Title: Beautiful Nightmares
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Rating: T
Warnings: This is pretty violent, and there's familial torture.
Word Count: 1,126
Prompts:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): Term 5, Myths & Legends: 2.1 - Write about a cruel uncle or aunt. You cannot write about Petunia or Vernon Dursley.
Author's Note: N/A
Summary: Draco is living in a house full of the most deadly people in the world, but it's only his aunt who terrifies him
Draco woke up to fiery pain and bit down hard on his lip to keep from crying out. Cursing, he jumped out of bed. He reached for his wand and mumbled a spell that would straighten out his robes and walked towards the window.
His heart sank as he watched a small parade of hooded figures make their way towards the Manor. This was the third time that week that he had been woken in the middle of the night. As a result he had taken to sleeping in his clothes, and was always ready to get up when he had to.
Draco hurried to the door, poking his head out to check that the hallway was deserted. Silently, he stepped out into the corridor and strode towards the stairs. A fresh wave of pain shot through his arm and he stumbled.
At the bottom of the stairs he heard voices, and Draco threw himself against the wall, pushing past a tapestry into a concealed space. The Manor was a huge sprawling house, but he knew all of its secrets.
Footsteps came and passed, and after a moment Draco deemed it safe to step back into the corridor. He knew that hiding was pointless- if they wanted him, he'd have to go. But he could buy himself some time, a few minutes to prepare himself.
He hadn't had time before. They'd thrown him into the dining hall and made him get on with it. Last time it had been a woman, a little younger than his mother. They'd needed a name from her, someone else with valuable information. It had taken hours to get it out of her. Hours of pointless defiance while he had to find a hundred different ways to hurt her He had to pretend he was enjoying himself, pretend that he was honoured by the privilege of getting to do his dirty work. He had wanted to vomit, but instead he'd forced himself to laugh as she writhed helplessly at his feet.
Shuddering, Draco threw open a door and stepped inside. He caught ahold of a rope ladder and began to climb.
He was halfway up when the door to the room creaked open.
Draco froze, his heart hammering in his chest. Light filtered through the open door and he could see a shadow stepping towards him. Suddenly the rope that he was clinging to gave way and he fell to the floor.
"Well, what a surprise. What have we found?" The voice was a harsh whisper that sliced through the air. Draco shivered, his lip curling in revulsion. He got to his feet slowly, but before he could escape the door slammed shut.
"Little Draco, hiding away from all the fun."
Suddenly a flame flickered, and in the light of a candle he could see her. Once, she had been the most beautiful woman for miles. He had seen pictures of her, before Azkaban, back when she was still a model of beauty and grace. She still held herself like a queen, still had the famous Black beauty, but she had changed.
Her beautiful porcelain skin was too pale. Years of sunlight had robbed it of any life, and she looked like death himself, with dark shadows lining her face only serving to emphasise the paleness. Her hair was unkempt and tumbled wildly down her back. Her eyes were the worst, lit from within by madness.
Of all the dark wizards and creatures who had occupied the Manor, his aunt was the worst.
The others served the cause out of fear and self preservation. Like his father, they wanted what was best for themselves. Some of them had no choice. Bellatrix was different. She was half in love with the Dark Lord himself. She had no reason, no logic, she lived for nothing but to cause pain. Bellatrix was madness personified and no one was safe from her.
Draco shuddered as he felt something move up his back and twisted around to see the rope caressing his back. He turned back to Bellatrix and saw that she was conducting it with her wand, a wild look in her eyes.
"We should go." He said firmly, refusing to let her tricks affect him. Draco took a step forwards, towards the door, and suddenly the rope looped around his neck.
He froze. The rope was loose, but slowly it was tightening, an undeniable threat. Bellatrix seemed not to notice, but he knew that inside she was gleefully celebrating his discomfort.
"What's the matter Draco?"
He didn't reply. Bellatrix was unstable- one wrong move and she wouldn't hesitate to curse him. Instead he stood completely still as the rope began to dig into his skin. She stalked towards him, smirking to see him so helpless.
Bellatrix lifted one slender finger and tapped the broken nail against his forehead. Slowly, she dragged it down his face, the edge sharp against his skin. Still, Draco didn't move.
He had learnt his lesson the hard way. When he had first arrived hime from school for the Christmas break he knew that things were different. His mother had tried to warn him, but he hadn't been prepared the first time that Bellatrix had cornered him.
He had screamed then. Screamed for help and Bellatrix had laughed scornfully and walked away. Draco had been relieved, but it had been a temporary relief. She had hurt his mother instead, punished Narcissa for Draco's fear. Draco couldn't bear the sight of the purple bruises marking his mother's pale skin or the haunted look in her eyes, and since then he had resolved to take whatever Bellatrix threw at him.
The rope tightened suddenly and Draco had to gasp for air. He saw Bellatrix's satisfied smirk as he strained against it. He could feel her squeezing his throat and pain throbbed behind his eyes as his air supply was cut off. Draco's knees felt week and he stumbled but that only put more pressure on his neck. Dizzy, he struggled to stand still as he choked.
Abruptly, the pain disappeared. Draco fell to his knees, clutching at his throat. He didn't dare to look up at his aunt.
"Fortunately for you, I've got better plans tonight." she said. Draco grimaced.
"My Lord does not require you tonight." With that, she swept out of the room.
Draco stayed on his knees for a long time after she had gone. Finally he got to his feet and made his way back to his room. It wouldn't be long before she came for him again, so he needed all the time to recuperate that he could get.