Marked
Scarlet POV:
The manor was cold. Colder than usual. Bellatrix locked me in my room earlier this afternoon and told me to stay here until I was to be received. I must have fallen asleep because I was startled awake with a ‘pop’. Ditty looks at me with wide blue eyes, wringing her hands constantly. “Mistress Bellatrix has requested your presence in the dining room, M-miss Lestrange.” she stutters.
I swallow hard, and creep out of my bed. When I reached my door I took a deep breath and hoped today wasn't another training session. After descending the stairs I feel the difference in the air. He is here. I pause at the bottom of the stairs ensuring all my doors are locked before I make my way into the dining room.
There, in front of me sits The Dark Lord himself. He is in my father's chair at the head of the table. He rested and laid back against the wooden chair, as Nagini wrapped herself around his feet. On either side of him sit my mother and father. Further down the table I meet eyes with Aunt Cissy, across from her sits Luscious. The table is filled with the inner circle of The Dark Lord.
“Ah… Little Lestrange… Pleasure to finally meet you. Come, Come… Let me see you…”
Slowly I will myself to stop shaking and walk towards him. Once I was standing in front of him I could smell the faint tinge of blood and bone. It is foul. I try my hardest not to react to it.
Looking down at the ground, I bow “My Lord.” Quickly he stands running his snake like hands down my arms and making his way back up towards my face, lifting my chin so I am looking him in the eyes. “Yes… You will do quite well Little Lestrange.” He hisses inches from my face, with a wicked smile on his pale face.
Swaying his robes he walks away from me, standing behind my mother. “Bellatrix, How is her training?”
Anxiety flows through me as she looks down. “She needs practice, my lord. We try to train her every chance we get but I am sure someone more--” She pauses looking up at The Dark Lord with her own wicked grin. “--convincing, such as yourself. Would be much more effective.” She looks from him to me with the same evil smile.
“Hmm… I see… Very well.”
Before I can register what is happening I am on the ground screaming. White hot knives cutting from under my skin trying to make their way out. My head feels as if it's going to burst. When his wand lifts, the pain finally stops.
The Dark Lord is crouched down near me, as my body convulses on the floor. “Stand up my Little Lestrange. You are being given the highest honor of becoming the youngest death eater in history.” I try to will myself off the ground, but I can't move. “I said GET UP!” He points his wand at me and cruses me again. But instead of feeling pain, I pass out.
When I woke up again, there were ten Death Eaters circling around me. I search to find solace in Aunt Cissy's loving eyes, but am unable as they are all adorned in their cloaks and masks.
The Dark Lord breaks through the circle, standing in front of me. “Have a good nap Little Lestrange?” His open mouth smiles, showing his yellow teeth while he and the rest of the Death Eaters laugh. “Stand up.” He commands while pointing his wand at me. Fear takes over and I scramble to my feet, There I stand shaking in front of him. Whether The shaking is from pain or fear I'm unsure.
“Tsk, tsk. Little Lestrange. You mustn't resist your master.”
With a flick of his wand my arms are pulled out to the side being held still for him by the invisible strands from his wand. Tears fell from my eyes as I begged, “Please…”.
“Don't worry Little Lestrange…” The snake-like figure is standing only inches from my face, as his boney fingers comb over my face. “It will only hurt for a second.” He releases my left arm from their investable restaurant, sharp fingers wrap around my wrist.
As if in slow motion, he brings the tip of his ivory, bone carved wand onto my forearm and begins the mark. An animalistic scream comes from me as he starts the incantation. Searing pain engulfs my arm, as if I had stuck my arm directly into a fireplace, for the fire to sear my skin.
The pain slowly travels up my arm, throughout my body until I feel as if I am engulfed in flames. The pressure in which he held his wand is gone and I am released from the invisible bonds that hold me up, causing me to crash onto the floor. I can vaguely hear the cheers and laughs from everyone around me as I clutch my arm, moaning in pain.
“Scarlet.”
