Having dinner with the Malfoys had to be some sort of punishment. Perhaps her mother found out about the abuse Jade had put Abraxas through during the school year. It was her own fault for letting her anger get the best of her; she could not control herself around him. Something about Abraxas made her want to squeeze the life out of him with her bare hands. She could imagine wrapping her cold fingers around his scrawny little neck and feel his last breath leave his body.
At least tonight should be mildly entertaining. Father and Pruflas Malfoy would certainly have some sort of argument about the goings-on at the ministry; and Hermia and Audrey would most likely get so drunk together that standing would be no option. The four of them did generally provide enough action that Jade and Abraxas weren't left to feel completely miserable. However, Jade feared that Abraxas would be attempting to make conversation in attempts to extract information about her and Tom's whereabouts during the day. Jade would much prefer sitting in silence.
A holiday is meant to be leisurely. She should be sitting in the study reading a nice book and ignoring all of the fuss around her. She should be opening her vast amount of gifts and adoring every sickle her father gave her for Christmas. She should be drinking fine wine and enjoying conversation with her aunt and uncle. She should not have to force herself into dress robes two sizes too small. She should not have to be cordial to a supposedly honourable family. And, she certainly should not have to look at Abraxas Malfoys unfortunate face.
She begrudgingly stomped down the stairs and plopped onto the leather chair in the foyer. The pins holding her hair onto the top of her head dug so far into her skin the areas began to throb. Her arms folded across her chest and she glared at the house elf that stood near the door, a coat in his arms.
"Why are you holding Dad's coat?" she spit. The last thing her father wanted was his good coat in the hands of a dirty little house elf. Olfie bowed deeply to the floor.
"Olfie is sorry, ma'am! He was only trying to help the sir, ma'am!" Jade stormed toward him and snatched the coat from his hands.
"We don't need help from things like you," she said through gritted teeth.
"I know, ma'am! Olfie is just always liking to help Mr. Sterling, ma'am! And Miss. Sterling, too, ma'am! Can Olfie get you a tea, ma'am?" A large smile had crawled over his greying face.
"No, you cannot get me anything. Why don't you just piss off already, you nasty thing!"
A deep chuckle rang out in the hallway.
"Now, now, my darling, no need to be so rough on old Olfie!" Acton smirked down at the house elf before glancing back toward his daughter. "What has your mother done with my little girl? You look like a full grown woman in those robes!"
She swept toward her father, who greeted her with his arms spread wide open.
"Oh, Daddy! I missed you so much while I've been away at school! Professor Slughorn keeps blabbing about you every chance he gets." She stuck her tongue out and made a gagging noise.
He smoothed the hair on the top of her head. "It will be wise for you to just go along with what he says, dear. You will get places much more quickly if you just deal with him." He held his hand in front of her mouth before she could interrupt. "I know that it's difficult. But it is worth it, I promise."
Jade rolled her eyes and shifted his arm off of her shoulders. The last thing she wanted to hear was how she had to suck up to Slughorn. She sighed and tapped her heel on the cold marble floor. Slughorn wasn't always unbearable. Especially if he could help her reach a position in the ministry straight out of Hogwarts; and even better if it could be in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
She glanced at the walls in the foyer; they'd been painted since last night. She ran her fingers over the tan wall. "Did you paint the walls?" she asked absently before leaning in and smelling the fresh paint.
"It's funny how things can change right in front of your face when you're not paying attention, dear… Ah! Audrey, I thought you were never going to make your way downstairs."
Jade turned to look at her mother and contorted her face in disgust. It was despicable the lengths Audrey went to make herself look better than her. Audrey was eighteen years older than her daughter; and it was unacceptable to turn every simple matter into a competition.
"Mum, your breasts are alarming," she hissed before sliding into her emerald cloak and threw the hood over her head. Audrey's dark laughter bounced off of the walls.
"Maybe someday you'll grow your own, my darling." Jade stood in front of the door, not willing to look toward her parents.
"Let's go, then. We're already late." Her father grabbed her hand. "One, two, three." With a loud crack the bright foyer twisted.
