"Why do you care?" Tom felt the cold bite through his skin but he ignored it by focusing on the fact that Delilah must be freezing. If he just focused on her fear and her pain, he could ignore his.

  "I never said I cared, I'm just curious. You're the way you are... so what happened to you?" Delilah tried to move away, but his arms wouldn't budge from the railing.

  "Don't deflect." He bit venomously. That dangerous energy cracked around him again, even more powerful than the time in that abandoned classroom. Delilah shook her head quickly, "I'm not deflecting. I'm serious. What the hell happened to you? You act the way you do for a reason. And I want to know why."

  She froze as his hand lifted. He was about to hit her, she was sure of it. Delilah closed her eyes, bracing for the impact, but a hit never came. No, what came next was much worse.

  His fingers danced lightly over her neck, dragging upwards. They felt too hot against her cold, wind bitten skin. Tom traced the line of her jaw softly before his grip tightened, it wasn't painful, but he wasn't letting go anytime soon. "Look at me." He ordered.

  Tom watched as her eyes hesitantly fluttered open, snowflakes were dusting her lashes and her eyes seemed to be glazed over. "What makes you think you have any right to ask such a question?" His deep voice cut through the wind, his hand still gripped her jaw and Delilah was sure he could feel her rapid pulse. "Pontmercy you need to get rid of whatever fanciful hope you have deeply embedded into your system, because it's never going to happen. You can't look at the first person you see who doesn't adhere to your moral code and want to dissect and fix them."

  "I'm not trying to fix you, I just want to know-" She began quickly but Tom cut her off by pushing her head back with his hand still holding her jaw firmly. Her upper body leaned dangerously over the edge of the railing, her soaked socks losing their grip on the ice.

  "Want to know what? Why you think I lack empathy? What, you think I must have an attachment issue or something else of the sort? Sociopathic tendencies? Antisocial? Or maybe you think it had something to do with my childhood? Poor Tom Riddle must have suffered through something tragic. Perhaps he was abused? Maybe you'll come up with some other sad excuse for my behavior." His tone was cold and her heart sank, a beat of silence passed before she worked up the courage to speak. "Were you?" She said slowly and he pushed her a bit further and her stomach gave a lurch at the drop below her.

  "For Merlin's sake, Pontmercy. That's not the bloody point. We're not friends, not even remotely."

  "I know that."

  "Then why do you keep trying!" He shouted and Delilah flinched. She'd never actually heard him raise his voice before.

  "Constantly you ramble nonsense about my character, about why I do things, what motivates me. You think you know me so well. But you haven't the faintest clue. Do you even realize how insufferable you are? And how disgustingly desperate it all seems? You won't even admit to yourself you find me attractive. That's the reason why you can't stay away from me. And it's not from your feigned curiosity about my 'troubled' psyche."

  Delilah felt pure anger, the death drop below her wasn't even a concern at the moment. "No, you're the one who doesn't have the faintest clue." She jabbed him in the chest with her hand, he didn't budge. "Yes it's true, you're attractive. I feel like that's a pretty obvious fact to the whole fucking world. Get over yourself! Merlin, you are the most narcissistic and conceited person, it physically makes me want to gouge my own eyes out. But you're wrong."

  Tom raised a brow, fully willing to push just a little further and watch in satisfaction as she plummeted to her death.

  "I am curious about you. Are you really that oblivious? You're an interesting person, a cunt, but interesting. You see the world in such a twisted way I can't wrap my head around. There has to be circumstances of your past to contribute to who you are now. And Tom, I don't pity you. I won't feel sorry for you. I never will. You don't deserve my attention, but you have it anyway. You've become so accustomed to disguising yourself, you can't even recognize who you really are. And that's no way to live. Who are you when no one is around? Do you even recognize yourself? You are pathetic but-" a scream cut off the rest of her sentence as he shoved her forward.

  Her toes fought desperately to grip onto the ice but it was a pointless attempt. For a split second she thought she was actually about to die, she was about to plummet nearly a hundred feet, have her skull shattered, her back in fragments, her blood soaking the snow.

  Her brother suddenly appeared in the forefront of her mind. Smiling like an idiot as the tried to ride a bike when he was ten and she was eight. When was the last time Delilah told him she loved him? She couldn't remember.

  All of her friends came next, all those she never got to say goodbye to. Even her new friends in this time period. Abraxas, Pyrrhus, Cain, Elio, Lolita, even Olive. And what about Dumbledore? Would he figure out what happened? Would he miss her? She was losing everything all over again.

