Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters. This is merely a work of fanfiction.
"We'll be back soon, after we find them. I promise."
Peony nodded stiffly.
She had lost nearly everyone in the war, and now Ron and Hermione were leaving too. Hermione gave her a worried smile, turned her back, and left.
She and Ron were going to find her parents, whatever was left of them to find. Poor, sweet Hermione didn't seem to understand that Obliviation wasn't usually reversible.
She'd know soon enough.
"Mistress, I am worried about you."
Peony pushed herself into a sitting position and picked at the tray of breakfast that Kreacher offered.
"What day is it?" She asked.
"It is Friday, Mistress."
Peony rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. She hadn't been out of her room in two days, or was it three?
The days had little meaning now.
Her head was unnervingly calm without Tom, her life incredibly lonely. His absence was torturous. He had been a part of her for so long, it felt like a physical piece of her was missing.
She loved him. She wanted him back.
There was no going back.
A knock on the door drew her attention. She got out of bed, and answered the door, without a second thought.
The tall form of Lord Malfoy was standing on her doorstep. He brushed past her into Grimmauld Place, and Peony stared dumbly after him.
She pulled down on the hem of Sirius' old oversized t-shirt as she followed him into the drawing room. He looked down his nose at her haughtily.
"Don't worry, Lady Potter. Young, and malnourished is not my type. You look positively dreadful."
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She turned her back on him and reached for a decanter of firewhiskey. She poured a glass for herself, and then one for Lucius. She handed it over to him with a grimace.
"What are you even doing here?"
"You haven't been seen in public since the trials. I came to make sure you didn't off yourself."
"How kind of you," she sneered.
Lucius raised one eyebrow at her.
"I don't remember you being quite this bitter before."
Her jaw ticked, as she fought the urge to hex him.
"I lost everyone, I'm allowed to be bitter."
"Pull yourself together, Lady Potter. Your pity party is over. People want to see the great Girl Who Lived, out and living her life."
"I'm not interested."
"Well neither am I, but here I am. Minister Shacklebolt asked me to come here personally."
"Do I have a choice?" She asked measuredly as she stared at her empty glass.
"Afraid not. Get showered, and dressed. Lady Malfoy insists she be allowed to take you shopping for a whole new wardrobe. Considering it looks like you've somehow dropped twenty more pounds since the Battle of Hogwarts, you'll need it."
She glared at him, but didn't move.
"If you refuse, she will only come over here herself, and she will bring Draco to annoy you."
Peony sat down her glass with an unnecessary thunk on the bar cart.
"Fine."
"Call me Cissa," Lady Malfoy insisted as she pushed Peony into a boutique. Peony nodded, and gave Cissa leave to use her first name as well.
She had to admit Cissa had an eye for fashion. She managed to make her form look petite, instead of sickly. Food had held little appeal in the aftermath of the war.
Cissa held out a potion vial to her.
"What is it?" Peony asked.
"Vitamin Potion. Lucius tells me you've been drinking, instead of eating. This will help."
She took it and gulped it down in one go. She hated to admit it, but it did make her feel a little less dead.
They carried on like this for some days, Cissa dragging Peony around, forcing her to get her life together, helping her to put some weight on her bones.
Finally on the seventh day, Peony had enough.
She woke early, showered, and dressed in one of the sets Cissa had helped her pick out. It made her look adult, charming, and poised.
She placed her wand in her arm holster, and stopped at the sight of the Peverell ring.
Once upon a time it had belonged to Tom, and now it belonged to her. It was technically the Resurrection Stone, though she hadn't used it as such since the Final Battle. She didn't need to be reminded of what she had lost.
She slipped it onto her hand. It was a small piece of Tom, of her love for him, that had come too late to make any difference at all.
She walked into the Minister of Magic's office, and sat down in front of his desk. Kingsley sat down the report he was reading.
"I'm surprised to see you here," he said cheerfully.
"Lord Malfoy tells me my time for moping is over. He says our country needs us, so here I am."
"We could certainly use the help. Morale is low. Rebuilding is slow. You being out in society would really help. Help show people that we can get back to our normal lives."
Peony nodded her head politely, though truthfully, she didn't feel like life would ever be normal again.
