Chapter 10

Warning: There will be language, blood, torture, suggestive content and violence in this chapter. If you are opposed, don't read.

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My stomach clenched again and I backed up so I was against the wall. "What do you want?" I asked trying to not let my fear show.

"You'll find out soon enough," the first man said as he followed the other out of the room. They shut the door and darkness descended.

The metal of the manacles bit into my skin and chafed it. The cold of the stone floor seeped into my body, causing shivers to run rampant. I curled into a ball, thankful that my hands were bound in front of my body. I didn't know what the Death Eaters wanted with me, but I was sure it wasn't anything good. I vowed to myself that I wouldn't tell them anything important.

I started to think of the ways wizards had to make a person talk and I shuddered. Pain was one of my greatest fears, but I had to remind myself that it was for other people. My pain would save others. I had to believe that Harry and the others would get me out of this. My mind wandered to Jareth. Despite his uncourtly behavior to me of late, I still felt for him. I let my imagination take hold and it showed me what I wanted, Jareth, sweeping into the room, cloak swirling behind him. He would rush to my bruised and beaten side, pick me up and whisper in my ear that everything would be okay.

I let these comforting images swell in my head as I tried to make myself comfortable in one of the corners of the stone room. My eyes closed and I let myself believe… believe that I would live to see Jareth again.

A bright light woke me. I squinted to see a silhouette framed in the open door. Light spilled into the previously pitch black room. I straightened as rough hands grabbed me and forced me to stand. My eyes were still seeing spots and I couldn't make out the faces of my captors. The two men on either side of me led me out the door, following the man who'd been framed in the doorway. We went down the hall and into another room. A cloaked man of medium height and strong build stood at the other end of the room. There was a rectangular table between us. "Sir, we've brought the mudblood for questioning," the leader of the little trio escorting me said to the man at the other side of the room.

The man waved them off and three moved to stand by the door, blocking the exit. I stood alone facing the dark haired man. He turned to face me; he wore an evil sneer on his face as he looked me up and down. He raised his wand, using the tip to scratch an itch behind his ear. "Do you know who I am mudblood?" he asked demeaningly.

"No, should I?"

He glared at me, "I am McNair, the Dark Lord's most faithful servant."

"How impressive," I said with more courage than I felt.

"CRUCIO!" he shot the spell at me before I could move.

I wasn't aware of falling to the ground, fire shot through my body as I screamed. He let up the spell after what seemed a long time, but was probably only a couple of seconds. From my viewpoint on the floor, I could see his legs under the table that still separated us. I tried to slow my breathing. "What the hell was that for?!" I demanded of him.

"To gain your attention," he answered walking casually around the table.

I managed to get to my feet as he neared me. "You have it, now what do you want?" I spat at him.

"Such insolence… you should learn to respect your betters."

"I hope you're not including yourself in that category."

He sneered as he raised his wand again, "Crucio!"

I fell back to the floor and writhed, trying to keep myself from screaming again. It felt like lightening was racing through every fiber of my being, like a thousand hot knives had been thrust into me at the same time. He let the spell up and I stayed where I had fallen, panting. "Pick her up," he commanded the two who'd led me into the room.

I felt strong hands pull me to my feet roughly. My legs felt like rubber bands, but I managed to keep them under me as the two Death Eaters let go of my arms. McNair walked toward me and I backed up until I felt a wall behind me. He raised his wand and let it rest against my throat. "Such a pity I'll have to ruin that pretty face of yours."

I sneered at him. "You dirty bastard! What the hell do you want from me?"

I stiffened has he moved closer, "I want to know who that blond man is who's recently joined the Order. You seem to know him."

Jareth? Why are they interested in Jareth? "What do you want with him?
He slapped my face, "You will address me as sir, you filthy mudblood!"

The sting was nothing compared to the pain I'd been in earlier. I turned my face back to him. "What do you want with him, sir?" I asked again straining to keep the sarcasm out.

"You can start with his name."

I debated and decided his name could hurt nothing, "Jareth"

"Good, now who is he?"

I remained silent. He frowned and punched me in the abdomen. I bent double and sank to the floor against the wall. McNair walked away from me and motioned to the two who'd lifted me before. They approached and pulled me up again, this time dragging me to the table and laying me face up on it. McNair pointed his wand at me and my manacles fastened themselves to heavy iron loops on the edges of the table. Panic swooped through me. McNair approached and pulled a knife from thin air. "I'd rather hoped I'd get a chance to try my skills on you. You know there's so little chance for a good torturer to test his proficiency these days."

I shuddered and turned my face from him. "Oh now don't look away, I want you to see what I'm doing to you…" he reached over and pulled my face towards him. "It'll be delightful to hear you scream."

He smiled menacingly as he felt me shake beneath his touch. He pressed the knife against my forearm. "Who is Jareth?"

I shook, but did not answer. He began drawing an intricate design on my left arm with the tip of the knife. Not cutting deep enough to sever muscle, but just enough to draw blood. I clenched my teeth and looked away. "LOOK AT ME!" he commanded.

One of the Death Eaters who'd lifted me to the table forced my head to look at McNair. He had an evil gleam in his eyes as he saw the pain in mine. "How delightful."

He moved to the other side of the table. "Who is Jareth?"

I clenched my mouth. He began the same intricate designs on my right arm. Seeing I wasn't going to talk, he tried a new tactic, "Forgive me for me rudeness, I never asked your name."

I panted as blood seeped out of the cuts on my arms. "Michelle," I answered.

"Ah… such a lovely name. Crucio!"

I screamed as the fiery lightening raced through my body unexpectedly. My back arched and I tried to pull on the manacles, but they held steady. He let the spell up, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Leave us," he ordered the three other Death Eaters.

"But sir…" one protested.

"Now!"

"Yes sir," he answered leading the other two out.

McNair leaned over me on the table and ran a finger along the cuts he'd inflicted. I flinched as he put the finger in his mouth to taste my blood. He smiled while I tried not to throw up. "We could make this interesting, if you so desire. I could give you things, make you feel things you'd never imagined, for the information you hold." He leaned farther over me and whispered in my ear, "If you know what I mean."

I gasped and he smiled as one of his hands came to rest on my abdomen. His face leered above mine. I spat in his face. "ARGH! YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" he punched my face and I could feel my lip split, warm blood seeping into my mouth.

His fists made contact with my body repeatedly, I grunted with each blow and winced. Finally he stopped. "GET BACK IN HERE!" he yelled at the three Death Eaters who'd left.

"Take her back to her cell!" he commanded cleaning the spit off his face.

The three Death Eaters unlocked the chains and dragged me away; I couldn't support myself. They threw me in the dark room and closed the door. I lay still on the cold floor. It felt good against the cuts and bruises that were forming. Exhausted and beaten I couldn't move. I simply lay and tried to absorb the cold into me, knowing this was only the beginning. I closed my eyes and dreamed about Jareth again, his soft voice, flowing hair, and stormy blue eyes.

Sorry for the short chapters peoples, but it's a convenient breaking place. Don't worry, more coming soon!

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