic was a figurehead after all, and she felt that she would get more out of Laurent being Minister over Rosier or Dolohov. Her connection to Laurent was far stronger than the other options, and at the end of the day Val was looking for what she could get out of something rather than who would be the best for the job.

“I’m glad to help out if you need anything,” Valencia offered. It was the least that she could do for Manon’s brother. “It’s about time that there is a new face in the Ministry if you ask me. Things have been too…the same lately.” Valencia wasn’t surprised that he didn’t say that it was gauche, although she liked to believe that he was in agreement.

“It was alright,” she shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose it was a nice enough night. We didn’t stay the entire time, but the time we spent was fine. How is Andromeda?”

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“I’ll have to keep that in mind,” Laurent said brightly. “We’re not doing anything too crazy right now, but after the speeches, we’ll see. I might have to ramp things up a bit, but I hate to campaign too hard, you know? We want to be seen, we want to be taken seriously, but we don’t want to look desperate.” Hopefully that was a good enough excuse. And it was true. When candidates--especially those with muggle backgrounds--plastered their faces and slogans everywhere, high society loved to criticize. Laurent would use what he could.

“She’s great!” Laurent hoped he came off as sincere. In truth, he was pretty sure she was struggling, but he of all people couldn’t point out that it must be hard to be in her place having just lost her husband. “I’m still getting to know her child. We’re trying not to rush things too quickly. You know how society loves to talk, but we’re doing well. It’s good to have someone to rely on.”

Arriving early was a habit, with Andromeda regularly adding fifteen to thirty minutes to spare with travel time. It was a little easier for the evening since she didn’t need to trick her kid into leaving “early.” Ten minutes early had been deemed reasonable since it wasn’t early enough to grow tired of her surroundings (just enough time to peruse other shops in search of something for Nymphadora) and not close enough to the time they set to not want to leave her parents’ home at all.

She nearly shied away when Laurent touched her. The response came out in a brief moment of hesitation where she didn’t immediately say anything.  Breathe. The thought served as a reminder that they were supposed to be trying to make things work. It wouldn’t do any good to flinch back or seem scared of touch when she was the one that initiated it. “Thank you,” She exhaled and leaned into his touch, willingly taking the lead to return to their table.

“And hardly,” She added with a shake of her head then sat. “I tend to arrive a little early since Nym has a habit of dragging their feet. We used to have to say we were leaving half an hour early to arrive on time.” She had almost referenced Ted after that and thought better of it, opting to change the subject instead. “Not my first choice in a location, but I think it’s a little better than having opted for one of the high end restaurants.” More intimate and few familiar faces. Acknowledging that came as a relief since it meant being able to risk being more open in speaking. Anywhere else would have meant too many eyes on them and she planned to relish in having time that didn’t involve her mother breathing down her neck.

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Laurent managed not to flinch as Andromeda flinched under his touch. He didn’t know if it was devastating or comforting to know that she was as uncomfortable as he was with the whole situation. He didn’t want her to suffer, but not suffering alone had a certain charm to it too that Laurent couldn’t deny.

We. It was a heavy word as Andromeda used it because Laurent knew she wasn’t just talking about herself and the child. This was a reminder of her family, her whole family. Ted might have been gone, but his presence was still incredibly strong in their lives. Laurent hated that he was a wrecking ball slamming into the middle of that.

“Less formal,” he agreed, figuring it was easier to focus on the small talk. Less personal was more safe, although that seemed tragic when he considered what they were supposed to be to each other. “It’s nice to have a casual night together just the two of us.” They were still in public, but it was less pressure this way. They weren’t quite so on display as a place like the Malfoys where they’d failed to measure up. 

Andromeda & @laurentburke​ Madam Pudifoots, Valentine’s Day Evening

The date, if it could even be classified as that, was an unexpected out for Andromeda. It had come at the cost of needing to look the part, meaning she was dressed nicely and had taken the time to do her hair and makeup. It felt ridiculous to play into expectations but the praise for attempting to make things work was better than being chewed apart for not trying hard enough. Not that she had wanted to try as it was. The betrothal was a topic she didn’t like thinking about since it meant acknowledging being used as a pawn for the family’s own interests.

She had opted for an understated gown. Nothing showy or form fitting and red in color. It was more than she would have done for Valentine’s Day with Edward but those thoughts were pushed aside before they so much as came to the front of her mind. There was no room for doubt for the evening and she knew not to expect anything from it - she had her mind set on nothing coming out of it and had a child back home that would have her head if she did anything to disrespect Ted’s legacy. That made playing the role of future wife-to-be all the harder.

“Laurent,” She stood from the table she reserved and approached when she spotted him at the door, quickly leaning in to kiss his cheek in greeting and stepping back. “You look absolutely dashing.”

