Throbbing pain. Throbbing, intense, sharp pain is hammering into her skull. She slowly opens her eyes and squints against the fire light.
"I'm glad you decided to wake up."
Tom… she goes to sit up but the pain shoots through her again and she falls back against the cold floor. "What happened?" she says, her throat is scratchy and it hurts.
His voice is cold and frightening. "You, little girl, have officially pissed me off."
She finally focuses her tired eyes on him. He's silhouetted by the fire and his eyes gleam brightly against the darkness. His wand is held tightly in his right hand. "Y-You cursed me?"
"Yes." He says, lacking any emotion or remorse. "but you passed out before I could really cause you pain." She shivers at his words. "Are you going to tell me who you let sully you?"
She looks down at her hands unable to meet his eyes. She won't tell on that man, it was all her fault and he doesn't deserve Tom's wrath. "It didn't mean anything and it will never happen again." She says instead.
"No, it won't happen again. I can assure you of that. Even if I have to chain you to my bed for the rest of our lives, I will never let you betray me again." His voice drops to a dangerous level as he finishes. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Her nervous eyes flick up to him. "Do you!" he yells. It echo's through the room and she flinches. "Well, let me tell you. You have allowed one of my followers to touch you, to go behind my back and try to possess something that belongs to me. That means whoever did this, whoever you whored yourself out to, does not have proper respect for me. This means they can not be trusted, which means I must watch my back more then ever! I am raising an empire and I can not have that kind of disrespect from anyone. Not from my inner circle and especially not from you. Now tell me, who the fuck it was!"
She starts to cry. "Please… I can't… He didn't… I'm sorry." It's painful to talk and every movement makes her wince. What spell did he use?
"Stop rambling, you pathetic girl." He walks closer to her and pulls her hair back so she's forced to look at him. "If you won't tell me, then I'll find out for my self. Do not try to resist or your punishment will be far worse then it already is."
Isabel is helpless as he sorts through her thoughts. Her body starts to tremble as he focuses intensely on the memory he was looking for. "It hurts." She says shakily as he continues to ravage her mind.
"You deserve it." He hisses as he pulls out. He looks angrier now then he did before. "So, Rabastan Lestrange was your man of choice?" He takes a few steps away and clicks his tongue. "I thought you had better taste then that."
"I was upset. I only did it because I was angry." She says desperately as she looks back down. She clenches her eyes shut. "I pretended he was you."
He laughs nastily. "How charming…"
"I was just angry…" she repeats again.
"You were angry?" he smirks at her and she is more scared then she ever was before. "We handle our anger in very different ways then, don't we kitten?" He fiddles with his wand and she watches him with wide eyes. "You, apparently spread your legs for the nearest willing cock, while I use an entirely different method of dealing with my anger… would you like to see?" he asks conversationally, tilting his head to the left and gripping his wand.
She shakes her head violently. "No, no I don't."
A fake pout graces his face. "That is a shame, isn't it? Well, I think I'm going to show you anyways."
"Please don't, please forgive me."
"You, of all people, should know I do not forgive easily." He says to her while taking slow strides until he's an inch away.
She nods her head solemnly. "I understand." She says quietly; ready to face her fate, knowing there's no way around it.
"Do you?" She looks him in the eyes that are brimming with anger, hatred, and… hurt?
"Yes, I do."
"That's a step in the right direction." He says he points his wand at her. "This will be over before you know it." He says as a jet of red light shoots from his wand.
She falls onto her back and shuts her eyes as the curse takes a hold of her. She tries not to yell too loud as the sensation of a million razor blades tearing her skin over takes her body. She starts shaking and curls into a ball when pain slams into her brain repeatedly, making her feel like she's been slammed into a brick wall over and over again. A burning sensation rips through her lungs and mouth and she bites down so hard that she's drawn blood. When another wave of pain hits her she really wishes she could die. When he finally lifts the curse, she's on her back panting heavily, with sweat dripping down her face.
"If he would have fucked you, it would have been far worse." He says darkly. He waits a moment for her to regain her composer and when she does he kneels down beside her, studying her face. She feels his fingers trace her jaw. "Now tell me, who is your master?"
"You are." She croaks out, slightly trembling from the pain.
"Who does your body belong do?"
"You."
"Who owns you?"
"You own me."
His fingers fist in her hair and he yanks it hard. She barely has the strength to whimper "If you ever forget that again I will burn you alive, do you understand?"
