Chapter Trigger Warnings: torture, talk of dubious consent/rape, objectification

Chapter 112:

Ruse and Reality

Draco whipped around as he heard a bottle shatter, wand automatically sliding into his hand, his grip tight. Cautiously, he walked towards the lavatory.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Please, I'm sorry."

Through the open doorway, he could see Ariella already kneeling on the cold tile floor, hunched over herself. Pleading. Merlin, he hated this; hated what he had had to become. This…ruse they had to keep up. Except, it was only a ruse on one part, considering she still didn't know the truth.

He steeled himself and spoke coldly. "Clean it up." He flicked his wand towards the mess, watching from the corner of his eye to make sure she wasn't badly injured by any of the jagged bottle pieces.

He could tell she was shaking; she almost dropped the bin a few times. Turning back into his room, Draco ran a hand over his face. It had been almost a week since the…incident. They still had three more days before boarding the train back to Hogwarts. It wasn't a safe place anymore, but it was still…even moderately, safer than the Manor.

"I'm sorry. Punish me, Sir. Please."

He stiffened, even if he knew it was coming. Carefully, he flicked his wand, casting the Cruciatus onto his already–worn servant.

He heard her scream. He contained his wince. Barely. But he did it.

After dinner, Draco was summoned into his father's study. He wasn't surprised; in fact, he had been waiting for this to happen.

"How has our servant been lately?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. So this is how it was going to be. "Fine. Should something be different?"

Draco met his father's gaze evenly.

"She isn't properly addressing you or your needs and by doing so dishonours the bond and Malfoy name. Surely I don't need to go over this again?"

"She is following my orders, attending to me dutifully and obediently. Last I checked, that doesn't dishonour the bond or our family name."

"Then you are a fool for not further utilizing what's in front of you. Or are you simply too weak to handle her properly?"

"Are we done here? Or is there something else you wanted to tell me?"

Lucius looked his son up and down, before smirking. "We both know what happened. I knew. I knew you weren't being truthful. Now I have proof. Though I will admit, I hadn't realized you and the Nott boy were so close."

Relieved it was finally just…out in the open, Draco replied easily, "So what do you want from me then, Father? In case you've forgotten, we're in a war. Shouldn't that be the priority?"

"Don't you dare remind me of the risks. I've been here before, boy."

Draco didn't verbally respond, just waited.

"Why haven't you done as I've instructed?"

"It's different at school. We have to be more careful. It's not like having a personal human slave is a common occurrence anymore."

"That does not give you the right not to use her; not to treat her as what she is."

"As what she is? Tell me, Father, what exactly do you want me to treat her as?"

"A slave. A piece of property you can order about. Perhaps you need as much training as she does…" Lucius mused.

Stiff silence fell between them.

"She'll not be returning with you."

"What?"

"You heard me. She'll stay here. If you can't be her primary master properly while at school, then she'll stay here. With me. It's a wonder I didn't do this sooner."

Draco stood rigidly.

"You will not summon her once you get to school. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Father."

"You're dismissed. Do not disappoint me further."

Swallowing hard, Draco replied stiffly, "Yes, Father." He then turned on his heel and left, slamming the study door behind him.

He tried to take a few deep breaths to centre himself, to control himself better; he knew he could; knew he was better than this.

Not even bothering to grab a cloak, Draco grabbed a fistful of powder and stepped into the fireplace.

"Nott Residence!"

Draco stepped from the fireplace, shaking the ash from his robes. Looking up, he stopped short just outside the fireplace as Mr. Nott looked up.

"Draco. What brings you here?"

"I'm here to visit Theodore. Is he here?"

"He should be in his room. Is all well?"

"Fine. Thank you, Mr. Nott," he paused for a moment. "It's good to see you, Sir."

"You as well, Draco."

Draco then began to walk towards the stairway leading to bedrooms as Mr. Nott walked out the other exit to the room. Navigating his way through the now–familiar halls, he stopped only outside of his friend's door, knocking sharply.

"Come in."

Theodore looked up, surprised. Looking at the expression on his friend's face, he knew immediately something was wrong.

"What's happened?"

"She won't be coming back with us."

"What? You're joking."

"My father as good as admitted to the…incident. He's refusing to allow her return to Hogwarts. And before you ask, he's refusing to let her answer a summons upon my immediate return to the school."

"So what now?" Theo asked, looking up at the drawn countenance, making his friend look more even gaunt.

"Telling her the truth. The plan to wait is out the window now. She needs to know. I refuse to go back to school with her thinking I – that I – "

"It wasn't you, Draco. You wouldn't treat her with such disrespect, even for your father. I knew something was wrong, but without proof…" he trailed off, but Draco heard what he wasn't saying all the same.

