CHAPTER ONE: The Waves of Revolt

     The first night Tanith is home for the summer is dismal.

     Reason number one being that Cedric Diggory was murdered less than a week ago, courtesy of Voldemort and her parents. They're bloody proud of it, too. They won't stop going on about how their cause has been once again enacted.

She pities her brother— Jude— who sits beside her, and came all the way in from London so she wouldn't have to put up with their parents on her own. He's currently dating Cedric's older brother— Benjamin— and had mentored Cedric in Quidditch when they were in school together. The loss has hit him hard, and it's no easy feat to conceal that.

Reason number two being that her parents won't shut up about her "poor behavior" during the school year. According to their sources (most likely Snape, but possibly Malfoy's parents), she attended the Yule Ball with none other than Dean Thomas. Merlin, she's brought shame upon them by attending the ball with a muggleborn!

     And reason three? Reason three happens when she's picking at her trifle with her fork, staring down at the plate as if it's the only thing in the world.

     "... so, after all that, we've chosen Grant Yaxley! Isn't that lovely, Tanith?"

     She looks up at her mother, and frowns. "What, mother?"

     "You'll be marrying Grant Yaxley, darling. Your father and his signed the contract three weeks ago," Dymphna beams.

"What are you talking about?" Tanith's voice has gone hoarse. Her fingers dig into the cushion of her chair, and her cheeks hollow in on themselves.

"After you leave Hogwarts, you and Grant will be married, and you'll stay on the Yaxley Estate," her father, Sebastian, snaps.

"I don't want that!" She argues. "That's not fair! I didn't-"

With a simple wave of his hand, her lips are clasped together, and she can't speak. Wandless magic can be a cunt.

     She sits there in silence, staring at her father with narrowed eyes as he eats his dessert. They remain like that until he sets his fork down beside his plate, and stands up. "Keep your mouth shut, Tanith," he begins, straightening his jacket, "it suits you."

     As he leaves the room, he waves his hand again, and the silence is lifted.

     Once she's released, Jude stands up and kneels next to her chair, taking her hands in his. "You're alright," he whispers. "Yeah? It's not as bad as he makes it seem."

     "When are you leaving?" She murmurs.

     "An hour, probably," he shrugs. "Benjamin and his parents are expecting me at some point, but that's all."

"Okay," she nods. "I can come and visit this summer?"

     "I'll owl you my match schedule," he grins. "Come to any of them that you'd wish."

     "I'll try and fit something into my schedule," she winks.

     He glances up, and watches as their mother silently leaves the table. Once she's gone from the room, he squeezes Tanith's hands in his own. "You don't have to marry him, you know."

     "I do-"

"I got out of my arranged marriage alright," he smiles, "you can do the same."

     "They put you in one?" She murmurs.

     "You wouldn't remember," he shrugs. "It was my fifth year. They arranged it with one of the Parkinson girls."

"... And how did you get out of it?" She asks coyly.

"I just... stopped talking to them. Didn't send them any owls, didn't go home on holiday at all, and when mum lost the baby that year and realized how badly she needed a son and heir, she and dad agreed to stop the marriage as long as I agreed to take over the coveted Vanity Estate," he shrugs. "Now, I'm not... telling you to ignore them, persay... but..."

"But, it wouldn't hurt?" She hums.

"It wouldn't hurt," he nods.

-

Tanith uses that tactic for all of one week.

But as soon as her parents catch on, it's game over. They invite Grant and his father over for dinner, and as soon as Grant offers her a sickly grin, she knows she can't stop her parents from allowing this to happen.

     He gives her a bouquet of poppies, the flowers that are engrained on her house crest. Her parents watch her intently, so she can't turn him away. Instead she thanks him, and offers a kind smile.

After the families eat dinner, Grant and Tanith make their way into the gardens, where his kind and calm demeanor finally falls apart.

"What are your aspirations, for when you leave Hogwarts?" He asks.

"I'd like to go into alchem-"

"Oh, wait," he hums, "I've just realized that I don't care."

She has to resist the urge to pull out her wand and send a Cruciatus Curse his way. Instead, she clenches her fist, and stares down at the path in front of her.

     They remain that way for what seems like hours. He talks about his plans for life after Hogwarts, and what that means for her.

     He'll of course take over the Yaxley Estate, and likely go into a job at the Ministry, presumably under his father or Lucius Malfoy. For her, that means a life of birthing proper heirs, attending events hosted by Pureblood society, and being a good and proper wife.

Unfortunately for him, Tanith doesn't plan on living that life.

     Like her older brother, she's rather gifted in Quidditch. She made Chaser her second year, and likely would have brought Slytherin several House Cups if it hasn't been for Harry Potter (of course, she bears him no will. He's an excellent Seeker. The only reason they've lost the cup so many times is thanks to Malfoy, who is quite awful at Quidditch).

      Another talent that she harbors is that of alchemy. She can't start the class until next year, however, she's taken private classes with Snape since her third year, when he realized she was quite gifted at the subject.

      Had she not been put into her current predicament, she likely would have gone into either of those fields, and been greatly successful in them, too.

That's what she hates the most about this entire situation. She could have been so ridiculously successful on her-

Oh, fuck that!

All she has to do is hang on for the summer until her parents see her off to Hogwarts. She doesn't have to write them any owls, nor does she have to go home for the winter holiday.

And if things become so awful that she has to make a cry for help, that's exactly what she'll do. She's sure that Dumbledore will offer her help if it comes down to it. He may not care for the Slytherin students, but surely he wouldn't deny a child refuge, right?

     Not only that, but she has friends who can easily help her if need be. Dean Thomas, for instance. They've been close since they first arrived at Hogwarts, and she's well aware that he would happily take her in for her safety.

     It's not that she doesn't trust her Slytherin friends— Pansy, Blaise, Daphne, Astoria, and Theodore— however, their families are closely knitted with her own. If she were to seek refuge in any of their homes, her own family would find out within hours, and the whole act would fall.

She spends most of her summer like that. She spends time with Grant (none of which is enjoyable), and plans ways of escaping House Vanity. On occasion her parents allow her to go to her brother's Quidditch matches and make visits to Diagon Alley to purchase her supplies for the upcoming school year.

Then there's the issue of the alarming amount of owls she's received from her friends. Pansy and Blaise in particular won't stop writing. She doesn't blame them for being concerned about the fact that one of their best friends hasn't spoken to them all summer, but she can't risk one of her letters being intercepted.

     Yes, she could lie about the state of her well-being, but she's never been a liar. Cunning, yes, but not a liar. She will wait until she sees them again in September, and then she can reveal her master plan regarding her escape.

She can feel something building up inside of her everytime she sees Grant. Everytime she's reminded of what her future may have in store for her, anger bubbles up in her chest. Neither her family nor the Yaxley's understand that everytime they arrange a meeting, they inch further towards the demise of both houses.

     The summer of 1995 sparks something inside of Tanith Vanity: the waves of revolt.

notes—
my name is tanith vanity and life is a fucking nightmareeeee

decided that seven is theonith's song try and tell me otherwise

made a very bad graphic of what i think the vanity house crest would look like

anyways. hope you've all enjoyed