crave

eighty-nine

tw!!!

*three days later*
my leg bounces up and down, my hands shake, i'm constantly looking around, looking for him. they've locked me in a room so i can't hear what anyone else says while they're being questioned, that anyone else being my mother. i saw draco, cam, and esmeray in the crowd, so i'm sur caleb and kai will be here soon. great, now they'll know. they'll know everything.

"elizabeth alure" my name echos through the room. i look up, a man, a guard, stand at the door. "yes" i breathe out, "we're ready for you" he says and i nod. i stand up, letting out a nervous breath, before i walk out of the room. i turn my head, my eyes connect with draco's and he gives me a soft smile, trying to convince me everything will be okay. "take a seat" the guard says and i nod, i walk up two stairs, making me taller than the crowd, and take a seat in front of a microphone.

"please state your name, age, and relationship to micheal alure" an older woman says from beside me. i sigh as i lean forward, making sure to speak into the mic, "elizabeth alure, age sixteen, i'm micheal alure's daughter" i answer and she nods. "elizabeth, you agree to answer every question with a truthful response and to give exact detail, correct" "correct" i sigh.

my hands are now shaking like crazy as i set them on the table in front of me. i look at draco, then at esmeray, they both give me the same smile.

"let's begin" she says and the crowd silences. "elizabeth alure, can you please tell me how you feel about your father? have you ever feared for your life while with him" the judge asks and i nod. "please use your words" her voice is cold, emotionless, most likely because she has heard of all the horrible things people have done. she's used to the pain by now.

"yes, i have feared for my life. i've never been a fan of my father, i've hidden from him multiple times. he was once my biggest fear" i admit and she nods "can you explain some things you've witnessed your father do to your mother" she asks and i sigh. "i don't think she'd want to me say" i feel like a child, crumbling under all of this weight. "you have to" the judge nods. "i've seen him beat her until she couldn't breath, i've seen him yell in her face, i've seen him hold her down a-and force her to do things with him, i've seen him cast the torture curse on her. h-he likes to make me watch" i sigh, every word i speak brings up memories of the things i've seen.

"has he ever done these things to you, elizabeth" the judge asks "yes" i answer immediatly, not wanting to think much about it. as my eyes scan the crowd, i see my father sitting at a tbale in the corner of the room, cuffed, but still looking like he could kill me. i tell myself to bring my attention back to draco, just look at him, but my father stares at me, planning what he'll do to me if he gets free.

"what are some of the things he's done to you" she asks and i can't help but laugh "we'll be here all day" my humor takes over but quickly leaves as the judge stares down at me. "sorry. he's beaten me, he once repeatedly hit my head against the fireplace, he's tied me up, he's touched me in no way a daughter should be touched by her father, he's threatended me, pulled me out of school, he's raped me repeatedly, almost daily" i admit, watching esmeray's reaction to everything.

tears brim her eyes as he mouth gapes open, the same with caleb. god, he's such an innocent boy he shouldn't be here.

"can you explain the first time your father raped you" the judge asks and i look at her "she doesn't have to do that. that's ridiculous" draco's voice interupts and i turn my head towards him. "mr. malfoy, would you like to be kicked out" the judge seethes, i shake my head at draco, i need him here with me. he sighs "no, ma'am" he spits out as he sits back down, shaking his head.

"now, elizabeth" the judge nods, "um i was six, he had just gotten back from town i think, i had made a mess in the kitchen and he was planning a dinner that evening. my mother wasn't home, she was out getting food for the dinner" i start, trying as hard as i can not to let the image pop into my mind. "he walked into the kitchen and started yelling i told him i was sorry, that i didn't mean to make a mess. he told me that sorry doesn't fix anything and that i needed to be taught a lesson" the words flow back like he said them yesterday.

i look down at my hands, still shaking, not wanting to see anybody's reaction. "he grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs. he pulled me into my bedroom and shut the door. i cried, i told him i was sorry, over and over again. but he wouldn't stop. he took off his clothes and since i was so little he was able to hold me down. and he-um- he called me his sweet little kitten, whispering it in my ear over and over and over" teras fall out of my eyes, hitting the table. "is that enough" i ask and the judge nods.

