Utopia
The burning desire
to live and roam free,
It shines in the dark
And it grows within me
Jenny
4/4/11
4:36 p.m.
The days leading up to the full moon had been the hardest on my body than ever before. Voldemort had given the Death Eaters the privilege to beat me or curse me whenever they felt the need, so I was never fully resting. I knew today was my last day because I was messed with non stop, especially by Kingsley. He wasn't the first Death Eater to touch me inappropriately, but he was the last and most aggressive with his groping. He would chuckle under his breath the whole time, saying things like, "So much muscle, so little brains," or, "Not so tough now, are you, you filthy Muggle bitch?"
Finally, another Death Eater called him away, and after a moment, someone else came in to the room I had been moved to 4 days ago, so that Death Eaters could get to me easier. The room was literally made floor to ceiling of cement, with no windows and only one door. The room was freezing. "Jenny?" Mr. Malfoy's voice made my eyes open for the first time that day. He shut the door and came quickly over, crouching next to me. He reminded me so much of Draco it hurt more than the beatings and torture.
"M-Mr. Malfoy, I loved y-your son v-very much." My teeth chattered; the room was like a meat locker. I knew I had pretty much gone mad, if that's all I could say. His face twisted but he helped me stand and then sag against the wall when I couldn't stand properly. My legs were trembling from lack of use and food. The movement, even with help, made my head ring and the room waver.
"Listen to me. I've been ordered to take you to the woods and kill you. I need you to come with me and go along with whatever I do, no matter who joins us, you understand?" He said this all urgently and firmly, and I nodded, past caring anymore. If he was actually going to kill me, good for him. He gently turned me around and tied my hands, then took my arm firmly and roughly pushed me from the room and through the house, laughing with Death Eaters as we passed, sometimes kicking the backs of my legs to make me walk faster. Narcissa joined us, laughing and smirking, taking her husbands arm. They strolled down the path of their house behind me as I walked, staring around me, wondering if this was the last time I was going to see the world. It had never looked so beautiful. Once we were outside its gates, He took my arm and we Apparated to a woods, where he untied me instantly. "Jenny, we need your help. We need to know where a safe location is for us to hide us and you."
My mind tiredly flicked through possibilities and came up with nothing…until I remembered where Bill and Fleur lived…could they possibly be there?
"Sh-Shell Cottage." I gasped, starting to slump as huge black spots swarmed across my vision and my weak muscles failed. I felt Mr. Malfoy catch me and hold me up. I weakly tightened my grip on his arm, trying to clear my head and not pass out at the same time. I didn't understand why the Malfoy's wanted to hide, and why they weren't killing me. Did they actually care?
"Shell Cottage? Is that what she said?" I heard Mr. Malfoy ask. "The one by the ocean? None of the Auror's mentioned it in interrogations, and Shacklebolt doesn't know, it's a possibility…"
"We don't have time. We need to Apparate to a new spot, we will be missed already." Mrs. Malfoy sounded beside herself, and I felt us Apparate again. "Hurry, Lucius, we're losing her and time." We Apparated a third time, and I smelled sea. Mr. Malfoy picked me up in his arms like I weighed nothing, and considering I had eaten almost nothing for a month, I probably didn't weigh much.
"There is a w-white f-f-fence and gate in f-f-front of you. Then there is a c-cottage." I whispered painfully, but he somehow heard it, and then I heard the squeak of the gate, a moment of just footsteps, then voices.
"What are you doing here?" My heart soared at the sound of Lupin's voice echoing in my brain. It sounded fiercely depressed and angry. Scuffles sounded from inside the house, it sounded like someone was being held back. I didn't have the courage to lift my limp head to look, nor to even open my eyes. My head was pounding, and darkness was gathering at the edges that was probably blissfully comfortable…
"We have been trying to escape the Dark Arts for years. When we learned that Jenny knew and loved or son, we fought and finally won the right to kill her. Instead of doing so, we came here as soon as she could tell us where to go." Mr. Malfoy was saying, but his wife cut in.
"You don't have time for this, please, just let us in. Here," She reached into her husbands pocket and threw his wand aside, and then I heard hers follow. After a moment, I heard the door fly open, and then footsteps flying over.
"Jenny! God, Jenny-" Draco sounded destroyed, and I felt a tender hand stroke my beat-up face, his fingers trembling over cuts, swelling and bruising- then we were moving quickly, voices were talking, and then there was softness. I was in a bed, a real, soft bed. I could barely register that I was away from that Manor, that I had survived. A hand took mine and was holding it like it was their soul, their hands trembling around mine.
"Here, a Wolfsbane and Blood-Replenishing, and here is a Healing Potion. I'll close the curtains. We can't let any bit of moonlight get in here, and she can't transform, it will kill her." Tonks sounded coldly determined. A hand gently picked up my head and neck, then the disgusting flavor of the Wolfsbane potion was passing through my lips, then two others with no flavor.
…
I knew I slept for the longest time. I would wake up on and off, but my body always felt ripped and broken. As my strength steadily increased, so did my memory, until I had enough determination and stamina to pull myself from the sleep, from the nightmares.
I recognized the room I had stayed in at Shell Cottage instantly and with a happiness that made some of the coldness melt in my heart. On a quick glance around, I noticed Draco standing by one of the windows, looking out. Just seeing the back of him melted more of the coldness, and let hope and happiness back inside. Tears started to trace down my face, which didn't feel swollen or sore anymore. "Draco," I whispered, and he whirled from the window at the sound of my voice. He froze there, seeing that I was awake. I went to sit up and gasped, it hurt terribly. I didn't see him move, but he was suddenly supporting me, lifting me up to sit comfortably, then hugged me fiercely. I shuddered and gasped around him, his touch and presence intoxicating. He pulled back to stroke and hold my face with both hands.
"I thought I'd lost you forever." He choked, his silver eyes swirling with absolute misery. I leaned forward and kissed him feebly, slowly working my arms out from under the covers, trying to ignore the pain the movement created, and then just held him as close to me as I could allow. My arms trembled as I weakly tightened my grip on his shoulders. His non-violent contact was the first in a month. His presence alerted me once more to the fact that I wasn't going to die.
"I had to tell myself that I had. I had to, I'm sorry," I whispered tearfully, his icy/minty scent stirring up a change in memories that I relished. I had locked down what I had left behind as soon as I set foot inside his house, to protect him as much as I could, to keep me from begging and crying. It had saved my life, but had turned me crazy. It felt wrong to feel safe, yet I felt guilty for what I had done.
"Harry saw you through his mind's connection to him, and gave us the memory. I looked at it, the night Bellatrix broke your face." His jaw clenched beside my ear as he held me protectively when I gasped softly. "I was going insane." The memory of Bellatrix opened up new ones I had hoped to forget.
"I was drugged, I was forced to tell them things, and I can't remember what I told them, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I ranted, trembling harder when I remembered all the hours I would spend trying not to picture the consequences of what I had been forced to say. Draco held me tighter as I trembled in his grasp, remembering the force feedings of Veritasereum.
"You're safe now, I won't let that ever happen again. Ever." He swore, pulling back and holding my hands, his smile making tears start again. "You need food, and Lupin and Tonks-" He went to get up, but my frail hands found the strength to hold on to him.
"Please-don't go, don't leave. Just hold onto me." I whispered, and he obliged, giving me the embrace I had dreamed about for the past month.