Neomi woke up a couple weeks later, her mind groggy and her limbs aching. They'd been getting more brutal with the torture. Yesterday Bellatrix had decided that the Crutiatus Curse wasn't doing enough and used a knife on her. She'd carved words into her arms and legs, words like mudblood and filth and blood traitor that were supposed to shame Neomi. She'd cut them deep and they Death Eaters wouldn't heal them, so they would scar.

Neomi intended to wear them like a badge of honor.

She glanced around the small basement, rubbing her temples gently, and yawned ever so slightly. Her stomach growled, and she clenched her teeth. The past few days, they'd only been feeding her as much as was necessary, hoping that the constant hunger and belly ache would force her hand. She'd laughed and told them about how after a while, the same pain gets old.

That was why Bellatrix had used the knife, she knew. But there was nothing she could do about it now. She sighed and rubbed her stomach, scowling. It did hurt pretty badly. She couldn't help but wish that Dobby were there to sneak her a meal. But, Harry Potter had set him free four or so years ago. She missed that little elf, though. He was her only friend, other than Draco.

Thinking of Draco, she looked around, confused to find that he wasn't there. Instead, Professor Snape was standing in the basement, watching her carefully. When she looked at him, his lips thinned ever so slightly.

"I take it the nightmares are getting worse?"

She frowned at him. She didn't want anyone to know just how much they were getting to her, not even people on her side. It was bad enough that Draco knew, but now Snape had been down here long enough to see just how bad it was as well?

"Where is Draco?" she asked, ignoring his question. He sighed and inclined his head ever so slightly.

"Not here, obviously. He will be back shortly. In the meantime, I am here to watch you in his stead."

Almost as if on cue, the door at the top of the stairs opened and someone began down them. She was about to smile when it wasn't Draco, but Lucius who came down into the basement. At least, she thought it was Lucius, but there was something ever so slightly off about him. It was his face, his body, his clothes, but something was different. Neomi gasped as she saw his eyes.

"Draco, is that you?" she asked, not stopping to think that if it were anyone else, she'd be screwed.

Luckily, the man smiled a very familiar smile and nodded. "Yeah. Cooked up a Polyjuice Potion to spring you, sis." He looked at Snape. "So, what's our reason for taking her out of the house?" he asked him, looking at the watch on his wrist.

Snape gave an annoyed sigh. "The Dark Lord is travelling and wants her to be placed somewhere with someone he can trust. You, that is, Lucius, are incompetent and cannot be trusted to break her. I have taught the girl and I am his second in command, so the duty falls to me. Obviously, in order to keep up my position as Headmaster, I must remain at Hogwarts, and so shall she. Really, Mr. Malfoy, you should have had this planned weeks ago."

Draco/Lucius gave a look to match Snape's tone. "Well, excuse me. It was my plan to begin with, wasn't it? I didn't hear any clever ideas from you. So what if I didn't think it all out, you're better at that than I am."

Snape's eyes grew a degree colder, and his scowl deepened. "It is your plan and therefore your responsibility to come up with each step. Now, we're wasting time. This won't last forever, you know. We need to get you both out of here."

Snape pointed to the lock on the door and cast a spell to open it. When the door swung open, he came in and grabbed Neomi's shoulder, tight. She winced.

"This has to look real," he explained, an apology in his voice. He then dug his fingers in and made her stand up with him.

"You're coming with me, you blood traitor brat!" he hissed, just in time to be heard by a group coming down the stairs. Bellatrix and Narcissa both beamed at his rough treatment of the girl. A couple others, whom Snape didn't care to remember the names of, were behind the pair.

"Oh, goody, Severus is getting her ready for today's session," Bellatrix cheered, pulling her knife out of a sheath and licking the blade, a twisted smile on her face.

Snape frowned at Bellatrix, putting all his apathy and superiority into the expression. "I'm afraid not. She's coming with me. We all know that the Dark Lord is travelling these next few weeks. He wanted her in more… capable hands."

At this, Bellatrix glared at him. "Whose hands are more capable than mine, Severus darling? We all know that the torture is my thing. You should keep to your office and such," she sneered, attempting to mock his position as Headmaster.

"I will be sure to inform him that you feel that way, but for now, I am acting on his orders. He has asked me to take the girl to Hogwarts, and so I shall," he replied coolly, daring her to challenge him.

This entire time, Draco/Lucius had been standing silently. Now he stepped forward, looking at his sister in law with a pained, ashamed expression. "'S orders, Bella. We must always do what the Dark Lord asks of us."

Neomi was amazed at how well he had just pulled off acting like his father. Well, the way his father acted more recently, anyway. It was almost a perfect performance, which Neomi supposed made sense considering the fact that he'd lived his whole life under the man's thumb.

The woman sniffed angrily before turning around and stomping up the stairs. Narcissa remained, however, glancing at her 'husband' suspiciously.

"Why was I not informed of this?" she demanded. Ever since Lucius had been sent to Azkaban, Narcissa had taken on a new role as the head of household, a title she'd refused to relinquish when he escaped. Furthermore, Voldemort did believe her to be the more competent of the two, and so often told Narcissa before her husband, if ever. That combined with the fact that she was Lucius' wife made Draco d=fear for the plan. He couldn't be sure that his mother wouldn't notice the difference.

He almost exhaled in relief when she stepped back ever so slightly, smiling.

"Perhaps this means you will be back in the inner circle soon, love. Maybe he believes you are showing initiative," she supplied optimistically.

Snape gave a small chuckle. "If the Dark Lord believed that your husband could be trusted, he would leave the girl with him. Now excuse me, but Lucius and I are taking the child to Hogwarts."

With that, Draco/Lucius smiled a small, sad smile. "He's right, dear, this is just another step back. Don't get any hopes up. In order to retain our former glory, I think we'd have to kill Harry Potter ourselves." With that, he followed Snape and Neomi out of the basement and to the front door.

"Step one, complete," he smiled. They'd gotten her out of the house.

Now to get her as far away from it as possible.