April 16th, 1943
Number 12 Grimmauld Place, though spacious as the room were numerous, had found its maximum capacity with the addition of the Thorpe's and the Malfoy's this holiday. The sheer crowdedness of the place had drawn Merissa out nearly every day since she had arrived, a week ago now. Though it was not precisely cramped, and everyone had room to themselves - indeed Alphard's mother had looked near fainting when he joked Merissa and Abraxas share a bed - there was still a stuffy feeling about the place, like it was one breath away from running out of air.
Perhaps, it had to do with the near constant meetings Merissa's father took over the drawing room for, or the fact that Merissa couldn't leave her room without fearing being abducted by Abraxas' mother, Demetria, for one of the endless luncheons she attended or that her own mother couldn't be bothered with her. Abraxas himself would have been the one she complained about all of this to, however what little time he spent out of his room, he used to avoid her. Joseph and Walburga only fed off each other's attitudes, and as a result, Alphard became the only tolerable company in the house and she had spent every day with him accordingly. Unfortunately, that still left her in good company with nothing to do.
As a result, they found themselves out in the cobble square, leaning against the short iron fence that kept the spindly trees at bay, sharing yet another cigarette. This was their new most frequent pass time to avoid the house together and Alphard was a good companion for her to have when doing this, as it happened. On her own, she always became too anxious and would stamp out countless half-smoked butts, powerless against the whims of her nerves. He prevented this entirely subconsciously, his slow long inhales making her own breathes calm as she watched him release mouthfuls of smoke into the brisk air. His cedar eyes wandered about the space, but his presence was warm and steady. Still, heedless to any comfort, there was no quieting her hands that fidgeted vigorously when they had no industry.
"Slow down," he reminded her, blowing a long breath and handing the burning cigarette to her. She obeyed and pressed her lips to the end of the butt. Exhaling, she felt the tell tale tickle in her throat and fell into a coughing fit.
"No more for you today," he said lightly, taking it back from her to take a long drag. But he was no Abraxas, and when she held out her hand expectedly a few minutes later he allowed her the last breath of smoke before the stog was stomped out and discarded. With nothing to occupy them anymore, Merissa stuffed her hands in her pockets and tilted her head to gaze up at the smoggy London sky.
"It's so ugly here," she complained, "I could respect some good old fashioned fog, but this is filthy. I suppose it's the Muggles and their factories."
"It's probably from us taking so many smoke breaks," he teased, tapping his front pocket which still contained a half pack. She shook her head, turning towards the young trees. They had begun blooming with thousands of tiny white blossoms, littering the newly sprouted spring foliage. When the wind blew, the petals fell like snow around them on the pavers. Despite its innocent appearance, Merissa almost found it to be a harbinger, a demonstration of time passing by whilst she was unable to work out any of things she would have liked to. The holiday felt drawn as it was and she was counting the days until she could return to Hogwarts.
"I am not ready to go inside yet, but if I smoke another cigarette I might cough up a lung," she admitted, rubbing her raw throat.
"I keep telling you one of these days we ought to make a break for Diagon Alley," he reminded her, as he often did when she expressed her reluctance to return inside. She gave him a sarcastic smile as she leaned back, hands intertwined with the wrought fence for support.
"My mother would flay me if I went so far as another step away from the house today. She nearly jumped me for placing a toe outside yesterday without my hair properly pinned."
He flicked a strand from her shoulder, "It's not today either."
She made a face at him and pushed it back again. She gazed up at the front door of Grimmauld Place before turning her back at it again, "Let's sneak out for a walk while we can though. Grab me a coat? Your elves make such a fuss over me, I'd never make it out without commotion."
"Sure," he agreed readily and ducked inside the door. She leaned back against the fence, considering the congested sky again as she waited. Alphard was easy, that much she did greatly appreciate about him. She didn't much like being alone lately.
"Merissa Thorpe, smoking again?" a languid voice came from beside her.
It was all she could do not to recoil. She knew all too well what she would see if she turned. Nonetheless, she did, slowly, forcing a polite smile as she did so.
Andrew Nott had recently became incredibly concerned for the exercise of his pet hound and walked it twice, thrice, sometimes even four times a day, and - as if his motive couldn't be clearer - his dog seemed to favor times when Merissa was by herself in the square, as uncommon as they were. His family was staying in a townhouse across the street for the holiday, his father being important enough to be privy to the drawing room meetings her father held, so it wasn't surprising that they would see each other from time to time, but his insistence on meeting this way was irritating.
"Good morning, Andrew," she greeted him, eyes flickering to the door, hoping more than ever now that Alphard would be quick in his errand.
Nott moved in front of her, obscuring her view with his broad frame, "To think, this must be the tenth time we meet like this. I think it must be fate."
"To think," she agreed, her smile broad and painful. She turned her eyes to his dog, a golden-colored, genial beast. She extended a hand and it knocked against her in excitement, pushing her back into the fence.
"Woah there," Nott said, pulling her towards him by her waist, "Sorry, he likes pretty girls," he murmured without a hint of apology.
She removed his hand decidedly, "I've heard that's a learned trait."
He laughed, taking a step back and wagging his finger at her, "You have a mouth on you. I like that."
I can imagine why that might be appealing for you.
She forced a single syllable of a laugh, "I should be getting inside. It's nearly time for me to start getting ready for this evening as it is. I'll see you tonight."