Laurent knew he needed to start looking for like he was interested in this relationship. They’d had a few social outings and talked on occasion, but aside from the engagement itself, he and Andromeda hadn’t put in much time. They needed to start. First things first, it would look better for them both at a time when that was the goal. Second and perhaps more importantly, this would be their life. Whether or not they liked it, they were going to be stuck together. 

He’d dressed nicely and was running a little behind where he wanted to be, so Laurent flushed slightly as he walked in and found Andromeda already there. He was supposed to taking charge probably, but when she was so capable, he wasn’t going to argument.

As she leaned in to kiss her cheek, Laurent put a hand on her arm. That felt normal. “You look lovely, Andromeda,” he said. And that was true. She looked beautiful. “I hope I didn’t leave you waiting long.” Although she’d already been sitting, Laurent moved behind her chair to push it in after she’d sat down again before circling the table to his own.

It was unusual for Josette to be seen lately without her children, but Evan was looking after them both so that she could have an afternoon off, and spend some time with her mother, without the children. Whilst her mother adored her grandchildren, she did like to spend time with Josie on her own. and so, that was how Josie had ended up at the Leaky Cauldron on her own. Of course she was a little early, which had been kind of intentional. It was unusual for her to get so much time to herself, and she was going to take advantage of it.

She wasn’t expecting Laurent Burke to start talking to her. She supposed she shouldn’t really be talking to him. He was running against her husband after all. “You sound as thrilled as Evan is.” She murmured, with an amused smile on her lips. She really did not understand it all really when she believed the Dark Lord wanted Antonin as the Minster. “I bet you’re looking forward to your next speech”

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Laurent raised his brows just slightly at Josie as she spoke. He didn’t know with complete certainty that she knew it was all a sham, but Evan seemed the kind of person to share everything with his wife. He couldn’t speak on it directly in public, but her comment was the kind of neutral double-speak he could understand well enough.

“It’s an opportunity to help people understand why we care,” he said more for the benefit of anyone who would overhear than for Josie. “I’m sure your husband feels the same. People always have important reasons to join a race like this. People need the chance to hear it.” Granted the important reasons for them both were because the Dark Lord had told them to. Still. They’d figure out something.

Valencia had left her husband at home with the baby and gone to Diagon Alley to do some shopping. She had been wanting to pop over to Paris, but she hadn’t found the time to yet. Vincent was ‘busy’ and she didn’t want to just go with the baby. Who would watch him while she shopped? The elves could, she supposed, but it was just easier to leave him with his father. Val often thought that she would be a better mother if they had had a daughter, at least than she could shop with her and things. She loved her son, but she doubted that they were going to have another baby.

Walking into the Leaky Cauldron, she made a face. She detested this place. Why was the entrance to Diagon Alley in this horrific place? Perhaps they could change that. She was about to make her way out when she spotted a familiar figure at the bar. Val hadn’t seen Laurent in some time, but she had seen his sister last time she was around. Making her way over to the bar, she sighed when she saw the paper in his hand. “Rita Skeeter is a fraud and nobody believes a word that comes out of her mouth,” she advised. “For what it’s worth, you have my vote. And Vincent’s, as well. It’s lovely to see you again, Laurent. I was so sorry I didn’t run into you at the Malfoy’s gauche party.”

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Dear Merlin. What a horrifying thought. Laurent was supposed to make a convincing candidate, but the idea that he’d done enough or was a likeable enough person that someone might actually vote for him was vaguely terrifying. Hopefully most didn’t agree. Still, he didn’t let this show on his face as he grinned back at her.

“That’s wonderful to hear,” he said, lifting his coffee in a small toast toward her. “I’m doing what I can to help people see the possibilities of a fresh face at the Ministry. As for last night, there were quite a few people around.” He shrugged, not commenting on the part about it being gauche. Best not to make a public opinion too loudly on that one, even if Val was making her own quite clear. Laurent didn’t fully blame her, but he couldn’t afford to be so flippant about it.

“Did you and Vincent have a good time at least? It had a lot of potential, depending on what socializing you found for yourself.”

One of the downfalls of enjoying oneself at a party was the aftermath the next day. Once she’d managed to find something other than champagne to drink, Alecto had had an excellent time. It had been wonderful until the sunlight crept through her bedroom window the next morning, and with it came a splitting headache. But unfortunately, she had to do inventory for her bar, so off to work with a hangover she went- but not before stopping for breakfast.

She hadn’t paid too much attention to who she’d sat next to that morning, but the grousing about the news did very little to help with pounding in her head. Alecto stabbed at a sausage on her plate and turned to him. “Well, Burke, he was playing the game last evening.” She didn’t bother to cut the sausage, picking it up and biting it off her fork. “Out gladhanding with that sparkly thing on his arm, smiling at people the whole night.” She punctuated it with another bite of her breakfast. “Maybe you should flirt with Skeeter. She’s probably writing love letters to Dolohov because she hopes he’ll dump your little shopkeeping friend and sweep her off to be the future missus minister of magic.”

