AN: Written for S2R7 of QL. This round was all about horcrux and I got Ravenclaw's Diadem and this is what I was able to come up with so, yeah. I'm not too sure about it, but it's the best I've got.

Prompts: Take a bow – Rihanna, picture of christmas decorations, and "we accept the love we think we deserve," – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Word count: 1,438

Now it's time to go, curtain's finally closing

The Diadem

Helena stared at the wooden box that she held in her hand. The box always held her mother's diadem whenever she wasn't wearing it. Truthfully, her mother rarely kept the Diadem in the box and in reality, wore it out a bunch of times.

Probably to show it off, no doubt, she thought as she lifted the lid on the box.

The crown lay peacefully on the lining that covered the inside of the box. The blue oval sapphire in the center sparked against the gold of the band. It really was a beautiful piece.

Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.

Those words were carved into the crown just under the stone and wrapped around the band. She remembered her mother saying those words before and how they quickly became the Ravenclaw tagline, so to speak.

The diadem was supposed to enhance the wisdom of the wearer – she also remembered her mother telling her before. A part of her wondered whether or not that was true and she planned to find out.

She wanted to run away, with the diadem in toll. Find a way to make herself cleverer and more important than her mother was – she just had to wait until the right moment.

"One of these days, that will be past down to you," her mother's voice started her and she almost dropped the box.

She composed herself and turned around to face her mother, the box still gripped in her hand. "I'm…I was just…" Helena started but stopped herself. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to explain how she was in her mother's quarters, staring at her mother's diadem.

"Marveling at it," Rowena spoke, as if it were the most obviously thing in the world. "It's perfectly normal. I was the same way when I first saw it. It has that effect on a person." Her mother stepped towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll look great in it."

Helena glanced up at her mother and couldn't help if there was a hidden meaning behind her words. A part of Helena wondered if her mother could see what she was really up to. What she planned to do with it when she felt the time was right.

She gave her mother a small smile, closed the box and set it on her nightstand where she got it.

"Of course," she replied because it was the right thing to do.

Helena sat at the Ravenclaw table, staring up at the vast Christmas tree at the front most center of the hall. Holly, mistletoe, tinsel, ribbons, garland, bells, ornaments were also decorated throughout Hogwarts, festive for the Holiday season.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

If there was one thing she loved – it was how the castle looked in the winter, especially around Christmas time. Everything seemed so peaceful and it was relaxing.

Comforting even.

A part of her wished she could stay at Hogwarts during the break, but she also knew that she couldn't. Not if she wanted to figure out a way to get her hands on the diadem and get away from her mother.

She did love her mother, really she did. But sometimes she just wished that she could get away from everything; her mother's cleverness and her importance from founding Hogwarts. She wished she didn't feel like she was hidden in her mother's shadow.

She wished that she could be important for something she'd done.

She wanted to be known for more than being Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. She was her own person after all. There was that small part of her that hated being overlooked, forced into the shadows because no one cared.

She would make sure that would change.

As always, her mother had a large Christmas party planned and she was forced to attend. It didn't really matter if she showed or not – no one paid much attention to her. Not when her mother was the center of attention with her diadem sparkling on top of her head.

Seeing it on her mother during an event like this caused her envy to grow. It made her desire to leave with it stronger.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and simmer her anger.

The time will come, Helena, she told herself.

She'd repeated those words to herself over and over again over the past few months. Sometimes repeating those words worked and other times, it didn't.

"Helena," a familiar voice said from behind her, startling her.

She slowly turned around to face the Baron. She hadn't expected to see him. Of course her mother and his parents were friends, so it was obvious he'd be invited. She just hadn't expected him to find her, hiding in a dark corner away from everyone.

The Baron had a habit of finding her when she didn't want to be found. If she thought about it enough, it was actually kind of weird. Especially since she found out how he felt about her considering she didn't feel the same way.

"Hello," she said, politely.

"Are you alright?" he questioned, concerned etched in his voice.

She waved him away. "I'm fine. I just needed some time alone…" she glanced away for a moment, her eyes landing on her mother once before she quickly turned her head. She looked at The Baron. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I could use a drink."

In the dark of the night, she crept through the hallway towards her mother's room. She gripped the doorknob and slowly eased it open. The last thing she needed was for her mother to wake up and catch her.

She maneuvered through the room, completely from memory, edging forward slowly. Trying to blindly feel her way forward without bumping into furniture – she needed to get in and get out.

Somehow she did just that.

That's how she ended up on the outskirt of the property with a few of her things in a travel bag, along with her mother's diadem safely tucked inside, before Apparating away.

She didn't know what she was going to do. But she was a Ravenclaw – she was smart and resourceful. She'd easily figure it out along the way. She knew she had to be careful, sure that her mother would send someone after her once she'd noticed.

There was a small part of her that wondered if she would regret this, but there was also a part of her that knew she had to.

Things were going well for her until that dreadful day in Albania. She was hiding out in the forest, the diadem hidden in a nearby hollow tree.

That day she ran into the Baron in the middle of the forest. Of course he'd be the one to track her. Of course her mother would have sent him. He always found her.

She silently cursed herself.

How could she have let this happen?

"Helena."

She took a moment to reign in her anger and frustration even a bit. "What do you want, Baron?" she questioned, a small hint of frustration becoming clear in her voice.

"Your mother sent me," he replied.

Obviously.

"You need to come home Helena," the Baron continued. "Your mother….she's ill and she's desperate to see you one last time before…"

"I'm sure she only cares about her precious diadem, not me," Helena shot back. She knew that he was hot tempered and she shouldn't be fighting with him, but she couldn't help it.

"Don't you see what you're causing? What you're doing?" he all but shouted.

Helena crossed her arms, standing her ground. "I've made my decision and I think you should go. Now."

They continued the back and forth, growing louder and more anger as the argument grew – Helena not registering exactly what was being said. Before she knew what was happening, there was a flurry of movement and she felt something pierce through her skin.

She staggered backwards on shaky feet, falling against a nearby tree and sliding down. She clutched her abdomen and when she took a hand away, it was covered in blood. There was nothing she could do for the wound.

She found herself glancing up at the Baron again. In his eyes, she could see astonishment for what he'd done. He turned the weapon on himself – remorse clear on his face.

She opened her mouth to try and stop him to no avail. She watched in horror as he used the same weapon to pierce his own skin.