Zia woke up later than usual, blinking slowly to adjust her eyes to the light. Sleep had evaded her in the little inn the previous night as she stared at the ceiling and attempted to put together something to say to the man who had abandoned his wife and unborn son. It was even more difficult since she was raising the child he hadn't wanted. In the end she had dropped to sleep with no more ideas than she had started the night with, but in the daylight she felt like she didn't care how exactly it went with Tom Riddle Senior, good or bad. Either way, her little Tom was hers. She reached for her wand and ran her thumb along the handle slowly. If things went wrong, a simple memory charm would fix everything. Zia got ready quickly, and stopped for breakfast in the pub.

"Mr. Halse, could you give me directions to the Riddle house?" she asked the barman as he took her plate. Several heads turned towards her, most of them the faces of older people from the town, and she could tell from their expressions that the Riddles were not well liked, and that she was going to be discussed as soon as she left the room.

"It's the biggest in the town, you go straight down the main road, it will be on your left. You can't miss it." the barkeeper told her.

"Thank you very much," she said, paying for the meal. Arnold Halse said nothing, just took the money and smiled in an almost encouraging way, but not quite succeeding. Zia left and soon realized that she probably hadn't needed the directions after all. A little ways past the small clutter of buildings that marked the center of the town and the Riddle house became glaringly obvious against the green hillside.

Large, imposing, and scrupulously well kept, the house was nothing like the picture she had in her mind from the books. This must be what the house looked like in the state it was meant to have and she was, against her will, impressed. Even the grounds were immaculate. Zia dug her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from feeling anxious, and walked down the road until she reached the gate to the house. She took a deep breath, pushed it open, and marched to the door. Three sharp raps with the silver handled door knocker and a man appeared, opening it.

"We don't buy from peddlers," he said stiffly. He was dressed in a plain suit, and looked down his nose at her. He wasn't particularly handsome, so she assumed that he was probably not the person she was looking for.

"Good thing I'm not selling anything then. May I speak to Tom Riddle?" She waited in the doorway, doing her best to reflect the same level of coolness.

"Neither have the time to speak to strangers who wandered this way from the streets," the man appeared unruffled by her presence. He moved to shut the door but she edged her foot into the doorway.

"I would like to speak with Tom Riddle Junior. I can wait. Does he take appointments? Either he finds time eventually, or I make it for him," Zia replied, smiling plastically at the man.

"I will call the police if you threaten anybody in this house," the doorman warned. Through the opening in the door, Zia watched as a young man walked into her line of sight.

"Alfred do you know where my good coat is?" the young man asked, apparently not noticing the open door.

"Sir, I believe it was hanging on the back of one of the dining room chairs," the doorman said, turning away from Zia. This action brought her into the young man's line of vision. She watched as his right eyebrow quirked up. She saw her Tom in his features, and knew instantly that this was Tom Riddle Senior. He couldn't be more than his mid-twenties, which did not match up to what she'd pictured. However, he was just as handsome as described. Sharp cheekbones, dark eyes, wavy hair. She did her best not to scowl.

"Excuse me Alfred, but would you mind fixing something for me to eat in the kitchen?" he said motioning for the butler or doorman or whatever position Alfred filled to move aside. Then he stepped into Alfred's former spot at the doorway. "Hello, I'm Tom Riddle. May I ask why you are blocking the doorway to my house?" he murmured smoothly, extending his hand. Zia eyed it with a jolt of slight revulsion, but shook it all the same.

"Actually, I have something that I would like to discuss with you Mr. Riddle," she said. He sighed casually.

"Oh? And why would you assume that I have time to see someone who randomly appeared on my doorstep, no matter how nice-looking they might be?"

"I don't assume that you have time right now, but I can wait until you do. I had no other way of contacting you so here I am," Zia replied. The man was indeed handsome; probably the most attractive man she had ever met, but his snobbish attitude killed it completely. He smiled patronizingly at her.

"What if I never have time?" he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame, looking down at her. "Either you give me a very good reason to have time, or you will leave," he told her. Zia's eyes narrowed. Her nerves were wound tight already, and his attitude pushed her past her snapping point. She pulled her wand out and flashed it in his direction. His eyes widened and his focus narrowed in on it.

"Do you recognize what this is?" she twirled the wand between her fingers as she spoke until it pointed towards his chest, and noted with immense satisfaction that his eyes followed its progress warily.

"I'll call the police," he said firmly, but she could hear the tremor of fear in his voice. She shrugged.

"What makes you think you'd have time for that when you're using it to talk to me? If you know what this is, you should also know that calling the police would be pointless," she answered. She slid the wand back into its place at her side and crossed her own arms. "I just want to talk. Either you have time now or later, but I'm not going to leave town until we discuss some things." He raked his fingers back through his hair, then after a long pause he sighed heavily.

"Come in," Tom said grudgingly, opening the door wider so that she could walk through it and into the house.

"I'd prefer somewhere private," Zia told him.

"Of course, follow me," he walked through the house and into what looked like a small library. Sitting in one large chair, he motioned for her to sit in the other. "Why are you here?"

"I'd like to talk to you about something that happened during...your absence." Tom looked like he was about to be sick, and she noticed that his eyes were on her purse, where he knew her wand was stored. "You know if you'd just been polite, I wouldn't have pulled out my wand, but I came for a purpose and I intend to follow through."

"You're just like her, getting what you want with magic," he spat the last word, "rather than through any real merit."

"You wouldn't have let me in if I hadn't, and I promise you that if you'd like I can make you forget this conversation once we are done with it. I can even get rid of the memories of...that time if you want. Anyways, were you made aware that she was pregnant?"

"Yes, but everything that woman did was full of lies and deceit. Why would that be any different than anything else she ever did to get me? I know about the love potion, I'm not a complete idiot. I know my own feelings. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm currently raising your son, so I just wanted to know if you were aware of the possibility of his existence," Zia said nonchalantly.