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Severus was gone for too long. Something didn't feel right. Lily paced around the bedroom. She considered the cigarettes left behind on the table, but something wasn't settling right with her. She was too agitated to smoke. Lily simply couldn't explain it to herself. What was this odd tangled feeling? She was well accustomed to fear, and this wasn't quite it; it was more intimate. Fear for someone else? "Why do you care about him?" Her conscience hissed. Severus knew his way around, probably better than most. Lily reminded herself that he was only part of the Death Eaters for survival, and yet he held and maintained a high rank. "If he wanted to hurt you, he would have done it by now." Why did Severus want her around so badly? She didn't believe for a moment it was because he solely wanted company. Blackmail, perhaps? Was he planning on selling her? Lily couldn't think of any other logical reasons.

Initially, he had made it very clear that he didn't participate in the sickening Death Eater lifestyle. Rather, Severus found her alone and took her away before anything happened. Therefore, it wasn't too likely that he would have underlying insidious intents. Besides, Severus held all the power in this unlikely partnership; a wand, insider experience and intelligence, as well as multiple powerful allies. Whereas Lily had her burnt hands and quick wit. If he felt like it, technically Severus could do whatever he pleased with her and Lily would be powerless to stop it. However, Lily knew how unpredictable he could be. Unpredictable yet patient. He could be watching her to dig her own grave under the façade of care and good intentions and have undisclosed plans. "Look at all those dirty clothes … You could use them to open the window and break out!"

"You're losing it in here." Lily muttered to herself and dismissed her thoughts. She was overthinking it all. There was probably some small disagreement between the Death Eaters and Severus was only lingering to keep up normality. Or he was picking up breakfast for her from the kitchens. Of course it was nothing to worry about. Lily pulled the heavy drapes. Even though her hands were still tender from her last incident with the window, Lily wasn't afraid to look outside. It was morning, but the sun had yet to come out and peek through the clouds. She still pondered what it would be like to explore the forest surrounding this mysterious castle.

"Gotcha! Little whore!" A pair of callused hands gripped her arms and forced them behind her. A rope was conjured and twisted its way around her wrists. Two burly men wrestled Lily to the ground and pinned her down. A hex made her immobile. It was the wedding all over again.

"Look at 'er, pretty face and all."

"Bloody thief is what she is."

"Let me go!" Lily struggled, but couldn't even wiggle her fingers. A swift kick to the face, and everything went black.

"Look at the hands on this one." A woman's deep voice snorted. "She's already tried to escape. Nothing but trouble …"

Lily slowly came to. She was laying on her side on some threadbare carpet, arms still bound together behind her back. The air smelled perfumed and dusty, but poisoned with the metallic scent of blood. Something heavy was being dragged across the wood floor. Was she back in the kitchens? The fancy carpet, however, told her otherwise. Upon lifting her head, seeing Marlene McKinnon being pulled out of the room immediately plunged Lily into panic. "Marlene!" The ghostly pale skin, blood, and fixed expression …. Marlene McKinnon was dead. Lily figured she was in the main hall. Dark figures surrounded her, a few with masks on, some sitting, some standing. All their eyes were on her.

Suddenly, a woman approached her. She gripped her face and studied it closely. Lily felt dirty fingernails dig into her cheeks. "Cissy, look at the eyes. They would complement your emeralds quite nicely." The woman had the gaunt features of someone much older, but yet she still looked quite youthful. Inky black hair and robes. Those eyes looked into Lily with a wild intensity. "Very, very green. Look for yourself." The witch forced Lily to face another woman.

This woman had similar features to the first, but had frigid blue eyes and platinum hair. Lily knew this woman was a Malfoy. The stiff and elegant pose in the chair and seemingly permanent expression of pretentious disdain, she had to be Narcissa Malfoy. Narcissa only narrowed her eyes. "I don't care for the comparison of my jewelry to the eyes of a thieving mudblood."

Bellatrix shoved Lily back down to the ground. "I say we pluck her eyes out. She won't be green with envy anymore."

Many Death Eaters applauded at the notion. "A blind servant is just as useless as a dead one." Nott protested. "Maybe good for a fuck or two, but they can't bloody see shit."

"Are we forgetting she is my personal servant under my jurisdiction, Avery?" A familiar voice snapped.

"Sev!" Lily crawled on her knees towards him. "Sev, what's going on?" Why wasn't he looking her?

