CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE : - )
My eyes fluttered open slowly, only to see the same dank cellar I had been thrown in earlier. What had happened? Last thing I had remembered was Lucius climbing down the ladder…
I sat up only to throw myself back down, screaming in agony. I heard laughter above me.
It was then I remembered what Lucius had done to me. I shuddered at the thought. I had heard of the tortures inflicted on other people, and they all sounded very bad yes, but I doubt anyone had endured what I had gone through, and lived. One person was not meant to feel so much pain.
He had whipped me, whipped me to the point of unconsciousness, and then he'd heal me, starting the whole process again. With each strike I could feel the flesh being torn from my body, some even hitting new wounds, making it sting all the more. It had been unbearable.
But that was nothing compared to the dagger. Just the thought of it made my blood run cold. It was a weapon designed specifically for torture, not death.
It hadn't been my imagination when I had seen it glowing; it was enchanted with a healing charm. For hours I felt it tear into my body and for hours I waited for death to take me but it wouldn't. I had been on the edge of telling him vital information, just to make it stop. I would have preferred death… unconsciousness, any kind of release, but it never stopped. At least with the whipping you became numb after a while. It wasn't the case with the dagger. It felt like it had reached far enough in to tear your very soul. It was horrible. I couldn't imagine a worse form of torture.
Tears started to pour down my cheeks. I was in pain, I had nearly spilled information about the order and I was separated from Draco, possibly never to see him again. I couldn't think of a worse situation to be in.
I didn't understand Lucius. He was willing to put the dark lord before his own son. Was anything ever more important then your own child? He was willing to kill Draco for betraying the evil bastard and he was willing to kill me, to get in the evil bastards good books. Lucius was one sick and twisted man. I couldn't understand how he had raised Draco… such a kind, caring man like Draco…
Then there was Flint, who never ceased to surprise me. One minute he's threatening to kill me, the next he's asking me to be with him. I could tell that Draco had done something bad to him, he seemed to be in a lot of mental trauma… and I wanted to know why…
I practically stopped breathing as I heard their chairs scrape across the floor above me, the last thing I needed right now was another torture session. I still couldn't move from the last one for Merlin's sake.
My heart stopped beating for a second when the cellar flooded with light from the trap door. I was shaking like a leaf, afraid of opening my eyes and seeing that glowing dagger.
I let out a sigh of relief when it was only Flint I saw. He was carrying a tray.
"Here" He said, he wasn't being kind, but hell, he wasn't whipping and stabbing me either.
I took the tray from him gratefully and ate the small portion of food that was on it. I picked up the glass of water and went to take a sip, barely stopping myself. Feeding me? Who were they kidding? They weren't this kind! Starving me was just another form of torture as far as they were concerned. They were obviously trying to lure me into a false sense of security again and I was not falling for it.
I placed the water back on the tray, untouched.
"Granger can you honestly tell me you're not thirsty?" Flint said, rolling his eyes at me.
"I can honestly say I don't trust you one damn bit" I hissed at him, he chuckled at me, nodding his head.
"Take a sip Granger" He said, picking up the glass and holding it to my lips.
"Get it away from me" I yelled at me.
"Take a goddamn sip Granger!" Flint hissed, pulling my chin down so my mouth opened, he quickly poured some of the liquid inside my mouth.
Without warning I spat it back in his face, making him flare with anger. He balled his fist and smacked me fair across the face, thankfully on the other cheek this time. I cried out in pain, wishing I had the energy to lift up my arms and protect myself.
He smirked at the pain he had caused and then grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me towards him.
"Don't worry Granger. Lucius won't be here later tonight, I'll have you all to myself" He whispered, his lips grazing my ear. I felt my stomach drop as he pushed me back down.
"'Till then" He whispered, smirking at me as he climbed the ladder and left.
That sick, twisted, slimy, pathetic excuse for a man! What on earth was wrong with him?
Regulus was one thing, he was evil. That and he was also a very desperate and sex-driven man.
But Flint… it was something else. He wasn't sex-driven. Never, not once had he looked remotely lustful when he looked at me. He certainly didn't crave me. I damn well knew that it had something to do with Draco and I was fed up with not knowing. It just wasn't in my nature not to know!
Mustering all the strength I could I crawled a few feet until I was directly under them. Once I was positive that the shadows above me belonged to them I stayed still, straining my ears to listen to their conversation.
For two men that were meant to be working together, they spoke very little. They sounded like they were straining themselves even to be polite enough to offer the other drink, let along spill all their personal secrets and vendettas…Although Lucius' were painfully obvious.
