Everything hurt.

The floor below her was rock hard as she writhed around in pain. Her body felt like it was on fire, like it was spreading through her bones and her blood. She couldn't use her own body, she couldn't make it stop. What had she done…

'Tut tut… what will precious uncle say when he finds out what you done?' a voice said. It filled her whole head, clouding out her own thoughts, her memories… the things that made her who she was. The voice laughed as she gasped and panted on the bathroom floor, aware of how powerless she was.

'You're weak, Mara… you're so weak… I was practically pulled inside your head…'

She was screaming, but she did not feel it on the back of her throat. He had taken control of her voice… Her silent screams raged on inside her head, a mind that no longer belonged to her. She felt him there, felt that he was a part of her. She couldn't escape, he was gripping on too tight. She would never be free… never be away from it all. She felt a tear on her cheek, dripping down and running into her mouth. It was the first time she had felt anything in days. She had been forced to watch as Tom used her, forced to watch as Tom nearly broke Harry's hand. She had been screaming, begging for him to stop… and then he was gone. For a moment, she thought she was free again, but he was hiding. He liked to do that. It gave her a false sense of security.

She could barely remember anything anymore. She no longer knew what day it was, what time it was… there was only now. And then the darkness, when she would just slip away from her own body, and 'wake up' somewhere she didn't recall being. Her head always hurt, as did her limbs and her chest.

She could not fight him, he was too strong. She longed to tell Sirius, for Harry to tell him. But Tom wouldn't let her say a word, his claws were dug in too deep. She knew Harry was too afraid to say anything… he was afraid of her.

As she lay on the bathroom floor, silently screaming in her own head, he taunted her.

'Poor, stupid little girl… This is all your fault… you did this…'

Get out get out get out get out get out, Mara thought, screaming at him. He merely laughed, and then her chest tightened, causing her to thrash about the floor in pain as he twisted her insides.

Get out get out get out get out get out!

Tom's laughing stopped. Mara felt her chest tighten once more… but she would not give in. She wasn't weak, she would show him she wasn't.

"Get out!" Mara said, and she heard her voice echoing around her as she spoke out loud. Her head felt light, her stomach swirling as the nauseous feeling took over her. She turned and vomited all over the floor next to her limp body… her body.

She sat up, her head spinning, and pulled herself up onto her feet. It felt so strange to be on her feet again with herself controlling them. She walked from the room, dragging her feet on the floor. Tears streamed down her face as she sniffed, a mixture of fear and relief filling her up.

She opened the door to her room, and could immediately see Harry's outline lying in his bed. She took off her shoes and climbed into her bed, tears continuing to stream. She didn't have the energy to get changed from her robes as she lay down.

"Har- Harry…" she said. It felt weird to talk from her mouth again, and not inside her own head with another voice in there with her.

"Yeah?" she heard Harry say, and her chest panged with guilt. She was going to tell him everything. Everything that Tom had done, had made her do. It was all going to be ok.

But her chest tightened suddenly, her breathing being cut off. She felt the burning beneath her skin, the silent agony returning to her.

'Stupid, stupid girl… you will regret that.'

Mara knew this was it. He was going to take her, take control of her completely. She gasped as more pain hit her all over her body. She would not scream, she would not cry anymore… but there was something she had to do.

"I- I'm sorry…"

The words had just left her lips when her control over her own voice box was cut off. Her head erupted in unbearable pain as she fought against Tom desperately… but it was no use. And in that moment, all she could think about was the boy next to her, and the man in the room next door.