This is an absolutely gorgeous song. Just saying. Lyrics: Hallelujah; Jeff Buckley
"And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen in the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah"
"Draco! Come down here!" a voice called from downstairs. The boy in question sighed, turning away from the window where snow was falling heavily.
"What?" he snapped.
"Don't you talk to me like that! Get your sorry arse down here and bring your wand. NOW!"
Draco heaved himself up and grabbed his wand from where it sat on the desk next to him. He walked across the stone floor and down the winding steps, hand on the gleaming banister.
His aunt was waiting for him, leaning against a large tapestry.
"Took you long enough! Now, follow me to the drawing room. I've heard from Amycus Carrow that your Crutiatus Curse is, lacking." said Bellatrix. Draco said nothing, but looked at the floor, a pit forming in his stomach. Bellatrix pushed back the tapestry to reveal a small room, elegantly decorated. A chandelier hung above the center of the room.
Draco was rubbing his left forearm, concealed by his sleeve. He avoided looking at the center of the room. He hated this. This isn't how he had wanted to spend Christmas holidays.
"Up! Get up you mudblood! You filthy excuse for a human being!" his aunt shrieked at the huddled mass on the rug.
The rug was dotted red.
The figure rose slowly, with obvious effort. It was a girl of about fifteen, with long brown hair covering her face. She was still in Hogwarts robes that held a patch declaring her a Ravenclaw. She looked not at Bellatrix, but Draco with hollow eyes. He stayed looking at the floor.
Bellatrix drifted over to him placing her hands on his shoulders and hissing in his ear.
"Look at the enemy. You want her to feel pain. It serves her right, the disgusting piece of scum." She forced his left sleeve up, revealing the black mark on his arm. The girl showed the first emotion he had seen, disgust.
"Now Draco, come on, show your loyalty to the Dark Lord."
Trembling he raised his wand and pointed it at the girl, looking at her fully for the first time. A flash of recognition, had he seen her in the halls at some point? The pit grew larger.
"C-crucio." He stammered. The girl let out a sharp yell and twitched but nothing more.
"Again." Bellatrix said her lips pursed in displeasure.
"Crucio." The girl fell to the floor, yelling louder. His heart was pounding.
"Again!"
More shrieks, more writhing.
"Again!"
More.
"Again!" Bellatrix was screaming at him now.
He said the incantation with shaky legs. The girl before him had tears running down her face. The curse stopped.
"You. Are. Pathetic. You have to feel it. You have to revel in it!" she whipped out her own wand. Draco shrunk back at his aunt's anger. But it was he who she turned the wand on.
Screams echoed around the room. The girl was thrown in the air twitching and shaking. She fell back to the ground, still screeching in pain.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Draco resisted a strong urge to vomit. Bellatrix let up for moment.
"You see Draco? Feel it. Now. Try. Again." She said, punctuating each word with shots of light at the girl.
"Crucio." Horrible shrieks of agony filled his mind. The girl was sobbing, pleading. Draco felt dizzy, his heart and head pounding.
A slow smile appeared on Bellatrix's face. "Better. Why don't you let me take it from here?" Draco obliged, slightly worried about what was coming. The girl lay crumpled on the floor, gasping.
"CRUCIO!" Bellatrix yelled and the worst sound Draco ever heard filled his brain. He clenched his eyes shut. He wasn't made for this.
The screaming stopped. Nervously he opened his eyes. The girl was barely moving. She just lay there wide eyed. He heard a soft, breaking voice mumbling one word over and over again.
"Hallelujah."
Bellatrix looked revolted. "Enough of this. I think you've learned your lesson, am I right Draco?" He gave a barely perceivable nod.
"Well, we can rid ourselves of this… thing."
And in a flash of green light it was over. The girl had risen into the air and landed with a sickening thud. Bellatrix gave a smile of elation and swept out of the room, twirling her wand.
Draco sunk to the floor, retching. Tears stung his eyes and ran down his cheek. His mark felt as if it was burning. The girl before him lay cold on the floor. The screams had stopped but they played on repeat in his brain.
He wasn't made for this.
Reviews make me smile.