Lenoras Lament: A Tom Riddle Tale

Untethered

       Her walk back to the Slytherin common room felt longer than ever. Lenora realized that it was a strange thing to be alone in the past couple of months. Tom stayed near, or sent one of his followers to shadow her even if at a few feet away. Without him she felt untethered. Just like she did when he first abandoned her third year.
     As if summoned, a hand touched her shoulder.
"Hello stranger" a familiar voice said. She jumped at the startling feeling of being touched.
Abraxas used his hand to spin her around.
"Well hello yourself" she said laughing, "I should hex you for scaring me so".
     He grinned at her, "well I saw you were finally without your Prince Charming".
She scoffed and raised her brows, "you really are trying to get hexed Malfoy".
     Lenora didn't realize how crowded the hallway had become, she peered around to see if she could spot Tom amongst the rush of people.
   Abraxas watched her uneasiness. He put his arm around her in a friendly way.
"Let's go to Hogsmeade"
"No..Abraxas.." she looked around hopelessly, "I have to study".
    "Come on Nora, we haven't gone anywhere since Diagon Alley" he chided and then said in a low voice, "Tom doesn't need to take all of your time. Up until a couple of months ago you were my friend remember?".
She smiled and sighed. Diagon Alley. That was almost two months ago.

Two months ago

Her wand had not only been snapped during the attack. It was utterly destroyed.
"I'm sorry" said the wand keeper at Hogwarts, "Looks like you'll need a new one.".
     Tom was waiting for her outside of their office, he didn't ask only read her face .
"I'll accompany you" he said, "let's go at once".
    They were stopped by professor Dumbledore,
"Excursions outside of Hogwarts are not permitted during school hours. You both should know better" he said
    "My wand, was destroyed" she offered him the pieces for credibility.
    "And how did this happen?" Dumbledore asked suspiciously, he knew Lenora wasn't popular outside of her own house but these actions usually ended in expulsion.
    "She doesn't know" Tom said, "she found it like this, someone must have taken it and broken it" Tom had his hand on her shoulder.
    Dumbledore looked at Lenora, she looked down at the floor. Her eyes unblinking, he continued to stare and ask again.
    "Lenora, if someone broke it then we must have an investigation. This is a serious offense."
"N-no" she said softly shaking her head.
    "Fine!" Tom was obviously frustrated, "we lied. She got upset and snapped it and was too embarrassed to say. Either way - Professor" he spat out, "she needs a replacement".
   Dumbledores brows were knitted together in concern, "is this true Miss. Rosier?"
    Lenora didn't glance up, her eyes threaten to spill with tears as she choked out, "Yes professor, I'm very sorry". Finally she lifted her head and barely met his gaze ,"I'm so embarrassed"she begun to cry.
     Tom touched her back and glared at Dumbledore with disgust, "may we be on our way now?"
Dumbledore patted her shoulder, "Yes Miss Rosier may go".
"I'm going with her".
    "I hardly think Miss Rosier needs a chaperone" he said a little tickled. It had been four years since he had seen them even have a meaningful conversation. They appeared as friends to most people but he could see their calculated, polite interactions. And he remembered what they once were before his interference.
    The way Tom was looking at them now told him that once again they had found each other.      Whatever the reason he knew that her broken wand was proof he needed to keep them apart.
"She is without a wand, she needs someone with her".
"Very well" Dumbledore said, looking amongst the students passing.
"Malfoy!" He called over to Abraxas who leaned on a wall with Mulciber.
"My boy, would you please accompany Miss. Rosier" he filled in Abraxas on the story that Tom spun.
    Tom burned in anger watching Dumbledore as Abraxas' eyes jumped from Lenora to Tom and Dumbledore.
"Of course".

   They walked down Diagon Alley, floo powder dusted on their shoes. She unlinked arms with Malfoy as the entered Ollivanders
   "Ahh Miss Rosier" Ollivander faded away from them pouring through boxes.
"I was so sorry to hear about your wand".
    Lenora's cheeks flushed, she opened her mouth to say something. Abraxas brushed past her to lean on the counter.
   "Yes, very sad," he said in a playful tone, "I don't suppose you have iron wands".
   Lenora wanted to laugh but Ollivander shot around so fast.
"You would serve best to LEAVE, Mr. Malfoy" he leaned over the counter. Abraxas took a step back and shot Lenora a sorry face making his eyes wide and grinned.
     Lenora approached the counter slowly hearing the ding of the bell on the door.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ollivander" she said "I loved my wand, I- "
"I know you didn't do it" he said so plainly it stopped her breath.
   "Dragon tail was your old wand correct?" He picked up a box opening a wand.
   "Yes sir" she took the wand from him, she flicked it and a stack of boxes shot up in the air making her cringe.
    He shook his head and took it.
"Maybe it's time for a change, let's try a new core" he looked back at her for a moment.
  "You've changed" he nodded as she avoided his gaze, "so your magic may have as well"
He handed her another and she tried to flick it softly without any flourish, a glass display shattered.
"I never get used to that" she sighed nervously.    
    Her old wand she found on the first try. This trip was torture enough without the casualty of half his store being destroyed.
   "Phoenix core. Yew wood". He climbed a step stool to grab a box. "A rarer combination. You must be careful with this one my dear" he cautioned and handed it to her ever so delicately.
"Careful?" She asked looking down at the wand.     
      Her wrist softened, she felt a stream of power rushing through her arm. For a moment her spirits were lifted, she held up the wand and flicked it.
      All of the fallen boxes returned to their shelves. The shards of glass from the shattered display lifted and she placed them carefully back together.
"Careful" he said with an approving nod, "powerful it is, phoenix tail. But that's not what makes this wand rare. Yew wood, a very rare wood indeed. It represents the power of life and death, many powerful dark wizards have used Yew".
    She could hardly hear him, she could only feel the vibrating through her wrist, as it rippled through the room.