Noble finished pouring the wine and tracked the introductions loosely. He couldn't decide how he wanted to tackle this dinner: talking seemed like a fantastic way to get himself in trouble given the circumstances, but if he didn't talk at all that was surely to be noted as weird, too. Ugh. He took his usual seat next to Grace after she dropped into it — a vague smirk appeared on Noble's face unbidden at the sound of the chair, but he was able to banish it after a second, because he couldn't be smirking. At least he wasn't going to have to talk to Lestrange much; any moment he spent occupying the seeker's attention was a moment that Verity couldn't, and therefor was likely to result in him getting smothered later.

Instead, with Mama asking Lestrange's attention, Noble very gently tapped Grace's elbow under the table, hoping to bolster her nerves a little so that she did not combust before the main course.

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