The she-wolf was torn between her rage and her need to mate even as she grew dizzy from blood loss. She had run for who knows how long without running into a single living creature. Sounds around her indicated there were other animals about, however they were too frightened to cross paths with her. She didn't need to see them quake to know they were afraid- the stench of their fear was unmistakable to her sensitive nose.
Cowards.
Her face twisted with disgust at these creatures too afraid to confront her even in her current state. Nevertheless, she would need to be careful; while they may keep their distance now they would surely be upon her as soon as she was down. So even though she needed to stop and attend to her injuries she kept moving forward in search of a safe haven.
The she-wolf wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on. Shortly after her fight with the grey wolf she attempted to heal herself by drawing on her magic, but she was far too weak and her injuries far too serious to fix herself. Some of her wounds had already begun to fester and she grew feverish as the infection set in.
Still, there was an unexpected flipside to her pain- it made her aware of her fragility which in turn served as a reminder of her human self, though her beast scoffed at the idea. The beast was confident she was invincible, insisting she run the other way to hunt down her sire, force his submission and then tear him limb for limb.
Hunt, kill, hunt, kill, hunt, kill-
She shook her head, trying to refocus her thoughts. Her humanity began to slip away when she thought about her sire- her entire being focused only on her need for revenge. So great was her bloodlust in those moments she couldn't even recall why her beast desired to harm her sire, only that she did. Pushing aside thoughts of vengeance, the she-wolf forged on. Even though she had yet to encounter a friendly face she was pleased to discover the entire region covered in a variety of potent medicinal herbs. She took several mouthfuls of centella, a plant famed in both the magical and Muggle realm for its healing properties.
There was a magical barrier that prevented her from moving further up the mountain so she struggled towards the outcropping of rocks she had noticed on the side. She hoped to find a dry and clean spot she could use as a temporary shelter and she was not disappointed. Hidden amongst the rocks was a gap that opened into a small cave. Thinking this place was good enough her knees finally gave out.
The she-wolf struggled to remain conscious knowing she had yet to heal herself. She spat out the centella and few other herbs she had been chewing the entire time in order to create a crude poultice for herself. With great difficulty she managed to get the paste into the worst of her injuries and then lay still directing the magic in her veins to knot the torn flesh together and stem the blood flow.
It was hard to remain calm and concentrate on healing herself when her primary desire was to hurt the one who had hurt her. Everything within her demanded she hunt him down and finish him. Her lips pulled back to display her deadly canines as she snarled at the nothingness before her.
"Happy Birthday, Draco!"
Draco drifted awake. Was it a memory or a dream, or a memory of a dream? With sleep heavy eyes he recalled watching his mother lovingly stroke his hair and smile down at him like she used to when he was a little boy- except, she looked so much older and about as weary as he felt. It had to have been a dream as his beautiful mother had yet to develop the worry lines around her eyes that were rather prominent in the dream. Draco let out a sigh before he closed his eyes and fell back asleep.
The she-wolf lay still having sensed another presence in the cave. She didn't move or do anything that would alert the intruder to her state of wakefulness. There was an incantation in a foreign tongue followed by brightness behind her closed eyelids. The intruder had most likely cast a lumos. While the person walked around her, inspecting her, she was aware of how delicious they smelled- like prey. If she had to guess she would say it was a small child. She was hungry, but could she risk opening her wounds by moving to attack the child?
She lay on the rock floor, unmoving, while the intruder satisfied their curiosity. She felt something prod her side- not enough to hurt but enough to draw her attention. She still didn't move or even open her eyes. The intruder repeatedly prodded her. Annoyed, she partially opened her eyes. The offending item was the end of a branch. Without lifting her head she pulled back her lips baring her sharp teeth and snarled.
The intruder was a young girl; startled by the discovery that the she-wolf wasn't asleep or dead, she yelped and stumbled backwards. She landed on her bum and stayed down, rubbing at the sore spot.
The two stared at each other for a whole minute- the young girl though apprehensive appeared to be obviously awestruck while the she-wolf continued to bare her teeth in an attempt to appear more ferocious than she felt in that moment. When it became too much of an effort to maintain the display of hostility the she-wolf dropped the act and simply observed the girl.
Sniffing fear on the child, the she-wolf shut her eyes. She was certain the girl wouldn't bother her again, which is why she was surprised when the child resumed prodding her sides with the branch. If it wasn't so taxing to move right then she would've torn the girl apart for her insolence alone.
She opened her eyes and let out a low growl of warning, but the child paid no heed- her eyes were fixed on the gash in her belly that still looked quite bad despite her attempts to heal it. It was severely infected but healing it was out of the range of her current abilities.
The girl prodded around the wound with the branch and appeared to be studying the she-wolf's responses. The girl's dark eyes sparkled with intelligence. It was uncertain if the girl had figured out exactly what was wrong with the she-wolf, but she must have concluded that her injuries were far too severe for the she-wolf to pose any serious threat to her.