"I'm sure I'll see you out here again within the hour with Black," he challenged, barring her way with a carefully placed arm against the fence. His smirk told her it was meant to be a jest, but she didn't find it the least bit amusing. She smiled at him, her irritation only mounting, palms burning hot.
"It's possible," she agreed, attempting to sound as carefree as possible. He laughed, leaning towards her to prop himself against the fence as well.
She resisted the urge to shove him away, blinked at him for a few moments and only when she began to smell the distinct odor of burning fabric did she ducked under his arm, straight to the steps of Grimmauld place.
"I'll see you tonight!" he echoed as the door latched behind her.
Once inside, she furiously kicked off her boots, one knocking over a troll-leg umbrella stand as it ricocheted off the wall. Removing her now singed gloves, cursing, it took her a moment to notice Alphard. He was just down the narrow entrance hall, looking understandably perplexed.
"Thank you," she sighed, "Faster next time though, Nott ambushed me again."
Alphard tossed her the coat, frowning, "He didn't," he said frowning.
She shook her head, "Fresh air isn't worth it anymore, I'd rather go stir crazy than to have to be polite to him again."
"Yeah," he agreed, eyes trained to the floor, "Yeah, you're right."
She flicked his hair fondly as she passed him to reach the stairs. The rich, plum carpet runner padded her steps as she took them, two at a time up one, two, three flights of stairs. Once she was on the landing she turned to the first door and burst in, not bothering to announce herself. Abraxas yelped and leaped from the desk he was working on, surprised by her sudden entrance.
"You could knock," he gasped, clutching his neck as he slowly sat back down. He was still in his nightclothes despite it being afternoon, not that they were anything especially exciting.
"And you could stop being a git, yet here we are," she snipped back, "Good God, Alphard is right, you're jumpy as a hare," she shook her head at his colorless face, still recovering from her intrusion, "I would ask if you were okay, but as we're barely on speaking terms. . ."
"Merissa -" he said slowly but she shook her head again and tossed her ruined gloves into his lap. He frowned at her and then inspected them.
"Nott is harassing me because he can tell we're not speaking again," she said pointedly, "You need to get him to stop, goddamn vulture. That's all."
He scoffed ,eyes still on the scorch marks that blemished the cream-colored leather "This didn't convince him?"
"He's an idiot," Merissa eniciated. Her eyes narrowed at the roll of parchment he had in front of him, and she recognized the ornate script before he could snatch it up, "What is Riddle writing you about?" she demanded.
"This isn't from Tom," he defended lamely, though quickly, to his credit.
She folded her arms across her chest, "Fine. Do me a favor then?"
He said nothing but put out a hand, inviting her to continue, "Get his hand out of your arse before you lie so ineptly. It reflects poorly on both of you."
His expression darkened and he stood up abruptly, thrusting her from the room, "Goodbye Merissa," he clipped and closed the door before she could hope for a rebuttal.
She turned to find Alphard paused awkwardly on the landing, clearly having heard enough. She smiled softly and came to tap the box still in his coat pocket, "Figure we could get away with a smoke in here if we opened a window?" she asked.
He cocked his brow, "One or two, I'd figure. Our father's just shut themselves away again."
"Quickly then," she ushered him up the steps, laughing, "No time to waste."
/_\
The dress her mother had selected for her was of the palest blue chiffon, nearly faded into white like frost, adorned with a cream colored sash. Merissa hated it on principle, but otherwise found it agreeable enough. Once Rosalynn had waged war with Merissa's waves to her satisfaction and they sat pinned, orderly, Merissa even allowed herself to admire it in the mirror some before being collected along with Alphard and placed in a very tense carriage already containing Abraxas, Joseph and Walburga, who obviously paid closer attention to such things as departure times.
Once inside, Merissa began using the window as a mirror to remove most of the pins from her hair, half because it peeved Abraxas and half because they were giving her a headache. Her mother would reprimand her if she saw them missing, but Merissa hoped the guests would be plentiful enough that she could avoid both of her parents entirely. She made a neat pile of them on the alabaster cushion beside her.
By the time she was satisfied several tendrils escaped and were cascading down to her shoulders and they could see the River Thames passing by like a glittering, twisting serpent. They were still a ways away from Chelsea though, and they all seemed reluctant to break the silence, all either staring out the window or at the floor.
No one seemed to mind Alphard sipping from his flask, but when Merissa extended a hand for it, Walburga snatched it up and poured it out the coach window, snapping, "You would have given her some later, if not now," in defense to her brother's astounded expression.
Irritated, and with no other alcohol source other than Abraxas - who seemed quite unlikely to share with her, as his expression suggested he shared Walburga's sentiments - Merissa sulked for the rest of the ride.
When they finally arrived, a line of coaches had already formed leading up the door. Merissa pressed her forehead to the window to see if she recognized the carriage in front, and found she did with some dismay as she identified it as Lestrange's. It wasn't surprising they were here, but still a rather glum reminder that she would be living under Adolphus' beady mink-eyes for the night.
Stepping out of the carriage and onto the ascending steps, Merissa felt a few drops of rain against her skin, and her eyes turned to the tempestuous sky before Abraxas tugged her along, the procession moving ever forward towards the door. Abraxas and herself were here together, of course, as was expected of them. The weight of his hand was staggering tonight, as she wanted nothing to do with it and he was no more pleased to be with her.
