Title: Power of the Purebloods I: Thin Ice

Author: Riea Carlos

Rating: Back down to R for a little while

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: Harry ponders the night events when Charlotte disappears; Ginny finds out something that could destroy everyone in the perimeter of Hogwarts.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns everything except Charlotte, she's mine.

Author's Notes: Well, yeah. Charlotte's quite the bitch, isn't she? Just when you thought it gets interesting; you ain't seen anything yet.

Power of the Purebloods I: Thin Ice

By Riea Carlos

Chapter Six: Dangerous Liaisons

Harry held Charlotte well into the night. He liked the way her long hair spread all over his chest. He liked the way her forearm felt silky smooth as he stroked into sleep, and he just liked the weight of someone he cared for on his body.

Charlotte was fast asleep before Harry's eyelids even began to droop. He was in complete bliss; ecstasy so hard that it felt like make-believe. He considered having Charlotte pinch him, but then he decided that it wasn't a smooth move.

As slumber began to enter his body, he laid his head on top of Charlotte's and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. She barely stirred. "I love you," he muttered softly as he dreamed of things sweet with green eyes like his and long, wavy hair.

The next morning, Harry stirred dangerously and then panicked; what if he had hurt Charlotte? His eyes popped open immediately but to his surprise and immediate disappointment, he found that Charlotte wasn't there. Surely, he hadn't dream the nights events…Had he?

There wasn't a trace of anything from the Hembound Manor. No purple silk night robes, no strands of hair, nothing. There was, however, a note written on a small piece of yellow parchment.

Harry - I'm sorry I had to leave. It was just too much for me. I should really think about what happened, and I think you should too. I hope you don't think I really wanted anything out of this, I was extremely vulnerable. Thank you for your help. Please do not mention this to anyone. I hope we can remain friends. Forever Yours, Charlotte I.D. Hembound

Harry held the parchment in his hands, and stared at the empty pillow that Charlotte had inhabited just hours earlier. As Harry felt his fist clench around her brutally honest note, he couldn't help but feel used.

Ron was right; he always was.

The Boy-Who-Lived scurried downstairs to breakfast, where he noted he was the last one down. Ginny was poking her porridge with a spoon, not eating it. Charlotte was reading a book about Witch-Burning, even though it was Sunday. Ron was talking animatedly with Seamus.

"Morning, Harry," Colin Creevey said as Harry brushed his way past him. Harry chose to ignore his morning greeting. He took his usual seat in between Ron and Seamus.

The only one who didn't acknowledge his presence was Charlotte. "Good morning, Charlotte," Harry said briskly, as he shoveled some scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Charlotte looked up from her book and had the slight beginnings of a smile on her face. "Hello, Harry," she said coolly.

"Sleep well?" Harry ventured, now starting on his kippers.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at Harry's rather strange behavior. The entire Gryffindor table had stopped whatever they were doing to watch the proceedings.

"Hmm, quite," Charlotte quipped, not looking up from her book and turning the page. She could feel Harry staring at her, and it was then that she looked up from her reading.

His eyes seemed to say - Go on, tell them what you did. Break your best friend's heart, ruin your chances with the guy you really love, and why don't you go ahead and tell that fourth year blonde girl that idolizes you that you manipulated me into fucking you?

He felt as if she could read his words perfectly, as if they were blazed across his forehead next to that heinous, sadistic scar. Her eyes flickered and responded - I didn't do anything you didn't want to do first. Why doesn't the headmaster know how his favorite student behaved last night?

Harry then shook his head. Charlotte closed her book with a thud, and without another word, went back upstairs to her dormitory.

Draco and Ginny were along the outskirts of Hogsmeade, walking past Hagrid's hut. Draco scowled as they past it but didn't say anything. But Ginny had crossed the line when she suggested going inside.

"Oh, no, I won't," he said. Ginny frowned but nodded. And then, so shyly, so innocently, she grabbed his hand. He let his fingers weave through hers and they walked hand in hand across the grassy knolls on the school grounds.

Ginny let out a whimsical hum. "Draco, did you hear about what happened at breakfast?"

"What, you mean Potter acting like a prick and Charlotte being an irritable bitch?" He paused. "Yes, I heard. Nothing new, quite frankly."

She let out a tsk and playfully punched him in his bicep. "No, honestly. Normally, Harry doesn't even say two words to her. Now, it's like overnight they are hiding something," Ginny sighed, trying to hide the jealously in her voice.

While Draco was doing everything he could to woo her, and while she did sort of like him, she was still deeply, deeply infatuated with Harry. She was positive that Draco knew that, which is why he always went out of his way to insult Harry, just to pull her leg a bit.

"Maybe Potter fucked her," he said wryly. Then he noticed the gaping look on her face. "Just a theory," he grinned. Ginny sighed and nodded, and wrapped her arm around his waist to push her body closer to his. She was happy to see that Draco didn't object in the slightest.

Two weeks later, (Ginny and Charlotte still weren't speaking and Harry and Charlotte were not even looking at each other) the Common Room was bustling. Ron and Harry were in a very competitive game of Wizard's Chess. Ginny was writing an owl to Charlie, asking him a particular marking of a Welsh Green dragon, and Hermione was knitting another hat for a house-elf.

Charlotte was off to the side, biting her lip nervously, and looking awfully pale. She was rocking back and forth, and not speaking to anyone, even if she was spoken to first.

Suddenly, she closed her eyes and called out. "Ginny. I need to speak with you." Ginny set down her letter and rolled her eyes. But nonetheless, she followed Charlotte up the stairs as the Gryffindors watched with interest.

Ginny closed the door behind her as Charlotte sat down on the bed. For the second time that week, she was crying. Tears were sliding down her face and onto her lap and her sheets and she wasn't wiping them away.

Her arms hugged her as her chest heaved up and down from the sobs. "What do you want now, Charlotte? Expect me to forgive you for slapping me and calling me a bitch? I didn't do anything illegal. I think I had every right to be with Draco since Harry is obviously in love with you--"

"Virginia," Charlotte snapped. "This isn't about you and Draco or anything like that. Ginny, I need your friendship more then ever right now."

Ginny's face twisted into a horrible smirk. "And why is that?"

Charlotte stood up, shaking and grabbed Ginny's shoulders. "Because I'm pregnant."