Another thing that still had me confused… why on Earth was Lucius still keeping me alive? He had told Draco that he was to kill me, then why was I still alive; surely my usefulness had run out the moment I had been caught…
I had refused to answer his questions honestly, although I wasn't sure if they still believed the Egypt bullshit I had fed them… I refused to drink the water they offered me, I refused to give into torture… although barely. Surely they had realized I would rather die then betray my friends? Surely they had realized that it was pointless to keep me alive? Not that I was complaining or anything.
I sighed and lay back on the cool stone. It was pointless trying to listen to them when I could be doing something useful like trying to find an escape out of this hell hole before Lucius left and I was left alone with Flint.
It was abundantly obvious that I wasn't going to break through the hard stone floor or the solid walls; my only bet was with the trap door. Perhaps having Lucius gone tonight would work to my advantage. With only the one of them here it would be much easier… Unfortunately escaping in as much pain as I was currently in wouldn't work. I would definitely have to rest more.
I crawled back over to the hay pile and lay down with a groan; once again I heard low chuckles. Well at least they got along when I was in pain…
I shot a glare I knew they couldn't see at the ceiling before resting my head back and closing my eyes, hoping to get as much sleep as I could before I was rudely awakened.
: - )
I sat up quickly, looking around fearfully…Nothing. I sighed and lay back down, cringing at the dull pain I could still feel. At least the pain was slowly fading, it would, with any luck, be gone by tomorrow… assuming I wasn't tortured more.
At this thought my eyes fluttered open again. I had gotten a few hours sleep… completely undisturbed…
I strained my ears, listening for signs of life above me. After a minute or so I heard the faint sound of a glass being put down on the table. So someone was definitely here.
I made as little noise as I possibly could, not wanting to alert anyone that I was awake in case it provoked another torture session.
After another twenty minutes of not moving I was beginning to even doubt what I had heard, there had been absolutely no movement from above me since then.
I sighed and relaxed my body again, snuggling into the uncomfortable hay, ready for more sleep.
I'd just closed my eyes when they snapped open again, this time at the sound of a chair scraping across the floor.
"You're actually going to believe her?" I heard Flint ask in disbelief.
"No, but it's worth a try, if she happens to be lying I'll show her what pain really means" Lucius hissed, even with the floorboards in the way, I knew he was glaring down towards me.
"So I should expect you to return in a murderous mood, looking forward to it" Flint said sarcastically, I heard the sound of a glass being filled.
"Depends what I find" Lucius replied curtly.
"Or what you don't find" Flint all but muttered.
"Or what I don't find" Lucius agreed, the irritation evident in his voice. "Expect me back in a few hours"
I heard footsteps and then finally a door open and close, followed by a loud cracking sound as Lucius apparated away.
I heard Flint laugh before setting down his drink.
"Just you and me Granger" He called out.
My whole body tensed and my heart began to race, but I heard no movement from him. No sound to tell me he had gotten up, not one thing.
Was he playing some sick joke on me? Pretending he wasn't coming down, or that he even wasn't here before sneaking up behind me? No, he couldn't get down here unnoticed unless he... apparated. Was that possible? Could you apparate down here?
How could I have been so stupid? What if all this time I could have escaped so easily and instead I had let myself be tortured and humiliated…
I was never the best at apparition, in fact I hated it, and I avoided it whenever I could, but hell it was worth a try now. I closed my eyes and focused all my attention on imagining the pavement just outside 12 Grimmauld Place. I felt the familiar sickly feeling and heard the loud crack apparition always make before I felt myself begin to move. But as soon as I felt myself rise up I felt an invisible barrier and was thrown back down into the hay.
Damnit! I really thought I was out of there!
I heard a laugh from above me.
"I felt that mudblood" Flint laughed.
I heard Flint stand up and heard his foot steps move across the room, he was right above the trap door now, yet he hadn't opened it. It was as if he was making up his mind whether or not he should come down. Unfortunately his thoughts lasted no more then a few seconds and before I knew it he had flung the trap door open and was climbing down the ladder.
"Mudblood" He greeted. I looked at him cautiously… he had half empty bottle in his hand, and his eyes were glassy.
"Don't come near me" I spat, instinctively pressing myself as far down as I could just to distance myself from him that tiny bit more.
"I don't think you're exactly in the position to be ordering anyone around" He laughed, sneering at me.
"What do you want?" I asked, gritting my teeth.
"What do I want…? I want many things Mudblood, you're going to have to be more specific than that" He said, beginning to walk towards me.
"What do you want with me? Why are you down here!?" I yelled at him, irritated that he wanted to play games with me.
"Revenge" He said, forcing himself to smirk.
"I don't understand" I wasn't irritated anymore, in fact I was hanging onto his next words. The answer to why he hated Draco so.
