Great Britain, 1943

"Can I yell across the platform and tell her she's an idiot?"

Maélys stepped off the train and looked to her friend.

"I'd love to tell you yes, Louisa, but no. She's your sister."

Lousia huffed.

"I don't care. She's acting like an idiot."

"It's her decision. You cannot tell her what do to and what not to."

Louisa threw her and in the air and nearly hit a Hufflepuff girl that tried to get off the Hogwarts Express.

"But Avery? Does she have to marry Avery? She knows how much I hate that evil, smily toad!"

"Come on, let's find your sister."

Maélys took her friend by her hand and fought her way through the crowd at platform 9 3/4. When they finally left King's Cross they were immediately greeted by a young woman.

"Oh, Lou, I missed you so much! The house was so empty without you!"

Amelia Travers looked excactly like her younger sister. When she let go of Louisa she turned to Maélys.

"You must be Maélys. My little Lou told me everything about you in her letters. We're happy to welcome you into our home for the holidays."

"Thank you very much for your and your familiy's kindness."

Maélys shook Amelia's hand and followed her to a car.

"I know, it's a muggle car, but I heard that it's the latest fashion now to own such a thing. Everard bought it for me as an engagement present. He's such a sweetheart."

Louisa's sister helped them put their suitcases into the trunk while talking about her friends' jealousy when they saw her new car.

"Oh, Lou, you should've seen Walburga Black's face. She's never been angrier with Orion because he bought her an old model..."

Maélys and Louisa rolled their eyes as the young woman kept talking. Although the blonde girl had told her friend to be nice to her older sister and congratulate her on her engagement, Louisa soon began to complain about Amelia's fiance. Maélys knew that she shouldn't involve herself in this family conversation and rather looked out the windows as they drove out of London.

The bland and grey looking building soon turned into a beautyful countryside and nice family homes.

The two Hogwarts students did not expect that they would drive in a car to the Travers family estate and soon fell quieter as the hours went by. Louisa had not anticipated how much her older sister loved driving in her new car when she said she would pick the girls up from King's Cross.

It was nearly midnight when they finally arrived.

Exhausted, the two girls fell asleep as soon as their heads touched their pillows.

The next day, Maélys was woken up by a very energetic Louisa.

"Come on, wake up!" the girl called as she ripped the curtains open.

"Good morning, sunshine! Get up, Tipsy made breakfast!"

With that Louisa stormed out the room and left Maélys to find her way to the breakfast salon on her own.

Louisa was already eating when Maélys entered the room.

"Sit down. Tipsy made pancakes. They're the best!"

Shortly after her, Amelia entered the room.

"Have you seen father, Lou? I cannot find him in the house?"

"He left early; said something about a Grindelwald follower that they caught; said that it'll be late when he's back," Louisa said between two bites.

"Oh, then let's hope that he finishes his work soon. Everard's father wanted to come by today to discuss the marriage contract."

"So, you're really going to do this, huh," Louisa said and was serious again, "You're really going to marry that prick."

Amelia sighed, "Don't call him that. Sooner or later, you'll have to accept that he's going to be a part of our family. I'd rather have it sooner than later!"

"Louisa, how about you give me a house tour," Maélys tried to defuse the situation before it could escalate, "I'm all finished up and ready to go!"

"Sure, I'm not hungry anymore. Let's go."

The brown-haired girl took her friend by her hand and pulled her out of the room. By the time they were in the libary Louisa had already forgotten her anger and danced happyly through the entrance hall.

Maélys stood laughing next to her while trying to tie her shoes.

"Don't forget your gloves or your fingers will freeze," she said to her friend.

The two girls spent their entire morning in the gardens and parks of the estate and after lunch they saddled two horses in the barn and went for a ride.

Maélys had to cast multiple heat charms, because their equipment had not been enough to keep them warm. It was late afternoon when Amelia called them to come back inside.

The Travers family had been invited to the annual Yule ball of the Malfoys. Even Maélys had gotten an invitation. The d'Avaugours were a very important family in France and the Malfoys with their french origin knew that.

As they entered the Malfoy mansion they were immediately greeted by Lord and Lady Malfoy and then lead to the great ballroom by a servant.

They came late because they wanted to wait for Torquil Travers when they got the owl that he'll join the festivities later.

Amelia left her little sister and her friend to their own devices and joined her fiance and his friends. Maélys pulled Louisa away quickly before the girl could make a scene with Everard Avery.

Louisa took two glasses of chamgane off a waiter's tray and downed her drink before shoving a sandwich into her mouth.

"Eat, Maélys. You'll need something in your stomach before we start drinking. Believe me, you don't want to be sober by the time it's midnight."

With that the brown-haired girl took another two sandwiches and a drink.

"Why don't I want to be sober?" the girl asked her friend while taking her advice and eating some of the food.

"Because these parties are the most boring event you could attend."

"Then why are we here?"

"Because we have to be. We're a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Once a year, at the beginning of the Yule season, we have to social with all of the other twenty-seven families and play nice. It's all politics. On evenings like these, marriage contracts and future careers of young sons are being discussed. Whoever isn't invited today isn't part of Britains's wizarding elite. Doesn't France have aristocrats and a circle like this too? You know, the most powerful families of the country opening Yuletide presents together like they all don't hate and envy each other."

Before Maélys could answer, Everard Avery neared the snack table.

"Louisa, you look absolutely ravishing!" the young man said.

