She's A Liar [T.R. & R.B.]

I

1|  A pretty smile for a pretty lady

"Tighten her corset more, we have to make an impeccable impression" was what Althea's mother had been repeating to her for days, if not weeks. They hadn't yet explained to her quite what this ceremony consisted of, they had briefly mentioned that her father owed a favour and she was a gift.

Usually being regarded as a gift, a bargaining chip of no value would have annoyed her - it still did - but this time she would feign indifference. The aforementioned ceremony had other guests besides her, including Regulus Black.

You could almost tell she was excited to meet him again. For weeks his gift had been whispering in her ear, in a mellifluous, velvety voice, telling her of a bountiful, lush future. A picture full of riches and embellished with the most genuine love and she had convinced herself that it was the youngest of the blacks who would give her a perfect future....

The maid tightened her corset once more and Althea's breath caught. She squeezed her eyelids shut and tried to regulate her breathing so she wouldn't feel her ribs colliding uncomfortably with each other. When she opened her eyes again, she saw her mother's stern face, twisted into a grimace that seemed to resemble a smile.

Julia Yaxley was an extremely intelligent woman who had understood how the world worked from an early age. Getting into the good graces of society was through money and if you didn't have it then you married someone who did.

It was not an easy path, not even a dignified one, but it had given her and her family a stable and respected position.

She had used every asset she had, beauty, sensuality and charisma, to catch the eye of powerful men and it had worked to perfection. She had taught little Althea that men were blinded by power and money and that if you made them think you were them, they would shower you with whatever shone.

Her hands gathered her hair behind the nape of her neck, leaving her pale neck exposed and allowing the neckline of her dress to be nicely accentuated.

"men will always see you as an object to be conquered" he had told her "use that weakness against them"

"You must impress our lord darling, show him that he needs you. That we all serve" otherwise what would have happened? they would have perhaps fallen from grace or worse.

Playing games with a war lord was not a smart move and taking advantage of his patience even less so.

Wrapped in her coat and with leather gloves covering her long fingers, she went into the fireplace. She took a handful of floo powder and took a deep breath, how complicated could it be to impress a lord? "Malfoy manor!"

-

Much more complex than expected.

When she came out of the Malfoy's large fireplace she thanked Merlin for putting on her coat. It was freezing in that house. As she waited for her parents, she surveyed the room. The lights were low and cast a greenish halo over the walls making it appear more sinister than it really was, at least she hoped so.

She could hear several murmurs coming from behind the doors that, she assumed, overlooked the room where the meeting was to take place. Althea began to break out in a cold sweat. Suddenly all the nervousness she had desperately tried to banish over the previous weeks washed over her in a wave of cold panic. She twitched her fingers a couple of times, hearing the crunch of skin covering her hands reassured her, if only slightly. She told herself there was nothing to worry about, she wouldn't have to demonstrate or intervene. she would just have to put on a big smile and look excited at the idea of serving Lord Voldemort.

When she heard a faint pop from behind her, she walked towards the half-open doors that stood out against the bare wall, but as soon as she took a step, she was abruptly pulled back by a large hand.

"You're coming in after me you insolent brat." her father's eyes held only wrath as they rested on her, after seventeen years she was used to it and his cold stare no longer unsettled her.

When she was younger - and she still hoped to receive her father's affection - she used to wonder what was the reason for so much animosity towards him. She was aware that the main reason was the fact that she was a girl, but she was not particularly convinced that this was the only reason. Years later she discovered that she had inherited the gift of clairvoyance from him and the more she used it, the more he lost it. That was probably why they had not tried to have more children. He wanted to slow the inevitable loss of his power.

"Obviously father" stayed two steps behind him and his mother and followed them. Her hands clasped in her lap and her chin raised.

Her father opened the doors being greeted by a heavy silence and too many curious eyes to find out who the newcomer was. Althea shifted her gaze to her hands and began to slip off her gloves, hoping the exchange of pleasantries would last forever. She listened carefully to her father's words waiting to be introduced, while she discreetly observed the crowd gathered around the table, suppressing a smile when she noticed Regulus watching her and then the unexpected happened.

Her father said her name, Althea shifted her gaze to the far end and her breath caught in her throat. Lord Voldemort, the great dark lord, the one who commanded awe and respect pinned her with his gaze and a tremendous awareness took shape in her head. The eyes, dark and empty, of what would soon be her master were the same ones that had watched and squared her on the dance floor the night before.

Althea went to that club often. All the wizards knew it and the anxiety about the next day was too much. she wanted to have fun and let loose, to feel for one last time the breeze of freedom before she was trapped by her parents' lack of discipline.

She often did this, let herself be carried away by the fumes of alcohol and made fun of the bravest men. She would provoke them and then remove her presence from their heads, leaving them embarrassed among strangers. When the man in the bar approached her she changed her mind, after all she deserved to have fun too, didn't she?

What she didn't expect was that this man, the one for whom she had allowed herself to be carried away by thoughts and acts unbecoming of a decent person, would be the same one to use her skills. A childish blush stained her cheeks, but not because of the action she had done, but because of the look he was giving her. The look of someone who remembered and would have no problem repeating such an impure act.

"I guess we can sit down can't we?"

Althea sat down in front of Regulus Black, the excitement she felt at meeting him was gone, replaced by the shivers of defiance and recklessness that covered her skin whenever she met his gaze.

New cards had been laid out on the table and Althea couldn't wait to use them all and win the prize.

The question was... what was the prize?

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I'm exhausted so it's probably full of mistakes, I'll correct it tomorrow. Good night (or good morning) i love you.

please vote or comment i need to know if someone are enjoying the story <3333