I nearly poked myself in the eye as a knocking at my bedroom door made me jump.

"Draco?" I called hopefully, looking up from my dresser where I was in the middle of applying mascara.

To my dismay, Draco had been keeping his distance from me over the last few days. Although I was kept busy during the day with my lessons with Snape, it was during the night when I missed him. I found it difficult to sleep without his arms around me.

And tonight was our last night before returning to Hogwarts. Tonight was the night of my leaving party.

But as the door opened, my heart plummeted at the sight of the crazy curly haired woman entering my room.

"Sorry, sweetie - no booty call for you this time!"

She waltzed over to me cackling delightedly at her quip. "Just thought I'd come and check if you need some girly assistance in preparing for your party? Got to make sure you look your best for daddy!"

"Don't," I whispered, her words creating a sick swooping sensation in the pit of my stomach.

I looked down and realised my hand holding the mascara was shaking.

"Oh, don't be like that!" Bellatrix tittered, "it's an honour to have the Dark Lord for a father - oh, what I wouldn't give to be a special part of him like that, somehow!"

She looked up dreamily as though lost in heavenly thoughts about my father. I shook my head in revolted disbelief.

A shuffling at the still open door made us both snap our heads around.

Draco was stood, smartly dressed in a black suit, eyeing the pair of us warily.

"Sorry to interrupt this..." he gestured a hand towards us as if not knowing what word to use, "I was just wondering if I could have a word with Astrid?"

Bellatrix gave a high pitched titter. "Well don't let me get in the way of young love," she giggled, skipping back towards the door, pausing as she passed Draco, leaning right up into his ear, "just don't forget to play safe, nephew."

Draco shuddered, waiting for the sound of her cackles to disappear along with herself before closing my bedroom door.

I stood up, turned around and gave Draco my full attention. I was dismayed to see his expression wasn't as warm as I'd hoped.

"You two seem very cosy," he muttered moodily.

"No offence Draco, but your aunt makes my skin crawl. Much like my father does. Now if that's all you came to say..." I turned my back, sitting back down at the dresser, pointedly resuming the applying of mascara.

"Astrid, I'm sorry."

I paused, and then slowly put the mascara down, looking at him through the reflection in the mirror.

He sighed, sitting on the end of my bed, glancing up at the mirror, his grey eyes meeting mine sadly.

"I've been avoiding you lately," he continued, "and that's not been fair on you."

"You don't feel like you can love me anymore," I said morosely, dropping my eyes, too terrified to see the truth in his.

His answering silence made my heart break into a thousand tiny pieces. I felt my body judder as silent tears fell from my eyes.

"Astrid,"

A hand touched my shoulder, making me flinch. I didn't want him touching me if he couldn't love me. It hurt far too much.

"Please just go, Draco," I sobbed into my hand, not being able to look up at him.

When I heard the door finally close behind him, I removed my hand from my mouth and discovered the keening wailing sound I could hear was coming from me.

If Draco didn't love me anymore, then I had nothing left to live for.

...

What Draco should of said was that he loved her so much he couldn't bear to witness what was about to happen to her tonight.

That all he had wanted to do was take her in his arms and run as far away as they could - to hell with the consequences! They would run for the rest of their lives if need be.

But thinking it might just be easier all around for her to think he didn't love her anymore, he decided to get up and leave the room without saying a thing.

He didn't know what exactly would happen tonight, but he just knew it was going to be worse than Astrid's initiation.

He had been avoiding Astrid for this very reason. Ever since she had told him Voldemort was giving her a gift, he knew that it would be the gift of evil. The gift that would finally turn Astrid into the monster her father was so desperate to unleash.

And he couldn't bear the thought of losing her yet a-fucking-gain.

His heart could no longer take it.

...

"Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to an extremely bittersweet occasion!"

I watched in trepidation as my father stood up on a makeshift stage in the packed drawing room. Behind him was a huge black banner that read "So Long, Astrid!" in silver letters. I wondered how Draco felt having his name absent from it.

I couldn't help but glance up at him from across the room. Draco had an extremely somber expression on his face as he stood between his wretched looking parents. Narcissa and Lucius seemed more withdrawn and dispirited than ever at their home being completely invaded by my father and his minions.

As if sensing my gaze, Draco's eyes flew to mine and my heart gave a painful twist.

I averted my eyes before they could start to fill with tears. A huge lump had formed in my throat and I struggled to swallow it down.

"Astrid, darling," my father continued, "if you would please join me on stage, I have a very special parting gift for you tonight."

My heart immediately raced in panic. My first reaction was to alarmingly glance back over to Draco. He was looking back at me, fear unmistakably flashing in his eyes. It felt almost for a moment that he was going to step forwards and save me. But then something in him relented, and he seemed to sag with a look of resignation.

"Come, daughter, don't be shy!" My father coaxed.

Everyone's eyes were on me, waiting. Shakily I stepped up onto the stage towards my red eyed, noseless father who's arms were outstretched in greeting.

I tried not to shudder as he hugged me. The room applauded deafeningly around us.

"As my daughter, Astrid, you will be representing me when you return to Hogwarts - a place that has always been special to me." He announced once the room had quietened again. "And because of this, it is important for me that you, as my child, pass on my values and beliefs to your fellow students. I have arranged a very special title for you to have - better than Head boy or girl - Astrid, from now on, you will be known as Hogwarts Head Torturer of Muggle-Borns and Blood Traitors!"

The whole room applauded again as he handed me a shiny gold badge. I looked at it in complete horror. Did my father really expect me to go and Crucio my fellow school mates? I had been hoping to make friends.

"This is my gift?" I asked, shakily taking the badge out of his hand, despite wanting to throw it back in his ugly face.

He laughed a manic laugh, showing his rotten teeth and pink snake like tongue. "Oh no, dear! This badge alone will not be enough to make you the kind of imposing figure I need you to become to reign terror into young minds."

I took a sudden fearful step back.

"You see, Astrid, I have noticed that, despite being my daughter, hurting people does not seem to be in your nature. Except for the fact that I know it is in there somewhere - for I have seen it. We just need to wake it up!"

"No," I said shaking my head and taking another step back. I was frightened.

"WORMTAIL!" My father bellowed, "it is time to bring in The Gift!"

The doors opened at the back of the room, and Wormtail scurried in, pulling a man chained up, just like Ollivander had been, towards the stage as the room parted, creating a path for them.

Confusion swept over me as I tried to see how a prisoner was in any way a gift. Squinting, I looked warily towards the broken and tortured figure shackled up in chains. And, as he neared, stumbling up onto the stage, the blood in my veins suddenly turned ice cold, and my insides turned to liquid as a horrible sickening feeling swooped low in the pit of my stomach.

For I knew who this man was.

His name was Robert Williams.

The other father.