He bend forward to give her a kiss on her cheek but the girl moved quickly out of his way.

"Go away, Avery!" Louisa snarled before throwing her drink into his face.

With that she stormed off, Maélys following behind her.

"What was that about?" the blonde girl asked her friend when they stopped in a quiet hallway outside of the ballroom.

"Oh, I hate that ... that evil man!" Louisa exclaimed.

Maélys took the girl into her arm and hugged her tightly.

"I know that you hate him," she said, "But why? You never said why."

Louisa huffed angrily.

"Well, two years ago, at this Yuletide party, he tried to court me. I was young and so I believed him when he said that he loved me. I was so naive. He paid me compliments the whole night and never left my side for one moment. He got me drunk and pulled me into a guest chamber. I remember kissing him and how much I liked kissing him. He even tried to do more... with me and I gave in because I thought myself to be in love with him.

After, when I came back to the ballroom he was laughing with his friends. I asked him what he was doing and why he was laughing, he sneered at me and told me that they had a bet that he'd get me into his bed. He won the bet. I was worth fifty galleons."

"Oh Louisa, I'm so sorry. That must've been awful!"

"The next few months, I couldn't look him in the eyes and everytime someone said his name I burst into tears. I never told anyone, not even Amelia, what happened. And I got over it. But when I heard that my sister now marries this evil bastard, I lost control over my anger. I can see that she's in love with him but I also know that he hasn't stopped his little games. He will always chase other girls, even when he's married. And I don't want him to hurt Amelia too."

"Why don't you tell her what happened then?" Maélys asked as she brushed over her friend's hair.

"I ... I don't know. I just feel so ashamed about what I did," Louisa answered.

"If you're not ready to talk about it yet, I will not force you to do anything. But if you want to prevent that Avery breaks her heart - and he inevitably will, one way or another - you have to tell her before the wedding. Best even before the marriage contract is signed."

Louisa was silent for a moment.

"You're right. I have to tell her, but not tonight. Tonight I want to get drunk and pass-out in my bed."

Smiling again, she took Maélys' hand and guided them back to the ballroom where she took multiple glasses of wine from a passing waiter.

"Cheers," she said as she drank one glass after the other.

Maélys smiled at her and took a sip from her wine.

"Are you sober?"

Midnight neared and Amelia had joined the two girls. Her fiance was nowhere in sight, to the relief of Maélys. Torquil Travers had also left work and mingled with his co-workers on the other side of the room. He had greeted both of his daughers and after one look to the empty glasses next to Louisa, he had wished them a pleasant rest of the night and excused himself.

"I'm moderatly functional," Lousa answered. Her sister snorted.

"I'll take that as a no."

"What happens at midnight?" Maélys asked.

The three of them stood on one of the balconies facing the labyrinth in the gardens of the Malfoy estate. A heat charm kept them warm.

"Actually nothing," Louisa said, "Once they had some fireworks, but apparently they scared the peacocks."

"Peacocks?" Maélys asked sceptically.

"Yes, peacocks. The Malfoys own a few of them. They live in the gardens," Amelia laughed.

The two girls chuckled too. The idea of an arrogant family owning one of the most arrogant animals was hilarious.

"Louisa, I actually came because father asked me to. He wanted to introduce you to somebody," Amelia said with a smile.

The brown-haired girl sighed.

"Sure, let's get it over with. Let's see who father thinks is good enough to be my future husband."

Maélys watched the two sisters disappear in the crowd of the ballroom and went inside after them, looking for something or someone to distract her until her friend came back.

Walking around the gigantic room she was greeted by many guests. Her family name was widely known - even in Britain - and a lot of people gave their condolences for the loss of her parents.

Somehow Richard Skeeter, a reporter for the Daily Prophet, who had been a guest at Professor Slughorn's Christmas Party, had found a way into the exclusive Yuletide festivities but before he could ask her too many questions was he escorted off of the estate by two servants.

Maélys kept looking around the room. She saw Louisa talking with a old-looking man who was probably the same age as her own father. She cringed and turned away.

She made out Tom Riddle talking with Leonard Spencer-Moon, the Minister of Magic, and another man who looked like a his assistent.

Mulciber and Rosier were half-laying on the tables, like they did during the Slug Club, and the young Malfoy heir seemed to be in a heated political debate with Nott.

She turned to the big doors when another young man she didn't know walked into the ballroom.

The blonde woman smiled.

She'd found her distraction.

Tom Riddle had been on his way from the men's room when he heard the noice.

At first, he thought he imagined it. But when he stepped closer to the doors of the library he could clearly hear that somebody was inside.

Silently, he walked in, wand in his hand as he went down the endless isles between the dark book shelves.

The library of the Malfoy manor was huge, nearly rivaling the one in Hogwarts but he'd been in there often enough to not get lost.

As she neared the Transfiguration section, he saw what - or rather who - made the ruckus.

Through the high windows shone the cold moonlight onto the pair. He rezognized the young woman as Maélys d'Avaugour.

Tom would keep asking himself in the following why he stayed.

But in that moment, when he saw the two people fucking against a book shelf he couldn't bring himself to walk away.

Instead he stayed. Stayed and watched even when Maélys opened her eyes and immediately found his. He stayed and watched, holding the eye contact as she fucked another man.

He knew that she shouldn't have been able to hear or see him. But she did.

And she liked it. She liked that he was watching her; liked that he watched her as she orgasmed.

She never broke the eye contact with him. And he stayed, watching her.