Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters. This is merely a work of fanfiction.

Peony and Tom sat in a corner of a tea shop in Hogsmeade. This was their first official courtshop date. Traditionally a chaperone should have been sitting at the table with them, but Abraxas had been convinced to sit at the table next to them with Renata.

Tom raised a Muffliato around them to give them some amount of privacy.

"Tell me something about who you were, Peony."

Pink tinged her cheeks. It was less and less that Tom requested pieces of the future, now. It was changing all the time, with her being here, with him claiming his title.

"I was Lady Potter-Black. Snake face killed my parents when I was a year old. My godfather got killed in battle when I was fifteen, and he left me his title."

Tom looked at her seriously, something crossing his features that she hadn't seen before.

Was it remorse?

"I'm only going to say this once, Peony. I'm sorry."

Peony could practically feel the shift in the air. Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord, did not apologize.

Not to anyone, except her, apparently.

"Thank you, but it wasn't you, Tom. You don't have to apologize."

"It would have been, if not for you. There are Potter's alive now- Charlus, Dorea. They graduated just a few years ago. I'm sure we could make their acquaintance this summer if that would make you happy."

Peony smiled, "Thank you Tom. That might be nice."

She took a sip of her tea, and a thought occurred to her.

"Tom?"

"Yes?"

"I have a thought about the future."

A greedy gleam filled his eye.

"You can't call yourselves the Death Eaters, and you can't use the Dark Mark. It's atrocious."

He sipped his tea calmly, though she could tell he was annoyed.

"Why not?"

"Tom, it screams Dark Lord, in a bad way. The path of least resistance is to run for Minister of Magic. You could take the office by thirty if you focus. They'll be begging you to take power, but not if you flaunt this death stuff. It scares people."

"I've conquered death," Tom retorted.

"You have, but you don't need to announce it. In the time I come from, the Death Eater's are the magical equivalent of the Nazi Party. I know that's not what you want your legacy to be."

Tom closed his eyes. The sound of air raid sirens blared in his head. The memory of a London under constant barrage of German bombs played behind his eyelids. Peony put her hand over his, and Tom was grounded once again. He opened his eyes to look at Peony.

"No, it's not."

She smiled at him smally.

"Then focus on politics. You can have everything you want, in a much shorter period of time."

Tom nodded.

It was just past four in the morning, on Halloween.

Peony thrashed from side to side, screaming. She was trapped in a nightmare that wouldn't end.

Renata ran to her side, but it was no use. She couldn't get her to calm down. Abraxas burst in the room, and pulled his twin into his arms.

"Peony, I'm here, it's okay. Peony, wake up."

She continued to thrash and scream. Abraxas turned to Renata.

"Tell Orion to get Tom. He's in the Common Room."

Renata ran from the room with a robe thrown hurriedly over her night clothes. Abraxas held Peony, rocking her. She wouldn't wake up no matter what he did. She kept mumbling names, and crying. Then she would scream for a while, and it would all start again.

After a few moments Tom entered, led by Renata.

"What's going on?" He asked as he sat beside Abraxas.

"Something's wrong. She won't wake up."

Tom took her in his arms, cradling her against his chest.

"Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Mum, Dad, Cedric, Hedwig. No!"

Her screams echoed off the walls, making his ears ring. He recognized some of the names from Peony's stories.

"It's over Peony. The war is over. It's never going to happen. You're safe now. I promise. I promise. It's not going to happen."

Peony began to settle. She stopped kicking. Her words became a mere whisper, and she cuddled closer to Tom. Her eyes fluttered open, and looked up into Tom's blue eyes.

"What happened?" She asked, looking around.

Abraxas and Renata stood against the wall, looking terrified.

"You had a nightmare. They sent Orion to get me. You wouldn't wake up."

Peony remembered all at once.

"I watched them die, Tom. I saw it all again. They were so innocent, Tom. So innocent."

Tears rained down her face and onto his shirt. He couldn't stand the heartbreak on her face. He couldn't fix what snake face had done. He could only make sure it never happened. He took her right hand in his, and withdrew his wand.

