Maria hurried down the hall towards the room Simone was staying in. She felt absolutely awful that she had not been to see her friend sooner, but circumstances had conspired against her. The latest prison break had set the Wizarding World's eye upon her and she had not wanted to bring that attention on Simone. Not after her ordeal.

She knocked on the hotel door and stated her business to the elf that answered the door. He blinked at her for a moment before showing her into the sitting room and disappearing.

Simone heard on knock on her bedroom door and a house elf entered, telling her she had a visitor. These elves Tracey had were much more depressing than her own. Well, more depressing than how they were. They're gone now. She sat up in bed, scooted over and put her feet over the side. She wondered who could be here to visit her. No one had come to see her before, not that she didn't mind, she liked being in the suite by herself. Tracey wasn't there too often, she had a lot of errands to run.

Truthfully, Simone was just glad she let her stay with her. She wasn't sure if she could stay in a room by herself, and Tracey was here just enough that it gave her the ability to not feel so alone without being overwhelmed. She put on her gray cotton robe and went to the mirror to brush her hair out. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she saw no traces of bruises, but still thought she could feel them. She supposed it would be that way for a while, she could still feel his hands on her.

Satisfied enough with her appearance, she opened the door and walked to the sitting room, a small smile widening her lips as she spotted Maria.

"Hello, Maria."

"Oh, dearest," Maria murmured when she saw Simone. She'd never seen the girl in such a state. It was more than her lack of clothing. There were shadows in her eyes that made Maria want to embrace her.

Instead she held her hands out and waited for Simone to make a move. When her protege clasped them with her own, she squeezed them tightly and let her to the sofa.

"How are you? Really?"

Tears threatened to fill Simone's eyes when Maria had said 'dearest'. It wasn't the first time Maria had shown these sentiments, but they were still few and far between, not that Simone didn't know how she felt. Simone knew that Maria cared, it just helped to hear it. She felt a part of herself that had thought she was alone heal a small bit.

Simone turned to her and the smile slipped from her face, "I'm fine," her gaze shifting downward. "I- the cuts and bruises have all healed. I was taken to the clinic in Hogsmeade and healed by Theodore Nott, but I made sure to see Justine soon after I was released. Just in case, you know."

"That's good, dear. Justine is an excellent healer." The next question she had to ask was rather sticky. "Have you been seeing a mind healer as well? I can recommend one or two who have complete discretion." Meaning that they were hers. They would take care of Simone.

Simone shook her head. "No, I haven't been seeing a mind healer." She let out a low chuckle, "I haven't really been out of this suite for the past two weeks. I still have to go get a new wand. He broke mine. I have the elves do everything for me here." She looked down at her hands. She was ridiculous, she knew it. He was dead, she knew he couldn't hurt her anymore.

"We should do that, then," Maria said, trying for an upbeat tone. "I'm sure that having a wand will make you feel better. Or we could send an elf to Olivander's if you don't want to deal with being fitted for one again. He remembers every wand he's ever sold and will no doubt be able to replace yours easily."

Simone thought for a moment, "No, we should go. I should get out of this room sometime." She smiled at Maria. "I'd have to change, of course." She looked down at the robe she had been wearing for the better part of a week. She showered at least once a day, usually when she couldn't stand remembering any longer.

She stood and made her way back to her room, pulling open drawers and grabbing the new clothes Tracey had picked up for her. She pulled on a blouse and trousers, smoothed her hair down and pulled on some shoes. Looking in the mirror she supposed she looked all right, even though her clothes were a bit baggy. She down and clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking.

You have to go out sometime, you've put this off enough.

She sighed and returned to the sitting room.

"You look lovely, dear," Maria told her. "But one crucial thing is missing." She produced a wrapped chunk of silver from her clutch and transfigured it into a bracelet.

"No! Something different."

Maria glanced at her, but kept her questions to herself. Instead of a bracelet that had been similar to the one her friend had normally worn, she changed it into a necklace and pendant, the silver wrapping around a heavy pearl.

"Will this do?"

Simone smiled gratefully and nodded, "Yes, thank you." She remembered how Christian had noticed her playing with the bracelet. She noticed her hand going to touch it these last two weeks and find it missing. She wanted something different, as a bracelet would always remind her of him. She took the necklace from Maria and clasped it around her neck, running her fingers along it and getting used to the feel.

"Perfect," Maria pronounced. "Shall we?"

Simone nodded, ignoring the knot of fear in her stomach. She was with Maria, she knew she had nothing to fear. They walked to the door and exited the room, Simone giving one last look at it before shutting the door behind her. They made it to the lift and down to the lobby without incident, though Simone stayed nervous throughout. She turned to Maria, giving her a small smile when they exited the building. She would have to side-along for this one.

Maria sensed Simone's need to apparate together and linked arms with her before sending them both to Diagon Alley. They appeared in the alley next to Olivander's shop, which gave Simone time to collect herself before stepping into the bustle of the street.

"Ready, dear?"

Simone ran her hands down the front of her clothes, trying to calm herself. It was a rather busy day for her to get a wand, something she should have considered for her first day out on the streets.

"Yes," she said quietly.

They moved to into the street and walked towards the door, a jingle sounding as they opened it. Simone looked around, it looked the same as when she had last been here. That didn't surprise her, it had looked ancient even then.

Ollivander put down his tools and shut down the lathe when he heard someone at the front door. It was quite late in the year for school children to be coming in for wands; He momentarily flashed to the time that he'd been held hostage by He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named.

That ordeal had begun with a tinkling bell as well.

He looked over at Werner Jager -- who was there brushing up on his wandcraft -- and told him that he'd be right back.

