Okay kids, it's about to get good. Let me know what y'all think! Please R & R! And I want to make it clear that Peia is NOT trying to make Riddle fall in love with her. I'm sorry if y'all got confused about that.
Morrigan
itsMrsBlack: Wasn't that just a theory though? I honestly think that if Tom had ever been showed love in his life, things would have ended up differently. He wasn't loved as a child or as an adult, that's got to screw with your mind a bit!
I own nothing recognizable.
The beginning of the train ride back to Hogwarts was largely uneventful; Peia spent most of it reading the books that Melania had given her that she thought might help in their task. The boys played several games of exploding snap before the door to their compartment slid open.
Wally, Cygnus, Abraxas, Dorea, and Cedrella all piled into the compartment. Wally sat daintily between Orion and Peia, which only made Peia smile. Cedrella and Dorea sat across from them next to Abraxas and Draco while Cygnus sat next to Orion, raising a brow at the way Orion was looking at his sister.
The next few hours were genuinely the most fun Peia had had so far in the past. The girls chatted about various things, the holidays, boys, their lessons for next term, gossip from school. The boys played another game of exploding snap but stopped when Dorea faked a reaction from the smoke, before joining in on the girls' discussions.
"Well I for one think that it's completely ridiculous that Cedrella shouldn't accept a date with a Gryffindor!" Wally exclaimed loudly after much debate on the topic.
"Septimus Weasley is a blood traitor, Wally," Cygnus chided superiorly. "Cedrella should date a pureblood who is in good standing."
"Like whom?" Wally raised a brow at her brother.
Cygnus tapped his chin with his long index finger in mock thought. "How about Abraxas?"
Cedrella choked on her pumpkin pastille and Abraxas let out a hollow laugh, his eyes fixing on Peia. Wally and Dorea laughed so hard they had stitches in their sides.
Wiping the tears out of her eyes Wally looked at her younger brother. "Cyggy I don't think they're a good match."
Cygnus rolled his eyes. "It was just an example!"
This time the entire compartment erupted with laughter, Peia clutched Wally for support. When the laughter died down Dorea cleared her throat.
"I think that we shouldn't have to date and marry based on blood. I'm not saying that I want to marry a Muggleborn, but I think that love is a much more important factor than blood."
"Here here!" Peia shouted, clapping.
Abraxas smirked at Peia. "So if a pureblood asked you on a date would you say no?"
She blushed. "Depends on who it was."
"What if I asked you?"
Peia's face was certainly the colour of a tomato. "I would have to think about it."
"Ooh, denied," Orion mocked.
Abraxas rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a no, Black. And I don't see you asking out the girl you fancy."
Peia wanted to smush herself into the corner and hide from the looks the other girls were giving her.
Orion turned and tapped Wally on the shoulder, who whirled around so fast Peia wondered if she'd given herself whiplash.
"Wally, will you go to Hogsmeade with me on the next trip?" Orion asked confidently.
Peia saw Wally's ears turn red.
"Y-yes, I'd l-like that," she stuttered and Orion grinned at Abraxas who sneered back at him.
Later that night after the feast Wally dragged Peia into their dorm before Peia even got the chance to sit down in front of the fire. She sat down on her bed facing Wally who was pacing between their beds and wringing her hands.
"Talk to me," Peia said dramatically. "What's so bad about Orion asking you out?"
Wally stopped in front of Peia, her eyes wide.
"What so bad about Orion Black asking me out?" she gulped. "We have been betrothed since we were infants, Peia. Infants! Do you have any idea how that feels?"
Peia shook her head. She really had no idea how it felt to have the person you're going to spend your life with picked out by your parents. Although she knew that if her parents hadn't been labeled as blood traitors she probably would have been betrothed to Theo Nott or Blaise Zabini or Merlin forbid it could have been Crabbe or Goyle.
"It's like having your free will taken from you. Of course I could not listen to my parents and marry someone else. But then I'd be labeled a blood traitor and be blasted off the family tapestry."
Peia couldn't hold back her snort, to her surprise Wally smiled weakly.
"I suppose you've seen it then, since you spent the holidays at Grimmauld Place."
Peia nodded. "Melania showed it to me, but I grew up with stories of blood traitors being blasted off it anyway."
Wally nodded. "Even if I were to make a respectable pureblood marriage, if it isn't to Orion my family will disown me. That's probably more my father than anything else though. He's kind of an ass."
Peia giggled. "It's hard to believe that the cousin of Arcturus could be anything other than kind."
"My father and his cousin, though they get on well, are nothing alike. Just wait until you meet him. He's terrifying."
Peia smiled. "So are you saying that you don't want to go on a date with Orion, because it seems to me that you might like him."
Wally frowned and sat down on her bed. "I do like him, Peia, that's the problem."
"I don't see how that's a problem," Peia arched her brow at her friend. "Isn't that the best possible outcome?"
"I suppose," Wally chewed on her bottom lip. "But a big part of me has always been against the idea of marrying him just based on principle. He wasn't supposed to end up being charming and handsome!"
Peia snorted. "I think it's good that you're giving him a chance, he is a really great guy." Not to mention that if they didn't get together Peia would never be born.
"You're right," Wally sighed. "So are you going to accept Abraxas's offer?"