"Look at me."

Her gray eyes looked up into his. He waved his wand over their clasped hands.

"I, Lord Tom Marvolo Slytherin, promise never to kill, or order someone else to kill a member of the Potter family."

The magic of the Unbreakable Vow settled over their wrists, sinking into their skin. She clutched at his shirt, fisting it in her small hand.

"You promised," she choked out happily.

"I promised."

Relief washed over Peony, and exhaustion took hold of her once again. She began to sag against Tom, and her eyes closed. Tom looked at Abraxas with wide eyes. He nodded his head.

"Hold her. It's okay."

Abraxas settled into the chair at Renata's desk, as she went into the bathroom to change into one of her dresses. He watched the way Tom held his sister. He sat with his back against her headboard, his arms around her shoulders as she slept against him.

"An Unbreakable Vow is a bold move," Abraxas said in a soft voice, so he wouldn't wake Peony.

Tom rolled his eyes, "I can't very well have her having breakdowns because she's afraid I'll murder her birth family. It's simply not practical."

Abraxas stifled a laugh. Tom was still Tom.

"Can you even die, I mean if you broke the Vow, would it do anything?"

"I can still die, kind of. It would certainly hurt a whole hell of a lot, and be bloody inconvenient. More than that, it would destroy Peony. I won't do that to her."

"You really love her?" Abraxas asked, his gaze piercing.

Tom's jaw flexed, "She's mine."

"But do you love her?"

Tom grazed his fingertips over her bare shoulders. She was his. He was hers.

"I love her."

Abraxas sat back in his chair, relief flooding his face.

"I wouldn't part with her to anyone that didn't love her, Tom. Not even to you."

Surprise filled Tom's face. Abraxas merely shrugged.

"My magic recognizes her as if she was my real twin. I could feel her panic from the boys dorm. It woke me up. That's how I got here so fast. She's special, Tom. You protect something that special."

Tom nodded, "You do."

"Why am I here?"

"Because I'm here," Peony responded cheerfully. "Get through this one, and I won't ask you to come to another"

"I don't see what's so appealing about Quidditch," Tom grumbled.

Peony waved a Slytherin banner that was in her hand, as Renata cheered happily beside her.

"It's exciting. You'll have to attend games ever so often as Minister anyways, so you might as well get used to it."

Tom continued to pretend to pay attention, though his mind was elsewhere. Peony grabbed the sleeve of his cloak and pulled him down to her height.

"Did I ever tell you I was the youngest Quidditch player in a century? I made Gryffindor Seeker as a First Year."

Tom looked down at her, impressed.

"You didn't, though I still find it perplexing that you were ever a Gryffindor."

Peony stuck out her tongue at him. He was struck once again by how much she had given up to come back for him.

"When our manor is built, I'll have them put a Quidditch pitch on the grounds. You can whip Abraxas up and down it as much as you want."

Peony beamed up at him, but her attention was quickly drawn away by Abraxas flying close to them, a blur of green.

"Go Brax!" She cheered, jumping up and down in the stands.

Peony twirled her wand as she paced in front of the fireplace. The Knights were having a meeting, and Renata and she had taken the opportunity to brainstorm for Christmas presents.

It was still early, just the beginning of November, but letters had to be written, orders had to be placed, and then fulfilled. It turned out having so many friends and underlings required quite a bit of detailed work.

"What do you get a budding Dark Lord for Christmas?" Peony wondered aloud.

Renata chuckled, poised with her quill in hand. So far they had decided on gifts for The Knights, most of their Professor's, and even Abraxas, but what to get Tom eluded them.

It's not like they sold distilled vials of power.

"Oh, I just got the most marvelous idea!" Peony cheered.

"What is it?" Renata asked.

"Well for you and Brax, get him a set of those quills he likes. He becomes impossible if he tries to write with anything else."

Renata wrote down the idea. Tom only ever used one type of quill. He was very particular.

"That's perfect, but what are you going to get him?"

