\\Blinding Love// (Fred Weasley Love Story) 11
I woke up with my friends standing around me in a circle. "What? What happened?" I said exasperated and light headed as I sat up. I lay back down once I felt the awful pain in my head.
"You were having an anxiety attack or something and then you collapsed and banged your head." Montague explained.
I attempted to sit back up again but with Adrian and Cheryl's help as I touched the back of my head where a swollen bump had already grown. I groaned. "How am I going to explain this?"
"Well, we were thinking that we'd just say you and Adrian got really into it and he landed a good hit on you, causing you to fly back and bump your head." Montague held back a laugh. I glared at him but then I let it pass, shrugging. "That should work."
Late in the early morning, around almost midnight, Lucious Malfoy came downstairs and dismissed us. We each had our own room, seeing as how that's how huge Draco's house was. I was still worried sick to my stomach as the vision played through my mind again. It became to be known as my bloody nightmare, literally bloody. I missed Fred and my new friends. I just wish that I was never dragged into this hateful world.
I was thrown onto the floor of the arena. "Come on, get up. The enemy may be merciful but they won't stop firing." Alecto Carrow snickered as she cast the Cruciatus curse on me.
I writhed in pain, memories flashing back in my head as my father used to punish me with this same curse. I held in my breath as I wreathed on the floor like someone being electrocuted. Finally she stopped with an evil laugh as she raised her hands in triumph. I gasped as I stood up shakily. When she turned around I struck her with an immobilizing curse and she fell flat on her back. My friends clapped but no one spoke when the Dark Lord appeared before me.
"Well done, very impressive Elise. You have lots of spirit in you to find the strength to get up so fast from being tortured. I think you've surpassed everyone here. I will give you private lessons now." he smirked as he touched my shoulder. Alecto was released from the spell and she got up.
"A cheap shot I should say."
"A great Death Eater would keep an eye on their almost defeated enemy at all times." I taunted as I jumped off the arena to rest for awhile.
It's been a little over a month already. Training was tiring and not very fun most of the time. Those few moments when my friends were in a joking mood would we truly mess around in the arena. Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Theo had joined us not two weeks after the day we all left. It was maddening how I couldn't write to anyone outside of Draco's house. It would all just be a surprise to them when I was released from this hell hole. The next week, I was being trained by Voldemort. He beat me most of the times and I got bruises and cuts everywhere.
"Think Elise, you can see into others minds on what they plan to do. Use that power." he encouraged. I stopped for a moment though and panted, wondering.
"How did you know about that?" I said exasperated.
"Your mother had the same gift, and that is why I admired her at times." he simply said.
I spent so much of my time in a private den, Voldemort's hideout in the Malfoy home that I hardly ever got to see my friends. Only in the mornings and afternoons and hardly any time in the evening or at night. The night time was when I was down there until the middle of the night. One day though, training took a totally different direction. I was sitting in a chair, in the middle of the den. Voldemort was circling me like a vulture, getting ready to attack their dead prey, but that wasn't exactly what he was going to do. He was going to eat me alive.
"Elise, I truly believe and respect your plan but, there has been some suspicion flying around in the air." he said waving his hand around in a circular motion. I stared with a blank face as he stopped in front of me for a brief moment.
"Like what my Lord? I can assure you it's all bogus." I said with a slight amused face. I hadn't had any contact with anyone from the Order in over a month and a half. What on earth would make him suspect something? Unless, someone slipped something out.
"There are rumors Elise, that you are betraying us from the inside." he said with questionable features.
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Ok so, let me analyze this. Someone has told you that they believe I'm betraying you from the inside. Meaning that the plan I am using on Harry Potter's people is actually being used on you? Why on earth would I put myself in immortal danger like that for both sides? That's just plain preposterous." I laughed.
"Lucious seems to think you're too smart for your own good." Voldemort said with some amusement. I scoffed.
"Lucious is just jealous that I could conduct such a brilliant plan on my own and make it work. Or maybe he's just disgusted that I've been around blood traitors and mudbloods." I shrugged as I crossed my legs.
"Perhaps, but I would hope what Lucious is suspecting doesn't turn out to be true in the end."
I sat there quietly as he gazed at me intently until he looked away.
"You may be dismissed." I got up and bowed slightly and rushed upstairs to sleep. What I didn't know was what was going on back downstairs.
"I think you are right about the girl Lucious. I can tell between the difference of trying to hide a lie and sucking up. There is something up with that girl."
"You should just stuff her mouth with Veretaserum and then we'll see if she's telling the truth or not." Bellatrix huffed.
"No, time will reveal to me her thoughts." Lucious and Bellatrix exchanged glances.
"But my Lord, I thought her mind was impenetrable?"
"Lucious, Lucious...I have already started the slow process of unveiling the truth."
"How!?" Bellatrix screamed in wonder, her eyes shining and her thoughts filling with monstrous things.
