The day she had dreaded all holidays had arrived, today she would go to Malfoy manor.
Three o'clock was coming closer and she felt herself getting more and more anxious.
She finished by placing her locket around her neck.
It had been just over a year since she last saw him and the absence had not made her miss him. Not in the slightest. Instead, she felt her bitterness towards him had more than doubled.
She hated him.
With every atom she made up.
Was she really going to be able to sit across from him? Without saying anything she would come to regret.
Well they would find out.
She left her room making her way downstairs.
Sirius since their last conversation had been resentful. He didn't like the fact she was going, and he had no problem voicing it. But now wasn't the time to take risks. She had to finish it once and for all. No messing up.
"Ready," Remus asked as she came into the sitting room.
"yep," she said turning to see Sirius who was sulking in the armchair.
"Are you going to say anything to me?" She asked, Sirius, looked away.
"At all?" She reiterated.
Still nothing.
"Okay well bye, I'll see you when I get back," She said before walking up to the floo.
"Good luck," Remus said.
Atria nodded before stepping into the floo.
"Tonks residence."
She stepped out, into the quaint little house that had become her home.
"Andromeda," she greeted.
Andromeda nodded before asking, "Ready to go."
Atria nodded, trying her best to hide her nerves, she had to do this. "Yeah."
Andromeda walked forward placing her hands on Atria's shoulder, "Now if anything goes wrong you floo right home okay."
Atria nodded.
"Are you excited?" the other woman asked.
Atria shook her head, "I don't know what I am. But I'll see you when I come back."
Andromeda nodded, "okay."
So with a deep breath Atria approached the fireplace before stepping inside with a handful of floo powder.
"Malfoy Manor."
Green light lit up but soon enough Atria stepped through the floo and the familiar scent of her childhood home filled her senses.
Her aunt was sitting in the armchair as if she had been waiting patiently for her to arrive.
Atria bowed her head, "Hello," she said softly.
Narcissa stood up, brushing off her skirts before greeting, "Atria," she said, her blue eyes cool, "Come this way," she said before walking off in the direction of the stairs.
Atria followed without another word, there would be no talking she sensed. But she couldn't bring herself to care, if her relationship with Narcissa ceased to be because of what she had done it was something she was willing to loose.
As she walked through the hall she marvelled at the changes that had occurred. How much change can you fit into two small years, she was no longer an orphan, she was no longer left feeling unloved and she also no longer lived here.
But as she got closer and closer to Lucius's office, another change fell upon her, the one she reminded her self you she could never forget.
Before he was her uncle.
Now he was the man who killed her mother.
They reached the door and Narcissa stopped, "He's waiting for you." And without another word she turned and left.
But Atria didn't go in right away.
She took a moment just for herself, where for the first time she questioned whether or not she should have brought someone with her.
She didn't bother knocking instead opting just to open the door. He didn't deserve her respect.
She stood still as the door crept open.
Their eyes locked immediately, and she felt the familiar shiver of fear run through her.
He was sitting behind his desk cooly, his hands clasped on the dark wooden table.
He smiled, "Hello dear," he said, making bile come up in the back of her throat.
He gestured to the seat across, "Please do sit down."
She had to will her body to move, it wasn't too long ago she was in this office where he told her about Sirius. If only she knew then what she knew now.
She walked forward in silence taking the seat in front of him.
"I do hope you are enjoying your free time," he mused. But she wasn't in the mood for small talk.
"Why am I here?" She asked with a grimace.
Lucius lifted his eyebrow before his hand went into his pocket. She saw a glimmer of light catching the emerald stone as he placed the ring on the table.
Atria's eyes went from the ring to Lucius, "My ring?"
"No," Lucius said and for the first time in a long time she saw it, the familiar venom that laced his eyes, "my ring," He said condescendingly, "My gift to you."
"And what have I done to deserve such a gift?" Atria asked spitefully.
Lucius smiled, it was not a genuine smile, it was a telling smile like he looked forward to where he was going. Atria felt goosebumps pop up on her arms at the very sight.
"What?" She demanded her hands clasping the arms of the chair tightly.
He shook his head, "You really do never cease to amaze me."
Whether it had been meant as a compliment her not she still flinched away, "Really? As long as I was here I never felt I amazed you in the slightest."
He nodded, methodically, "Yes but then again I thought I knew quite well."
"You never knew me," she said with a slight shake of her head as a grimace twitched at her lips.
He raised his cold blue eyes but remained stone still, "No I guess I didn't. But there was always one thing I was always quite certain of that I think still may have not changed." He said his brow furrowing as if remembering an odd thought.
"And that is?"
"Pride," he said, "you were always very prideful. It was always something I knew was there," he went on, "you could never ask for help, even when you were young. You could never admit you had been beaten."
Pride. She had never seen herself as prideful. And she had admitted to defeat, a few times in her life. Once or twice at his feet. But had she ever truly felt beaten when saying it, no. In truth, she had never admitted she had been defeated, at least not to herself. Not even in the chamber of secrets had it once crossed her mind to just let Tom win.