"Oh, I have a very good idea, but I'm going to need Abraxas' help."

Renata shook her head. Peony had a wicked gleam in her eye. She had a feeling she knew exactly what this was about.

When Abraxas returned to the Common Room that night, Peony smiled at him mischievously. He braced himself for whatever she was up to.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything"

"What are you going to do?"

She smiled, and Abraxas shook his head at her.

"Okay then, what are we going to do?"

Peony raised a Muffliato around them quickly.

"We're taking a trip, brother. I have something to collect that rightly belongs to Tom. I know secret passages out of the castle."

"Why are we sneaking?" Abraxas asked.

"It may require us to work outside the law."

"Peony," Abraxas sighed.

"It's important to me, Brax. Please. I could have snuck out by myself, but I didn't, because I was following your rules. Will you help me brother?"

"Always. Let's go. Tom will notice if we go during the day."

Peony smiled as she picked up her cloak and threw it over her shoulders.

"Human transfiguration is one of the most difficult things we will study this year," Professor Dumbledore instructed as he turned his back to scribble on the board.

"Too bad he can't transfigure himself into a better man," Peony mumbled under her breath.

Tom turned his eyes to her, and she calmed under the force of his look. If she put up with Professor Dumbledore, she got pulled into empty classrooms for fevered kisses. If she was sassy, he cut her off for a day or two.

She was waiting until the day he realized he was merely punishing himself too.

Dumbledore's words pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Peony, Renata, this may be too difficult for you-"

Peony waved her wand, whispering the necessary spells as she stared at Dumbledore.

He tilted his head, shock clear on his face. Peony turned to Tom, and he appreciated her work. She was better than everyone in this class, except him of course.

Her hair was the darkest black, and her eyes were the color of emeralds. It was her, from her past.

"How do I look?" She asked.

"Enchanting," Tom replied.

"Wonderful Peony," the Professor said in astonishment. "Did you draw inspiration from Lady Dorea Potter? You look incredibly like her, like that."

Peony waved her wand, reversing her transformation. She was incredibly uncomfortable with the comparison. He was too close to the truth, though she was a Malfoy now by blood. He'd have to go soon.

"Yes. Thank you, Professor."

Renata tried next. She accidentally turned her hair into a rather interesting shade of silver, but she did succeed in turning her eyes a stunning gray.

"What were you trying for?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Heiress Malfoy."

Peony smiled at her best friend, "You made the eyes too pretty."

Tom shook his head, "No, they're perfect, but the hair is silver, and not platinum blond."

Renata giggled, shaking her head in embarrassment. She waved her wand, reversing the process. Abraxas smiled down at her.

"Perfect."

"Alright, everyone else try!" Professor Dumbledore instructed.

Tom and Abraxas sipped from their glasses of firewhiskey. Another meeting of The Slug Club was going on around them. They sat back in their seats, letting the conversation swirl around them.

All Tom could hear was the blood rushing in his ears as he remembered the way he had pulled Peony into an empty row in the library earlier that very same day- her breathy whispers, the taste of her neck as he kissed it, her silk dress under his fingertips, her hands in his hair.

Abraxas nudged Tom's foot with his own. Sound began to filter back into Tom's ears, as his more pleasant memories faded. He became aware that Slughorn was speaking to him.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Slughorn chuckled good naturedly, his belly shaking.

"I was asking about your plans, after graduation. Are you still planning to travel?"

Tom shook his head, "No. I'll be taking my seat in the Wizengamot, and the Board of Governors, as well as building a manor for Heiress Malfoy and myself."

"That's quite enough for any man," Slughorn chuckled. "Well I'll be having a Christmas party as always. You're welcome to bring dates, of course."

Abraxas chuckled. They would, of course, be bringing Renata and Peony. The girls would single handedly hunt down and main any other witch if they dared to ask someone else. Not that they ever would.

"Slughorn's throwing a Christmas Party."

Peony looked around the Common Room at the other Slytherin girls. There were pretty ones, sure, but not as pretty as her by far.

