Always || Tom Riddle

Broken promises

It was Monday and that meant that I had muggle school as me and Tom used to call it where we would learn anything but magic.I was in my school uniform which was a grey skirt,white polo shirt and a navy cardigan.I slid down the railing down to breakfast trying to prepare myself for my first day of slop.

"Clara Pevensie if you keep sliding down that railing I am going to wax it so you fall off!"The new addition to the staff behind the desk yelled at me.I just rolled my eyes in reply and  continued on with my own business.I entered the hall in a good mood only to come face to face with Lily Partridge who always used to bully me until Tom stepped in when we first met and well scared her off.

"Wheres your boyfriend is he not here?"Lily asked as I looked down at her.

"Why is it any of your business where he is?"I replied and moved past her down towards where I always sat at the end of the long dinner table.

"Listen to me I will get you back for all those times you laughed at me with Tom,after all its not like hes here to protect you!"Lily hissed as I sat down on the bench and pulled the bowl of slop towards me looking at it in disgust.Great!I thought to myself feeling myself begin to nearly gag with the smell.

"Do you mind I am trying to eat!"I exclaimed to the blonde bully before me who had her hands on the table trying to gain my attention.

"Don't think this is over Pevensie!"She replied and strutted off to her friends.

"I thought it was already over."I mumbled to myself as a little girl with short a brown bob and freckles sat next to me.

"Hello"She said cheerfully and I smiled she seemed cute enough and looked not much older than 9 years old.

"Hi"I replied as she looked down at the slop which was clearly in disgust.

"I cant believe we have to eat this!"She said putting her head in her hands in frustration.

"Just pretend its chocolate and don't smell it because that makes it taste worse!"I replied using the old advice Tom gave me in the exact same room only a few years ago when everything was fairly normal.

"Oh by the way I am Lucy Barrens!"Lucy stuck her little hand out for me to shake and I politely shook it.

"Clara Pevensie its a pleasure to meet you!"I replied smiling down at her.

"I was wondering if you knew when the assembly is?"Lucy asked and I looked over to the the teachers who all stood as one rang the bell.

"Well now I guess"

"Is the headmaster very scary?"She asked as I walked beside her out of the hall and towards the assembly room.

"No not really unless you get on the bad side of him then...yes extremely.So my advice is don't"I took a seat with her,looking to the front where the headmaster Mr Collins stood with his three daughters and wife sat just behind him.

"I stand before you today to discuss the disappointment I felt when I heard how you have all been behaving!Mrs Cole tells me that you have been rude to visitors and those who wish to adopt you and take you away from our happy little family,now I strongly suggest that if you wish to remain under our roof and not in the workhouse or out on the streets that you listen closely.If any rules are broken or you are seen outside after lights out there will be severe consequences am I understood?"Mr Collins spoke firmly as the whole orphanage sat in silence while the headmaster lectured us.Mrs Cole looked very smug when she saw that I was looking in her direction,what was all that about?

Once the headmaster had regained his position in front of us all he called out a name and for a second I could not believe my ears I had only been back a night what could I have possibly done wrong?I stood walking down towards the headmaster and Mrs Cole who was not even trying to hide her smug smile as I stood before them both.

"Yes?"I asked gulping hoping whatever punishment that was arranged for me was not too harsh.

"Do you know why you are stood before us today Clara?"Mr Collins asked and I shook my head as he paced around me.

"You are here because you have been bullying other students and as you know we do not accept bullying here that is one of our policy's."He continued to move around me before coming to a stop in front of me once more and being handed the wooden cane by a girl of no more than 7 years old who ran off back to her seat.

"Now hold out your hand"I was hesitant to obey but non the less held out my left hand in front of him.His daughters laughed making me look in their direction just as he brought the cane down on my hand hard.I fought the urge back to wince with pain and closed my eyes tightly shut.For a second time the cane was brought down onto my hand make another deep cut in my palm.The cane was brought down on my hand for what felt like another twenty times before he stopped and I let out shaky breaths holding my hand to my chest at it bled.

"Understand we do not tolerate bullying Miss Pevensie!"Mr Collins said and I nodded feeling like crying as the teachers let me out of the assembly hall up to my room where I was to remain without food or water for the rest of the day.As soon as my door was shut I slumped down in a heap on the floor and cried and cried and cried,for everything,being put in Azkaban for something I didn't do to Tom leaving me behind.When was he coming back for me he promised he would never leave me here alone even if he found a way out.I had told myself that he was coming back for so long but now it looked unlikely.If I was to be left here alone to fend for myself then I might as well face the facts.Tom was never coming back for me and not only that he broken the first promise he had ever made to me that he had broken...and for that I could not forgive him.