A Woman Scorned
She gazed into the fire. The Slytherin common-room had looked much the same as this drawing room. She sighed and remembered the evening so many years ago when he had first noticed her.
“I don’t believe I’ve properly introduced myself,” said the tall good-looking boy. “My name is Tom Riddle and I was hoping to escort you to the Yule Ball, Miss Black.”
Tom took her hand in his and lightly kissed it. She gave him a look of mild curiosity, raising her eyebrows slightly. This was the third time in the past week that she’d been invited to the ball. She was about to politely decline as she had the others but Tom cut her off, “I would be greatly honoured if you would attend with me, Walburga.”
She couldn’t help but make a face at the use of her horrid first name. Tom realized he’d made a mistake. “Forgive me. Was I too presumptuous in addressing you by your given name?”
She looked at him appraisingly and after a moment’s thought answered, “My friends call me Regina.”
“Ah, a name fit for a queen, it suits you, my lady.”
She couldn’t help but smile at the mock title. “Am I to call you Tom?”
A strange look flashed in Tom’s eyes but was gone before she was able to decipher it. The next moment his flirtatious demeanor had returned. “Lord Riddle, will do. As you can see, it is quite fitting that this lord attend said ball with a fair lady, such as yourself.”
Regina could feel her face growing warm, she accepted Tom’s offer and hurried off to her room.
“Kreacher!”
“Yes Mistress?” croaked the elf.
“Put the fire out. I will be in my room.”
“Whatever Mistress desires.”
Regina walked up the stairs of Grimmauld Place and into the master bedroom. Grimmauld Place hadn’t had a master in nearly five years. And good riddance! Orion Black wasn’t particularly missed upon his death. His wife certainly didn’t miss him. It was a relief to finally be free of the man.
Orion had never treated her with the respect she deserved. He had never bothered to charm her, not like Tom had.
Tom had been casually chatting with some older Slytherins in the common-room. He stood upon seeing her enter and produced a corsage to match her dress robes with a simple flick of his wand. Regina was delighted and impressed that he had already mastered the nonverbal spell. Tom then offered Regina his arm and escorted her to the Great Hall.
Regina tried not to appear awed at the beauty of the Great Hall. Yule Balls were held every four years and this was the first that she had attended. Tom proved himself to be a more than capable dance partner. Abraxas Malfoy tried to cut in, but a glance from Tom caused him to change his mind.
After several dances they took a break. “What may I get you, Lady Regina?” Tom asked, indicating the refreshment table.
“A glass of the elf-made wine would be nice,” replied Regina politely.
Tom returned shortly with two glasses of the dark red liquid and offered her one.
“Thank you, Lord Riddle,” Regina intoned demurely.
Tom merely smiled in response. He then raised his glass to her before sipping his wine. After a few moments, Tom offered Regina his arm and escorted her to the gardens.
“I understand your great-grandfather was the previous headmaster at Hogwarts.”
“Yes, I didn’t really know him. He died the same year my brother and I were born.”
Tom raised an eyebrow. “I thought Cygnus was several years younger than you.”
Regina elaborated, “I have two brothers. Alphard is my twin and Cygnus is several years younger.”
Tom fixed her with a penetrating stare. “Why have I never met Alphard?”
Regina did not like Tom’s tone or the way he looked at her as if to read her mind. She answered defensively, “Alphard was awarded a special scholarship by Durmstrang. Since great-grandfather Phineas was no longer headmaster of Hogwarts, my parents saw fit to let him pursue it.”
Tom’s voice became softer again. “You don’t seem altogether pleased about it.”
Regina sighed, looking down at her hands. “I would have preferred if Cygny had gone to Durmstrang and Alph had come to Hogwarts.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, Alph always calls me Regina. Cygny calls me Wally, Walby, and recently has started calling me Wallaby,” she replied, the hurt evident in her voice. She didn’t mention that Cygnus’ best friend, their second cousin Orion, had started doing the same and that some of the other Hogwarts students were picking up on the hated nicknames.
“I will see to it that he desists from calling you that, Fair Lady Regina,” answered Tom.
She smiled up at him gratefully. “Thank you. Is there anything I can do for you in return, Lord Riddle?”
“I’m sure I’ll think of something, my lady,” replied Tom, before kissing her hand.
