A/N: This was for darkhairedgirl on the RPS 2020 wishlist, and the 'Up to 50 pairings' challenge.
Walburga stared at Orion who was standing over the other side of the room surrounded by all the other pureblood girls their age laughing and joking, with a twinkle in his eye.
Why can't he look at me that way? she thought.
She had admired him as they grew up and was happy to find out that they would be married. However she soon realised that the feeling wasn't mutual.
"Are you okay, Walburga?" her sister-in-law, Druella, asked.
"I'm fine," she replied, plastering a fake smile on her face.
Druella swept a critical eye over her before saying, "He's a man, sister. Men always like attention from women they can't have. Cygnus was the same until we married, but once we were, I made sure they knew I wouldn't tolerate them coming after him. I suspect you will have to do the same."
"It's not that they are giving him attention that's the problem. It's the way he's looking at them. He's never looked at me like that," Walburga confessed.
It pained her to tell someone else her weakness, but if anyone might understand, it would be Druella.
"I know you want him to love you, but you need to accept the fact that it might not happen. Make sure you assert the fact that you are to be his wife and that you would make the life of any woman he takes as a mistress a living hell. That should deter the majority of them," Druella advised.
It wasn't exactly what Walburga to hear, but it was the truth and something she needed to face sooner rather than later.