Fem Harry (Victoria) is James younger sister. No Voldemort AU. Tom Riddle is the Minister of Magic. Some characters are out off their canon timeline.
It was cold. Very cold. Bleak, dark and there was snow. Mountains of snow everywhere. Even in Wales, where the Potter family lived.
Victoria and her older brother of a year had - a few days ago - returned home for the Yule break from a long and exhausting semester. The younger Potter was only in her sixth year now but feeling as if 'twas her last because of all the work their teachers buried them under. They even had gotten a ridiculously large amount of homework - especially in DADA. Her worst subject. Worst not because she was untalented but because of the Professor hating her quite immensely. Whatever she did, he never gave her good marks and always criticised her wandwork. Even her friend Hermione Granger, the muggleborn - he hated muggleborn students with a passion - received higher marks then her. James tried to talk sense into him once but after that backfired, he and his circle of friends started pranking him mercilessly. Him. Antonin Dolohov. The handsome DADA Professor nearly every girl was crushing on. Even her to some degree. And to her personal embarrassments he knew about her crush because jealous Pansy Parkinson, whose family was quite close to Professor Dolohov and who had tried for years now to trap him into a betrothal agreement, caught on during fourth year and let him know in a - for her - very humiliating manner. 'Twas since then that he harassed her.
And this Yule - of all Yules - on Boxing Day, their parents agreed to go to the annual Yule ball at the Ministers manor in Somerset. 'Twas the first invitation they had accepted after isolating their family for so many years because they found - and still find - those parties too pretentious and artificial for their own tastes. Everyone only went there because they wanted to be seen. Or because they wanted to flaunt their money and connexions in everyone's face. They had only accepted because Minister Riddle had asked them personally. Nay, nagged them. And after many invitations to tea they agreed to come. And because of all the conversation they had with the Minister their parents suspected that he was interested in their daughter. In her. Whatever had she done to pique his interest? The minister was clearly a handsome man and a powerful, intelligent and charismatic warlock but there were many women vying for his attention and she had only met him a handful of times during the summer break where she nearly never talked to him at all. So what was he playing at. Why her?
And to make it even worse: Professor Dolohov would be there, too, and probably make the evening a complete disaster for her, embarrass her family on top of it while humiliating her in front of everyone. What a wonderful Yule break it would be. Maybe she would be lucky and catch a cold. Or break a leg. Or get the dragon pox.
With a heavy sigh Victoria resumed her walk through their large frozen and snow covered garden and decided on taking the path that would return her to their ancient family manor. Potter Manor. Or once called Peverell Manor after their ancestor Ignotus Peverell whose only granddaughter Iolanthe married Hardwin Potter in 1290 AD. It would not do for her to freeze to death. Her parents would be devastated. As would be James.
Upon her return her brother lectured her about being outside in the cold while only wearing a thin cloak. She stopped listening to him after five minutes and decided to retire to her room. After all tomorrow would be quite long and exhausting.
The next day dawned too early in her opinion and she found herself roused from sleep by her mother Dorea around 8 o'clock in the morning. It was the 26th of December. The dreadful day of the ball. Her mother told her to be down to break her fast in their family's solar with the rest of the family before the seamstress would come to make or - in her mum's case - adjust their dresses. Her mother had chosen to wear one of her grandmother's dresses - a very ageless, elegant one while Victoria - who had a growing spurt over the last few months - needed a new one. It would be a simple but elegant blue gown - matching her dark, wavy black hair and her grey eyes - a colour she had inherited from her mother. Contrary to her brother James, who had inherited his brown eyes from their father.
The day passed slowly - but still to quick in her opinion - with Victoria standing on a stool for too many hours while the seamstress ran around her with pins to pin all those fabrics and laces to her body before the dress could be sewn.
Around 5 o'clock pm Victoria was finally dressed and her mother had sat her down to do her hair and a light makeup. After that she was finally declared ready to leave. She was thus ushered into the fireplace with her brother and the both of them flooed over to the Minister's Manor - a very elegant and tastefully decorated house. Their parents followed quickly and together they entered the already crouded ballroom. Victoria tried to escape to some hidden corner upon her entry but James' hold on her arm tightened and she was led over to the Minister who turned around upon their approach. A charming smile on his face.
"Mrs. and Mr. Potter. James.", he said while taking their hand and kissing her mother's knuckles. "'Tis wonderful to meet you!" Then he turned to her and took her hand in both of his. "Victoria, you look radiant!" He squeezed her hand slightly. "I am so glad you came!" He looked at her but talked to their family. "Would you honour me with your hand for the first set?" He asked her then.
"I would be delighted!" She said politely while blushing slightly.
"Are you sure that you want to dance with her, Minister?" A too familiar voice asked mockingly. "Miss Potter is very clumsy. I would not want to,even if she was the only woman attending tonight." Victorias head snapped up and she gave her least favourite Professor a scorching glare.
