Alice
Pain. I cannot think, cannot move I can do nothing but scream. The harsh sound shatters the air into fragments, falling down through the air to pierce my flesh. The noise rises throbbing, not from my lungs, but from every part of my body, every inch of me is screaming..
A moment's respite. A great wave of relief as the agony fades from my limbs. Slowly I uncurl my fists. My nails had bitten into my palms, drawing blood. Through the mist of pain and confusion I see her standing over me, glossy head thrown back, eyes flashing… and her wand pointing directly at my heart.
"Well?" she intones sweetly.
I shake my head, gasping. She leans closer her face an inch away from mine. I can smell her perfume.. sweet, heavy, intoxicating… roses..
"I don't know where he is"
The woman's face twists in spite, and she seems about to scream but the man beside her lays a hand on her arm.
"Now, now, Mrs Longbottom" he says gently "You won't be protecting him. We will find your husband eventually, whether you tell us or not. And then all this horrible pain will be over. You want that, don't you?"
I look at him, struggling to get up. His eyes are so cold.
"I don't-"
But with a swift movement the man holds up a hand to silence my words. A small sound from the hallway breaks the sudden silence. The sound I have been dreading. A key turning in the lock.
Frank
I know the minute I enter that something is wrong. There are no lights in the darkened hallway, no smells of cooking or of little Neville gurgling.
"Hello?" I call. There is a muffled sound from the living room, and I hurry towards the door, my hand reflexively tightening on my wand. As I turn the handle I hear a shout
"Frank don't -" and a stifled cry, as if of pain. Alice. I fling open the door, wand raised, but I am not quick enough.
"Expelliarmus" I watch, helpless as the wand sails from my grip into the hands of the man crouching over my wife. Rodolphus Lestrange. Two other men stand behind him, their faces in shadow.
"What are you doing here?" I hiss. "What are you doing in my house?"
"Why, waiting for you, Longbottom." A soft female voice from behind me. Bellatrix Black stands behind me her back to the door. I haven't seen her since Hogwarts, but I have heard enough rumours not to be surprised at the company she keeps.
"Miss Black-"
"Mrs" she hisses. "Haven't you heard, Frankie? I'm married now."
She shoots a glowing look at Lestrange.
I don't answer. My son's play pen is empty. I shoot a panicked look at Alice who shakes her head and mouths a word at me. Safe. Slowly I nod my head.
Alice
Frank is in hell, and I don't know what to do. The woman is holding me down with one hand, watching the scene with glittering eyes. I want to jerk her arm away, twisting it behind her back until she cries out, but I am too weak to move. "Stop it stop it stop it stop it" whisper under my breath. The stink of the woman's perfume is overpowering.
"Come on, Longbottom" the man is saying coaxingly "It is a simple task to tell us what you know. Where is the Dark Lord? Where have you driven him? Just tell us and we'll let you both go."
"W- wait." Frank can barely speak for shaking. "L- lift- the curse… I'll tell you"
No.
The man lowers his wand instantly and the Death Eaters crowd eagerly around my husband. The woman follows, leaving me forgotten.
"Well?" she says impatiently, leaning over Frank. He is still shaking, and choking for breath.
"He is-" he gasps
"Yes?"
"You can find him-"
"Yes?"
"Nowhere." Frank eases himself up on his elbow and his eyes meet the woman's flashing with defiance. I think, I've never loved him more than I do this moment.
"What did you say?"
"Why, nowhere, Mrs Lestrange. Your Master is dead, or as good as. It's over. You're over. You've lost."
"How dare you." She screams. "How… dare… you? Crucio. CRUCIO."
And Frank sinks to the floor once more.
Frank
I open my eyes. The blinding heat of pain is fading, leaving me shaking and sick. There is a faint sob from beside me. Alice. Her blue eyes are wide, terrified, fixed on my face, her dark hair tumbling around her face. Her hands bound, she drags herself across the floor towards me. I hold out a trembling hand towards her. The light, silken touch of her hair brushes against my hand as, unable to take my hand, she lays her cheek against my shaking palm. I feel the warmth of her flesh flood through me, strengthening my resolve.
"Well, Longbottom. Had enough of games yet? Are you going to tell us what we want to know?" Rabastan is standing over me, a knowing smile on his face. He's seen my agony, he knows I won't be able to bear much more. He thinks I'm going to give in.
"I will never tell you." My voice is feeble, shaking out of control. His smile fades slowly.
"Never." He says it softly, consideringly as if weighing the strength of my words, and the meaning behind them. One of the men behind him leans forward to mutter something in his ear. Quite suddenly Bellatrix begins to laugh, deep throbbing peals of mirth ringing throughout the dungeon, making my whole body shudder as a fresh ripple of pain breaks over them
"Never!" she sneers down at me " Well, well…we shall see about that."
I fix my eyes on Alice. Her round, candid face is spattered with blood (my own?),her wand, I notice suddenly, broken on the ground behind her. The sight makes me want to weep, even more for I know it was I that brought this upon her. Behind me, Bellatrix Lestrange is hissing at her husband, no doubt planning new methods to break me. I refuse to look at her. But, no matter how hard I try I cannot ignore her. I can sense her presence like a boiling cauldron at my back.
