─── 。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。───

❝ 01 , a right arse ❞

"But the Goyle family? Out of all the pure-bloods, the Goyles? I don't understand why Mother couldn't have convinced the Lestranges to betroth Rabastan to me. I'm better than that half-breed. I bet they don't even know she's a half-breed. Mother says that they like to keep it a tightly kept secret. She's the shame of the family. I feel sorry for Rabastan. He will never know that he isn't even marrying a pure-blood. He could have been marrying me but instead, I'll be marrying a Goyle. A Goyle. Lenore, are you even listening?" Delphia had been ranting about her betrothal news since they had gotten on the train an hour earlier.

Lenore hadn't been paying much attention but that wasn't exactly unusual. Delphia was scowling but when Lenore brought her gaze up, Delphia sighed.

"You've been reading that book this whole time. Why do you suddenly care about your studies?" Delphia asked, annoyance lacing her tone. Lenore scoffed and rested her hands against the pages of the book.

"I don't," She said simply. Delphia narrowed her eyes. Lenore then looked back down to the book. There still hadn't been a single mention of Horcruxes. None of the books that she had read over the past month had even mentioned it. It was becoming rather infuriating but she tried not to dwell on that fact too heavily.

"Do you really think I should be betrothed to a Goyle?" Delphia asked, slapping her hands into her lap as her shoulders sagged. Lenore sighed and she closed her book on her finger, keeping her page while also at least attempting to pay attention.

"No." Lenore said simply. Delphia seemed dignified by that response, lifting her head slightly with a prideful smile on her face, "But, what our parents want is how it goes so you need to suck it up." Delphia's scowl quickly reappeared and she scoffed, opening her mouth to bite back at Lenore but they were disrupted by the carriage door opening.

Delphia turned, ready to tell whatever first year had decided to bother them, to leave them alone only to find Rabastan Lestrange and Regulus Black stood there. Regulus was to the side slightly, his shaggy black hair had grown out a little and he looked startlingly like his brother. Though his hair was wavier, parted down the middle. Rabastan's hair was the same messy blonde that he had been styling since he was a kid. Lenore didn't really care about either of the boys and in favour of conversing, flicked her book back open and continued to read the chapter.

"So this has been where you're hiding," A smirk spread across Rabastan's face as he spoke. He met Delphia's gaze, the smirk spreading to a warm smile as he took her in. Any hint of annoyance had vanished within seconds from her face, replaced with a dope-y lovesick smile.

"If you wanted to see me, you should have just said," Delphia responded, her hands resting in her lap as he shifted to glance at Regulus before he met her gaze again.

"Well, I'm here now. Can we talk?" He asked. Delphia nodded and without a second of hesitation jumped to her feet and exited the compartment. That left Regulus at the door and he was quick to slip inside and drop onto the seat across from Lenore.

Lenore had not looked up for even a second but observed the interaction between Delphia and Rabastan in the corner of her eyes. Delphia was obviously in love, Rabastan wasn't. He used her, he knew that he didn't get a choice on who to marry but if he did, he'd pick Delphia for her pure-blood genes and pretty smile. That's all that mattered to him.

"Hello," Regulus said and Lenore's gaze shifted upwards for a moment before she returned her eyes back to the page. She had gotten to the next chapter now, skimming for any mention of a Horcrux but there was nothing. Part of her wondered if they even existed at all or she had misheard the Death-Eaters. But she was so sure, "What are you reading?" He asked. Lenore sighed and she flicked over to the next page before lifting up so he could read the cover, "You can look at me."

With great reluctance, she shifted her gaze off the page and to his face. He looked...nervous? Lenore had never seen him seem so jumpy. It was almost like he needed to talk to her but she didn't really feel like talking. Regulus was a nice enough boy but she wasn't really interested in conversation with him.

Though, she wasn't interested in conversation with anyone. Her own world was preferable to anything in the real world. Well, that was the way for now. If she succeeded in her task, the real world might feel whole again. Or at least, better.

"Is there a reason you're disturbing my peace, Regulus?" Lenore asked, holding his gaze for a beat before she went straight back to her book. He sighed and shifted in his seat before he leant forward, elbows on his knees.

"What if I wanted to speak to you?" He asked. She scoffed and shook her head.

"That's not what this is. Did your mother set you up? Her and my father have been speaking an awful lot this summer. I'm not interested in whatever you may propose," She cut off any attempts of questioning before it could even get there. Lenore's father - Gideon Carrow - was probably one of the better pure-blood parents and he wanted Lenore to be able to pick her own husband. But, when outside pressures came down on him, everything changed.

It was like everything he had said and all the promises were gone. And Walburga knew that. The many dinners and conversations they had had were surely more than friendly visits and that made Lenore feel nauseous.

Regulus - who had become a death-eater the summer just passed - would ruin her plans. If he saw the wrong thing, heard the wrong thing, it would ruin everything. And the very thought of a boy ruining her plan for vengeance made her fill with rage. All men did was ruin her life and nobody would do that again.

"Could you at least be open to the idea? I don't exactly enjoy the thought either," He said softly. Lenore didn't say anything, flicking through to the next page. She hadn't actually taken much in but she just wanted to get this conversation over with.

"I have no interest in you or whatever our parents are arranging. My father knows how I feel about arranged marriages and he told me he would give me a choice when the time came. I have not been presented with options and until that happens, I am open to nothing." Her words were final and the sting of rejection sat heavy in Regulus' stomach. He swallowed his pride and she watched as he shifted, unsure how to proceed.

"If provided options, who would you pick?" He asked but before Lenore had the chance to answer it, Rabastan and Delphia appeared at the compartment door. Rabastan's arms were wrapped around Delphia's waist and he only let go when she walked back in and took a seat next to Regulus.

"There's no point trying to talk to her today, Reggie. She is being a right arse," Delphia stated though she seemed in higher spirits than she had been. Regulus smiled, trying to be polite but his gaze lingered on Lenore's face for a moment longer.

"I'm sure she has her reasons," Regulus shrugged. Delphia hummed, narrowing her eyes before looking at Lenore. Lenore didn't entertain either of their wondering gazes and she instead flicked over another page in the book.

"Well, we best get back to the others," Rabastan said. Regulus nodded and he bid the two girls farewell before him and Rabastan headed back down through the carriage. Delphia huffed out in annoyance as soon as the compartment door was closed.

"He was trying to be nice," Delphia stated. Lenore lifted her gaze up and her head tilted to the side ever so slightly.

"No. That was what Walburga told him to do. That was not nice. That was a feigned attempt at friendship that I'm not interested in," Lenore said. Delphia scoffed but rather than even trying to argue, she just stayed silent. It didn't make sense to argue any longer. Delphia knew that Lenore wouldn't shift from this position and it was easier to let her wallow in her own misery for the rest of the train journey.

Lenore was glad for the silence. As much as she appreciated the attempts at human contact and friendship, it wasn't important. There was one thing that was important to her and that was killing Lord Voldemort.

That is what was important.

That would make it all better.

That was vengeance.

Voldemort's head on a platter would be the only thing that would make her feel better.