The castle was still, the crowds outside much too loud and joyous as they celebrated for her tastes and she'd quickly slipped away with the promise of sleep luring her towards the dungeons. But even in her state of exhaustion, she heard the faint footsteps following her.

At the wall to the Common Room, she stopped, not looking back but crossing her arms. "I'm not going to let you into the Common Room. You either talk to me here or go away."

"I wasn't planning on trying to sneak in, I just wanted to speak to you away from the crowds." Lucius Malfoy's friend spoke up and when she turned around, he was leaning against a nearby wall.

Letting her wand slip into her hand, feeling unnerved by the intense gaze he had fixed on her, she narrowed her eyes. "And what is it you wish to talk about because I am in a foul mood already and will not hold back should you move a foot out of line. It's quite creepy to follow a teenage girl into the castle, alone and wanting to 'talk'."

Blinking, as if that hadn't occurred to the man, he seemed to frown slightly as if put out by this. "I didn't mean to-"

Lena held up a hand to stop him, relaxing just slightly, content the man was just an idiot but not a threat to her at the moment. "Just tell me what you wanted to ask. I'm quite tired and I really do plan to sleep for a week."

"I was wondering why you fear that boy, as he was in your dreamscape... Did he hurt you?" The man's eyebrows were furrowed as if this was unimaginable to him but as if he'd made himself say it anyway.

A slight chuckle escaped her lips at the mere thought.

"What a farce. I would never hurt you."

I know dearest, that was why I was laughing.

She smiled and shook her head. "I think you're mistaken. Tom would never hurt me, no, I more think that he showed up as my boggart because-"

"I did WHAT NOW?!"

Lena stifled a smile. "-because the thing I fear most is now the inevitable day in which I will lose him. Nothing more than that, just a teenage girl who's seen too much death fearing that it will take another she cares for."

"You spoil me with such sweet words, my dear."

I tell naught but the truth, sweetheart.

"I see." This time the man- Gaunt something?- said the words, he actually did seem to understand, eyes softer in where they were watching her than she knew what to do with. "Then I hope for both your and his sake, that day will never come."

Shrugging, that uncomfortable jittery feeling coming back to her and she looked down at the ground. "I hope so too, but I fear that my hopes will be ignored by the fates, as they always have before."

Why was she telling this stranger such personal things?

"Because you subconsciously trust him? I think it's sweet, dear."

Pouting slightly and letting herself the childish action of squishing a small blue beetle by her foot at her internal irritation, she turned and walked inside the Common Room without even saying goodbye to the man.

I am not 'sweet'.

"Of course, dearest. You were made of hellfire and poisoned hot chocolate, but even so, I will always think you sweet.

She relaxed slightly, knowing Riddle was just being a sap and not making fun of her.

Thomas fought the sappy smile wanting to curl his lips at the more than pleasing answer Lena had given him, his worries over the boggart soothed.

And how adorable, pouting and squishing that beetle, most likely because she had let slip more information than she normally would with anyone else.

Feeling all warm inside- he would most definitely consult Narcissa about this strange feeling, perhaps he was getting sick- he was about to turn away when a soft light engulfed the hallway.

Eyes widening at the sight of Rita Skeeter, laying in a puddle of what looked to be blood with her limbs twisted at odd angles, he looked at the door to the Slytherin Common Room.

He so wanted to permit himself entry, if just to ask Lena how she'd known- to smother her in awed utterances and sweet words of how amazing she was... but he restrained himself, if just barely.

There was time to play her game, though he had the suspicion that he was a mere pawn on her chessboard.

And oh, if that was what she asked of him, then he would gladly play along.

That way he might get to see more of her feats of wonder bask in her power and beauty.

Thomas flicked his wand, sending the body to the Malfoy dungeons, knowing the house-elves would get rid of it. Then he cleaned the stone of the blood, all the while growing more and more determined to make sure that none of the radical idiots under him scared away the magnificent girl.

He would have to clean up his kingdom a bit before he showed it to his Queen.

It had been a week since she'd left Britain and Severus had been trying to go to every single bookstore they walked past, Lena eventually just giving in and finding something to do after she had found a few books and the man was busy trying to absorb every single book he came across.

Usually, that left her in parks soaking up the sun, eyes closed as she talked idly with Riddle, but sometimes she would find little cafes nearby to sit down at and get a cup of tea.