"P-perhaps," the boy speaks for the first time. He stands at the back of the group, his face pale, his pale straw, coloured fringe flopping over his face, obscuring his eyes. Barty Crouch, I recognise him with a struggle. I never would have thought- and he is so young, I think in amazement. Barely out of Hogwarts.
"Yes, what is it?" Bellatrix snaps.
"Perhaps- we should- torture her- let him watch-." He is stammering, but his face is shining with glee. I remember his sullen resentful face, years ago as I took 10 points from his house, out of bed, out of bounds. Such an unhappy looking child.
"Of course." Bellatrix drawls, a smile spreading over her beautiful face, her eyes gleaming.
"Tell me Frank." She whispers. Her voice is deep, gentle… terrifying. Slowly she reaches out a hand towards me. I flinch but she merely smiles softly, pushing back a lock of hair out of my face, almost caressingly." Do you love your wife?" her voice is at its deepest, most melodious.
I look obstinately at the floor. I know what she is trying to do, and it makes my stomach roil. Suddenly her whole attitude changes and she jabs her wand in my face.
"Answer me." Her voice had a threatening edge now. Still I remain silent. Suddenly she lunges, yanking Alice to her knees by the hair making her cry out in pain, thrusting her face roughly into mine. Her wand is pressed hard against the side of Alice's skull now.
"Answer me or I will kill her. Do – you – love - her?"
Alice meets my eyes, her face soft with tenderness… Don't look at me like that. Surely she must realise that what I say must condemn her… to death or pain, torture unimaginable………
"Yes." I whisper, tears stinging my cheeks.
"Well then." Bellatrix is breathing heavily; her dark eyes alight with enjoyment.
"Meet Rodolphus." One of the men behind her steps forwards, smirking.
"Rodo is my husband. And he loves me very much" Her voice has taken on a seductive purr.
"You see, we are not so very different, Alice and I. I am a wild savage Death Eater, she the little wife of a ministry paid Auror…. But still we are all bound together by one immortal bond. Our blood is pure and our hearts are faithful…."
"You are nothing like her," I snarl. "You don't understand what love is, any of you."
Bella arches her eyebrows, amused.
"No? No. I suppose your love is more noble, you Gryffindor hearts burn truer…. Let us see shall we? Let us put your love to the test. Prove to me exactly how much you love your wife, by telling us exactly where the Dark Lord is… and we will let her go free. If not-" she casts a gloating look at her husband , who answers her smile. "My husband will put your wife under the Curse once more."
I shiver involuntarily.
"Think of it. The measureless pain, the constant agony. She doesn't look strong, does she? How long do you think she'll last once the pain starts…"
"Frank" Alice struggles to form the words, his eyes fixed urgently on my face. "Don't tell them.. promise me you won't ..don't tell them anything.."
"CRUCIO" Bellatrix screams, thrusting her wand in his face. Somehow through the pain Alice keeps shouting.
"Frank don't… please…"
"I won't tell." My voice shakes uncontrollably "Alice, I swear I'll never tell."
I cannot tell whether she has understood me or not. She has fallen silent now, as if she no longer has the energy even to scream. Her face is chalk white, his eyes ablaze as she jerks and twitches on the floor. I cannot bear it. I close my eyes tight shut, blocking out the dungeon, the hard stares of the death eaters… her face..
But I cannot ignore the sound, the gasping chocking as she fights to draw the air into his burning lungs, the small moans of pain.
And suddenly it stops. I open my eyes. Rodolphus lowers his wand shrugging.
"He's not telling."
Alice lies unmoving on the floor. Bellatrix pouts, pinching my face harder tilting it upwards to meet her gaze.
"How very stubborn you are, Frank." She hisses. "And I thought your love was so great. No matter. Perhaps a more direct from of persuasion… CRUCIO"
Alice
The world is nothing but the blood red film of my eyelids, my mouth swilling with the sour taste of blood. My body contracts, shuddering. Oh God! The pain is limitless. It can never end. It does not seem possible that it will ever end. How could there be anything else? The world is nothing but one roaring scream. That can't be true. I remember. Once there was something… Alice…. Who am I? Alice…Alice and Frank…always, always Alice and Frank. We once found out we came into the world within hours of each other. And so it will end. I never wanted anyone but him. Who? He brought.. he brought me roses, yes, roses, will you marry me? The stench of roses, suffocating, envelops me... they are falling, tumbling to the ground as I fling my arms around his neck, smashing of the flagged stone floor, the petals scattering.
"Mum?"
Who spoke? Did someone speak? I feel, rather than see a face leaning over me. I want to tell them I want to say… the roses falling, every where. Gather them up. Pick it all up, every petal, hide it all away. I don't remember when the agony faded only the roses, great drifts of petals, falling all around me, covering my mouth. I'm being buried.
"It's alright, mum, we've come to visit again, Gran and I… mum?"
Buried under a mound of fragrant, rotting flowers. Every moment more flowers fall, knocked to the ground by a foolish laughing girl. But how could she know? How could she see she's burying me alive?
"Mum…please talk to me"
It's not too late. If you gather the roses up each and every one, then perhaps I will be able to recognise your face.