Back at the boarding house, Charlotte stormed into her room in a fit of rage. Seeing her brothers again had released centuries-old fury inside her that she never knew was there. Stefan must have released the anger, she told herself angrily. How could he ever think Katherine loved him?! Katherine was an evil, spoiled girl who just wouldn't grow up. Katherine had been a bitch to Charlotte. Katherine had batted her eyelashes at both the boys, and been as childish as a two year-old. She had pouted when she didn't get what she wanted, as she did when Stefan and Damon didn't get along.
Charlotte hissed in hatred for the dead girl. Katherine was dead, and Charlotte couldn't be happier, but she had wanted to kill her by herself. One on one. Her teeth sinking into Katherine's neck, tearing her throat open.
Charlotte plonked herself down on her black duvet bed, and daydreamed of the killing of the spoiled little rich girl. Katherine's father was a famous German dealer, so Katherine had all the new clothes, jewelry, and- of course- the attention of men. Charlotte herself hadn't been short of admirers herself- being a gorgeous native-italian girl. Not to mention the daughter of a rich man. But her father had fended all the men off. No daughter of his was going to marry a waster, he had said spitefully. According to her father, she had to marry someone who cared about her- as he said those men had not- and, as well as being rich and looked-after, he wanted her to be happy. Back in those times, that was a very generous feeling for a father to have. Most only wanted their daughters to marry into a rich family, and if they were unhappy- tough.
Charlotte lay back on her bed, her long hair fanning out around her. She had been laying like this when Klaus had come to her room. He hadn't asked to be let in by her; one of the servants must have been hypnotized to do it.
Charlotte closed her eyes, and daydreamed of Klaus.
***
Dark night.
Charlotte lay in her bed, slowly falling to sleep. Her father had told her only a short hour ago that both her brother's were dead and she was an only child now. She didn't have a tear to shed. Exhaustion had taken it's toll, and even lifting her arm was exhausting. Crying would have to wait.
But she still couldn't sleep.
Then, just as she was away to turn over, she saw her chamber door slide open.
It couldn't be one of the servants, she thought, scared. They always knock. And they never visited her at night.
But when she glimpsed the person that had come in, she mysteriously wasn't scared anymore. A forced calm had spread over her, and no matter where it came from, she welcomed it. After the exhaustion of her trip back, and the news of her brothers deaths, she just wanted rest.
The man stood there, staring at her. He was beautiful- she thought, dreamily. So beautiful. Shockingly blue eyes, striking blonde hair, amazing muscles.
She had been weak back then. Charlotte had been sweet, naïve, and knew nothing of the world. She had had no idea how dangerous this man was. His Power was strong, and a young sixteen-year-old girl could hardly resist.
The man moved. Charlotte managed to sit up in her bed, weary of this man. What was he going to do to her? Harm her?
He stood beside her bed, never taking his eyes off hers.
Then he stretched out his hand and stroked her hair off of her face. She shivered at his touch.
"You're cold?" he asked. Charlotte nearly screeched. His voice was amazing; deep and somehow cold.
Her mind was too weakened by now to react. Her senses were in tatters. This man was all she wanted. And she didn't know why. Some sort of evil power?
The man did something shocking. He took the corner of the her quilt, pulled it back, and slid in the bed beside her.
Charlotte blushed furiously. If her father saw this, she would be removed from the family, no question.
"Wh..." she started to say.
"Hush..." he said, facing her now. He stroked her hair back from her face.
"Who are you?"
"How rude of me. I am Klaus. You must be Charlotte," he said, their eyes still locked. "Your brothers are not dead, beautiful Charlotte. They are very much alive. Vampires."
Charlotte gasped.
Klaus's lips quirked at the corners a little.
"Vamp- but there are no such things," she managed to whisper out. This man was in her bed. This man had violated her personal space. But she couldn't think. To her brain; it was a forbidden subject.
"There are, Charlotte. There are. Do you remember Katherine?"
She nodded. Only a slight movement of her head.
