The Farland Files

The Art of Revenge

Lowering her wand and releasing the boy's frozen state, she watched as he turned to her with a slightly blank look. Then he sneered. "Why am I still here? You're just some popular skank, along with the rest of your friends. I had thought that I could get Greengrass behind your back, but she threatened to curse me, the bitch." Waving his hand at her, the boy sauntered out. "Whatever."

Releasing a deep sigh, she reached up with still trembling hands and took off the necklace, staring at it. Eyebrows furrowing, she brought it closer, actually looked at the intricacies of the designs for the first time. They were geometric but formed a pattern she knew was advanced arithmancy.

Letting it drop from her hand, she felt a wave of cold wash over her like ice water.

He'd used his knowledge of arithmancy in a sort of compulsion charm as he probably knew that she had protections again normal mind magic and amortentia.

Feeling slightly sick, she knew she'd be giving Albus the half of the pendant that had broken off. Then she stamped the heel of her shoe down on the necklace over and over until the raw ache of betrayal and rage had lessened. And for good measure, she flicked her wrist at the golden necklace and watched it melt under the flame of the controlled feindfyre.

Then when she could breathe again without her hands shaking, she made her way back to the common room slowly.

Blaise looked up with a hint of a frown on his lips when she entered. "Where's your boy toy?"

"I set him free to make a fool of himself." Lena sat back in her armchair, pulling her legs up to cross under herself. "He was kind of a jerkwad, wasn't he?"

The whole group shared looks of amusement.

Theo nodded with a slight smile. "Yeah. He was- thanks for finally noticing. We were considering taking your crown for continuing to let in that slimebag alone, much less for being so oblivious about it."

"No more relationships out of house then." Her smile was faint and didn't reach her eyes. "I've learned my lesson."

Lena sighed deeply, tired from the relentless jabs about her poor taste in men the Slytherins were dishing out as some sort of petty revenge and moved to her room so she could take a break- But she froze, paralyzed with fear when there was only an empty space where the locket usually sat.

Riddle.

How long...

She couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen the locket.

Searching her room and then moving back to scour the Common Room, she dug through the couch cushions, around the bookcases... but the locket was nowhere to be found. Leaned against her armchair heavily, she honestly felt like she was going to cry.

She'd lost her last chance, the last-

"Lena." And as if fate was punishing her, Terry's voice spoke up. "Would you like to go-"

"I thought I made it clear that I wanted to have nothing to do with you anymore." Her voice was chilled, her magic pooling around herself as she turned to glare poisonously at where the boy stood. "Now I am having a very bad night and unless you can give me one good reason I should not break one of your legs for daring to show your face in my presence, I would recommend you leave."

Terry blinked. "And here I thought I would get a kiss at least, what with how easy it was to take over... What a waste." The boy sighed softly in a way that had her pausing.

Stepping forward, she tugged the boy's collar to the side and let out a shuddering breath when a gold locket was hanging around his neck. Giving a deep shuddering breath and letting her head fall forward to rest on the possessed boy's shoulder, her voice was the barest of whispers. "Darling- my idiot darling... you scared the absolute life out of me."