Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters from the series. However, I do own Selene Wolf.

Author notes: The idea for thiscame to me when I was thinking of an idea for a Cedric/Tom fanfiction. It stuck, needless to say and so I started writing it. I'm really not sure how long it's going to take me to finish this, so yeah…

Cold
Prologue

Summer of 1931

Selene Wolf was a woman who could easily be considered as beautiful as she was deadly. She was the head of a criminal empire, the crowned "Queen" of at least half of England's mafia. There was little that she wouldn't do if someone crossed her. One should hope that the one she was paying a "visit" to knew this. The midnight eyed woman walked silently through the village of Little Hangleton, her heels clicking against the street as she made her way to what was easily the largest building in the village-like town. The wind kicked up as she passed through the cemetery as a short cut and it increased its power until she stood in front of the backdoor of the building.

Placing a cold smile on her face, Selene glided into the Riddle House as if she owned it. Of course, she would if the family failed to pay their debt. Her eyes flicked around the room as she signaled for one of the cooks to inform the family of her arrival. She knew they expected her. Carefully, she made her way to what looked to be a drawing room. When the son of the family entered the room he found her sitting in the chair behind his father's desk. The woman adopted a passive expression as she told him to sit down. He followed the order. After all, Selene was known for her ruthlessness and he didn't know what would set the woman off.

"You know why I'm here, don't you Mr. Riddle?" Her voice wasn't how he expected it to be; instead it was light and had a slight welsh accent. The woman's eyebrow rose slowly and a mocking, cold smile spread across her lips. She had decided not to bring any of her people with her, knowing that if she were alone he would be more intimidated by her than if she had her bodyguards.

"Yes, of course. But you see, there's a small… problem. We don't have the money, but if you gave us more time…" The dark haired man gulped noticeable as the mafia leader scowled. Her fingers drummed the left arm of the high-backed chair she was sitting in. Selene had given them more than enough time to gather how much they owed her. She breathed in deeply and remembered what one of her informants had told her.

"Mr. Riddle, I have given you more than enough time. Maybe you've been lacking motivation?" She looked him in the eyes coldly. "I know the Riddle family greatly values their reputations. Imagine what would happen if people found out about your little… affair with that under aged girl living in the next town over? I hold more sway over the media then your family; if I tell them to publish the articles about it they'll do it." She could see the wheels turning in the man's head. His next words were slow and deliberate.

"I… have a son, in an orphanage near London. Perhaps, we could make a deal…" Selene stood up sharply, her eyes narrowed and full of disgust for the man before her. Really, gambling with his own son's life! Sure she would do some immoral things, but this? This she would never do. Her cold smile twisted into a sneer as she glared icily at the man.

"Disgusting!" Her voice dropped to a hiss. "You abandon your son and then you gamble with his life! Foolish idiot, I should kill you now…" She trailed off dangerously as a thought struck her. She couldn't have children of her own and she had yet to choose an heir to carry out the Wolf legacy if she died. It set her on edge that she was even considering this. She closed her eyes before opening them again, all traces of anger gone and replaced with indifference. "I'll give you one year to pay me. One year starting as soon as I walk out of this house, understand?" She waited until he nodded before she said her goodbye, "If you don't pay up, then I will kill you."

It wasn't long before Selene was sitting in the back of her black Italian limo heading to her home in the countryside near London. The thought one of her most troubling problems being solved sounded nice but she would have to wait. For now, she concerned herself with the revenues from her latest scheme. But having an heir, someone she could teach her craft was a tempting thought and the idea continued to drift in and out of her mind for the next month and a half.