Annie's heart thumped wildly in her chest as she sprinted through the gardens. Under her slippers, the grass crunched in the cold. She was thankful for her many dance lessons or she would definitely have tripped over all of the vines. And she was infinitely more thankful that her mother didn't get her a large ballgown for the evening, instead opting for the straight, flowing white dress.
A panicked voice sounded from behind her. The mystery boy sounded desperate when he spoke, crying out, "No, no, no. Mia topolina, no. Don't leave. I'm sorry for kissing you; I won't do it again. Just don't go. Please."
And that was the thing: Annie wasn't sorry for the kiss. The kiss was incredible, numbing her mind until all she could think about was him. His hands on her waist, his woodsy scent, his carefree smile. She couldn't imagine a better first kiss.
But it was so clear to her at that moment how natural it all seemed to him, like wooing a girl into kissing him was utterly effortless for him. James told her not to trust any guy. He said that they were liars and that they only wanted one thing. How was she supposed to trust that this boy was any different? She could trust her brother far more than some man she just met.
Fear. That was all that Annie felt. Fear that he would be just like the people her family warned her about, that he would charm her and take her. She was the daughter of the Dark Lord, the one skilled at many things except protecting herself. Her father never brought her along to meetings, her mother insisted on keeping her inside and away from harm, and her brother was essentially her personal bodyguard. "There are many people who would love to find my weakness. They got to your mother once. They aren't getting to you," her father once told her. She had been sheltered for almost twenty-one years because of people wanting to hurt Tom. What if this boy was one of them, using his charm and cunning to get alone? A kiss could have turned into far worse.
So Annie ran and ran, even after he called out to her. But when she turned back and saw the broken look on his face, something inside of her broke too. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
The last thing she heard before she appeared was, "NO!" But by then, she was already gone.
Annie gasped as she appeared in an empty hallway. "Annie?" Her brother's questioning voice asked. "Annie, are you alright?"
She struggled to catch her breath, clutching at her heart while almost falling to the ground. Her brother's strong hands caught her instantly. "Annie, what's wrong?" He asked frantically but it sounded so far away. All she could think about was deep blue eyes and a soft voice calling her mia topolina over and over into her ear.
"Lottie, I'm sorry. I don't think she's feeling well. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Of course, James. Feel better, Annalise," Charlotte's calm voice said. Annie felt herself mutter a thank you while she continued to clutch to James. He's here. You're okay. You're with James. No one is going to take you. But all she could think about was that boy.
"Hey, princess," James said, using that soft voice of his that made her feel like a wounded animal. He gently stroked her hair, pulling it out of of the updo until the now-loose curls flowed down her back. "You're safe. Nothing is going to happen to you. I'm here."
Like always, her brother seemed to know exactly what she needed. "I'm safe. I'm safe," she mumbled repeatedly.
"That's right, sweet girl. Let's get you to bed, yeah?"
"Yeah."
He wrapped his arm around her and led her over to the ladies' wing where she would be staying. "Do you want to go home? I don't think Mum and Dad would mind. Actually, Dad would probably be overjoyed."
She cracked a smile but she didn't feel it inside. "No. I want to stay. I just am not feeling well tonight."
James arched an eyebrow. "Annie, are you sure? This is the most you've gotten out since Hogwarts. No one would blame you if you wanted to go. You can play your piano and pet Perkins and Mum can fuss over you. Maybe Dad can get you some brownies from that bakery in London. I'm sure he would if you just did your little puppy dog eyes. Those always seem to work."
When Annie smiled this time, it felt more real. "Thanks, James. But I really think I just need some rest. You can go back to Charlotte if you'll just walk me back first."
He kissed the side of her head gently. "Lottie can wait. You're my biggest priority. Always."
She smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you."
"Anytime. Plus," he grinned, "I can just see her tomorrow."
"Well give her my apologies for stealing you away."
"Will do. But she knows you come first." Yes because if something happened to her, the whole family would be at risk. This wasn't just about brotherly protectiveness—though that was definitely part of it considering James had always been a constant shadow watching over her, first when they were toddlers, then at Hogwarts, still electing to live at the family home just so he could be with her. While she and her brother had always been extremely close, this was also about protecting the family. If she were hurt or taken, they would do anything to get her back, even sacrificing their money and power. Since Annie had always been small and fragile, they did what they could to keep her safe, even if it meant keeping her away. Normally, she didn't mind it. But tonight, Annie didn't want to be hidden away. She was scared of the mystery boy but for some reason, the idea of not seeing him again terrified her even more.
