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Roxanne landed back in the school and paused. Using the link she had with the ancient building, she scoured every classroom and corridor until she found the three she needed. Setting off down the corridors, she made her way to the library. As she entered, she saw Hermione, Ron and Draco sat around the one table near the middle of the room, studying. She strode up to them. "I need a word. In private."

The three looked up at her then at each other before nodding. They packed up their things and left the library together, Draco leading the way. He took them down the corridors to his room, locking it and placing a silencing charm around the room so that they wouldn't be disturbed. "What is it Roxanne?" He asked as he and the two Gryffindors sat down.

"I have something from Harry." She handed the letter to Hermione and sat down across from them, letting them read.

Hermione opened it and the locket fell out. Her breath caught as she lifted it. "He's found it." She said breathlessly, examining the object in her hand. Ron leaned over her shoulder to look too as Draco took it off her, examining it closely. He cast a charm on it and it instantly glowed black.

"Dark magic, I thought as much."

"Let's see what the letter says." Ron said, unfolding the parchment and casting a charm so that it hovered in front of the three of them. They fell silent as they read. By the end, all three of them were feeling mixed emotions. Sad that they wouldn't be seeing Harry for a while, happy he was OK, confused as to how to destroy the Horcrux, and scared about what the future was going to bring for them.

"He's sorry he can't be here right now." Roxanne added quietly.

The three didn't say anything, just nodded. Eventually, they turned back to the locket. "How on Earth am I supposed to destroy that?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. I'll have to see what I can find in the library. Thank you for bringing this to us Roxanne."

"That's quite alright." She leaned back in the chair she sat, putting her fingers together. "Harry and I agreed that it's time for me to tell you who I really am. Though I ask that you let me finish my story before you say anything."

Intrigued, the three nodded. "Whenever you're ready." Draco added.

Roxanne smiled at him. "All my life I've grown up in a care home for wizards and witches. Different foster parents tried to take me in, but they always handed me back once they knew my history, especially my lineage. My mother was a Death Eater and was killed once I was born. My father had the mind-set that, now she had provided him with an heir, she was no longer of use. Extra baggage, if you will, so he removed her." Roxanne started, her voice cold and distant. "Some father he turned out to be. A year after I was born, he disappeared. I didn't see him again, until last year. That was the first time I met him. He recognised me instantly, for I looked the perfect combination of him and my mother. He was pleased to finally see me again.

"I've been in Hogwarts from the start, but I've been unrecognisable. Dumbledore delivered my acceptance letter to me personally and told me the truth about my parents. It was him who suggested I hide who I was, even what I looked like, so that I could live a quiet life. I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but it didn't take me long to find out. All the Professors knew who I was from the start, except Professor Snape. He was my Head of House, and therefore, so Dumbledore reasoned, could not know the truth. I still don't understand why. You've all spoken to me over the years, you just didn't realise it was me. I've always been the quiet kid at the back of the class. However, after Dumbledore's death, I decided to be myself.

"As I said, I met my father last year, and instantly took a dislike to him. He's a murderer, with sick ways of looking at the world. I want nothing to do with him. Harry, it seemed, had done his research and found out who I was. He came to me personally in August. Finding out about my descent from the Death Eaters, he offered me a place among his ranks. I refused, agreeing instead to be a spy for him within the ranks of Voldemort's people. Because of who I was, Voldemort asked me to keep an eye on the Carrows, giving me the power to punish them should they step out of line. It is because they know who I am that they are scared of me and back down so easily. Voldemort also insisted that Snape change the wards, giving me the ability to apparate in and out of the building whenever I please. Because of my lineage, I was able to tap into the fabric of the castle itself, and now see in my head what each and every Head of this school sees: every secret passageway, every student and their whereabouts. Nothing will happen within this school without me knowing."

"How did you manage to do that then?" Hermione asked.

"I'm descended from Salazar Slytherin. That gives me the power over the school."

"You say your father's a murderer?" Ron asked.

"Yes. He's psychotic, and racist. He pretends to be befriend people then uses them as pawns."

Draco sat thinking. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Roxanne, what's your surname?"

"Riddle." The girl replied simply.

"I knew it. Your father disappearing when you were one, you only meeting him last year. I remembered a young girl being there when I first met him. The Carrows being frightened of you and your reputation, Dumbledore wanting to protect you because of your reputation. Not to mention the fact you speak Parsletongue…"

"You're His daughter?" Ron asked, visibly shocked.

"Yes of course. It all makes sense now. How could I not see it in you? You do look like him in a weird way." Hermione agreed.

"I'm a very good actress. And I'll pretend I didn't hear that last bit." Roxanne replied, a smirk on her face.

"So you're a spy for our side?"

"Yes. My father tried to get me to join his ranks in August. I said I'd think about it. That same night Harry came to me. It was agreed that I'd take the Mark but work for Harry. I've been against my father since before I met him, especially after I found out who he was."

"You have the Mark?" Draco asked.

"Yes."

"Can I see it?" The girl lifted her left sleeve and revealed the dark inking on her forearm. Did it not contain dark magic and move, it would have looked like a decent tattoo, but the three knew different. Draco stepped up close to her and took a good look at it, hovering his finger over it. "Did it hurt?"

