guilty as sin, mattheo riddle

chapter one

by the time the funeral rolled around, the cuts marring charlotte notts pale skin were almost completely healed, and the blood had long since been washed from her hands. the service was long and boring, and she knew no one wanted to be there, least of all her. everytime she glanced at her palms, she expected them to still be coated in the sticky red substance that had covered them mere weeks before. the benches at the church were hard and uncomfortable, but she barely noticed, too caught up in the rushing inside her ears and the two dark caskets sitting at the front of the church. her aunt and uncle sat next to her, their posture stiff as they too stared at the caskets that held her parents.

three weeks had passed, yet everytime she closed her eyes she could still see it. the blood covering the floor, the bright flash of green before her parents fell to the ground, the masked stranger standing in her drawing room. she couldn't escape the memories of that day, no matter how hard she tried. they never caught the killer. her parents were in coffins, and whoever it was roamed free, unaffected whilst her life was uprooted. she picked at her cuticles, drawing blood. a small hand landed atop of hers, stopping her ministrations. she glanced up, meeting the harsh gaze of her aunt.
"stop that," she snapped quietly before patting her cheek gently, sending sympathetic looks to attendees as they made their way to the pews.

before the murder, charlotte hadn't seen her aunt and uncle in 11 years. while her mother had chosen to forsake the familial practice of dark
magic, her twin sister had only delved deeper into it, marrying a death eater high in voldemorts ranks. her mother told fond stories of her sister, yet charlotte had only encountered her a handful of times. among the more normal side of aristocratic families, the notts, or at least her aunts side, were well known for the streak of madness that ran through them. her mother kept her distance, despite her love for her twin, not wanting to tarnish the reputation of her only daughter.

her aunts hand squeezed hers tightly, bringing her back to the present. her parents killer got to roam free while she was forced to attend the funeral of her parents. before she knew it, it was over. the caskets were lowered into the cold dark ground, and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she realized she would never see her parents again. never laugh with them, never watch another movie or practice spells. her aunts boney hand clasped tightly onto her shoulder, steering her toward the exit of the church. they were the last to leave, and she cast a longing look over her shoulder as the pull of apparation tugged deep in her gut.

the looming, dark structure of the nott estate cast a shadow over them as she landed on the brick walkway, stumbling slightly. her uncle and cousin, theodore nott jr and sr fixed their ties before walking toward the gate, leaving her and her aunt to follow. the manor was dark, and she could feel the gloom inside it as if it was a physical presence. in her home, things were always bright, just how her mother liked it.
she was only offered a few hours of peace before she was summoned into her uncles study.

she sat stiffly in the chair as her aunt and uncle stood before her, glancing down at her as if they were contemplating her value.
"we must find use for you." her uncle said, his tone business like and serious as usual.
her aunt nodded, agreeable as ever.
"what do you mean?" charlotte asked, fear and confusion filling her as she tried to decode the meaning of their words.
her aunt smiled, almost gently and said, "we need to find you a husband."