  But two hands grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the edge just as quickly as the thoughts came. Her breathing was frantic and her mind was in shambles, the after effects of terror still in the works so she didn't register how she'd buried her face in Tom's chest, her nails digging into his back through his robes. "Why?" Her voice was muffled by his shirt.

  Tom was so stiff he nearly resembled a statue.

  Delilah was wrapped around him and he felt incredibly vulnerable and he detested it. But his arms stayed put at his sides, he could feel her shaking. She was also cold to the touch and for only a moment, Tom worried she'd fallen ill again. But it must've just been the air biting at her exposed skin.

  "This is simply who I am." His voice was so quiet, Delilah barely heard it over the wind. Tom felt Delilah shake her head and her grip grew tighter. Peppermint was invading his senses and an uneasiness washed over him. He needed her to stop touching him.

  "That's not an answer," she said quietly.

  He leaned away from her as much as he could, eventually prying her arms off, he could still feel where her nails dug into his back. His eyes wandered over the clouded night sky. The forbidden forest looked even more haunting with its trees hanging heavy with snow. "Yes it is. It's just not the one you wanted to hear."

  He should've let her fall.

  As everyone boarded the train the next morning, Delilah felt like she was a dead man walking. She only had about an hour of restless sleep before Olive had to force her to get up, and Lolita had to convince her to wear actual clothing instead of pajamas.

  They piled into a compartment, and before Delilah could lock the door, a girl with dark skin and curly black hair entered. "Hello!" She greeted in a heavy Irish accent, and held out a hand to Delilah, who shook it awkwardly.

  "Hi, do I know you?"

  The girl blushed and shook her head, taking a seat next to a confused and annoyed Olive. "Oh probably not, we only had a few classes together. I'm Aurora Fahey, seventh year Ravenclaw." She held out a hand to Olive, who simply stared at it before ignoring the poor girl.

  Aurora didn't seem offended, though. She sighed and offered her outstretched hand to Lolita, who thankfully shook it. "I'm attending the Yule Ball at Avery Manor as well, and just thought it'd be easiest to sit with you all instead of trying to find you when we get to Kings Cross."

  Delilah raised a brow at Lolita in question, but her friend only shrugged. "Who're you accompanying?" Olive asked, showing a bit more interest.

  Her and Pyrrhus decided to go with each other, strictly as friends however. He said he'd throw himself off a tower before he ever kissed Olive willingly. That remark earned him a smack to the cheek.

  "Abraxas asked me." She beamed. Delilah's eyes widened and she fought down the grin threatening to spill over. So this was the girl Abraxas was gushing about when he dragged her up to the room of requirement. She eyed Aurora over, the girl was gorgeous.

  She was tall and had a figure Delilah would give anything for. Her hair was black and in tight ringlets, making her hair appear shorter than it probably was, her eyes were a warm brown with golden flecks, and her skin was a bronze that complimented her blue robes.

  Delilah felt a sense of forgotten longing as she looked at the Ravenclaw uniform. She should be wearing those same robes, but there she was, decked in emerald green.

  Stupid sorting hat.

  Then again, being in Slytherin wasn't nearly as bad as people might think. She remembered how Ron rambled incessantly about how everyone in the house of snakes was evil and couldn't be trusted. Even though he was eleven and had never actually met a Slytherin in person. And the first one he did meet was Draco, which admittedly wasn't the best of an example. Still, he shouldn't have held such a prejudice. Ron, Harry, as well as many others held an illogical hatred towards their rival house.

  Honestly, the amount of hate Delilah got for befriending Blaise was ridiculous. She didn't talk to Ron for nearly two weeks one time when he told her he thought she was being dumb for being friends with Blaise. He even said she was a traitor.

  "It's lovely to meet you." Delilah sat next to Lolita, who insisted on braiding her hair repeatedly because she was bored. "We also need to get our nails done," Olive chimed as she observed her already well manicured fingers. "Lita, did Cain hire a handmaiden for our Ball preparation?" She asked.

  Delilah furrowed her brows and turned her head towards Olive, only to have Lolita forcefully turn it back so she could continue styling it.

  "Why would we need a handmaiden? Can't we get ready ourselves?" To her surprise, Aurora laughed lightly. "Maybe for a school dance, but this is a proper Yule Ball, we need to look our best." Delilah frowned, this Ball was a much bigger event than she was expecting.

  "Who all is attending?" She asked. "Most of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, family friends, Ministry members, and other business men who seek to make deals. It's very political despite it being a traditional holiday event. Plus it's a popular time for proposals." All the girls blushed expect for Delilah, who simply raised a brow. But the girls didn't seem to notice.