"Do you have some kind of schedule of events that you'd like me to attend?"
The Minister handed over a list. Quidditch matches, store openings, balls, charity events, parties. She offered a fake smile, that he bought easily, and tucked the list into the pocket of her cloak.
His cheeriness was grating, and his optimism annoyed her. Suddenly the Malfoy's seemed like her best possible companions.
They were being pressed into all these events too, to make penance for their assumed wrongdoings, despite the fact that they had been exonerated.
Peony stood to her feet, prepared to leave Kingley's office.
"I know we're all struggling, but I'm glad you're back with us, Peony."
Peony left the office, feeling worse than when she had woken.
"They're doing well, but there was nothing the Healers could do. They tried everything. They won't remember who I am."
Hermione blinked back her tears. Peony searched for what the right emotion was, but was found wanting.
Hermione had done this.
She did this herself, on purpose. It was the noble thing to do, but she clearly regretted it. Peony had been offered no such choice. All her loved ones had been ripped from her life.
"You did the best you could," Peony offered finally.
"Have you been alright?" Ron asked.
Peony forced a smile onto her face. She didn't want them to worry. She didn't want their concern. They couldn't fix it for her. They wouldn't understand.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure Peony? You know you can talk to us."
"I'm sure."
Peony shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She had been on her feet for eight hours, and the cushioning charm on her heels was beginning to wear off.
Couldn't they mail her the Order of Merlin? Why must she show up and be paraded around like a pony?
Finally The Minister's speech ended, and applause rang through the crowd. He fastened medals onto her, Hermione, and Ron's chest.
Music began, and people began to dance on the dance floor.
Every tall man with black hair reminded her of Tom. It made her heart ache in her chest.
Peony saw a wizard headed towards her. No doubt, to ask for a dance. She looked around and her eyes lit on Heir Draco Malfoy. He would do. At least he wasn't annoyingly happy.
She grabbed his arm and dragged him onto the dance floor, where he dutifully took her in his arms.
"You're looking better Lady Potter," Draco noted, eyes raking over her black ball gown. She stepped on his toes pointedly, and his eyes returned to her face.
"Your Father assures me that if I don't take care of myself, your Mother will bring you to Grimauld Place to annoy me, until I do. I take that threat seriously."
Draco chuckled as he turned her around the floor.
"I'm not that bad."
"Keep telling yourself that," she teased. "Besides, you're not my type."
"Do you have a type, Lady Potter? I wasn't aware anyone had caught your eye since Heir Diggory passed."
Peony felt suddenly aware of the Peverell ring on her hand. She looked past his shoulder, at a point in the middle distance. She couldn't help but imagine how it would feel if it was Tom's hands holding her, leading her around the floor.
"Oh you know, handsome, dark haired wizards. Tall ones, with Dark Magic, and wit that could cut diamonds."
Draco looked out at the crowd discerningly. She knew he wouldn't get it. Very few knew what Tom Riddle looked like as a young man.
"If I see anyone who meets that description I'll let you know."
Peony tried to smile at him as he led her around the dance floor.
"What's bothering you Lady Potter?"
Peony fought the urge to tell the Mind Healer that her hideous floral pants were what bothered her. That wasn't really the point.
"Nothing. My friends are worried about me, so I promised I would see a Mind Healer, so here I am."
"Why are your friends worried about you?"
Peony crossed her arms stubbornly and averted her gaze. She should have known better than to come here. She should have just lied to Hermione.
"I only go to events when specifically requested by Minister Shacklebolt. I have no plans for the future. I guess you could say I've become a bit of a recluse."
"Why do you think that is?"
Peony rolled her eyes. This was all so tedious. Everything was so tedious now.
She drummed her wand against her thigh, trying to think of how to phrase the answer in a way that would get her out of this office in one piece.
"I lost someone in the war that was precious to me. Life seems of little interest without him."
The Mind Healer nodded and jotted that down on her parchment.
"Would this be Mister Lupin? I understand he was close with both you and your parents."
Peony scoffed, and the Mind Healer looked at her worriedly.
"I loved Remus, as a friend, but no."
The Mind Healer and Peony stared at each other.
"Lady Potter if you are unwilling to share, then I will be unable to help you."
