Audrey felt like a complete mess. She held it together until she reached her room, but after the door closed, she was gasping for breath on the floor. She was numb all over, as if she was paralyzed and couldn't move. Adrenaline was pinging through her bones, just like it did twelve years ago. FocusFOCUSFOCUS, she shouted inside her head. There was no time to shut down like this. It had only made things worse for her back then, during the darkest time of her life. Why am I like this…she tried biting down hard on her finger. Good, the pain was grounding her. At least enough to get off the ground and sit on the bed.
Lucius is insane. This needs to stop, once and for all. Yet what can she do? Thinking quick, short sentences seemed to help. Until she could think of a more permanent solution, there didn't seem to be another option. She would have to give in this time. Because there was no doubt in her mind that Lucius Malfoy would find a way into the castle and find her. Then he would have his way with her, because in his sick mind she was-KNOCK, KNOCK!
There were two insistent thumps on the door. She felt her face go cold and pale. Although it didn't make sense, she wondered if she had acted too slowly. Surely he wasn't already here? The door swung wide open, and the tall, dark figure of Severus Snape strode into her room for the third time that year. He seemed agitated, but her looked at her wordlessly and closed the door behind him. Audrey cleared her throat and tried to speak, but it came out as if someone else was speaking.
"Professor, now really isn't a good time, I-I'm feeling unwell."
"I read the letter from Lucius Malfoy. My apologies for intruding, but I insist that you tell me what is going on. What does he have on you? I let that little incident at Bourgin and Burkes go, but this is too far. Malfoy is not a man to be trifled with, there is already one dark wizard intent on harming those in this school, we don't need another-"
"I AM WELL AWARE THAT LUCIUS MALFOY IS A DANGEROUS MAN!" she shouted, then lowered her voice. "I know." She looked at him with a measured gaze, trying to decide if she dared to share it all. She had only told two people in all these years. What really happened to her. Severus did not seem angry at her outburst, and his attitude shifted. Instead of demanding, he leaned against the bed post and waited. She gathered a breath, realizing it came easier now that she wasn't alone.
"My family is a long line of pureblood wizards. My father was a shrewd businessman, Martin Milwood." She saw recognition in Snape's face, but still he said nothing. She continued," Back when you-know-who rose to power he saw that as an opportunity. Yes my father already had plenty of money, but he was obsessed with growing the family fortune. And the family line. He started pedaling artifacts for the Death Eaters. I was living at home at the time, starting out my new career at the ministry. I ran into Malfoy there, of course I had no idea who he was or who he ran around with. But he started paying attention to me. Stopping by my office, making conversation while I walked drinks to my boss. I figured he was just another ill-behaved married bureaucrat at the ministry. He wasn't rude, just annoying.
One night, my father came to my room. I had turned a blind eye to his dealings with dark wizards, but I saw the kind of people who came to meet with him, so I had my suspicions. He started going on and on about how the "Dark Lord" was about to change the world, and how our family was going to benefit from that new world. But to create a 'pure new world', they needed pureblooded witches and wizards. He sold me, Severus. For my blood. The Death Eaters wanted me to help create more of them. I couldn't believe my ears when my father explained to me that Lucius Malfoy had taken a liking to me. And how his poor wife became barren after having their one and only child. So He-who-must-not-be-named bought me for him. Father had already taken my wand before I heard all of it. Then he locked me in my room.
I watched out my window until it became very late. He showed up with some other Death Eater, I'm not sure who. Only Lucius ever came into my room. He did what he wanted, and for some bloody reason I was too afraid to fight back. It was like I was frozen. You cannot imagine how repulsive that man is to me, Severus. I was locked in there day and night, for I think a month. Lucius came back every three days." It felt strange to say, like telling a story that had happened to someone else. " I couldn't write letters, but one day an owl came with the Daily Prophet. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was destroyed.
Our house elf let me out that day, and a ministry auror showed up at our house. My father was killed in a duel when they came to arrest him. I inherited everything, and they graciously let me keep my job after my absence. But Malfoy kept sending me letters and harassing me. He still thought I was his property. He threatened me and my job, saying if he went down he'd take me down with him. His 'compromise' was that he wanted my hair for polyjuice potion to give his wife. And now that I'm back, nothing has changed. Even Dumbledore isn't keeping that pig off of me, and until I find a way to end him for good, I have to keep giving in."
Audrey grasped a strand of her hair, lifting her wand to sever it. Before she could mutter the spell, Severus grabbed her wrist, startling her with the intensity in his eyes. "No, you're not. You are not giving him another damn thing."