'Je t'aime... moi non plus' - Serge Gainsbourg

WITCHCRAFT BY A PICTURE

Chapter 1

Foul Deeds Will Rise

'Have you heard?'

Selene looked up from her magazine to see Malkin's black eyes sparkling and her face flushed with excitement.

'No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me nonetheless.'

Malkin grinned and sat opposite Selene.

'We have no classes with Slytherin this year!'

Selene's eyes widened and she sat up.

'No!' she said in a low whisper. 'But… surely… that would make our year too easy!'

Malkin nodded ecstatically.

'I know! No Emilio trying to make a pass at me every chance he gets…'

'No more Tom!' Selene exclaimed, becoming teary at the thought.

Malkin frowned.

'Selene, dear, surely you're not upset at the thought?'

Selene wiped her eyes and laughed.

'No. It's just… this is the best news I've received for a very long time. I haven't been this happy since our end of exams celebrations last school year!'

'Was summer that bad?' Malkin whispered. 'I thought you said that you could easily ignore him at the orphanage?'

Selene shrugged and glanced out of the window at the lush English countryside.

'I did, mostly. Of course, I had a few chance run-ins with him but thankfully he didn't speak to me or even look at me, really. Still, that orphanage isn't exactly my idea of a fun summer.'

Selene looked up to see that her friend looked guilty.

'Oh come on, don't be like that!'

'It's just... I don't understand why you didn't just come on holiday with me and my family! I asked you at least half a dozen times- and we went all around Europe. We would have had a ball, the two of us!'

Selene chewed her lip.

'You don't understand,' she said slowly. 'If I let Tom go there by himself, there would be no one to protect the other orphans from him. I'm the only one at that orphanage who has ever been able to stop him or make sure that he doesn't get away with it.'

Malkin looked uncomfortable.

'Selene,' she said quietly, 'Are you sure it's safe for you to try standing up to him?'

Selene raised an eyebrow.

'What are you saying?'

Malkin sighed.

'He's scary, Selene. There's something not right about that boy and, as your best friend, I'm telling you that I think it'd be best if you didn't provoke him.'

Selene crossed her arms stubbornly.

'Do you think he's better than me?'

Malkin looked down at her hands.

'Well?' Selene demanded. 'Do you?'

'Look, Selene, there are some curses for which there is no counter, and you don't know any Dark Arts.'

Selene rolled her eyes.

'Please. Tom could never hurt me. Have you forgotten about my special gift?'

This time, it was Malkin who rolled her eyes.

'Selene. Wandless magic consisting of levitating books and causing pumpkin juice to explode in Alphard Black's face isn't exactly going to help you when faced with an Unforgivable.'

'Yes,' Selene interrupted impatiently, 'but it's a gift he doesn't have.'

Malkin stared at Selene before shrugging.

'I know I'm never going to convince you on this topic so how about we leave it and talk about something else. I know, how about I show you my robe design sketches? I had some excellent inspiration from the catwalks of Milan. Their clothes there are so beautiful- I couldn't resist buying a whole trunkful of clothes!'

Selene shook her head at Malkin, grinning.

'I thought you weren't buying any more clothes?'

Malkin smiled guiltily.

'I know… but I was in Milan for Merlin's sake! How often am I in the world's fashion capital?'

Selene laughed.

'Very well then. Now, show me Madame Malkin's latest fashion designs. I want to see if you've come up with anything which I can wear to this year's Yule Ball!'

Alphard Black had seen better days.

He was very disappointed that his summer break was over and that he had to return to school, and this was rather unusual for him. Usually, he was ecstatic at the thought of leaving his family and their upper-class snobbery.

But this summer had been different-

Camille.

She was a muggle girl from the village next to the Black Chateau in the South of France and he was fifteen and in love with her. She was unlike any other girl he had met with her bronze skin and fair hair, her sparkling blue eyes, her adorable French accent…

Not to mention the fact that she was much more relaxed and willing to trying things than any of those prudish English girls. So much so that it was in fact she who had suggested that they make love on the beach that night- the night before he left France for England again.

She said it would be their final gift to each other.

'Here, take this,' she said, handing him the cigarette that she had just rolled.

He took a drag from it and coughed a little.

'What…what is it?' he asked, his head feeling light.

She smiled, flashing her brilliant, white teeth.

'Marijuana,' she said, taking a drag and blowing the smoke into his mouth.

He closed his eyes, feeling as though he was soaring high in the air. Nothing mattered anymore.

She leant forward and kissed him. Her hair had never felt softer in between his fingers as he tangled a hand in it and pulled her closer to him.

She rolled on top of him until she was straddling him.

'For l'amour,' she said, her voice reverberating in his ears.

'For love,' he sighed.

He gasped as she lowered herself onto him. It was nothing compared to what it felt like when he was alone in his bedroom.

She rolled her head back and he trailed wet kisses down her neck as they began to move.

'Ah… Alphard,' she sighed, 'Je t'aime, Je t'aime…'

His breath caught as the pressure built up. His hair was sweaty and he saw beads of her own sweat trailing down her breasts.

'Oh…merde…Alphard…!'

But he had come too quickly, disappointing her. She soothed him by telling him that it was normal for boys to come very quickly on their first time, and then allowed him to finish what he had started for her.

