Katerina Rhowen, the daughter of one of the most deadly Death Eaters in London, stays with her crowd of Slytherins at Hogwarts as they torment the golden trio. But what happens when Katerina has to make a choice? Juggling both sides, she gets confli...
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I've never been one to ask questions. My father always taught me that if you didn't already know the answer then it wasn't something that you needed answered. And if you really did want it answered, figure it out yourself. This could have led me two ways: I either always kept to myself and just went with what I knew and what I was told, or I'm always curious, always wondering, and always wanting to know the answer. I became the second.
This wasn't a problem though, because I always had a way to get the answers. Since I had always had so much time at the Manor, nothing I'd ever wondered stayed a mystery
"Did you hear my mother?" Draco asked me. We were sitting in the library, a fire going in front of us as we drank some tea. "'Before things get out of hand,' she said. What does that mean? I wish our fathers didn't keep so many secrets," said Draco, resting his head on the cushion behind him.
I thought for a moment. Secrets. Why did they keep so many secrets from us? That was one question I didn't have to figure out myself. . .
Friday. July 31, 1994.
My father, Lucious Malfoy, and the others were huddled in his office late at night, the only source of light being a candle. I had only woken up because of a dream, but I wanted to get some water to give my mind a break from thinking too hard. On my way down, my wand in my hand to illuminate the hall, I heard whispers and rustling in the farthest room in the hall. Curiosity filled my head as I looked at the door. I looked at the stairs that lead to the kitchens, then back at the door with small amounts of light shining through the cracks.
After about thirty seconds, my curiosity go the best of me and I quietly walked over to the door, avoiding any creaks in the floor. If he had caught me, I'd be dead. Why I was even doing it? I couldn't tell you.
I got to the edge of the door and I pressed my body against the wall, careful not to be heard. I should've been paying more attention though, because somehow my wand slipped out of my hand and hit the ground with a thud that wouldn't have been so loud if I wasn't trying to be quiet. My heart dropped when every voice in the room went silent. And then the door creaked open.
Out walked my father, a look of . . . excitement . . . on his face. I stepped back, waiting for my punishment as he shut the door and walked closer. I was shaking so violently that I dropped my wand again when I tried to pick it up. To my surprise, though, he kneeled down to my level and held my shoulders.
"Katerina, Katerina. What are we going to do with you? Up so late, sneaking around the Manor, eavesdropping on adult conversations," he said condescendingly.
"I didn't --- I didn't mean to, I promise," I said quickly. I was too scared to make eye contact, so I stared at the light coming through the crack in the door. He grabbed my chin and yanked it to face him.
"If you're old enough to go sneaking around hallways in the middle of the night, you're old enough to make eye contact."
"Yes, father," I said, my breath choppy.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood tonight. We've been working on some future plans -- but of course, you know that," he said calmly, a smile forming on his face. I didn't laugh, speak, or move. "I'm sure the reason you're out here tonight is because of . . . jealousy? Am I right?" I still didn't move. "You're sister, the youngest ever to join us, at age 15. By your age, she was already in all the meetings, you know. Summer before 4th year. Good year for our family. But of course, you know that," he said. The laugh he let out told me that he had seen my expression change.
"That's not why," I said quietly. He let go of my chin.
"Oh, Rina. Then be my guest, let me in. Tell me why." I didn't speak. Began clicking his tongue as he got up from his knee and stood tall in front of me, his gaze looking down to meet mine. "If you're wondering why you're not in the meetings like your sister was, it's because we don't trust you. We can't trust you. You haven't proved to us any . . . what's the word . . . devotion. Any eagerness, urgency, to be a part of this," he moved the hair out of my face, "you'll never be as good as your sister once was. At least not anytime soon."
Secrets. They kept secrets from us because they didn't trust us with their plans. This isn't something I would ever tell Draco, though. Maybe someday, when they finally trust us, I'll tell him.
"I'm not sure."
"That's it? You're not the least bit curious what's going on tonight?" Draco said to me, the eagerness to know the truth showing through his tone. I laughed.
"Of course I want to know, but you know they'd never tell us, even if we asked. We'll just have to wait and see what the Ministry has to say about tonight. I'm sure we can connect the dots," I said. He shrugged and laid his head back down.
"You know, at our age, your sister--"
"I know," I cut him off quickly. Everyone always seemed to try to remind me how perfect my sister was. How she was already way farther ahead in life then I was at this age. How I could never live up to her, her legacy. . .
I do wish they told us everything. A part of me wants that, wants to be as good as my sister. And I know my father wants that. But him and I both know that she's someone I could never be, and in his eyes, someone I would never grow up to be better than.
I do, however, know that she wanted me to be better than her. Not in the way my father sees it, but in a way we both know. I just haven't figured out how to do that. But those were her last words to me, and they mean something to me. Something more powerful than anything my father could ever say to me.
"You can do it, I know you can. I know you can be better than this. Do it for me, do it for our name."