Being funnelled through the space of time was quite unpleasant. It felt like your body was being pushed through a hole a quarter the size of your body. Apparition was not Jade's favourite way of travel; she would much prefer to travel via the floo network. In the blink of an eye her family was staring at a large black gate. A Victorian mansion stood grand in the short distance.
"I just think their home is so… distasteful," Jade said dully. Her father patted her on the shoulder.
"You had better watch your attitude, young lady," Audrey hissed as they began their walk to the enormous front door.
Small snowflakes landed on Jade's hot skin. She took a deep breath through her nose and smiled greatly. It smelled like Christmas. The bitterness in the air felt familiar and comforted her. The smell of freshly baked ham pulled them to the mansion, Jade's stomach gurgled in response.
"Both of you need to behave tonight," Acton said as he slammed the brass knocker on the large oak door. Audrey giggled and kissed her husband's rosy cheek.
"Oh, Acton, you know I'm always a good girl."
Jade gagged as she lowered the hood of her cloak. She hoped this night would pass quickly so she could just go back to her room and finally reply to the letter than had been nagging her all day.
A bright light shone through the crack in the door. Hermia smiled graciously at the family before her. Audrey squealed with delight as she fell into her friend's arms.
"Hello, hello! Please come in! It's dreadful outside." She ushered them in and took their coats. Hermia was a very lovely woman. Her platinum blonde hair glowed in the light. With a mother who was so pleasant that it almost made her vomit, it made no sense that Abraxas was so miserable.
"Audrey, Acton! Nice to see you as always." Pruflas kissed Audrey's cheek and the tips of Jade's fingers.
Audrey already had a full glass of elder wine in her hand and giggled like mad at Pruflas's kiss. "Oh, Pruflas, your wife is such a lucky woman!"
Hermia grabbed Audrey's arm and pulled her toward the dining room, already divulging needless gossip.
"Abraxas, you had better say hello to Miss Sterling, doesn't she look wonderful tonight?" Pruflas pushed his son forward.
His eyes were cold as he looked toward Jade, his lips twitching when he glanced at her robes. "Oh, she looks positively lovely." He ignored the hand Jade had extended for him.
"Now, Abraxas. As a gentleman of your calibre you should know that not accepting a lady's hand is rude." Jade smirked at him as she lifted her arm higher. He begrudgingly accepted it for a moment before turning out of the room.
"Acton! Do tell me about what's going on with the ministry. Don't tell me they've actually hired a muggle born to work in the department of mysteries!" The men left the room for the lounge already in a heated discussion.
Jade scoffed at the house elf staring up at her. What was it with these damn things? Did they have nothing better to do than stare? She waved her hand in its face and stomped toward the library; perhaps she could find something of interest on the shelves.
Large paintings of similar-looking men glowered down at her as she walked along the bookcases. What was the appeal of having dead family members hung around every inch of a study? It was tacky. She ran her fingers along the spines of the aged books; nothing of particular interest caught her eyes. If she could only see Pruflas's private stores... He was bound to have some rather sinister material hiding in his home.
She picked out a dusty book that did not look particularly interesting or special. "A theoretical guide on summoning spells." Oh goody. She sighed as she took a seat on a rather comfortable chair near the fire. The library was the most acceptable room in the house as far as she was concerned. Pinewood covered the walls, and black marble made for a rather attractive contrast. If the dreadful photos of dead Malfoys could be disposed of she would actually consider this a nice place to be.
Her fingers ached to write a letter back to Tom, if only she had a quill and a piece of parchment. Had she known he was staying at Hogwarts over the holidays, she would have followed suit. Her mother had thus far been more unpleasurable than ever.
Not that Audrey was ever pleasant; but she had never been outwardly cruel the way she had been this holiday. Too many times Jade had come a split second from reaching for her wand and show her mother exactly what she was capable of. All of those hours spent with Tom had not been spent in vain.
The pages in the book crinkled as she tightened her grip. What was it about her mother that made her so furious? She dealt with idiots on a regular basis, and they've never struck a nerve with her the way her mother could. She let out a long breath and leaned her head against the back of the chair. Scotland seemed further away than it ever had before.