"I am quite sure, Antonin." Tom Riddle smiled even more charmingly. "Count yourself lucky then that I plan to monopolise Miss Potter and fill her card solely with my name!" Victoria's brow rose slightly upon his comment but she was thankful for his defence of her. "Victoria I need to welcome everyone who has still to arrive but I will find you for our first dance!" She curtsied and left to find a secluded corner near a balcony from where she could watch everyone and make fun of their preening and bowing and pretending.
The Minister found her around 7:30 pm and offered her his arm to take.
"I am sorry that you had to wait so long."
"Don't worry, Minister. It is your party after all and everyone wants a piece of you!" He studied her for a moment.
"Call me Tom, please!" He raised his free hand and softly touched her cheek. "You - out of everyone - need not use formalities while talking to me." She leaned her head to the right and studied his face.
"Why me?" She asked bluntly.
"I like you. For many reasons and I would like to court you, Victoria."
"But I am sixteen and still in school."
"It doesn't matter to me. You are the only woman I can imagine myself married to. And I met many women during my time as Minister. I would like to get to know you more intimately and - considering your age - I will be willing to wait until you are ready. What are a few more years after all those years I have been waiting to find you?" She blushed slightly and let herself be led to the dance floor.
Later that evening Victoria was found by her nemesis Pansy Parkinson and her vile friends. The young - newly engaged - woman was just enjoying a cool drink and a quiet minute. Tom had followed his promise (threat) to fill her dance card solely with his name - the only exception were her brother and his best friend Sirius Black - and got the rumours started. But the trouble began as soon as Parkinson opened her mouth.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't lovesick Potter. How are you? I heard you are quite a clumsy dance partner."
"At least some seem to believe that." Victoria raised her brow and gave her nemesis an even, bored look.
"Quite miraculous then that the Minister has been dancing with you so often. Are you feeding him love potions to make him follow you around like a fool?"
"Why should I need love potions? I think I am intelligent enough to catch his attention. Unlike other women I sadly am acquainted with." Pansy scowled slightly. She opened her mouth again to say something nasty but was interrupted by Narcissa Black and her sister Bellatrix.
"Oh Tory, we just heard the most interesting news!" Bellatrix cried excitedly and hugged her favourite cousin with some force. "I congratulate you, of course. He is the most worthiest of man!" Narcissa joined her sister and placed her arms around both young women.
"Our family is so very proud of you for finding such an excellent husband on your own! He is everything a man of world ought to be. Handsome, magically and politically powerful and of a noble and ancient family with a mix of fresh blood to keep our families from inbreeding. I hope, that I will be as lucky as you one day!"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Pansy screeched. "Marriage? Whom will she marry? And when did that happen?"
"Oh Parkinson, the Minister asked for dearest Tory's hand and Uncle gave his consent!"
"The Minister, Marvolo Riddle, the Lord of House Slytherin, asked for your hand in marriage?"
"Why yes, he did!" Victoria said dryly.
"Why?"
"Well, what did he say. Ah, yes. Something like: You are the only woman I can imagine myself married to!" Victory looked across the room and caught his eyes. They sparkled with mirth. And his smirk let her know that he had heard them and approved of her choice of words.
Her cousins squealed in delight while Pansy gaped like a fish. But before she could enjoy her nemesis misery, someone had approached them from behind.
"I see that your next set is still free." Victoria turned around and found herself face to chest with Professor Dolohov.
"It seems so."
"It won't be much longer." He offered her his hand.
"Did you not complain about my clumsiness while dancing, Professor?"
"I did but now is your chance to prove myself wrong." And without another word he took her hand and led her onto the dancefloor. He artfully twirled her around as much as the music allowed him before he finally pulled her close against him.
"I hear that felicitations are in order."
"Thank you!" She tried to stay calm while blushing furiously upon the close contact.
"Why are you willing to wed him?"
"He is a respectable man."
"But you don't love him."
"I know. But there is a chance that I will, one day!"
"Is this what you have been reduced to? Accepting the first man that offered for you?"
"There would have been no one else, seeing that many respectable and single men do not even so much as look at me! Someone is keeping them away with false informations about my oh so stupid and untalented self."
"He is not worth your time!"
"He is, seeing that he was willing to spend his time with my disagreeable self." She glared at him. "And why does it concern you who I may or may not accept, Professor?"
"Because you were mine." He whispered into her ear. "No one was supposed to look at you except me. I had it all planned out…" A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. Victoria gasped and tried to back away.
"Quite possessive, are we not, Antonin?" Tom Riddle was suddenly behind her and placed his hands protectively on her arms. "If I were you, I would unhand Victoria instantly or you may find yourself unable to ever use your hands again." It was no threat. It was a promise. Professor Dolohov glanced at the Minister quite fearfully before removing his hands as fast as possible.
"You missed your chance, Antonin. So, never try to get close to Victoria ever again. And if you do…" He did not need to finish for Dolohov to understand.
"Yes, my Lord!" he said, bowed and vanished in the masses. Victoria leaned her head against his chest and exhaled.
"You would have killed him…?" He stayed silent. Both of them knew the answer.
"I am a dangerous man, Victoria. But you will never have need to fear me." He pulled her against his chest and buried his face in her soft but wild black hair. "How can you ever learn to love me?" She closed her eyes and allowed herself a soft smile.