The lights from inside the house sparkled and glowed from the windows, spilling down the entryway as the lavishly dressed guests stepped inside. Anaxagoras Greengrass and his wife greeted them with unparalleled grace, and in return no one said a word about his late wife, nor her nearly two decades junior replacement, at least within earshot. Once past their host's greeting at the door, the usual throng of boys was forming in the foyer, just below the stairs. Davao Rosier, along with Druella, Lestrange, Mulciber, Travers and Avery were already present and Abraxas excused himself from Merissa's side at once and joined them.
Moodily, she nabbed a flute of sparkling elf wine from a circulating tray and glowered at the congregation as she sipped. She wished now she had been more cordial to Abraxas, if only to get an inkling why he was communicating with Riddle, or perhaps more so, why Riddle was taking the time to write him back. He didn't strike her as the type who would write people out of fondness for them.
"They all used to follow Roger Travers around like he created the earth, do you remember?" Alphard asked lowly. Merissa jumped, not noticing him having come to her side.
"Of course," Merissa nodded, surprised by his comment. "Now Riddle is much the same. Never the same after -"
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Do you reckon it was him then? I know people always whispered. They had a lot of animosity towards each other that last year and then for Roger to just disappear like that, the heir to the family no less."
"It was strange," she agreed, "I don't think it was him though."
"Why not?" Alphard seemed taken aback by her conclusion.
"Tom - Riddle I mean - was a kid, wasn't he? That was our third year. I don't think anyone could, that young. Roger was going into his seventh, and he was quite the duelist."
Alphard shrugged but wore an uneasy heaviness that she had half a mind to quiere after when a shrill voice interrupted them, "Merissa, I had no idea you were here!"
Druella Rosier had bounded towards them without warning, wearing an ensemble of light pink ruffles that made her appear something like an engorged carnation. She was smiling however, face alight below her mousy hair, curled into ringlets and piled on top of her head for the occasion.
"But of course, Abraxas is here isn't he, I just assumed you would be together if you were both here already," she gave her little time to respond, yet alone react, "Come, you have to take a lap of the room with me, I haven't seen what anyone is wearing, Davao can't be wrangled out from the group anyway. Boys."
"Of course," Merissa agreed as gladly as she could manage. Alphard had already dissolved into the crowd so she had no excuse otherwise. Besides, she'd rather prefer the girl's company to Abraxas's tonight, "You look wonderful Druella, aren't you debuting tonight?"
Druella beamed, and indeed became quite radiant, "Yes, I am. Cygnus Black is my escort, he came back from Durmstrang just for the evening," she told her all but ecstatically, "He's younger, of course, and not particularly lively company at that, but my mother insisted he was a proper match. I must say, he's rather charming as well, he takes after Alphard in that way!"
Merissa smiled in response. She knew for a fact that the youngest Black did not go to Durmstrang at all, and instead attended an exclusive - and, more importantly - tip lipped reform school after a particularly nasty incident with a muggle. She might have said something, but she guessed Druella had heard that much as well. If she was set on pretending he was unassailable company, Merissa wouldn't say a word. Druella was in no danger at least, being pure blood as everyone here was. It remained unsaid, but universally known, just as all disreputable things here were.
Turning her attention to the guests still streaming inside, she was met with a kaleidoscopic display of rich colors, sparkling gems and - in the case of Mrs. Avery's dress - rare plumage. She was admiring a deep indigo gown that had just passed by when she realized she recognized the witch in it.
"I do love Springer's robes," Merissa commented lightly, nodding towards the auburn haired girl, "I didn't realize she knew Liam Macmillian."
She did look lovely, bright hair pinned and spilling out over her jewel toned robes, clasping onto the crook of the burly seventh year's arm.
"Oh yes, they've been an item since last June," Druella was quick to respond. It struck Merissa she always seemed to know so much about other people, her keen eyes now also scanning the crowd, "And goodness, look at Calissa Greengrass," she transitioned easily, "She is perfect, isn't she?"
The willowy blonde she was referring to was across the hall from them, but undeniably stood out like a swan among crows, her fern colored robes sweeping like silken feathers as she spoke - Merissa realized with some chagrin - to Abraxas and Adolphus. Rationally, she knew there was no reason to, not being interested in Abraxas herself and knowing him not to be interested in Calissa in the slightest, but still she was beautiful and they had appearances to keep up.
"Blondes are so tedious though, aren't they?" Alphard had appeared again, and Merissa was pleased to see him.
Druella however, clicked her tongue in disbelief, "If Calissa came up to you, you wouldn't be so smug," she declared firmly.
Alphard shrugged, unimpressed, "I heard you were here with my baby brother, is that true?"
"He's only a year younger," she was quick to protest.
"Two years," he corrected, "But Merlin, I'm kidding, Rosier. I just haven't seen him yet, I was curious. He doesn't get out much, you know?"
He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she had no choice but to let her scowl fall into a grin, "He was with Davao last I saw," Druella told him, "Let's all go over, it'll be time for dinner soon."
They joined the conglomerate and were absorbed by it quickly, greetings coming from every side. Some of them already reeked of alcohol, as was customary at these events and Merissa felt she might pass out from a mere waft of Lestrange's breath. Cygnus was among them, acting much like he had never left. He had always liked these boys, holding none of the reservations Alphard had about them. His steely eyes were sliding between Travers and Avery as they spoke to him with fond familiarity. Despite the fact that he was younger, he had a more carven face than his brother that made him look the elder and harshness to his features that firmly distinguished them.