"The ring I gave her, it will slowly suck out her power, thus making her mind weaker for me to penetrate it and reveal the truth." A sly smile creeping across the snakelike face.
"Couldn't she just take it off my Lord?" Lucious raised an eyebrow, thinking this plan was flawed.
"No, she can't. The ring was bound to her finger the moment she put it on." There was silence in the room. Nothing but silence and sick smiles on everyone's faces.
The next day, we were all going through hand to hand combat, in case our wands broke or were lost. Learning self defense and offense was a great workout. I would battle with the boys most of the time, seeing as how I always had anger built up inside of me from my parents, mostly my dad. I beat up Draco a lot just because he wasn't the best fighter with hand to hand. One lesson though, we all had to battle one of the Death Eaters, each one of us a different person. I had a bad choice though. Who did I get? The second worst person in my book...my Godmother.
We both stood on either ends on the arena. She with her maniacal smile and her bushy, unruly hair made her seem like a totally insane woman. I just stood in position with a focused face. Most people were watching. Suddenly she struck out and I countered it with one of my own spells. She countered it back and it hit the wall past me. I ran for her and she cast another spell at me but I knocked it out of the way as I kicked her in the stomach, making her fall down. I then raised my wand to immobilize her when she knocked my wand out of my hand.
"CRUCIO!!" she screamed wildly. Everyone had gathered around the arena as I writhed in pain, not letting any noise escape from my mouth. For five long minutes she kept at it. Finally she stopped when I stopped moving.
"Oh what's the matter? Can't find the strength to get up? Pity." she taunted as she clicked her tongue. She turned her back to me as she was getting ready to get off the stage when I noticed my wand right near me. I slowly reached for it with my shaky hand as I rolled over on my stomach and cast the spell.
"Imperio!" I screamed. She was frozen. I moved my wand so she would come back onto the arena as I slowly got up.
"Who's got the upper hand now?" I smirked as I flicked my wand toward the wall and she hit the back of it.
She whimpered as I then made her fall face first onto the floor. I then made her get back up as I made her run into the wall and making her fall back onto her backside. The wind was knocked out of her and I released the spell.
"Revenge is sweet." I taunted as I limped off the stage, my sides burning from the torture. Lucious ran up to the arena and helped his sister-in-law get up and took her upstairs. She just glared menacingly at me as she held her head back from the blood dripping from her broken nose.
"You could have gotten in trouble for that." Cheryl said somewhat disappointed.
"Hey, she made a wrong choice on torturing me so I took revenge. In the real war to come, you do whatever you can to take out your enemy." I gasped as I clutched my sides.
Early the next morning, I found out that I had a broken rib. I was writhing in so much pain and tightening my stomach so hard from not breathing that it cracked. I limped downstairs to eat some breakfast when Danni noticed the stricken pain in my face.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I have a broken rib." I winced as she came over to me and placed a hand on my sides.
"Two actually, hold on." she whipped out her wand and muttered a spell. I could feel the stitching inside my body as it repaired itself.
"I guess it was a good thing I took that class with Madame Pomphrey." she laughed.
"You'll still be in immense pain for awhile." I rolled my eyes. "Of course, what else will happen next?"
Narcissa then poked her head into the dining room. "Elise, come to the Foyer for a moment. The Dark Lord wants to speak with you." I nodded as I put the toast down that I was about to eat.
I made a weird face to all of my friends and whispered. "Lord Voldy-poo wants to see me." I scoffed as I walked out. I bowed slightly before him when I entered the Foyer. "You wanted to speak to me my Lord?"
"Yes, I think it's time for you to go back. You need to keep us updated, the slightest information may be important. Your luggage is already outside. I will call for you when you need to come back." I nodded as I started my way out.
"Oh and Elise. Remember our little talk. I hope that you aren't lying to me, for you would then be useless." My eyes widened for a moment and I saw his eyes flicker with light as I composed myself.
"Never my Lord. I live to serve you. I'll be sure to tell you if anything interesting comes up." I bowed and exited.
I went back to the dining room and sighed. "I'm leaving guys, like right now. I've been sent back." I was quickly bombarded with hugs but I screamed and punched someone in the face.
"OH GEEZ ELISE!" Adrian howled as he clutched his jaw.
"I'm in pain! What do you expect!?"
"Sorry." Cheryl said as she patted my shoulder. "Be safe."
And before I was kept there with all the goodbyes and before everyone else came in to say goodbye, I left the house and apparated with my stuff back to Grimmauld Place.
I had entered the bewitched house and quietly closed the door behind me. Of course, I heard noises coming from the kitchen so I put down my luggage and walked there. I stood in the door way as I watched Dotty help Mrs. Weasley make pancakes and other such things. Everyone was there at the table, seeing as how it was breakfast time. It wasn't until Dotty took a double glance at me and squealed; half with excitement, the other with fright.
