Chapter 3 - Pain
Solaine
It's been about a month into summer. Today, I was stuck home with the house elves while Father, Mother, and my brother went over to Diagon Alley for some early school shopping. They always tried to go a month or two early. They don't like the rush crowds that start to form a few weeks before school starts. I, on the other hand, look people. So I always went a few weeks before school starts. I just love the all the life that's put into the place.
I decided to roam around the manor, when I finally came around Father's office. Feeling curious, and adventurous, I decided to take a look around. Bad idea, I know. But they won't be back for another hours or so, I assume.
I opened the door wide enough for my head to poke it. Out of the 13 years I've lived in this manor, it felt like I was exploring some unknown territory. It was unknown territory for me.
The room was dark and eerily gloomy. Obviously Lucius' style. I finally got the guts and placed in one foot into the room. In just a matter of moments, my entire body's been swallowed up into the room.
I didn't understand what the big fuss was about with this room. The room was a rather simple study. The walls had built in bookshelves top from bottom. One one side of the wall, a tall fireplace was put in the middle of two bookshelves. In the far back of the room, in the middle was Father's desk. Two sofas were placed in the middle of the room, both facing each other in front of Father's desk.
As I approached the fire place, I noticed a peculiar object. Weird. It resembled a hand. It was just a hand, nothing more. It was thin, and bony. Almost alike to a skeleton's hand.
Probably a wand holder or as such. My hand drew near the bony hand, curious to touch it. And when my hand got close, SNAP. The hand grabbed my hand. I sort of freaked out and tugged on it, but it stayed put. It held a tight grip on me and I tried hitting it several times. I pulled on a bit harder, and finally it let me go.
Father's sure got the weirdest things in here. Most of it's probably all from Knockturn Alley. Dodgy that place. I've been there a fair few times, but tried to stay out of it. The place creeped me out.
I headed around Father's desk and sat in his comfortable leathered chair. I sat there for a moment, and then started pulling out random drawers in his desk. There should be something interesting around here. I was about to close one drawer when I saw this paritcular old parchment sticking out in the back of one of his drawers. There was a date written on it, and a year that dated 14 years back.
Why would he keep such things in his desk for so long? What was so interesting about it. I know curiousity kills the cat, but I couldn't help but be nosy. When I pulled out the piece of parchment, I noticed that it was some sort of note, a letter.x
It was a letter dated back 14 years ago.
Dear Lucius,
When The Dark Lord rises again, you will pass this information to him. The boy is still alive and his parents, dead.
I found a little girl in the boy's home. I've had her for about 2 days since The Dark Lord's death. I do believe her name is Solaine and is the sister of the boy. I leave this child in care to you and your family. Killing her will do anyone of us no good. I can feel power come off this child. She could be important.
She is a half-blood, and I know blood purity is important in your family line, but we all must make sacrifices.
When I collected her, I've taken the memories of her past 3 years of age away. It is the uttermost importance that she does not find out her true family line. You will inform her an excuse of her parent's death. Keep her away from her past, The Dark Arts, and her brother. Bringing back her memories may cause a block in the Dark Lord's rising to power, so do avoid this.
I didn't know what to think. They were talking about me. With this letter alone, I've found out so much more than what I've bargained for. Unfortunately, no one signed their name at the bottom, making the person who sent this letter anonymous.
What upset me was that they lied.
I found out that my parents died, which I already knew, but to reasons that I truly did not know of. What made me upset was that they didn't take me in voluntarily, but I was forced upon them. Somehow, this made me think of whether they really cared about me. What didn't surprised me was that Father was in the league of Lord Voldemort. What surprised me was that the reason why I didn't remember anything from when I was little was because my memories been wiped. Not because I was too young to remember anything.
What really surprised me was that out there in the world, there was someone shared the same blood as me. I had a brother. What worried me was that he probably didn't know if I existed.
Confusion slapped me in the face and I didn't like it.
I didn't know how long I was sitting in that chair for, gaping at that letter.
But the next thing I knew, a hard object was placed onto my shoulder.
I gulped.
I was caught.
I noticed that the object on my arm was some sort of stick. But at the top of where it tapped me, was this silver serpent. I knew it wasn't just a stick, but a cane. And I knew that object anywhere. Especially on who it belonged to.
Father.
Shit.