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Laurent rolled his eyes as he listened to her talk, pushing aside his desire to bristle on Reine’s behalf at being called a sparkly thing. “Need I remind you that I am happily engaged. We may not hang off each other all the time, but that doesn’t mean I have any interest in flirting elsewhere, even without plans of it going anywhere.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Besides, if she’s already got a favorite, you know how that would go. It would end with an article about my wandering eye.”

But that next comment was far enough. “If that’s her goal, she’s got another thing coming if she thinks she could have a chance at getting between Reine and Antonin. Lot of competency she’s fighting against there.” It was as personal as he dared to get on a subject like this. Alecto was a sharp witch. He didn’t want to tip his hand too far.

A pleased grin crept across her face as he rolled his eyes. “At a party, reserved and grumpy may as well be the same thing.” Reine teased. “The reserved people are usually sat in the corner with the miserable ones, not dancing.”

So he was really sticking with it? She hummed as if considering it. “It would. You know I wouldn’t actively choose to do anything that would make you unhappy.” She’d happily take Andromeda into the fold if it meant that Laurent’s life would be easier, no matter how tarnished the witch’s reputation was from her past. But the question of his happiness is what that all hinged on. And knowing Laurent…

“Well, we’ll have to have a meeting after work one day to discuss all the details of your engagement.” A meeting usually meant one thing: Getting drunk off their asses on wine in the backrooms of their shop, where no one would bother them and they could speak freely. “Because Andromeda Black… I never would’ve imagined.”

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“I don’t see you out there dancing right now,” Laurent shot back. “You’ve never been called reserved in your life, so what’s got you down? According to you, sadness is the only option left.” He swung an arm around her shoulders without thinking about it. She was family, after all.

As she kept talking, his brows shot up. That was... Oh dear. He’d have to act like his life depending on it because it did. Reine would never stand for him allowing himself to fall into a business marriage, especially not one with a wife who would never fulfill him. And it wasn’t Andromeda’s fault. She seemed like a perfectly nice--if a little outspoken--witch. But there was the problem. Given her knowledge of his proclivities for wizards instead, it wasn’t shocking that Reine had her doubts. But Laurent had always pretended to like witches too. He’d had to.

“We’ll do that,” he promised her. Laurent would have to be careful not to drink much, or it would all come out. “I know she’s probably not what you expected, but you should get to know her. Are any of us what our reputations say we are? She’s not the person society made her out to be.” That at least was true.

Shit. Laurent pressed his lips together as he read the article over and over. No one would be pleased with him. The situation with Andromeda was salvageable from that. He could argue with the Black family that they’d wanted to stay proper, and whoever had fed Skeeter false information about disappearing together had been a blessing. He could use that. What he didn’t want to acknowledge was the lukewarm description he and Evan had garnered. The Dark Lord wouldn’t be pleased. He had to start damage control immediately.

He flopped the paper down onto the bar top, careful not to let it land on the eggs still on his plate. “Can you believe this crap?” he said as he leaned toward the person nearest him at the bar. “I can understand if she’s got a favorite candidate, but false reporter is a hell of a way to push her agenda.” The lie barely stirred any guilt for him. Laurent needed this lie. And besides, Rita Skeeter had at least one falsehood in this article that he knew of. Accusing her of another wasn’t going to lose him sleep.

It was a relief that Laurent hadn’t gone into detail or tried to properly talk politics. He would have been able to play along but the plan for the evening had been his wanting to avoid the topic altogether.

The whole thing was a sham and he was almost certain he was thrown into the mix for the sake of making it seem like the public got a choice on the matter. They didn’t but he wasn’t one for doing the opposite of what he was told. Too risky and not with the berating that would have come from his father or the Dark Lord for trying to go against expectations.

“Me neither,” He admitted with an exasperated sigh. “I would try talking to Lucius about the poor taste in having put us on the spot but wouldn’t put it past him to turn it into making everyone improvise speeches.” He wrinkled his nose at the thought then took on a more serious expression, throwing in an arched eyebrow to exaggerate the look. “Worth the shot,” He chuckled. “Anything to make them believe we’re being serious.”

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Laurent shook his head. “It would be no use. If he listened at all, he’d still say you were wrong and that any moment of publicity is good publicity if you knew it was coming or not.” Laurent disagreed vehemently, and he wondered if that had more to do with their individual personalities or their social status difference between their families. Hard to say. 

He was hit yet again with a reminder that status differences or not, they were about to be related through sisters from a well-regarded family. Yeah, Laurent was marrying the fallen sister, but it was all to clean up her image. It was all to make sure that in a couple generations when gossip had cooled, the family trees wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. He needed to not let himself dwell there. It never ended well.