It had turned out that what Tom had in mind for repayment was to help him research his family history. Having grown up with a detailed knowledge of her own family’s history, dating well back into the seventeenth century, as well as having access to many old genealogy charts, Regina had been an excellent choice for the task.
Tom and Regina fell into the habit of spending long hours in the library poring over old manuscripts together. However, despite weeks of hard work, they were unable to uncover anything.
One afternoon after spending a rather frustrating hour of searching, Tom joined her. “What’s that?” he asked her.
“Oh, I was just playing with the letters,” admitted Regina, a bit embarrassed.
She had written out “Tom Marvolo Riddle” and was using her wand to rearrange the letters to spell “love Lord R.”
“Interesting.” Tom was gazing at the letters in thought. He withdrew his wand and rearranged the letters further. After a few minutes he had spelled, “I am Lord DeMortlov.”
Relieved that he hadn’t commented on what she had been spelling, Regina changed the letters slightly.
“I am Lord Voldemort?” he enquired.
“It sounds better.” She shrugged. “I think it sounds like an old pure-blood name anyway.”
Tom smiled and whispered, more to himself, “I am Lord Voldemort.”
Regina broke into his musings. “Perhaps we should look at your middle name, Marvolo. I mean, my parents named me Walburga Regina Avery Black. ‘Walburga’ after my maternal grandmother and ‘Regina Avery’ after her mother. Avery was her maiden name but apparently it serves as a given name as well.”
Tom looked thoughtful. “Marvolo was my maternal grandfather’s name. I doubt it doubles as a given name and surname but perhaps it is time to look into it.”
The next week Tom asked her to meet him by the lake instead of in the library. He was standing under a beech tree when she got there. Tom gave her a charming smile and withdrew a small velvet pouch from his robes. Upon opening it, he revealed a locket.
“Lady Regina, would you do me the honour of courting me?”
“Oh yes! I’d love to!” she cried happily.
Rather than embrace her, as she had rather been expecting, Tom carefully placed the locket around her neck and fastened the clasp. He whispered in her ear, “When I inscribed your initials I left off the ‘W’. You are far too beautiful to be a Walburga.”
Regina blushed crimson and Tom gave her a very chaste peck on the cheek. They walked back to the castle, he with his arm around her.
Regina looked critically at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn’t nearly as pretty as she had once been. Regulus’ death had certainly taken a toll on her. She thought that perhaps the name Walburga did suit her now, except she was no saint.
She had laughed at the stories Tom had told her of his childhood. How he’d hurt those children in the seaside cave and killed their pets. She hadn’t cared; they were only Muggles after all, barely better than house elves.
She was glad when he punished anyone who crossed her, especially when someone made the mistake of calling her one of those nasty nicknames. She hadn’t minded that he was cruel, why would it matter? She had never believed that he would treat her in such a fashion. She believed he thought she was special. She had believed he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Regina waited with bated breath. Tom was in the drawing room with her father. She was quite certain that he was asking permission to marry her. Regina, daughter of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black was not above eavesdropping. She hurried over to the grate that she, Alph and Cygny used to listen in on their parents’ conversations.
She could hear the voice of her father, Pollux Black, he sounded cordial yet cold, as always. “Yes, I realize that you have a promising career in front of you Mr, ah, Riddle.”
Regina winced. Riddle was not an English pure-blood name. She ought to know after having searched for it for so long.
“However, my daughter is descended from a most ancient and pure family. I cannot simply betroth her to anyone without first seeing their detailed family tree. As soon as you produce yours, I will reconsider your offer.”
“Unfortunately, Sir, I cannot produce the necessary documentation. It was destroyed in the accident that caused my parents’ deaths.”
“That is unfortunate,” agreed Pollux solemnly. “My cousin’s son, Orion, has also asked for Walburga’s hand in marriage. As you are unable to prove the purity of your ancestry, I see no reason to refuse his request. Orion is heir to the house of Black, it is a good match.”
“I understand, Sir. I will see myself out.”
Hot angry tears coursed freely down Regina’s cheeks. Not only was she not to marry Tom, but instead she was to be tied to that horrible second cousin, Orion.
“Regina?” asked a kind voice, softly.
