A scream penetrated the grounds of the Malfoy Manor, so high and pain-filled that it made the bones of the Manor guests itch and twist.
"I've got her," the Death Eater called out in a horse voice and looked up the at the dark clothed figure, her wand held out and pointing at a writhing girl that had tried to sneak past her.
Even though she couldn't see the face of the dark figure, she knew he was smirking, proud of his little protégée for the merciless execution. "Good job, Ashlin. Bring her inside and down into the dungeons again. Oh and Ashlin, how was she able to escape?"
Putting the wand down again, Ash released her captive from the agony, Ash turned to look at her Lord. "I will be able to answer you by tomorrow morning, my Lord," she said with a low bow and stayed in that position until she saw the dark figure nod and turn away, walking back into the Manor to enjoy the rest of the party.
When he was gone, Ash closed her eyes and let a shaky breath escape her lungs. Her body was shivering without control. Had Voldemort come a second earlier through the porch, had he not been distracted by the dirty ragged girl that tried to sneak away from the manor, he would have had her. She would have been dead in this very second.
Glancing at the girl, Ash bit her lower lip. Without saying a word, she swiftly walked over to the girl and turned her around with her foot, trying to find out who she is. The girl was filthy as filthy can be, mud and moss were caught in her hair and dirty was smeared around her face. She was wearing a torn up blouse and trousers that rank of sweat and filth. But she had something in her eyes, a look so full of anger and despise that made Ash forget her role for a second, "Are you alright?" she asked, shocking her captive and herself.
The girl sneered and spat, "Do I look alright to you?"
Ash swiftly regained her composure and sneered down at the girl. Without saying another word, Ash sweeped the girl of the ground and levitated her two meters in front of her own body, heading back into the manor.
When Ash walked past the party, the guests parted with a look of disgust painted onto their faces. Ash didn't care. Swiftly she bellowed for one of them to open the door to the dungeons and levitated the girl through them, following after her.
A little time later, they reached an empty cell and Ash threw the other inside, inching into the cell just behind the other.
"Who are you?" Ash asked in a calm tone of voice once the heavy door behind her closed and she lit her wand for light.
The girl didn't answer, only crowded one of the corners and glared at her.
"I asked who you are," Ash said a bit more forceful, she wasn't used to people defying her.
The girl didn't answer, only spat at the direction of Ash's feet, actually hitting it with precision.
Furious, Ash pointed her wand at the cowering girl, only catching herself midway threw the torture spell. Shocked with herself, Ash took an step back and let the wand fall onto the ground. She had pointed her wand at an innocent girl. On her own account! How could that happen?
Shocked she shook her head in despair and lost sight of the filthy girl. At least, until she was hit with the Averte Statura spell, that made her fly against the wall. Groaning, Ash picked herself of the ground and looked at the trembling girl before her, the wand still raised at her with a trembling hand.
"Good shot," Ash said with a chuckle, "And what now?"
"W-What do you mean?" the girl asked, the confidence she saw before fluttering by the second, she didn't know the strawberry blond girl didn't know what to do now - had no plan.
"I mean, what do you want to do now that you have my wand and me in its shooting range? Do you want to kill me now? Or just bind me and leave me here for the others to find? How do you want to get out of this locked room without the correct password? What will you do now?"
The girl swallowed.
"If I could choose, would you please kill me? I don't have much going for me right now."
The girl looked at the Death Eater in front of her confused. "Why would you want to die?" she asked.
The red head looked up at her and frowned, "Why do you care? Just get it over with please. Oh and to get out you have to say 'Scarlet'. Also, this time when you get to the garden, just apparate away as far away as you can! Theres no spell to stop you."
The girl didn't move. Unsure.
"The more you hesitate, the harder it'll get. Now please, kill me!" Ash said furiously and started to right herself on the wall.
Still the girl didn't move an inch.
"What are you waiting for?"
"An answer. Why do you want to die?"
Ash snorted, "I'm a Death Eater. I follow an psychopathic scum bag, isn't that enough reason?"
The girl frowned one again. "Wasn't it your own choice to become an Death Eater?"
Ash laughed out short, "You don't know this world I'm living in. Now would you please get on with it."
The girl looked around the cell for a second, her eyes lingering on the door. But then she shook her head and sat down on the opposite wall of Ash, the wand still pointing at the other girl. "I still have time. Tell me."
Ash stared at the girl shocked, was she stupid? The longer she allowed Ash to regain her composure, the less chances she had to actually get out of here!
Ash sighed, "You want me to tell you why I want to die? Well, first tell me what you saw outside the manor?"
"I saw you on the balcony and then there were three others that you started talking to. I don't know what you said, I has focusing on sneaking past you unnoticed. But then you sent them away and this dark figure saw me."
Ash smiled, "You know, from what you saw... It would already force me to kill you if I were to get out off here."
The girl stiffened, eyes getting wide as they stared at each other, "You won't, I've got the wand."
"For how long?" Ash smiled cheekily, the other was getting unsure of her actions once again. Chuckling, Ash continued, "So, you want to know all about me now? I'll tell you but... Could I know your name first?"
"Chris Darkmoor," the other told her without hesitation.
"Did you also attend Hogwarts? I've never heard of you..."
"You're the one who is supposed to talk," Chris snapped.
Ash put her hands up in defence, "Alright, alright. No need to get worked up about it. Well, my name is Ash Weasley..." Ash saw the girls eyes widen once again, "Ah, you've heard of me?"
"No, but of the Weasley's. Aren't they friends with Harry Potter?"
