For Sophie.
when we were young
When Orion first meets Walburga, he hates her. She's four years older than him, and she eyes him with something that looks like consideration, but darker. She's not pretty, and she doesn't look kind, but she's his cousin, and family's everything, so he's as polite as he can be, bowing his head to her as is traditional.
She bows back, a light smirk on her lips, and then turns away, preferring to chat with a blonde boy her age that Orion recognizes as a Malfoy.
Something burns in his chest then - and looking back on it one day he'll realize that that had been jealousy - and he almost takes a step forward before his father's stern hand on his shoulder stops him.
He turns away too, and follows his father as the man introduces him to the rest of pureblood society.
Still, for some reason Walburga's dark eyes as she had dismissed him so easily stay with him, as does the burning in his stomach.
By the time it is time to leave, it has turned into a soft, coiling rage wrapped around his heart.
He will make her see him, truly see him, if it's the last thing he does.
.x.
The first time Walburga meets Orion, she hates him. He's just a baby and he looks all red and blotchy, and he won't stop crying and yelling. He's the Black heir though, so she suffers through the meeting as gracefully as she can.
She won't have to see him for years after this – probably not until his official introduction into their society, seeing as the years before a child can walk and talk somewhat properly are reserved for his immediate family only.
She won't miss this screaming child, she thinks as she follows her parents into the chimney.
She won't miss him, but perhaps she won't entirely forget him. After all, he is of the proper blood, and mother had said it could never be too early to start looking for a husband to further their line. Surely in a few years Orion will be more interesting, and perhaps even interested.
Their parents certainly are.
Oh, of course Walburga isn't supposed to know about what goes on behind her father's closed office door, but there's only so many times he and mother can meet with cousin Arcturus before Walburga starts to suspect the truth of the matter.
It's not like betrothal contracts are unusual in their society anyway – she won't be surprised the day they present her with hers, even if Orion's name isn't the one on it.
By the time the fire sweeps her away, she realizes that she doesn't really hate Orion. In truth, she doesn't really think anything about him.
That, she thinks, will have to wait until he's older.
.x.
As planned, Walburga only meets Orion again five years later, when the younger boy makes his entrance in the pureblood society. The introduction of the Black Heir, who has already proved he possesses magic, is a far bigger event than Walburga's own introduction had ever been, and she can't help but feel slightly jealous at that knowledge.
Especially once Orion actually steps into the room. He's short – shorter than she had expected. His black hair falls in neat waves to his shoulders, and his eyes are the piercing grey that is so common in their family.
He stands proud and unafraid in their midst, and a part of her approves. He's a far cry from that noisy baby she had seen years ago, and she thinks he might make a good Lord Black one day.
She holds his gaze for a moment, before turning away. He has others to meet today, people he won't see as often as her, and so in the end she turns away.
They will have time later, she figures, and that is that.
.x.
Orion doesn't like her. Walburga doesn't know what she did to deserve his contempt, but she's not too concerned. His… dislike of her feels more like the passion of a child – and she would know, having felt such emotions quite frequently herself – and it will pass.
It will have to, considering how eager their parents are to shove the two of them together.
Of course, there aren't really talks of marriage contracts – at least not anywhere Walburga might hear them – but the meeting from before Orion's birth have started up again, and Walburga knows she's the right age for her parents to consider the most beneficial arrangement, which Orion would most definitely be.
Walburga isn't exactly happy with the idea, but she knows it's her duty and she thinks she could grow to be…. content, with Orion by her side. He's young still but he already shows all the signs of strong magic and of a clever mind, and the ideas of what they could accomplish together, working side by side to further the cause of their family makes her slightly heady.
Yes, she thinks over the tea they share every Thursday afternoon, he will be mine.
.x.
It takes Orion by surprise, to realize that despite his first impression, Walburga doesn't seem to actually dislike him. She's always somewhat expectant when they're together – never alone, of course, as that would be improper, but as close as they can get – which feels oddly nice, but she's also attentive, which is even nicer.
That behavior, more than anything she could ever say, is what truly banks the flames of his anger before they can truly start to burn.
Of course, he's aware that Walburga is the most obvious candidate for his betrothed. In fact, she is already that in all but name.
At first, he had been furious at the idea of marrying the girl who had dismissed him so readily before, the girl he had sworn he would make notice him (though to be completely honest, he guesses that getting married would mean that she has to notice him), but as he gets to know her, Orion realizes that Walburga truly isn't as bad as she had first seemed to him.
She listens when he talks about his dreams of studying ancient magics and rediscovering the powers of their ancestors – powers that had gotten lost in time, magics hidden from the eyes of all because of the few Mudbloods who had come to ruin their world – and what's more, she even agrees with him.
By the time she leaves for Hogwarts, he knows he will miss their weekly meetings, even though she promised to write.
It is not love – they are still far too young for that - but sometimes, when he lets himself be entirely truthful, he thinks that one day it might be.