Charley Effie Black

Chapter 4 - You'll Be My Best Man, Char

Charley looked around her father's empty cell.

"See anything, Ducky?" Oliver asked, standing outside of the cell.

Charley shook her head.

Charley looked around for several more minutes. She turned to leave when, from the corner of her eye, she saw a paper under a pile of dried mud.

Charley walked over and dug into the dried mud to pull the paper out. She looked down at the newspaper seeing a hole in it. "Olly?" She asked, knowing he read every Daily Prophet and remembered them.

"Hm?" Oliver replied, taking a step into the cell.

"Was there something interesting on that Weasley boy's shoulder?"

Oliver shrugged. "They said your dad's crazy, always murmuring about rats and, if I remember right, it was the rat that was on his shoulder."

Charley nodded.

Oliver chuckled and walked back out of the cell. "I know you that Weasley boy's his name, Char."

Charley shrugged.

Footsteps started walking towards them. Charley stuffed the newspaper into her back pocket as Cornelius Fudge appeared. "Any luck?"

"W-"

"No," Charley replied before Oliver could mention the newspaper. She had no idea what she was doing, but for some reason, she lied.

"It's supposed to be impossible to escape. I just don't know how he did it," Fudge mumbled, looking at Charley knowingly.

"I know. Especially since he blatantly revealed himself as a follower of You Know Who, you'd think it would've an easier case."

"Indeed..." Fudge said. "Well, if that's all, you two are free to go."

Charley nodded and looked back at window.

Dusty paw prints were visible nearby.

Again, something overtook Charley as she walked over to the window, making sure to cover the prints and look out the window. "It's a lovely view though."

Oliver snorted as she looked out at the cafeteria building unit.

Charley smiled and looked back at Fudge. "Thank you for having me."

Fudge nodded as she walked back to Oliver.

Charley and Oliver walked silently down the stairs.

"You may go in now, Mister..." A ministry worker stated.

"Black. Louis Black," said a boy. His eyes flickered over to Charley and Oliver as they walked down the final set of stairs towards the exit.

Oliver passed him without a second glance but Charley turned around to see him again. His piercing grey eyes met her blue ones.

"Have a crush, Peanut?" Oliver teased.

Charley shook her head, "He just... He seems familiar."

Oliver got on the boat and lifted Jayde up to help her in.

Again, they were both silent as they crossed the water back to the mainland.

Oliver helped Jayde out of the boat. "What were you doing back there?" Oliver asked Charley.

"I'm telling you, the kid seemed familiar."

"No, in the cell," Oliver stated. "When you went to the window and said how beautiful that building was. What was that?"