  "Oh Merlin, I'm so nervous. Do you think I'm getting my hopes up?" Lolita asked, accidentally tugging on Delilah's hair a bit too harshly. "Cain would be a fool not to ask for your hand, besides, you two act as if you're betrothed already." Olive said casually and Delilah nearly choked. "Betrothed? You're already thinking about getting married?" Now it was the other girls' turn to look confused.

  "Of course, we're already a bit behind as is. It's typical to get married right after school. I wouldn't be surprised if Elio popped the question soon."

  Delilah's vision went black for a few seconds. She couldn't fathom getting married at such a young age. And to Elio? He would make a wonderful husband no doubt, but she wasn't right for him. "Unless, of course you're just dating for fun. Which is fine, but I'd let him know that before he gets the wrong impression." Aurora patted Delilah on the shoulder with a warm smile that was motherly.

  Elio was the last to make into the compartment, the rest of the boys were already seated and Tom sat poised near the window, a passive look in his eyes.

  "Finally, you look like hell." Cain said as he observed the chess table that sat between Abraxas and himself. "Late night?" Pyrrhus asked, a hint of a smirk on his lips. Elio didn't allow himself to blush as the memory of Tom interrupting his dance with Delilah entered his mind.

  When he met up with her this morning before they boarded the train, she looked exhausted. He worried Tom might've done something brash, but Delilah said nothing happened. Elio didn't trust Tom being alone with her, for fear he'd hurt her. He wouldn't put it past Tom to lose his temper and set the cruciatus curse on her, Merlin knows he's done it loads of times on the boys.

  Elio shook his head at the image of Delilah writhing on the floor in pain. No. He would never let that happen. Besides, Delilah had proved she could handle herself just fine. He had to trust her.

  "What are the rooming arrangements?" Tom said suddenly, effectively silencing the compartment.

  "We're all in the same hall, including the girls. But the top floor I've managed to sanction off for private use. Lestrange your room is next to mine on the left, Rosier yours is on my right which is at the very end of the hall. Malfoy yours is across from my room, Riddle yours is next to his. Then Pontmercy is across from Riddle's room, then next to her is Hornby, Fahey, and Lita." Cain shifted under his friends' gaze. They didn't look too content with his arrangement. "What?"

  "Why not just put our dates in the same room?" Abraxas asked slightly annoyed. "Because my parents would have a fit on etiquette, you can sneak your girl into your room at night as you wish, but for appearance sake I had to separate everyone." Cain would've gladly put Lolita in his room, and he will, but his parents didn't need to know that.

  Tom inwardly sighed at the notion Delilah would be right across the hall from him. It was no matter however, he would most likely spend his time on the top floor.

  But Cain was right about appearances, he'd have to spend some time with rest of the boys or else he might appear 'rude' to the other guests. And such an impression wouldn't do good for why he was even attending this ridiculous event in the first place. He was there to make connections, and hopefully find a job that would benefit him with the right people. And there was no better place to form this plan than at a party with drunk aristocrats.

  His dark eyes trailed over to Elio, who seemed to be silently fuming. There was no doubt Elio didn't agree with Delilah being so close to Tom's room, and so far away from his own. It was childish to bask in the hatred Elio held towards him, but he couldn't help it.

  He stood up and the boys fell back into silence. "Where are you off to?" Abraxas asked and Tom looked back at the platinum blond as if he was an incompetent child. "Head Boy duties. Feel free to flounce off towards your lovers, I won't be back until the end of the ride." With that he left out the door.

  "I really don't like him sometimes." Cain muttered as he stood up, attempting to fix his hair in the dull reflection of the window.

  "I really don't like him all the time." Pyrrhus chuckled and shoved his friend out the door. "I wouldn't bother trying to tame your hair, we both know 'Lita has a hair pulling fetish."

  Cain whirled around, his cheeks red. "And how would you know that?" Their rambling continued as they made their way down the train.

  "And you hate him." Abraxas said as he waved his wand, clearing the chess board. "That obvious?" Elio mused as he shrugged off his school robes and threw on a blazer with his family crest on it. "Please, you look like you want to kill him every time you're in the same room. I'm surprised he hasn't hexed you yet for it." Despite himself, Elio shivered. Why hadn't Tom done that yet? Usually, if someone even gave him the slightest bit of cheek, they'd be limping for a week.

