A young woman stood in the midst of a snow storm. Her wheat coloured hair being tousled by the wind. Large snowflakes gathered in her eyelashes and over her clothes. Tears threatened to fall but she kept them at bay refusing to shed a tear. She couldn't peel her eyes from the letter clutched in her hands, she couldn't even believe her parents would do this to her. They had set up an arranged marriage for her, had started planning it and had just thought of informing her. Her mom had written the letter to tell her that in 3 weeks she would be married to Scorpius Malfoy.

"Anita! why are you out in this blizzard? you'll freeze!"

James Potter came up the stairs headed to the owl coop and stopped in front of her. The two had become close since Anita came to Hogwarts. She was sorted into Gryffindor and had set up James and her sister Janet 2 years ago. James took the letter out of her hands to read it.

"I'm so sorry...we can runaway together!"

"Janet wouldn't like that very much"

"Well I tried…"

James ran up the remaining stairs and ducked into the owl coop not bothering to say goodbye. Anita folded up the letter and slipped it in her pocket then headed to the great hall for dinner. When she walked in a few people stared at her but quickly went back to their original conversations. Anita took her normal seat at the table by her sister. All of the weasleys and potters sat at the table with then even if they weren't in Gryffindor.

"So you're really going to marry Scorpius?"

Anita looked up at rose who looked at her with sympathy in her eyes.

"Don't have much of a choice now do I?"

"I told you, run away with me"

Janet rolled her eyes at James who had just showed up a letter in his hand. He showed it to everyone at the table and Anita had to suppress a scream. In his hands was a gold trimmed invitation to her and Scorpius's wedding. There was no telling who in Hogwarts had received it. Knowing her mom the whole school could've been invited.

"Good luck with that future"

"I've heard he's good in bed at least that's a plus."

Everyone rolled their eyes at Lily, who had dated multiple Slytherins already and was only a 5th year.

"I don't care I just want to choose my future not have it chosen for me."

"Oh so you won't marry me then? That hurts Anita it really does"

Scorpius stood over Anita his signature smirk on his face. He resembled his father in every way, the same blue-grey eyes and similar stark blonde hair. With the amount of Quidditch playing his frame was bulkier and he was a few inches taller. Anita stood up and looked at her future.

"No I don't. And I hope that hurts. You're an ass and I hate you."

"That's what you say now but I can change your mind"

"Scorpius you can't change me and you know it, remember you tried when we were third years."

Anita left the great hall and a speechless Scorpius. A lot of people had been listening to their conversation but she didn't care. She made her way to the common room and got ready for bed. On the table beside her bed was a bulky envelope. She opened it reluctantly and found a letter plus a ring.

Dear Anita,

The ring enclosed in this has been in the Malfoy family for years and i felt it was right to give it to you. I hope that this marriage to my son does not inconvenience you. You should know that my wife and I care for you as a daughter and we hope your friendship with Scorpius can be mended before the wedding so to build a relationship.

Draco Malfoy

The handwriting was familiar and pulled at her heart strings but Anita threw the letter in the trash and crawled into bed. The ring has still wrapped in her fist, she knew what the ring would look like and the memories it would bring. When she opened her hand she looked at the all too familiar design. An intricate labyrinth of silver laced around the band and came together under the emerald jewel to form two intertwining snakes.

Scorpius and Anita had been friends since birth. Scorpius was born a little over a year before Anita and had always held that over her. They grew up together spending their long summers at each other's houses and practicing magic together when they weren't with their private tutors. Anita slipped the ring on her finger and fell asleep. She didn't know what would happen over the next 3 weeks but she knew she wouldn't give into Scorpius.

Scorpius sat in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room. He had a choice to make, keep their relationship the same as it was now or change it for the better. He knew he had hurt her first year and ultimately ruined the chance of them being friends or anything more than that but he had to try. His friends sat around his chatting but he wasn't paying them any mind. He knew what he had to do and he would have to talk to the headmistress first to be sure they wouldn't get in trouble if it didn't turn out as he hoped.

Scorpius got up and went to his room. When there he shut the door and wrote McGonagall a letter asking her permission to mend his friendship with Anita in private. He didn't stay up to wait for a response he simply went to bed hoping that the headmistreswould be okay with his request.