The she-wolf drifted asleep and was woken up rudely by the sensation of someone prodding her sides once again. She opened her eyes to glare at the offender. The girl had returned, this time accompanied by two boys of a similar age. The three children stared at her for some time before they began an animated discussion among themselves.
The children appeared to be arguing among themselves- the girl and one of the boys was trying to convince the second boy of something. The she-wolf was sure she had never seen the trio before but something about them tugged at a distant memory that filled her with warmth and longing.
The girl must have won the argument because she turned to the she-wolf wearing a smug smile while her friend sulked. The second boy, the smallest of the three, had a determined look on his face. With his friends now watching him the boy closed his eyes and mumbled something before transforming into a little bird right before their eyes.
The bird was a pretty little thing that chirped something indecipherable as it flew circles around her head. The she-wolf was tempted to swap at it with her paw- slice its little wings with one of her claws- but it flew back to its friends before she could as much as twitch a muscle. Just as quickly as he changed into a bird he was transformed again into a boy. The children looked at the she-wolf and looked at the boy and then again stared pointedly at the she-wolf.
They believed she was like him. Animagus, the faint human side of her supplied.
The three held a bag in their hands. Reaching in, they pulled out a cauldron along with a variety of ingredients. One of the boys lit a fire and set the cauldron on top of it while the other boy chopped up the herbs. The girl was saying something to the she-wolf a she slowly approached her. While her words were foreign and unknown, the way the girl held out her hands conveyed that she meant no harm. If she could, the she-wolf would have made a meal of all three children, but in her current state she couldn't even lift her paw.
Once certain that the she-wolf wasn't going to pounce on her, the girl placed a hand above the worst of the she-wolf's injuries- the laceration on her stomach- closed her eyes and began chanting in her strange tongue. At the end of the chant, the poultice, dried blood and dirt fell away from the wound; the girl had cleaned the wound.
Meanwhile, the boys were busy preparing something in the cauldron. It wasn't clear what they were up to but the she-wolf wasn't particularly worried. If these children meant to hurt her at least death would be swifter. She closed her eyes and lay still allowing the children to go about whatever they were up to.
At several intervals the three children took turns saying strange incantations over the cauldron and it was some time before they appeared satisfied with whatever they had brewed in it. The she-wolf watched them siphon some of the contents into a bowl which they cautiously placed before her. Three eager dark faces nodded at the bowl directing the wolf to drink their concoction. She sniffed at the potion- while it was strange it didn't smell like anything harmful. Without taking her eyes off them, the she-wolf slowly lapped at the bowl till it was empty.
The girl was the first of the three to straighten up while her friends still remained stooped staring at the she-wolf's injuries expectantly. The girl turned and dragged her friends by their collars, waving to the she-wolf on her way out.
Within minutes the she-wolf began to feel the changes brought on by the potion. Most notably, she was no longer feverish. But, she was absolutely drained so she put her head back down and lost consciousness once more.
"Trust doesn't come easily for people like us, raised as we were. So before we discuss anything, here" -Theo held up a vial of silvery memories- "this should help you understand our motives."
Draco took the vial from Theo's hands and poured the memories into the penseive placed before him. He was joined by Theo as he entered the swirl of memories.
A man settled himself behind Pansy on the bed. His face wasn't visible yet but Draco had an idea of who it might be. The man shuffled about till he found a satisfactory position before his leathery old hands reached around to roughly grope Pansy's breasts.
"Hello Pansy. Did you miss me?" he asked in a taunting voice while he continued to molest her young flesh.
There was no mistaking the disgust on Pansy's face though she made sure to keep her face turned away from the man. She grimaced when his fingers forcefully pulled at and twisted her nipples, but she made no sound and held still even when it was clear the man was deliberately trying to cause her pain.
"Why so quiet, my dear wife? You know how I love you listen to your sweet moans," he mocked as he pinched the soft undersides of her breasts with his fingernails.
"Oh well, since you insist on remaining unresponsive during foreplay I'll just have to find other ways to make you scream."
Just before the memory faded the man drew his wand and directed several stinging and slicing hexes at her bare breasts and buttocks that left Pansy howling in pain.
"Why?" Draco asked Theo who stood beside him, his face an unreadable mask.
"That's my father for you," was all Theo said in response.
The next memory began with Pansy landing on the bed, the wind knocked out of her from the force of her fall. Her husband climbed between her thighs and positioned himself above Pansy. His fingers were between her legs stroking her dry lips. He appeared angry over her lack of arousal. Pansy's mouth was clamped shut and the look on her face said she was trying her best not to wince in pain. His hand painfully pinched her inner thigh when she flinched away from his fingers.
Finally, giving up on the foreplay, Pansy's husband spat on the entrance to her pussy and shoved his cock inside her unwilling body. The force of the thrust made her slide further up the bed and away from him so his hands clamped around her throat to hold her body in place. Her body bucked involuntarily almost throwing him off. He squeezed harder and only when she went limp under him did he loosen his grip on her neck.