"Disrespectful little whore!" Bellatrix raised a hand and struck Lily across the face. "You will only speak when spoken to! How dare you frame your master!" Another strike. "You dare to steal a priceless gift from my sister and use it to frame your master?! You deserve to die and more, mudblood filth!"

Each strike came with its own stinging pain. Lily forced herself to think of Marlene's words. "You just go numb after midnight …" It wasn't midnight, but that didn't stop Lily from trying to mentally detach herself away from her body and the pain. Marlene is dead. After the blows resided, Lily's face tingled with some residual pain. "Sev, look at me!" She called out. "What are they talking about? You know I didn't steal anything! Look at me!" Another blow. This time, in the jaw.

"You shall speak when spoken to!" Bellatrix whipped out her wand. "You were correct about the attitude problem, Severus. This one certainly has an issue when given orders by her authorities."

"Don't hog 'er!" A masked Death Eater yelled, already with his wand out.

"Shut up!" Bellatrix snapped. "The mudblood stole Cissy's necklace and tried to frame Severus for it! It's only justice!"

"Justice?" Lily silently mocked. She ignored Bellatrix and the masked Death Eater's brawl and crawled on her knees towards Severus again. "You know I didn't steal anything! I don't know where her necklace is! But you and I both know I couldn't have stolen it! Sev, please look at me! You know I wouldn't do that to you! I didn't frame you, Sev!" Her pleads were only answered with silence. Severus was staring through the wall. She knew he was listening. Why wouldn't he look at her?

"Doesn't know how to listen!" Narcissa shouted. "Look at her chattering away! It only proves intelligence and beauty don't breed together regarding mudbloods."

"Severus, look at me!"

"You will only speak when spoken to, stupid, dirty mudblood!"

"Give the rest of us a turn, you crazy bitch!"

"Silence, Nott! Or I'll cut your throat in your sleep!"

"You fuckin' won't!"

"Sev!"

"Enough!" Lucius' voice carried over the chaos, immediately silencing everybody. "This isn't productive! Nott, Wilkes, step down! Bellatrix, step aside! The sooner we get this over and done with, the sooner the mudbloods can clean and serve us a decent lunch this afternoon! Cissy, you first, darling."

Narcissa wrinkled her nose. "I don't think so. This one's a fighter, I'll most likely end up killing her. You go, Severus."

Lily instantly knew Narcissa's excuse was false. She was a much weaker witch than her sister. Lily's heart was almost pounding out of her chest. They were speaking of torturing her. Punishing her for a crime she didn't commit. Surely Severus knew she wasn't guilty? Poor Marlene was most likely killed because of missing necklace. Angering one of the wives, or disrupting any Death Eater, as an unspoken rule, punishable by death. Quickly, her eyes darted around the room, desperate for any way to escape. She was surrounded by Death Eaters. Each one of them carrying wands and hungry to inflict pain. Any attempt to flee, and Lily would be met with the same fate as Mary and now, Marlene.

"Very well." Lucius stated calmly. "Severus, she's yours."

Lily looked up. Severus was finally looking at her. It was impossible to read his face. He looked angry, yet so oddly collected. Lily's worst fears were confirmed. This was the moment Severus would betray her. How could she have been so foolish as to trust him? Lily glared into the dark eyes of her former childhood friend and captor; testing him once more. Severus wouldn't do it. She felt it in her gut. The other Death Eaters would lose patience and take over instead.

"Well?" Bellatrix stomped impatiently.

How did he ever end up in this situation? Why did he have to be the one to torture Lily? Perhaps it would have been easier to just kill her? Severus looked into Lily's green eyes. Those green eyes glared back; full of confusion, anger, and betrayal. The idea of killing Lily was agonizing. After everything he did to ensure Lily's tracks were covered until the last moment? After keeping her safe and locked away from the Death Eaters? How could Severus even lift his wand to her? All eyes were on him now. The Death Eaters were grinning with sadistic anticipation. Lily was the only scowl. With reluctance, Severus gripped his wand and pointed at Lily; right between the eyes. This was the last moment. After this, Lily would never trust him again. "Please forgive me for what I'm about to do." She still smells like lavender ….

Lily's agonized screams pierced through the hall and the rest of the castle. Blood and tears flowing freely, as the same wand that produced the bandages to heal Lily's hands, became the wand that inflicted her uneternal suffering.