"She's a vampire. She Changed them. She asked me to Change you."
Charlotte could only lie there. Too much in shock to do anything.
Klaus moved closer towards her, leaned down his head, and kissed her.
Charlotte had never been kissed before in her life, but she found that she liked it. She liked it very much. Her mind was his now; there was no taking it back. She was too weak back then.
Klaus moved on-top of her, slowly, as to not scare her, and kissed down her neck. He stopped at her collarbone and worked his way back up to her mouth again.
Hours later, they lay there together. Her virginity, her innocence, was now lost, to this man, to this stranger, but her mind wasn't allowing her to think.
"Charlotte. It's time," came a voice.
She looked to her left, and Klaus's eyes were staring into hers. Then, quick as a snake, he struck.
Charlotte gasped at the pain in her neck. There was never anything as painful she'd felt in her life. She started to wriggle, trying to break free of his strong grasp, but it was no use. He was too strong.
She struggled, and struggled. But then, quite soon, she grew too tired to do anything but lie there. Klaus was taking her energy. Wait, no. Klaus was taking her life. She had no idea what he was going to do to her. What did he mean by Change?
Just before she thought she was going to lose consciousness, Klaus sat up away from her. He had stopped, she thought in relief.
But the relief only lasted for a second as she saw him reach over to his discarded robe, and he took something out of it. She noticed the glint of a blade in the darkness.
Oh god. He's going to kill me now.
Charlotte was now extremely panicked, and even in her exhausted state she managed to struggle away from him. But then she felt a hand grasp her shoulder and thrust her flat onto the bed again. She cried out.
Klaus looked into her eyes as he cut the bottom of his throat with the knife. His dark red blood glinted like the dagger in the moonlight. He tossed the knife carelessly away onto the ground, no doubt leaving a bloody stain for the servants to clean up. Charlotte managed to shake her head at him, begging him not to kill her. Was this some sort of ritual? Did he have to cut himself before he killed someone? Was it a vampire thing? She had no way of knowing.
Klaus smiled at her.
"I have to, my sweet. If I don't, you will die anyway from blood loss. No-one shall come to help you. You have no energy to scream."
He leaned forward over her, his face becoming her world. She thought he was going to kiss her before he killed her, so she was shocked when he suddenly put his head up, exposing his bloodied neck.
She tried to turn her head away with the energy she had left, but he put a hand on her neck, forcing her to look into his neck. Then, he said something she was not expecting to hear:
"Drink."
Drink? Drink another person's blood? Surely the vampires were only meant to bite the victim and that would be it dealt with, but how could she refuse him now? He said she'd die if she didn't, and Charlotte had her whole life ahead of her. She couldn't die now, she was too young. She had to get married, have children, and die of old age- the way life was meant to go.
"Drink," he said again, more urgent. "If you do not, I shall have to force it down your throat, and I do not wish to harm you."
You're harming me now- she thought. You're robbing me of my life.
Klaus moved his neck down, so her mouth was hovering over his wound. Closing her eyes in fear of what she was doing- she put her mouth to the wound and sucked.
It tasted disgusting, but she was too frightened to pull away from him, so she carried on drinking his blood.
After a while, she couldn't take any more- she was to weak and disgusted to take his blood anymore- and she turned her head away from him, a tear escaping her eye. Luckily, Klaus seemed satisfied with the amount of blood she'd drunk, and he pulled away from her, reaching for his robe.
He pulled it back on, and walked away from her. Seconds later he was back with a cloth, and he cleaned her up with it.
She couldn't stop looking at him. What had he just done to her? She felt weak, but there was something more; it felt like she was changing on the inside.
Klaus put the cloth on the beside cabinet, and drew something else out of his robe, placing something small- a ring, perhaps- beside the cloth.
She closed her eyes, too exhausted to look anymore.
She heard him move towards her, and felt his kiss on her forehead. Then, in her ear, she heard him whisper;
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
The door closed behind him, and she fell into an exhausted sleep seconds after his departure.