Alphard laughed aloud as he turned, beaming, "I had no idea you were home, Cygnus," they embraced.
"Short lived, I'm afraid," the younger Black replied, squeezing his brother's shoulder, haughty mouth turned up in a smirk, "Must be getting back north. And besides, I understand the house is rather full."
"I'm terribly sorry if we're putting you out," Merissa apologized quickly. His stormy eyes fell on her and he smirked.
"Merissa Thorpe," he grinned and kissed her hand in greeting, "I thought I might see you tonight. You look older - I almost don't recognize you."
"And you, grown half a foot I'm sure!" she laughed, "Walburga must be chuffed to see you towering over her now."
He shrugged, "I can't say I've seen her yet."
Merissa's smile faltered, an uneasiness falling over her. It was easy to rib on with him, but the reality of the situation she was unsure of. Nodding along, she allowed Alphard to take lead in the conversation again until a hand on her elbow pulled her attention away.
"They're calling dinner," Abraxas told her and she followed him rather reluctantly into the dining hall. The table was as long and slender, with shining silver placements set between arrangements of hydrangea and peony flowers siding by towering silver candelabras that dripped wax onto the tablecloth and satin runners. Finding their place cards, Merissa was even less pleased, Olive Hornby already across from their intended seats, twisting a strand of her pale hair as she spoke.
"There's no way," she muttered, pulling Abraxas back by the crook of his elbow.
"Just be nice," he sighed exasperatedly, forcing her into the high backed chair. Merissa kept her chin tilted proudly, refusing to acknowledge the blonde, gazing pointedly down the table. In the flickering candle light, she watched as Alphard took his seat, halfway down and far from earshot.
"Merissa Thorpe?" The girl's apathetic drawl was as grating as glass against her ears. She gripped the velvet cushion under the table, hoping to ignore her, "Fancy seeing you here. I didn't know you had the capacity to be so presentable. Do you know Darren?"
"I do know your date," Merissa snapped, "We've both attended this ball for nearly a decade now, as all members of the sacred thirty have. Abbott," she greeted him harshly.
Seeing Abraxas's warning glance, she turned her attention back down the table, willing Macmillan's joke a few people down to be louder than the incessant drawl in her ear.
"We met by chance, Darren was picking up his sister for the holiday and we just ran into each other," it was saying, "Hit it off immediately and who was I to say no to an invitation -"
"Lestrange hadn't invited you already?" Merissa feigned surprise, resting her head on a hand as she turned to Olive, "I thought the two of you were going steady?"
Hornby turned scarlet, "Obviously not."
"Hm," Merissa took the heavy paper card from the blonde's plate, "Abbott, Guest," she read, "Shame they didn't get your name. I like to keep mine. I think I must have one from every minister in Europe, right Abraxas?"
Olive turned nearly purple but she didn't say another word for the entirety of dinner, so Merissa felt she had accomplished her goal. When the guests began filling into the ballroom, Abraxas offered a hand to her, but Merissa shook her head stubbornly.
"I'd rather not," she impassed, rising on her own accord.
"Neither would I," he snapped in an undertone, pulling her alongside him, "But if we don't people will talk, and then we'll have to make a bigger show next party to make up for it. Three dances, and you can spend the rest of the night however you please."
He was right and she hated it, "Two," she bargained.
"Three," he held firmly, "Four if you plan on spending much more time with Alphard."
She narrowed her eyes at him, "Three."
As much as she would have liked to hate dancing with Abraxas, it was impossible not to enjoy it, regardless of how she felt about him. He was so practiced she hardly had to pay any attention to her feet, knowing each other's movements so well. The dazzling haze the chandelier omitted was like dappled sunlight. It felt rather like flying to be spun around effortlessly in it. A laugh bubbled up from her lips, and she tipped her head back for a moment forgetting herself. His expression was stoney however and she sighed, keeping her eyes down on the shining marble floor for the rest of the dance. When the agreed upon three songs had passed, the spell broke and she took his hand from her waist.
"Satisfied?" she demanded, as if his conditions had been quite unsavory. She knew she could have been kinder to him but he had been rubbing her wrong all holiday and part of her lamented the idea things could ever be simple between them as they were at moments like these. The disillusionment was like the grim waking from a beautiful dream.
"Fine," he agreed tiredly, "I'll be about if you require anything else. Your father wanted to speak with me."
"How wonderful," she snapped, "Good night then. I hope we can avoid each other competently tonight."
He made no reply but leaned down to kiss her briefly, "Goodnight Merissa."
The dream was gone, and although she might love Abraxas, she would never be in love with him, nor he her. Even at their best, they weren't enough.
She turned, hoping to find a familiar face and was grateful when she spotted Druella. With Susan out of the country, she guessed Druella was her best female friend here, though that was a bit of a disheartening thought, she smiled as she approached.
"Oh thank Merlin, Merissa," Druella cried, taking her arm at once. She gestured to Davao, Alphard, Cygnus and Phillip, "These boys have been miserable company. I'm being dreadfully mistreated."
"That is quite offensive you know," Alphard laughed, clearly taking no such thing.
"What happened to the rest of the lot?" Merissa asked, finding them nowhere to be seen within the vast hall. Not that she particularly lamented their absence.
"Abraxas didn't tell you?" Druella rolled her eyes dramatically, "Travers brought some absurd pills and they've gone upstairs to get high. As if they need it."
"He might just be supervising them," Avery was quick to add, seeing Merissa's scandalized expression."
