A/N: Hi there everyone! This is my first chapter of a story that's been marinating in my head for what seems like forever. I really hope you guys enjoy and I LOVE feedback. Please tell me whatcha think!
Lucy Graves was ecstatic. Scratch that. She was elated, gleeful, enraptured, thrilled, blissful even. She was rocketing past and weaving through muggles, attempting to get to Platform 9 ¾ as quickly as possible, her mocha-brown hair whipping behind her like a flag, hazel eyes gleaming with excitement.
She could hear her mother and Sebastian struggle to keep up with her but she paid their admonishments no mind. She was almost home. She wouldn't have to return to her parents for months. No more stuffy "family dinners", no more of mother passing out on the settee, glass of goblin-made wine still in hand, no more midnight visits from Sebastian…
The last thought made Lucy finally slow down. Memories of the late night groping, licking, and biting were enough to make her stomach turn. It had started when she was twelve years old, when her mother had started dating him.
Lucy had thought he was really nice at first. He was always bringing her candy and giving her lots of hugs and affection. He had nicknames for her like "princess" and "pet. She had never experienced this kind of attention from an adult before and she absolutely basked in it. She was used to being shoved aside by adults, not being important or noteworthy. But to Sebastian, she seemed to be something special.
It wasn't too long until this sweet affection turned into something more twisted. It was the night of her thirteenth birthday that he snuck into her bed for the first time. He had come in during the wee-hours of the morning while everyone was asleep. She had woken up with his hand down her pajama pants and his hot breath on her neck. She had asked him to stop, hell, she asked him to stop every time. She would beg, plead, kick and squirm. But he would always just chuckle and continue with what he was doing. She shuddered,
This temporary pause had been just enough time for the molester and her daft mother who had married him to catch up.
"Lucille" her mother hissed, shrinking away from a muggle that had gotten a little too close. "You are seventeen years old. Control yourself,"
"Don't be so harsh Margaret," came the smooth, deep voice Lucy had learned to hate. A large hand enveloped her shoulder and the petite girl let out an involuntary shudder. "She's just excited to get back to school, isn't that right pet?"
She didn't really hear what he had said. She was too focused on how close his mouth was to her ear. They were in public and both clothed but this small moment reminded her of those terrible nights when he'd crawl into her bed. His hot breath on her neck, panting, grunting.
"Run along back home Margaret. I'll see Lucille off," With one last look of extreme disapproval at her daughter, she stalked out of the train station, which, by now, was completely infested with muggles.
Once her mother was out of sight, she felt Sebastian grasp her upper arm and begin leading her to the platform barrier like a bloody first year. This was the same grip he used when he visited her at night. It was his way of asserting dominance, of keeping her still long enough for him to accomplish what he wanted to accomplish.
"Now Princess," he said pleasantly, although Lucy could feel the threatening undertone that had been planted so strategically. "Your mother and I will miss you terribly and we expect that you'll do us proud this year, just like every year." Lucy nodded quickly, hoping that she could get him to leave before any of her friends or classmates saw her.
"Keeping the family name as respected as it has been for centuries is crucial. I'm sure you won't do anything, pet. But if some nasty rumor were to start… well you may be seventeen, but that's not too old for a good old-fashioned spanking," This final threat was delivered with s lecherous wink.
Lucy didn't need any more hints. This was the same talk he had with her every year. No one would find out about the revolting late-night visits and she didn't want them to. The humiliation would be too much to bear. It wouldn't be long until she would be out of the house, and all of this would be far behind her.
"Good girl. Now give Daddy a kiss," he said with a leer. Lucy let out a shiver before quickly forcing her lips to his check before rushing through the platform barrier before he could demand more.
She sighed with relief as the gargantuan scarlet train flooded her vision. She felt lighter and a real smile stretched across her face as she pushed her trolley to the men loading the luggage.
She then straightened her blouse, smoothed down her hair, and made her way onto the train in search of her friends.