"How do you want to tell her?"

"I want you there."

"When?" Nott immediately asked.

"Tomorrow."

Theodore stepped out of the floo into the parlour of Malfoy Manor the following afternoon. A house elf appeared and bowed to him.

"Zurp is to be taking Master Nott to the attics."

He allowed it, not surprised when they arrived, to find Draco already waiting for him. His friend didn't speak, though, until Zurp had popped away.

"She's in her room. I'll wait outside. You can say whatever you want, I don't care. I'll come in when you want me to or when I feel it's appropriate."

"I'll see you in a bit."

Nott nodded to him and went to the door Draco had gestured to.

"Ariella?" he asked, knocking. Draco hid as she opened the door.

"Theo? Wh – what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Theo stepped into the very small space and stopped short. Draco wasn't kidding when he said how small her space was. He could scarcely believe she had been living in this small of a space. There was hardly any room at all for him to walk with the bed in there.

"We need to talk about last week."

"I know." She swallowed hard, but nodded, sitting back on the old cot. "I figured this was coming. I – I understand."

Now Theodore was confused. "I'm afraid I don't. What did you figure was coming?"

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

Now Theo all but openly gaped at her. "Of course I'm not. Why would you think that?"

She flushed and looked at her lap, where her hands fidgeted with the material of the cloak she had been mending.

He took a seat next to her, masking a grimace against the coarseness of the cot. "I don't blame you for last week. And I'm not leaving just because it happened. Because things got rough."

"Then what?"

"It wasn't Draco."

"What? But I – I saw – "

" – what they wanted you to see. Draco was gone all that day. Mr. Malfoy knew that and took advantage of the fact to confirm his suspicions about Draco's treatment of you. Of your responses to him."

A shudder ran through Ariella's whole body; she couldn't contain it.

"No wonder things felt so…wrong." Her brow furrowed. "But if it wasn't actually Draco during…what about since then?"

"It's been him; acting the same part."

"I don't understand. Why wait until now though to tell me?"

"Because as of yesterday evening, you won't be coming back with us."

She jumped as the door opened and her younger master slid inside. She resisted the urge to slip down to her knees, but she did bow her head to him. "Sir."

"I'm sorry, Ariella."

"It's fine, Sir."

"No; it's not. I'm sorry that my – that my father r – raped you," he said, only stumbling over his words a bit; even if it was hard to admit. She was shaking her head. "I'm sorry I've treated you more harshly this past week. I – I needed you to act in response until I knew the truth or until we got back."

"And now, Sir?"

"My father has insisted you remain behind this time. That I'm not to summon you once I reach school."

Ariella could feel her chest tightening, her breaths shortening.

"Ariella?"

She just shook her head, beginning to gasp for air. The small room was closing in.

"Ariella, breathe with me. Can you do that? Focus in on my voice," Theo started, exchanging a sharp look with his classmate.

"I – I can't. I'm sorry, Sirs. Please. I – "

" – we won't let him do that again."

"You can't stop him."

"Do you believe me?" Draco asked quietly.

"Y – yes, Sir. But you can't stop him. E – especially after…"

"I want to know about it. Anything he or anyone else tries. I want to know as soon as you can. Summon me, ask for me to request you…" Draco grew silent at that, eyes widening.

"The Monday morning after I return to school, I want you to request to come to my side. Do not tell anyone of this. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir. Only – " but she cut off, hanging her head lower.

"Only…?" he prompted, not shocked at this behaviour, especially considering the past week.

"He'll never allow it, Sir."

"It doesn't mean we can't try."

"Yes, Sir."

"What do you need right now?"

She continued to shake her head. "I – I don't know, Sir. I – I don't know."

"Do you need punishment?"

"Draco!" Nott's voice was harsh, and Ariella curled into herself even more because of it, as Theo's dark gaze snapped to him, but he needed to know.

"I don't know, Sir," she repeated.

Draco's mind worked frantically.

"I'm going to leave you alone for a bit. When you feel ready to do so, ask a house elf to help you both downstairs."

"Yes, Sir."

Draco walked out, leaving his servant in the hands of his friend.

He knew what needed to be done. He knew there was only so much he could do to work around his father's orders, especially if he didn't want to further her pain. He also knew that she was better off if he administered one last punishment, if they…if they had sex one last time before he left. It would hopefully give her the maximum about of time before the bond craved it again, unless something changed. Draco shuddered to even think about what his father and aunt would do to her when left alone, but, thinking it over more, he knew leaving her here may very well be her better option right now. His father wouldn't take it out on him, but rather on her.

Pushing into his lavatory, he ran a hand down his face. Bloody hell, but this was a mess.