My ears were ringing painfully as I forced my eyes to open. I wanted to keep them closed, I wanted to be unconscious again. This couldn't be real. I remembered perfectly that I had been attacked at Oliver's home. I could not picture my assailant's face it had been hidden beneath their cloak but I knew they must have been sent by Voldemort.
My body shivered as my eyes adjusted to the complete darkness. I was freezing, my teeth were practically chattering. The stone floor was rough against my skin. My entire body was aching. I tried to lift my head but it felt weighted against my shoulders. I turned my neck and saw a small pool of blood above my head, it was mine. I realized now that my head had been throbbing since the moment I opened my eyes. I couldn't muster the strength to heal myself.
Where was I? This place was not familiar to me at all. I was alone here. What happened to my family? Where was Oliver? I had to escape, somehow. I had to find my family.
I forced my head off the ground, it ached painfully. I sat cross legged now as I stared at my surroundings. I gasped as I looked down at my hands, they were shackled together. How could I not have noticed that before? My bag was gone, which meant my wand was gone too. Under normal circumstances, I knew I was capable of defending myself without my wand, but the aching in my head questioned my confidence.
Tears immediately welled in my eyes as I thought of Eliza. Where was she? I couldn't stand what they would do to her if they captured her too. I needed to power through this pain in order to find her, I needed to make sure she was alive.
I jumped when I heard the iron gate squeakin open. I gazed at my captor, it was Wormtail. The man that had betrayed Harry's parents and secured their deaths. The man that had become an animagus and pretended to be Ron's pet rat for over twelve years. My knees quivered as I tried to back away from him, I felt powerless in these shackles and without my wand.
"There's nowhere for you to run my dear." Wormtail whispered menacingly.
I had never been so scared in my entire life, I was afraid of what would become of me. I couldn't die. My daughter needed me, I had to survive for her. I hung my head as Wormtail reached for my bound hands, I didn't attempt to fight him. I hoped that if I went with him willingly there would be the slightest chance of survival.
Wormtail dragged me up a staircase, towards the main level of wherever I was. As I stared at the high ceilings, dark walls and cold tile, I realized I didn't recognize the place. There was no furniture but a dark, grand fireplace that I didn't think had ever been lit.
I gasped when I saw Oliver crumpled on the black tiles, like mine his hands were shackled. He was sitting upright and I could see blood dripping from his forehead. I tried to yank my hands away from Wormtail but he held tightly to me, he cackled once as he tossed me to the floor. I was just out of reach of Oliver. His eyes slowly glance up from the floor and his mouth dropped when he saw me. Tears welled in my eyes as we gazed at each other, Oliver had been brutalized. His entire face was riddled with bruises and blood, they had tortured him and I couldn't understand why. I stared at Oliver, wishing he was telepathic too, I needed to know if my daughter was safe.
"What is our purpose here?" I screeched.
Wormtail gaped at me, surprised by my sudden outburst. The three of us jumped when Voldemort appeared in front us. My eyes widened as I gawked at him. I hadn't seen him in the flesh before but he was absolutely terrifying. He looked utterly inhuman and from the extremely heartless tenor of his thoughts, I knew he was capable of anything. I was scared for me but I was even more afraid for Oliver. I knew Voldemort needed me alive for my telepathy but he didn't need Oliver for anything.
The rest of my body collapsed to the floor as it began writhing in pain. Voldemort hadn't even spoken the Cruciatus Curse, he was far more powerful than that. My body felt like it would be split apart completely and like it was burning from the inside. I wanted to be stronger, to be braver but I wailed uncontrollably from the excruciating pain. I wanted to die. Death had to be less painful than this.
Just as I thought I had taken my last breath, the pain ceased altogether. I lied motionless on the floor now, I forced my eyes to look at Oliver, tears were spilling from his. He had never seen me in such unbearable pain before and he didn't want to witness it again.
"Interesting. Very interesting." Voldemort said.
Voldemort was speaking of the silent exchange between Oliver and I. He was truly fascinated by my ability and was overly entranced by the idea of my power belonging to him.
"It will never belong to you." I spat unexpectedly.
Voldemort grinned sinisterly and his eyes remained fixed on mine as Oliver began convulsing and screaming on the floor beside me.
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" I pleaded.
