Strung up by his wrists with his thin jacket hanging open to display his bony rib cage, Draco Malfoy had never felt so humiliated. Sweat beads collected on his forehead. His stricken eyes followed his aunt's form as she paced back and forth at the other end of the room. She sent him a devilish smirk and twirled a silver dagger between her fingers. Draco swallowed, his dry throat aching, and glanced down at the knife stuck into the wall, pinning his jacket to the splintery wood. The blade embedded behind his neck rubbed uncomfortably against his skin, irritating the flesh.

Bellatrix chuckled. "Well, Drakey? Was it worth it, hmm? Betraying the Dark Lord? And your own flesh and blood?"

With a flick of her wrist, she sent the dagger flying through the air. Draco cringed as it stabbed into the wall just above his right ear. Bellatrix glided toward him, a teasing grin dancing over her face. She pressed up against him, sending frightened shivers crawling up Draco's spine.

"Think this is bad, Draco?" she hissed into his ear. "Hmm? Just wait until the Dark Lord gets ahold of you." She tittered and pulled back, fingering the dagger she had just thrown before yanking it out of the wall. Draco shuddered as she pressed the cold knife against his neck, then trained it down his bare skin until she was holding it to his rib cage. He saw her eyes flash a split second before the blade dug into his skin. Draco bit back a cry, releasing instead a suppressed groan at the pain. Blood trickled from the slash now decorating his abdomen.

"Does it hurt, Drakey?" she breathed. "Does it hurt terribly?"

Draco bit his lower lip until the skin split. "Why are you doing this?" he choked out. "We're f-fa—"

"Family?" Bellatrix finished. "Oh Draco. That was before you chose Harry Potter over us." She gave a sickening smile and, without warning this time, plunged the knife into Draco's thigh. This time Draco couldn't help but emit a sharp cry, and Bellatrix threw back her head with a sharp cackle.

"Don't you wish you had chosen us over him?" she leered. "Wouldn't you rather have just stayed faithful?"

Draco gritted his teeth, trembling beneath the cold, flat end of the blade as she stroked his bare chest with it. "No."

Bellatrix paused, her eyes growing dark. "Excuse me?"

She stared at him, her nostrils flared. Her hand had paused and she was now holding the blade near Draco's hip. The blond swallowed, but answered, "Harry's side doesn't torture their own flesh and bloo—"

"Well, I don't expect you'd know that, now would you?" she interrupted snappily. "After all..." She slashed a deep cut in his side, eliciting a sharp scream from Draco. "...I suspect Potter's hidden a lot of things from you to keep you in his bed."

"Shut up!" Draco wailed, a wave of sudden agony washing over him. His vision blurred with tears that he would not, could not let fall.

Bellatrix froze, leaning her head a bit to the right in a dangerous manner. "How terribly rude of you, Draco Malfoy. I think it's time you learned some manners..." She brought her wand up with a fine air. "Crucio," she spat.

Draco's body erupted with skull-splitting pain, hurt like he had never felt before. He was vaguely aware of the distant, far-off sounds of his screams as he thrashed against his bindings. His limbs were on fire; he was so sure his chest was going to split open, if his head didn't first, and dear God it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt—

Bellatrix slowly let up on the force of the spell, until she was able to hold it at a skillful discomfort. Draco squirmed and panted as she released him from the curse entirely. She strode forward and gripped him by the chin, jerking his head up and forcing him to stare into her catlike pupils.

"Are you ready to apologize, Drakey?" she simpered.

Draco trembled all over, his mind disoriented and confused. Apologize... the word barely registered. He was too occupied with the simple task of breathing.

Bellatrix gnashed her teeth. "No? Have it your way then..."

"N-No—" Draco moaned feebly as she raised her wand once more, but she paid him no attention.

"Crucio."

He didn't think the curse could have gotten any worse, but it did. He wanted to die, to simply lie down and stop breathing, to throw himself at the feet of his aunt and beg for sweet, merciful, cold-blooded murder. He could somewhat hear his voice roaring the words, kill me, kill me, kill me, but he couldn't even tell if that was real, or in his mind.

Then the spell ceased, quite abruptly, and Draco gasped, chest jerking as he struggled for breath. Someone, or someones, were shouting, and he could hear the words, but his mind was uncomprehending. His face was wet, soaked, with tears, and his entire body shook harder than seemed possible. His jerking and straining had caused the blood to pour excessively from his knife wounds, making him weak and dizzy.

He was so startled when two light, shaking hands came down on either side of his torso that he released a sharp scream. "Please," he sobbed, finding his voice. "Please, no, no, d-don't..."

"Draco. Draco." A deep voice quaked as it spoke his name. The quivering hands came up to wipe his tear-streaked face with smooth, gentle strokes. Draco wept harder.

"Draco! Draco, it's just me. Just me." Draco whimpered as the dagger pinning his jacket to the wall was pulled out and used to slice through his wrist bindings. The hands, less shaky now, eased his arms down to his sides and tossed the knife across the room.

Draco opened his eyes and immediately went limp when a pair of deep green irises met his gaze. Harry caught him with adept ease and wrapped his arms around the blond, with a firmer grasp this time. Trembling, Draco looked past him and saw Bellatrix passed out on the floor, her body stiff and a streak of burns lining her forehead.

"H-Harry..." Draco broke off as a fit of coughing overtook him.

"Shh, it's okay." Harry planted a soft kiss on Draco's forehead. "Hang on," he whispered.

Draco squeezed his eyes shut, and they apparated out.

A/N: Blearrrrrgh. I still suck at endings. |P Ah well.

This fic was inspired by the picture "Draco as target" by lillithium. She rocks!

So anyways.

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please. .3.