AUTHOR'S NOTE: just a filler chapter really. wanted to ease everyone back into Hogwarts and show some fluff/jealousies within the group. PROMISE the next chapter will have more action, all of the characters. im aware that this story had been quite slow pace, but I wanted to set up the Crown Snakes and Adrienne's new family fully before really jumping into this story. there will be two more slow-ish chapters that detail Adrienne's first family Christmas, that Tom will be a part of, and after that I'm doing a time jump to graduation. then we'll get to really see some dark magic :)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Thursday 19th December 1997

Tom would never forget the pleasure that ran through his blood at the sight of his witch. She was walking steadily toward him at first, her hair free and wild behind her, her black boots crushing the frozen leaves beneath them. Then she caught his eye, and started running. Running and running, and for a moment, Tom thought she meant to attack him, the way Malfoy had not that long ago, but alas, she ran into his arms, sobbing into his chest almost immediately.

Momentarily taken aback, Tom soon regained his bearings, and began soothing the quietly sobbing Adrienne. He found himself pleased by the fact that she had chosen to come straight to him, by the brook they had often duelled and studied alone together, and trusted him so much so in order to share this display of weakness.

"I missed you," her voice was muffled by his jumper.

"No more so than I, you," he replied, stroking her hair. "It has been unbearable. Life has been a tedious ritual, without you."

Releasing him, so she could look him in the eye, Adrienne wiped her tears away. "You betrayed me."

There was no accusation in her tone, not even anger. Just a statement of fact. Her words rung in Tom's ear. "For the greater good."

"The greater good," she repeated. "What is more important to you than me?"

Adrienne sounded every bit the abandoned child in that moment. Her lashes wet and eyes puffy and red, her lips still quivering with unshed tears. On anyone else, Tom would have found the mere sight of such meekness, pathetic. He would have relished in their weakness and dismissed them. On her though, it made something in his chest tighten. On her, it meant something. It meant he had done wrong.

"Absolutely nothing." And he meant it.

xxx

Adrienne had not meant to cry. She hadn't even meant to see Tom. She had planned to have him find her, looking polished and perfect in the Slytherin Common Room, next to Draco and Daphne as if nothing had changed. She had wanted him to stop in his tracks at the sight of her, before regaining his grace and greeting her with something snide, like, "Good evening, Miss Black." And she had started toward the dungeons. But leaving the steely protection of her father had proved more difficult than she imagined, and walking down the halls that did nothing but remind her of Dumbledore and his betrayal, passing students who avoided her eye or whispered amongst themselves had led her straight to the place she knew Tom would be spending most of his time, since her departure.

And when he'd seen her, she couldn't help it. She felt the wall she'd built simply dissolve. She felt all the insecurities of being unworthy and unwanted and different claw at her skin. And suddenly she was in his arms and he was murmuring with that 1940's lilt and everything felt better.

"And your family?" He asked. "Are they what you imagined?"

"No," she replied. "I - my mother. Bellatrix. She makes me uneasy. I see nothing but physical similarities between us and she doesn't know how to behave with me."

Tom looked slightly uncomfortable at her admission. "And your father?"

"Wonderful," she answered. "My dad, he - " Adrienne found a smile on her face despite herself. "Dad makes it worth it. I almost feel as safe with him as I do with you."

"Rodolphus Lestrange, yes? I'm familiar with the family."

"Yes well, everyone's familiar with my family now. I'm being talked about all over the castle again. Wonderful."

Tom squeezed her hand at this. "Forget the talkers. They don't mean anything."

"It was easier before but . . . " her voice trailed off, uncertain. "I don't think I know who I am anymore, Tom. Everything about me has changed."

Tom surprised her by placing both his hands on the sides of her face. His eyes were stern and blue and dark and in them she saw faint reflections of her hair stray in the wind. "Nothing about you has changed, Adrienne. Nothing."

"But - "

"You are still the same witch you were a month ago. The same witch who put the wealthiest, most powerful, most influential pureblood under her spell. The same witch who conjures purple fiendfyre as easily as others blink. The Blacks, the Malfoys, Lestranges," he waved a dismissive hand. "I have seen everything those families have to offer and you are by far the best. You aren't as common as a last name Adrienne. You aren't some daughter, or cousin, or twin. You aren't some adopted charity case," he sneered the last words. "You are you. You are mine."

And then he was knelt down before her. And with minimal fumbling in his cloak, a small box appeared in his palm, proffered to her. He didn't have to open it for Adrienne to guess what it was, but he did. And the black diamond glittered under the cloudy streaks of sunlight.

"Care to make it official?" He smiled that crooked smile.

"Ask me properly," she said. "Say the words."

"Adrienne," Tom said. "Will you be my wife?"

xxx

Draco had wanted to see Hermione all week.

