A/N Wow I seriously need to stop being a loser and update more often, hey maybe I'll give up homework for lent and then I'll have more time to do this. Lol Thank you guys for being so patient with this story. Ya know what? If I don't update in at least a week, somebody e-mail me and remind me, okay? Then I'll feel bad and update, lol. (BLueRoSeS781mugglepride. If I get enough reviews I may feel loved and update before the week is out (gasp!) lol
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine, yes yes it's all very sad but the truth must be told.
"Ugh…"
MK groaned as she tried desperately to rouse herself from the deep sleep she had fallen into. Despite her immense effort, her eyelids remained sealed shut, her body still numb with sleep. She had the strangest feeling that she was not lying down, but lying against something.
"MK…" came a hushed yet urgent voice, "MK!"
MK lifted one of her eyelids up just enough so she could see who was speaking to her. Slowly, Draco Malfoy's anxious face came into her view.
"Draco…" she murmured, "What…where—?"
"Shhh!" he hissed at her, covering her mouth with his hand. His skin was warm and felt nice against her lips. A faint "pop" was heard just outside the Cringe room.
Draco glanced, almost trading his Malfoy "coolness" for panic, at the door to room. He turned his cold pale eyes once more on MK.
"Don't be afraid." He told her in barely more than a whisper, before removing his hand from her face and sinking down in a chair directly across from her, apparently lost in thought.
Afraid? MK thought distantly, Why would I be?
Suddenly, her eyes burst wide open. She had just realized that Draco had been standing in front of her while he was talking, not leaning over her on the ground. She tried frantically to move her arms and legs, but found she couldn't get them to budge. She glanced down at her feet and let out a shrill cry of bewilderment.
Her ankles were bound to a thick wooden pole with long cords of thick-bristled rope. Beneath her feet there were many logs and twigs and a bunch of dry straw. She looked above her head where her wrists were tied to the pole as well. The pole seemed to surpass the ceiling in height; in fact there was no ceiling, just a thick pole reaching out into the clear blue sky towards the heavens. But MK was not wondering about that at the moment.
MK jerked her eyes forward, forcing them to remain focused on the stone wall in front of her and nothing else.
"You shouldn't have looked," said Draco softly, watching her.
"Well it's too late for that now isn't it?" snapped MK, biting her lip to prevent herself from crying out again.
But her previous shriek had already attracted attention.
The heavy door to the Cringe Room slid open and the slithery sound of cloak against stone floor was heard as the door thudded closed again and their guest walked towards the chair in which Draco was sitting in.
Draco's pale eyes widened as they swept over his soon-to-be master. He jumped eagerly out of his chair and offered it to him at once, a very un-Malfoyish thing to do, but he was just too much in awe to realize it. This was the day he'd always been waiting for. His father had raised him to one day be in this very position.
Lord Voldemort let a cruel smile play upon his thin lips. He gave Draco an amused glance before accepting his seat.
His cold red eyes focused themselves upon MK, and his smile widened. The ice in his eyes danced with delight.
"Fresh muggle blood…" he murmured, "How very wonderful."
"You're a monster!" MK hissed, her eyes still glued to the dungeon wall, refusing to look at the man, who was obviously a sick, sick person. Who in the name of heaven has red eyes?
Draco's eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets as she said this, and his heart sank with sympathy for the girl, that is, until Voldemort's deadly chuckle brought him back to reality.
"A monster?" he repeated, amused, "Oh no, child, I'm no monster. Monsters are vicious, they attack quite unstrategically…like animals. No plan, no brilliance they just attack and kill. It's all physical assault. Now you see my dear, I like to get at my prey mentally first. I torture their minds, hearts and souls before killing their body. I am pure fear. I am what haunts you. I am not the monster, I am the nightmare."
Then he laughed. A cold, high laugh that chilled every bone in MK's body. She could hear him bellow a strange word, and just caught sight of the look of horror that crossed over Draco's face before her body felt like it was being pierced over and over again by a thousand white-hot knives. She screamed and shook violently, as if having a seizure.
Finally the pain lifted, and had MK not been tied to a post she would've surely toppled over. She summoned the energy to lift her head and glared at the man.
"I thought you didn't begin with the physical pain!" she used all her remaining strength to snap at him.
Some of the laughter died on Voldemort's face…only some. He rose from his chair and took a step towards MK, but Draco dove in front of him. His eyes flashed and in a second his wand was aimed at Draco.
"Wait!" he gasped quickly before Voldemort could silence him permanently, "Could I give it a go? It seems like an awfully fun thing, torturing the stupid muggle…Insolent girl!" he spat at MK as Voldemort lowered his wand, "How dare you speak to the Dark Lord in such a way! You know not his pain, but his mercy!"
