Charlotte woke up the next morning early, seeing Draco still sleeping, but she needed to leave and see Harry.
"Draco, Draco." She said, shaking him awake. He had his arms wrapped around her waist and held her tightly against his chest.
"Hm?" He grunted, as he opened his eyes, which were still heavy with sleep.
"I need to go."
"Why?" He groaned.
"Because I need to sneak out and sneak into my common room," Charlotte explained.
"Oh, but that's so annoying. Just stay here." He said, tightening his grip on her waist.
"I can't. I'll see you at the library later, okay?" She asked. He signed and nodded, rolling over on his stomach, and going back to sleep. She kissed him on the cheek before getting out of bed. She changed into her Hogwarts robes from yesterday, grabbed her bag, and put on the invisibility cloak before walking out of Draco's dorm.
---
Charlotte took off the cloak before walking into her common room, finding Ron, Harry, and Hermione sitting on the couch waiting for her.
"What's up, guys?" Charlotte said.
"Where were you last night and this morning, Charlotte?" Harry asked, standing up.
"I was nowhere."
"Really? Then why were you in Malfoy's dorm room this morning?" Harry said, pulling out the Muradars map. Charlotte's mouth fell open as she looked at him holding the map.
"You also took my cloak. It's missing."
"Oh, shit, you guys are going to Hagrid's today, right?" She asked, and he nodded.
"Don't change the subject. Why were you at Malfoy's dorm?" Harry yelled,
"Tutoring!" Charlotte shouted, remembering their potions lessens.
"What?" Harry shouted. Ron and Hermione were awkwardly sitting on the couch, staring out the window, or at the ground.
"Malfoy's been helping me with potions. We study every day in the library. He... um... let me borrow one of his potions books."
"So you went up to his dorm room?" Harry yelled, his eyes were still blazing with anger.
"Well, yeah, it was in his dorm. I needed it today and knew he wouldn't come out because of yesterday. So I went to his room." Harry crossed his arms, glaring at her.
"What about last night? You weren't in your dorm, Hermione told me."
"I came in late! When she was sleeping. Ask Parvati and Lavender." Charlotte shrugged as she took out the cloak and handed it to Harry.
"Nothing happened Harry, I just needed a textbook," Charlotte said, smiling innocently, before walking up the stairs. She let out a relieved breath, as she ran all the way up to her dorm room.
---
The weeks passed by quickly and it was already December. Charlotte sat in the library after her D. A lesson with Draco.
"You know, instead of doing this we could go out, let's go ice skating!" Charlotte suggested. Draco shook his head.
"I need to finish this essay before I leave tomorrow. Just give me five minutes and I'll be done." Charlotte rested her head on the table.
"Let's go hang out in your dorm room after," Charlotte said.
"Charlotte?" She heard someone say. She looked up, seeing Dean walking up to her.
"Oh, hi Dean." She said as she sat up. Draco put his quill down, and leaned against his chair, crossing his arms, as he glared at him.
"What are you doing here with Malfoy?" He asked, nodding towards him.
"Snape assigned him to help me with potions." She lied,
"We really seem to need the help." Dean joked.
"We do!" She laughed; Draco scowled at him.
"Anyway, I was here to ask you. I was wondering, I mean, after Christmas is over, would you consider going on a Hogesmade date with me?" He breathed out. Charlotte's smile faltered. He had asked a couple of weeks ago and she had rejected him, but yet he was here again, asking the same question.
"No," Draco said, to her.
"I don't remember asking you," Dean said,
"I'm sorry, Dean. I'm not really interested in dating right now." Charlotte explained.
"More like dating you," Draco smirked.
"Draco," Charlotte whispered,
"What it's obvious you don't like the bloke might as well tell him," Draco said.
"I'm sorry, Dean," Charlotte said, again.
"No, forget it. I asked once. I was hoping you would re-consider." He shrugged, smiling sadly at Charlotte before walking away. Charlotte turned and glared at Draco.
"What was that?"
"I know. He's really annoying." Draco signed, shaking his head. Charlotte gaped at him.
