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Before Scorpius had properly prepared, the wonderful evening he would share with Mae arrived.
The hour before the scheduled arrival of the Riddles, he nervously recombed his pale blonde hair for the hundredth time while he frowned as he stood facing the mirror in his generous bedroom, dressed sharply in his finest black suit.
Downstairs, he could hear his parents and grandparents chatting with each other.
For some reason, the muffled sounds of their voices increased his anxiety.
The idea of meeting Mae's family terrified him.
What if her mother disapproved of him?
And the Minister…..Scorpius had heard tale after tale about Minister Riddle.
He couldn't help but worry about Tom grinding him to dust should he do the slightest thing to cause any offense.
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"Mum, are you sure it's supposed to be like this?" Mark whispered to Harriet as the Riddles approached Malfoy Manor.
"It's fine, sweetheart." She reassured her youngest son as she turned around and nodded while he straightened his tie, "You look very nice…..You all do." Harriet declared as she glanced at each of her children.
James and Mark wore dark suits, similar to their father.
Harriet's flowing robes did a beautiful job of complimenting her temporary, fuller shape, which Tom had already been quick to notice.
Mae had dressed herself in long, sweeping panels of embroidered, black silk.
Tom held Harriet's hand as he reached out and used the heavy knocker on the door.
It swung open too quickly.
"Minister Riddle!" Lucius greeted Tom with a smile before his gray eyes fell on Harriet, "And Mrs. Riddle…..Children," He nodded at Mae and the boys, "Welcome to Malfoy Manor. Won't you all please come in?"
As Lucius stepped aside to allow his guests' entry, Tom chuckled and patted his shoulder as he stepped into the house, "Oh, Lucius, you know well enough you can call me 'Tom'."
Once the Riddles had all entered, a triumphant grin of self-satisfaction danced on Lucius's lips while he closed the large door.
Few people had the privilege of being on a first-name basis with the Minister of Magic.
Lucius knew he had been right to foster the budding romance between his grandson and the Minister's only daughter.
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Lucius, Narcissa, Astoria, Draco, and Scorpius.
Tom, Harriet, Mae, James, Mark.
Introductions were made, familiar nods were exchanged, and after several moments of grating small talk, the Malfoys led the Riddles into the elegant dining room.
James and Mark whispered to themselves while the adults took their seats at the table.
To Mae's great irritation, Scorpius sat beside her, with a soft smile of repressed ecstacy on his handsome face, elated to merely be near her again.
"I hope you enjoy the meal." He said quietly as his grandfather laughed at one of Tom's many quips.
Mae barely gave him a terse nod in response.
While everyone else preoccupied themselves, her thoughts remained focused on how best she may complete her goal.
As she sat there, trapped, she began to grow irritated with her staggering lack of resources.
The conversations at the table droned on.
Mae gnashed her teeth as the vial in her pocket screamed out, demanding to be used.
Eventually, she could no longer stand it, being uselessly idle.
Scorpius's eyes widened as she stood to her feet without warning and asked him, "Sorry, where's the lavatory?"
"Oh……it's just down the hall." He nodded as he raised a hand and pointed past the dining room door, "Turn left and then right again."
"Thanks." Mae nodded quickly before she hurried out of the room.
Harriet and Tom noticed she passed by the table before they turned to look at Scorpius.
"Um………She'll be back." He smiled.
Relaxed that everything remained in order, Tom and Harriet resumed their discussion with Draco and Astoria.
Out in the hallway, Mae marched past the bathroom and headed straight towards the distant noise of clanging pans and chattering house elves.
Forcibly enduring an awful family dinner would be in itself a great punishment, she vowed not to leave that damask mansion without a reward for her suffering.
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As Mae swung open the kitchen door, the Malfoys' many house elves screeched in surprise as they looked up and found a strange witch standing amongst them.
"I am a guest of the Malfoy family." Mae announced as she glanced around, "Sorry, I……I take a bit of my medicine in my food…..I was wondering if I could see the bread that's to be served? So that I may add it?"
"Begging your pardon, my lady," A small elf close to her feet dared to speak as he cowered with his hands clasped, "But the bread plate is heaping as usual…….Would it not be easier for my lady to add her medicine at the table?"
"I'm afraid it can't be done in front of others." Mae growled warningly.
Her green eyes narrowed to threatening slits while her fair face twisted in malicious irritation.
Knowing house elves were fearful creatures at the best of times, it delighted her to watch them whimper and cower at her response.
"Is that it?" Mae asked as she gestured towards a large platter, piled halfway to the ceiling with rolls of soft, warm bread.
"Y-Yes, my lady." The same house elf croaked.
Mae smirked as she glided past him, her black robes sweeping across the floor like gossamer silk.
"Lovely." She smiled, "I'll just add my medicine and go on my way, then."
As she walked over to the bread and withdrew the vial of sinister liquid from her pocket, a whistle on a large oven at the front of the kitchen blew.
One unfortunate elf adhered so closely to his duties that as he crept across the room to remove the meat from the oven, he didn't realize he had stepped directly into Mae's path.
The elf scurried right in front of her legs, causing both their eyes to widen as Mae tripped over the magical creature.
The vial flew from her hand.
As she and the elf rolled into a ball of tangled accident, the noise of shattering glass rang out in the room.
The other elves gasped.
That bright, deadly liquid splattered against the table, lapping over the bread.
As Mae clambered off the elf who had caused her impromptu fall, her eyes widened at the wasted potion.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" She roared at the elf.
The elf's heart pounded as the angry witch bore down upon him.
"YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!" She screamed.
"...Mae?" A voice suddenly asked.
Her emerald eyes widened as she turned and found Scorpius standing in the kitchen doorway.
"What's going on?" He asked as he frowned in confusion.
"Oh, Scorpius….." Mae giggled as she slapped a happy smile on her lips, "Sorry, I…..I just wanted to add my medicine to my food. Please don't tell my parents, I……They don't know I'm taking it…and I'd prefer they didn't."
"Is it……a heat suppressant?" Scorpius asked, his voice as soft as the look in his gray eyes.
Mae willed her blood to rush to her cheeks, in hopes of achieving a convincing blush.
"Oh……Well, of course I won't tell them that, then." Scorpius laughed as his own face flushed with embarrassment, "Come back to the table?"
He reached out as he asked her.
Mae held her tongue as she walked over and took his hand.
"Don't worry." Scorpius smiled, "I wouldn't dare give away a secret like that."
"Oh, Scorpius!" Mae exclaimed with a smile of insidious happiness, "Thank you so much!"