I swallowed, braced myself, then slowly turned my head to find him glaring down at me.
"And what do I owe the pleasure of having you in my study, Solaine." He said, in a bitter-sweet tone. He had that calm, but cold look on his face.
"U-Uh, uhm-" I found myself stammering.
"Have I not, made myself clear to you and Draco that this study is forbidden to enter?" His voice was calm, but stern and precise. He gaze turned to the letter I was holding, then snatched it out of my hands, giving a suspicious look.
As he skimmed through the letter, his eyes widened as he realized on what I had just read.
When he was done, he looked at me, and in a matter of seconds, he hit me.
I gasped out at the sudden pain that throbbed in my cheek as I fell to the ground.
"You defied my words. I gave you a luxurious life that no other person can gain. And this is how you repay me! By sticking your nose where it does not belong!"
"You lied." I spoke out. "You're only mad because I found out what you wish I hadn't found out."
And he hit me again because of that.
"You are no longer a Malfoy. You never were." He said venomously. He grabbed me by the wrist, then dragged me down the stairs as he marched down, whilst yelling for assistance to one of our house elves. My personal house-elf in particular.
Poppy.
"Lucius!" Mother said, "What on Earth are you doing to her!" Mother, or shall I now refer to as Narcissa, yelled to her husband as he handed me to the adorable elf. Narcissa and Draco came rushing in as Narcissa yelled.
But Lucius ignored her.
"Lock her in the cellar." He commanded to Poppy. The cellar was this dark place downstairs that was located underneath the entrance hall.
"She knows." He snarled as he answered her before turning back to me with disgust as I remained on the floor.
"Knows what?" Draco asked in confusion. He obviously didn't know.
But he was ignored.
Narcissa on the other hand looked worried as she gasped, holding her hand to her mouth. "She knows? She knows who her parents are?"
Lucius shook his head. "She read the letter that I got when she was given to us. She doesn't know any names."
"This is what this is all about!" Draco asked in disbelief. "You're mad that she read a letter about her parents? Are you mad?"
"You," Lucius hissed to Draco, "Are to stay silent throughout this conversation, or you will suffer the same fate as Solaine."
And that was enough to shut Draco's mouth. Even though Draco didn't want to, and was worried on my behalf, Draco was still selfish and was always about every man for himself type of person. He wouldn't save anyone, mostly because he couldn't manage to save his own self.
Weak.
"Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Lucius!" Narcissa exclaimed. "She doesn't even know any names!"
"She knows about her memories being wiped."
"But we can't let her suffer!" Narcissa argued. "She's important, and you know it, as the letter states so."
If I didn't know any better, she was trying to save my sorry arse. Or herself.
"And that's why we're keeping her in check, down in the cellar. So she doesn't go mouthing off to everyone."
"And about?" Narcissa asked.
"About out league with The Dark Lord." Lucius hissed. I looked towards to Draco's reaction, curious if he knew. And by the look on his face, he didn't. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he had a confused look on his face. But then again, he didn't seem quite bothered with is.
Great, my ex-adoptive father is a Death Eater, and Draco will soon be as well.
As I shook my head, I said, "Why am I so important? Why is it so bad that I can't know who my parents are!"
"The answers to those questions are ones that you cannot know, darling." Narcissa said, her voice straight, but from what I detected, there was a hint of sorrow and pity.
"Pity. Such a waste you now have to live this way. At least you'll be useful when The Dark Lord returns. You can join us. But for now, you'll just be our practice target." He said, as my eyes widened. "Our old one got a bit...frumpy. Take her to the cellar."
And with that, I was steadily brought to the cellar, and was locked in by a crying Poppy. Who kept on throwing apologies to me.
But I do suppose I was glad for not being a Malfoy. Someone who was cold, cruel, and down right dark.
It's been 5 weeks and I was still locked up in this wretched hell hole.
When Lucius spoke of me being a practice target, he wasn't kidding. The numerous of times I've been brought out from from the cellar would be when they practiced their curses on me. They'd bring me out in the back yard while they tried everything on me.
I wasn't only cursed and jinxed at, but was physically beaten as well out of their pleasure. Every time someone came near me, I'd cringe at a person's touch.