Lucy was very proud of the group she associated herself with. Emily Ellison and Edmund Fintan; friends any Slytherin would be proud of. They were purebloods, well-connected, and from old, respected families. They were valuable allies now, and would no doubt be advantageous connections later in life.
She soon found Emily, sitting by herself in a compartment near the center of the train. She had her rounded, upturned nose buried in the latest Witch Weekly. She wasn't particularly pretty; Lucy was considered to be the best looking of their little group. But she was good company and was always eager to help with her History of Magic homework.
Lucy slid the compartment door open and entered with a warm smile toward Emily. "Hey Em, have a good holiday?"
She reluctantly put down her Witch Weekly and returned her smile. "It was lovely, thanks. My mamere took us to visit her childhood home in France, it was tres bien," Lucy rolled her eyes. It was so typical of Emily to vacation a month in France and think she was fluent in the ruddy language.
"Sounds great," Lucy said, feigning interest. "Where's Ed?" It wasn't like him to cut it so close. He was the prompt type, usually arriving anywhere 15 minutes before either of them.
Emily inched forward in her seat, as if she had been dying for her to ask that very question. "You'll never believe it, Lucy! I saw him hanging out with Riddle and his crowd,"
Lucy's eyebrows rose with intrigue. "Riddle?" Emily just nodded excitedly. Tom Riddle was the Slytherin it-boy. He was handsome, intelligent, and very charismatic. He held a quiet air of authority that could be a little frightening. This combination of traits had helped him develop quite the faithful following. It wasn't often he let someone new into the group, and when he did it was a very big deal.
"Well speak of the devil," Emily said in an excited whisper, putting on a big, and what she must have considered a "winning", smile.
Lucy turned around to see Edmund sliding the door open, his dark hair greased back in his usual way, brown eyes serious and brooding. Perfectly ordinary. The only thing that was not ordinary was who was standing behind him. Tom Riddle had decided to grace their humble train compartment with his presence.
"You're looking lovely as ever, Lu," Edmund greeted cordially, pretending that nothing of consequence were happening. It was a very "Edmund" thing to do. To play up the drama of this situation by pretending like it was no big deal, when it so clearly was.
Tom was as handsome, if not more so, than he had been last year. His dark hair was neat and his dark eyes flashed with an excitement that he kept from being portrayed on his face. Those beautiful dark eyes were fixed on Lucy, baring into her with an intensity that she was finding difficult to tolerate.
"Thank you Ed," Lucy muttered, still fixated on the dark eyes that seemed to be piercing her.
"Care to introduce us to your new friend, Edmund?" Emily said flirtatiously, with a cheeky grin.
This caused Tom to break eye-contact, leaving Lucy feeling both relieved and deprived. He put a dashing smile on his face and directed it toward Emily. Lucy could tell that the smile was forced but she doubted that Emily did.
Tom took Emily's hand and kissed it gently with a small smirk. "Tom Riddle, you must be Emily," Emily was clearly thrilled that he knew who she was, that he had noticed her.
"And you're Lucy," he said. He had turned away from Emily quickly, as if she had been a distraction from his goal. He was stretching out his hand, clearly expecting for her to meet him half way and melt into a puddle of goo much like Emily had. When he noticed that she was hesitant to do so, he turned up the charm another notch.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Edmund has told me all about you, but he failed to do your beauty justice," his arm was still outstretched, but it was clear that she was not going to take it.
"A pleasure to meet you too, Tom. I'm afraid that Ed has told us nothing about you," Tom chuckled but Lucy could sense an underlying annoyance flash in his eyes.
"Well then I suppose I'll have to inform you myself. We'll have to spend time together this year. I look forward to it," Lucy just nodded stiffly. It was clearly an order, not a suggestion or an offer and this made Lucy very uncomfortable. She didn't feel like she had the right or the power to say no.
A/N: Sooo, tell me! What do you think? Any suggestions or favorite parts? Things you'd like to see happen, etc? I'd love to hear from you. Stay tuned for Chapter Two.