Tom Riddle Sr didn't know what to say. He looked down at the woman who had appeared at his house nearly two years ago, and studied her. She didn't look older, but something about her eyes made her seem wiser, as if the time only affected her mind. He wondered what she was thinking as she gazed back at him, looking as if she was appraising him, trying to ascertain whether or not he had changed. He jumped down from the horse, holding its reins in one hand and smiled, offering her his hand.

"Zia," he said as she took his hand and shook it. "It's been a while." Her hand was both soft and rough at the same time, as if she worked hard but couldn't hide the gentleness. She had seemed so strong, so angry, the last time they met that he realized that he hadn't seen so much kindness in her. He wondered how he'd missed it.

"It has," she replied, her eyes delving into his. Tom wondered if she was searching through his soul, looking though his memories and his feelings. He wanted her to see that he was different than the last time they had met, he wanted her to know that he hadn't taken her words lightly. He wanted her to trust him. He thought about his son, and wondered what the boy looked like, what his personality was, how he talked and how he treated others. Surely the child must be different than if he'd been the one to raise it, that much he knew for certain.

"What are you doing here? You do look as if you are on your way to town," he asked curiously, absentmindedly patting his horse's neck. What reason could this woman have to be in the Hangleton area?

"I am on my way to town, I need to pick up a few things," she answered, clearly unwilling to give a straight answer as to why she was there.

"Well, I'm going there myself. I could take you on my horse, so you don't have to walk," Tom offered, gesturing at the animal. He watched as Zia eyed the horse hesitantly. "Do you not like horses?"

"It's not that I don't like them, I'd just rather walk. I like the feeling of being out here," she said. Tom chuckled to himself. He'd never encountered a person who'd turned down the opportunity to ride to town instead of walk, especially not a woman. The older ones were always eager to get off their feet for a bit, the younger ones seemed to think it was an attempt at courting. The idea of Zia

"All right then, I'll walk with you," he told her. Zia's shoulders seemed to slump a tiny bit, as if she'd been hoping he would go ahead, but a moment later she was back to her previous stance.

"Okay then," she said, and set off before he could say anything else. Tom followed her easily, leading his horse along with him. She didn't walk very fast, and occasionally she would pause to look at a flowering weed interestedly. Once she even bent down and reached out to touch one. He wondered what she was thinking, but she was quiet.

After a few minutes, he heard the sound of hoof beats behind them and glanced back to see a couple people approaching. Zia seemed engrossed in the examination of another weed, and looked as if she didn't notice. He reached out and poked her arm lightly. She looked back at him with a slight frown on her face, as if he'd interrupted something extremely important, but then he pointed back at the group coming towards them and she nodded.

"Thanks," she said and moved over closer to him. The people were next to them now and Tom recognized them as a few of the townspeople from Little Hangleton. They slowed down as they recognized his horse, and then him.

"Good morning Tom, it was good seeing you the other day, those tomatoes you brought over from your garden went into one of the best stews Darla has ever made. You should drop by for dinner sometime," one of the men said.

"I'd love to, Fred. I'll bring along some rolls and a dessert if you'd like," Tom replied with a smile.

"That sounds good, I'll talk to Darla and see when would be a good day. I'm sure the kids would also be excited to see you," Fred answered. "Who is this young lady you've got with you?" The man asked giving Tom a wink. Tom looked over at Zia, who was standing near him.

"This is Zia, an old acquaintance of mine," he said. Fred reached down and held out his hand which Zia took and shook firmly. The other two traveling with Fred, who Tom recognized as John and his wife Dolly, also put their hands out for Zia to shake.

"Nice to meet you all," Zia said politely, smiling in a friendly way at the three. Tom tried to keep from frowning as he realized that she'd never behaved that way around him. But he understood that he had never really treated her in a way that merited that kind of behavior, so he didn't have any right to complain.

"Well we'd probably get going, lots to buy today," Dolly said with a kind smile and a wave, and then they were off again, disappearing from sight over the hill. Zia glanced over at Tom, seemingly studying him further. He wondered if the conversation she'd just witnessed had helped his case at all.

"I'm glad you've made some friends. The last time I met you, it seemed you were under the impression that things like friendship with those of a lower class than you was unnecessary and undesirable," Zia said, and then to his surprise she presented him with a little smile. He felt his eyes widen slightly and raked his fingers back through his hair. "You seem to have made quite a bit of progress. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure how serious you were about becoming a better man." Tom looked her right in the eyes.

"In the beginning, I wasn't sure how serious I was either. But then I realized that I was dead serious," he told her quietly but firmly. She raised her eyebrows slightly at this pronouncement. "After I thought about it, I noticed that I wasn't happy, and that perhaps living the way you wanted would help me with that."

"And...?" she pressed, waiting for him to continue.

"And it did," he replied without saying anything more. He knew that he had a lot to be grateful to this woman for.

Zia studied Tom, and knew that he was telling the truth. It was strange to her to see him this way, because she really had wondered whether or not he would keep to his word. At the time he'd seemed like he really did want to become a better person, but later she'd started to doubt it. But she'd known that she would keep to her word whether he ended up meriting the trust she'd showed him during that first meeting, or whether she decided he needed a good memory charm. She just hadn't been ready to go back yet. Still wasn't fully prepared.

The way he'd spoken to her when he had first offered her a ride to town, as well as the conversation she witnessed between him and Fred had helped her to see that a transformation had indeed occurred. There wasn't any way that he could have set up that exchange prior to their meeting, since he hadn't known she would be there, so it was safe to assume that it was all genuine. She was impressed and pleased. She decided to trust him.

"Hmm. Well, perhaps I can tell you why exactly I am here," Zia told him. They had started walking again, but when she said this, he stopped abruptly and turned around to face her. The curiosity burning in his eyes was evident, and she wondered why it fascinated him so much. "The truth is, I've moved into a house in this area, and a friend has purchased a neighboring one. You wouldn't know about it, since they are set up strictly for people with magic." His mouth dropped open comically and she pressed her lips together to avoid laughing.

"You mean, you're going to live nearby? And—and there will be more," he whispered the next part, "more people with magic here?"

"Yes," she replied. "That's exactly what I mean." He stared at her, then smiled.

"Would you like to come for dinner?"