He had at first been distracted by the rather monumental addition to his family. But the novelty soon wore off for him. Of course Adrienne was family. All those times she had inadvertently reminded him of his own mother. The way hers and Cassi's magic seemed so similar. How easily she had placed herself in his affections and the affections of all those around her. A trait his mother possessed.

His own parents had seemed to adjust to the whole thing quite well too. It had only taken Narcissa a few hours to begin fussing over Adrienne, tutting at how thin she was, and cooing at how Aunt Bella's hair had been just as wild in her youth, and how they must get Mama Black's engagement jewellery for Adrienne at once, shouldn't they Lucius? Even Rodolphus, who had never been what Draco considered an uncle due to the man's quiet, gloomy demeanour that only seemed to lighten in presence of his daughter. Daughters, Draco corrected himself. Yet, Rodolphus had welcomed Adrienne with the fervor or a man in love. Shedding his usually awkward, brooding manner, for that of a doting father.

His family had always been an adaptable bunch, Draco decided. His own father had always told him it was adaptability that stopped one from being left in the dust. Such as Mother's father allowing his beloved daughter to marry into the Malfoy family with their new money and politically conniving ways. Had the Blacks continued with their nasty inbreeding, Cygnus had realised, they would become as crazed as his own mother and wife (who was coincidentally his first cousin, also), and his youngest daughter, Bella seemed to be. A more noble, ancient, family, such as the Notts, or perhaps even the Lestranges, would have been ideal, of course. But alas, they had no eligible heirs for Narcissa to marry so the Malfoys had been a good alternative.

So, Draco surmised, everyone had accepted Adrienne into the family ranks. It helped that she was a Dark, talented witch, who had also been Sorted into Slytherin. Something even Cassi had not managed. And sure, Aunt Bella was not the maternal sort who baked cookies, or even had the elves do it. But she suppressed her more manic ideals and qualities, said nothing of her children consorting with a half-blood, and so, all was good.

Draco had been indecisive about whether he should go see his Slytherin cohorts or go find Hermione first. As much as he had ached to see her all week, she hadn't written him. Not once. Not to ask how he and his family were dealing with the mess Tom had caused. Not to ask if he was ever coming back to school. Not even to send him the school work he had missed. Hermione had a habit of coming across cold, he knew. He'd seen it in how she ignored her old Gryffindor friends, as if their scorn bothered her none, but looked mournful whenever Potter walked by her as if they hadn't once been best friends. But Draco thought that what he and Hermione shared was above the things that had ruined her past relationships.

"Draco!" A dreamy voice interrupted his thoughts. "You're back," and before he had chance to register who had recognised him, his face was filled with long, blonde hair.

"Luna," Draco said, only slightly uncomfortable. "Lovely to see you," he said, manoeuvring himself out of her embrace.

"Hermione will be so happy to see you," she enthused, not put out by Draco's lack of enthusiasm. "She hasn't been herself since you left."

"Really?" He heard himself asking.

Luna nodded sincerely. "It's very difficult living without your boyfriend when you usually share two thirds of the day together. I wouldn't know of course, Blaise and I have never spent a day apart. But I imagine it is."

Draco sputtered at Luna's labelling of his relationship with Hermione. Am I her boyfriend? Did she tell Luna that's what we are? "Where is she?"

"Oh, in the library with Harry I believe," Luna replied, as if it were the most normal thing. "Mending broken bridges. Tom's orders," she added.

Potter! Draco fled Luna's company muttering rushed goodbyes as he paced his way towards his - his … his girlfriend! If Draco needed another reason to dislike Tom Riddle, the man's eery attraction to his cousin notwithstanding, or even his fondness for the Cruciatus Curse, forcing Hermione to make amends with him would have been it.

As Luna had said, Harry and Hermione were sat opposite each other in some near deserted area. There were a few Ravenclaws scattered around but nobody of consequence. Hermione's back was to him, and Potter being oblivious as he was did not notice Draco approaching them.

"I don't know Hermione - "

"Quite cosy, isn't this?" Draco drawled, deriving some small pleasure at how Potter jumped at the sound of his voice. "I'll assume my invite got lost in the Owlery."

"Draco," Hermione exclaimed. "You're back."

Draco found he'd much rather have Hermione's hair in his mouth and arms wrapped around him, than Luna's. Than anybody's really. He inhaled the familiar scent of the Muggle shampoo she used and relished in parading Hermione's obvious affection for him in front of Potter, who seemed disgruntled and annoyed at the interruption.

"You should have wrote me!" Hermione scolded, once she'd released him. "I was worried."

"You should have wrote me," he countered smoothly. "Potter," he added, pretending to have only just noticed the boy.

