Lucius had been in the sitting room only a few minutes, taking advantage of the quiet to compose his thoughts, standing at the window and looking out over the wild grounds. It was good - wonderful - to have everyone under one roof, especially a roof so far removed from everything. Still, the strain of feigning optimism (as much as he could reasonably pass off on his son, in any case) was no small burden, and he was not looking forward to spending the next three days pretending that nothing was wrong for the benefit of Draco's new attachment. It was, he thought, quite possibly the most absurd lie he had ever perpetuated.
Still, the girl looked good on paper, as it were - and it was certainly his duty to facilitate a worthy match for Draco, if he could manage one. He knew from the distant flurry of activity in the hall that they had arrived, and took a chair by the fireplace, resigning himself to being pleasant for the time being. It was probably the least he could do.