  The boys left their compartment and started down the train. "So, how's you and Aurora going? Well, I'm assuming?" Abraxas seemed to lighten at the mention of her name. "Well enough, we haven't exactly made anything official."

  "Do your parents know?" He asked and Abraxas shook his head. "No, not yet. They will soon enough considering they'll be at the Ball. I don't think they'll mind too much." Elio nodded and paled a little. Right, he kept trying to forget his parents would be attending as well. He hasn't told them about Delilah. They'd love her no doubt, she was a likable girl, but she wasn't a pureblood. He didn't even want to imagine their faces if they found out. They'd make him stop seeing her, but how they would try to do that, he had no clue.

  There was no shortage of cruelty in his family, so he wouldn't put anything past them. His own aunt is Grindelwald's second in command. A fact he would never allow anyone to know. Especially Tom.

  They reached the girls' compartment far quicker than Elio thought and he was suddenly nervous as Abraxas knocked. The door slid open and Lolita was already gone, alone with Cain in some sanctioned off part of the train probably. Abraxas' eyes immediately landed on Aurora and his face stretched in a boyishly charming smile, one Elio didn't even know he was capable of.

  "Ah, the beaus have arrived." Olive said dryly, her feet were resting in Pyrrhus' lap, who in turn was reading the Daily Prophet, ignoring the world around him. Olive and Pyrrhus were surprisingly good friends, despite how much they said they hated each other.

  "C'mon," Delilah smiled at Elio and looped her arm with his. "Where to?" His chest felt lighter at the contact, he always felt better when he was near her.

  "Our own compartment, before you and Abraxas showed up, Olive and Pyrrhus wouldn't stop bickering. It was driving me up the wall." There were no empty compartments, but they managed to find one with a group of three first years. Delilah felt a tinge of guilt as Elio told them to leave, but he gave them each a galleon, which they seemed content with.

  The door barely shut behind them before Delilah felt herself being pushed into the wall. Lips were on hers and her mind went fuzzy for a few moments.

  Elio pulled back, his cheeks a rosy pink and he smiled down at her. "I've been wanting to do that for ages." He leaned his forehead against hers and Delilah's chest tugged uncomfortably. He was such a sweetheart, and she'd never met someone who was genuinely interested in her. An idea popped into her head, she hated it, but she couldn't help but think, just maybe.

  Delilah smiled warmly and pressed up on her toes to kiss him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  Just maybe, if she fully let herself fall into this relationship, she could feel the same way back.

  She tugged on his hair and a barely audible groan sounded from his throat. She felt his hands wrap under her thighs as he lifted her, pressing her harder into the wall and closer to himself so she wouldn't fall.

  Just maybe, if she kissed him everything would be alright. She wouldn't feel guilty.

  She was vividly aware of how her skirt was hiked up, a stronger part of her didn't mind. He pulled her away from the wall, their heavy breaths passing between two lungs.

  Elio sat down on one of the plush seats, and arm wrapped around Delilah's midsection while the other was buried in her hair. She was straddling his lap and if she kept moving Elio wasn't sure if he could stop himself. He had just started to kiss her neck when the sound of the door opening met their ears, followed by a whistle.

  The couple jerked their faces apart and found Abraxas trying not to laugh, Pyrrhus was silently doubled over, Olive was smirking, Aurora covering her own smile, and Lolita looked strangely proud.

  "We aren't interrupting, are we?" Abraxas mused at the flushed appearance of them both. He felt bad for barging in, he knew they rarely got any time together.

  Elio ran a hand through his hair, trying his absolute hardest to ignore how Delilah was still straddling him. "Oh no, it's not like we were in the middle of anything." She tsk-d.

  People were fond of interrupting her and Elio apparently.

  Footsteps approached and Delilah felt her blush deepen further and a dark pair of curls peered around the door. She felt Elio's grip tighten on her waist as dark eyes passed over and analyzed the pose they were in.

  "Dear me, two students caught in a compromising position? It'd be a shame if I had to write you two up yet again." Tom said passively, savoring the detestment in both their eyes. "We-" Delilah began but Tom turned his back to address the rest of the group.

  "We'll be arriving in London in an hour, make sure all your possessions are ready. Avery, we'll be flooing from the Leaky Cauldron, correct?" He asked, Tom could practically feel Delilah's gaze burning into the back of his skull. Cain nodded, his eyes shifting over to Delilah as she got off Elio, both muttering swears under their breaths.

  They spent the last hour on the train playing chess, snacking on some treats from the trolly, and just rambling other nonsense to pass the time. Delilah resolutely did her best to ignore Tom, who in turn appeared to be ignoring her as well.

