The Peregrine Estate

[Stratton Peregrin]

Stratton was looking forward to his grand-daughters return for the holidays. He had spent the last few weeks pulling in as many favours as he could in order to surprise Carmen. Of course the excitement became too much for him and he sent her an owl instead. Usually a man of very little emotion unless it concerned his beloved grand-daughter, Stratton was now eager to see her smiling face when she arrived home. She would no doubt be thrilled at the news that she would not have to be so far from him but would be able to attend Hogwarts in Scotland. Part of him knew he should have waited to give her the news when she came home so he could have seen the reaction for himself but he also knew she might have some friends she would wish to say goodbye too. There was that Kaleb Styx boy who he approved of very much. It was a shame he would not be at Hogwarts in Scotland with her, that had been a most fortuitous meeting on his grand-daughters part.

He paced the floor now waited with aniticipation. It would be at least another hour before she came home but he had missed her terribly. Disgusted that his son had opted to go collect her instead, Stratton listened as the sound of his daughter-in-laws footsteps echoed down the hall to him.

 

[Sophie Peregrin]

Sophie's high heeled shoes clattered noisily across the hallway on the well polished tiles as she made her way to the drawing room. Her daughter was expected home for Christmas break and she found that she had actually missed her. They didn't have the usual mother-daughter bond but they still got on none the less. Sophie could never fathom her out truth be told, she baulked at her heritage most of the time, preferring to be out climbing trees or whizzing about on some new fangled experiment herself and Stratton had come up with.

As she entered the room she saw her father-in-law standing there and smiled. It was no secret that they only just tolerated one another and even that was pushing it. She liked his home and his wealth very well though and adored his son no end. Moving gracefully over to one of the expensive plush armchairs she sat down and crossed her legs at the ankle, sitting rigidly upright.
"When should they be home for then?" she didn't really care one way or the other but at least she would know how long she might have to sit in Stratton's company for in the mean time.

 

[Stratton Peregrin]

Stratton watched her enter the room and picking up a cigar chose to only dip his head in a salutation. She aggravated him no end but would be damned if he was not still a gentleman first. How she had managed to produce such an amazing child as Carmen he would never know.
"Within the hour I would imagine"
he clipped the end of the cigar and puffed deeply as he lit it. The aroma was delicious and as this was the only room in the house where he permitted smoking, he knew Sophie would most likely get up and leave. Abhorrent of the stuff she was, the only reason he had kept up the habit in truth.
"Is her room ready?" he turned his indifferent stare on her.

 

[Sophie Peregrin]

Sophie wrinkled her nose as he lit the cigar, the stench was putrid feeling her lungs and clinging to her beautiful silk emerald gown. She would have to go and change again at this rate, as well as rewash her hair. She bristled sitting herself up even more rigidly.

"Of course her room is ready" how dare he think she would not have ordered the house elves to do so, "everything is as you specified and the rooms are being aired for her friends too".
She folded her hands in her lap after smoothing out her gown for a moment.
"Perhaps I might go and change into my lavender gown" she mused aloud.

 

[Stratton Peregrin]

Stratton turned and looked at the woman who was always more concerned with her appearance than the fact that she had quite possibly the most amazing daughter ever.
"Perhaps you should go and change, take all the time you want. Please do not hurry on my account" he would have preferred it if she never came down again, he inhaled on his cigar and puffed the billow of smoke in her direction with a sly grin on his face.

"Hmm her friends, I know one of these boys. Met him myself, his family are good stock. Now that would be a fine match. Perfect, but this... this other fellow Linus. Never heard this name in good social standing circles before. Have you heard it?" he knew for a fact that if she said yes then his suspicions were confirmed and the boy was nothing more than a muggle. As much as he promised his grand-daughter that he would be more open minded and more tolerant he could not help years of noble breeding. The wench before him was muggle and she made his very skin crawl.