There it was again. The scream. I'm not entirely sure how I even noticed it, I have become so used to it for God only knows how many days. I looked around the dark chamber which had became my home ever since the end of the war. I shivered in terror as I hugged my knees in the corner of the filthy chamber. I watched as a rat scrambled across the floor at the other end of the room. I didn't even flinch. That's what's scared me, the fact that I had grown so accustomed to the filth that surrounded me. I watched the rat sniff at the floor as it tried to find something of interest. This was my only source of entertainment, besides the growing terror that grew inside me whenever I heard the wails and cries of those outside the cell.
I closed my eyes, even though it didn't do much difference. It wasn't much darker. But it was safer. It's funny how even just closing my eyes provided at least a little comfort. After everything that I had been through, this was the one thing that I treasured. It's funny. I took everything for granted. My friends, my teachers, my school. My safety. Now the best thing I had was to simply close my eyes. Pathetic.
I jumped as the screaming stopped. A flash of light burst through the cell. My heart hammered in my chest. That's happened before, I thought. One more person finally put out of their misery. At first I could recognize the screams. Justin. Denis Creevy. Even half-bloods. Dean. Seamus. But not all ended with the flash of unmistakable green light. Usually all of the people who opposed Voldemort and refused to join him were not blessed with death. Only the few they saved were the ones that could still be of use to them. George, Lily, Luna, Neville... The list never stopped. I shivered at the thought. This was the thought that terrified me the most, the fact that some of my loved ones were not blessed with the light. For anyone in their situation, death was heavenly. But I no longer recognized the screams. They just became endless noise, noise that would penetrate my thoughts and my sanity. Although there was one scream I hadn't heard yet. The one scream that haunted my dreams, yet kept me going. It gave me hope, but also grief.
I sighed. I thought of my parents. What were they doing? Where were they now? I shuddered as I remembered the day I left. Forever wiping their minds clean. I didn't even know what was happening in the non-muggle world. Was there peace? Or was there chaos. I didn't want to think about the more likely.
I slowly adjusted myself against the cold stone walls. My stomach ached from lack of food and water, my skin pale and my bones visible. My hair was even bushier than normal, knotted and twisted in the back. I closed my eyes again as I slowly lied down against the wall, huddled tightly.
A lump formed in my throat as I thought of the battle. I thought about the chaos. The blood. The death. Tears formed in my eyes as I remembered the start of all our misery. How Hagrid could be seen, slumping towards the school, Voldemort and his fellow death Eaters at his side. And what he was carrying. Harry...Tears flowed as I saw his body. His body, still and cold...so cold... After Harry was gone, that was it. It was a lost cause as we continued to try to fight off Voldemort's approaching army. We were quickly overrun. People were taken, and people were killed. The death eaters took over the entire wizarding world, capturing every man, woman, and child that wasn't pure blood. I remembered how I kept fighting until the very last second... I remember the blood, the violence, the bodies, the screams, the death...so much death...
I woke up with a start as I heard a scream. But this wasn't just any scream. I recognized this scream. Oh no. Oh God, please no. I clambered to my weak legs and ran to the bars. I shook them frantically. The screams continued. Only one person could have had those screams, the one person I hoped I would never have to hear scream.
"RON! Stop, stop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I became hysterical as I shook the bars, sobbing uncontrollably. The screams and cries of the one person I had hoped that has escaped. The one person that gave me hope that I might survive. My vision became blurry, my head throbbed. I slumped to my knees as he continued to cry out in anguish. I saw a light in front of me. My heart dropped. Maybe he was rewarded with death? N-no, that can't be right. He can't be... But this wasn't green? I stared confused. The light burned my eyes after spending an eternity in the darkness. Then, the darkness returned.
"Why hello, Granger," familiar voice snarled. I slowly came to, my head spinning. I opened my eyes slowly, my vision slowly coming back. Standing before me was the one person I had hoped I never had to see again.
"Malfoy," I growled, but a muffled mumble came out instead. I immediately panicked, feeling a large, round, hard gag forced into my mouth and tied tightly behind my head. I tested my limbs, frantically tugging my arms and legs that were bounded tightly to the wooden chair that I was seated on. I was unable to move at all. I wiggled and squirmed hopelessly, grunting in pain as I growled in frustration. He laughed cruelly, watching me struggle. I closed my eyes, returning to my safe place as I breathed through my nose heavily, choking slightly from the gag as drool formed at the side of my open mouth.
"Malfoy, you bastard!" croaked a voice. I opened my eyes quickly, my eyes widening in horror. In the corner of the room sat Ron, tied the same way except without a gag. My eyes watered as I looked at him, bruised and weak. It looked as if it took him a great deal amount of strength just to keep him head up. He stared at Malfoy, his eyes full of hatred and rage as he saw me. I blinked my tears away quickly, deciding I had to stay strong for him. I looked around the room slowly, taking in my surroundings. I recognized this room. Malfoy Manor. And last time I was here, I barely made it out alive. I doubted that luck would be on our side once again.