Oliver instantly relaxed on the floor, his breathing was shallow. I wasn't sure how much more pain he could endure.
"What is Potter's location? What are his plans?" Voldemort questioned demandingly.
"I don't know. I don't know anything. We haven't spoken in months, since Dumbledore's funeral."
"I don't believe that for a moment dear Melody. Draco Malfoy has told me something quite different. That you and Potter are the closest of friends, perhaps something more. Surely you know of his whereabouts. With an ability such as yours he can't be too hard to locate."
My heart sank as Voldemort mentioned Draco and I suddenly knew exactly where I dark, barren walls reminded me of the walls in Draco's bedroom. This was Draco's house. Voldemort had overtaken it for his bidding last term and hadn't left. What had Draco done? What had Draco told him? Voldemort smiled heinously and laughed once. Before I could say another word Draco was being pushed into the main room, followed behind Wormtail. I hadn't even noticed he left.
"Melody…" Draco whispered, his mouth ajar, he was beyond shocked to see me here.
"Ah, Draco, you've joined us at last. I was just discussing with our Melody here how you spent all of last year informing me about her close relationship to Potter. Now she's trying to convince me that she isn't aware of his location."
Tears instantly welled in my eyes as I comprehended Voldemort's words. Why would Draco tell him anything about me? I trusted him, he told me I could. What had Draco done? Was I here now because of him? Had he agreed to meet with me today to give the Death Eaters the opportunity to attack my home? I felt nauseated by the thought. Draco was shaking his head rapidly at my thoughts, tears were pouring from his eyes now, he didn't care that Voldemort was present.
"I don't believe she fully understands me Draco. Why don't you enlighten Melody yourself?"
Draco glared openly at Voldemort and then stared at the floor. I knew he couldn't refuse him as much as it killed him to reveal the truth to me. "I-I was mean to-to befriend her-I-"
"Who Draco? You must be more specific than that."
More tears were rolling down Draco's cheeks, he didn't want to talk anymore. He already knew I understood the truth and it was sickening. My stomach was turning painfully, my heart was pounding in my throat.
"Befriend you Melody. To befriend you and then convince you to join our side and surrender Potter. I am so sorry."
My head was spinning as I reflected on every single moment Draco and I spent together, especially our most recent time. It had all been based on lies. Our relationship had only began at Voldemort's behest. I felt defiled, I felt betrayed. It had all been for nothing. My stomach wrenched, my throat felt tight, I thought I would. Draco stepped towards me and I cowered away from him. I couldn't stand to even look at him. Draco continuously repeated his true love for me in my mind but I didn't think I could ever believe him again. I didn't think I could ever trust him again after what he had done to me.
I looked to Oliver now and felt disgusted with myself. He was near the brink of death because of me. I couldn't believe I had violated our marriage for a person that had spent our entire relationship lying to me. I hated myself for what I had done and I could never take it back now. I just wanted to go home, I would do whatever I had to do to make us safe again.
"I don't know where Harry is so please let us go."
"If only it were that simple Melody." Voldemort stated.
"Actually, it is." Oliver suddenly interjected as he sprang from the floor.
Oliver's shackles were on the ground beside his feet and he propelled Voldemort backwards with his hands. Voldemort landed hard against the tile floor and Oliver held his arms open for me. I raced into them but couldn't force myself to look away from Draco's pained eyes as we apparated.
Oliver and I resurfaced outside his childhood home and we both collapsed to the ground together, tears were flowing from my eyes. I knew we didn't have long before someone came after us. Oliver quickly whipped out his wand from his pocket and the shackles on my wrists disintegrated into dust.
"They didn't even search me for my wand." Oliver muttered.
"Eliza?" I whispered worriedly.
"She's safe. My parents were able to get away with her and Iris before the Death Eaters blasted into the house."
Tears continued to pour from my eyes as I quivered in Oliver's arms. I was so unbelievably thankful that they were all safe and had been spared from the hell Oliver and I had just experienced.
"We can't linger for long Mel. We'll take what we can now but we have to go soon. They'll be back for us any moment."
I nodded though I didn't want to wait another minute to tell Oliver the truth about Draco and I. I couldn't live with this gnawing guilt for long. Oliver and I quickly raced to the house and gathered some essentials before joining hands again to apparate to where our family was safely hidden.