  Not only were the events of last night still fresh in her memory, but he'd seen her in, as he put it, a 'compromising position'. At least he didn't actually walk in on them like the others.

  Just before the train pulled into Kings Cross, Delilah changed into another set of clothes. She obviously didn't own anything remotely forties appropriate, so courtesy of Dumbledore, he provided her with a large array of clothing.

  It was strange as she got dressed, she felt as if she was going to a themed party. The high waisted skirt, fine blouse, and leather shoes felt too formal compared to her usual attire. She wished jeans were acceptable in this time period, but the image of her walking out in skinny jeans would've been deemed inappropriate.

  Delilah didn't even think about how different the world would actually be. But the sight hit her full on as they exited the train station. Hogwarts was still Hogwarts, barely any physical change could be seen throughout the years. But forties, war-time London was a sight to behold.

  The tall skyscrapers, sleek cars, and other small technologies she was so used to seeing were absent. Diagon Alley wasn't a far walk, but as they made their way down the busy streets, Delilah couldn't ignore the heaps of rubble that were once buildings.

  Some even possibly people's homes.

  It was a reminder that Muggle warfare could be just as catastrophic as those in the Magical world. At one point they passed by what used to be a library. The roof was collapsed, and the front wall was blown out. But the walls still stood with books lining its shelves, some burnt, but what surprised her most was the people still browsing the titles inside. Shoving the burnt wood and other fragments out of the way to get to a novel that caught their eye.

  Delilah found herself smiling.

  No matter what damage the enemy might try to inflict, the spirit can never be taken out of people who still have faith. Even in the simplest things, like a book.

  Tom was watching the people as well. It was a curious sight.

  He knew how devastating the night raids were, unlike the rest of the group. They all had homes far away from any distraction. But Tom usually had to spend his holidays in London at the orphanage, he's been through the blitz in person.

  As he stared at the burnt and battered library, he could almost faintly hear approaching planes, the whistle of a bomb falling, almost feel the building shake with a nearby explosion. An uneasiness settled itself inside him, and Tom shoved it away.

  Finally, the Leaky Cauldron came into their line of sight. Muggles passing by were indifferent, completely unaware of the Inn's existence, not batting an eye as nine teenagers seem to disappear into thin air.

  They each flooed in pairs of two to Avery Manor. Abraxas and Aurora, Cain and Lolita, Pyrrhus went to the bathroom, so Olive went with Elio, albeit hesitantly. Delilah's heart sunk once she realized she would have to floo with Tom.

  He simply raised an eyebrow at her as he picked up his trunk and stepped into the fireplace. Delilah felt rooted to the spot as she stared at the small space left next to him. "We don't have all day, Pontmercy." He sounded annoyed and that was enough to lighten her mood. Only a little. She sighed and stepped in next to him, her body much too close to his, and she felt her legs go weak when Tom looped his arm through hers. She swallowed thickly and grabbed a handful of floo powder.

  "Avery Manor!"

  Her body gave a lurch as green flames engulfed them, their bodies tugged in every direction and a dizzying feeling took over her. Just as quickly as the feeling came, it was gone and they landed in a larger fireplace that was white marble.

  Delilah stumbled a bit, but since her arm was looped with Tom's, she was able to quickly find her balance. She tugged her arm from his and smoothed out her skirt, ignoring his dark gaze that was heating up her cheeks.

  It was a pity, really, how amusing it would've been if she fell. Tom mentally sighed as he stepped out of the fireplace, Delilah's clumsiness never ceased to be a source of his entertainment.

  When Delilah collected her thoughts, she stepped out of the fireplace and her mouth fell open at the sight of the room they were in.

  The ceiling was high and had a beautiful fresco of a meadow, and a massive chandelier was hanging that set the room in a warm glow. The far left wall had floor to ceiling windows that provided a nice view of the front gardens, which seemed to stretch on for miles. The rest of the walls were dark red, and the encrust was gold, other paintings hung on the wall, some portraits, others landscapes. There was a massive mirror and chest on the right wall, and in the middle of the room sat velvet couches and chairs for lounging. A large white rug spread along the floor, masking the red wood floors. If this was how one room looked, Delilah couldn't even imagine what the rest of the Manor might look like.

  Tom watched as she took in the room, her eyes glazed over in awe. Even he could admit the beauty of the manor, there was a different sense of elegance Avery Manor had compared to the Malfoy's.

