florence pov

"We need your help."

"Please Flo." Fred and George whined.

The twins want me to help them sell some prank candies they made this summer. Everyday they've been begging me because apparently I seem like the perfect 'chatty' type of person to help.

Whatever that means.

"Fine." I huffed, as I stood up from the common room couch and over to their trunk of candies. "But only because my lines are easy to remember."

"Works for us."

We all dragged the heavy Weasley & Weasley trunk over to where some first years were sitting and chatting.

"Skiving snack boxes." I introduced as I opened up the trunk to show the kids. "The sweets that will make you ill!"

"And can get you out of class whenever you like!" The twins finished as they sat down beside them.

"Obtain hours of pleasure from unprofitable boredom." I said enthusiastically, as I held out some fever fudges for them to try.

The first years each placed one in their mouths. Within seconds, their faces all turned bright red and steam was escaping from their mouths.

"Cool!"

"Blimey!"

"Awesome!"

They all cheered as they pulled out some shiny gold galleons.

The twins and I shared a quick look of success as more students began gathering round to see what we were selling.

"Flo!" Hermione called. "Stop scamming those poor first years. You and Ron promised to come study for OWLS with me in the library."

"Coming!" I turned to the twins. "Sorry guys, I did promise her."

They both groaned.

"We'll probably sell more now that you're hideous face is out the picture." Fred grinned.

I punched his arm and laughed. "Watch you're mouth or I'll slip a puking pastille in your lunch tomorrow, Freddie."

"Phht. Good luck with that."

I stuck my tongue out at the twins as I walked over to Hermione.

As we both left the common room, I glanced back to see Fred and George surrounded by first years with handfuls of galleons in the air.

Hermione and I met up with Ron in the courtyard, then walked to the library. We all sat down at a table near the back.

"Oi, where's Harry?" Ron asked. "I haven't seen him since he went to detention yesterday. He didn't meet us in the courtyard either."

They both turned towards me for an answer, but I just shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

"Some girlfriend you are."

I hit Ron's arm with my potions book. "I don't have to know his every location to be a good girlfriend, Ronald."

"He might just be off thinking somewhere. I mean, this whole Ministry thing is pretty messy." Hermione suggested.

"I just can't believe people don't believe him. He's never been wrong about it before, but nope. The Prophet could say one thing and everyone would believe it instantly." I ranted.

"And now he's got to worry about Lucius Malfoy and you-know-who." Ron huffed.

"You might as well say Voldemort now, Ronald." Hermione instructed.

I froze at the mention of my father. "What?"

"Oh of course! You were asleep when Harry mentioned it back at Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore thinks Voldemort told Lucius Malfoy to send the dementors after Harry specifically." Hermione explained eerily.

"If Voldemort actually told Lucius to do it, he must really want Harry gone." Ron said shakily. "And quickly too."

"Oh that's awful to think about." I replied, shuddering.

"Isn't it just?" Hermione agreed. "I mean, how would Voldemort feel if it was his own child that was in Harry's position?"

"Oh uh I don't think Voldemort would care much to be honest." I laughed awkwardly.

Ron scoffed. "Surely Voldemort would at least care for his own child? I mean, he's a monster but even monsters care."

If only they knew.

Maybe they can know.

Maybe it's time I tell them.

"I............I......" My eyes landed on Ron and Hermione.

"Yes?" Hermione asked innocently.

I took a deep breath. "I have something I've been meaning to tell you guys."

They both looked eagerly at me.

"What's up Flo?" Ron asked.

"I may or may not be related to someone you just happened to mention." It sounded like a whisper, but Ron and Hermione heard it just fine.

Ron looked at Hermione with confusion.

"How closely?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"Uh-uhm, well my father."

"Blimey." Ron whispered. "You're related to the Malfoys?" He scrunched his nose up in disgust as Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

So that's why they don't look terrified. They assumed I was a Malfoy.

"Uhm, no, not exactly."

They both looked at each other in confusion, and then back to me.

"Who else did we-" Ron's voice cut off as they both stared at me in shock.

"No." Hermione laughed awkwardly. "Florence, you tell us. I think Ron has the wrong idea."

I have to do this. Before it's too late. No backing out now.

They'll understand. They're your best friends.

I looked at them both.

Hermione laughed. "We'll it's obviously not Voldemort that's you're father. It's not-" Her words trailed off as she studied the look on my face.

She shook her head in denial. "No. It can't be Voldemort. It's not. It's impossible."

I hesitated. "Ron was right. Tom Riddle or uhm V-Voldemort.......is my father."

Both of their jaws dropped. For the next minute, no words were spoken. I closed my eyes expecting them to shout or yell, but I slowly opened them when nothing happened.

"Please say something." I said quietly.

Hermione sat up in her seat. Her face drastically turned from shock to anger. "So you've just been lying to us this entire time?!" She yelled.

"Shhhh! Please." I whispered. "And no, I didn't lie! Well only a tiny bit. Just one small thing! My real name is Florence Riddle. Bailey is a name I made up to protect myself. My fake name at Beauxbatons was Florence Adams."

"You lied to us!" She whispered angrily. "To me!"

"I had no choice! I had to change my last name or else I would've been found out like what happened at Beaxbatons-"

"You had so many opportunities to tell us!" She replied, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I know! I know! I'm so sorry. You don't understand how hard it is to tell people something this big about yourself." I said lowly. "And it's not like I enjoy telling it either."

Hermione finally gave up arguing and sighed.

