Good feelings can turn into bad feelings.
Charis was sitting in a chair in the kitchen as Molly Weasley carefully held a wet cloth to her cheek, Charis winced – it was painful.
"I don't think Tonks should come back, she can't act this way, she a danger to Charis, and it isn't fair." Molly said furiously as she checked on Charis' face. It fell silent for a while, and the screaming was much clearer.
"YOU PUNCHED CARLY!" Sirius bellowed at Tonks.
"SHE DESERVED IT!" Tonks screamed back.
"WHAT THE HELL DID SHE DO TO DESERVE THAT?"
"SHE'S ALIVE, ISN'T SHE?"
"WHAT, FOR HER VERY EXSISTENCE SHE DESERVES TO GET BEATEN UP BY HER BIG SISTER!"
"SHE IS NOT MY SISTER!"
"SHE IS! YOUR MUM GAVE BIRTH TO HER! YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT BACK! ACTUALLY IF YOU ACTUALLY GAVE HER A CHANCE YOU MIGHT FIND YOU GET ALONG BETTER THEN YOU THOUGHT! BUT HELL NO! SHE'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU! REMUS IS THOUGH ISN'T HE?"
"That's different!" Tonks hissed in a low voice that seemed to shake the very foundations of the building.
"How? Do tell."
"He didn't cho-"
"Neither did Carly, next."
"He's a good person-"
"So is Carly, next."
"I DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN MYSELF TO YOU!" Tonks suddenly screamed.
"Yes you do Tonks, if you are going to hit my girl you've got to explain your actions."
"She's not your girl!" Tonks seethed.
"Good as."
"You're choosing her over me?" Tonks demanded.
"You're not giving me any other choice, you're the one in the wrong here Tonks." Sirius said softly, almost pleadingly.
"I refuse to be around that thing." Tonks spat.
"Then leave."
Sirius walked into the kitchen looking deflated as everyone looked anywhere but at him, he walked right towards Charis and carefully removed the cloth from her face. He grimaced.
"It's not so bad." Charis mumbled.
"Shut up Carly, I've taken a good few punches in my life, and I know this isn't painless." Sirius muttered, carefully dabbing away the small droplets of blood.
"You forget who my father is. I've suffered worse." Charlie mumbled pulling away her Sirius' careful hands, and holding the wet cloth firmly to her face. He frowned at her, staring into her soft green eyes, before sighing and turning away from her to find a chair and place it in front of her, he sat down facing her.
"I want you to tell me now what he did to you." It was tense in the kitchen as no one was prepared for this question to be asked not so directly and in front of everyone. Well the Weasley's, Remus, Harry and Hermione.
"I-"
"She might not be ready to face the horrors of what go on in that place." Molly said softly, resting a hand on Charis' shoulder.
"Maybe, but I think she's stronger then that, what do you think Carly?" Slowly Charis nodded.
"I showed Remus the scars… My arms, sometimes he liked to see the proof of the pain he inflicted, and so I have some pretty nasty scars." Charis stood up; placing the cloth on the table and pulling up her shirt, just over her belly button, revealing a long thick scar across the bottom of her stomach, Sirius winced but nodded. "I've broken most the bones in my body at one point or another… Sometimes I wasn't allowed to eat, especially if I hadn't acted in the proper pureblood way." She closed her eyes as she remembered how her father had been with her and opened them as the images flew around her head.
"Don't worry Carly, you're with us now…" Sirius whispered, comforting her before she continued.
"There was this time… I'm meant to Marry Malfoy… I said I wouldn't, he said I had to, that I don't have a choice… I think he did something, a curse or something… if anyone would know how to bind or curse a person to another, he would…. He wouldn't have to think twice, he'd give me away like a rag doll, as long as the person had the right blood…"
"You don't have to worry, dear." Molly assured her. "Albus will be able to help you."
Charis nodded but did not comment… Maybe she was just worrying, maybe her father couldn't do anything top her, Dumbledore would know, but for now all she wanted to do was escape the stares of everyone in the room.
"And you still think she's evil?" Ginny asked Harry that night.
"Maybe… We don't know she's telling the truth." Harry said quietly.
"Loads of people don't believe what you say about what happened in the graveyard, but still I believe what you say, why can't you believe me now when I say Charis is a really great person?" Ginny questioned him irritably.
"Because we can't be sure."
"It was only you Cedric and Voldemort in the graveyard – we have no idea what really happened." Ginny argued, knowing this was probably upsetting Harry but unable to care enough, not with the way he's been acting.
"That's different."
"How?"
"It just is."
"No Harry, it isn't different, you're just a stubborn idiot, I can't believe what a hypocrite you are." Ginny fumed and then stalked off to bed.