So I've been EXTREMELYY SICK these past few days. Forgive me! And please don't mind all the mistakes ;A; I'll fix it later!


There he stood. Wearing a white undershirt and black pants along with the best black robes made of fine oriental silk. His back hair had been slicked back and some strands of hair had escaped the tight grip of the hair gel. His arms were crossed over his chest and Charlotte shivered at the rings on his fingers. She walked backwards and Sirius had gently wrapped his arms around her waist. He leant down and his breath tickled her ear.

"Don't worry. He won't hurt you-" Sirius stopped talking as Damarcus lifted a hand and had him gripping his side in pain. Sirius hissed out a line of swear words and she turned to Damarcus with a fierce glare.

"Stop! Damarcus, please! Stop!" her brother swiped his hand in midair and Sirius kneeled down on the ground panting as he glared at her brother deeply.

"Well, well. Look who has a backbone now, baby sister." She jeered at him and helped Sirius up watching Damarcus intently. He looked so much like her father and it made her absolutely sick.

"Sirius are you alright?"

"There is no way in fucking hell I am letting you go with him." Sirius whispered harshly. She saw Lily and James look over with concerned looks and she did not want Damarcus to meet Lily. There was no doubt in her mind that Damarcus would kill her at the spot. She had to get out of here quick. She ignored Sirius' remark and shoved herself off of him as she walked briskly towards her brother.

"Blood traitor. Let's go." She hissed at his words and bit her lip back and turned to her friends as they helped Sirius up. Sirius furrowed his eyebrows at her and tried to reach her, but Damarcus had already wrapped an arm possessively around his younger sister's waist. They soon apparated quickly out of King's Cross and he threw her body on the tiled floor of the Striker mansion. She cried out in pain and looked up from her spot on the floor to see the two faces of the people who brought her to life. Ruby Striker stared at her in a condescending way while Donovan Striker sneered at her very presence.

"Daughter."

"Hello father." She choked out. Donovan Striker walked over to his daughter and positioned his hand over her body. She felt herself being lifted off the ground and tears were pouring out of her eyes.

"So daughter. I see you've gotten happier since the summer," She gulped and he set her down with force and she felt her ribs crack under the pressure of his nonverbal spell. She looked towards her mother with a pleading look but all she did was pick at her fingernails in disdain, completely aware of her daughter's pain. She looked towards her brother. Damarcus was grinning at her evilly and he was actually smiling at her pain! Sadistic bitch! She then looked up at her father, the figure she feared the most. Donovan Striker gave her the same sadistic smile of his pride and joy and held a pure malicious glint in his eyes. She cried out in pain as Donovan sent a silent Cruciatus curse towards her. Someone clearing their throat disrupted the spell and she breathed hard, tears staining her cheeks and her chest was heaving up and down.

"Oh hello, Edward," her mother's sickening sweet voice welcomed the stranger. Edward walked in, a bit timid, and bowed his head towards the Striker residents, his eyes lingering on Charlotte's writhing figure.

"Hello, Mrs. Striker. I see young Charlotte Striker is here."

"Of course. She just arrived, Edward." Damarcus smirked, walking over to the younger boy and clapping hands. Charlotte, still lying on the floor overwhelmed with pain, stared up at her indirect savior and locked eyes with her fiancé. Edward looked concerned for a second and stalked over quietly. He held out a hand and she hissed at him, hating his very existence. Edward retreated, a bit shocked at her refusal and rubbed the back of his head before turning to Donovan Striker.

"Master Striker. If I could have your permission, may I assist my fiancé?" Donovan stared at him, void of any emotion, before he nodded his head slowly while Ruby Striker smiled widely at the new guest.

"My, what a charming man you are Edward. You fit in quite well in our quaint little home." Quaint, Charlotte thought. Ridiculous. She gradually forced herself up and brushed her clothes before walking quickly with vigorous resolve away from the horrid people she had to live with. She reached her bedroom and muttered the locking spell and jumped on her bed, sobbing gently into the pillow. Her wounds had resurfaced and she moaned in pain, wishing to die right there. She just said two fucking words to the guy and he almost tortured her to death. A loud crack sounded from the center of the room and she suddenly looked up in fear. Her heart and face softened when she found just who it was.

"Missus Charlotte!" Three house elves screamed in unison as they lept forward and hugged her around the waist. She giggled quietly and gently patted their foreheads.

"Hello friends!" They looked up in tattered clothes and moist doe like eyes.

"Missus! We are so happy to see you! Pooky, Beti, and Nelly very much missed you these past months!" She nodded and leaned back in her bed, sides aching. Nelly, the oldest of the three noticed her pain and apparated out of the room only to reappear in seconds with a roll of gauze and alcohol. Charlotte smiled at the gesture and kindly refused as this was not a mere cut on the outside, but a deeper pain in her body.

"Would missus like anything to drink maybe? To eat? Pooky can get you anything!"

"Yes! Would missus Charlotte like me to clean around the room?"

"What can Nelly do! What can Nelly do!" They were all so eager to help her and she wiped her eyes, feeling the familiar wetness attuned to it.

"I'm very good, my friends. I just need to rest." They were about to protest but a figure in the doorway had them drawing their lips in a tight line. She saw Edward Donahue leaning against the door frame with a smug expression.

"What."