"That doesn't seem likely," Alphard muttered.
"Idiots," Merissa sighed, "They might have the right idea though, this party is rather dull. Do you have anything on you, Phillip?" she asked the broad blond.
He shook his head and she frowned, not bothering to ask Davao or Druella, knowing the straight edged answer she would get. To her surprise, Cygnus Black shook a flask from the inside of his robes at her and she came to his side, snatching it up.
"What are you, twelve?" she snapped, "Why do you have a this -" she took a sip, "Firewhiskey, no less!"
"Fourteen," he corrected smugly, taking the silver bottle back from her, "And if you wanted some you shouldn't insult me in the same breath."
Merissa turned aghast to Alphard, but he simply shrugged, looking uncomfortable, at least, from it. It had been a long time and the boundaries weren't as clear anymore. She turned back to see him offer some to Druella who shook her head quickly, nervous laugh escaping her lips. Davao retreated soon after without a word.
"Now, look at that," Cygnus said, taking another swing as he pointed into the crowd. He seemed to be indicating Hornby and Lestrange who had just rejoined the party from upstairs, visibly high even at a distance. Both were noticeably looser, though Adolphus' movements were significantly more impaired, undoubtedly due to how drunk he had been even upon entering the party. Hornby stumbled into him and they both erupted in guffawing laughter. Merissa couldn't spot Darren Abbott anywhere and wondered if he was even aware what his date was up to. Olive was allowing Adolphus quite the view of her chest as they spoke and he was greedily taking it in.
"I told them not to drink first," Andrew Nott said, appearing from the stairs, apparently having come down as well, quick to join them in surveying the stumbling couple, "Just by itself, smoothest feeling in the word - mix any alcohol and you're a stumbling mess. As demonstrated."
His eyes were visibly bloodshot already, and Merissa wondered if it had yet to hit him entirely. He seemed far too smug, "You really shouldn't have, Andrew," Druella was chastising him.
He shrugged her off, "Don't fuss, Rosier. I'm excellent," he assured her. His eyes drifted to Merissa again, "I wish I could say the same for Malfoy. He looked in danger of throwing up what he did take."
Merissa scowled, "He's partaking then? With all his talk of sobriety."
Nott nodded smiling, evidently not minding being the bearer of bad news, "Acting like an absolute fool."
"Git,"Alphard interjected in an undertone.
Merissa half turned to him when Druella said loudly, "Well Alphard, do me a favor and let's dance? I fear I've tired your brother out too quickly."
"Sure," he agreed easily and they were gone, leaving Merissa silently cursing her luck with Cygnus, Phillip and Andrew, a distrubingly silent and highly uncomfortable group. She would have settled for even Hornby as a buffer. She grabbed another flute as a golden tray floated lazily but it was just pumpkin juice. Sipping it to have something to do, she watched Alphard and Druella together with a strange feeling in her stomach.
"Cygnus, I barely recognize you," Andrew said at length, high making him unaware of the tension, " And Thorpe, here, just as you promised."
"And you," Cygnus agreed, "I hear you made keeper this year. I know you've wanted that for a while."
"Yes," Nott agreed, smugness palpable, "We've been unstoppable, imagine we'll take the cup, for the next few years as well."
Avery nodded along in agreement.
"I heard you have little to do with any success," Cygnus said, voice still amiable, but expression caught. Merissa nearly jumped, eyes ripped from careless consideration of the crowd to stare at him.
Nott reddened, "Your brother is always jealous -"
"I didn't hear it from Alphard," Cygnus interjected, silky.
Andrew lacked the skill to navigate the conversation so Phillip jumped in, "H-how is Durmstrang's team, Cygnus?"
"I must admit my ignorance on that matter. Surely we are all past that fanciful tale aren't we? You all don't actually think Durmstrang is where I've been, do you? The ministry would have never allowed it after what happened to that Muggle."
"We-" Merissa began unsurely, exchanging alarmed glances with Phillip, who seemed to have no better idea how to proceed than she did. That was the trick about unspoken truths - they stayed without anyone saying them outright.
"I think you all smarter than that," Cygnus interrupted, "I'd like the same consideration."
Merissa stared after him, as he intercepted Druella and his brother and reclaimed his date. She met Alphard's expression across the hall and mouthed slowly, "Get Walburga."
He nodded and disappeared again. Sighing, Merissa turned back to her remaining companions. She tipped back the rest of the pumpkin juice.
Andrew was still squinting after Cygnus, "Wow. He's still intense as ever."
"Yeah," Merissa agreed drily, setting her empty glass down on one of the retreating trays, "So how was it upstairs? Any less a drag than down here?"
He laughed, "Hardly, they're all shut up in the sitting room. Calissa insisted they couldn't go anywhere they might break something, with all of those books up there no less."
"What books?" Merissa quiered, gazing out onto the crowd so he might get the idea and do the same.
Andrew waved a hand and ignored her example, "Their library is full of old expensive books."
Phillip snorted, "Isn't every library?"
"Really old though," Nott insisted, "Diantha says there's a few dozen even before the founder's time."
"The founders?" Merissa hazarded a glance towards him.
She had no idea how much either of them knew about Riddle or what he was doing, likely at this very moment in the castle, so she was unsure how much interest she could show without risking detection. It seemed an innocent enough a question and neither were alarmed. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise Abraxas was not here after all. He would be onto her at once.