  Although their manor was vast, it had a darker aura, being mostly decorated in black and grey. Most would assume the darkness of Malfoy Manor was more suitable to Tom, but he actually found himself more drawn to this place. The structure was similar to Versailles in the notion of overzealous amounts of gold and displayed wealth, with other characteristic accoutrement.

  The large oak door suddenly opened and Cain peeked his head in. "There you are, I don't know why you didn't floo into the same fireplace as the rest of us." He gestured for them to follow and Delilah didn't want to leave the room, but picked her bag up nonetheless.

  She nearly tripped over her own feet at the sight of the hallway. She could spend hours just roaming this place and never cease to be amazed. A part of herself was elated Yule Ball was being held at Cain's place instead of Abraxas'. As fond as she was of him, she didn't think she could manage being in that place again. Not after the torment Bellatrix put her through.

  "You'll have plenty of time to wander around the place tomorrow." Cain laughed lightly at Delilah, her jaw was practically dragging on the floor. She felt like she was at a palace. "Your room is just there," he opened a door to reveal a room larger than two of Hogwarts dormitories combined. "Merlin this place is fucking gorgeous."

  "And this is your room, Riddle." Delilah felt her joy melt away as she whirled around and saw Tom entering the room right across from hers. The hallway was about eight feet wide, but it still felt too close. Why couldn't Elio be in the room across from hers? That way she wouldn't have to worry about being murdered in her sleep. Then again, a room down the hall wouldn't stop Tom from sending an unforgivable her way.

  "Dinner is in an hour, I'll send an elf to fetch you when it's time." He sent an apologetic smile to Delilah as he made his way to his own room.

  Delilah caught sight of dark hair as he opened the door and she scoffed. Of course Lolita got to share a room with her boyfriend, yet there she was, eight feet away from a lunatic who was too attractive for his own good.

  Her gaze turned towards Tom, but before she could get a word out he stepped into his room and shut the door.

  Deciding nothing bad could happen, Delilah raised a certain choice of finger at his door before walking into her own room.

  She felt a smile tug at her lips.

  It was large and had white marble flooring with a black vein like pattern running through the stone. She had her own fireplace that matched with marble seamlessly.

  There was a dresser, wardrobe, and nightstand, all a dark mahogany that matched the wooden frame of the massive bed. The sheets were silk, a deep purple, and not being able to resist, Delilah dropped her things and ran towards the bed.

  As she fell into the sheets, the silken fabric felt like cool water against her skin. Her eyes landed on the ceiling and she let out a laugh of disbelief. Above her was a fresco of horses racing in slow motion through thundering clouds, lighting cracked every few minutes.

  As she stared longer at the moving image, she realized it was the four horsemen of the apocalypse, or at least an interpretation of it.

  The horse to the far left was a sandy pale color, then a horse with a crimson hue to its fur, then a beautiful white horse that seemed to be glowing, and finally the lead horse was a massive black stallion, it had a haunting sheen to it as it stood on its hind legs, its eyes the color of blood.

  Just as another crack of thunder lit up the ceiling, someone knocked on the door and Delilah screamed.

  The door proceeded to burst open and she was met with a frantic looking Elio, who's wand was drawn and his eyes flickered around the room. "What's wrong? You alright, love?" Once he realized there was no immense danger, his wand fell limp to his side and he raised a brow at her.

  Her hand was rested above her frantic heart and she mustered a smile. "Sorry, you caught me off guard." She didn't know why, but her nerves were on high alert, like they were when she was in the midst of the war back home. Something about the fresco unsettled her, even the beauty of it.

  "Dinners ready," he walked over and tugged her off the bed. Her brows furrowed as her eyes went towards the window, the sun was setting. Had she really been staring at the ceiling for an hour?

  "C'mon," Elio grabbed her hand and led her down many halls and two staircases before they entered a massive dining room. "This place will never cease to amaze me." She muttered, staring around the large room in awe.

  The rest of the group was already sat at the long wooden table, and two people Delilah could only assume were Cain's parents were sat at the head of the table. "I found her gazing up at the wall." Elio mused and took a seat, promptly tugging her along with him. Much to her dismay, she was sat across from Tom.

  "You must be Miss Pontmercy." A soft voice said, effectively pulling Delilah from her thoughts. Her eyes shifted and found Cain's mother smiling at her with dark red painted lips. The woman was beautiful and barely showed any lines of age. She had the same tanned skin as Avery, though a bit lighter, indicating she didn't get much sun. Her hair was light brown and pulled into an updo, tightening her skin. Her eyes were a deep brown that had a feline element to them and were a tad bit intimidating.