"If you ask another witch I'll kill her."

Tom smirked and put an arm around her shoulders.

"As fun as that would be to watch, I had my heart set on you."

Peony smiled wickedly, "Good."

"We're shifting our focus," Tom announced.

"We will focus on enacting our changes through politics. I am now Lord Slytherin. I have unprecedented power in the Wizengamot, and on the Board of Governors. There is no need for war if we can get what we want through statesmanship."

Heir Black sighed in relief at the same time that Heir Dolohov scoffed. All eyes snapped to Antonin, shocked. They had all learned the hard way, years ago, to go along with what Tom said.

"You have something to say?" Tom asked.

"Peony is making you weak! Why should we wait to go through the Ministry when we kill those who oppose us and take power?"

Tom nodded, walking around the length of the table, until he stood across from Antonin. He braced his hands against the table, and looked into his eyes. Antonin shuddered in fear.

"Do you imagine a war is easy to win, or that it is quick? Should I put you at the front lines?"

Antonin's chest puffed up. Tom fixed him with a derisive glare. Abraxas was already thinking about how to cover up Antonin's inevitable death at Tom's hand.

"Your family is safe in Russia, but what about those around you? They will have children, and grandchildren. Are you willing to sacrifice them all when I can take power without a war?"

Tom looked around the room. The men around the table looked nervous. Their need to have their family lines continue was ingrained into them. It hadn't occurred to them that they might die. Antonin's mouth ran dry.

"Some force will always be necessary. There will always be those who oppose us, but all out war is for the foolish. What good is winning, if there is nothing left to rule?"

No one had an answer, but they were listening carefully. Tom sounded more sane then he ever had. Heir Black was relieved. He had never wanted an all out war.

"As for Heiress Malfoy, I've never once heard her give you leave to use her first name. Get up, you coward. Stand against the wall."

"What are you going to do?" Antonin asked fearfully.

Tom slashed his wand in the air. Purple light spewed forth from his wand and Antonin began to scream in torment. He fell to the ground, where Tom placed a silencing charm on the man, and turned back to the table.

"I am as strong as I've ever been. I have been tempered, not weakened. I am still The Dark Lord. Heiress Malfoy will become Lady Slytherin after graduation. Show her the proper respect, or go the same way as Antonin."

Tom turned to look at Abraxas, "I assume you can handle this?"

Abraxas nodded. With a flash of green light Tom ended Antonin's torment, and left the room. His lifeless body laid on the floor. No one liked the man. He was a brute, and particularly dumb.

"Anyone else have any complaints?" Abraxas asked.

"I'm relieved," Heir Black admitted.

"This is better," Heir Rosier agreed. "We know politics. We'll all have seats in the Wizengamot. I hadn't considered that some of our lines might die out in a war. I'm not willing to risk that."

"I agree," Heir Nott affirmed.

"Great. Now someone help me get rid of this body. We'll have to come up with a story."

Peony sipped her morning tea, as she read The Daily Prophet. She set down the paper and looked around the table. Something occurred to her, and she turned to Renata.

"Have you seen Heir Dolohov this week? I swear I haven't seen him in days."

"No. Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure I heard someone mention that he was called home suddenly. Some kind of family emergency."

Peony's eyes flickered to Tom, who was sitting across from her. He lifted his eyes from the paper, giving her a wink. Peony smiled wickedly at him.

Peony stood staring out the windows into the Black Lake. A grindylow swam by and Peony waved at it as it went.

She felt Tom's magic reach out to her as he entered the room, wrapping around her possessively. He put his hands on her waist, and pulled her back into his body. He turned his head to whisper in her ear.

"What are you wearing?"

Peony tilted her head slightly so she could look at him. He looked like a man possessed.

"A gown."

Tom pressed himself tighter against her and she smirked. She could feel his erection pressing into her lower back.

This was terribly improper, but they could get away with it for the moment. Abraxas would show up any second, and break up their fun.

Pureblood etiquette could be a real buzzkill.

"You should stop before my brother comes."