"Revenge?" I encouraged.
He dropped down on his knees in front of me. "Yes, revenge" He answered, leaning closer to my face. I quickly rolled away from him and stood up, backing away from him.
"Revenge against who? Draco?"
He sighed and stood back up, looking plain irritated that I wasn't just staying put.
"Yes against Malfoy junior, now, come back here" He ordered. Instead I took a few steps back.
"What did Draco do?" I asked, knowing I was really starting to push my luck. Flint approached me again, and I ducked out of his grip again.
"For the last time Mudblood, stay still!" Flint roared, I flinched before shaking my head at him and moving to the opposite end of the cellar.
"Not until you tell me what Draco did" I said, sticking my nose in the air like I used to do at school when I was being stubborn.
"Here's a better idea" Flint sneered, pulling his wand from his pocket, "Imperius!"
I felt a cool, tingly feeling run down my body, like there were no worries in the world.
"Now, come here" He said.
And I did exactly that, I walked up to him, even though he was the person I wanted to be the farthest from at this point in time, even though he was going to use me to get his revenge on Draco. Why? …Because it felt like the easiest thing to do.
"Good girl" Flint said, beginning to circle me. I'm sure he meant this to be intimidating, but at that point I didn't care, I didn't have a worry.
"Now take off your shirt" He ordered, he looked bored as I moved my hands moved up and began unbuttoning. I didn't really want to be doing this at all, but why try and fight?
My shirt slid from my shoulders and down onto the ground.
He walked behind me, and I felt soft lips touch the back of neck. I knew I should have been worried that he was kissing me, but I was more interested by his lips. They were so soft, weren't the bad guys meant to have rough, painful lips? Or was that just in my books. I laughed to myself as I thought about this, I was thinking of lips when I should have been panicking. This spell was like I had been drugged.
"What's so funny?" He asked, was it just me or had he sounded kind then?
"Nothing" I answered, still smiling a little. He chuckled slightly to himself, and it made me think that maybe he was a good person deep down.
I felt my bra loosen and it was only as he was sliding it from my shoulders that I even noticed he had undone it. Still kissing my neck he reached his hands around the front and palmed my breasts, moaning into my neck as he did so.
My mind was beginning to know it was wrong but my body refused to move, it was relaxed, it was calm, and no matter how much my mind screamed it wouldn't move.
As I felt him slide down and push my skirt up I tried to go somewhere else in my mind. I remember Harry had been teaching me how to resist the imperius curse, but I had failed miserably every single time. It was one of the first things that I had failed at, besides flying, and even though I usually would have been mad, I had spent the afternoon, rolling on the grass at the burrow, laughing with Harry and Ron besides me. The things they had made me do, how silly I had looked, that was one of my favorite memories for the Patronus Charm.
I came crashing back to reality as I felt his fingers hook in my underwear and slowly pull them down.
"Undo my pants" He whispered in my ear. I turned around to face him and my arms reached out and undid his belt followed by his buttons then his zip.
"I wish Draco could see this" He hissed. If I could have hit him, I would have.
He picked me up and slammed me against a wall.
"I'm going to enjoy this" Then why did he look so sad?
No, He couldn't do this. He just couldn't. I tried to remember the steps Harry had told me. I had to try and convince my body that the act I had been ordered to do, wasn't worth it. I had to make it think that doing my idea would be less effort.
I tried it, I didn't stop trying, but it wasn't working, and in the meantime he was beginning to get down to business. It was no hope… I wasn't as strong as Harry; I couldn't break the curse as easily as he could.
My thoughts went to Draco and what he'd think when he found out I had been raped by Flint… would he still want me?
I couldn't hurt him, I couldn't… He'd been through enough already. I just coul… As if someone had flicked a switch I felt the relaxed and tingly feeling leave my body. It seemed the thought of Draco was enough motivation for me to break the curse.
Immediately I began to struggle, kicking, hitting until he let me go and I landed on the floor with a dull 'thud'.
"How did you…" He began, looking confused before shaking out of it.
"You sick, vile, poor excuse of a man!" I shouted, throwing a punch that made him take a few steps back. He looked livid.
"You think I'm vile!? You think I'm sick!? You don't know half the stuff that Draco's done!" He roared; his eyes had a far away look in them, as if remembering something.
"Then tell me" I snarled, slowing reaching down for my blouse and putting it back on.
"HE KILLED HER!" He screamed, pointing his wand at me.
I froze where I was, looking at him warily.
"He killed her after he let all those scum deatheater bastards rape her" Flint spat.
"Killed who?" I knew I shouldn't but it was in my nature to want to know.
"Sara… my wife" He whispered. My mouth fell open in shock. Why would Draco have done something like that?