"Oh yes," Nott assured her eagerly, "Tons. A one of a kind collection, as I understand. Ancient, lost texts."
Merissa pushed down a smile, "How interesting."
Just then, one of the refreshment trays collided with Avery's shoulder, spilling refreshments down his front, "Oh dear," Merissa exclaimed, steadying the boy, "You better run to the lavatory to clean that up."
He agreed, giving the tray a rather nasty look before straightening back up and away. Merissa watched him go, keeping her face entirely neutral as she surveyed the crowd. She knew she only had to ignore Andrew for a few moments before he would become impatient and try to capture her attention again.
"As I was saying, it's quite a phenomenal place," he continued, predictable as clockwork, "Merlin's old spell book is there, and a Druid history, though they keep it behind glass and about half a dozen enchantments. They have a section dedicated to rare dictionaries, their late grandmother was a linguist as well."
"Was she?" Merissa asked, voice mild though she was pleased to have already made her mark, "It must be a large room. Is it just over this one?"
"It is," he affirmed.
"Fascinating," she smiled politely, "Do me a favor and check on Phillip, would you? I know you're much better at charms, he might be needing a hand. It was such an unfortunate spill."
Once Nott had gone, she turned and slipped away to the staircase, grinning to herself. The tray was quite sound in fact, and she felt badly to exploit Avery, but she needed a diversion, and that she got.
She tried the first set of doors off the stairs and they opened, revealing a large, dark room. The tall shelves stretched far in both directions, the chandelier hanging from the valuated ceiling unlit, the only light passing from the full moon outside past the heavy velvet curtains and onto the thick rug. Her eyes hung to the books as she closed the doors quietly behind her, the sounds of the party below drown out.
The library was exactly as he had described, not that she was surprised by his knowledge. Andrew had returned last summer bragging about his illicit relationship with Diantha Greengrass, and enough had reached her ears to guess they had defiled nearly every room in the manor whilst the rest of her family summered in South Africa. Merissa tried to push this from her mind as she sat rather gingerly down on a foot stool, the first promising book already in her lap. After briefly flipping around the pages, she decided it was not what she was looking for and returned it to the shelf.
One, two, three books in she began to feel panic setting in. She would only have so long before someone noticed she was missing and came looking for her. Hesitantly, she approached the shelf, and placed the books back onto the shelf, gentle on their frail bindings. She felt stupid falling back on this baseless trick, but if it worked at her library at home there was no reason it wouldn't here.
Closing her eyes, she raised a hand up the shelf again. Slowly, ever so slowly, her feet moved down the row, her hand tracing the leather of the books as she went. She stopped, an undeniable pull placing her hand on a narrow bound cover. Pulling it out, she nearly returned it without bothering to open it, feeling ridiculous. It was a children's book, cover illustrated with wide eyed nymphs and quaint burtruckles, not at all the information she had been hoping for. Still, if it was nothing more than that, then why was it among these other priceless texts. It was old, at least.
Opening it, she felt herself lurch, unsettled by the consistency of what should be a ridiculous guessing game. She had no idea what possessed her to choose this book out of the many, but sure as the sun, below the printed English was a running annotation, written phonetically in the strange symbols she had seen Riddle use for Parseltongue.
Flipping furiously through the pages, she eventually found a passage with the word she was looking for. Fairy Jane opened the door to her cottage to let in her friend the squirrel. Breathing raggedly, Merissa tore the page out and shoved it into her clutch. Just as she was returning the book to the shelf, she heard the click of the door behind her.
Turning, she thought she had been caught. Wide eyed, no idea how to explain herself, she recognized it was only Andrew and let out a long breath of relief. She didn't think him intuitive enough to find her out.
"I knew you'd be too tempted," he spoke softly, moving along the shelf towards her. He took his eyes off the books and smirked at her, "I admit, it might have been why I mentioned it at all."
She was surprised by his deviousness, in such a state considered, and tried to respond with as much good natured spirit as she could manage, "You caught me. I'd rather not be caught by Mr. Greengrass though -"
He chuckled lowly, "Calm down, Merissa. No one is going to come up here. There's a party, silly," he gave her a sidelong look through heavy lidded eyes.
This consideration made her far less calm, in fact. Her mind raced, fabricating a million reasons to go back downstairs. Nothing had seemed sinister about the place a moment ago, but she felt undeniably nervous. She hadn't even bothered to bring her wand, it would still be with Alphard and she had no idea where he would be now.
"Was Phillip alright?" she asked, eager to move the conversation out of the dim, secluded room.
Andrew grinned again, his large teeth glittering in the moonlight; she didn't think she was being that funny, "Phillip is a big boy, Merissa. Though it's interesting, if I didn't know better I'd swear you caused that tray to swerve into him."
Her mouth felt very dry, in disbelief how her actions had backfired on herself. She could hardly deny it, he wouldn't believe her and he would be right not to. If she thought he would have caught onto her she might have considered how it must have appeared - her removing Phillip from their conversation to sneak upstairs.
"Can I ask you something?" he queried, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. She wanted to smack his hand away, and indeed it took a good deal of control for her not too.
"I don't-" she began but he completely ignored her.
"What is your deal with Black?" he asked, tilting his head more.
"Excuse me -" she began, but he quashed her objections again.
"I don't mean it as an accusation," he assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder, which she quickly shrugged off, "I'm just curious. I guess I'm a tad jealous of how much attention you give him. Although," he interrupted his own monologue with a laugh, "Given your face I think I may have misread the situation, so I apologize for offending you. Still, it's an interesting thought isn't it?"