"Oh, I suppose you're right." Tom said in agitation.

He stepped back but kept his eyes on her. Her white gown was fitted throughout the bodice, with a flowing skirt. It highlighted her petite waist perfectly. The sweetheart neckline bore her shoulders, and just a hint of the cleavage that lay beneath layers of delicate fabric.

Tom wanted to see what lay beneath.

"Screw the party Peony, let's elope."

Peony threw back her head and laughed. Abraxas had just appeared over Tom's shoulder. He had his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. Tom rearranged his robes in a hurry.

"No wedding until after graduation. You'll just have to wait."

"Besides, I haven't even been proposed to," Peony teased.

Tom rolled his eyes, "Do I need to propose? We're getting married. We belong to each other."

She took a step back towards him as Abraxas got distracted by Renata coming down the hall of the girls' dorms.

She ran her thumb over the Peverell ring that Tom wore. He shuddered, and his eyes rolled back in his head of their own volition. Peony smirked as his jaw clenched, and he returned his heady gaze to her.

"Why do you insist on torturing me?"

"It amuses me, and I meant it. I want a shiny bauble to wear on my hand."

"Noted, and speaking of shiny baubles, would you like your Christmas present now?"

Peony nodded excitedly, bouncing on her tiptoes. Tom shook his head, and pulled a jewelry box from his robes.

"Spin for me."

He clasped the necklace around her neck, and admired her as she turned back around. Diamonds dripped down it in three tiers, kissing her collarbones.

Peony touched it gently with one hand as she stepped closer to Tom.

"This must have cost a fortune."

"You're correct, but the Slytherin family vaults are vast, and you're the future Lady Slytherin. There's no one better to spend it on."

Peony blushed then, looking away. They had both grown up with nothing, less than nothing, but Tom would give her everything.

"Are you ready to go?" Abraxas asked.

Peony turned to look at him and Renata. Renta was wearing a sleeveless silk gown with beautiful scrolling patterns and intricate flowers beaded onto it. Abraxas seemed entranced by the slope of her shoulder, the curve of her neck. He couldn't look away.

"Come along brother, or Slughorn will be wondering where we are."

Abraxas shook his head to clear it, and led Renata out of the room.

Tom held Peony close as they Waltzed around the dancefloor.

"Did you know this dance was called sinful when it first became popular?" Tom whispered in her ear.

"I did," she giggled.

"Of course you did, but did you know that they called me a sinful child at the orphanage because I could do magic? I mean the Waltz was practically made for me."

Peony winced, "Perhaps I should have gone back a little further, so I could kill that matron."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Tom told her. "All Muggles are like that. The church rules their society, and the church says Magic is of the devil. Therefore Magical children are of the devil."

She didn't bother to tell him that not all Muggles were like that. Enough were, too many were. At this time, the church still ruled Muggle society.

"Why doesn't anyone do anything?"

"We can, if you want Peony. You'll have power as Lady Slytherin."

"What do you mean?"

"You could form a supervisory committee for the wellbeing of Muggleborn children. I could present the findings in the Wizengamot. With the Knight's support we could make real change happen, even before I run for Minister."

Peony stuttered in her steps, and he pulled her along with him.

"You called them Muggleborns," was all she managed to get out.

"I called them Muggleborns," Tom confirmed. "Like you said, I have to get used to it, if I'm going into politics. Power is power."

Peony smiled up at him. She had never been more sure that she had made the right choice in coming back.

It was late on the night of Christmas Eve.

Tom had long since returned to his Head Boy quarters, and Renata was deep in sleep. The Malfoy Twins stood in the Slytherin Common Room with their wands drawn.

"Are you sure, Peony? This is serious magic. We can find another way to make you immortal, if you're not ready. Tom can find another way. "

Peony shook her head.

"So many died because of him, Brax. A whole generation of children, our children if we do nothing, offered up as lambs to slaughter. Not just them, but me too. I have to do this."

Abraxas nodded. He knew his sister would never know peace until this was taken care of.

"Let's do it."