Chapter 3

"Happy birthday, Cissy." I muttered into Narcissa's ear as I gave her a hug with a soft smile. Cissy had the same birthday as Sirius and I, but she is five years older. She had been one of my favorite cousins because I had never heard her speak ill of anyone. No matter how horrible a person she met, Narcissa had a talent of only seeing the good parts of people; this is probably one of the reasons she loved Lucius. He may be well mannered when he feels the situation requires it, but out of sight from influential people, he is a menace. 

However, I definitely approved of her secret relationship with him months before because he knew how to treat her well, and defended her with his life. Over the summer, Uncle Cygnus, Cissy's father, and Lucius' father, Abraxas Malfoy, contrived an arranged marriage between Lucius and Narcissa. Of course, they were delighted that their relationship no longer had to be a secret, but this also meant that they were going to be expected to have children soon. 

Cissy and Lucius are going in to sixth year this year, yet their engagement is already finalized. It shocks me that I may be getting married in a mere five years. If it was up to me, I would not have an arranged marriage at all. One simply cannot be forced to love someone, and I don't think I could ever manage to have a loveless marriage. That is why Andromeda left, she was disowned two years ago at eighteen for refusing to marry a pure blood. Before she left, Trixy told me that she had been in a devoted relationship with a muggle named Ted Tonks

"Evie? You alright? You did not listen to a word I just said to you, is everything alright?" Cissy asked me discreetly, kindly pulling me away from my dreadful thoughts.

I gave her a reassuring smile with quick reassurance when she did not believe me, "Yes, I was just thinking about Andy that's all. I apologize for my ill-mannered behavior on your birthday. How are things between Lucius and you?" I tried my best to sound as if I had the utmost propriety because I saw Cissy's mother, Aunt Druella, hovering near us, watching for any sort of mistake in my appearance and demeanor. 

"Things have been going just wonderfully," Narcissa said with a sigh, she appeared to be thinking of Lucius because she became dazed with a dreamy look on her face.

Lucius suddenly appeared out of thin air behind Narcissa as if Narcissa's thought of him had beckoned him here to her. He wrapped his hands around her waist, and kissed her softly on the neck. 

I realized that I was probably intruding on their unexpected moment by just standing in front of them, so I moved to find someone to converse with before I was dragged into another tedious conversation by one of my parents. The event had been continuing rather slowly. From the moment I stepped foot in the manor, I was already longing to leave. 

Another reason this party was taking place was a secret reason, my parents, Aunt Druella, and Uncle Cygnus were looking for suitors for Trixy and I, they hoped to marry us off as soon as possible. Trixy is two years older than me, so undoubtedly, she will be married before I will. Hopefully, Mother and Father won't find anyone who looks promising at this particular gathering.

After peering around the spacious ballroom, I finally found someone I might be able to talk to without the proposition of  marriage, Trixy.

"Good evening, Trixy," I spoke softly, capturing her attention away from the young man she had been chatting with.

"Good evening, Evelyn. May I introduce Rodolphus Lestrange? This is Evelyn Black, my Aunt Walburga's daughter," Trixy spoke elegantly.

"It is a pleasure to meet anyone of Bellatrix's liking. She told me prior to this event that you were close friends. I'm glad to finally meet you." Rodolphus told me with a slight sneer that all of the pure blood attendees have.

"Quite close. What are your intentions with Bellatrix? If needs be, she knows I will always, and I do mean always, bring retribution to anyone who hurts those closest to me," I spoke threateningly with mix of a smile and smirk politely. Most of the people who usually attend events like these practice dark magic.

"I have only good intentions, you see, I did not realize she did not inform you yet, but Bellatrix and I are engaged to be married in  four years," Rodolphus condescendingly told me with a vicious smirk on his face. A gleam in his eyes told me that he was truly happy to shock me into silence.

Finally, after a long pause of silence, too long to be considered polite, I murmured a quick and tight-lipped, "Congradulations."

"Well, I am going to get us some drinks, Evie, do you want anything?" Trixy spoke, trying to lightly ease the tension between Rodolphus and I.

"I'll have some hot chocolate, thanks," I told her politely while Rodolphus and I continued to stare at each other.

Only moments before Trixy was entirely out of sight, Rodolphus gripped my wrist tightly in his hand, "I heard what that you are quite the dueler. Apparently, you've managed to defeat Lucius. Some friends and I are having a little......game. Just dueling. You will come tonight, or we shall see what injuries your brother manages to land himself in this time," Rodolphus paused, staring at me malevolently before continuing on, "Just tap the portrait of Salazar Slytherin four times while you repeat your name twice, come down in twenty minutes, and do not dare to be late. "

Before I could entirely process what had just happened, Rodolphus was gone.

"Evie?" 

"Yes?" I replied glancing up at the confused Bellatrix.

"Where did Rodolphus go?" Bellatrix questioned, looking lost.

"He went to find a friend, he told me to tell you that he'll be back soon," I quickly lied looking her straight in the eye.

From a young age, I had learned to lie very well. My father thought that if he was going to have to deal with the fact that he has a daughter, a weakness to the entire family, he would instead make me the family's greatest asset. 

Instead of talking and laughing with my father, I grew up learning occlumency before I could properly read or write. He taught me how to manipulate a situation so that I would always get what I wanted from any situation I was.

"Well, he could have warned me at least ahead of time. Now I have an extra drink. Oh well. Do you want his firewhiskey?"

"Definitely."

****************

Sloppily, I tapped the portrait of Salazar Slytherin four times while whispering my name.

It had taken me quite some time to find the portrait, it probably would not have taken as long if I hadn't drunken Rodolphus' tiny firewhiskey. Thankfully, I had left with rather early, and made it about a minute before the twenty minute mark.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," Lucius sneered as I walked in through the secret door. It had randomly appeared from behind the portrait when I whispered my name.

"Where is Rodolphus? He demanded I meet him here?" I asked, looking around the fairly spacious room. 

The room was full of men, most of them not mature, but still, I was the only girl in the entire room. The singular room reminded me of the Great Hall from Hogwarts when I had visited it last.

There were probably forty to fifty boys dressed in nice suits, all only a couple years older than me. Although, some appeared to be seventh years.

A handsome young man suddenly stepped forward from the center of the large group standing in front of me, and spoke with a light smirk, "Rodolphus will not be joining us this evening."

Quickly, my eyes flashed. However much I did not like the boy did not matter because I had seen the way Trixy had looked at him, she loved him. 

My emotionless mask that I had perfected over the years did not waver, but I knew that for just one slight moment, the young man in the middle had seen my worries eyes.

"How strange, he threatens you to come here, yet you are still concerned for his safety. Don't worry, love. He is absolutely fine, he won't be joining us tonight because he will be watching your older brother, Sirius. If you try to leave this room before I allow you to, Sirius won't live to see the sun rise tomorrow." 

"Why exactly am I here?" I asked, hoping if I did not openly disagree he would just let me return to Sirius.

"You are going to duel every single person in this room until we find someone you can not beat. If you for some unexplained miracle beat everyone here, you will duel me," the brown-haired man told me.

"And just who might I be talking to?"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."

************

My opponent dashed away from the dueling stage frightened. 

I had stupefied the lanky, panic stricken boy before he even lifted his wand.

"I am done. I have dueled every single opponent in this room, and not one managed to defeat me. May I leave now?" I directed my question to this "Tom Riddle" character who was sitting on a chair watching all of my duels.

The entire room was glaring at me except for Tom. He just continued to stare at me curiously. All around me, I could hear my previous opponents trying to catch their breath still.

"No."

"Now.....we duel," Tom spoke, heading towards the other side of the stage. 

We walked towards each other, Tom was so tall though that he barely had to walk anywhere. 

I raised my wand towards my face and bowed, keeping my eyes upon Tom. He looked like the type of wizard to hit his worst spell before the match even started.

He kept eye contact with me though as if he did not trust me to not cheat either.

Calmly, he counted, "One. Two. Three."

Alarte Ascendare! I sent a nonverbal spell Tom's way in hopes of catching him off guard.

Unfortunately, only a moment after he was lifted into the air, he gracefully landed himself back down on the ground.

He shot a jet of green towards my chest, I quickly blocked it with a flick of my wand.

A split second after he sent the jinx towards me, he shot out a jet black serpent out of his wand.

Quickly, I banished the snake before it could get close enough to bite me.

Anteoculatia! I sent a hex towards Tom.

He blocked it without even moving his wand nor his lips. He sent curse after curse at me rapidly. 

I blocked them all until the very last one which broke through my shield. The unknown curse hit me square in the chest.

Images, terrifying images, raced through my mind. Finally, I fell to the floor almost screaming as one of the images started to physically attack me with the Cruciatus Curse. 

A normal person would be screaming in agony, but instead I lay on the ground convulsing with tears running down my face, not a sound to be heard.

Unfortunately, this was nothing new to me. I had experienced the Cruciatus Curse many times. From these experiences I learned that the Cruciatus Curse does not give the castor the same contentment when the victim does not scream in agony. The castor has to have a certain kind of malicious need to cause pain on others to begin with, so the castor, from my experience, is usually bloody delusional.

Still thrashing in pain, I pushed against the curse, pushing so hard that I broke through the curse. 

Above me, Tom stood astounded. Weakly, I cast a quick expelliarmus towards Tom, completely knocking him off his feet.

I stood up keeping my expression emotionless, victorious even, as pain raced through every single part of body.

"I win," I smirked before walking away out of the room. I collapsed as soon as the door closed behind me, but it was definitely worth it to see the dumbfounded expressions of the people that had previously been surrounding me.

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I know Tom Riddle is not really even around their age, but in this story, he's going to be six years older than Sirius and Evelyn. No, he isn't going to be at Hogwarts when they go, and he won't really have a big part in the story until way further down the story! It will make more sense later! Thanks for reading!

****Warning******* This is the unedited version so that I could give you guys a chapter quicker. I will edit it later, but for now please try to ignore the mistakes!