At eight o'clock the next morning there was a loud knock on the door of my bedroom. Both me and Tom woke with a start. He had fallen asleep, still resting against the foot of my bed and managed to kick me in the forehead as he woke up.
"Ouch," I whispered, rubbing the red mark and giving him a glare.
"Poppy?"
"Shit," I cursed, jumping up. "It's Cassie," I told Tom urgently. His eyes widened.
"Quick," I ushered. "Into the wardrobe."
"I'm not going to fit in a wardrobe," he pointed out. I gave him a firm look.
"Poppy are you awake?" and another knock at the door. I hurriedly opened the door and shoved Tom into what was less a wardrobe and more a closet the size of his bedroom at the orphanage.
Eye to the key hole he watched me jump back into bed, just as Cassie got fed up of calling and opened the door.
"Still asleep?" Cassie teased, plonking herself heavily on the end of the bed. "It's Christmas, you know."
"Sorry, I didn't sleep very well last night," I lied, making a show of yawning and stretching. "Where is my dressing gown," I wondered aloud, before spotting it hung over the bathroom door.
"Everyone is meeting downstairs for breakfast at nine," Cassie told her. "Then the boys are going to go and pick three trees, and then we are all going to have a lovely time decorating them all."
"As long as Wally and Ced don't almost have a duel like last year," I pointed out, pulling out a hairbrush. Cassie smirked.
"We don't speak of that," she laughed, plucking the brush from my fingers and sitting me in front of her. "It's going to be a lovely Christmas."
"Here's to hoping," I laughed, as Cassie brushed long strokes in my hair.
"Your dress for the ball is finished," Cassie said softly, her usual forcefulness fading. "I'm sure you and Dorea will have a lovely time." I hoped Tom couldn't hear the stiffness in her voice.
"Well I'm sure it will be frightfully boring," I decided, for her benefit.
"Poppy, I was wondering if I might use your owl," she said almost cautiously. I frowned.
"Of course, but why aren't you using one of Grandpa's?" I asked. Cassie pulled a small parcel from her pocket.
Marius Black
I see.
"Of course you can," I repeated with a smile. "She can fly as soon as you wish."
Christmas day passed in a wave of overindulgent food, too much wine and lavish gifts from the elder Blacks. By the evening, all grandparents were asleep in the drawing room and many parents too.
"I'm tired of Pixionary now," Cassie announced, clapping her hands together and pouring herself another glass of wine.
"What would you prefer, my lady?" Raimond asked.
"Poker," she announced. "I love poker."
"I think I'll pass thank you," I said with a smile. "I've had too much wine and I think I will get an early night."
"Boring," Cassie sighed, grinning mischievously.
"I'll walk you to your room," Abraxas offered.
"You shall do no such thing Brax," Cassie said firmly, shaking her head but then smirking. "Because you are the only worthy poker opponent here."
"I think I might also get an early night," Tom said. "I will accompany you if you desire."
"In case I get lost?" I laughed. "That is most gentlemanly Tom."
We made our goodnights and walked to the opposite wing of the house.
"You're stumbling," he pointed out, taking my arm to steady me.
"Well I've been drinking since ten o'clock this morning," I said defensively. "As have you."
"Yes but I can handle it," he stated. I laughed.
"So are you going to come in?" I asked when we got to the door.
"For a cup of coffee?" he asked innocently.
"Precisely," I replied with a smirk. He raised an eyebrow. I smiled brightly and led him inside.
"So how has your Christmas been Tom? As horrific as you expected?" I asked, walking to the drinks cabinet, arms still entwined.
"Only half so," he said, accepting another glass of wine and letting himself be dragged to sit down. I set my drink down on the bedside table.
"Dance with me," Tom said suddenly. I turned, his voice was deep, commanding.
"I'm not used to being thus treated, especially not when being asked for the pleasure of a dance," I said, but my lips were still quirked.
"If you must dance with Malfoy all night tomorrow, you can spare me one," he said.
"Well, I cannot argue with your logic," I said, flicking my wand so that the record player jumped.
Tom took me firmly by the hands and led me into the middle of the floor, on a dark green rug. I put my hand delicately on his shoulder and started to twirl in time with the smooth notes.
"I don't think so."
I gasped as he pulled me in, no space between our bodies. He grasped my waist almost brusquely, but gently pushed my hair back off my shoulder.
"That is how you dance with Abraxas," he murmured, his lips brushing my ear. His voice offered no argument, it was a fact and for a moment I felt utterly ridiculous for dancing at such a proper distance. "Not me."
"Not you," I repeated under my breath. We locked gazes and started to move, swaying out of time to the beat, but neither of us noticed under the heat of the other's stare.
All there was, was hard brown eyes, a stray lock of dark hair tumbling over pale skin, full lips parted, the heavy rise and fall of his chest.
His dark gaze moved slowly down my face, I felt as though I was being scanned, my entire being, laid out bare before him. I felt naked, though he was only gazing upon my face. His gaze rested on my lips and I suddenly became conscious of them, they didn't feel right, they almost ached.
His eyes came back up to mine, I raised my eyebrows.
A challenge.
Smirk still softening his expression he leaded forwards slowly, bringing a hand up to caress my cheek. My eye fluttered closed before his lips touched mine. It wasn't like last time when it everything was anger and passion. I could never say Tom Riddle was sweet, but in a moment like this one couldn't doubt he was at least human.
His lips brushed across mine and I wound my arms around his neck, pulling him into me.
His tongue tasted like Christmas- of spiced wine, cinnamon and chocolate.
The taste brought reality crushing down around my head.