“Scar--”
“Mi Tesoro.” Someone's hands are on me as I thrash around in their hold, desperately trying to break free, the nightmare still playing in my head.
“Scarlet, please wake up. You're okay. I'm here.” I can feel the tears rolling down my face and the lingering burn of the mark still courses through me. “Please i-it burns” I sob into the arms that are protectively wrapped around me. “Please make it stop. I can't-- I can’t take it anymore…” My eyes pinched closed as I feel my body being picked up and carried.
Theos' hard, bare chest is pressed against my body. Cold water pours upon me, shocking me, the burning on my forearm where the mark is slowly decreasing. “That's it Mi Tesoro, ground yourself. Think of three things you can feel.”
I can feel Theos’ heart hammering against my shoulders. I can feel the cold water against my skin. I can feel his hands on my face whipping my tears away. “There you go, Mi Tesoro. Now think of three things you can hear.” I can hear my labored breathing slowing down. I can hear the patter of water hitting the tiled floor of the shower. I can hear the deep breaths of Theos’ breathing.
“That's it mi tesoro, just like that, now move three body parts for me.” I move my toes against the tiled floor, I move my body,turning towards him, and I move my hands to wrap around his toned stomach.
When I finally open my eyes, pulling away slightly. I see that Theo is completely naked except for his blue boxers. He has a look of utter terror on his face, as his green eyes take in every inch of my body. “I am so sorry Theo.. I-I should have warned you how bad they get--”
I pause looking down in between us. “--and how bad I look.” He scrunches his eyes, pulling me into his chest as he strokes my hair. “Do not apologize, Mi Tesoro. Never apologize to me. You’re beautiful.” He places a kiss on my head while rubbing soothingly up and down my back, letting the water calm me down.
After calming down, Theo and I headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. It isn't until the door closes behind me, that I am hit with the reality of what today is. Draco and I fixed the cabinet and tonight-- tonight we are going to the Manor to finalize the plan with The Dark lord.“Are they always that bad?” I hear Theo ask, bringing me back from my thoughts of dread and doubt. “Not every time. But, yes.” I say looking down at my hands that are playing anxiously with my wand. “Sometimes I wake up and still think I'm back there at that moment…The pain always feels real.”
Theo intertwined his hands with mine as he pulled me towards the Slytherin table. "I am always here for you if you need someone to talk to afterwards--” He pauses and looks down at me with a cheeky smile playing on his lips. “-- Or someone to cuddle with.”
“Thank you Theo.” I reach up on my toes and place a kiss on his cheek.
Before Theo can pull me down to sit next to him, a shorter mess of brown hair walks up to me grabbing my arm, looking worried. “Scar. Have you seen Draco this morning?” Harry heaved.
“No I haven't. Why?” Before I even finished my sentence he started walking away. “Wait, Harry!” I yell trying to catch up to the chosen one. “I need to talk to you. It's important.”
“I will find you later! I promise!” He called as he ran out of the large double doors of the Great Hall.
“Potter was even weirder than normal.” Theo says. I hum sitting next to him across from Blaise and Pansy. Pansy is looking between me and Theo, giving us a suspiciously happy look as we sit across from them. The feeling of dread and doubt only increased with my short conversation with Harry and now my anxiety is starting to sky rocket.
Theo must be able to sense my unease, because he reaches his free hand under the table and gently rubs his long fingers over the exposed part of my thigh where my skirt has ridden up slightly. Smaller figures at first, then after a while he gives my thigh a small squeeze and I expect him to remove his hand. But he keeps it there, giving me a small sense of comfort.
After breakfast, we continued the rest of the day normally. I, on the other hand, have been distracted. I know that I need to tell Harry. I need to do something. Something good.
I have a free period with Hermione next and I have decided if Harry doesn't have time for me then I will tell Hermione. She is the smartest one of the three anyhow.
We are in the far corner of the library going over the arithmancy homework, when I finally gain the nerve.
