A/N: Short one, I know. Do readers prefer frequent shorter chapters over longer ones with more waiting time? Let me know. :)
Nott grabbed hold of Margot's arm and pulled her out of the room, away from Voldemort and his followers. He took her to the other end of the entrance hall from which they had come into the manor, toward a flight of stairs. These stairs didn't lead up, however — they were heading down. Margot struggled to keep up, her ankle throbbing and threatening to give in. Nott paid no attention to this, preserving his brisk pace. They finally reached the bottom of the staircase, and now found themselves in a long corridor with low ceilings. The air was different down there — more stuffy, perhaps even humid — making it slightly harder to breathe.
The cellar. So that's where the Dark Lord kept his most valuable prisoners. For a second, Margot pondered whether being in the Malfoy Manor cellar was preferable to being in Azkaban. A least there aren't any Dementors here, she thought.
Nott led the young woman through a long, barely lit corridor lined by cells. Margot could barely make out the human figures — most in a sitting or laying position — inside the cells. She assumed they were either asleep, or too weak to bother finding out who was visiting their space at this hour.
Nott noticed her peering left and right inside the cells.
"I see you've found your fellow residents," he sneered.
"Who are they?" Margot inquired softly.
"Those the Dark Lord wishes to keep close. For interrogation, ransom, and other important matters. Most of them are blood traitors, like you."
Margot swallowed hard, wondering if she knew any of the figures they were passing by.
"Ah yes, I do believe you'd see familiar faces if it weren't so dark in here. We like to keep the lighting moody, as they say."
When they neared the far end of the cellar, Nott pulled Margot and turned them both toward the right. There was another hallway there, with a door at the end.
"The Dark Lord picked this room especially for you," Nott said, a grin forming upon his lips. "After all, it must have been hard for you to live in that decrepit Weasley shack for so many years. A little personal space might do you some good."
Still holding Margot with one hand, Nott lifted his right sleeve, revealing his Mark. He pressed it up to the cell door, which slowly creaked open in response. He let go of Margot's arm and moved behind her, nearly shoving her inside.
The cell wasn't too small — about the size of Margot's bedroom at the Burrow. It was, however, devoid of any furnishings. The walls, floor and ceiling were of the same rough cement. Only then did Margot become aware of how chilly it was inside. The Death Eaters had taken her from her apartment in a short-sleeve t-shirt and black jeans, and she now cursed herself for not having at least a sweater to keep her warm. It was the beginning of winter, in the British countryside, in an unheated cellar. This would be a rough night.
Nott must have been reading her mind.
"Refreshing, isn't it? You're so tough, we figured the cold wouldn't be an issue for you," he smirked, watching her standing in the center of the room, still taking it all in.
Margot turned to him.
"I know what you're trying to do," she said.
"And what exactly might that be?"
"You're trying to make me as weak as possible to you can get your answers out of me more easily," Margot replied. "I know how Legilimency works. The weaker the victim, the easier it is to get into their mind…"
But I can already do that, he interrupted in her head.
"I'm wasn't finished," spoke Margot aloud. "You, Nott, are an excellent Legilimens — I'll give you that. But so far, you've only been able to infiltrate the surface of my mind, the outer layer, if you will. The most important thing Dumbledore taught me about Occlumency is to protect those thoughts and memories I wish to keep hidden, and not to waste my energy hiding the rest." She paused. "I don't care if you read my mind and find out that I'm cold, that I miss Oliver, or that I want a sandwich for lunch. We both know there are things in my mind that involve much higher stakes. And you haven't been able to get to those yet."
Nott's eyes lit up slightly. Margot had just insinuated Snape's account was true. She did know things that could prove useful to the Dark Lord. He walked closer to her until her could see the goosebumps on her upper limbs. As she exhaled slowly through her mouth, a small cloud of water vapor was reaching toward him. The cell was barely lit, but from this distance Nott noticed her cheeks had turned slightly red from the cold.
"Since you know so much, tell me what I'm going to do to you," he breathed, his voice filled with a lust to uncover the secrets she held.
They looked at each other dead in the eye. Margot could play this game.
"You're going to leave me here all night. I'll hardly be able to sleep — especially in this temperature. You won't give me food or water all day tomorrow. I won't have any human contact. Eventually, you'll deem I'm exhausted, hungry, parched and cold enough to your liking. Only then will you try entering my mind again. Any attempt before that would be futile," she said confidently.
Nott smirked with satisfaction, and Margot narrowed her eyes in response.
"What?" she inquired.
"Well, it's no fun when your prisoner knows exactly what they're in for," he whined mockingly. Nott then reached a hand down to caress her dark hair. "Don't worry, though, May, I've got plans to keep things exciting between us."
Margot didn't give him the satisfaction of flinching at his sick words.
"See you around, Black," he said as he turned, leaving her alone in the middle of the cell.
It was going to be a long night.