You need sleep. Desperately, she told herself, dismissing James as soon as they reached her room. Her brother would spend all night at her bedside with no qualms but he deserved a night with Charlotte, even if he said he was okay without her. He deserved to find his own love and Annie didn't want to hold him back. A selfish part of her always wanted her big brother with her but a growing part wanted to find something like that of her own. A sense of security, independence, and maybe even love. Like you can find that. You can't even speak to a boy without running away.
She quickly took out the dress and accessories, eagerly getting into her nightgown and into the soft bed. But when Annie tried to fall asleep, she found that her mind was buzzing far too much for her to even attempt to drift off. She tried to tell herself that it was just the adrenaline from her run, the lingering fear quickening her heart rate. But that would have been a lie. She knew that it was something else. Something... deeper.
An ocean of blue appeared in her mind. Mia topolina... Little Mouse... My love... Cara mia... The words flashed rapidly through her thoughts, the boy's voice seeming to linger inside of her head. She tossed and turned but as the moon rose higher in the sky, nothing seemed to work. He was utterly stuck in her mind, his bright smile and deep voice calling to some part deep inside of her.
By the time it was morning, Annie looked awful. There were deep purple bags under her bloodshot eyes. Her body felt weak and tired and her mind was even worse. When James walked into the room, he gasped. "Annie, what the hell? Did you even sleep at all?"
She shook her head. "I couldn't. Do you think it'd be alright if I skipped tonight?"
"Of course!" James exclaimed quickly, already beginning to fuss over her. "Oh, Ann, you are going to kill me." He patted the blankets in his attempt to tuck her in before feeling her forehead, smoothing the hair behind her head to do so.
"You're an awful nurse," she giggled. Watching James be a caretaker was more comical than anything. "I just need to sleep some more. Go do something useful."
James scowled. "Just because you're sick doesn't mean you get to boss me around." He took a step back before furrowing his brows. "Alright. I'll go tell our cousins you are bedbound for the day so they can send your food up. And I'll go home and have Dad prepare a sleeping draught."
"James?" She pouted while looking up at him.
He groaned. "Don't give me the sad eyes, Annie." She jutted out her bottom lip even more before he sighed and raised his hands. "Fine. I'll have Dad get you the brownies too."
She smiled gratefully and bid him goodbye before crawling under the covers and attempting once more to rest. Only this time, Annie let the waves of blue soothe her to sleep. And, to her surprise, they did.
⋆ ⭒ ˚ . ⋆ ⭒ ˚ . ⋆
The rest of Annie's day was spent drifting in and out of consciousness, waking up every time someone walked into her room. First, it was James returning with a plate of brownies and a message that their parents would drop by with the sleeping draught later. "Mum said to rest as much as you can and that you would like this book," he said, his lips curled upward in disgust as he took in the romance book. Annie and her mom always loved reading them, trading back and forth whenever they found a new one. "And Dad says don't talk to any boys you don't want dead and for 'his little princess' to enjoy the brownies."
She smiled and grabbed one of the gooey chocolate squares. Merlin, they were still warm. It was like heaven in her mouth. "Thanks, Jamesy. Have fun with Lottie."
He kissed her cheek before sneaking one of the sweets off of the plate. "I will. Love you, sweet girl."
Then, it was cousin Astoria, bringing her lunch, apologizing for her not feeling well, and reassuring her that there was absolutely nothing to feel badly about for missing that night's festivities.
"You can have plenty of fun tomorrow, dear," she said, grabbing Annie's hand and squeezing it tightly. Annie had met Astoria a handful of times but the woman had never looked at her like she was now, studying her with a mixture of wonder and joy. Almost like she had never quite seen the girl until now. "I do hope you enjoyed your night last night, though."
And for some reason, Annie got the feeling that her cousin wasn't just talking about the ball but something deeper instead. Does she know? No, she can't. "I did," Annie whispered, deciding that saying a toned-down version of the truth was probably safest whether Astoria knew that she danced with someone or not. "I truly did."
