When we align; a Neville Longbottom fanfiction

26. Parting

She didn't think it was possible to be in more pain than she had been a moment before, but she was wrong. As she fell to the ground, her whole body twitched and convulsed, her muscles flexed. Jolts of agony were coming from within her and all around her. Her splinched calf was pulsating hard, her mouth fell open among her screams, drooling blood.

It took her several minutes before realizing that Arnas wasn't torturing her anymore. He stood on top of her limp figure, savouring every scream, every grunt of agony.

He put his hand on the nape of her neck, squeezing it and forcing her to look at the tip of his wand pressed against her sternum. "I am going to kill you now, Cassandra." If before she could still detect the familiar tone of the man who had raised her, his voice was now unrecognizable.

He raised his wand to her throat, expecting her to plead for her life. His thumb was pressed hard against a nerve, sending jolts of pain through her spine. Cass simply looked at him in defiance. She wasn't going to beg, she wasn't going to scream.

Arnas' mouth contracted in a snarl, exposing his white teeth. He bent down and pressed his wand down her broken jaw. The pain was unbearable, but Cass kept her eyes on him, drawing sharp breaths, putting all her self control in not uttering a sound, hoping that it would all end soon.

"Father, what are you..." Theo's eyes scanned the scene. "Cassandra, are you okay?"

With an incredible effort, Cass managed to roll her exhausted body away from her father's grasp and crawl behind Theo's legs, where another pair of hands lifted her on her feet. In her hazy state, she couldn't process how many people were in the living room.

"Back away, Theodore." Arnas had his wand pointed at his son's chest. He looked mad. His eyes were wide and lifeless, his skin red, glistening with pearls of sweat. He would have done anything at that moment, and it seemed that both Cass and Theo knew that.

Cass' leg gave up again, but before she could fall, the same hands as before supported her, joined by different ones. A blur of words, red and green lights, and Cass felt herself screaming. Arnas would have killed Theo. He couldn't kill Theo.

When she regained consciousness, her leg burned terribly. She sat up on her bed. Looking down, she saw Blaise crouched and pouring something on her calf.

"Stop." She whined. A sharp pain pervaded her mouth as soon as she moved it. She winced and blinked twice. Draco was standing in front of her, holding a glass stained with blood.

"It's going to make you better, I promise." Blaise dropped a few more Dittany drops on her wound.

"Where's Theo?" Cass tried to stand up, being stopped immediately by Draco, who kept her sitting on the bed. She cupped her jaw, groaning in pain. It was less swollen than before, but it still hurt terribly. She caught a whiff of jasmine coming from the cup in Draco's hands. A pain relieving-potion.

"He's fine, he's downstairs. He's going to sort your jaw in a second." Blaise said, gently rubbing the essence on her leg. "Ferula." He had drawn his wand and bandages appeared, securing themselves on her calf.

Cass fumbled in her pockets for a few seconds. Her wand wasn't there. "My..." she tried to speak. Draco handed her her wand and she cast Episkey on herself. "I can do it myself." The pain in her jaw had disappeared, although she was still slurring because of the fracture. "Accio Skele-Gro."

In a few moments, a creamy-white bottle flew in the room. Cass caught it and poured several drops in the glass Draco was holding. She chugged the content, swallowing back a retch, immediately feeling her bones snapping into place.