Lena sliced the tip of the pie off with her fork, setting it to the side for last, as was tradition. Taking a bite of the apple pie, she looked out of the window in the small cafe and put her chin in her hand. Severus was across the street in a bookstore (again), and she'd wanted pie.

Only…

Lena sighed, taking another bite of pie but not tasting it.

She felt as if she'd left something important- something she couldn't remember- behind when she'd taken hold of the international portkey.

"Maybe you did."

Perhaps... When do you think it would be appropriate to get homesick?

"Homesick? You're already homesick sweetheart." Riddle scoffed. "Why not just go back to Britain?"

You know why. Voldemort's back and if I'm not hallucinating, then he's wearing your face, dear.

"You know that you can't keep avoiding him forever."

Lena frowned slightly and took another bite of pie. I can until I know how to kill him. That's what the others wanted, so that's what I'm going to do.

There was a long pause. "Then you know you'll have to destroy me and also know where the last consciousness piece is."

I know.

They sat in silence- a teenage witch and the voice in her head- until Severus came back and sat with her quietly as he read, sneaking bites of her pie when she pretended like she wasn't looking.

Standing outside a small two-story shop of wooden children's toys and other carved objects, she looked to Severus. "This is the place?"

"This is the place." He moved forward, opening the door for her. "Be nice."

"I'm always nice." She ignored his snort, moving into the shop and looking around critically at the small objects, half her brain puzzling over their use while the other half of her brain was instead focused on the larger man with short black hair and a rough look on his face was watching her from his seat at a small desk- carving something faintly resembling an elephant.

Severus moved into the shop after her, not even glancing at the wooden carvings and instead looking at the man with sharp eyes. "We are here to meet-"

Lena moved forward, holding out her hand. "Mister Flamel. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"...How did you know?" The man looked at her with brown eyes that were almost hidden under impressive eyebrows, his angular face one that reminded her of a bad guy in one of the action movies she'd snuck out of the Orphanage to see.

"He is not the Alchemist. He cannot be..."

Lena ignored Riddle, smiling slightly and keeping her hand extended. "Age is not in the face, but the eyes. If I might be so crass to say- you've seen some right shit, sir."

With a grin that was pure mirth, the man told her hand with a (un)surprisingly strong grip, standing. He towered over her like a wall of pure muscle, letting her hand go and patting her head. "I think she'll like you."

"She?" Severus sounded a bit far out of his depth, but they both just ignored him.

"Oh, am I forgetting the time again?" A woman with a bright smile and beautifully braided hair strolled out of a door in the back, standing on the balls of her feet to press a kiss to the man's lips before looking at them cheerfully. "You must be the friends Albus sent me! I see you've met my husband, so please, come in!"

The man frowned slightly. "Perry… I'm not sure-"

"Thank you, Miss Flamel." Lena slipped past the large man, moving to walk with the woman back into a small house. "You're more beautiful than even the accounts of olde say and if I may say, your hair would make my beauty-obsessed friend cry tears of joy."

White teeth bright again her dark skin, Perenelle sent her a fond smile. "Thank you, young one. You are not lacking in beauty either, though I am much more fond of men and am married."

Lena flushed slightly. "Oh- no I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay. I'm just giving you a hard time." The woman winked at her, waving her to a seat in a small kitchen before starting to make a pot of tea. "You are Albus' prodigy after all, are you not? It would be a loss for me to not take this chance to tease you."

She sat down at one of the chairs. "You look alright without your stone, did you make a new one?"

Perenelle Flamel nodded idly, leaning back against the counter. "A friend of ours who can see the future told us many years ago not to worry about losing the other one, as she said it would stay in hands that wouldn't abuse it."

"The stone is yours? You made it?" Snape followed her in and sat down heavily as if the world had tilted on its axis. "What- but the books-"

"No. She made the stone. Even Salazar Slytherin knew that. Perenelle just let Nicolas take credit because it was the only way for her to not be hunted, as women were not supposed to be powerful inventors at that time. Hence why Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were also trained in battle." Lena grinned sharply. "But I would bet that you're not all that harmless either."

The woman laughed brightly, moving to pull her into a tight hug. "I like this one!"

