The Fearsome Name of Riddle

Platform 9 3/4

To say that Tom and his loyal followers were golden students for the last few weeks of term was an understatement. They understood that the odd harassment of other students was necessary so as not to look suspicious, but even that was quiet and out of sight of any staff. They were models of themselves like nothing had happened at all. The half giant, Rubeus Hagrid, was expelled and investigated for the murder of Myrtle Warren. With no evidence on the body and the creature responsible lost, the case dragged on. 

Even as she stood in front of her father on platform nine and three quarters, Victoria was quieter than usual. Septimus Malfoy was a tall man with long white blonde hair like his daughter. He wore a black suit with a silver signet ring and a tight frown as he stood before his two children. 

"You both did well?" He asked sternly. He was distant. One hand on his tie, the other on the handle of his cane as he maintained the perfect image of the Malfoys. "Did you both achieve top marks in your final exams?" 

"Yes, father," Abraxas said, puffing out his chest as he handed over the letter containing his end of year results. 

Taking the piece of parchment, Mr Malfoy held his hand out towards his daughter. He snapped his fingers when she didn't answer him. "Failed, did you?" 

"Too busy thinking about her boyfriend," Abraxas snickered, a smirk on his face as his sister blinked back into the conversation. 

"Boyfriend?" Their father questioned, nudging her face with his cane to make her look at him. "Which boy? Which family? Don't tell me you're still enchanted by this Riddle boy. I told you to drop it, you'll only make this harder for yourself." 

"His name is Tom," Victoria told him sharply, her posture constricted, "he's a good man. Father, please, don't dismiss him so quickly. Doesn't my happiness mean anything?" 

Her father narrowed his eyes. Septimus Malfoy would not allow his daughter to waste her time with someone below her station. Promising young mind or not, bright young men failed all the time. His child would not live in some kind of shed house just because the Gaunts decided to gamble away their every last galleon. 

"Obsidian," Septimus barked as he noticed the tall Lestrange boy walk past them, "come here." 

Victoria failed to contain a roll of her eyes as her shoulder tensed tightly. 

"Mr Malfoy," Obsidian said politely, turning on his heels and making his way over to the family. "A pleasure as always, sir." 

"Is your father well, boy?" Mr Malfoy asked him as he stepped past his children. 

Obsidian gave a firm and gracious nod. "He is, sir, and yourself?" 

"Yes, yes, very well," Mr Malfoy said quickly, his hand waving as he failed to care about their small talk. "Can I assume your father has spoken with you about an arrangement he and I made recently?" 

Obsidian's smile froze as he tried to decide how to approach the situation quickly. He made a contorted frown as he tilted and shook his head in a vague sort of motion. 

"Don't lie for her." Septimus ordered him. "Do you know of it?" 

"Yes, Sir." Obsidian gave in. He knew the situation. His own father had lectured him about it for hours, but Tom had his loyalty so he had to defend him. "But Tom is a good friend of mine. Ambitious and intelligent, he's a good man. Do you want me to fetch him for you?" 

"That would be… fine Obsidian, thank you." Septimus nodded, letting Obsidian walk away to find Tom. He turned to see the annoyed glare of his child. She wouldn't air her grievances, he had taught her more respect than that. "Do you have anything to say about this boy? This boy that has decided to court you without a word to me? I had thought him more respectful than that." 

"He is, but Tom is also smart enough to understand he isn't up to your standards yet." Victoria spoke as evenly as she could after her father chose to question his friend's son over his own daughter about her life. "He was honoured by the school this year. Tom is taking real action to become the man you think is worthy of me." 

"Honoured?" Her father almost looked pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected the last surviving Gaunt to amount to much of anything. "For the attacks?" 

Victoria nodded as she spotted Tom walking alongside Obsidian towards them. "He caught that giant boy and nearly his monster as well." 

Mr Malfoy sort of grunted as he turned away from her again. He stood in front of her like a wall, shielding her from any man he hadn't hand picked to be in her life. At sixteen, Tom could meet Septimus’ eyes without looking up. There was a confident challenge in his expression as he stood in his neatly tailored suit that Victoria had bought for him, looking like any other pureblood heir. 

"My daughter's hero, I hear," Septimus said in a strong tone that took control of every conversation Victoria had ever witnessed him have. 

"No one is more of a hero to a girl than her father, Sir." Tom gave his most charming smile as he reached out and shook Mr Malfoy's hand with a firm purpose that made the older man smile. 

"Flattery will get you far boy," Mr Malfoy chuckled, nodding at the firmness of Tom's handshake. "With some. I am more interested in this honour you've received from the school, actions will move you further in life than anything else." 

"I completely agree, Sir.” Tom nodded as he tucked his hand into his trouser pocket,  opening his jacket casually. "We can't choose where we come from in life but we can forge where we go. Working to be a good man is just as important to me as becoming a successful one." 

"And Victoria tells me you do well in your school work." Mr Malfoy tapped the silver base of his cane on the concrete floor. 

"I do the best I can." Tom smiled, loving the praise but never accepting it. “Promises and arrogance leave no room for growth.”

"Which means?" Mr Malfoy pressed with an amused grin. 

"I'm top of my class," Tom told him with a bowed head. "All of my classes." 

"All of them?" Victoria asked with a questioning smirk. 

"Most of them." Tom smiled back. "We push each other to become better. Her ambition is a trait of your daughter's that I greatly admire. It is my hope, when I finish my education, that I will become a man worthy of Victoria's grace." 

"She's named after a Queen, you know." Mr Malfoy held his smile tight as he started to accept that he liked this young man. "My father was an advisor to Queen Victoria, the Hanover family are impressive wizards. I met her a few times in my youth. That will take a lot of hard work, you understand that?" 

"I'm not afraid of it sir."