"It's a lesson I plan to teach you," Lucius said, his voice almost one of concern, "One must always know when they have lost."
Atria took a deep breath, if he was going to teach her by admitting his own defeat she would gladly watch as he admitted and do so herself from here on. But as she held that idea in her hand it was like she couldn't clasp it, like it was already slipping through her fingers.
His finger now danced over a small pile of papers on his desk lightly tapping as they went, "Are you familiar with a unification contract?" He asked.
Atria tilted her head questionably, The question had caught her so off guard she had all but blurted her answer out, "No," She said.
Lucius nodded before picking up the small pile of parchment from his desk, and flicking through them as if reviewing them, "It was a contract designed by families to secure marriages with unenthused participants."
Atria's blood froze at the words, her heart was beating in her ears, as dread began to breathe down her neck. Her face went blank.
"They only need to," he took a moment as if thinking on the word, "Accept it, but by the power of this contract it has already been agreed to by an immediate family member." He held up the papers, "This document can substitute any marriage contract."
"Why are you telling me this," she asked softly, Maybe her confusion came from a place of denial as she tried to slow down her mind so to not give it the time to catch up.
"Because you need to know," he said, as he placed it on the table close enough she could grab it, "it's important in what I have to offer."
"If you're about to offer me a contract like that I will have to gladly refuse." She said sardonically as her chest grew tight.
"Well as I just said it's not yours to refuse," he said the malice growing in his eyes.
She smiled as her nervous nature began to get the better of her, "I don't have any immediate family," Atria said gleefully through her rage, "they're dead remember."
"Yes," he agreed, Atria took in the breath she had been holding, but the relief didn't last, "But one did sign."
Atria reached out willing her hand to stop shaking so he could not see how nervous she was. She opened it flicked through. Printed words lay crammed on the paper, enough to lock anyone in. She stopped when her eyes landed on the familiar Sharpe letters signed at the bottom of the last page.
'Wallburgah Black'
She shook her head as her discomfort grew, a smile grew on her lips but she felt no happiness, "I would never accept this," she said her eyes starting to resemble that of a flightless frightened bird.
He looked at her with a false sense of sympathy, "But you did accept," he said gently, "You agreed the moment you put that ring on your dainty little finger."
She felt a hopeless tears trickle down her cheek, "No," she breathed out.
"And then the deal was closed with a kiss," he said his grin growing.
It dawned on her then. The ring, the kiss, it had all been a setup.
This wasn't happening, she can't have come this far for it to come back to this, it had been over.
She felt her stomach cramp up and she almost keeled over in her seat, she was going to be sick, her head felt so light like all the air had been sucked out from around her.
"And I barely had to lift a finger," he finished cruelly.
"I'll contest this," She said through gritted teeth.
He nodded, "You could," he said before placing his hand on the document on the table, "but this contract is binding and completely legal you would have no grounds."
"Really," she snapped angrily, "I would tell them everything, every slap, every curse, I will tell them about the diary and then you will be finished, Death Eater," She hissed out.
He flinched away, "Death eater?"
She shrugged, "Well I assume you still are. Tell me how did your master take to your return," she said her anger burning in the pit of her stomach, "to your failure." She finished coldly.
His face went stiff as he lifted a finger and waved it patronisingly, "Don't show all your cards Atria, I thought I taught you better."
"Oh I know everything," she continued not heading his warning, "I know you were there that night."
"As you already said," He stated cooly.
"No. That night," she corrected him, "almost 15 years ago now."
Her grey eyes were on fire now, they burnt with the hottest blue flame. "I know you killed my mother."
He didn't flinch though, but she could see that it caught him by surprise and he simply shrugged, "And now you know everything, you've finally caught up with the rest of us."
His toothy grin showed off his pearly white teeth before he said gleefully, "Now my turn," he sent as he leant in, "his eyes snapped up on her in an instant as he said cruelly, "Do you really think I don't know about the current occupants of Grimmauld place."
She exhaled what seemed to be her last breath before her body went numb, her mind followed for now she was no better than a corpse as her senses all but turned off. Her body was now no longer able to handle her predicament. She heard Andromeda voice telling her 'Now if anything goes wrong you floo right home okay' she stood quickly all but running to the door, she just had to make it to the floo. Tears fell freely she could no longer control them. She needed Sirius, she needed to get to her dad. She swung it open but before she could get out a hand came down on the door from behind her slamming it in her face.
"Sirius Black and his own little convict reunited," she heard him hiss cruelly in her ear.
"Just think," he said as he gripped her by the arm and spun her around to face him, "what would happen to him if the ministry found out? What would happen to you?" He said leaning down as his hand was above her head to keep the door closed. He peered down in her eyes and as if they both thought of the same thing, he moved quickly to stop her, grabbing her hand as it sped towards her wand. and snatching it before throwing it towards the other side of the room.
"I still remember the first time I saw you like it was yesterday." He reached up to tug at one of her curls patronisingly, "So small, so frightened but you have changed, I see the resistance and anger. And you can have that," he said as his hand rose to take a firm hold of her chin, "but know that by tomorrow I can make sure that Sirius Black is returned to Azkaban, and administered the Dementor's Kiss," he said maliciously, " I will personally oversee Remus Lupin's incarceration. And I will make sure that your beloved family of Tonks join him." He dragged her forward by the arm and threw her towards the chair. "Now sit down."