  "Yes ma'am, it's lovely to meet you. Your manor is beautiful." Delilah thanked Merlin she spent so much time with Blaise and his family, he'd taught her a few important keys of typical pureblood etiquette and she hoped she was pulling it off.

  Her back was straight, her shoulders pushed back, chin held high and her eyes downcast, with her hands placed lightly in her lap. If the rest of her friends were surprised, they didn't show it.

  "Thank you, my dear. And please call me Aelia. We're so glad to have you all, and what an honor it is to be hosting Yule Ball." She gripped her husband's hand and smiled at him.

  Cain's father was a much more harsh looking man. His dark hair was slicked back, his cheeks sunken in, and his eyes appeared to look through everyone. "An honor, indeed. Though why we're allowing certain groups into our home is beyond me." Mr. Avery gruffed. Delilah raised a brow at Elio, who simply shrugged.

  "I know dear, but it'd be foolish not to invite them, they have reputable wealth considering their tainted blood." Aelia said with a sigh.

  Delilah felt her body go stiff and she forced herself not to react in any way that might cause suspicion. "Which family, may I ask?" She said in a deathly calm voice and ignored the look Tom was giving her. Well it wasn't really much of a 'look', but there was a strange feeling in his gaze. Aelia leaned forward, happy for a chance at some gossip with another woman.

  "The Broadmoor family, it's honestly tragic what happened to them, if only their grandmother didn't whore around with that filthy muggle she met. And the disrespect of the circumstance as well! She met him while on a family holiday in Venice, oh the shame she brought on her family. Ruining centuries of pure blood. And to make it worse, one of her children, Xavier, who's only a few years our senior, married a mudblood! It's not even fathomable. The amount of disgust overwhelms me. How can any noble wizard even think of touching a creature as such?" She shook her head but smiled as the food appeared in front of them.

  It looked delicious, but Delilah lost her appetite. Despite all the years she's put up with pureblood fanatics, it was still hard to believe people actually thought there was a line of superiority based on blood.

  How could they think muggle borns and muggles were lesser? They were still people. Magic or not.

  Delilah looked around the room and came to a sudden realization. If any of her friends found out she was a half-blood, would they still be kind? Would they still be friends? Or would they spit at her, call her derogatory names, even hex her? She knew Elio wasn't a pureblood supremacist, but what about the others? She wasn't ashamed of her blood status, but Delilah couldn't even imagine not having her new friends around. Despite all the warnings Dumbledore gave her, she'd grown attached to them.

  "And the nerve of the Ministry, you'd think with the rise of Grindelwald they'd no longer allow those vermin into Hogwarts. And Merlin's Beard, even walk the same halls as you! Please tell me they at least had the decency to separate the dorms?" Aelia appeared to faint at the thought of a muggle born sleeping in the same room as her son.

  Pyrrhus shifted a bit in his seat, eyeing the rest of the table before he cleared his throat. "No, ma'am." Cain's mother made a sound of offense. Delilah wanted to throw a plate at the woman.

  A part of herself wanted to hop into the table, dance around and scream she was a half-blood, hex them into oblivion. But instead she forced herself to eat a few bites of dinner, each swallow harder than the last.

  "I can't seem to wrap my head around how wizards are comfortable breeding with such filthy little things. What's next, werewolves?" Mr. Avery bolstered with a laugh, followed by a few chuckles from the group. "Tom my dear, tell me, as Head Boy, how do you put up with such nonsense?" Aelia asked.

  Delilah turned her gaze towards Tom, head tilted to the side. Her curiosity for how he would answer burned her chest. Some small, very small, part of her hoped he'd tell them off for being so inhumane. But that would be too good to be true, Tom was no doubt just as bad as them. But then again, Delilah's never heard him say anything concerning blood status. So maybe. Just maybe.

  Tom felt the cold burn of her gaze on him as he set his fork down to look at Aelia. Delilah was handling this well, he didn't know if he was surprised, relieved, or disappointed.

  Tom himself was a half-blood, but he put on such a convincing facade of a pureblood aristocrat, no one ever questioned him. He'd be damned before anyone found out his true heritage.

  He quickly contemplated how he'd answer. His usual response to such questions came quick and easy to him. But Delilah's royal blue eyes were setting off a strange uneasiness inside him. Making Tom double take on the words that wanted to leave his mouth. If he said something considered offensive and belittling, Delilah would no doubt be mad at him. Maybe even furious. But it wasn't like she hasn't felt that way before. After all, she's stated a handful of times she hated his guts.