“Oh, so serious,” he said, focusing on Evan instead. “You with your medical reform and me with my business background... We’re just so serious about politics and the expectations that go with the office.” He kept his face blank, not letting his dismay or sarcasm show. The people around them needed to think they were having an average conversation about their roles.

Reine, mercifully, wasn’t nearly tipsy enough to start any actual trouble. But in her current position, she couldn’t cause to much commotion. After all, it would be terrible optics for Antonin to have invited her to attend a party as extravagant as the Malfoy’s only for her to become a spectacle of the worst kind.

“Reserved… Grumpy… You say ‘toe-may-toe’, or whatever the expression is.” She took another sip. She glanced briefly toward the windows, trying to catch a glimpse at her best friend’s 'betrothed’. “Pity.” She sighed, her focus shifting to the bubbles that floated up in her glass. “I figure I should get to know my future sister-in-law.” She watched him carefully, trying to gauge his response. “At least now you’re stuck with me for a while, darling, and we all know I am the best company.”

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Laurent rolled his eyes with no animosity behind it. Reine could get away with things like nobody else. Even his biological sister would be on thin ice faster than Reine.

Still, he sensed something in her expression and tone that he knew he needed to be careful about. Blood in the water and all that. "You probably should," he agreed. "I'm sure you'll have to spend at least a little time together after, and it would be good if the women in my life were on even terms." And more convenient for him. Andromeda didn't need to like him, but it would help if she at least liked some of the people in his life.

“Yes, I have been admiring Lucius’ peacocks, they are rather marvellous,” He said, gesturing to one magnificent bird that he had been admiring not too long ago. They tended to stand about, or waft about, looking rather spectacular. He did not envy the House Elf with the job to clean up after them. It didn’t stop him wondering about them.

“I’ve been in need of a chance to get to relax, just get to exist and figure out what now. I’m looking forwards to peace and a chance to build.” He was being careful now. He could not outright criticise the war, but he could admit that this peace they now had was better. “Here’s to a better future, hm?” He smiled, raising his flute of champagne in a toast to the future.

Laurent nodded along like he agreed. Personally he thought the birds were a bit much. Unnecessarily showy, too much like geese for him not to suspect violent tendencies, and probably a pain to clean up after. But it wasn’t his house. Who was he to critique too much? They did make for an interesting spectacle.

Reine snickered as she handed the glass over to him. “I think that would be the quickest way for me to end up exiled from polite society forever, but merlin’s beard would it be funny. At least the wix back in France would have me.” She raised her glass in a little salute. “À votre santé, mon râleur.” Reine winked, and took a large sip form her glass.

“So, how has your evening been? Other than the repetitive nature of shaking hands? I don’t think I’ve seen your, um… Fiance.” The word felt weird in her mouth. Wrong. She knew better than to believe that Laurent actually held some affection for Andromeda Black. Her eyebrow delicately cocked up in a silent question. What’s going on, Laurent? She knew it wasn’t the time or the place, but Reine knew the question that she’d left unsaid would be discussed in due time.

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“It would be funny,” Laurent agreed, holding up his glass for emphasis. He did not want her to actually do it. If she tried, Laurent was going to have to scramble and keep Reine from doing something she really, really shouldn’t. As she toasted him in French, Laurent raised an eyebrow. “That hardly seems fair. Reserved perhaps, but hey, I’ve smiled plenty tonight.” 

Without meaning to, Laurent grimaced at the mention of Andromeda. He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. Even to her, Laurent knew he should try to hide it better. Perhaps especially. Reine knew him better than anyone. The fact that she hadn’t forced the issue yet was a miracle in itself. “I think she she had too much to drink and stepped outside for some air.” That seemed like a quick enough lie to hide his reaction. Hopefully Reine would assume he’d winced about the amount she’d imbibed, not the fact that he had to stand happily at her side.

It was always a good idea to surround yourself by useful people, ideally people who didn't realise that they were going to be useful to you in a few months, a few years time. Plan ahead. Regulus had a rather expensive, unfortunately corrupted, locket now in his possessions with questions as to how it originally came to the Dark Lord and what other possessions of Slytherin might fall to ill use. So he needed someone who dealt with antiques, who had their ear to the ground. A Burke suited the requirements well and a social gathering was as innoculous a time to start making friends.

"Quiet the evening," Regulus commented, apparently coming up to Burke by mere chance of the shifting crowds. "I must confess, it is a relief to have an excuse to party, not to mention get ideas about potential interior decorations. I've always found Lucius and Narcissa to have a particularily good eye."

@laurentburke

Laurent had been zoning out when he heard a voice next to him and snapped back to attention. He needed to stay “on” tonight. Both roles he was playing were relevant. When he realized it was one of his soon-to-be relatives, he plastered a neutral smile.