"This…" Dumbledore looked up from where he was holding half of the gold engraved pendant with what looked like tongs under a magnifying glass because he was the oldest man to ever be old. "Lena, my dear girl, this is an extremely complicated arithmancy design. To tell exactly what it does I would have to have Babbling and Vector study it, but to my eyes… it looks almost like what a modified love potion would do."

Curled up in the chair by the window, she nodded slightly, voice sort. "I guessed as much."

Looking at her over his half-moon spectacles seriously, the old man studied her. "I would urge you to tell me who did this, as if we get this design verified by a Master, we can press charges."

Nails digging into the chair, as she didn't want to deal with that- half of her wanting to tear out his heart so she could feel his blood slicking her fingers and the other half sick at that thought, as she'd been the one to corrupt him this way…

Setting down the pendant and leaning back in his chair, Dumbledore spoke up softly. "What's bothering you, my dear?"

"Does something have to be bothering me?"

He chuckled, reaching for a lemon drop. "You came to show me that pendant without wanting to tell me which of my students had done such a thing, hiding in the office of an old man instead of being outside with your friends on a nice sunny day when you know you will not be able to see them for a year and a half… something is wrong Lena."

"No one noticed. No one did anything or said anything or-" Her voice drifted off, jaw clenching for a long moment. "Why?"

Standing from his desk chair and moving to sit across from her slowly, the man met her eyes, holding them as he spoke gently. "Severus came to talk to me a few weeks ago about how Mr. Zabini wanted to report a Mr. Terry Boot for rude and unwanted advances towards Miss Greengrass and Miss Weasley. However because the Hogwarts code of conduct has not been updated for quite some time without the approval of the school board, I was unable to do anything but talk sternly to Mr. Boot."

Lena blinked slowly, before sighing softly and pulling her knees to her chest. "So Blaise, Theo, and Draco pulled all of Slytherin away from the situation to stay off Terry's attention." Her eyes drifted to where a familiar group of heads were walking across the lawn talking, probably wondering where she was. "And I know I snapped at them under the pendant's control the few times they tried to reach out, so they probably thought that it was safer for the house to keep away from him and I both, thinking I could deal with the situation."

"Did you? Deal with it?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, not sure how to answer that.

Had she dealt with it if she was still wrapped in guilt and anger over the whole thing?

"Getting through this type of betrayal takes time, love. You don't have to instantly feel as if you're over it and no one expects you to." Riddle's voice was a balm to her soul.

She pursed her lips together to keep them from wobbling traitorously. It's in moments like these when you know exactly what to say that I remember why I would be unable to live without you.

"Even if I disagree with that, I'm glad that we will never have to find out."

Albus sent her a small fond smile when she looked back up at him, long used to her spacing out for short periods. "Let me ask this… would it have helped if they knew? If they got overly worried and tried to pull you away from him or wanted to coddle you now that it's over?"

"No." Her voice was soft. "No, I think… I think I like the ability to sort out exactly what I feel without anyone hovering over me."

"I guessed as much." Standing slowly and then moving to put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "But I want you to know that I will never see you differently for not being alright."

Her jaw tensed. "I am. I'm-" But there was a burning feeling in the tip of her nose, a lump in her throat and she felt tears rising to the surface. "I'm fine."

Dumbledore just nodded as he sat down at his desk again, not looking at her as he moved to flip through more papers. "But you don't have to be. Not here and not with me, dear girl. Crying will never make you weak in my eyes."

Ducking her head, she wiped her cheek and turned further away from the man so she could look out the window.

I don't deserve this.

"Decent human kindness? My love, you deserve so much more."

"I'll keep an eye on Mr. Boot while you're away and take this pendant to the Ministry, even if I don't tell them who was affected."

The relief was almost visceral, letting a soft sob out as she wrapped her arms around herself tighter. "Th- thanks." And as the sun strolled across the sky, with every tear she shed, she felt a little better, Riddle whispering soft words of comfort in her head.

As Lena was still a fifth year (and the Queen), she decided against drinking at the end-of-the-year party, unlike her whole court, smiling and rolling her eyes as she watched Daphne wrestle to get Theo to sit still and not go join where Blaise and Draco had started the Slytherins in a limbo contest. "Ridiculous."

"You can't blame them. It's the first time any of us have heard about your plan to kill the Dark Lord because apparently, you're the Chosen One after all."