"Talking and befriending house-elves now? Charlotte. You really do need a new hobby." He mused. She threw him a filthy look and nodded to the house-elves, they disappearing in an instant.

"Why are you here."

"I wanted to check up on you," he muttered sincerely. She eyed him, shocked at his genuine confession and looked away.

"Yeah, right. Wanting to see the damage control so you could play later too, I assume?"

"You're wrong. I just don't want a mangled bride, pet." Her eyes flared in anger and she gripped her sheets with an intense expression.

"Get out." Edward shrugged and knocked on the door, wanting to get her full attention.

"A bit of good news for you, actually." She wheeled her head around and for the first time gave him a quizzical look rather than one that suggested murder.

"Why?"

"Your parents, Damarcus, and I are going to tour the French countryside for the Dark Lord. We will be training and scouting out potential members. You have the house to yourself for the next four days." She blinked. She blinked again.

"You're all leaving?"

"Yes. However, when we return the 24th of December, your parents will host a party for our engagement." She shivered at the thought, but was too happy about the recently delivered news.

"When are you leaving." Edward raised an eyebrow in question by her bluntness.

"Tomorrow. Your mother also informed me to tell you she will bring in your dress on the day of the party, so don't fatten yourself." She rolled her eyes at this comment. Typical superficial pureblood aristocracy. Charlotte turned her body to the side and slipped under the covers, signifying the end to their conversation.

"Charlotte. I will see you in four days time." She didn't respond and he took that as his cue to leave the room. Charlotte fell asleep, worry free, the first time at the Striker compound. She finally was going to have a taste of freedom.


The next three days flew by quickly. Charlotte's complexion was a beautiful ivory and glowed healthily, majorly thanks to Pooky and the others' cooking. The House-elves were happy for the first time in their barbaric and menial jobs and she had quickly gained the affection of every House-elf in the Striker compound. She took up her time reading, finishing homework, shopping in Diagon Alley, and even learning how to apparate from the elves and honing her wandless magic skills. She was currently wrapping presents in the grand foyer, dressed in a comfortable sweater and shorts, and with a blanket tussled over her small frame. She was grateful her mother had gone with the males as she would've screamed at Charlotte's appearance and forced her into something more "contemporary", such as a long sleeved black dress, showing absolutely no cleavage or curves, and trailing against the floor. She shuddered at her mother's fashion sense and turned her attention back to the colorfully wrapped presents. She just finished tying the ribbon around James' present, which was a box of chocolates, Quidditch gloves, and even broom polish. She slipped in her personalized card and leaned back into the sofa, surveying her handy work. Remus' presents were books, of course. Rachelle and Clarisse both received gold bracelets. Peter got a nice assortment of various candies and treats. William got a very expensive watch which was also a compass. She had smaller presents in another corner and turned to her last and final gift. She had gotten Sirius a ring. A very simple ring adjourned with intricate carvings and complex geometric shapes. She picked the ring up from the box and brought it forward, examining it. She actually didn't go buy it. She found it in her vault at Gringotts, the goblins sneering at her in jealously and looking at it hungrily as it was goblin made. She grew curious of why this ring was in her vault in the first place and decided to pawn it instead and maybe get Sirius a nice set of robes or something. She entered the homely pawn shop at the near end of Diagon Alley and the shopkeeper took a double take when he saw the ring in question. He had asked where she got it and she shrugged saying it was in her vault. He told her how this ring was one of the first goblin-made jewelry. He asked timidly if he could try it on and instantly hissed in pain when it burnt his finger. He recounted how the ring could only be worn of the most loyal and true to the Gryffindor ideals, finally admitting he was placed in Ravenclaw. He wagered for an incredulous amount of money but she declined and exited the shop, thinking if she should keep onto this ring. It was in fact an important relic of history but she found no purpose for it, as when she tried it on, it had slightly singed her finger too. She wrote to Sirius, explaining all the qualities and admitted she thought of giving this to him because she genuinely believed him to be the rightful owner of such a prestigious piece of history. She gently brought the ring to her lips, kissing it softly. She missed him. There was no question there. She missed him. Sometimes even more than Lily and found herself recalling on how happy she just was when they were going out. She sighed, wanting to feel his arms around her again. She wanted to smell him again. She wanted to touch him again. Charlotte set the ring gently into the box and wrapped up his present as well. She really did miss his company though. But it was impossible now for she had betrayed him. Sighing heavily, she delicately placed the ring in a velvet box and wrapped it with her hands. She looked at it longingly once again before placing it gently near the pile. Nelly came into the room with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of croissants. Charlotte smiled graciously at the loyal house elf and took a bite of her pastry.

"Nelly, did you get the owls ready?" Nelly nodded and her huge ears flicked a bit as she turned to the window, where five consecutive owls flew in one by one. Nelly flinched and hid behind her master and Charlotte gently patted the house elf as she turned to the owls giving each a treat. They all nipped at her affectionately and she gave them a quirky grin before giving one to two presents to each owl. They all chirped excitedly, finally able to make a journey after being cooped up in the owlrey for so long. They all flew away happily and Nelly seemed to relax as she jumped back out in front of her master.

"Oh…Missus Charlotte?"

"Hmm?"

"Your mother sent you a letter a little while ago…and she has sent you your dress." Charlotte sighed before heaving herself off the floor ready to see the last dress she was ever going to wear at these social gatherings. After tomorrow, she was free.