EXILE | TOM RIDDLE

04. Caged Bird Singing (I)

"Hello, Miss...?" A man greets me as we step into the wand shop that Tom led me to. He made no attempt at small talk on the walk from the fireplace in a place called the Leaky Cauldron to Ollivander's, which I am eternally grateful for. The last thing I need is to somehow give off more of a strange vibe than I already must carry.

"Bailey,"

"Are you certain?" The wandseller asks with perked eyebrows, and I find myself shifting in my dress, suddenly finding it very itchy. The way he eyes me, like he knows every one of my secrets — secrets even I don't know, makes me want to vomit.

"Quite," I nod, hoping my nerves do not show.

"And you brought a friend with you, Miss...Bailey," his eyes flicker from me to Tom, who nods. "I remember you, Mr. Riddle."

"I'm honored, Sir," Tom gives Ollivander a polite smile. "My friend Rebekah here is in need of a wand — hers broke, unfortunately."

"How?" Ollivander tilts his head to the side in curiosity.

"I...sat on it," I sputter, the words coming out of me with a tremble. My face immediately flushes red, and even the ever-polite Tom laughs ever so slightly, seemingly more to himself than to me. "It was an accident, of course."

"Well, I doubt any witch or wizard with any sense at all would intentionally sit on a wand," Ollivander chuckles. "And you do not strike me as a dim woman, Rebekah. Tell me, where did you get your wand from? I do not recall selling one to you — and I remember every wand I've ever sold."

I gulp, eyes growing wide. "Er..."

"Do you not remember?"

"No, I am afraid I do not," I give him a wary smile, one he does not return. Instead, I feel like he can see straight through me, and into the depths of my soul.

I do my best not to shudder.

"Well then," Ollivander claps his hands together, before scaling behind the shelves, in search of a wand to have me test. He returns moments later, holding a slim grey box, and setting it on his desk. "Let's get started, shall we?"

*

"Phoenix tail core is rare," Tom says to me as we step outside of the wand shop, eyeing the wand I hold in my hand, shifting it in its position between my fingers to get the best grip on it. "I'm surprised you received it."

"Me too," I admit, twisting the wand as it finally settles into my hand, as though it is meant to be held by me. "My old wand was unicorn hair, I believe."

"The one you sat on?" He asks with the cock of an eyebrow, and I laugh gently.

"Yes."

"My wand also has a phoenix tail," Tom reaches into his pocket, pulling out his own wand, one I find to be strange looking, with a weird hook at the end almost like a bone. Before I can ask him about why it looks so odd, he tucks it back into his pocket, and the subject is changed. "I must say, Rebekah, I'm surprised Headmaster Dippet didn't accompany you himself. I imagine you're a...high priority student, if you know what I mean."

"He is a busy man, I suppose," I shrug, gulping as I wonder what he is talking about. He can't know who I am, no, that would be impossible. Yet, I find my stomach churning anyways, anxiety riddling in my bones.

While I am following his lead, I notice we are not headed back to the place called the Leaky Cauldron, but somewhere else. Tom is going south, headed in the direction of an alleyway otherwise void of any people, and I find my heart seizing in my chest as I eye the destination in front of us.

"Tom," I increase my pace, struggling to match his. "Where are we going?"

"I need to make a stop at a store just down that alleyway, if that's alright with you?" He gives me a charming smile, slowing his face so he is next to me once again.