It was a robotic reaction, she slowly sat back down in her chair, but she wasn't done, she still had her will. "Sirius has avoided the Mistry for almost 2 years now he can do it again."
"Yes and that is why you are still useful, useful but exposable." He cruelly with a hiss as he walked back towards his desk, "if Sirius Black or the order moves from Grimmauld I will make Sirius Black a widower and childless parent. Are we clear?"
Atria's gaze was stuck on his desk, on the contract, she could destroy but he would have copies all she could do now was exist.
"There is a plan for you," he explained," there always has been."
He came to stand in front of her leaning on the front of the desk. " A solid plan if you will. Now, I made a promise to your grandmother before she died and it was that you would stay on that path no matter the cost, whether you like it or not."
"And what do you get from that exactly," she asked scornfully glaring at the piece of paper that had condemned her.
"The point I was approaching," he reprimanded. "We live in different times, after all, Bloodlines become muddied when we don't keep our families in check. In times like these every little thing matters or it all collapses. Your grandmother had lost all hope after your uncle died but then there you were so she offered me you."
Atria let out a huff of course she had.
"But I'm prepared to strike a bargain." He said cooly.
"What bargain!" Atria demanded.
"A bargain for your freedom," he said with a nod as his smile fell away to reveal something more sinister, "You will marry Draco," he said with no ounce of mercy.
Atria laughed as tears dripped from her chin, "yeah right."
"You will."
"NO, I WON'T!" She screamed no longer able to control herself as she felt her sanity leaving her. It made her regret her very existence, but maybe it was the absurdity of the entire situation, maybe her mind just did not know how to cope with this situation so instead she laughed.
"This isn't happening," she found herself muttering
"You'll find it is," Lucius said as he looked at her victoriously.
A sob broke through her chest as she realised her gilded cage had been rebuilt back around her, "You can't do this," she said.
He leaned in, "I can and I will," Lucius said coldly, he walked over to stand next to her chair, "You've had a lovely holiday I hope," he said as striating his suit, "but welcome back to reality,"
He then leant forward so he was eye level with her before whispering cruelly in her ear, "I'm in charge now."
He then walked from the room without another word closing the door behind him.
Andromeda was sat in the foyer, as the sun began to set. Time had gone by and she was beginning to fear the worse. But she shook her head, it would be fine. It had to be.
Her senses were on fire, as worry built up and her mind raced, trying to figure out what was happening.
But the worry fell away as the floo lit up, and atria stepped through.
She shot up from her seat, "How did it go?" She asked
But her face fell at the sight, atria's eyes were all but swollen as if she cried to the point of no return.
She didn't get the chance to say anything before someone else stepped through the floo.
"Narcissa?" Andromeda asked, looking at the relaxed figure of her younger sister.
The blonde woman ignored her before turning to atria, "Go to your room and get your things."
"What?" Andromeda asked as she went to approach atria who was already rushing to the stairs.
"Atria come back!" She yelled after the girl who had sped off.
Atria stopped on the stairs turning back to her, it looked like she wanted to say something but Narcissa interjected quickly.
"Atria go upstairs and get your things," Narccisa said coldly. Atria turned away before continuing on her way up the stairs.
"Atria!" Andromeda yelled, going to go after her, "talk to me!"
But she was gone.
She turned back to Narcissa as her eyes burnt and terrible feeling filled her stomach, "What's going on."
But she got no response. Andromeda took a dangerous step closer before going in with a threat, "I swear Narcissa if he laid one hand on that girl-"
"He didn't do anything of the sought." Narcissa said calmly, "Atria just has finally seen reason."
"Yes," Andromeda said angrily, "she did one year ago. Now Narcissa what has he done."
"Stop assuming-
"I'm not assuming anything." Andromeda said her voice a low growl, "I think its best you remember that I know exactly what that man is cable off and not to pretend otherwise."
But Narcissa didn't get to respond before atria made her way back down the stairs.
"Ready dear?" Narcissa asked.
"Yes," the girl said softly her voice just cracking through.
Andromeda's shoulders slumped at the sight of her before she walked closer, "Atria please darling whatever it is you tell me, you do not have to -
"That is enough!" Narcissa snapped, "say your goodbyes Atria."
Atria approached Andromeda with open arms which Andromeda took a hold of, "Andromeda," atria whispered. Andromeda heard the fear in her voice and felt her anger burn.
"Sweetheart-"
"It will be fine," Atria said cutting her off, taking a hold of the other women's hands and pushing something quickly inside, concealed from Narcissa's view.
And without another word, she went into the floo,
"Malfoy Manor," she said and then she was gone.
Narcissa turned to follow her but turned to add her eyes filled with vengeance, "And from now on stay away from my family." And then she too left.
Andromeda wiped her tears away before taking the piece of paper in her hand and unfolding it. Her feet sunk into the floor at the two words on the paper.
He knows