"Malfoy," he forced out in return. "Good break?"

"The best," Draco replied. "Though it did lack a certain presence," he said, twirling a lock of Hermione's hair around his finger, who blushed at the praise

"And Adrienne?" Potter said stiffly. "Is she alright?"

"Harry," Hermione said, feeling Draco stiffen behind her. "Perhaps - "

"She's just fine," Draco cut in. "She's back with her family."

Harry just nodded, clearly at a loss for what to say. "Hermione, thanks for this," he gestured to a diary which Draco assumed was a study timetable the witch had made for her old friend. "And I - " he glanced at Draco. "I missed you too. Still do. Despite everything, you'll always be my sister."

"Don't let you girlfriend hear you say that," Draco said snidely.

Harry chose to ignore him. "I'll see you later, 'Mione."

Hermione punched Draco's arm once they were alone. "You didn't have to be so obnoxious. I've just spent the last hour defending you to him."

"What for?" Draco demanded. "I thought you were done with Saint Potter."

"Yes well, Tom thinks that I should reach out. God knows what plans he has but I'm going along with it because I miss Harry too."

"I thought you hated them."

She rolled her eyes. "Ron and Ginny, maybe. But Harry and I, we've always been close. His mum was basically my Wizarding world mentor. We're like family. Speaking of family," she said. "Adrienne? Cassi?"

Draco sighed. "We're good. We're managing."

"And your parents they . . . were okay?"

Draco frowned. "Of course they were. My mother can hardly contain her excitement at having another girl to fawn over."

"Oh," Hermione said, rather awkwardly, fiddling with her sleeve. "I suppose that's to be expected, as she never had a daughter of her own."

Draco wasn't sure why they were talking about his mother but nodded along, resting his chin atop Hermione's fluffy head. "I've always wanted a daughter," he murmured.

xxx

Cassiopeia exhaled loudly when she bumped into Neville before being able to decompress in the privacy of the Ravenclaw common room. With N.E.W.T's and O.W.L's fast approaching after Christmas break, she knew most of her Housemates would be in the library or pestering teachers for extra study. Sometimes Cassi would wonder why the Hat had placed her in Ravenclaw. She remembered the day clearly; she'd mentally begged to be in Slytherin. It was where Draco was, and all of Draco's friends, thus, everyone she knew. It was also where her parents and her entire family had been Sorted. Except cousin Sirius, but Mum says he's a Mudblood loving scoundrel, and was glad he hadn't been able to taint her House as he had their family. Despite being raised around it, Cassi had never bought into blood supremacy. She knew her Mum was powerful and her Dad had always been said to be a Potion's prodigy. But they were also effectively recluse and friendless. And Cassi sensed her Mother had been unhinged way before she lost a child. Even Draco's friends were all idiots who preferred flying and gossiping over learning about magic and they were as pureblooded as they came.

And then she'd come to Hogwarts and realised most people disliked her based on her last name, or feared her because of it. The only friends she had ever made growing up had been Draco's, who were nice to her because of Narcissa, who people genuinely adored, as opposed to her own mother who people treated with caution. And though the Ravenclaws treated her with respect - she was the smartest witch in her year - they never got close. And so, Cassi had decided by her second year, that blood did not make people better, as her mother liked to think.

"Miss Black," Neville greeted her with faux warmness. "Glad to have you back."

"Wish I could say the same, Longbottom," she replied dryly.

"Ah, the more things change, the more they stay the same," he said amusedly.

"Would love to stay here and entertain you, but I'm actually quite tired. I'd like to catch some rest before Tom finds out I'm back."

"I wouldn't worry about Tom," Neville said. "He missed Adrienne a great deal. The last thing on his mind is teaching his lessers about Dark magic when his other half has returned."

Cassi found herself quite bothered by Neville's statement. She didn't have any feelings for Tom, not like Adrienne did. In fact, she found him quite insufferable most days. But. Well. He was the only friend she had ever made on her own. He didn't recruit her because she was a Black, or because she was pretty, or because he wanted an in with Draco. He recruited her because she was powerful and good at magic. And he seemed to like her. More so than the other members of their group. Even Adrienne said Cassi was his favourite, and Adrienne knew him best.

She supposed it bothered her that Tom had missed Adrienne and mourned her absence. Even Hermione had probably been left rattled by Draco's leave. But no one had missed her. The awkward loner who Tom forced them to accept. I suppose now I'm Adrienne's sister they'll have another reason to be nice to me.

"Well, I will leave you get settled," Neville said as Cassi's silence stretched.

"Thank you," she said flatly.

Neville chuckled as he stalked off down the hall, and called back to her, "hasn't been the same without you, Black."

She pretended to not have not heard his parting words, but inside her, Cassi's heart fluttered.