(1) 𝐍𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄 | d. m

Chapter twenty-two

The rage boiled inside of me like a forest fire that couldn't be put out. It was like nothing I had ever felt before, and something I never wished to feel again. Every moment after Draco's betrayal seemed hopeless and trivial, as if the whole world had gone into complete darkness. And the thing that really tipped me over the edge, was knowing that I wouldn't being feeling the same way if Draco hadn't shown up from the beginning. It was the fact that he ignited a glimmer of hope in me, only to have it die out the moment he betrayed us, that had me completely incensed, and knowing that he had the opportunity to save us from any impending doom, only made me more set on planning my revenge.

"HEY! Knock it off, will you? I can actually walk, you know?!". My infuriation with Draco had turned my fear of Greyback and Scabior into sometime more like annoyance. They had their arms around our bodies, pushing us down the stairs, towards the cellar. It was anything but a pleasant view, and the echoing chambers smelled of rat litter and old pipe systems. It was extremely dark, the only light coming from the room behind the door from which we had just entered. It stood ajar, seemingly taunting us, whispering that our only escape was well out of reach, and as they pushed us further into the darkness and closing the door behind us, it all seemed even more hopeless.

"ARGH! I can't believe him! I hate myself for ever believing he could change! Now here we are— and it's all my fault". My voice echoed off the walls, shutting out any other sounds, coming from outside. It was pitch black, and I could barely make out any shapes before me. Neville was standing with his back against the locked door, his hands covering the perturbed expression I knew was plastered on his face. He wasn't saying much, and that worried me more than any hysterical cry.

"Lane? Is that you?". A voice crept out from the shadows. We weren't alone down there, that much was true. "Lane!". The voice shouted and the person to whom it belonged stepped forward into the only light that was available. I had never felt so relieved to see another person before in my life, that I couldn't contain my emotions. "Luna!", I exclaimed, and threw my arms around her neck, elated to see my best friend again. She seemed generally unharmed and in good spirits, the only sign of her ever being abducted taking the form of an abrasion on her chin. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?!". The sound of my voice could be compared to that of a worried parent finding out that their child has sneaked out.

"Yes. I'm quite alright, actually. No harm done". I realised how much I had missed her positive heart, even if she had only been gone for a few days. The worrying that had been planted inside my mind like a growing weed, had now begun to wither and instead, was replaced by a beautiful iris of hope.

***

It felt like we spent weeks in that cell, contemplating ways to escape, when in fact, time was moving slowly.

"Any ideas on how we get out of here?", Neville said, finally coming to his senses again, after a few hours of being in a state of complete shock and disorientation. We had been there for a good few hours, listening to the squeaking  of the rats and our own heavy breathing.

"Well, I do know how to Apparate, as you are well aware of, however, they seem to have put some sort of barrier on this part of the house, making it impossible to leave without help from the outside. Which kind of leaves us with.., nothing". The moment those finally words left the tip of my tongue, I realised my hopefulness from finding Luna had transformed back to hopelessness. We weren't leaving there anytime soon, and I think all three of us knew that.

That's when our conversation was cut short, by someone opening the door. The figure seemed to be indecisive as to whether or not he wanted to make himself known. Of course, this little charade, only verified my suspicions of who it could have been. "Draco. I know that's you". I took a step closer towards the door and the person by it. "You really think your family— your mom and your dad... Bellatrix— you really think they are going to just let you do what you want? You think they won't ask you to do more for them now that you've proven yourself? They won't. They won't stop, it's only going to get worse—and one of those days, you might not be able to break free. You'll be stuck".