"Excruciatingly so."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise Draco. Don't feel any sympathy for me either. I knew I was letting myself in for when I agreed to take it. Besides, it's not like I had much choice. It was either this or he killed me." She said matter-of-factly.

"You're still risking your life for us though." Hermione added.

"A risk I'm very willing to take." The Riddle heir stated.

As Draco sat back down, Ron piped up. "So what, do you inherit power over the Death Eaters once Voldemort dies?"

"I presume so. If I didn't, they wouldn't be as frightened of me as they are."

"Are you as powerful as He is?"

"Yes. I know every single spell and curse He does, even the ones He's invented."

"So how come you're nothing like Him?"

"Because of my mother I suppose. And the fact that, once I found out He was my father, I told myself to never become like him. Though I do have a mean streak, and can be quite brutal when I need to be."

"Harry says you'll help when we need you to. I can see why."

Roxanne laughed. "I'll be more help than even he realises. For example, I know what all the Horcruxes are."

"You do?" Hermione enquired. "So why haven't you told him?" She pushed angrily.

"Because he needs to figure it out on his own."

"Well can you tell us?"

"That would be defeating the object. What's to say you won't tell Harry? No, this is his mission. His…closure if you will. He needs to do it on his own."

"What else do you know?" Draco questioned.

"How to destroy them. And before you say anything, no I'm not telling you that either. This is something you need to work out on your own."

"Well that's useful." Ron muttered.

"Sorry. Harry's orders. I can tell you if you're right or wrong, but I can't help you."

"Right, well, thank you for what you have told us Roxanne. We ought to be going. Come on Ron. Goodnight you two." Hermione dragged her boyfriend out of the room, leaving the two Slytherins alone.

They sat in silence for a while before Draco broke it. "Want a drink?"

"Firewhisky."

"Coming right up." Draco poured them both a sizeable measure and sat back down, handing the glass to the girl.

"Thank you. Harry has a point you know." Roxanne started, taking a sip of her drink.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, putting his own drink down.

"In the letter, he told you to carry on as normal."

"I know. Why did you tell him I was eating a lot? What is it to you?"

She too sat her drink down. "Friendly concern. I've never seen you like this before Draco. You're wasting away. "

"I'm fine…"

"No you're not. Look at you. That shirt is hanging off of you. Draco, stop pining away. He will come back to you, he's determined. Like he said in the letter, should anything happen to him, he'd let you all know."

"I can't help it Roxanne! I worry about him constantly. I love him…" Draco drew off, realisation hitting as to what he'd said.

Roxanne smiled. "It's OK Draco. He loves you too."

"He's never said it."

"Have you?" She got no response. "Exactly. 'I love you' is a big thing to say, especially if you truly mean it. Let me guess, you're afraid of rejection?"

"A little bit…" Draco replied timidly, ashamed at himself.

"You two are so much alike." She got up and moved to the couch, sitting next to Draco and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Draco, you have every right to be scared. It's big thing admitting you're in love. Especially for a Slytherin. We don't show weakness, yet this is one of the biggest ones. But you don't have to be afraid. You two are beautiful together, and cannot exist without the other. Light and Dark, Yin and Yang, Fire and Ice. You're two opposites of the same coin. That's why you shouldn't be afraid. Yes, you have many differences, but you're more alike than you realise."

Draco looked up at her, uncertainty clear in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. So please, try to carry on as normal. Harry may be fighting for the entire world, but there's a small part of him in there that's fighting for you. Don't let him down by not being the Draco he knows. Be the Draco you are for when he returns. Because believe me, he's going to need you to be there for him."

Draco nodded. "Thank you." He pulled the girl into a hug.

She wrapped her arms around him. "No problem." She pulled back. "I'm always here for you should you need to talk."

"Same here. Especially now you've told us the truth. I suppose you're not going to tell the other's yet?"

"No. I intend to wait a while longer before I tell everybody else who I am."

"OK." Draco went silent again. His mind strayed to the task Harry had given them. How do you destroy a Horcrux?

Eventually Roxanne stood up, pulling Draco out of his musings. "Time for me to take my leave I think. Goodnight Draco."

"Goodnight Roxanne."

"Rox, please. Goodnight." She smiled at him and left his room, deciding that, for the first night, she was going to stay in the Slytherin dorms. Making her way further down into the dungeons, she finally reached the door. A huge painting of their founder hung over the wall.

"Password?" Salazar asked.

"I do not need one." Roxanne replied in Parsletongue.

"One of my own?"

"Yes."

"Then you may go right through." The painting swung forward and Roxanne stepped in. The common room was full of students, all of whom stared at her as she went in. Roxanne simply stared them down and they turned away, leaving her to her own business. She made her way up to the Seventh Year girls' dorm and walked in, closing the door behind her.

"Roxanne. Decided to join us tonight?" Pansy asked.

"Roxanne? Who on Earth are you?" Demetria Vixen demanded.

"Somebody of no concern of you. And the owner of this bed." She collapsed onto the final bed in the room, closing the curtains around the side of the bed. "Unfortunately for you, I'm in no mood to talk. Goodnight." She shut the final set of curtains at the foot of her bed and got changed, climbing into bed properly. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

xxxxx