"What is an interesting thought?" she snapped. He had moved farther away now, but she was still miffed at his audacity.
"You being with someone other than Abraxas, I mean," he explained, "Oh golly Merissa, don't look so surprised. It's not exactly a secret he's failed to seal the deal again and again. Neither of you seem eager to commit yourselves."
"Abraxas is my boyfriend," she fumed, "We are getting married. We are engaged."
Andrew snorted, "I mean not really."
She glared at him and he laughed, "I'm just saying, Merlin, have I insinuated anything? Lighten up, Thorpe."
"You should sober up, Nott," she told him plainly, "I'll see you downstairs when you have."
He seemed shocked at her response and she wondered if anyone had ever told him no before. She felt a grim satisfaction being the first, at least.
Returning to the party she found it was nearing an end, the guests filing into the entrance hall again to say their goodbyes. Still prickling with irritation, she folded her arms and leaned against one of the massive pillars that lined the room.
"There you are, Merissa," to her displeasure, Walburga's hawk-like eyes had found her quickly, "Where have you been? And where is Abraxas? We're meant to leave."
Merissa tipped her chin at her, "Abraxas is upstairs getting high."
Walburga sighed, peeved, throwing a glance back at an approaching Joseph, and took Merissa's chin into her hand to inspect her face better, "Tell me you know better," she hissed.
"I'm not even drunk," Merissa replied pointedly, pulling away from her grip.
"Good," Walburga said, raising her eyebrows, "Somehow neither is Alphard. To think, you two dry and Malfoy - well I'll go get him then if you have no interest in it."
"Thank you," Merissa replied sullenly and the older girl stalked away, up the staircase. Joseph replaced her and frowned at his fiance's retreating figure.
"She's awful," Merissa told her brother conversationally as they waited for her return.
"Walburga knows what's best," Joseph retorted, "You'll understand that someday, with any luck."
She rolled her eyes but made no reply. Joseph was constantly saying things like this. When he had gone to Hogwarts, he said she wouldn't understand things until she went as well, then when he was made prefect he said she couldn't understand because she wasn't one herself. When she had managed even this, he had changed his song to a mere vague level of maturity she could only hope to someday achieve.
Alphard joined them after a few minutes, pouring out with the other guests "Are we going then?" he asked.
He appeared bothered and Merissa wondered if, along with Walburga's lack of patience, these were symptoms from having to reign in Cygnus. She didn't see him or Druella anywhere in the crowd.
Merissa shook her head in response, "Your sister is fetching the newfound party boy. Then we will be."
Alphard laughed, "Should be a while then, shall we go for a smoke?"
"You shall not," Joseph interjected, "You smoke too much."
Merissa scoffed, "You smoke too!"
"Cigars are not cigarettes," he told her matter-of-factly.
"No, they're like really big cigarettes," Alphard muttered to her, making her giggle into his arm.
When Walburga finally did reappear, it had been long enough that Alphard and Merissa could have potentially finished off several cigarettes, and Joseph was beginning to show signs of impatience as well, his shoe tapping maddeningly against the marble. Abraxas was stumbling, but was better than Lestrange had been, to his credit.
"Look at you," Merissa smirked, taking his unsteady arm, "Too much butterbeer?"
He blinked blearily at her as if trying to piece together her face and she huffed in exasperation when he seemed unable to string together a response, "Never mind then, I won't waste any clever jabs against you tonight if you won't remember them anyways. Let's get you into the carriage."
The ride back to London seemed lengthier than the arrival had been, however that might have been due to Abraxas groaning and turning dangerously green with every bump along the way. The carriage was just coming to a halt when he suddenly coughed and stuck his head out the window. Walburga turned up her nose, exiting out the other door as quickly as she could. Merissa sighed, and waited, patting him on the back until he was done. It was nearing midnight now, and in the end, Alphard and Joseph had to heave Abraxas up the stairs to get him into bed. Merissa watched from her doorway on the second floor until they disappeared around the landing.
Closing the door carefully behind her, she lit a few candles with a wave of her hand. Finally alone, she slipped the stolen page from her purse, allowing everything but it to drop onto the bed with disregard. This was it, her silver bullet, her key. She closed it into her copy of 101 Magical Herbs and Fungi, not trusting it unconcealed for a moment.
Nestling the book back into her trunk with much more care than usual, she sat down on the side of the bed with a contented sigh. Her feet were killing her, and she hadn't had half the wine to numb them any. Unstrapping her heels gingerly, she glanced at the silver-faced watch on her wrist, finding it to be just past midnight.
"Happy birthday to me," she murmured, and fell back onto the bed for a moment before she resumed changing out of the ensemble.
A loud rap made her sit bolt upright again, and her eyes immediately jumped to the door, wondering who could be knocking at this hour. Then it came again and she realized it was not coming from the door at all. She spotted the culprit to be an owl, tapping on her window insistently.
Jumping up to unlatch it, the creature was quick to hop onto the vanity, hooting at her as it extended its leg, laden with a brown paper package. She recognized it as one of the barn owl's from the Hogwarts owlery and her interest was caught.
"I see it, I see it," she assured the bird as she began undoing the twine that held it in place. Once it was free, it fluttered around the room happily, perching on one of the posters of the bed. Turning the box over in her hands she recognized the ornate script her name was printed in and she hesitated.