"Mistress has returned!" she said clapping her hands with a big goofy smile, her glassy bulb eyes shining at me as she bowed before me. Everyone stopped what they were doing and averted their eyes towards me as I fully entered the kitchen.
"Welcome back Elise!" I was greeted by Hermione.
"Bloody hell Ellie! Looks like a bear mauled you. Look! Cuts, bandages, you've got the whole package." George joked.
"Shut up." I glared as everyone else greeted me in a way they saw fit. Of course, I was being squeezed and the next thing I felt was a jagged pain.
"Oh dear God! OW OW OW!!" I screamed as Fred released me from his hug.
My knees buckled but he caught me of course as Mrs. Weasley made a chair appear out of thin air and I was put in it. Everyone stared at me with raised eyebrows, continuing to eat their breakfast.
"What's the matter?" Fred asked. I lifted up my shirt to the rim of my bra and showed him the bruising.
Mrs. Weasley gasped. "Merlin's beard child! What on earth happened to you?"
"I've got two not so very well repaired ribs." I breathed out as Mrs. Weasley touched a soft spot and I winced.
"I still believe a bear mauled you. I mean, look at that!" George gestured with his fork to a cut I had on my hip.
"How did that happen?" Lupin asked. He was standing by me now, observing the damage.
"This? THIS is what happens when you train with sadistic Death Eaters." I scowled as Mrs. Weasley put an ice pack on my stomach.
"Geez, what kind of training did you do?"
"Hardcore stuff Ronald. You wouldn't last even a minute." I said wearily as Mrs. Weasley touched my ribcage again. I groaned.
"Well, they seem to be back in place."
"My friend repaired them Mrs. Weasley, just not all the way. She said I'd have bruising for a long time." I furrowed my brow.
"Well, if you don't start getting better soon we'll have to take you to the doctors." she crossed her arms as she got back to finishing breakfast. I turned my chair towards the table as I tried to relax.
"Would mistress like some mending for her cuts?" Dotty asked, staring up at me with those huge glassy eyeballs.
"Not right now Dotty, maybe later when I need to change my bandages." She nodded as she set a plate before me. I had noticed something just then. Everyone was present and accounted for except...
"Hey, where's Sirius? He's usually always present." I quirked my head.
Everyone averted their eyes into different directions, a not so good silence, and the eeriest silence I've ever heard lingered in the air. Hermione caught my eye though and shook her head. As I was about to enter Harry's head he spoke up.
"He's dead. Bellatrix killed him." I was taken aback when I heard this.
"When did this happen?" I was in shock.
"The day you left Ellie, Harry and some others were at the ministry but the Death Eaters had followed them. There was a battle and..."
"I got the picture, thanks George." Ginny asked a question though.
"Wouldn't they have told you where they were going?" I sat and thought.
"Now that I think about it, I remember that day. Voldemort told us that he and the Death Eaters were leaving and I saw a glimpse in his mind that he was going to the Ministry. That's all I knew but I didn't question it. We were left alone to start our training by ourselves. When they all came back, they told us to go to bed." I sighed solemnly.
Later that night, I wandered into the boys' room and found Harry there by himself. I leaned against the door as I shut it; he saw me from the corner of his eye and pretended to ignore me.
I sighed. "I'm sorry about your Godfather Harry. Truly I am. I kind of know how you feel now except, I knew my parents and they weren't much either. An abusive father and a mother who hardly ever paid attention to me unless it was a meaning of my leaving."
He didn't say anything but I sat in front of him on his bed. "Harry look, you have a family, here and now. They all care for you, would risk their lives for you. Even though I know you don't like the idea of that but they do. That's a family; you guys always look out for each other."
I stared at the floor. "My friends are only friends when their parents aren't around. As much as they all care about my well being, they wouldn't dare stand in anyone's way who they know has the power to destroy at the flick of their finger."
"At least you have friends that care also." he finally said.
I smiled. "Yeah, my old and new ones. I appreciate you guys trusting me." I placed a hand on his shoulder as I got up to leave. "I know this probably won't make you feel any better but, while I was over there, Bellatrix and I had a duel. She almost won because she tortured me, hence my two broken ribs but, I found the strength to get up and use the Imperious curse on her and I banged her up real good. I also broke her nose. She wouldn't stop bleeding." I said amused and with a smirk on my face.
That put a slight smile on his but, nothing to make him completely happy.
"Just don't dread on this too much. You'll be able to meet him again one day." I winked as I left.
I had told Fred what I had done to Bellatrix and he just laughed.
"You were always a bully."
"Me!? A bully? Are you kidding me? She made me break TWO RIBS! She deserved to have her nose shoved up her nose." I scoffed as I lay in his arms.
He bent down to kiss me on my forehead. "You're bizarre."
"Why thank you. I take pride in that."
He shook his head. "I'll still love you, no matter how insane you get." He then left because he didn't want to poke me in the middle of the night or something.
I fell into a deep sleep...Maybe too deep for a human being....All I knew was I could feel my strength depleting, melting away.