"she lies" my father spits out and i look at him "i would never" he scoffs and the judge shakes her head "silence yourself mr. alure" she says and he sighs.

"elizabeth, can you explain what this has done to your life" she asks and i nod "well for starters, i can no longer carry a child, i live in a constant fear of what will happen next, i was locked in my house for fifteen years so my education isn't the best, he broke my arm once so most of the time it hurts since he never took me to a hospital, and the dreams i have are horrible" i shake my head. "now, what would you say is the worst thing your father has ever done to you" the judge asks and i look at her.

"please don't make me do this" i whisper and she sighs "you have to, elizabeth" she seems sympathetic so i don't argue. i turn my head back to the microphone, looking at draco and the rest of my friends, all waiting for me to say something.

"he tied me to the bed in my room, my hands and feet were tied so i couldn't move. he was upset because he thought i had slept with someone else" i sigh, "and by slept with you mean-" "sex. i mean he thought i had sex with somebody else" i laugh. "alright, continue" she nods and i look at draco, he knows it was because of him. because he saved me that night. i can remember hating draco for a minute or so while it happened, but then i would remember if he was there he would have helped me.

"he kept me tied for a whole day. he would come in almost every hour perhaps, an-and rape me, and slap me around. then he would set a glass of water beside my bed, where i couldn't reach, just to torment me. i was so thirsty but he said that only thing i could drink wa-was you know" i look at her and she sighs "you have to say it" she says. i look at draco and esmeray again, now both of their mouths gaped open. and a wave of embarrassment sweeps over me.

"elizabeth" the judge says and i sigh "he said i could only drink he's s-semen" i spit out. draco shakes his head as he stands up and walks out, i want to scream, i want to tell him to plese stay. but he doesn't deserve to have to hear this. nobody does. esmeray just looks at me. "please she loved every second of it, that filthy whore" my father spits out, smirking at me the entire time, proud of what he's done. "please mr. alure, shut it" the judge looks at him and he laughs as he leans back.

my stomach turns at the sight of his smile. "alright, i think i have all of the information i need. are we ready for the verdcit" the judge says and i nod. "i find micheal alure, father of elizabeth alure and husband of caroline alure, guilty of using the torture curse in unnecessary situatuions, domestic abuse of a spouse, domestic abuse of a child, assault against a minor, sexual assault against a minor, and unorderly behavior in the court room. micheal alure is sentenced to life in azkaban" the judge yells out and i let out a shaky breath. it's like years of weight lifted off of me as i lay my head in my hands.

"oh my god, thank you" i cry as i shake my head, "you can't do this. i'll get to you, elizabeth. that's a promise" my father calls out as they pull him away. "you can go, elizabeth" the judge nods and i stand up, walking off of the small stage. i walk out to the crowd, esmeray and the rest of the group, still missing draco, walk to me. "liz, we had no idea" kai says and i shrug "i didn't want you to. but i need to see draco" i say and he nods. "he walked out over there, i don't know where he went" he says and i nod.

i walk out of the door, looking around for draco. right beside the door, draco sits on a bench, his head in his hands. "draco" i say, he looks up at me, his eyes are red as if he's been crying. "elizabeth
he lets out a breath as he stands up and walks to me, immediately pulling me to him and wrapping his arms around me. tears fall again. "she found him guilty. he's gone forever" i cry and he sighs "thank merlin, fuck i was so worried" he holds me tighter.

he pulls away and looks at me "why didn't you tell me he did that" he says and i sigh "i didn't want you to know" i shrug and he shakes his head. "you should have told me, elizabeth" he says and i sigh "can we please not talk about that right now, i feel like i could be sick. i just want to go back to hogwarts and lay down" i say and he nods. "i'm so proud of you, elizabeth" he says and i nod "i love you" he kisses my forehead before wrapping his arm around me, "i love you too" i say as i lean my head on his shoulder. i hear cam and the rest of the group follow us out as we start our way back to hogwarts, with my father finally getting what he deserves.