"You were married?" I asked, I reached out and to put a comforting hand on his shoulder before deciding against it. Tears were starting to fall down his cheeks and he sunk to the floor. I leaned down beside him warily.
"Yes… secretly…" He admitted. He didn't look evil right now; he looked like a good man. He had a small sad smile on his face as he obviously remembered her.
"Why was it a secret?" I asked. I wondered if he'd have opened up to me if he hadn't been drinking earlier… or maybe he just really needed a shoulder to cry on and I had been the first person to care, whether I was a Mudblood prisoner or not.
"She wasn't magical" He said, not sounding the least bit embarrassed by this.
"You married a muggle?" I asked in shock.
"Yes" He said, "Judge me all you want"
"I don't" I said. Well maybe I judged him about the whole 'try-to-rape-me' thing. "What happened?"
"I lived in a muggle village with her. The Dark Lord found out and ordered she be killed. It was Draco's test, if he proved himself; he became the highest ranking deatheater. Don't worry, he exceeded, killed her himself" Flint spat.
"You mean the village Lucius spoke about?" I asked, closing me eyes so I couldn't see his slow nod.
"My god…" I whispered. I didn't want to believe this. "Tell me you're lying"
"I wish" He snarled back at me.
"So, you wanted to hurt Draco by hurting me?" I asked meekly, afraid that it might snap him back to reality and realize he was opening up to me.
"That had been the plan" He said, refusing to look me in the eye.
"But I had nothing to do with it…"
"NEITHER DID SHE!" He roared, standing up and glaring down at me.
"Ok, I know, I get it… I'm sorry" He blinked, as if he had never been apologized to before.
Neither of us spoke for a moment before finally I felt the need to break the silence.
"You'd regret it you know" I whispered. He looked at me, confused.
"Regret what?" He hissed.
"Raping me…I bet Sara wouldn't have wanted you to turn into one the evil men that did it to her"
He opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say back, but too shocked by my words to make a sound. He had never thought of it like that, he had been so hell bent on revenge that he had never even considered what his Sara would have thought of him had she still been alive.
"But Draco deserves to pay for what he did!" He roared, more at himself than at me.
"I'll tell him you did it" I said, surprising myself, "I'll tell him so he pays and you don't become a monster"
I didn't want to lie to Draco like that; I didn't want to hurt him. But he had hurt Flint worse then I had ever thought he was capable of.
Flint looked at me, considering this before finally shaking his head.
"No… I won't stoop to his level. But you just remind him that I am twice the man he could ever hope to be, and when his life comes crashing down around him, I'll be there laughing" I nodded at Flint, although I didn't really fancy passing that particular message along.
"It's not like I'll ever see him again anyway… Lucius plans to kill me, remember?" I said, looking sadly at the ground.
Flint looked down at me, sitting on the ground, and a flicker of a smile passed his face.
"You remind me a little of her" He said, I looked up at him. "I mean, you look nothing alike, but you have the same… I don't know… spirit I guess" I looked at him curiously, wondering where he was going with this.
"I hope you forgive me for what I tried to do" He whispered, I didn't say anything, because I hadn't forgiven him, not yet. I needed a lot more time to make me forget and forgive something like that.
He reached his hand down to me and I cautiously took it. He pulled me up.
"Scratch me, right here, as hard as you can" He said, pointing to the right side of his face.
"What? No! I can't do that" I said, confused as hell by what he was asking me to do.
"Look, I want to help you escape, but I can't unless you go along with it. If Lucius finds out I let you go he'll kill me. But if it looks like you fought your way out he'll just be pissed" He said, "Now hit me like you wanted to before"
I looked at him apologetically before digging my nails into his face and running them down. He cried out in pain and I tried to pull away but he grabbed my arm and forced me to keep going. I had cut deep, and he had blood running down the side of his face.
"Perfect" He said, grinning at me. I grinned back, like I would with a friend.
"Now go" He said, motioning to the trap door.
"Thank you" I whispered to him, before climbing the ladder and shutting the trap door so it looked like I had locked him down there.
I ran over to the door and thrust it open. I stood in the doorway for a moment, relishing in the feel of the cool night hair, before running out into the darkness.
A/n: I know a lot of people may not like this chapter, or it may confuse them that one minute Flint is trying to rape her, the next he's have a deep and meaningful with her, the next he's letting her go. But it's part of the plan :-) And frankly, I liked the way it turned out. I didn't want him to rape her, and I wanted him to show his true colors. (Colours! I hate American spell check!) Anyway, please read and review with what you think. Good or bad, although, if you don't like it, frankly... I don't give a shit :-)
xSiriusxstalkerx