We all slowly made our way towards an elongated, rectangular table that was covered in cream and wine-colored, flowered tablecloth.
Several platters of food began to appear in the center of the table, as we all sat down around it.
I noticed Bastan had set Leta down on her feet, and she quickly skipped towards where I sat down, quickly climbing into the seat next to mine.
"You'd think you'd have sweets stuck to your arr-" Bella began said as she sat down next to Leta.
"Bellatrix! She's three. I'd prefer if you didn't teach my baby sister words she shouldn't and hopefully,won't, ever learn." Bastan told her from across the table.
"You'd think I taught her an unforgivable curse or something..." Bella mumbled pouting.
"Knowing you, I wouldn't put it past you..." I mumbled back amused.
Throughout the dinner, Leta sat next to me, happily munching through the food on her plate.
I couldn't help staring at her transfixed. It was a weird yet familiar feeling, I always wanted a little sister or sibling.
Watching Leta eat enthusiastically made me want to have children of my own someday. It made me think that maybe the vision I had of me having Tom's baby. Maybe it wasn't such an all that bad idea.
Druella had passed shots out of fire whiskey and tall flutes of bubbling golden liquid after supper.
A big pitcher, full of butterbeer and some wineglasses full of sweet red wine for the girls here.
I noticed, that as time went on, every person that stood in the room's tongue seemed to loosen more and more.
I had managed to avoid drinking any type of alcohol, Bella and her sisters mimicking me in my decision.
I sat picking the food on the fancy dinner plate set before me, trying to ignore the stinging pain that I began to feel, beginning to bubble in the pit of my stomach. I felt myself blink before I was transferred into a short vision.
The image before me was blurry, but only for a moment. Then I blinked once more as I watched a slurring Tom talk with the people present.
Vision:
"I don't want kids. Having a child is a waste of time, space, and effort. The only thing they'll ever be good for is to carry the family name and lineage, and that is something I'd rather stop. Having a child of my own would mean expanding the filthy muggle name of Riddle. A name and blood, I wantto cut off with me." Tom said, slurring slightly.
I could feel the hurt bubble in my chest as my eyes began to sting with unshed tears.
Then I felt as Leta climbed into my lap once more, snuggling into me before her baby blue eyes began to close unwillingly.
I felt as a knot began to form in my stomach as I swallowed heavily around the knot in my throat.
"Sophie?" Bella called, trying to get my attention.
"Yes?" I asked, blinking before I looked up at her.
"I've been trying to get your attention for a while now," Bellatrix whispered concerned, looking towards Leta and then back to me.
"So, what's your opinion on having children, Riddle?" Dolohov asked, or rather slurred.
"I would like to think he wants to at least explore the idea of keeping the family name going," Lucius stated, downing another shot of fire whiskey.
You know how they say that small children and drunk adults will always give you the truth? No matter how frank or brutal it truly is?
I always wondered why I saw the future the way it was.
Why my future-self took the decisions I had. And what happened to cause me to take those decisions.
Well, I received my answer when I heard Tom speak.
Answering the question, he was asked.
Word for word as I had seen a minute prior, only much more slurred.
"To be hon-eh-est... I-I don't think I ever want to have kids. Having a-a child is a w-waste of time, n-not to mention s-space. The only-only t-hing they'll ever be good for is c-carrying the family name and lee-lineage, and that is something I'd rather s-sto-op. Having a child of my own would m-mean ex-expanding the filthy muggle name of R-Riddle, n-not to mention b-bloodline, I want it cut off with m-me." Tom said, a slur creeping into his otherwise smooth voice.
Knowing something is coming doesn't stop the stinging pain from hitting you as you learn the truth you already seemed to know.
I could feel as my eyes began to sting, though I willed the tears not to form as I felt Bella's and every other stare on me. Which I pointedly ignored by looking down at my dress.
Leta slowly turned her face towards me to look, before she climbed onto my lap, snuggling into me as her baby blue eyes began to unwillingly close. Her long lashes kissing her high cheekbones as her breath began to even out slowly.
The moment he uttered those words, whether they were truthfully spoken, or whether it was the fire whiskey talking I knew that part of the future I had seen was already set in stone.
I just hoped that my dear friends could keep Tom in line while I disappeared and went incognito under the Fidelius Charm.
I also hoped, for the sake of everyone I loved, that he didn't do anything foolish.
For the rest of the meal, there was an awkward silence in the room. Nothing other than our breathing and Leta's constant murmuring filled the otherwise quiet room.
By the end of the night, after every guest had left, I slowly made my way towards the room that Druella arranged for me to stay.
It happened to be conveniently in the middle of Bella and Cissy's room.
After I walked into the room, I closed and locked the door, before flicking my wrist quickly undoing my hair. I removed all the stuff I had on, and changing into my dark blue nightdress before climbing into bed tiredly.
Once settled in I pulled the fluffy blankets over my head, before I completed zonked out the moment my head touched the pillow.
I was shaken into consciousness the next morning by a flash of red pulling the thick drapes open.
A flash of light covered the otherwise dark bedroom chamber.
After all of us eating a quick breakfast Druella dragged all four of us through the shops of London, shopping.
I had to admit that I enjoyed being pampered the better half of the day.
Despite my protest of her buying me unnecessary things, she bought me almost an entire wardrobe to keep at their house if I wished to ever visit them during the other holidays.
By the end of the week, I was exhausted, and muscles I didn't even know existed on my body hurt a lot.
The two weeks soon flew by, and then it was time to leave, and begin to head over to where my mother's family lived, to stay with them.
I felt nervous as The Blacks drove me towards their home.
It was odd, because I would have honestly expected them to at least apparate there. But they hadn't, they told me they wished to extend my experience for as long as possible.
I spent New Year's Day with them.
Interacting with them. It was interesting to listen to the stories of my mother when she was a child, and then a few of her time in Hogwarts.
My grandmother even told me the story of how she met my father.
It happened similar to the way I met Tom, on the Hogwarts Express.
Two weeks however weren't enough to find out everything about I wanted to find out about my mother.
When the day came for me, Grisha, and Seamus to head back to Hogwarts, my grandmother was practically falling to pieces.
She made Grisha and Seamus promise to watch over me, and for all three of us to write as often as we all could, when time permits it.
As I sat alone in one of the few empty compartments left on the express, I couldn't help but get the feeling that when we returned something was going to change again.
Though, I couldn't place my finger on what was about to change.
The feeling that came with it had the very hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention.