Here are the family trees so you (and I) don't get confused.

July 1944

Reader POV

"When is the wedding?" Philip asked me as he helped me off the train. "Shouldn't Tom be with you to start planning it?"

I shrugged and piled the last trunk into his car. "I don't know. He mentioned he had some unfinished business at Hogwarts and is staying for a while."

"Pity," Philip said with anything but sadness. "I had hoped he would at least greet the people he'll be wed into. He's always been weird, that one."

I knew he still hadn't fully forgiven Tom for attacking him that day at Wool's orphanage but he had to suck it up for the sake of the family. "Where's Mum? At the Malfoy Manor?"

Philip nodded and closed the door once I was in. "Suppose so. She sent a letter earlier and instructed us to meet there. I'm guessing Abraxas never mentioned, hm?"

"They might've," I said with honesty. "I'm struggling to forget things these days. Probably due to stress."

"Whatever." Philip drove through the traffic and soon we were on our way to the Malfoy Manor, a place that I had grown to love. "Say, where do you think you'll have the wedding? Mum is pushing for Malfoy Manor, probably because she grew up there and misses it."

I had heard rumors from Uncle Scorpius that the marriage between my parents was starting to be strained as my mother was immersing herself once more with her lineage ever since she got the news that Father had been killed. I had also noticed some of my family members and distant relatives talking badly about my father since he was born a squib or a non-magical person from a pure-blood family. "Philip, what do you think about all of this?"

"You mean the blood racism?" Philip rolled his eyes. "It's stupid. Why they would discriminate against someone due to their magic, or lack of it? They think they're royalty when in honesty they're inbred."

"Philip, you do realize that we're also inbred? Maybe not the same way as some, but we're still inbred?" I flicked his arm. "Why couldn't we just use floo powder to get to the Malfoy Manor? I don't exactly fancy sitting in a car for over four hours."

"Can you stop complaining?" Phillip glared at me. "You should be happy I even agreed to pick you up, (nickname). I would've had Tom bring you, but since he's busy, clearly that isn't happening. What is that weird fiance of yours doing anyway?"

I could tell by his tone of voice that he still didn't trust Tom. "That's his business."

"There's no way you've never suspected him of anything." Philip pulled over, causing muggles to honk at us in annoyance. "(nickname), I'm telling you something. Not because I dislike the guy, but because you're my little sister, two minutes younger. There's something really off about him and I know deep down you know it too. What gives?? All of a sudden you're dating him and engaged?"

I knew my brother was an idiot, but he wasn't messing around when it came to Tom. "Philip, he's just overprotective of me. We've liked each other for a long time."

"But marriage so soon? (nickname), there's a saying that you never fully know someone until you live with them. It would be inappropriate to live with him right now, but you can't marry someone just like that. What if you find his habits disgusting?" Philip put his hand on mine. "You know I always have your back, right?"

"I know."

Philip squeezed my hand. "Then please just...think about it. I don't want him to be the reason I don't get to see my nieces and nephews. But there's just something off about him. I already forgave him for what he did when we were younger, but...(y/n), the other orphans came to me a while ago and told me that he used to...do unspeakable things to them. Please just be careful."

"If they were bullying him, he had every right to defend himself," I said. "But I understand your concerns. Why don't we go later in the week to talk to them? I'm listening to you, Philip, but I know Tom isn't a monster."

I could tell by the lack of agreement that Philip had more to say but decided not to. "Delightful. Now let's go before Mum starts to worry."

Malfoy Manor was glowing with bright colors as we drove in, Abraxas waiting outside with my parents and his. The house elves moved my luggage upstairs to a room and I noticed the tapestries along the wall which depicted the Malfoy Family, myself included indirectly through my mother.

"We just bought a new place," I overheard Cygnus speaking to Druella and my mother. "We plan to raise our children there. It's technically been in the family for ages, but a little cleaning would do it good, seeing my brother Orion and his wife Walburga want 12 Grimmauld Place."