"I understand."
He grabs her wrists painfully and yanks her off the floor. Her legs are shaky and she has to lean into him for support. "We have a certain friend of yours we have to visit." He says as he apparates them away.
X
"Lestrange." Rabastan opens his eyes fearfully as the Dark Lord storms into his bed room. He jumps up and feels his heart plummet when he sees a crying and beaten Isabel being dragged behind him. "You and I are going to have a little chat."
"W-What?" Tom's eyes become a violent shade of red. "My Lord." He says coming to his senses and bowing down to his knees. Isabel can't stand to face him.
"Tell me," Tom says as he turns his eyes back to the girl behind him. "What is it you see in this man?" he asks curiously.
"Please don't." she says quietly, while looking at the ground.
"Don't want to answer?" he says his eyes cast back down at Rabastan. "It seems being around you makes her shy." His eyes rake down her body over his shoulder. "Like a shy, blushing virgin, but she is no virgin, are you?" He says with a leer and she can't stand to look anywhere but her shoes. He turns back to the other man. "Stand up." He does so at once and bows his head respectively. "Kiss her." he says.
Both eyes in the room shoot up to him in disbelief. "My Lord… I don't understand…"
"You were so eager to do it before," he sneers. "I'd rather you do it in front of me then behind my back."
"My Lord, don't do this." Isabel pleads, addressing him properly and putting her hand on his arm.
He yanks it away violently. "Don't you dare touch me, you slut." Her face reddens a deeper shade of scarlet and she steps away as if she'd been slapped. "If you're going to act like a slut then you'll be treated like one." Tom points his wand at Rabastan's chest with a smirk on his face. "If you insist I use force then so be it. Imperio."
Suddenly the other mans eyes glaze over and his body becomes ridged. "Lestrange?" questions Tom. Rabastan looks at him blankly. "I order you to kiss Isabel."
Isabel starts backing away as the larger man approaches her. Once pinned against the wall he pushes his mouth down on hers painfully. She tries to pull away. "Stop it!" she yells as he covers her mouth once again.
"But didn't you want to kiss him?" says Tom lightly as he walks up to them. "I thought this was what you wanted…" He stands by Lestrange's side, watching Isabel's reaction closely. "Do you want to touch her, Rabastan? You can. Touch her wherever you want. She does have a delicious body."
She kicks at his strong body, trying to get him away and screams when he bites her lip. His hands come up and start painfully playing with her breasts and tears start to fall down her face. "Stop it, please I don't want this. Make him stop." She says breathlessly as she fights to get away from him. He trails harsh kisses down her neck.
"She likes it rough, Lestrange." He hisses in the other mans ear. "Make it hurt."
He grinds into her and pulls her skirt up, again she screams. "No! Get off of me, stop this!"
He rips her knickers away from her body and fear starts to over take her. Would he really let him rape her? She looks at Tom who is watching the sight with a blank face. His eyes narrowed and his arms crossed.
"Isn't this what you wanted, My Love?" he asks snidely as Rabastan's fingers work their way closer to her center as his leg is painfully pushing hers apart.
"No, it's not." She sobs while trying to push at his shoulders.
"But, I thought you wanted him." he says innocently
"I only want you. No one else… please make him stop. I don't want him to touch me. No one can touch me but you. I love you." She says desperately, clawing at the hand that's trying to work its way between her legs. "Don't let him have me, I promise I'll never misbehave again." Rabastan jerks the hand that's trying to pull his away and pins it above her head. "I only love you, don't let him do this!"
With a pleased smirk he lifts his wand and Rabastan is free from the curse. He survey's the girl in front of her with wide eyes. Quickly he removes his hands from her body and steps away, giving her an apologetic look. It's nothing compared to the one she's sending him as she adjusts her clothes.
"You just assaulted my wife." Tom says, with an amused light in his eyes. "Why ever would you do a thing like that?"
They both watch him fearfully at his change of tactics. "Forgive me, My Lord." Lestrange says quietly, his eyes burning with injustice of being accused of something while under the Imperius curse… cast by the same man.
"Isabel can tell you that I don't forgive that easily," he turns to Isabel who has slumped against the wall. "Do I, kitten?" She shakes her head no with her bottom lip trembling. He starts circling the other man, with a predatory walk. "What, oh what, should be done with you… You shouldn't be allowed to enjoy other women, considering the way you treated my dear wife." He says and shoots a hex at him.