Peia felt the blush creep up her cheeks. "He never actually asked me, it was a hypothetical question."
Wally rolled her eyes. "Well I think he's a much better match for you than Tom. I mean, Tom is handsome and all but he's a bit strange, isn't he?"
"Strange is one word to describe him," Peia said thoughtfully. "He's very, um, intense. We only went on one date but I felt like he was about to propose marriage at any moment."
Wally laughed. "I'm willing to bet he would have saved the proposal for your second date."
Peia took one look at Wally and burst out laughing, the other girl doing the same. They spent the rest of the night in their dorm talking about boys and laughing. Peia went to sleep with a smile on her face, she was so glad that she had gotten the chance to know this side of her grandmother, not just the screeching evil version from her time.
Two weeks into second term and nothing had gone according to plan. Riddle had dodged every single attempt Peia had put forth in talking to him, he even went so far as to completely ignore her one evening at dinner when she sat next to him. She could see that his ego was far more bruised by her rejection than what she'd originally thought. It was going to take a lot more effort on her part to get those Horcruxes.
Though she still felt his eyes on her nearly everywhere she went.
Orion thought it would be a good idea to move forward with Abraxas, Draco however still cringed every time the subject was brought up. Peia couldn't blame him it was really weird. She would be going on a date with her cousin's grandfather. Luckily she had never met Abraxas in her time, as he had died of dragon pox when Draco and Peia were twelve.
"It's the same as me going on a date with Wally," Draco hissed in Peia's ear one night at dinner after Orion brought it up for the thousandth time.
Peia elbowed him in the ribs. "Spoilers, Draco!"
"He didn't hear me," he whispered back. "Besides, they are betrothed, it shouldn't come as a surprise!"
Peia sighed and took another bite of her mashed potatoes. "I promise I'm not going to stop you from being born, Draco. It's not like a few dates are going to hinder Lucius's birth."
Orion snorted. "Your father's name is Lucius? Merlin is it impossible to use normal names?"
Peia choked on her potatoes.
Draco smirked at his friend over Peia's head. "Trust me mate, you aren't much better at picking out names."
Orion looked affronted. Peia rolled her eyes. "It's okay, gramps, it's not your fault the family names are awful."
He opened his mouth to object but just shook his head, fixing his eyes back on his plate.
As the three of them started on their desserts Orion spoke up again.
"I just think that since he's been avoiding you like the plague the best way to catch his attention again is to show interest in someone else. Riddle is a jealous bloke, he won't like one of his closest friend's dating the witch he fancies."
Peia laughed. "He doesn't fancy me, Orion."
"Yes, he does." Orion and Draco spoke at the same time.
Peia knew she wouldn't win the argument so she fixed her attention back to her treacle tart.
The next day while the trio was walking to Charms a hand reached out and brushed Peia's arm gently, she turned and looked into the impossibly blue eyes of Abraxas Malfoy.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Abraxas asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Peia couldn't help but blush, she nodded and turned to Draco and Orion. "I'll meet you in class." Orion wiggled his brow suggestively and Draco rolled his eyes, grabbing Orion's arm and tugging him towards the classroom.
Abraxas led Peia into an alcove in the corridor behind a tapestry of a knight fighting a dragon. It wasn't a very large space so there was less than a foot between the two Slytherins. She smiled up at the tall blond.
"I wanted to ask you this in private," he started slowly. Peia was sure he could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest. "Your family can be a little overwhelming at times."
Peia laughed. "You have no idea."
He smiled and took a breath, if she wasn't positive that it was impossible, she would have thought that he was nervous. "Is there anything going on between you and Riddle?"
She sucked in a breath, that wasn't the question she had anticipated.
"We just went on that one date, it ended really badly. He won't even talk to me now."
Abraxas arched a brow. "Do you have feelings for him?"
Peia shook her head. "None at all."
An actual smile spread across his handsome face. "Good. That leads me to my next question then." He reached down and laced his fingers through hers. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"
She squeezed his hand and shyly smiled up at him, biting her bottom lip. "Yes."
"Brilliant," he said, his smile widening he pulled her out from behind the tapestry, their fingers still entwined.
They walked straight into someone else who was walking quickly down the corridor.
Peia's books slid from her arms and landed with a thud on the stone floor when she looked up into the irritated eyes of Tom Riddle. Her jaw dropped, she hadn't expected to shove this in his face immediately after it happened.
Riddle's eyes dropped to Peia and Abraxas's joined hands and he arched a brow at Abraxas. Peia expected him to let go of her hand immediately, but he only held on tighter.
"We'll talk later, Malfoy," Riddle spoke with authority, and knocked his shoulder against Abraxas's as he moved past them towards the Charmed classroom.
Abraxas knelt to scoop up Peia's books, keeping them in his arm when he stood back up, he reached out to take her hand again.
"Are you okay?" he asked, searching her eyes.
"I'm fine," she lied. "What was that about? What's he going to talk to you later about?"
He rolled his eyes. "I expect he'll want to talk about the fact that not only are you and I holding hands but that we came out from that alcove. It's not unusual for couples to use them as places to snog between lessons."
"Well it's none of his business what we were doing behind there," she said indignantly.
He smirked at her. "No, it's not. But Riddle won't see it that way. Come on, we're late for class."
