Marauder's Daughter (Eventual Tom Riddle X OC)

Chapter 76: Epilogue - Bill & Fleur's Wedding

Tom's first several weeks of work go by well. He gets along well enough with his department coworkers, but I'm guessing he's using his fake personality with them since he still isn't very comfortable being himself just yet. I introduced him to Roger and Adrian too, since they both work at the Ministry in different departments. Both of my friends were surprised to see me dating someone new, especially since I kind of fell of the radar the last year before the war while I was travelling. I still had seen them both on occasions, but not as often as I had meant to. 

Tom actually took a warming to both boys, though I could tell he liked Adrian more just because they were both Slytherins. He and Roger could end up getting into some long winded conversations though, they were both very smart people. I was proud he was using his real personality with both of them, and I know it's because I was there on their first meeting, acting as a buffer, but I'm still proud of his achievements. I was glad to hear from Tom when he came home from work one day that he was getting along with them both when he would run into them at the Ministry from time to time, it showed me he was making friends.

For Harry's 17th birthday, we had a small sized gathering of people over to the cottage. Dad had rescued James's watch from the rubble of the Potter Manor after the attack all those years ago, and now he had it restored and polished up. He gave it to Harry on his birthday, and my god brother couldn't hide the tears streaming down his face even if he had tried. He has since been proudly wearing it every moment. 

It was with good timing Harry got something of his father's since Marin finally passed away over the summer. She was Lily's cat, and lived far longer than we thought she would, but she always hung out with Harry when he was here if she wasn't outside. I almost think she was just waiting for him to get another piece of his parents before finally resting. She was a good and sweet little cat, and I'll miss her a lot.

Bill and Fleur's wedding went stunningly. Charlie was the best man and Percy was a groomsman, but otherwise the rest of Bill's brothers were ushers while his two best friends from school were his other groomsmen. 

I know I turned heads when I walked in with Tom on my arm to the ceremony. As I had taken my seat, I caught Charlie's eyes from where he stood by Bill's side. He looked sadly at me, but then offered me a kind but bittersweet smile of acceptance. I'm guessing, just based on his not to surprised expression, one of his brothers already told him a bit about me and Tom. I gave him a soft smile of thanks in return, and I'll seek him out later to talk during the reception.

"Tom, go and socialize for a bit, I'm going to talk to a friend for a moment." I say to Tom after the dinner gets cleared away and people start to dance with each other at the reception. "Look, there's Xenophelius Lovegood, that should be one hell of an entertaining chat, talk with him." I nudge him towards the man in bright yellow robes who is talking animatedly to a witch who looks like she wants to run away from him. I actually almost wish I could witness that conversation, but I have my target set on a certain ginger man.

"Hello Charlie." I say with a smile as I join Charlie at his table where he's sitting alone.

"Abby." He says sadly. "You look beautiful." He compliments genuinely.

"Thank you." I reply, and then we fall into an awkward silence.

"You know..." He starts to say after taking a drink of his wine. "I thought for so long it would be best to wait until you had graduated, that way our age difference wouldn't be weird. But it seems... I waited too long." He smiles sadly again, his eyes on Tom who has an amused expression on his face as he talks to the Lovegood's. "Will you tell me about him?"

"His name is Tom Drake." I reply after a moment, a sad frown on my face as I take in Charlie's expression and know I caused his current pain. "Do you remember when we first met Posocus?" I ask randomly, and he nods after a moment. "After he hinted at my prophecy, you told me you were rooting that I would bring joy to the darkness. I did that... I brought that joy to Tom, just as he did for me."