“Hermione?” I swallow, watching as she looks back and forth from the open book to her right and to the parchment to her left. Her brown curly hair is tied back with one of my extra bows, each curl bouncing with her movements. She hummed to acknowledge she heard me while not losing her place. “Do you know how to perform legilimency?” I swallow the anxiousness trying to bubble over. Her eyes snap up to meet mine, furrowing her brows in the process. “How come?” She whispers, in order for our conversation to not be overheard.
I look around us once more. We chose the farthest table in the back. This is where we usually come to study as the boys, both Gryffindor and Slytherin, lose interest before reaching us. Mustering up all the courage that a Slytherin has, which is not a lot, at least in my case. “I need to tell you something, but I can't actually tell you.” I whisper, hoping that she can read in between the words.
Double checking that we are indeed alone, she nods her head and moves her chair so that she is sitting in front of me. She meets my eyes once more looking for any sign of regret, before I nod my head with a stray tear escaping from my eye. She mutters “Legilimency”. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
One good thing my dear parents taught me is how to be skilled in occlumency. I can easily pick and choose which doors to open for Hermione.
I led her into the first door. The night the task was given to Draco and I. The look and feelings of fear we both had. It was after Draco was marked. A couple days before our return to school. We were reading in the garden, Draco with his potions book, and me with my arithmancy book. The sun started to set behind the hedges of Malfoy manor when we both gasped in pain. The mark burned. We were being summoned. The memory skips to us in the drawing room, to The Dark Lord describing the cabinet at Borgin and Burkes and how it has a twin. A twin that is somewhere hidden at Hogwarts.
The next door we go through is the meeting Draco and I had weeks ago. The Dark Lords threat. The way the other Death Eaters looked at me, waiting for us to fail, just so they could have me. My breathing picks up, my limbs locked in place. Whimpers of pain and fear escaping my mouth. “Now, now… Settle down Little Lestrange. They won't touch you… Not yet…” “Sit back down.” He dismisses the men to be seated again and my vision has cleared a bit he speaks to me again.
“You will fix that cabinet. You will get us into Hogwarts. If not…” He goes quiet and looks around at the men who had all been standing around me “then you get a taste of what life is like for your precious Nott Jr. at home.”
The last door I lead her through is a memory fresh in my mind. One of the most painful, but I feel as if it's important to show her. Maybe. Just maybe she will believe me. The scene comes to live around us. At first she looks confused, but then she catches sight of my body within the circle.
Once she pulls out of my mind she has tears in her eyes. I can't tell if it's from pity or betrayal. Both, I conclude once she pulls me into a tight hug. “I'm so sorry Scarlet.”
Hermione took it all a lot better than I anticipated. Yes, she is disappointed and upset with me. Rightfully so, but I hope she understands. I hope that she knows that I don't hate her. I don't hate mudbloods. I even tried to push the fact that most of us, most being my group of friends, do not hold the same values as our family.
“So what are you going to do now? Surely he will find out.” Hermione asks quietly, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it softly. This is the part that I know she won't like. “I need you to obliviate me.” I tell her hesitantly. Hermione sucks in a breath. “Scar I-”
I shake my head slightly, giving her a sad smile. “Please. Mione. This is the only way. I cannot remember telling you. I will not put you at risk like that.” More tears are flowing down her cheeks as she begs me to reconsider. “W-what if you defect? We can run and come up with a plan. D-dumbledore will help you.”
“What about my friends? Mione-- I don't know what he will do to them if I leave. Draco? Aunt Cissy? I can't.. I can't risk it. Please, this is the only way.” My heart aches for my friend. I know she's trying to help me. To save me from this misery, but there is nothing that can be done. Not for me. I must play this smart and hope Hermione understands.
Wiping her eyes, and taking in a deep breath, she raises her wand. She hesitates. Honey brown eyes meet mine as she silently checks once more if this is what I want. “I’m ready.” I breathe out, occluding so as to relieve the anxious feeling in my stomach. I have never been obligated before… At least I dont think I have.
She holds her wand out in front of my forehead, hesitating as I close my eyes. It's only a heartbeat more before I hear her whisper “Obliviate.”