Eighteen Months Ago
"Filthy scum. Do you think we don't know what you've been up to? You and your entire worthless family?"
Another fist was driven into Valeria's face, and a warm sticky fluid began to slowly stream down her mouth, covering her lips. "Now you listen to me Miss Rosier, you have three options in front of you. One: I kill you here and now. Two: we wait 'til the Wizengamot are ready to sort you out, letting Elphias Doge and the rest of them find you guilty of consorting with Death Eaters and planning, maybe even assisting, in mass murder and leave you to the mercy of the Dementors. Or, finally," he chuckled lowly, "and this is where it gets really interesting, you help us. You give us names and details about your friends and what they've been up to. You help us prosecute them and I will see to it that you are saved from death, from the Dementors … maybe even the Death Eaters if we are feeling generous. What'd you say?"
"You can't be much loved in the Ministry," she retorted arrogantly, licking away a thick layer of blood. "How on earth did they believe that there wasn't at least one part of you that wasn't soaring when Yaxley put you as Minister for Magic? I take it the only reason you're recruiting is to get back in their good books?" A small snide smile of triumph spread across Valeria's face, as she watched his face blanch – clearly she'd hit a nerve.
The man looked apprehensively to one side before setting his eyes back on Valeria. "Do you know how hard I fought to stop them from controlling me? How much I suffered? Of course you don't, because you are some prissy little girl who has had her entire life planned for her, living in luxury. You and your kind are so selfish, I bet you can't ever see beyond your own 'problems'. So what if I want to get in the Ministry's good books? I'm trying to do something good for my government, my country, unlike some." Valeria stared up at the man, who stood a full head taller than her, likely a good 6'2. She couldn't bring herself to glare at him, despite the harsh words, after all there was a lot of truth in what he'd said.
"That doesn't stop you from being utterly pathetic," she hissed bitterly. The second she spoke, she realised that she had crossed the proverbial line. Powerless to do anything as she was pressed up against the wall, she watched as Pius drove her fist into her jawbone, hearing a hollow click. Everything went blurry, as her mouth filled up with the taste of rust and salt. Her eyes rolled back into her head, as she stumbled to the side, frantically trying to stop herself from falling to the ground.
When she finally regained herself, Valeria spat out a gob full of dark blood and raised her head to meet his eyes. The man had aged rapidly since having been freed from the Imperius curse, his hair was more salt than pepper and it looked as if he'd never had a full night's sleep. He was panting hard and clearly thinking through what he was supposed to do with her. She panicked. He was going to kill her if she wasn't careful.
"I want to live."
Pius' eyes filled with a deranged mania and a dark smile appeared across his face. He could smell her weakness. He was already likely planning on how best to torture her with that. He raised a hand to her cheek, grinning maliciously. "I know, that's why I asked you and not your cousin or brother: they'd betray us far too easily for glory. They're not scared of anything. You, Miss Rosier are a coward and I am sure that you won't forget that we own you and your pathetic life. I'm sure that's enough to keep you loyal, no?"
Pius Thicknesse knew he had won.
AN: This is my first time writing in yonks, so if could spare just a couple of seconds to let me know what you think, it would be very greatly received!
I've also created a playlist to go alongside it, each song corresponds to a chapter (it's in order :) ) watch?v=k_VMLWHfrE8&list=PLecwzXKaemi8tys1B5cCfoFC5M5dHSLi6