He entered the front of the shop, and paused for a beat before screwing on a smile. "Minister. Miss Capper. Lovely to see you today. What can I help you with?"

"Mr. Olivander," Maria greeted. Simone had eased behind her, hiding. It distressed her to see her normally confident friend so skittish. "Miss Capper has had an... Incident... And needs to be fitted for a new wand."

Olivander nodded and said, "I'm afraid that I'm fresh out of Veela-cored wands. I sold the last one to a small towheaded girl about eleven years ago. Perhaps we should measure you again and see if something else would suit."

He reached for his tape.

Simone let out a low chortle. He remembered her, even after eleven years he remembered what her wand was. Given the exasperation she had caused him, she supposed it shouldn't surprise her. She nodded at him and held out her left arm.

Seeing that Simone had calmed somewhat, Maria retreated to one of the shop's chairs and settled down to wait. Wand selection could be a long and tedious process, and she had no desire to stand through it.

He remembered the last time she'd been in here... and that had been a long afternoon he didn't care to repeat. The poor thing had been so ill-suited for any of the wands that he had presented to her that he had -- out of desperation -- tried an experimental prototype wand that he'd made back in the twenties not long after he'd begun apprenticing for his father.

That wand -- Willow, ten inches, Veela hair -- was the reason why he never had made another. The bloody thing had been the most tempermental thing he'd ever made, but he supposed that it was just looking for the right witch.

Just thinking about it exhausted him.

Ollivander approached Simone; he was very careful not to touch the girl. The way that LeGrot had said "Incident" spoke volumes about what had transpired, and the last thing he needed at his age was a burst of panicked wandless magic burning off his eyebrows or breaking all of his ribs.

"Right," he said, standing up, "I'll just be a moment."

He wandered down the aisles and tapped his chin thoughtfully. Eight to Fourteen Inches... Something whippy... Which core, though?

He paused and pulled out a box, and then pulled another futher down.

After reaching the end of the aisle, he turned around and pulled a few more out from the other side, which were joined by a few more.

All told, when he reached the front again, he had nearly fifteen boxes.

"All right," he said, "This one is eleven inches, made from willow and a unicorn hair." He handed it to her.

Simone hesitantly took the wand, trying to be careful as she didn't want to destroy anything or, Merlin forbid, hurt herself or the others. She raised it and pointed to a corner of the store, wincing as she swish and flicked.

A small and rather disappointing display of sparks came from the end. She handed it back to Olivander.

"I guess it isn't this one."

"No, but it's close," he replied. He placed it back in its box and produced another. "Black Locust and Manucaudiata tail feather. Nine Inches."

"Alright," she said as she picked the wand out of the box. A little less tentatively, she swish and flicked again. A small puff of smoke came from the end.

"Definitely not." he snatched the wand from her hands and replaced it with another. "Ten Inches, Poplar and Hippogriff Hair."

Simone picked up the wand from the box and pointed it at the corner again, swishing and flicking. This time the wand definitely did something, it blew a hole in the sitting chair. Almost dropping it in shock, she quickly gave the wand back to him.

"I don't think so," she said shakily. It was probably the Hippogriff.

Maria quirked a brow at the chair across from her. The one that was now sporting a large hole. Quietly, as to not shame Simone, she eased her own chair further behind the girl until she was well out of the line of fire.

Ollivander leaned against the counter and tapped his finger against his chin.

"Perhaps this one," he suggested. "Ebony and Mermaid hair. Eight inches."

Wand in hand, Simone turned to the corner and with a slow breath, swish and flicked. The wand glowed for a moment and shot strong sparks. It wasn't exactly what the veela wand had done for her when she first had it, but it was close. She raised her eyebrows to Olivander.

"I think I like this one." She examined it. It was a nice fit to her hand, not to mention it was quite handsome.

Inwardly, Ollivander sighed in relief. This would not be another horrendous afternoon.

At least, that's what he thought before he saw a note sitting on the counter.

In German. Kinder von Reinheit.

He screwed on his best smile and rung the wand up on the ancient cash register. "Your tab comes to nineteen galleons."

"I've got it, dear," Maria said, handing over the coins. She was pleased that the fitting had not taken too long. "Now, would you like to go out for some tea? Or back to the hotel?"

Simone hummed a moment trying to decide if she could stand sitting in a tea shop or if she would rather go to her room. She looked down in her hands at her wand. She had one again, now. She knew a bit of defensive spells, she could handle it she supposed.

Not that knowing any of those spells did me any good in the first place.

She shook the thought from her head. She had to get out sometime, the Ministry wouldn't let her stay on leave forever.

"Tea sounds fine."

Simone turned to Olivander and smiled, "Thank you for your help this afternoon. Hopefully I won't have to come back too soon."

"Have a good afternoon, ladies," Olivander said a bit woodenly. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

Maria nodded to him and led Simone out of the shop. Olivander had been a tad odd at the end. Of course, Olivander had always been odd.

"Do you want to go to the Blue Owl? Or somewhere more private?"

Walking alongside Maria, Simone shook her head. "It doesn't matter, I guess. Where ever you want to go."

Sensing that her friend had had enough excitement for the day, Maria decided on an out of the way tea shop where no one would bother them.

"Private it is, then. I'll apparate us again." She linked her arm through Simone's once again and they disappeared with a "pop".

"All right, Werner. You can come out now."

Jager dropped his charm. "Zat vos eenterestink."

Jacob grinned at the German. "I wonder how Maria LeGrot would feel about just having paid for the margin on two Muggleborns' wands on top of the one she just bought?"

Summary: Maria treats Simone to a new wand at Olivander's.