This got a few glances her way, the other Slytherins increasingly bad at being subtle about their listening in the drunker they got, and Theo nodded vigorously. "Yeah! You never told us that you're planning on getting yourself killed! "

She winced slightly, moving to fold her legs up under her as she sought out the right way to put her situation. "Dumbledore and I have talked over many things, including the prophecy. It says that 'either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.' One of us has to die." When the Common Room stilled and moved to better see her, she lowered her eyes slightly so she didn't have to see their faces when she kept talking of such news. "Since the Dark Lord has risen again and is gaining power, Albus has asked me not to come back to Hogwarts next year, so I will be leaving after the Feast to the first of many safe houses across the world- where for the next year and a half I will be training to kill Voldemort."

"You're leaving?" Ginny's voice was soft, a frown on her lips.

"I am, though I will be back for seventh year. I do have a prophecy to complete, after all." Her smile was small, more of a grimace than anything as she looked up to look at all her snakes. "But I am more than sure that during this one of my court will step up to become the next crowned King or Queen."

Theo's snort was soft, letting his head fall back. "You're choosing to omit that you don't plan to survive past seventh year."

Lena's jaw clenched slightly. "Theo..."

"No- I see that look in your eyes!" Standing up and waving his hands, Daphne not even bothering to stop him, the boy flushed with anger as his voice raised to a yell. "You're not planning to fight, you're planning to sacrifice yourself in the hopes it'll keep Vol- Him from hurting any of the people that are close to you! You think that your life is worth less than ours still and you still refuse to believe that we wouldn't want to fight for you! And even if you do die- what then? What if he turns on us anyway?!"

She sighed tiredly. "Theodore- sit down." When he crossed his arms defiantly, she tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling, something of a soft laugh rising from the bitterness in her chest. "And here I thought that it would be Albus or Severus that noticed, not you and Perenelle."

"Wait- you plan on WHAT?"

Not now, dear.

"Lena… you can't honestly think-" Ginny's voice cracked slightly. "What- what about Tom?"

"Yes, what about me? What about what I want?"

Her chuckle was soft. "My Tom is nothing but a memory anymore… I'm afraid I lost him a long time ago." Lips tilting up fondly, she shook her head. "And though I know he'd be able to squish what is left of the Dark Lord in an instant, I fear that I don't think he's ever going to find his way back to me like he once promised."

Because the man I loved will die with you and I will take him with me in my memories to the grave.

"Lena, no, that's ridiculous. We need you to be alive- happy and beautiful."

Closing her eyes, she felt a slow tear creep from the corner of her eye, running down her cheek slowly. "But that's okay. I'll get to see him and Jack again- and that's all I really could ever ask for."

There was a noise of frustration, Theo obviously fed up with her weakness, but a saddened voice stopped him. "No, Theo, it's not our place to try to force Lena to fight a war she doesn't want to." Blaise took a long breath, obviously shaken but trying to be calm at the moment. "What we can do, however, is keep the House of Slytherin strong within these times of uncertainty and hope that when our Queen comes back to us she'll find it in herself to stand against the man that tainted the pride of her birthright."

It was a dirty trick, but Blaise never played fair when it came to what he wanted, so she could only look at him with wet eyes and a small fond smile. "I have a year and a half to change my mind then."

"And I have that much time to change your mind as well."

I refuse to hurt any part of you, my dear, even if he is insane… but good luck with that.

Then she stood up and held open her arms. "Though I promise that even as I am away from my House, I will never truly be gone, as I am to have chocolate delivered each week and a linked journal made to reply to the nightmares written down."

"You'll always be our Queen, even if Blaise takes the crown like we both know he will." Ginny was then hugging her tightly, Blaise joining them with a small huff. And then she was giving out hugs, trading partings with everyone in her house, and something in her knew that she'd already started the process of leaving.

They were all just getting ready for the moment when she was fully gone.

"Are you sure about this?" Lena looked up at Severus, frowning slightly.

He looked down at her with amused eyes. "They invited us for the summer since you are going to be traveling, as they want to try to get to know you."

She looked at the gates that were standing before the hill where Potter Manor rested, sighing and pressing her hand to the cold metal. Hearing a click, she made sure her backpack was on right and picked up her trunk. "I still think this is a bad idea, but whatever. Let's go meet the Potters. Again."

"My Lord." Narcissa stood at the edge of the doorway to his office with her lips pursed.

Tom found that even though both Malfoys had access to his office Lucius usually sent Narcissa his way whenever he thought Tom wouldn't like the news, as he could actually tolerate the Malfoy Matriarch's presence. "Narcissa. What disagreeable news do you carry from your husband this time?"