Blood starts to soak the front Lestrange's pants and he falls to the ground, gripping himself and yelling in pain. Isabel pales when she realizes he's just been castrated.
Tom pauses for a moment in front of him and brings with fingers up to his chin in mock thought. A sinister smile comes to his face and he turns back around. "Come here." He demands harshly. Isabel takes slow, fearful steps towards him. He grabs her and makes her face the other man. "You are going to kill him." he says silkily in her ear.
Her mouth suddenly has gone dry. She watches wide eyed, as he puts his dark wand into her palm. "I can't kill him." she says honestly.
"Yes, you can. Either you kill him or I kill him…. yours will be the more merciful of the two."
She shakes her head. "I can't" she says in a voice barely above a whisper.
"We've been over this before." He growls against her neck and she flinches. "Now, kill him or I'm going to make you watch as I slowly tear him apart in the most painful way imaginable."
"Just kill me." Lestrange says desperately from the spot in front of her. He groans as more blood coats his hands.
"See, he wants to die." He says in her ear, almost seductively. "He knows the consequences, he knows what should rightly happen to him by my wand, but I'm giving you a chance to take pity on him. I'm giving you a chance to save your friend and her blood-traitor mother as well." Molly and Ginny, she looks at him with her brow furrowed and he smiles. "That's right… I'll kill them too if you don't do as I say."
Her hand shakes as she lifts it to his chest. "I'm sorry," she tells him softly. He closes his eyes. "A-Ada… A-Adava K…"
"Just fucking do it already, before I change my mind." Hisses Tom impatiently.
Isabel eyes the broken, pale, and trembling man on the ground. Her heart pours out with sympathy and regret. She straightens her spine and takes in a shaky breath. "Adava Kedavra." She says solidly as a shot of green light bursts from her wand and hits the man in the chest. Isabel falls to her knees, trying not to vomit while staring at the dead eyes of the man she just killed. "What have you done to me?"
She feels him touch her cheek. "We'll never talk of this from now on," he grabs her chin forcefully, so she has to look at him. "but if I ever find out you've done anything this foolish again, I will not be so kind next time."
With that he takes her in his arms and apparates them back to the castle.
X
"Take a shower and rid yourself of him." he orders as he throws her in the bed room. She nods her head with out argument and runs into the bathroom.
He runs a frustrated hand through his dark hair and stomps from the room, locking the door on the way out. This was not how he pictured his first day home to be like. She was supposed to be happy to see him; she was supposed to be waiting for him. She was not supposed to be angry and jumping all over someone else and where did that whole 'other women' thing come from anyway?
He growls and kicks a near bye table as he storms down the hall way. She was angry with him, that's why she said she did that. He sneers, that's no excuse for hurting him the way she did and it did hurt badly. He hates that it hurt him to know she did that with someone else. No one messes with him like that, no one, not even her. Octavian is walking up behind him; he can always tell it's him because he smells like cigar smoke.
"What do you want?" he snaps, without even stopping to greet the other man.
"My Lord, forgive me, but I have some papers that I need you to go over. They're about your plan for dissolving the ministry."
"Give them to me later." He snaps. "I want to call a meeting of my inner circle…" when Octavian doesn't move as quick as he thinks he should he takes out his wand and yells. "Now!"
The older man scurries off as the Dark Lord apparates to their meeting place. Moments later, ten of Lord Voldemort's elite general's enter the room. They all fall to their knees and he waves them up.
"I've ordered you here because I need someone else to take over the raiding squads until I can find a replacement."
"My Lord, Is my brother not running that any more?"
"Obviously not, Lestrange." The Death Eaters shift their eyes from side to side uneasily. The Dark Lord watches them closely. "If you are wondering why he is no longer able to fill that post it would be because he's dead." There's a collective gasp and confused looks. Rabastan Lestrange was one of the most loyal followers. "He committed treason against me and if anyone wishes to stand up for him, or speak well of him in my presence, you will suffer the same fate, and believe me it wasn't pleasant."
Rodopholus Lestrange begins to shake, fearing he will fall out of favor. He kneels down before his Master. "If I may, My Lord," He gets a nod and continues. "What did my traitor brother do to dishonor you?"
Flashes of their betrayal flicker through his mind and his face contorts in anger once more. "I do not tolerate people touching my things." he says dangerously and then shifts his eyes back to the group around him. "Lucius, you will take up his post until I reinstate someone more worthy.