I was in pain, all the time. They'd practice on me at least 4 times a week. It doesn't seem that bad from what you may think it would be like, but from how they inflict pain was excruciatingly painful. The only curse they weren't allowed to use was The Killing Curse. Their personal favorite was the Imperious Curse. They made me do all sorts of things for their amusements. The one thing they made me do multiple times would be stabbing myself. The time they'd be done with me would be when I'd collapse unconscious.
Who was they, you might ask.
Death Eaters. For the past years, my former family has been associating with them, and I didn't even know it. I felt like a disgrace to the kind and pure witches and wizards of the wizarding world.
There were about 12 of them who came over to inflict pain upon me. All of them disgusted me.
The only one here who shown me kindness, fed me, and had tried to heal me was Poppy. Narcissa visited about 3 times the first week, but she couldn't bear seeing me in this state, the child who she brought up for 13 years. I could see it in her eyes that she pitied me, but couldn't do anything about it. I was almost like a real daughter to her, since she was the one who had brought me up. So naturally, she'd have at least an ounce of care within her system.
She'd allow me to take a bath every now and then. Once a week, I mean.
Draco was a bit different though. Whenever Father had gone out to work, he'd visit me for an hour, then leave me an hour before his father came home. But that didn't last long. He'd given me a pillow and a blanket, so that I'd at least be a bit more comfortable in the cellar. He even brought me food one time. It was a nice gesture, but it was also the last one I'd ever gotten from him.
I remember the his first visit. It was the next day after I'd been imprisoned, and his father was at the ministry. He was upset and a bit still in disbelief that I was locked up. He scolded me on how I shouldn't have went snooping around.
He visited me about 5 times for 2 weeks. After that, I haven't seen him since. He was probably disgusted, or felt ashamed of me being associated with him. I don't know really.
Every time I had to be used as a target, both Narcissa and Draco wouldn't watch. They'd leave every time the Death Eaters came. The first time I was used a target, they were present. Both Narcissa and Draco were there to witness my pain.
When I got first got hit with a Cruciatus Curse, I screamed and cried. Mother's say that giving birth was the most painful thing that a person could feel.
But with all the passion and power the Death Eaters were putting into their curses, it felt like I was going to die. But I never did.
Just within 5 minutes of my screaming, Draco ran back into the house, and Narcissa cried and left. The second day I was used as a target, they stayed inside of the house. But even the walls of the house couldn't keep out the pain in my screams. So when day 3 came along, both of them left the house before the Death Eater's even started their training session.
But every time after after a training session was done, I'd stay unconscious for hours.
Within the 5 weeks of torture, I didn't look like myself. I was skinny, obnoxiously actually. My bones were broken though, and with all the pain that's been inflicted upon me, I don't even know how many bones were damaged. I had scars all over my body, and they were ugly. I looked weak, a wreck.
But even if my older wounds started to heal, Poppy would still go on trying to heal most of me. But even her elf magic still wasn't good enough. She was able to heal most of my wounds, but even with elf magic, the healing process still took up time. Even during the times when I had to heal, I'd still be inflicted with pain. With the extra wounds coming in, it eventually pulled my healing on hiatus and created the past wounds to go back in pain. Instead of healing, it went the opposite way.
I felt bad for Poppy though. I felt like a burden to her. She didn't have much else to do, but I felt like I was too much trouble.
Every time she bandaged me up, she'd weep and continue on apologizing to me.
I sort of found it sweet that she cared so much. For years of being a Malfoy, I always felt like she was really my family. She always cared for me, even if it was her job to do so. But she still cared. She bring me breakfast in bed if I had slept in, she'd wake me up when I had to, she brings me candy since I'm quite obsessed with it, and she even puts out my clothes for me.
But it wasn't her fault that I'm stuck down here. I know Poppy can get out of here with ease and can help me escape, but it would be too much of me to ask her of that. Besides, I don't want trouble for her. I don't want her getting killed too.
I've tried countless times to escape, but nothing works. Even my own magic can't do anything.
It's no bloody wonder they let me keep my wand.
She sort of reminds me of Dobby. He's use to be one of our house elves, but apparently got himself free.
I was glad though, Dobby was being treated properly. He visits every once in a while while Lucius is at work. He stays hidden in the kitchens though. But comes to my room and chats with me. He tells me stories and his adventures out in the open world. He even speaks of Harry and how kind and great he is.
