1916 *Rewritten*
From the great windows of the manor the sky was ever-blue as I open my eyes. With a deep breath and my eyes still half closed, I sit up. Just as I start remembering where I am, a house elf pops into the room.
“Young Mistress is being awake. Lory be preparing clothes for her young mistress.” it, she? says. With a snap of the elf's fingers, clothes appear beside me on the bed. “Young mistress is being expected for breakfasting.”
“Thank you, Lory.” With that, I get up and stare at the elf still standing next to the bed. At my apparently obvious confusion, the elf says “Lory be helping young Mistress getting in her dressy.”
“Oh, yes, of course,” I say as I take a look at Tommy laying in his own little bed. He seems to be a quiet baby.
After a short bath and some spells to dry my hair, courtesy of Lory, I soon stand in front of the big mirror in the room I slept in while the elf helps me into a long, champagne-coloured dress with a high neckline, a white scarf over her shoulders and put white gloves in my hand. Next to the mirror, a white parasol is leaning against the wall. Lory had put my dark hair up in a bun and put some light makeup on my face.
I was staring at myself in the mirror. The girl staring back was really pretty. It is amazing what a little work and make-up would do.
“Master Lord Black be wanting to take a walksy after breakfasting. “Lory explained while taking the parasol into her hands. “I's be bringing young mistress her parasol for walksy then. Please be following Lory to the breakfasting now.” As I so often had in the past day, I take a deep breath to ready myself and nod. I take little Tom out of his bed and adjust my grip accordingly.
The Houseelf leads me through big halls and stairwells before we reached what must be the dining room. My eyes go wide as we enter. The room is huge, with a shining chandelier at the ceiling illuminating the whole of it. There is a big table with many chairs around it. Lord Black, Uncle as I was supposed to call him, is already sitting at the head of the table, reading the newspaper, to his left sits a beautiful woman, who must be his wife, Ursula, I think. He had mentioned her yesterday.
“I apologise for being late, Lord Uncle,” I say as I sit down next to Ursula.
“You are just on time, we were about to begin breakfast.” He states as he puts the newspaper down and breakfast appears on the table. “This is my wife, Ursula.”
We start breakfast in silence as everyone takes what they want to eat from the plates and bowls on the table. I look at Tommy helplessly as I realise I do not know what to feed him with when a bottle of milk appears on the table, next to my plate. Still helpless I try to adjust the baby the right way to feed him, when Lady Black, Aunt Ursula, speaks up. “Shall I?” she asks.
“Would you? I have no idea what I am doing.” I admit and hand him over.
“You will get used to it. I will not allow a child to be raised by house elves. I raised all my children myself, as will you of course.”
“Of course, but he’s not my-” I try to explain. Tom is not my son, he’s Merope’s.
“Nonsense. You brought him here, you're going to raise him. That makes you his mother. His biological mother isn't here, she died, didn't she? He is your responsibility now. Anyways, I took it upon myself to have some clothing for you and the baby delivered overnight. I don’t imagine you have anything… appropriate for this time, no? The Houseelfs have already taken the packages to your bedroom and are packing them up in trunks for you.” Trunks as in, plural? As in more than one? What has that woman ordered for there to be more than one trunk? Well, she seems nice enough, if a bit stony at first.
“I..thank you, Lady Black.” I stutter. I really am not used to someone taking such care of me, and they didn't even know me until yesterday, really. But Phineas had told me in the evening, that family would come first from now on, when he told me to call him uncle.
"You will call me Aunt Ursula, of course. Better to get used to it." Ursula corrects.
“I thought we might take a walk after breakfast. The weather is quite nice today and I’d like to have your opinion on some things before you leave. Nothing big, I promise.” Uncle Phineas interrupted.
Maybe this could be our chance for a nicer family life. Maybe Tom Riddle would not grow up to become Lord Voldemort this time either. Everything seems to work out so far. I can actually feel myself getting excited for France.