Day Two

The next thing Tilly knew she was waking up back in the bedroom.

She stood up with a feeling of déjà vu. Her wand was still missing. The room was identical, except the paper weight was gone. Tilly walked to the door. They had added a big dead lock to the door. Tilly ran her hands over it. She could feel the protective charm radiating through it.

No more breaking out that way.

She turned and saw a note and a bell on the table.

Ring bell when you are awake.

Tilly picked up the bell and rang it. For being so small it filled the room. Even when it stopped ringing, Tilly could hear it ringing in the hallway, magically summoning her captors.

Hmm, maybe she didn't want to do that. Still, the Malfoys hadn't tortured her for trying to escape yesterday, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad?

Tilly looked out the window. The view was identical. She was in the same room as before. Tilly sat down on the bed and waited for someone named Malfoy to show up.

She didn't have to wait long. Lucius Malfoy strode through the door followed closely by Draco. Both had their wands drawn and pointed at Tilly.

Surprisingly, Tilly wasn't afraid. She just wasn't afraid of them.

"Hello Miss Parker," Lucius's voice was so cold. "Do sit down, we have much to discuss."

"What's there to discuss?" Tilly asked. She might not be afraid of them, but it was probably prudent not to antagonize a man with a wand, especially when he was her prison guard.

"I thought yesterday's stunt would be a good place to start."

Tilly smirked. "I didn't actually escape and you fixed the door easily enough, so what's the problem?"

Lucius's face was unreadable. Tilly glanced at Malfoy Junior. His face was identical. Tilly wondered if he was capable of independent thought or if Daddy controlled that too.

"The Dark Lord has expressed his... Interest in you. Until he is ready for you, you will be our guest," Lucius said. "You will not escape, Miss Parker, no matter what you do."

Tilly's smirk widened. "Is that an invitation to try, Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Your every need will be provided for. Simply ring the bell and someone will come.

Tilly scoffed. "An elf? Sure, because I'm so fond of them especially after yesterday."

For the first time, a line crossed Lucius's face. "We dismissed our elf after her failure yesterday."

Wow, harsh punishment for nothing. If Tilly had actually escaped, maybe the sacking would be justified. But this? Tilly almost felt sorry for the elf. But not too sorry. It had knocked her unconscious yesterday.

"You will stay here and you will cooperate with the Dark Lord's plan." Lucius shot her a look that dared her to argue and left, with Junior behind him. She listened to him put layers of protective charms over the door. The footsteps faded away.

Tilly noticed that he said nothing about what this plan was. She wondered if he knew what it was. She doubted it. Voldemort didn't seem like the sharing type.

Regardless, Tilly had to escape. She didn't care what the plan was, she wanted no part in it.

An absurd thought drifted into her head. What would James Bond do? He'd get the guard to open the door then beat the crap out of him before making his escape. Tilly might not have a tuxedo but she could do the rest of it. Maybe if her guard was "indisposed" she'd have time to get out before they set the elf on her.

She picked up the ridiculous little bell and rang it. She listened to it echo through the house. Then she stood behind the door and waited.

She heard footsteps outside her door and the protective charms being removed. She vaguely wondered who would have answered her bell.

The handle turned and the door opened. Tilly held her breath. She held the door and kept swinging it, so that the person on the other side would think it was just momentum. A foot appeared at the bottom of the door.

Tilly threw her weight against the door, slamming it as hard as she could. There was a bang as wood door connected with someone's head. Tilly whirled around to the other side. Draco was doubled over clutching his head. Tilly put one hand on each shoulder and rammed her knee into his groin. He crumpled on the floor.

Tilly jumped over him, grabbed his wand and started running. She ran left, right, right again. She ran and tried to remember how she'd managed to find the door last time. Stairs, she had to find stairs. Tilly kept running.

There were the stairs! Tilly felt like she found them faster than yesterday but it was hard to tell. She really should have made a map. But she didn't plan on being in this house long enough to need a map.

Tilly practically flew down the stairs. She ran for the door, flicked the lock, grabbed the handle and pulled. It opened.

Freedom! Tilly ran. Fresh air filled her lungs. Wind blew in her hair. Sunlight warmed her skin. Freedom!

Tilly heard the door bang open behind her. Without slowing down, she glanced back. All she could see was blond hair. That could be any of them. One third of the Malfoys didn't have a wand right now, so there was a third of a chance that she'd get away.

"STUPEFY!" screamed a voice. Tilly crumpled on the ground and everything went black.

Just Tilly's luck, it was one of the other two who had a wand.