Regina turned her tear-stained face to see her brother, Alph. He offered her a hand and helped her to her feet. Before she could say anything he continued, “Run away; marry Tom. You love him.”
“Oh, Alph! I can’t, Father would disown me!”
Alph looked at her shrewdly. “If I found someone I loved, I’d push Grandmother Black off a roof, if necessary.”
A smile twitched on her lips. Alph had always known how to make her laugh.
“If necessary?” she asked.
“Fine, you got me. I’d quite happily push the old bat off a roof anyway, but doing it for love would make a much better excuse when brought before the Wizengamot. Now, Regina, if you love this man, go find him, marry him and give me lots of adorable nieces and nephews.”
Regina caught the tinge of sadness in her brother’s voice and was once again filled with a regret that she would never entirely escape.
“Alph, I’m so sorry…”
“Don’t be,” Alph cut her off. “First of all, it wasn’t your fault. Secondly, we were children. Now hurry up and go find him!”
With that, Regina hiked up her robes in a most unlady-like fashion and ran down the street.
“Wait! Please wait!”
The tall handsome man turned enquiringly as she ran up to him, nearly breathless.
“I overheard the whole conversation. I’ll marry you! Even if I’m disowned and Knut-less, I’ll marry you.”
Tom looked at her and she was chilled to see that he didn’t smile in return.
“Regretfully, Miss Black, I cannot afford to anger your family. I am employed by your father’s brother-in-law. You are betrothed to Orion, this conversation is entirely inappropriate.”
With that, he turned on his heel and left. She stood there stunned, tears coursing down her cheeks. She didn’t know how long she had been there, but Alph eventually found her and brought her home.
As she walked home with Alph’s arm around her, Regina resolved to marry Orion Black. She decided that she would show Tom Marvolo Riddle that she was too good for him, just as her father had said. She would marry someone whose bloodlines were as unblemished as her own, even if he insisted on calling her ‘Wally’ instead of ‘Lady Regina’. By the time they returned to the house, Regina had decided that nothing was more important than blood and that she couldn’t possibly have been in love with a shameful half-blood.
Perhaps the only thing that revealed this was a lie was the fact that she could not bring herself to get rid of the locket.
Of course she realized now that Tom had never cared for her. He’d never cared for anyone except himself. He hadn’t cared that he’d left her in a loveless marriage, only that it meant he didn’t have access to the power her family could offer.
He’d killed Regulus without a thought for her. He’d recruited Sirius, who was now rotting in Azkaban, not that Sirius deserved any better. Sirius may at least have had enough influence over Tom to save his brother.
Still, Sirius was meeting his punishment but Regina needed to exact her revenge on Tom. He had taken all that she cared about from her, thrown her feelings for him back in her face. Now, she would make him pay with the one thing he held dear: his immortality.
It hadn’t taken Regina long to realize that Tom had made a Horcrux. She was the one who had finally found him a book that did more than mention them. Perhaps he hadn’t cared that she knew, perhaps he believed that she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, or that she wouldn’t want to. If so, he couldn’t have been more wrong.
It had taken Regina the better part of five years to locate the cave that Tom had told her about so long ago. Kreacher was able to Apparate within and bring her with him, though with difficulty. A look of grim satisfaction spread across her features as she realized that the Horcrux was a locket. She had the perfect replacement.
Regina realized that she couldn’t make Kreacher drink all the poison in the basin. He wouldn’t be able to return them to Grimmauld Place if he did. She didn’t mind losing her servant, but she needed to make sure she got Slytherin’s locket out of the cave or the whole endeavor would be wasted.
An insane smile lit Regina’s once beautiful visage as she began her note.
To the Dark Lord…
A/N
The last line is from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28
I realize that there were a few odd references to Alphard which weren’t explained, however they will be in either a companion piece or the next chapter, depending on which is more appropriate. It will also explain why Alphard was removed from the tapestry despite Regina describing him as being her favourite brother
Lastly, I realize that R.A.B. is in all probability Regulus, but I thought it would be fun to throw out one last alternative before Deathly Hallows is released (yeah, I guess I cut it pretty fine with this, hopefully it will be posted before the release).
A Woman Scorned by Hypatia
Chapter Notes: Thanks to Sara for betaing!