Chapter 10

Charlie was having an emotional battle with herself. Having just found her stepmother was her real mother, her dad was pure evil and would do god knows what to her if she didn't help to kill her new kind-of boyfriend. And, if this wasn't enough, she was with Draco again, having a 'pep-talk' on how to romance Harry.

"You know what to do, right, I could, er, give you some experience you know." He cackled harshly, and she took this as a cue to leave.

"I'll be fine Draco, just fine." And she ran off to Harry's house.

She was in a non-wizarding neighbourhood, and people gave her funny looks as she walked up the path to Harry's home. Her red and black hair often drew attention to herself around Muggles, whereas she didn't ever get a second look at Hogwarts. She quickly knocked on the door. It was opened by Hermione Granger.

"Hello, you must be Harry's friend. I'm Hermione, I go to Hogwarts too, but, you know it's the holidays!" she smiled sweetly and invited Charlie in, who barely had a chance to say hello back.

She was taken into what would be the front room, but it only had a few chairs placed round a small coffee table. Harry was sitting on one of the chairs, talking to none other than Remus Lupin, much to Charlie's dismay. She waved feebly.

"Hallo there" Lupin said cheerfully. "I hear you went to Hogwarts. What's your name again?"

"Charlotte…Riddle." She whispered, hoping Lupin did not remember her.

"Riddle, Riddle ah yes, I did have you 4 years ago! I remember. Quite good you were. Came top in your class in summer. Not quite your year though…" he looked at Harry fondly. "What're your parents names, I may have known them."

There it was. The question she had been dreading. What to say, what to say…

"Erm, Callie Riddle, that's my mum but I've never known my dad." It was almost the truth. Lupin frowned.

"Callie Riddle, I'm sure I know that name. Oh well, it's time I went." He waved goodbye to everyone and left, leaving a very suspicious Hermione and a very happy Harry.

"Hermione, don't you have to leave too?" he asked, pointedly.

"No, I don't think so Harry." She smiled, sweetly, still staring at Charlie.

"No, Hermione, I REALLY remember you had to be somewhere. Ron wanted you." He gave her an expectant look, making Charlie extremely unconfortable. She kept repeating in her head 'for my dad, for my dad'.

Hermione finally Disapparated, giving Charlie the coldest look, leaving Harry smiling awkwardly at her.

"So, er, what're you into?"

They talked long into the night, and Charlie could not help but like him. As she stood on his doorstep to say goodbye, dread grew inside her. She knew what was happening, and she knew how much harder it would make carrying out her father's plan.

She went straight to Draco's house, as ordered. Narcissa, his mother, opened the door and looked at her sulkily.

"Oh, it's you. They're upstairs." She slammed the door behind Charlie, who jumped, and sidled moodily into the kitchen.

Upstairs, Charlie walked into Malfoy's bedroom, which had been turned into a meeting place. Her father was sitting at the head of a table, stroking his wand, looking bored. He jumped up as she walked in and gave her the usual unreadable smile. She smiled back awkwardly and walked into an embrace. She was shocked, and was about to hug back, feeling ecstatic, then looked up to find it was Malfoy, grinning stupidly at her.

"You see my lord?" he whispered, bowing. "We work ever so well together."

"Is this true, daughter?" Voldemort stared at her for an answer.

Charlie thought. If she told the truth, who knows what would happen to him, but then…

She pushed Draco away. "Piss off you perverted loser. You haven't done anything to help."

There was a blinding flash of light, and Draco's limp body lay on the floor. Charlie gasped, tears instantly appearing in her eyes. What had she done? She had never wanted to hurt anyone… she sobbed, knowing her father was frowning hard at her. But she couldn't stop, if she cried this much over one death, how would she face Harry's, who she was coming to…care about…?

"Your mother's right. You snivel like a filthy Mudblood Hufflepuff. (sorry sophie) He spat on the ground, then shook her until she stopped crying and had to stare into his evil red eyes.

"But you ARE my daughter, and you WILL do this. Now tell me what happened."

She told him everything.