Peony blew out a slow breath. She could try telling the truth. It was understandable, she thought. Tom had been with her, in her head, for sixteen years. It was natural to mourn, to want him back.
The Mind Healer listened with increasing horror. Peony watched her hand inch towards her wand with careful attention.
"Lady Potter, you are very sick. You need h-"
"Imperio."
The Mind Healer stopped speaking. She set down her quill. Peony had her Incindeo her own notes.
"Obliviate."
"What were we talking about?" The Mind Healer asked happily a moment later.
"I was just saying you've helped me very much. Thank you for your time."
Peony stood and left the room.
Later the Mind Healer would wonder for mere moments where those session notes had gone, before she chalked it up to forgetfulness, and scribbled down a good report for her records.
Quidditch games were pointless, balls were unbearable, and business openings made her skin crawl. All these people pretending like everything was fine, like they were happy.
Maybe they were. Peony wasn't.
Charity events were tolerable. At least she could get out of them early if she donated enough galleons, and that was one thing that she had plenty of.
Her days became an endless rotation of ball gowns, sundresses, and charming little suits. She dithered, and cooed, and played nice at all the events, hoping that at some point something would click, and she'd feel better.
It never did.
She gravitated towards her former "enemies''. The Slytherin's didn't expect anything of her. They didn't want her to be perfect, or happy, or cheerful. The Malfoy's in particular became her favorite companions.
Draco and Lucius would whisper mean comments in her ear about all the people they found obnoxious. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine they were Tom, but they weren't. Cissa was an invaluable shopping partner, and friend in her own right.
Hermione and Ron busied themselves with preparations to return to Hogwarts, but Peony declined. She wasn't interested.
The Malfoy's were hosting the ball tonight. It was the most enjoyable fete she had attended, but she still found herself seeking solitude after a few hours, wishing she could go home.
Peony tilted her head to the side and looked into the bedroom she had stumbled upon. She pushed a strand of her black hair behind her shoulder and entered the room.
Marble floor, black bed hangings, black satin sheets, black walls. Dark magic seeped out of every crevice.
It felt like Tom.
Her gown made tinkling noises as she walked. Her strands of pearls hit the jewels on her bodice as she crossed to the bed. She stepped out of her stilettos, and pushed herself up onto the bed.
The sheets were smooth against her skin.
It almost felt like he was here, like he could walk in the door any moment and join her on the bed, but that was impossible. She had done it herself.
Tom Riddle was dead.
A sharp intake of breath caught her attention, and she turned her eyes to the door. Lord Malfoy was standing there, shock on his aristocratic features. He stood in the doorway, as if he was afraid to take another step.
"Do you miss him?" She asked.
"Of course not, I-"
"Tell the truth."
They had never talked about Tom. Not once.
He sagged against the doorframe. He didn't expect to find Peony in the late Dark Lord's bedroom. He just wanted to get away from that ridiculous ball for a minute.
"I miss the potential he had when I was young, before I joined his ranks. He was still mostly sane then. My Father knew him much better. They were in school together."
Peony nodded, grateful for his honesty.
"What are you doing here?" Lord Malfoy asked.
"You invited me to this Victory Ball."
"I meant here, in his bed. Draco says you have a gift for magic sensing, you must be able to tell this was his room."
She wondered if she should tell him. She supposed she could always Obliviate him too. Lord Malfoy raised one eyebrow at the petite witch that held her wand at the ready. Perhaps he had underestimated her.
"There was a part of him, Tom, inside of me my entire life. When he tried to kill me in the clearing, it killed that part. I had grown so used to it, to that voice inside my head, I thought it was me. Now it's gone, and he's gone, and I miss him."
Lord Malfoy looked shocked, but kept his silence. That was better than any other reaction she had gotten so far. Tears pooled in Peony's eyes, and she attempted to blink them away.
"Everyone expects me to move on. They all have. They're happy, but I am forever in that Courtyard, staring at the corpse of the one man who might be able to understand me."
"Do you regret killing him?"
"I've asked myself that question a thousand times. I don't regret killing Lord Voldemort. He would have destroyed our world. I do wish there was a way to get Tom back. Dumbledore ruined us both. We had no shot."