He leaves with a swirl of his dark robes. She's still taking a shower when he returns and he approaches the shower stall slowly. He can see her shadow through the fogged glass and when he opens the door she turns away from him. He has the instant need to touch her.
"Are you still mad at me?" She asks in a broken female voice that does something strange to him.
He begins removing his clothes and ignores her question as he steps in behind her. She still refuses to face him. Water drenches his hair and body, matching hers. "This is behind us now." He tells her as he pulls her body against his. "We won't speak of it again but I will warn you not to act like a stupid little girl next time you're angry with me."
"I am a little girl." She mumbles.
"What did you say?"
"I'm only seventeen… sometimes I think you forget that." She says quietly but he doesn't respond because he knows she's right. "Why…" she rubs her forehead, "Why did you do this to me? I need an answer. Why couldn't you just get along with one of your followers; Someone who actually liked this type of life… someone heartless… some one more like you?"
"I don't want someone like me." He says against her hair. He turns her around and looks into her eyes. She looks so vulnerable and his temper cools, either from the water or the sad look on her face, he doesn't know which. "Why want someone like me when I can have someone like you." He says. He kisses her to reclaim what she gave to another, and is surprisingly relieved when she doesn't try to stop him, not that he'd allow that, of course.
"Do you love me?" she asks in whisper when he pulls back.
She keeps her eyes closed but his snap open. "I love no one." He says and for some reason that makes her cry. So he hugs her to his body as she sobs into his chest.
X
"Do you play the piano?"
"You don't have to stay in here. You can go somewhere else if you want to." She tells Ginny as she takes a seat in front of the large, black piano, placing her fingers lightly over the keys.
"It wasn't fair what I said to you." Says Ginny as she takes a seat on the bench beside her. "It was hateful and I'm sorry."
Isabel begins moving her fingers over the keys, not pressing them down to make noise. "I hate apologizing. If I had a choice I would never do it again." She says because she usually has to do it three times a day to Tom, for no good reason. She looks down at her hands. "I'm not very good, really. I just know how to read music." She says as she begins playing a simple song. "I had lessons when I was younger, but I never really got into it." She hits a wrong key and scrunches up her nose. "See, I'm no master."
Ginny doesn't respond but listens quietly as Isabel works her way through an old song. Hitting wrong notes and keys all the way through. With a frustrated sigh she stops. "I wish I had some sheet music… I wouldn't be half as terrible with that."
"It's better then the silence." Ginny says while looking at her lap.
They sit there quietly for a few moments until Isabel lifts her hands to the piano and starts playing again. The song is sad and low. "My mother taught me this one." She says in a faraway voice. A ghost of a smile graces her face. "She was brilliant with music… she could pick up anything and play. I think it always bugged her that I wasn't very good."
"You must miss her."
"I miss all of them." She closes her eyes and continues to play. "I killed someone." She says in a voice barely above a whisper.
"What?"
"I killed a man."
Ginny's eyes widen. "What do you mean you killed a man? Who did you kill and why did you kill him?"
Her fingers become more forceful and the song starts to sound choppy. "He made me kill him because I let him kiss me."
"You-know-who made you?" she says as she eyes follow the progression of the other girl's hands as they abuse the piano.
"Yes, he did, and then when I asked him why he wanted me, when he could have someone more like him, he said 'why want someone like me when I can have someone like you.'" She stops and turns to Ginny. "Doesn't he realize he's slowly turning me into someone like him everday?"
Ginny gives her an uncomfortable smile. A house elf pops into the room and she jumps but Isabel glares down at the floor.
"Master says you must come eat lunch with him." says the tiny elf with bulging yellow eyes.
With out a word Isabel stands and walks to the dinning hall. She sits by his side, placing the napkin on her lap. She barely looks at him as she eats and all that can be heard is the noise of silver wear on the ceramic plates. She breaks the silence.
"I miss my family." She says solidly, looking out the window.
"They're dead." He reply's not even bothering to sound sympathetic.
"I'd like to visit their graves." She says. "I never got to properly say goodbye."
He smirks. "Why do you think I should let you do that?"
"Because you owe me."
He watches her closely now. "How so?"
Besides the obvious? She takes a careful sip of her water and puts down her silver wear. "Because I think the woman carrying your child should get something she wants."
He studies her for a few minutes and then a slow smile spreads over his face.