"This is a direct message from my son as he asked both his father and me too, and I quote, 'tell the Dark Lord that Lena Farland is gone and that the House of Slytherin is going to kill him before she can even think to lay down before his wand.'" The woman pursed her lips tightly. "Draco swears that he and his friends will find a way to kill you before their seventh year."

He didn't much care about the threat, unable to hear anything past- "Lena, she's gone? What do you mean?"

Narcissa blinked slightly, not expecting that response, but didn't question him. "Miss Farland went to travel the world and isn't coming back until she turns seventeen."

This- this wasn't the plan!

World tilting slightly, he stood from his chair and started to stride out of the large manor, apparating as soon as he got out of the wards. Standing before the small shop front he knew the Flamels resided in, he pushed open the door and leveled his wand on where Nicolas Flamel was sitting at his workbench carving an intricate wooden snake. "Where is she? Lena. Is she here?"

"Ah, Tom, Albus told his plan and we thought you might show up sooner or later." Perenelle smiled at him when he whirled around, the woman leaning against the back door to the small shop front. "Would you like to sit down? I made some tea..."

"Lena." He was losing his grip on what was going on, not expecting to be expected and the one thought that kept his wand steady was his little Queen. "Where is she?"

With an echoing chuckle, Nicolas stood up and stretched. "Not here, I'm afraid. Albus told us that she was to be moved constantly and he was to be the only person that would know where she was going, as he is afraid you will try to hurt her." When his wand fell to his side at that, the man clapped a hand against his shoulder gently. "Come, sit with us, and have some tea."

Letting himself be shepherded into the small kitchen, sitting down heavily with a cup of tea placed before him so effectively he wondered how Lena had not immediately taken these two as her honorary grandparents, taking a slow sip of tea as he tried to un-tilt his worldview.

Lena wasn't within his sight and he had no way to know where she was except Dumbledore, though the old man was less likely to tell him than Severus himself.

"Do you plan on hurting Lena if you do find her?"

"Never." The word slipped out before he could even think, eyes falling to the tea before he sent a dark glare to the two smiling immortals. "You two spiked my tea with veritaserum, didn't you?"

Perenelle nodded, waving her hand with a disarming smile. "Well we want to protect Lena, as I'm sure you understand, and I wanted some actual answers after having to watch my favorite pupil be miserable over the thought of possibly having to kill you for ages. So... Am I correct in thinking that the locket and ring she always wore were your Horcruxes?"

"Yes." He scowled at the woman when he spoke instinctively, hating that even with occlumency he trusted these two enough for the veritaserum to override any control he had.

Nicolas raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his seat. "And do you know why she isn't affected by the dark magic in those objects- why she doesn't get possessed?"

"She's my soulmate. Our wands tell as much." He furrowed his eyebrows when the two looked at each other, sharing amused smiles. With a low snarl, hand tightening around his mug, he glared at them. "What aren't you telling me?"

"She's more than that. I'm guessing that night you tried to kill her in your madness part of your soul was fractured off and merged with her own." Perenelle's eyes were soft in the way they were whenever she'd talk to Lena of love, leaning forward to let her hand rest over his. "She grew up with a majority of her growing soul already dominated by yours and I think only recently did she start to find ways to be a person more than just a copy of yourself... your soul and hers, they're intertwined and not even death could separate them."

Tom gaped at the woman unceremoniously.

Laughing softly, the woman's eyes gleaming with something so incredibly fond, she leaned back into her husband. "I cannot wait to see what you two will become, as I believe it will be even greater a story than Nicolas and I." Then taking her hand from his, she waved her hand to switch his mug of laced tea with a mug of hot chocolate with smiling eyes. "Now, what have you been up to?

Still slightly shaken, he cast a few charms over this mug to check for any potions before taking a steadying sip. "Recently I have been working on starting up a foundation for magical children that are in abusive homes. I plan to use the land that still belongs to the Gaunts to pass for a Magical Orphanage to be built as a sort of way house for any who need it, but it'll take a bit of time to build, so it's mostly paperwork right now."

"And I hear that Malfoy- who is one of yours- is going to be running for Minister?"

He smirked slightly over the rim of the mug, trusting the two immortals to take his secrets kindly as long as he stayed on Lena's good side (which doing otherwise wasn't even a thought he would entertain). "Yes, well someone has to pass the bills so I can build my orphanage, isn't that right?"

Nicolas guffawed loudly as Perenelle smiled and he knew that he was alright in their books for now.

Now just to find the wayward Queen of his soul...