"Place is dusty anyway," Druella joked to Mum who looked at her warmly. "If Orion and Walburga want to raise their family in an old crypt, be my guest. I want our children to be raised somewhere nice. I want all girls, though I wouldn't mind a boy to continue the family line."

"Speaking of children," Mum stood up and gave me a hug. "Where is that dashing fiance of yours? Philip-"

"Wait a moment now," Uncle Scorpius gave Philip a nasty look. "We only said she could come, not him."

"Don't be rude," Mum glared at her twin. "He's your nephew."

Uncle Scorpius and I shared a look. "Well, at least she's respectable, marrying a descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself. Say, Margret, will you ever change your name back to Cygnus?"

"Absolutely not," Cygnus Black grumbled. "We used to get into so much trouble back at school because Dippet couldn't figure out which Cygnus was causing all the trouble. At least my name has now been cleared."

Ignoring the soft-spoken man, Philip stood up and dusted himself of any stray cat fur. "I'll be going then, seeing as I'm still not welcome here. Pity party for one is leaving." He kissed Mum goodbye and gave me a nod, but I could see the dejection in his eyes as well as the frustration.

Tom Riddle POV

Slughorn stared at me with disbelief in his eyes. "You gave her what?!"

"I told you, I gave her the ring." I crossed my arms with annoyance. "How many more times do I have to repeat myself."

"My boy, had I known you would do something so cruel and then give it to your fiance?" Slughorn shook his head sadly. "You must tell her immediately, or I will-"

Before he could finish that sentence, I pushed him against the wall and pointed my wand at his neck. "Finish that sentence and I'll have myself a new Horcrux, Professor."

"You wouldn't dare! Do you have no respect for your elders?!"

I gave him a look that made fear crawl through his body and down his spine. "I've killed for far less, professor. You know as well as I do the importance of blood purity, despite both of us being half-bloods. Those filthy muggles don't deserve to breathe. If I had my way back then, that brother and father of hers would both be dead. But she's already suspicious of me."

"Good! That (y/n) is an extremely clever girl, though I do wonder how you've managed to do all those things without her suspecting anything. It's truly remarkable."

"The things you do for love." I lowered my wand and opened a locket that contained a moving portrait of her and me the day we got engaged. "I would do anything for her, Professor. I would kill for her."

"You already have." Slughorn looked at me with pity in his eyes. "When she wakes up one day and realizes what you have done, you'd better pray that she will not kill you herself."

I watched him move towards the potions area where he had a vial of truth serum waiting that I requested right before graduation. "She will never find out. And even if she does, do you think I'll let her go?"

Slughorn stopped his movements and looked at me with fright in his eyes. "You wouldn't do anything to her, would you?"

"No," I said with honesty. "But if you so much as whisper a word of what I've done and what you've helped me do, do you honestly think she will look at either of us the same? If I go down, you go down with me, and do you think she'll want to be around either of us? Let her remain in ignorance. There's a saying that states Ignorance is bliss."

"And when she does find out? Things like this do not stay hidden for long."

"Then I'll cross that bridge." A hideous laugh left my throat. "Bloody Hell, she doesn't even suspect I was the one who killed that annoying mud-blood friend of hers. What was her name again, Myrtle something? I'm surprised she has never stepped foot into that bathroom again, though I did scare the stupid ghost into ripping her apart piece by piece and storing her into a diary if she so much as whispered anything to anyone."

Slughorn handed the vials over with shaking hands. "What do you plan on doing with this?"

"None of your business." I raised my wand again as he turned his back to me once more. "It was a pleasure working with you for a final time, Professor. But I can't have you telling her or anyone about these...conversations." Before he could move, I stripped him of his memories of every single time we've talked just to ensure no prodding eyes or wands would be able to extract information.

Once I left his office, I used my magic to sense where (y/n) was due to the rings she had on, the rings I enchanted to be able to hear and feel whatever she was. I could hear her laughter as she, Abraxas, and his parents were watching some funny muggle TV shows, the only decent thing offered by the inferior race.

Soon, (y/n). Soon we'll be together and you'll be with me for eternity.