"Bloody hell." Ron muttered. "Voldemort's daughter is my best friend. Never thought I'd say that."

Once again they both looked at each other. However, this time, I couldn't read their expressions.

"I hate him with all my heart. He's a monster and I never ever want to be anything like him. He killed Cedric, and so many others." I rambled on. "You've got to believe me! What can I do to-"

"Hey hey hey, Flo." Hermione interrupted, as she placed her hand on mine. "We do, we do believe you. We know you're nothing like him. How could you be? You're our Flo."

I breathed a sigh of relief and placed my other hand on hers. "The only way we are alike is by blood. The rest, we are complete opposites. I promise you."

She nodded. "The horror you have seen is not who you are."

"Thank you, Mione." I said. "You don't understand how much that means to me."

Ron still looked unsure. "And Harry knows?" He asked.

I nodded.

They stayed silent for a few moments, processing what I had just told them. I don't blame them. It's not exactly something that's easy to hear.

"I guess if the one of us that your father is actually out to kill doesn't mind, then we shouldn't either." Ron finally said.

I let out another long sigh of relief.

"What about your mother?" Hermione asked reluctantly.

"Should we get prepared again for another shock?" Ron joked.

"Uhm," I laughed awkwardly."Well actually yes."

They both looked a each other with the same worried expression as before. I watched as they tried to prepare themselves for round two of bad news.

"Okay. Hit us with it." Ron said, nervously.

"Okay, so well.........my mother. You may know her as............Bellatrix Lestrange."

"HOLY MOTHER OF DRAGONS!" Ron yelled. "I mean, you've got to be joking!"

Hermione did something unexpected. She laughed.

Then I did too. Then Ron did too.

"Quiet!" The librarian ordered from across the room as she heard us all laughing.

Once we had calmed down, the conversation carried on.

"The daughter of Voldemort and Bellatrix." Hermione sighed. "Florence, you are somehow the purest person I've met with the impurest of families." 

"Impure is the nice way to describe my family." I said to Hermione. "A more fitting word is satanic."

Hermione giggled quietly.

"No. What's worse than satanic?" Ron asked. "B-T-C-B-C-L-C."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Cold blooded, cult-like creature." Ron said happily.

We all laughed quietly.

"So, what's your plan then?" Hermione asked me after a moment.

"Plan for what?"

"If the war really does break out."

"I'm fighting with you, with Dumbledore, of course. My father can try to make me into a deatheater, but it'll never work."

"What if it does?" Ron asked.

"Trust me, it won't."

Hermione looked sympathetically at me. "I'm so sorry you have to live like that Flo."

"It's okay. I've learned to manage so far."

Hermione took my hand once again. "Don't feel like you have to hide anything from us again, okay? We're here for you always."

Ron sighed. "Yeah. Just don't go all evil on us at the last minute okay?"

I laughed. "I won't, don't worry."

"Bloody hell that's a lot of information for one day."

"Great, now that Flo's severe daddy issues have been shared, can we please study now?" Hermione asked anxiously.

We laughed and began pulling out our textbooks.

----

After about two hours of Ron and I mucking about and Hermione forcing us to focus, our study session was finally over. I swung my arm over Hermione as we all walked out of the library.

"Oh Mione, what would we do without you?" I asked.

"You would've flunked out at third year, that's for sure."

"Please Mione." Ron begged. "I'm not asking you to write all of it for me."

He had been trying to get her to do his potions essay since this morning.

He continued. "It's just, I've been busy studying for these stupid OWL exams."

It's true. Ron has actually been dedicating himself to his exams this year. I think he wants to make Molly proud.

"I'll do the introduction. That's all." Hermione finally agreed.

"Hermione, you're honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met. If I'm ever rude to you again-"

"-I'll know you've gone back to normal." She said jokingly, her face turning slightly pink.

We walked into the common room and spotted Harry sitting on the couch.

"Guess what?" Hermione said as we all sat down around Harry.

"What?" He asked.

"Florence Riddle told us her secret." Ron said quietly.

Harry looked up in shock. "You know?!"

"They know." I sighed.

"Did you freak out?"

Ron opened his mouth to speak but I spoke first. "Yes, they did."

We all laughed.

Harry began flipping through some textbook pages. I noticed something on the back of his hand. Hermione must've too, because she looked curiously over at him.

"What's wrong with your hand?" She asked.

"Nothing." He quickly covered it with his book.

"The other hand." I said, as I grabbed the right one.

I gasped. I ran my fingers gently over what looked like words carved into his skin. The skin was all red and irritated.

"Umbridge did this?"

He nodded slowly.

I pulled him into a hug. He was getting punished for telling the truth. Cedric's truth.

"You've got to tell Dumbledore." Hermione insisted.

"No. Dumbledore's got enough on his mind right now."

"I'm sure he can make some room." I said, as we pulled away from the hug.

"I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction."

Ron sat down with us. "Bloody hell Harry, the woman is torturing you. If the parents knew about this-"

"Yeah, well, I haven't got any folks, have I Ron?" Harry interrupted.

Hermione sighed. "Harry, you've got to report this. It's perfectly simple. You're being-"

"No it's not. Hermione, whatever this is, it's not simple. You don't understand." Harry snapped, as he shut his textbook.

Hermione looked offended. He was being harsh.

"Then help us to." I took his hand and held it in mine. I saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

He looked as if he was going to say something else, but instead he moved his hand, stood up and walked off to his dorm.

Hermione, Ron and I exchanged sympathetic yet worried glances. This woman is going to be a lot worse than we thought.