The last time Tom Riddle had sent her something, it hadn't been friendly, but she reminded herself those had been very different circumstances. They weren't at odds anymore, relatively speaking. Still, she was surprised to say the least - what couldn't wait until she returned to Hogwarts?
She was rather cautious ripping into the paper despite herself. When she finally lifted the lid to the box, she found it was empty and scoffed, wondering why she would allow herself to be so deluded to think he would send her anything more than a joke. When her fingers brushed the side however, a silver mist seemed to pool in the box and dissolve into the air. Blinded, she was suddenly immersed into freezing air, and started up before a vision began to develop in front of her eyes, building itself piece by piece. She laughed aloud, recognizing the ocean just beyond the dark bluffs. It was a perfect replication and she could smell, touch and see everything just as if she were really there, though she could still feel the chair under her and her hands on the desk. Then just as quickly as she had entered the strange fantasy, she was pushed out of it and was back in the room.
The mist had dissipated, leaving nothing but its wrappings behind. He hadn't sent any note with it, and it needed none - she understood the gesture perfectly. Merissa shook her head in disbelief. That magic was beyond her comprehension, but it was beautiful, heartbreaking even. It left a sweet taste on her tongue, brine scent in her hair. She felt giddy and closed her eyes, running her hands through her hair as she leaned back in her seat, smiling. She was radiant, and a glance in the mirror told her her face was flushed with color.
She rose slowly as if in a dream and finished off changing into her nightclothes, smile on her face as she readied herself for bed. Her hair fell down her back, pleased to be released at long last, and she rubbed the marks the corset had left on her back with extrication. When she finally burrowed under the covers, the beaded clutch she had discarded earlier slipped down and fell open on the floor. Frowning at its contents, she sat up and extracted a foreign object from the pile, an otherwise mundane slip of paper.
She was quite sure she hadn't brought any such thing with her. It was crisp as if it had been taken great care of, and the tall letters were printed by careful, precise hand that was not her own or any other that she recognized.
It read: Today, Druella Rosier and Andrew Nott are throwing me a party for my birthday. I am not sure that either know my actual birthday, but it is a nice gesture, either way. I wish I felt less unhappy about it.
She stared at the words, all too aware of their author. She had written this in her journal just under a month ago. Her hands began to tremble, and she turned over the paper and found in the same nondescript writing, two words, Happy Birthday.
Hello all! So glad to be here with another chapter, at long last(: It was so weird, when I was writing and editing this chapter it didn't seem too long and now that I have it on separate doc the word count is just monstrous, so maybe a good thing it wasn't combined with the last chapter as it was originally. Was excited to post this chapter with the introduction of some new characters and plotlines, especially the last which is building on something I swear, it will all make sense soon(ish?). Finally, there Cygnus is! See, I swore I didn't forget him (I would never). Anyway, thank you for reading, I'm sure ya'll know at this point but writing this story is one of my favorite things in the world and I fam so happy to be able to share it! Until next time.
beefsupreme: Ahh thank you for your review love! Her family are the worst tm. Funny you should mention Gregor, given the strange things he seems to be up to this chapter, though he does not make an actual appearance. I am glad to hear that I am good and making people bad haha. I really enjoyed writing these two chapters exploring what Merissa's life is like when she isn't at Hogwarts. I feel likes its a dimension of her character that I haven't been able to explore so I have enjoyed it. That being said I am looking forward to returning back to school next chapter as well. I know you've been eager to see more Tom and less of Nott haha (me too bb).
Purretzel: I honestly cannot express how kind your last review was, I was seriously so happy when I saw it I had actual tears in my eyes, even specifically quoting the line, it was impossibly sweet. So thank you so much to start! Oh gosh haha I know, I was living on that high of updating quickly and here we are in March now, but what can I say, it's always a surprise. I'm so pleased to hear you liked the last chapter, it was something I had written near the beginning of the process so it was cool to be able to finally share it. That being said, reading something I wrote so long ago is bizarre, almost like hearing your voice back on a recording, I have such a visceral reaction to it. Which I guess is my really weird way of extending out a 'thank you, glad you liked it'. Writing a novel is one of my biggest dreams, being a science major its entirely contradictory to all my schooling BUT also I want to. I have a brain child and a few chapters written of something I'd like to someday complete if I (ever) stop procrastinating. But if the day ever does come, I promise a free signed copy and also probably part of my soul or something to thank you for being such a lovely supporter. Thanks again!
phoenixspuzzle: Thank you for your review! I always love to see new people jumping in, so great to hear from you as well. Being an avid reader, both on this site and otherwise, it's so strange to think that people just happen upon this story like any other. Strange in a really good way though! I have made an active effort to speed the plot up a bit as we're nearing the end of this year, both because things are happening quicker plotline wise and because some of those earlier chapters were just . . . long haha. Character interactions are some of my favorite stuff to write so its nice to hear they come across well! I certainly enjoy writing them and this chapter is loaded with them. You will certainly find out about the flowers - cool you remembered! I put that in as a sort of precursor to what happens in this chapter, dare I admit they might be related? But yes, there will be explanation for all of that to come (: Thank you again for taking the time to review, it means alot!
CarolinaFlint: Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot you do it so consistently, I feel like I have trouble with that on stories I read, so seeing that is really nice. Merissa's parents were a lot of fun to develop, I'm thrilled they were fun to read. I really enjoyed exploring what they might be like given Merissa and how the whole family would interact. Thanks again!