"Yes, they are... I was good friends with him as well. Actually, he was here tonight. You saw him, the one with the glasses?" Ash stayed quiet for a second, letting this information sink in with the other.
"What were they doing here?"
"They wanted to save me."
"Save you? From what?"
"The Death Eaters."
"But you're one of them."
"They didn't know."
The girl stayed quiet.
"I was kidnaped five months ago. I was thrown in the Dungeons and left there for about a months time. Last half of the month I tried to starve myself, hoping to be a goner before the Dark Lord wanted to talk to me, to get information out of me... They came about a week to early for my plan to take effect.
"They tortured me. They yelled at me. They threatened me, but I didn't succumb. Until they threatened my ex-boyfriend. I know its stupid, he's my ex and he really deserved that crucio... But I can't see him hurt," Ash said quietly, her eyes focused on the floor.
"You still love him?"
Ash's head snapped up, "No," she yelled, just a little to loudly, just a little to quickly. "Maybe?" she admitted for the first time in months and months of denial.
"Anyway, back to the story. When they threatened him, I gave in to the Lords wishes and became a Death Eater four months ago. Shortly after my turning, another Death Eater came to me! Soon he became my fellow conspirator," Ash said smiling.
"Conspirator?"
"He came to me, knowing that at my heart I wasn't a Death Eater yet and asked me to help him fight the Dark Lord from the inside. Gather information, intercept orders , change them a bit. It's dangerous, but it was worth the pain."
"So you're not really a Death Eater, but a spy?"
"Yes."
"But then why would Harry Potter try to save you?"
"They don't know about us. Only ones that know are him and I."
"And what do you do with the information?"
"We plan on making the Death Eaters lives as hard as possible."
Chris sighed and stared at the other girl hard, trying to figure out if what she was saying was the truth or not. "And what now?"
"Well its your decision really. Either you give me back my wand and I will continue my sham, or you kill me right here, right now and escape. It's all up to you," Ash said and watched as Chris tortured herself, trying to make the right decision.
The filthy looking girl stared hard into Ash's eyes, trying to see how much truth was in the story she just heard. Finally she dropped the wand onto the floor.
The Death Eater in front of her didn't move for a second as she stared at the wand falling onto the floor. Then, slowly, as if unsure if she was being tricked or not, she leaned forward and crawled towards the wand. Taking one last glance at the girl, Ash picked up the wand and jumped off the ground.
"You believed me," she muttered and stared at the now again frightened girl in confusion.
"Seemingly."
Ash snorted in distaste. "You should have decided to run and leave me here."
"We'll see."
"How did you manage to escape?"
"The guard forgot to lock the door properly. Kept on ranting about missing a party." Ash nodded and turned to walk out of the cell. "Wait!" the girl called out before Ash could close the door and lock it. "What now?"
"What do you mean?"
"What will you do now?"
"I will go back outside and join the party of course."
"But..."
"But what?"
"I thought you would help me now!"
Ash raised a eyebrow at the girl, "Why would you think that?"
"You said that you weren't a Death Eater!" the girl cried.
"I never said I was a charity either," Ash shrugged and started her initial movements once again.
The filth covered girl looked at her in despair once again. "I should have killed you when I had the opportunity," she sneered, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
Ash stopped for another short second. Sighing she said, "The next time when you're presented with an escape route, disapparate as soon as you step outside the building. Oh, and before I forget," Ash turned around swiftly and began invading the girls mind. Pushing her story far, far, far into the darkest places in her memory, so that she would not remember their encounter until she triggered a specific spot that Ash decided would be when the other girl was at home once again.
Swiftly Ash pulled shut the door and locked it tightly. "Hope you're lucky a second time," she whispered to herself.
Looking down her clothes once again, Ash pulled a disgusted face and waved her wand, cleaning her dress from the dirt and stink of the cell.
Inspecting her dress one last time, she nodded to herself and followed the sound of music back to the still on-going party.
Just before joining the crowds once again, Ash closed her eyes one last time and exhaled quietly, before opening her eyes once again and pushing the doors open. The eyes in her surroundings once again strayed towards her proud figure standing in the door. Head held high Ash moved through the crowd.
Ashlin, she heard a hissing sound in her head. Looking up she saw the Dark Lord staring at her in anticipation. Swiftly she gracefully walked up to him and bowed shallowly - it was more of an inclining nod of her head then anything else.
"Everything is clear again," she whispered when she stood in front of Voldemort once again.
"How did the girl escape?"
"Her guard was an eager party-goer it seems. I will take care of it as soon as the guests leave, my Lord."
The bald creature looked at the girl intensely before nodding his head slowly. "Alright. Enjoy yourself, my love."
"Thank you, Lord," Ash said with a shallow bow once again and turned around once again to join the crowd.
"Ash," a familiar voice called out making her stop and turn around. "Are you alright? What was that scream?" the boy in front of her asked softly, concern filling his eyes.
Ash looked at the boy and smiled warmly, biting her lower lip shyly, "It was nothing you need to be concerned about," she muttered softly and took a step towards the other. Step after step she closed the distance between them until she stood right in front of him. Breathing in his scent and and staring up into his confused eyes.
"You still love him?" Ash's head snapped up, "No," she yelled, just a little to loudly, just a little to quickly. "Maybe?" she admitted for the first time in months and months of denial.
"Want to dance?" she asked quietly.
Surprise filled his eyes as he looked down at her, but then the tell-tale smirk took over his features once again. "Always."