Malfoy paced in front of Ron and me, twirling his wand as his lips curled into a cold sneer. My chair was placed in the center of the old, yet elegant room. The large chandelier hung over us once again after being crashed to the floor during my last lovely visit. Ron sat in front of me. Our eyes were locked, trying to find a little comfort in each other.
"Well, now that we have you two together, maybe we can make some progress. We never seemed to be getting anywhere with just Weasley anyway," Malfoy spat at Ron. "I think the mudblood might actually help us. First time it's probably been any good use," he said, nodding towards me as he spoke. I saw the fury build up in Ron.
"I'll kill you, you fuc-" Ron started, jerking his chair as he yanked on the ropes, trying to reach Malfoy in anger.
Malfoy cut him off. "Now, now. Let's play nice, Weasley. Your really not in the position to be threatening me, now are you?" Ron relaxed his muscles, knowing it was pointless to struggle. It was a better idea to save his limited supply of energy.
"Let her go Malfoy. You can have me, I don't care. You don't need her, just let her go. Don't touch her," Ron tried, his voice quiet. Malfoy laughed. He stepped in front of me. He gently slide his hand down my cheek as his eyes roamed my body. I jerked my head away from his touch, growling at him through my gag.
"Oh, I'll do more than just touch her. Maybe she will be good for something after all..." Malfoy laughed. I closed my eyes tight, refusing to look at Malfoy in the eye. Ron started struggling once again.
"I'm warning you Malfoy, if you lay one fucking finger on her, I'll..."
"You'll what? Kill me?" He laughed. "You need to learn that you cannot talk to me like that. I'm the one with the wand. Your the poor, weak prisoner tied to a chair. When will you learn?" Ron stayed quiet, glaring at him in fury.
"Moving on. You two are the closest people to that vile Potter we have. There must be something we can get out of you two." My heart beats faster with each word. His words slowly form in my mind and panic takes over. Malfoy continued. "As you can see Granger, Weasley here has proved to be less than helpful. Maybe he'll talk with the stakes higher..." Malfoy tightens his grip on his wand as we walks towards Ron.
"So. I'm going to ask you one more time. Where are your little friends? We have only been able to find about half of your little delinquents. You wouldn't happen to know about their whereabouts, now would you?" He leaned in towards his face. I shook my head violently behind Malfoy's back. Ron couldn't give away the secret passage leading to Aberforth's. Hundreds would die. I didn't care what I had to go through, I was prepared. Ron understood as he saw me shake my head. He sighed, trying to outsmart him.
"Draco, I don't know what your talking about. Where else would people go? You bastards captured and killed everyone who wasn't part of you little band of buddies at the school." I saw Malfoy sigh. He smiled.
"Ok Weasley. So, we're going to play the hard way, huh?" He stalked to where I was, a few feet away. A lump formed in my throat as he pulled out his wand. He grabbed my head, placing his wand at my throat. I whimpered in pain as it dug into my skin.
"Are you sure you don't know?" He asked again. Ron turned pale.
"I'm telling you, if they did go anywhere, I don't know where! I swear, there's no place they could go!" He cried out frantically.
"Wrong answer," whispered Malfoy. "Crucius!" Malfoy yelled out.
My mind went blank. All I could think about was the pain that just hit me like a ton of bricks. I jerked and spasmed uncontrollably against the tight ropes. My skin ached with rope burn, but that was the very least of the pain. Like a touch to the skin compared to the curse. I had never felt the curse before, but I had heard about it from Harry and others. But there was no way to describe this agony. This pain was more than all of my lifetime of suffer combined. This was unbearable. I screamed through my gag at the top of my lungs, begging through the gag as tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I could barely make out Ron's words through the sounds of my torture.
"S-stop! I'll talk!" He yelled out over my screaming. Malfoy cleared the curse. My head fell to my chest as I gasped for breath. My body was aching. I coughed and choked, trying to breath through the gag as my body went limp, supported by the ropes. Malfoy placed the wand at my throat again, yanking my head up by my hair. I cried out in pain.
"Well, then where are they?" Malfoy questioned. My mind spun. I couldn't believe he was actually about to give it away. I mumbled weakly in protest. Malfoy tightened his grip on me, I winced as he teared my hair.
"Shut up Mudblood," he growled. Ron was completely pale, his forehead covered in sweat, his eyes bloodshot. He took a deep breath.
"Their hiding in T-the Three Broomsticks. In the basement," he whispered, looking completely destroyed. Malfoy chuckled.
"Why, that's such a coincidence! We just searched the entire Hogesmeade last week, including the basement of the Three Broomsticks." Ron tensed as Malfoy grabbed my face in his cold, pale hands.