  Would insulting her blood be crossing a line? Tom found himself tiptoeing around such topics when she was around, it was absent minded and he chose to ignore the action, simply justifying his behavior as being cautious, not kind.

  He couldn't care less if he hurt her feelings. But if he were to cross a boundary, would she talk to him again? Would she permanently keep her distance? Ignore him as if he wasn't even there? The thought worried him, but he shook it off. He would not allow Delilah of all people to dictate how he acted.

  "I must say, it's a tad bit exhausting." He let himself laugh and gave Aelia a charming smile. "The amount of mudbloods flooding in each year is growing more vast, and some half-bloods are managing to force themselves into certain elite societies."

  Delilah felt her blood go cold as that crude name for muggle borns fell easily from his lips.

  Elio noticed how her grip had grown tight on her fork, knuckles gone white with the force. He took hold of her hand and gave it a light squeeze, which appeared to calm her down a bit. She gave him a slight, forced smile. He too was surprised at how well she was handling this dinner, but was a bit concerned for how she was to handle such conversation for two weeks.

  He pulled her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and basked in the red tint coming into her cheeks.

  Delilah was beyond grateful for his comfort and made a mental note to thank him later. She couldn't believe Tom and felt stupid for having any hope whatsoever that he might have a shred of decency in him.

  He nearly threw her off the astronomy tower the previous night and here she was, being an idiotic optimist. He had shown her on more than one occasion he wasn't the same charming person everyone believed him to be. Hell, she's even pointed that out a number of times. She should've let him bleed to death.

  She really was an idiot.

  "The impurities are so obvious, it's laughable." Olive said with a light sigh as she picked around some of her food.

  Delilah's eyes snapped towards her and she nearly let a frown tug at her lips. Her and Olive weren't the best of friends, but all in all she didn't think she was that bad. "They're clearly unworthy of possessing such gifts, and the nerve of them to think they're our equals? And the blood traitors are just as foul, stooping to a mudblood's level of filth. I see that as a sign of weak magic, showing they clearly aren't worthy as well."

  Delilah had to repeatedly tell herself to calm down, her breathing grew frantic and she tried her best to tame it, but it was rather difficult. If any of her other supposed friends said anything remotely derogatory about blood she might pass out or need to leave the room.

  She could make up an excuse, like a stomach ache, her head hurt, she was tired, or maybe something as simple as having to use the lavatory. Would that be improper? Honestly at this point she didn't care. This conversation alone was improper.

  "What's next, will half-breeds be allowed to attend Hogwarts?" Mr. Avery said as he downed a glass of fire whiskey. Tom sighed and shook his head, dark curls swaying with the movement. "I'm afraid Hogwarts has already stooped that low, although it was expelled."

  Delilah felt her last strand of tolerance wear thin. The mere fact Tom called the person an 'it' made her grow rigid yet again.

  "Oh, yes! Thanks to you, of course. I mean, what would they expect letting a half-giant into the school? What was his name again?" Aelia asked.

  "Rubeus Hagrid." Delilah couldn't stop her eyes from widening and her mouth falling open. She quickly cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "What happened?"

  She recalled Hermione telling her something faintly about Hagrid's days at Hogwarts, but it was vague. A matter that was obviously private to the half Giant, and only those close to him knew about it.

  Tom shifted his eyes to Delilah and quirked a brow at how pale she looked, her voice also held an almost undetectable waver. She looked ill. Before he would answer, Lolita leaned forward. "Back in fifth year there was a series of incidents on students, one was even killed, and Tom found the culprit, Hagrid, with a beast he'd been keeping in the school. It was this whole ordeal, words written in blood on the walls. Looked like something out of a horror novel."

  Delilah's mind reeled at the image of Hagrid setting a beast loose in a school with the intent of killing someone. That couldn't be true. It wasn't true. Hagrid had been blamed for almost the exact thing when she was a second year, but he was innocent.

  Then how-yes! Now she remembered. Hermione told her Hagrid was falsely accused and expelled from Hogwarts, but Dumbledore argued against the charges and got him to be a gamekeeper for the school. But then that means...

  Her eyes found Tom's again and there was new found anger and level loathing which burned deep in the blue pools. Tom had wrongly accused Hagrid of murdering a student and got him kicked out of Hogwarts. And he called Hagrid a half breed, he called him an 'it'.

  Tom didn't miss how dark her eyes had gotten, they nearly looked black. A sudden look of surprise flickered on his face but he quickly disguised it.

  He had definitely crossed a line.