A Return
September 1st, 1936
Charis sat in a compartment by herself. She was early. For once, she hadn't had to wait as Ella had torn around the house, shoving last minute things into her trunk, reassuring them all that she'd only be a minute. Even last year, when Ella had finished at Hogwarts, she'd still managed to hold them all up, insisting on coming to say goodbye. Her parents hadn't bothered to come to the station this year. They hadn't said that, of course, but it amounted to the same thing. Charis shouldn't have been surprised. Even though Ella wasn't supposed to exist anymore, she still managed to be the centre of attention.
Right at the moment, she hated Ella. It was Ella's fault that there were currently several students whispering outside her compartment door. It was Ella's fault that any parent who caught a glimpse of her through the window hurriedly whispered last minute instructions to their children. It was Ella's fault that Lucille Macmillan and Octavia Parkinson were still standing on the platform, not sure whether to sit with her or not. And it was Ella's fault that not a single boy had offered to carry her trunk for her, something that had occurred every year she'd been at Hogwarts.
She tucked a strand of ebony hair behind her ear. It was often said that Charis was beautiful. Dora was pretty, and Ella had stunning eyes, but she, Charis, was beautiful. She'd always felt that it made her special, unique. But today she didn't want to be special. She didn't want to stand out. She just wanted to be standing in the corridor, gossiping about somebody else's sister.
The train began to move off the platform, and Charis felt the nausea in her stomach grow. All too soon she would have to face the other students, deal with her snickering and judgements, and defend her family name. She wondered if Lucille and Octavia would sit with her. She doubted it. If it had been on of them whose sister had run off with such filth, she wasn't sure that she would sit with them.
The compartment door slid open slowly, and Charis looked around to see Abraxus Malfoy leaning casually in the entrance. His dark blonde hair fell stylishly over his face, and his expression suggested an arrogance that Charis knew was reflected in his personality. Not that she minded. When one was as rich as Abraxus Malfoy, one was perfectly entitled to be arrogant.
"So, Black, is it true?" He spoke slowly, enunciating each word perfectly. "Did your sister really run off with that waste of a wizard Weasley?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying himself. Though his broad shoulders took up most of the doorway, Charis could still see the other students crowding behind him, desperate to hear her reply. This was a test, and for a family's sake she must not fail.
"A Weasley? Do you really think my family would associate with such filth? I only have one sister, Malfoy, and the last I heard she was happily married to Harfang Longbottom."
She hated herself for saying that. Hated herself because she had loved her sister. But hated herself more because she felt good denouncing Ella so publicly.
"I'm glad to hear that, Black. I wouldn't want to think the reputation of the British purebloods had been stained in any way." And ever so slowly he straightened, and strolled away down the corridor.
Charis slumped down in her seat, ignoring the excited mutterings outside the compartment. She should have expected this. She had, in a way. She just hadn't expected to feel quite like this.
"Charis?"
Charis sat up, attempting to mould her face into a casual expression. It was Lucille and Octavia, both looking rather anxious. Charis just smiled. She must not, under any circumstances, appear troubled. She was Charis Black, carefree and entirely glad to be rid of her meddlesome sister.
"Nice weather we're having, isn't it?" asked Charis, as the two girls carefully took a seat opposite her.
"Lovely", said Lucille, and her voice had only the slightest quaver.
"Did you have a nice holiday?" inquired Charis, and smiled inwardly as they began to relax. Perhaps things would be back to normal faster than she'd thought.
That night Charis lay on her bed, listening to the other four girls catching up on all the gossip. It was easier at Hogwarts to pretend everything was alright. She wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night and expect to see Ella. And she wasn't so alone at Hogwarts. When she concentrated she could even lose herself in the discussion going on, listen to what they were saying and pretend to herself that she was interested. Hogwarts was like a second home. Without the silence and the anger that seemed to fill up all the crevices at Highthorn House. She felt safe at Hogwarts.
Earlier, she'd watched the Sorting Ceremony with a strange kind of distance. She'd expected to feel slightly sad, but instead she could only be relieved that the two Black children in their first year had both been Sorted into Slytherin. Walburga, of course, had been a Slytherin from the minute she was born, but Lucretia was a happier, brighter sort of child, not your average Slytherin. Not that there was anything average about Slytherins.
But Charis was glad that the day hadn't yielded any more disappointments for the Black family. Glad that for the moment she could pretend to be happy, and ignore her sister's betrayal. And as she drifted into the fogginess of sleep, Charis felt a strange peace settle over her. Drowsily, she thought that perhaps she might be truly happy again, that perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult after all to forget her favourite sister.
A/N: Thank-you so much for reading this far, and for the suggestions and critiques left in reviews, it is very heartening to receive them all. A couple of things I wanted to say briefly. The first is that I'm leaving to go overseas in two days and I have no idea how regularly I'll have access to e-mail, or how much time I'll have to write, so I apologise in advance if I can't update as soon as I have been doing. The second thing is really a sidenote, but it is my understanding that Tom Riddle started at Hogwarts in 1936. At this stage, I don't think I'll mention him, as I'm focusing on Charis, but let me know what you thinkā¦