The crackling fire soothed her as she concentrated on taking calming breaths. Seven more days and she could go back to school. It couldn't be too horrible, could it? She could make it through Christmas Eve tomorrow by spending the entire day with her Grandmum.
"I know something you don't know," a singsong voice rolled around the room. Jade opened her right eye and glanced toward Abraxas leaning against the door to the library. A small leather-bound book sat in his hands.
"I don't care what you know." She sat up and cracked her neck.
"Oh? Well, you may want this." He tossed the book onto her lap. "Why don't you give it a look?" He slid out of the library, a sickly grin on his face.
Her fingers ran over the rough black leather of the book, the corners capped with shining brass. This couldn't possibly be Herpo's, could it? She turned the book over and felt her heart fall. It was a journal; but she had not been expecting its author. Embossed golden letters shone on the bottom left-hand corner. Tom Marvolo Riddle.
She brought the journal to her nose and smelled the sweet leather. Secretly she hoped his cologne lingered. Damn him. How despicable. She had started sniffing a book like a hungry dog to get even a small sliver of his reality. She just wanted to feel his hands in her hair, his fingers on her jaw, his lips on her neck, his chest pressing on top of hers. Jade touched her warm cheek.
"Enough," she whispered. Jade took a deep breath before opening the cover, a quill and a note falling out of the pages.
Jade,
Surprised? My diary. It's like I'm always with you.
Yours,
Tom
Like he's always with her? Unlikely. She opened the book to the first empty page and began to write.
'My name is Jade Blythe Sterling.' To her massive surprise, the ink sunk into the pages and glowing emerald ink floated back onto the page.
"Hello, Jade. How are your holidays?" She quickly snapped the book shut and stared at the cover.
This magic must have been very difficult, and she was offended that he didn't bother telling her how it was done. Disgusted, she left the book sitting on the chair and stalked out of the library.
She knew very well that Hermia did not want her sneaking around the house, but she needed to find Abraxas's room. What did he know that she didn't? Had Tom divulged the secret magic of the diary to him? A preposterous thought. Tom had stated time and time again how unreliable Abraxas could be.
The thin heels of her shoes clacked against the hardwood floors, the sound echoing into the high ceilings. She climbed the spiral staircase to the second floor, listening carefully for any noise coming from one of the many doors in the hall. Candles dimly lit the hallway; the twisted shadows cast from large statues sent a shiver down her spine. This house was creepy. Not at all what she would consider acceptable living accommodations.
Very gently she tiptoed down the hallway, stopping briefly in front of each door to listen for sounds from the inside. Low whispers could be heard inside the third door on the left. It was Abraxas but he wasn't alone. Somebody else was in the room with him! She pressed her ear against the door as she pulled her dress up and reached for the wand inside her stocking. You could never be too careful.
"She has the diary, My Lord."
"Excellent, Abraxas. Be sure she uses it."
Jade's heart dropped, she could feel goose pimples spread across her entire body. That was Tom Riddle's voice, she would bet her life on it. What was he doing here? Her heart began to race as she pointed her wand at the door.
"Apertum!" His door flew open and she pounced on Abraxas's back, knocking him onto the floor. He let out a loud scream and grabbed her by the hair, but before he could pull her back up she poked her wand into his cheek. "Expelliarmus!" His wand flew across the room as she wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her hand over his mouth. A quick glance around his dark room showed no traces of Tom. She could have sworn she heard his voice.
Abraxas was wiggling, trying to get out of Jade's grasp. She tugged on him roughly and whispered into his ear, her wand still pointed at his cheek. "Stop bloody moving around, Abraxas and tell me where he is." A pleased cackle flowed from the fire place. Jade glanced at the fireplace and lo-and-behold Tom Riddle's face poked through the flames. Groaning loudly, she kicked Abraxas off the top of her and glared at Tom.
"Bastard."
His laughter only grew louder at her anger; Abraxas wiped dust from his robes and glared.