It was nice seeing Dobby happy. He deserved it after years of torture. So when Lucius accidentally presented him with clothes, he got to be free of it al.
Wait.
Clothes.
I froze for a moment and thought about something as Poppy dabbed a piece of clean and wet cloth on my forehead.
I just had an idea.
"Poppy?" I asked, my voice was still hoarse from all the screaming cries I cried out a couple hours ago. Earlier, there was an early training session. And it was only morning, for Merlin's sake! They could've waited at least for the afternoon!
Though, I was still in pain, and it hurt to talk.
"Miss, Poppy thinks you shouldn't speak. Poppy thinks it's bad for your throat." She says worriedly as she stopped tending to my forehead.
"But, Poppy, do me a favor?" I asked softly. I smiled when she nodded. "Bring me that big doll I had in my room. The doll Narcissa gave me when I was little."
"The creepy one, Miss?" She asked. I wanted to laugh, but I held it in. But I just nodded as a reply. She left the cellar to fetch the doll as I waited patiently and in place. It still hurt too much move.
I looked to my left and saw these marks I carved into the wall with my wand. They were these small vertical lines, which counted each day I was stuck in this cellar since from day 1.
Poppy returned after a few minutes. "Sorry Poppy took so long, Miss." She said as she handed me the doll.
I shook my head. "It's alright, P-Poppy." I said, struggling to speak. I started to take the jacket off of the doll, while having Poppy look at me in confusion as I did so. After I stripped the jacket off of the doll, I looked at it for a moment and smiled. "I want to give this to you, Poppy." The jacket was around her size. He wasn't big, but she did resembled Dobby. Only she looked more like a girl compared to him.
I watched as the elf's eyes grew big. She shook her head. "Poppy couldn't accept this miss." She says, trying to push my hand away.
"Just because I'm not a Malfoy anymore, it doesn't mean you stop tending to me, Poppy. I still live in this manor, and the papers haven't even been signed yet. I haven't been disinherited yet. So in a way, I'm still a Malfoy. Which allows me to give this to you in thanks." I told her.
I truly did want to thank her. I do. I couldn't let her be in this place any longer. Sure, she'd tend to me and come back every time when I needed it. I knew her. But at least she didn't have to tend to Lucius anymore.
The adorable started to cry in tears of joy, as she feigned a smile. "Poppy is free, Miss! Poppy is very grateful to you! Poppy will like to serve under you, Miss Solaine."
I just let her free and she wants to serve under someone already? Face palm.
Yup, house elves really do have that caring system tucked into them.
"You don't have to, Poppy. Just at least take care of me when I need it." I tell her, my raspy voice struggling.
"Then let Poppy help you escape at least, Miss!" She whispered in excitement, her face glowing in excitement.
"No, I couldn't let you get into trouble, Poppy." I told her. "You'll be killed."
"No, Poppy will not have trouble for both Poppy and Miss Solaine." She said proudly. "Poppy will not have you stuck under here anymore! Poppy will unleash you from this place, Miss! If Poppy is going to be killed for keeping you safe, then so be it! At least Poppy will be remembered greatly!" I smiled at the elf's enthusiam. She then grabbed my hand, and asked, "Where would Miss like to go?"
I don't know why I thought of it. I really don't. I didn't want to go to France, or back over to Beauxbatons. I knew that I would be searched for there first. But I never really spent a lot of time elsewhere. So I suppose that's why it was my first choice.
"Hogwarts. Take me to Hogwarts." I say nodding my head. And with just a crack, I was caught in swirling. I couldn't breath, and I felt a jolt of pain in me.
We eventually came to a stop. When I opened my eyes, my eyes settled on the welcoming view of a castle. It was a warm, sunny morning and there were birds chattering about as they flew past the castle.
From where I stood, it looked like the entrance of the school.
But when I finally came out of the trance I was in for admiring the school, reality had set back in as I fell to my knees, grasping my stomach.
The pain. It was too much.
Unexpectedly, the entrance door opened, and out came a young girl. She had long blonde hair, and was quite dreamily distracted. She was carrying magazines, had on these peculiarly odd glasses, her wand was tucked behind her ear.
But she was the last thing I saw before my body gave in. I just couldn't take it anymore.
Because when my system gave in, I blacked out.
Was it alright? You know the drill! REVIEW! But please do watch the trailer, which is linked on my profile!