Peony descended from the bed, and slipped her feet back into her stiletto's. She couldn't stay here forever. Lord Malfoy moved and allowed her to leave the room. She took his arm when he offered it and allowed him to lead her back towards the ball.
He paused at a set of large double doors. Peony looked around, this was not the way to the ballroom.
"Where are we?"
"The Library. I may have a way to help you. If there was a way to go back, to save Tom, would you take it?"
Peony gasped, and stumbled back.
"Yes, of course, yes."
"You can't come back, Peony. This will change everything. You have to keep him from going insane, or this will all happen again."
She took a deep breath.
"Show me how."
Lucius led her through the long rows of Library shelves and into his adjoining study. He moved aside a portrait of his father Abraxas Malfoy and tapped his wand on a wall vault.
"Lala," he called.
A small house elf appeared.
"Bring a deaging potion, level three."
The small house elf nodded her head and popped away.
"Why do I need a deaging potion?" she asked as he pulled things out of the wall safe.
"After my father and Tom graduated, Tom went traveling for several years. That's when things first started to go off the rails. He got involved in Black Magic, made too many horcruxes, that's what started the insanity. You need to be young enough to go to Hogwarts, at least for the last year."
The house elf reappeared and offered the potion to Peony. She took it and shot it back in one go.
"Do I look different?" she asked.
Lucius squinted at her, "No, but you're about to."
"What do you mean?"
"We're doing a blood adoption ritual. You have to be able to explain who you are. They'll never accept a Halfblood Potter into their circle. A Malfoy though? You'll be welcomed with open arms."
Lucius laced a Time Turner around her neck, and pulled a ritual knife from his wall vault.
"I never thought you would want me as a Malfoy," she said softly.
Lucius stopped in his preparations and looked at Peony seriously.
"It would be an honor to have you as part of our family. This is a simple ritual. Give me your wand hand."
Peony held out her right hand to Lucius. He took it, and cut her across the palm. He did the same with his own wand hand, and then clasped them together. He intoned the spell, and Peony felt a wave of magic rush over her.
"How do I look?" She asked.
"Like Draco's twin. Take a look."
He produced a hand mirror from his desk, and Peony took in her reflection. Her once wild hair hung pin straight, and pale platinum. Her nose had smoothed just a bit, and her eyes had turned to the Malfoy gray.
"Are you alright?" Lucius asked.
Peony nodded, "It looks nice. A new start will be nice. Thank you Lucius."
He sat down at his desk and wrote a letter on parchment while Peony waited, twiddling her thumbs. He sealed it with the wax seal of the Malfoy family, to give to Abraxas. He handed it to her with a necklace that bore the Malfoy crest.
"This says you are Peony Malfoy, the twin sister of Abraxas. You've been in hiding for the last seventeen years. A woman has not been born into the Malfoy line in hundreds of years. It would make sense to hide you until you came into maturity. You will be our family's greatest treasure."
Peony clutched the letter against her gown. She supposed it was good she favored vintage styles. The gown wouldn't be out of place in the forties.
"Why are you doing all this for me Lucius?"
Lucius' gaze softened slightly as he looked at Peony. She was so young, but every bit as hardened as him. It was unfair.
"I made my choices, and I suffered the consequences. You and Draco, had no such choice. Perhaps you can temper Tom, create a better future for us all. If anyone is capable of such a thing, it's you."
Peony nodded. She would miss this life, but she couldn't keep living it. She couldn't wake up everyday knowing Tom was gone, and she had to live on. Not when she could be with him.
"Why do you even know how to do this?" Peony asked finally.
"I don't just hoard galleons, I hoard knowledge," Lucius replied mischievously. Peony shook her head and laughed at him.
"Are you ready?" He asked. "This spell is highly experimental."
Peony took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and pictured Tom. Tom who would grow into Lord Voldemort if she didn't go back to him. Those stormy blue eyes would turn red. She couldn't allow that.
"I'm ready. Just one thing."
She looked down at the Peverell ring on her hand. Tom's ring. She took it off and set it down on the edge of Lucius's desk. If she was right, if this all worked, she wouldn't need it.
She would have Tom.
Lord Malfoy pointed his wand at her chest, said the spell, and with a rush of swirling magic, she was gone.