"What do you think you're doing in my room, Sterling?" Abraxas growled, his hands on his hips. Jade ignored him and waved her hand in his face as she stood up off the floor.
"You know, Jade, you really surprise me sometimes. I hope you enjoy your gift." Tom laughed as his face sunk into the flames before Jade had a moment to respond.
"What were you two talking about?"
"That is none of your business," he said calmly as he approached her, his hand extended.
"You were talking about me, wouldn't that be my business?" She ignored his hand.
"Listen. We both don't want to do this, so can we just have dinner and get it over with, already? Just shut up for once and let's go downstairs." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of his room.
"You don't have to hold my hand, Malfoy, I can walk down the stairs myself!" She huffed as they stomped down the stairs. Abraxas placed his hand on the small of her back as he ushered her inside the beautiful dining room. Their parents beamed at them as they strode into the bright room. Jade sighed. Perfect, now her mum would think she wanted him touching her.
"Oooh, you two!" Hermia slurred. Abraxas pushed Jade toward her chair and sat across the table from her.
"Look at how nice they are!" Audrey shouted as she clapped her hands. Jade covered her face with her hands.
"Wow, Mum. Quite charming," Jade grumbled as she poked at the lettuce on the plate in front of her.
She had to give credit where credit was due; the Malfoys always had impeccable food and wine. Pruflas had adopted a winery from his father, and they had the most wonderful zinfandel Jade had ever tasted. Of course, they owned and opperated an ancient winery, so she shouldn't be incredibly surprised.
"Now, my dear daughter! Don't be so cheeky!" Audrey took another long drink from her glass and grabbed her husband's hand. "We really have raised a firecracker, Acton!"
Acton merely smiled toward his daughter before picking his glass up. "We certainly have. A very loud, vibrant, and fantastic firework." He raised his glass and took a short drink. Jade could feel her cheeks grow warm. Her father was fantastic, always knew what to say in every situation.
"Yes. A very large firework," Abraxas blurted. Jade raised her eyebrow at him.
"Yes, Abraxas. Larger than life, certainly larger than your ego." She looked down his body and chuckled. He dropped his jaw and scoffed loudly.
"More wine, Jade?" Audrey quickly offered. Jade glanced down at her already-full wine glass.
"No."
"No, what, young lady?"
"No, I don't want any more wine."
"How about saying 'No, thank you'? Have you lost your manners?" Audrey raised an eyebrow.
"No thanks, I don't want any wine." Jade shook her head as she cut into her lettuce.
"Well!" Hermia cleared her throat, "Who's ready for the second course?"
Abraxas sniggered at her before finishing his drink.
"Sounds lovely, Mrs. Malfoy, thank you so much again for having us over for this lovely dinner." Jade smiled. If her mother wanted polite, she was going to be so nice it made her ill.
"Of course, thank you for coming!"
Jade took a long drink from her glass and stared at Abraxas. Picking up a butter knife, she slid it along her throat and mouthed an obscenity at him. He flushed and turned his head toward his parents.
"Mother, Tom Riddle was wondering if he could spend Christmas with us."
Jade's eyes grew wide and she stared toward Hermia.
"Oh! I absolutely adore Tom! Of course he can stay! Why don't we have Pruflas bring him home after he gets off work tomorrow morning?" Hermia pinched her husband's arm. "Would you be able to make a short trip to Hogsmeade?"
"Of course. It would be splendid to have him arou-"
"But how will he get here? The train won't be leaving tomorrow," Jade quickly interjected. The room fell silent.
"Really? My dad is as much a wizard as any of us," Abraxas said flatly. The room burst into raucous laughter.
"I guess I didn't think about side-along apparition," she murmured before downing her entire glass of wine. The alcohol burned slightly as it fell down her throat.
The table burst into excited chatter about a guest arriving for the holidays, something Jade did not want to discuss. She sat through the rest of the meal in silence. Audrey and Hermia drank two bottles of wine and had begun telling embarrassing baby stories by dessert.
"Well! When Abraxas was four I had taken him shopping at Diagon Alley! He told me when I was at the register at Madame Malkin's that he had to go potty."