That seemed to brighten Astoria's expression. "I'm so glad to hear that!" She stood quickly. "Now, you rest up and get ready for tomorrow!" Then, she left and Annie drifted off again, waking again when Draco and Scorpius dropped by to bring her dinner and wish her well.
"I would stay with you and keep you company," Scorpius said once his dad ducked out of the room, "but I have a friend who is wearing a hole in my bedroom floor."
He gave her a small smile that she returned. "Sounds stressful."
Scorpius snorted. "It is. But he's a man in love so what can you do? I can come back in the morning."
"That'd be nice. Thanks, Scorpius," she said honestly. While she didn't know her cousin well, he had always been nice to her. He gave her one last apologetic grin before leaving once again.
It wasn't long after their conversation when Annie was woken up by a soft hand on her shoulder. "Sweetheart... it's Mummy..."
Annie's eyes shot open just as a grin came to her face. Her mother was standing in front of her with the same kind, grey eyes that she adored. "Mum!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing tightly. Her mother laughed as Annie said, "I missed you."
"I missed you too, baby girl. But, to be honest, there's someone else who probably missed you more." Her mother stepped back to reveal her father standing behind them with the closest thing to a smile her dad could have.
"Daddy!" And then her arms were around him too.
Her father kissed her head lightly. "Hi, princess." He leaned back to check her before returning to the embrace. "Did James bring you the brownies? Are you feeling better?"
She sighed happily into his hug. She truly did love her family, even if they did isolate her from the world a little. But how could she be mad at that when she absolutely adored her life with them? "I'm better. I just needed today to rest."
"Of course you did. That ball was far too stressful for you. I knew you shouldn't have gone."
"Tom," her mother chided. "Astoria said that Annalise had a good time. Perhaps you have been stressing her out too much, making her lose sleep."
Her father grumbled under his breath. "It's these damn boys. There are far too many here for my liking and they are all terrible." He looked down at her with a smile in his eyes. While most of Annie's looks came from her mother, her father and she had always had similar expressions. They never wore their hearts on their sleeves, rarely smiled, rarely let any emotions slip. But in their eyes, there was a well of feeling. In their eyes, you could see their souls. "I trust that you haven't talked to any of them, my little rose?"
Annie shifted on her feet and stepped back from his embrace. Her father could sense lies and while that normally didn't matter, suddenly it did now. How could she tell him about the mystery boy? What if she was wrong, what if he was truly just a smitten boy? How could she tell her father and risk his life over her fear? So Annie just breathed before saying, "I was with James, Daddy."
Because that was the only thing she could say that wasn't a lie.
Her father smiled slightly. "Good. You know you can't trust them. No one will ever appreciate you for who you are, not like your family does. Boys... well, boys don't know how to look at a rose. They only know how to cut it down."
My little rose. It was what her parents called her, probably because she spent much of her time in the rose gardens at home and because her mother always insisted that Annie was a hidden bud, a beautiful bloom waiting to unfurl. But for some reason, Annie didn't think that this mystery boy would cut her down. For some reason, she wondered if he would water her, nurture her, and wait for her to bloom. Mia topolina. His Little Mouse.
Would someone wanting to cut her down call her that? Dance with her under the stars? Kiss her?
There was some logical part of Annie that knew he wasn't one of her father's enemies. If he was, he would have known her name. He would have known where to find her, would have known more about her. But there was also an illogical part of her that was afraid to see him again, afraid of what her heart would do if those blue eyes looked at her any longer.
This is for the best, Annie reminded herself as her mother stroked her hair and her father explained the sleeping draught he made. This is who you belong with. Not him. You don't need to see him again. You'd just be setting yourself up for heartbreak.
So when Annie took the potion that night after her parents had left, she didn't allow herself to think of blue. She thought of black. The black of her father's eyes, of the duvet on her blanket, of the cat her mother had rescued. The black of the Riddle family. The black she belonged to.
Goodbye, she whispered to the mystery boy mentally. And finally, Annie fell asleep.
The next chapter is so short so it's already up! Hope you're enjoying my lovely readers xx