Sweet kisses didn't mean that someone loved you; it didn't mean they even desired you. His tenderness would fade with the cinnamon on his tongue and dull with effect of the wine.
His kiss was for just Christmas. Because for the first time he was at home for the winter holiday, not his home, he didn't have one unless you counted Hogwarts, but someone's home. It was close enough.
It would wash away, so maybe that's why I clung to it whilst it was there.
I kissed him until my lips tingled and felt swollen to the touch. Not once did it feel like he was about to rip off my clothes, but for once I didn't mind.
He slept in my bed again that night and we talked in the darkness until sleep overcame us.
But I knew it would never last.
I woke to crumpled sheets and an empty bed.
It didn't even last until morning.
Dazedly I sat up slowly, running a hand through my wild curls. A scrap of parchment was stuck to the foot of the bed.
I thought I should leave before someone knocked on my door announcing breakfast.
T.
I slipped the note into a drawer and leaned back onto my pillows, taking a long deep breath. I did notice the small smile on my face as I cleaned up the half empty mugs on the side.
I showered and dressed quickly, and went down to breakfast.
I took a spare seat between Cedrella and Raimond.
"Good morning," I said brightly helping myself to bacon and eggs. Everyone joined in the chorus of good morning, except for Tom, who watched me in silence, we shared a look and smirked at each other. Everyone was too absorbed in breakfast to notice this exchange, I smiled down at my plate.
"Have you seen Dorea or Cassie?" Abraxas asked.
"No I came straight down," I replied with a frown. "It is unlike them to be late."
Cassie came down a little later.
"Dorea has had breakfast in her room," she told us icily. No one pressed the matter further.
By three o'clock I was worried, so I went to visit my cousin.
As I approached I could hear the faint sound of sobbing.
I knocked gently, giving Dorea time to dry her eyes if she wished.
Dorea came to the door herself, her cheeks pale and eyes ringed with a subtle red.
"What do you want?" she asked tersely. I paused for a moment, frowning.
"Never mind," I replied slowly, giving her a firm look as I turned from her door.
"Poppy," Dorea sighed, reaching out and grasping my hand. "I'm sorry for being so rude, won't you come in?"
I looked at my cousin, her large doe eyes looked so forlorn I let myself be dragged in.
"Are you going to tell me what the matter is, Dorea?" I asked softly as she threw herself heavily into an armchair.
"It doesn't matter," she mumbled despairingly, running a hand through her hair as she gazed into the flames.
"Yes it does," I pressed, perching myself on the arm and laying a hand on her shoulder.
"I have no siblings left," she murmured, her eyes filling with tears.
"Don't be so silly Dorea," I scolded, but my tone was sympathetic. "What on earth do you mean?"
Dorea rubbed her neck and shrugged uncomfortably.
"You cannot say a thing like that and not explain yourself," I told her.
"Pollux is too old, he has his own life and his own children to care about, he doesn't care about me," she spat out. "Marius was sent away to be fostered with those muggles because he was awful at magic and now this with Cassie and…" she trailed off morosely.
"What happened with Cassie?" I asked.
"She is disappointed in me," she admitted, curling her legs beneath her, wrapping her arms around her knees. "She is mortified that I am dating Charlus, she doesn't want me to go to the ball tonight. Because he's a Gryffindor apparently."
My stomach knotted and I was glad that Dorea was not paying attention to my expression.
"I am sure she means well Dorea, but she doesn't know anything about Gryffindors, or dating. She has this stupid house rivalry in her head, soon enough she will realise it is all nonsense," I said calmly.
"I am sure you are right cousin," she said, giving me a small sad smile. "Cassie always used to help me get ready for balls," she added nostalgically. "I used to hate it, but she always used to say I was youngest so I had to have my hair done by her."
"Dorea," I said slowly. "Would you like to make my face acceptable?" Dorea smiled and nodded.
"I would," she admitted, before adding in barely more than a murmur. "Thank you Poppy."
I spent the entire afternoon with Dorea, whilst she painstaking washed every lock on my head and pinned it neatly to set in soft waves. The beauty regime seemed to soothe Dorea, and whilst we mostly sat in silence, there was a half-smile on the older girl's face for all of it.
Dorea and I descended into the formal reception room together, she was draped in cream satin and I was covered wrist to ankle in demure black lace.
Lord Sirius sat nursing a glass of brandy with his eldest son, Abraxas also sat with them visibly relaxed and laughing smoothly at jokes. Charlus on the other hand was tense, the lines on his face hard, he didn't have the ease of familiarity that Abraxas did. Both boys stood when we entered the room. I was watching Charlus rather than Abraxas, and was somewhat surprised to see genuine affection in his eyes as he watched Dorea enter.
I watched from the corner of my eye as he bowed over her hand before brushing his lips against it softly. Abraxas was less formal, smiling broadly and kissing me on both cheeks.
"You look radiant," he exclaimed, taking my hand and holding me at arm's length to better look at me. "Just divine." After lavishing compliments on a blushing Dorea as well, Raimond slipped in.
"I think it is time we were going," he said softly. Raimond was to be attending the ball with Charlus' little sister, this ball was in her honour, she was coming out into society and Raimond, as Prince of Aquitaine was doing their family a great honour by attending as her date.
"Yes, yes," Abraxas agreed. "We would hate to be late."
"Thank you for your hospitality Lord Black, I am sorry not to be seeing you at the ball," Charlus said politely to Sirius.
"As am I, but on my dear wife's birthday, it is more than my life's worth to expect my entire family to attend," he laughed. "However I have offered up my two brightest gems so I am sure I have not given too much offense to your gracious hosts."