"Oh, Mum, please, don't…" Abraxas groaned.
"Oh, shush! Anyways. I told him to wait for Mummy to finish checking out! But he didn't! He wandered to the school robes aisle and squatted on the floor!" The table laughed loudly and Abraxas hid his face in his hands.
"Mum, that's not funny."
"Oh, my love! It's just a story!" Hermia giggled.
Jade poked at her desert. The boning of the corset pressed into her skin, and the strings felt like they were going to burst. Absolute misery.
A moment of bright clarity shone onto her. Here she was, in Malfoy Manor. With the Malfoys. In their house. After they've been drinking.
How could she not have seen this as the perfect opportunity until now? She grinned and offered Pruflas and Hermia more wine; which they, of course, accepted. Jade eagerly tapped her feet on the wooden floor, hoping the dinner would end soon and they could move into the library for casual after-dinner conversation.
After having patiently sat through the most obnoxious coffee conversation she'd ever heard, they finally made their way into the library. Jade waited in a dark corner, watching Pruflas's every move. If Abraxas wouldn't give her what she wanted, Pruflas would.
The conversation began to die down after a half hour and Jade took it upon herself to take a chance. "Mr. Malfoy, what do you know about Herpo the Foul?"
Abraxas's eyes grew wide.
"Well, I know he was a very talented wizard," Pruflas began.
"A very talented dark wizard." Acton added.
"What brought his name up tonight?"
Jade shook her head and shrugged. "Came across his name while I was reading a book, is all. I was curious because I'd never heard of him. I just assumed you had." She smiled at him.
"Ah, yes. Well, my father used to have a copy of his journal. But, it's gone missing within the last couple years. I'm afraid that he may have sold it."
"I'm sorry. A couple of years?" Jade leaned forward. It couldn't be possible. Malfoy told her in September that Tom had just asked for it. She glanced at Abraxas's face; it was stone cold, not a muscle moved.
"Oh, yes. I really think it's gone. The past couple years he'd been going a bit mad. Losing his mind. I'm guessing he sold it, thinking it was some sort of worthless item." Pruflas shrugged his shoulders and looked down into his cup. "Oh, well." He tipped the last of the contents into his mouth.
"That's so unfortunate," Jade said flatly.
"Well, I must excuse myself. It's been a rather long day. Thank you, Mr. Sterling for bringing your family for dinner, it was an absolutely lovely time!" Abraxas rounded the couch and picked up Jade's hand. "Jade. I'll be seeing you." He leaned down and kissed her hand. She pulled her hand away and had half a mind to punch him in the mouth.
He excused himself, leaving Jade staring daggers at his back. That bastard. She could feel her blood growing warm. If only she could follow him to his room and teach him a lesson about lying. He had led her on for nearly four months. Tom had the book the entire time! The glass in her hand shattered, the contents spilling all over her robe and the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Malfoy!" Jade muttered as she flicked the liquid off her dress robes.
"Don't worry another moment about it, dear!" Hermia giggled while she waved her wand over the mess.
"Perhaps we should get home, Grandmum Jade should be home by now," Audrey interjected suddenly. She threw her glass into the air and it vanished in front of her face.
"Oh, so soon?" Pruflas said.
"Yes, I'm afraid Acton's mother has been out all day, we're hoping she hasn't gotten lost." Audrey giggled.
The families shared very curt goodbyes before Acton, Audrey, and Jade were escorted out of the door by a house elf. Acton grabbed the arms of the two ladies and apparated back to their home. Audrey grabbed her daughter's arm after they crossed the threshold of their foyer.
"Breaking a glass? Are you some sort of mindless troll? Or just a baby witch who can't control her magic?" she spit.
"Get off of me." Jade pushed her mother's hand off of her arm. "You're such a rubbish mother."
Jade did not wait for her mother's response; she ran up the stairs and into her room. She just wished she could go back to Hogwarts for the rest of the holiday. If she had to spend another second with her mother she would explode. Jade was starting to become increasingly concerned for Audrey's life.