"You've got to be kidding me. Why were you being so rude to him?" Charlotte said,
"He was asking you out, right in front of me! Did you want me to be quiet?" Draco countered as he rolled up his paper. The ink had not dried, and the writing was ruined.
"No one knows we're dating. It's not impossible that someone else could ask me out." Charlotte muttered,
"That doesn't mean I can't yell at them either."
"If you don't want me to be asked out, let's just tell everyone we're dating." Draco looked away and crossed his arms over his chest.
"No."
"Of course." She scoffed,
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I'm fucking exhausted of lying and hiding everything. Just a couple of weeks ago, Harry knew I was in your dorm room, and I had to lie to him! It's annoying! You don't understand it." Charlotte said as she packed up her books.
"So you want to tell everyone! What happens when my family finds out? They will kill me." Draco said, she signed.
"Your sister could do it. Why can't you?"
"Because I don't want to. I love my family and I don't want to lose them."
"Then why are we even dating if you don't want your family or anyone to ever find out?" Charlotte asked.
"Maybe you're right," Draco said, suddenly.
"What?"
"Obviously you want someone who doesn't hide, so I guess this is over." He said, standing up.
"Draco, you can't be serious- "Charlotte said, trying to grab his arm.
"But I am. We're done Charlotte." He said, again, before walking away and leaving Charlotte alone in the library, trying to figure out how Dean asking her out lead her to be dumped.
---
Charlotte stayed in the library for three more hours. Her paper was now covered in her tears, that she didn't know she shed until the paper was a mess she couldn't read anymore. The only part of her paper not covered in tears was the date.
Mr. Weasley
Charlotte gasped and stood up. How could she have forgotten? How could she be so stupid? She ran all the way down to Dumbledore's office, almost tripping twice.
She finally spotted the gargoyle statue that led to his office.
"Oh, my god! What was the password?" Charlotte yelled out loud. She was trying to think, but nothing was coming up.
"Please move! It's an emergency!" She told the statue that was not budging.
"Chocolate frogs!" She yelled, nothing.
"Come on, move!" Charlotte yelled, trying to push it to the side, but it wouldn't budge.
"Think, think, think." She whispered to herself.
"Fizzing Whizzbee!" She shouted, finally remembering the password. The gargoyle state sprang to life and moved to the side, letting her enter.
Charlotte ran up the stairs, not bothering to knock before she threw Dumbeldore's door open.
"Sir! Mr. Weasley! He's in trouble! He's being attacked!" Charlotte shouted, out of breath. Dumbeldore, who was sitting behind his office desk, stood up. Just as she said it, Harry entered with Professor McGonagall and Ron.
"Did you tell him?" Harry yelled,
"Everyone slow down, what is going on?" Professor Dumbledore said.
"I... well, I was asleep... but it wasn't an ordinary dream... it was real... I saw it happen... Ron's dad - Mr. Weasley - has been attacked by a giant snake."
"How did you see this?" Professor Dumbledore asked, staring at his knuckles instead of Harry.
"You misunderstand me, I mean... can you remember — er - where you were positioned as you watched this attack happen? Were you perhaps standing beside the victim, or else looking down on the scene from above?" Dumbledore asked.
"I was the snake. I saw it all from the snake's point of view," Harry explained.
"Is Arthur seriously injured?" Dumbledore asked as he stared at Ron.
"Yes." Finally, Dumbledore ordered two portraits to go. One to find Mr. Weasley and the other one to call for help while they waited in his office.
---
Soon the rest of the Weasleys joined them in the room, all looking very alarmed. Dumbledore explained the situation before getting a portkey out. All of them grabbed a hold of it.
On the count of three, then... one... two... three!" Dumbledore shouted, the portkey started spinning, they felt a jerk behind their navel, and their feet were lifted off the ground. Dumbledore's office disappeared, and soon their feet touched the ground, all of them falling over, panting from the portkey.
"Back again, the blood-traitor brats. Is it true their father's dying?"
"Out!" They heard Peter yell at Kreacher.
"This half-blood that my master has forced me to serve is not my master. Why must Kreacher serve him?" They heard Kreacher mutter before running out of the kitchen.
They were back at number 12 Grimmauld Place.