"Come on, don't just lie there like a dead fish," he complained while thrusting into her.
Pansy raised her knees and wrapped her legs around his waist. It didn't look like she was doing it out of pleasure, more like fear of what he may do next if she didn't play along.
"You like that, don't you?" he whispered in a poor attempt at a husky voice. "You're just a slut, aren't you, Mrs. Nott?"
Pansy responded by widening her thighs further to accommodate him as he drilled into her. She was looking away from him while he continued to fuck her into the mattress.
"Fuck," he grunted. "You may be a Pureblood, but you're no better... Just another slut, like the rest of them."
Draco watched Pansy cower and close her eyes shut tight, tears leaking out of the corners. It was hard for him to believe Pansy would tolerate being treated so poorly. Growing up her father had indulged her to the extent even her friends had thought of her as a spoilt princess.
Theo spoke up, probably noticing the look of disbelief on his face.
"They're hard to watch, I know, but you need to see these. You may not believe what we have to say unless you see these and know what it's been like.
The memory faded from view as another played out.
"This one is older than the others," said Theo watching the scene unfold.
"I don't want to! It's one thing to marry that old hawk but you can't make me sleep with him!" Pansy screamed as a couple of Black Cloaks grabbed her by the waist and began to haul her over towards the bedroom. Pansy was physically so much smaller than each of the men that had her surrounded that there was no need to manhandle her if restraining her was all they wanted. However, from their expressions the men were clearly enjoying what they were doing.
Pansy was dragged to the bed and pinned to it using physical restraints while they went about tearing her clothes off her body. They made it a point to grope and fondle her as they did so, not even bothering to pretend like it was anything else.
"Stop that! What the hell do you think you're doing - How dare you touch me this way?" Pansy shouted at them, infuriated by their treatment. "Just give me the damn potion like you're meant to and leave! Arseholes."
"You're not really in a position to be giving any orders, princess," said one of the men mockingly using the term of endearment often used by her father when talking about Pansy.
"Besides, your dear husband doesn't care for any potion made by that Halfblood traitor, Snape. He'd rather use us to get you nice and wet for his cock."
"What! Lord Nott is aware of this?"
"Not just aware, princess, he commanded it. Thought a spoilt bitch like you could use a reminder of your proper place and purpose in this house."
Pansy screeched as the man roughly shoved three fingers inside her unprepared passage.
"Look, you've already got her screaming for you," said one of them to the man violating Pansy drawing peals of laughter from his peers. The memory sped up as different men used different objects on Pansy all in the name of priming her for intercourse with her husband. Though none of them used their own cocks each of them undoubtedly raped Pansy that day.
Draco felt sick to his stomach having witnessed what he did. He had watched his share of atrocities during his time as a Death Eater, but watching one of his friends get raped in her marital bed was especially upsetting. What was worse was that in the memories he saw none of the strong-willed, free-spirited girl who had been a bigger brat than him growing up.
"It's fucked up, Draco."
They were out of the memories now and Theo's usually guarded face was grief-stricken, appearing as upset as Draco felt.
"It's all so severely fucked up. It's not just Pansy. Ever since they passed the Procreation Law it's no longer safe for any witch unless they're as twisted as Bellatrix. Though I never approved of the Dark Lord's methods I believed things would change for the better when he came in power.
"I thought the Death Eaters would lose their tribal nature- and with it their violence and brutality- once they were charged with governing the entire realm. It is only logical that an advanced civilization would steer towards a conflict free, peaceful society that favours intelligence and compassion over brute strength and ruthlessness.
"Instead it feels like we've been in a near constant state of war for the greater part of the last decade and I don't see things ever improving under current leadership. There are now a significant number of us who refuse to maintain the status quo. The reason Pansy shared these memories and the reason I came to see you at Bleidd is because we seek to make alliances."
From beyond the safety of her hideout the she-wolf observed the sunrays lazily creep into her sanctuary. As far as she could tell, this was her fifth day in the cave and already she could feel a marked improvement. The throbbing pain in her body had reduced to a dull ache and gone was the chill in her bones like her life force was leaking out of her. Pleased and surprised by her unexpected recovery she looked around taking a proper look at her surroundings. Noticing the remains of a fire and the cauldron placed above it, she remembered the three children and what they had done for her.
When she had entered the cave, a part of her had believed this would end up being her tomb. She had picked a spot where her carcass would not be ravaged by scavengers because she was certain she had kin out there who would want to find her and know what became of her. Each time she fell asleep in the cave she had done so thinking this would be the one she wouldn't wake from.
When the girl first showed up, the she-wolf had expected her to return with adults who would either exterminate or capture her; she never imagined the girl and her friends would heal her. The she-wolf was glad she'd been too weak to kill the girl during their first encounter or else she too would be dead by now.