Of course he had kept Camille a secret from his family. After all, they would surely kill her (and him) if they had found out that he had been 'defiling' their noble and pure name with a muggle…

But, for now, that didn't matter. She was his first love and it hurt that he would never see her again.

.

'Hey, Alphie quit pining and say hello to your mates!' Ryan said, punching his arm.

Alphard looked up, annoyed.

'Don't punch me,' he muttered irritably.

Ryan rolled his eyes.

'Come now, Alphie. We haven't seen you all summer! What's news?'

Alphard pursed his lips.

'Nothing,' he replied shortly.

His friends stared at him. Sean, Alphard's best friend, grinned-

'He's in love.'

Alphard looked up suddenly, his eyes ablaze.

'How…how do you know?' he stammered.

Sean shook his head at Alphard.

'Look at you- you've become pale, thin and… you look like you haven't slept properly in a while.'

Alphard sighed.

'Well?' Keith grinned. 'Who is she?

Alphard smiled, but said nothing. Suddenly, the compartment door burst open and they all looked up to see Gertrude McAvoy and Muriel Weasley.

Their chests were both puffed out, highlighting their shiny new 'Prefect' badges.

'Which idiot made Mad Muriel a prefect?' Keith muttered.

The four boys burst out into raucous laughter.

'Ten points from Ravenclaw,' Muriel said primly.

'Each,' Gertrude nodded.

'Gertie,' Alphard retorted, 'You're in Ravenclaw! Why would you take points from us?'

'Because it's time you boys learnt a lesson,' she replied tartly.

Alphard grinned at her and Gertrude swallowed uneasily, her strict demeanour slipping as her eyes locked with his mischievous, sparkling grey eyes.

'Come, Gertie, no one likes a prude. Why don't you two lovely ladies take a break from docking house points and join us for a round of Butterbeer?'

The other boys' eyes widened in horror at the suggestion.

'Um…' Gertrude faltered, torn between Alphard and duty.

'Ahem ahem.'

They all looked up at Muriel who shot Gertrude a disapproving look.

'We're leaving, Gertrude. We can't be seen associating with such raucous boys,' she said firmly.

Gertrude nodded, though she hardly looked as though she agreed with Muriel and it wasn't until Muriel grabbed her arm forcefully and pulled her out of the compartment that she actually did leave.

Alphard looked around to see his three friends looking highly unimpressed with him.

'What?' he asked innocently.

'You invited Mad Muriel and Gross Gertie to have Butterbeer with us?'

Alphard shrugged.

'So?'

Keith sprang up and shook Alphard by the shoulders.

'Don't you see what that would do to our reputation?'

Alphard rolled his eyes.

'Oh come on…'

'Alphard,' Ryan interrupted sternly. 'Your vision may be impaired due to your lovesickness, but you just asked the two ugliest girls in the school to join us. You have to snap out of this, man!'

Alphard shook his head.

'Can't you see that it's a good thing to have them on our side? Winning them over before school starts means that they'll be more lenient to us for the rest of the year.'

Alphard grinned as the genius of his plan registered with the others.

Suddenly, Ryan sprung up and ran out of the compartment door calling down the corridor for Gertrude and Muriel to come back. Alphard couldn't help laughing.

Perhaps the year wasn't going to be so bad after all.

'To-om! Tom! Where are you?'

Tom clenched his fists, trying to ignore Morticia's voice. He was meant to start his Prefect duties by patrolling with fellow Slytherin prefect- Morticia- but after an unbearable summer of no magic, he has other plans.

'Tom!'

He brought his fist hard against the wall, his patience finally snapping, and pointed his wand at the locked door.

'Silencio,' he hissed.

He smiled in relief as Morticia's unbearable voice had finally disappeared before turning to face his victim.

'Forgive the interruption,' he said politely. 'Now, where were we?'

Esther tried to struggle against the robes which bound and gagged her, desperate tears streaking down her pale cheeks.

Tom smiled coldly at her. It was pathetic, really, how easy it was to reduce someone to such a state of desperation. After all, Esther was in his year and meant to be one of the brightest students.

Evidently not too bright. It had been ridiculously easy to capture her and disarm her.

'Now, Esther,' Tom whispered, 'Don't be like that. You won't remember any of this when we're done- it'll be as though it never happened. I just need a bit of practise.'

He paused and smiled again.

'Think of it as you, helping a fellow colleague become one of the greatest wizards of all time.'

Esther's eyes widened as Tom cleared his throat.

'Crucio.'

So I'm back. I just missed you all too much!

Now that I'm waiting for my novel (Stained Glass) to get published, and I find that I can't write anything else that is original until it is, I gave in and decided to try this. A lot of you asked me to write a prequel when TGM finished and, as I've been thinking a lot about Voldemort lately and decided that 'The Good Morrow' didn't give me enough of an opportunity to explore his character, I came to the conclusion that it was time I wrote this story.

And, in case you're wondering, you don't have to have read The Good Morrow to read this.

A little teaser from the next chapter:

'I hate him! I hate him so much that I want to kill him! Why do I care what that evil, evil boy thinks of me? Why does his opinion matter to me?' – Selene Asteria, talking about Tom Riddle

Feel free to leave me a review!

Love, Anya

P.S You can find links to my official website, Twitter, Tumblrs and LJ on my Profile Page. Do check them out and add me :)