Voldemort smirked, and said softly, "Excellent Draco, Excellent. I'm impressed. Perhaps you'd like to attend to her on your own then," he gestured toward the matches and lighting fluids piled in the corner, "But hurry now Draco or I shall be forced to resort to…ah…rash actions."
He drew up his cloak around him, preparing to apparate.
"And Draco," he added vindictively, "I'll be watching…" his snake-like eyes darted to the open ceiling, "Light enough of a fire so I can see more than just the smoke. I wish to see the fire, feel the flame."
And with that and a faint "pop," Lord Voldemort vanished.
Draco turned his eyes to MK, who was still glaring defiantly at the wall, obviously trying not to panic. He reached his cold white hand out to touch her cheek and offer comfort, but she turned so sharply away from him, that he felt as if he'd been whipped.
"Well, go on then!" she snapped, struggling to keep her cool, "If you're going to burn me alive you wicked sorcerer then go ahead, just do it. I want none of the 'I'm sorry it's not my decision' crap cuz you know what?" her voice cracked and she raised it a few octaves, "It is your decision! Who gets the final call on whether or not that match gets lit? You! So just hurry up and fucking obey your 'master,'" she spat out the word lathered in sarcasm, "You obviously either have no mind of your own, or are just too scared to think for yourself! You're pathetic!" and with that last remark MK burst into hot tears of rage, and Draco drew back in absolute shock, and even embarrassment. When she put it like that, it did seem rather spineless of Draco to be taking orders from his "lord."
Draco straightened up, regaining his dignity as he shook the muggle girl's words from his head. What did she know, anyway? What I am doing, thought Draco, Is an honor and a privilege. I am working for the greatest wizard of all time. I am being inducted into a dynasty of courage and loyalty and great dignity! No cowards could survive among us that consume the living death. Foolish girl, now she will pay for speaking to my master…to a Malfoy like that!
Draco flexed out his arms as he grabbed the gasoline his lord had left for the burning. MK's eyes widened in fear as he picked it up and walked towards her. In all honesty, she had thought he'd chicken out or feel bad or something. But she caught his eyes while he was slopping the highly flammable liquid all over her podium of wood and straw, and she saw no emotions in them at all.
The air felt cooler and lighter than it had before when she had fallen asleep. It even moved a little, stroking her cheek to comfort her troubled mind. Distinctly, she could hear birds chirping in the distance.
And then she awoke.
Danielle saw that she was lying in a bed of straw. The straw looked underfed; it was pale and almost whitish blonde in color, an odd shade for straw. It also looked as if it should be brittle and harsh to the touch, yet it was smooth and unusually soft and almost reflected some of the sunlight…
Sunlight? Thought Danielle, her pale eyes widening frantically as she lifted her head to see her surroundings, some of the unusual straw still clinging to her face. She made to brush it off but her hand froze midway to her head.
She was outside, at the top of a very tall stone tower, in the center of a gigantic hedge maze. The sky shone clear and crystal blue above her, not a cloud in sight. The birds stopped chirping and the wind died down. No one was outside. She was completely alone.
She could glimpse the Malfoy manor a good few yards away. This was obviously a new edition to their backyard. Her stomach lurched as she remembered the "challenge" between Mark and Blaze. Wearily she realized that this was it. She was the prize, positioned in such a place that no matter where in the maze you stood, you could always look up and see her. No ropes or chains bound her to the stone tower, but you'd have to be a fool to jump off of it; it would be suicide.
Danielle lowered her hand and it touched something velvety. She looked down at her body and saw that she was wearing a dress, a gown even, that she had never seen before. It was deep violet and cranberry crushed velvet, overlapping into a low V-neck in the front, and criss-crossing with golden strings intricately in the back. The material clung tight around her torso, but hung loosely and abundantly about her hips and legs. The sleeves belled out almost to the ground, and her feet were laced in delicate high-heeled sandals that matched the dress perfectly.
In any other situation she'd have thought the dress to be beautiful, but now it just made her sick.
Danielle took in a long, shuddering breath, desperate to calm herself. She slowly sunk to sit back down on her bed of straw, and frowned down at it. The straw no longer looked pale and shiny, but dull and golden yellow.
She reached to at last brush the pale blondish stuff from her face, but her fingers numbed the moment they touched it.
It was her hair.
A/N Dun dun dun! How the fuck and WHY is her hair blonde? Well if you guys harass me (via review) to update people then all will be told. And is Draco ACTUALLY going to kill MK? Will Blaze or Mark take home the girl? REVIEW and all will be revealed. We are approaching the last 3 or 4 (5 max) chapters of this story, folks. I know it's very sad-( But go review! Lol.