Nicolas crossed his arms, sighing, even as he held a fond look on his face. "Knew it."

Severus and she looked at each other, him in bewilderment and her in exasperation, as they both suspected this was going to be an interesting summer.

Kid,

I know you up and left and I'm probably the last person you want to hear from, but will you trust me when I say that my Lord is not trying to kill you and that you can come back without the threat of death?

In fact, he seems a bit- well-... it's not my business.

Not to mention Narcissa is getting extra moody (pardon the pun) because she couldn't throw you a birthday party.

Don't you trust me?

Sometimes Moody

Fake Moody,

I trust you about as far as I can throw you.

Which is not that much.

Also, I think the tests to see in my mind and the man-eating beasts speak for themselves.

Tell your Lord that he sucks- if he's up and living that is (because he won't be for long).

Heiress Farland-Slytherin.

"Up late?"

Lena looked over at the door from where she'd been sitting on the balcony, only giving Nicolas a glance before she turned her attention back to where she was watching the stars shine over the Eiffel Tower. "Well I'm not sleeping, am I?"

With a soft huff, the man sat down in the seat next to where she was curled up, looking out at the skyline. "I've noticed that you look sad when you think no one can see you."

"I…" She sighed and rubbed at her face. "I've never felt like I was attached to one place. I've never really had a home- even Hogwarts is temporary- and Severus, well, he knows that I can fend for myself. And yet… I still feel as if something is missing. As if someone scooped out part of my heart and took it away from me."

Nicolas nodded as if he understood. "I was living the same way- a half-life- before I met Perenelle. She is my everything. Our wands, minds, and hearts are connected and I do not think I would ever be able to leave her side willingly even if she asked me to."

Lena looked over, eyebrows drawing together. "Your wands?"

"Twins. Same wood, same core." The man winked, leaning forward to put his hands under his chin with a soft sigh she could only describe as 'lovesick'. "Long past it was common to see twin wands in either the closest families or the best of lovers… but now? Now they are rare and the beauty has been all but forgotten."

Slowly, she pulled out her wand, looking at it. Its white wood was stained with her blood in a line down the center, the stain not ever to come out, but it was the twin to Tom's wand.

To the wand that had killed her and then made her again into the person she was now.

"And yet, you either know this or have guessed it already… You have a soulmate wand?"

"I… I have the twin wand to the same insane man who is slowly coming back to try to rule Britain. I have the wand of a murderer, but I might be one too if I should go through with my plan to destroy him before he can kill me." She stood up, stowing her wand away. "I think-... I think I should get some sleep."

Nicolas laid a large hand on her arm gently, his eyes kind. "Nothing is black or white. If Fate has a plan, it will happen. I just hope you accept it when it does… I have seen these things end up in tragedy many times before."

"Goodnight, Mister Flamel." Pulling from his touch, she moved back to the small room she and Severus were sharing, moving to lay down before closing her eyes with a sigh and sinking into her mindscape.

Riddle stood in the center of what looked to be a rose garden, arms crossed. "Is it really so horrible a thought? Being our-... being my fated?"

Smiling softly at the boy, she moved forward to wrap her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder and waiting until his hands moved to settle around her before speaking. "No. No, it's not you or the others I have a problem with, sweetheart. It's more the fact that if I chose you I will forsake any redemption I could ever have, but if I don't, I am afraid that redemption would not mean anything... because I would have already lost you."

"To me..." His voice was quiet, head lowered to murmur his words into her hair softly. "That sounds like an easy choice."

"It would be, if not that I do not think I would live past the age of seventeen without destroying the part of you that seeks to kill me." She wished she could stay in his arms forever, warm and safe, but she knew it was not her choice to make.

Riddle sighed softly, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair gently, nose brushing over the crest of her head. "It will be alright in the end… we will be alright in the end- but for now, let's not think of such sad things. Come, cuddle with me."

She chuckled softly as he pulled her to a sofa in the middle of the garden, shaking her head. "I should never have explained what 'cuddling' is. You're a nuisance."

"You love me."

"Even if I do, I will never admit it." Moving to lay beside Tom on the couch, she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, content in the way his arms wrapped around her. "Goodnight Tom."

With a soft chuckle, she felt lips press a kiss to her forehead, his arms tightening just a bit to pull her closer. "Goodnight Lena."