Riddle Me This

Chapter 43

Catherine's POV

My back began to burn severely as I looked to the man before me. He looked deformed, no nose, at least not by human description. He had slits, and his skin was a pale gray, bordering on white. Like I thought the Malfoy's were pale, but they weren't as bad. And no hair to be seen. Seeing the memory of him, I remember seeing many of the features I had gotten from him, seeing him now, I have no idea how the person before me was related to me in anyway.

Severus apparated in shortly after, and everyone was bowing. Everyone but me.

"Catherine." My father said, stepping down from the throne he had put into the ballroom. I put up my most convincing happy smile.

"Father." I wasn't going to get on my knees to bow, but I did bend deeply at the waist. Soon, Voldemort was before me.

"It's been seventeen years." He said. "Yet I've heard many things from my Death Eaters. You're a blood traitor." I felt his wand on the back of my neck, causing me to freeze.

"My Lord." Severus said, standing and approaching. "That would be the doing of Morgana and Killian. They raised her as such."

"I know this. But you said you can reteach her?" Voldemort said, turning to Severus.

"I can. It won't be very hard. She wishes to be with her father, to know the man behind the power." Severus lied smoothly. "Though a few things may be harder to remove. She's impossibly kind to those she's deemed are worthy of her trust, but monstrous to those who hurt her friends. I believe she cursed most of Slytherin house her second year for comments made about someone she was once friends with."

"And her animosity towards me?" Voldemort asked.

"She's become close to me over the years, and trusts my judgement. If I handed her a vial and told her it held dreamless sleep, when it truth it held poison, she'd drink it without a second thought." Severus finished. That thought scared me, because it was true.

"I knew I had trusted her to you for a reason Severus." Voldemort said, turning back to me. "You said that she got a scar that night. Of a particular design?"

"Yes, on her back." Severus answered.

"Catherine." I looked up to him, still in my bent bow. "Show me your scar." I straightened slowly, seeing no harsh retaliation coming. I shifted from foot to foot.

"Could you maybe ask at least your male followers to leave?" I asked carefully. "It requires a bit of disrobing, and I don't fancy having your followers seeing me in such a state."

"Are you refusing to do as I ask?" Voldemort hissed. I quickly shook my head.

"Of course not, Father! I just..." I trailed off, looking to Severus for help. But he said nothing, just stood there. I shifted again. "Please, or... at least have me standing somewhere they won't see my front. I'll settle for a robe to cover the front of me with." Please have him have at least some fatherly instinct.

"Come here." Voldemort said, grabbing my arm, I easily followed as he dragged me to the back of the ballroom and turned towards the throne, stepping down a few steps. "Show me the scar." I quickly moved, disrobing until my back was shown to the room. "Why is the skin so red?" Voldemort demanded.

"It reacts to you." I answered. "It burns most unpleasantly, but Severus has made a salve to sooth it. If he didn't, I would have probably lost consciousness as soon as we apparated in."

"Abigail must have done something that night." Voldemort said. "Redress and step down from my throne." I did so quickly, and stood next to Severus. "I heard you can speak Parseltongue, Catherine. Is this true?" I gave a soft smile.