Love Of My Life

Chapter Nineteen: Alive And Well

Salem opened her eyes and immediately felt the pain hit her again. Her head was pounding and every inch of her body ached.

She didn't know where she was and she didn't want to sit up with the fear of causing herself more pain. All her viewpoint could see was a dark ceiling and she began to cry. She didn't make a sound but the tears just fell from her eyes as she laid there motionless.

"Salem." She hears a familiar voice call out. 

"Am I dead?" She simply asks as her voice cracks. "No, no darling. We're still at the manor." Lucius says as he sits beside her with his face over hers so she could see him. "Is he still here?" She asks as she chokes up on her own words and begins to really cry this time. 

"No, he's gone. They're all gone." He reassures her as he gently picks her up and holds her aching body in his arms.

"Salem I'm so sorry, I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted you to have to see this side of me." He apologies as she continues to cry softly. "Well, now I'm a part of this." She says as she looks down at the dark mark that was engraved into her skin.
"Salem I-"

He's cut off by the door opening and Severus steps in. "Well if it isn't death eater number 2," Salem says as he closes the door. 

"Where have you been?" Lucius asks. "Outside with Abraxas. The Daily Prophet is here and they wanted a statement from us." Severus informs him. "What story are we going with?" Lucius asks. "Abraxas 'suspects' that he came after the minister and we all got out with a few people injured but no deaths. As far as I could tell, they all believed it." he tells him as he sits at the foot of the bed.

"Whatever you're gonna say, just say it. I know you're not going to want anything to do with us now." Severus says as he turns his head out of shame. 

"That's not true." She says as they both look up at her, eyes full of hope. "If I'm being honest, I really don't know what to say." She tells them. 

"I just need a bit of time to process everything that's happened in the last ten hours because my life just got a shit ton more complicated." She admits as she fights back more tears.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts and I'm going to figure this all out." She says as she stands up and fumbles her steps. 

Lucius tries to help her but she quickly jerks away from him.

That one simple gesture nearly brought Lucius to tears, because he knew that he had fucked up. He fucked up and he lost the only thing that made him happy.

"And this is something that I must figure out on my own." She says as she suddenly apparates out of the room.

**********

"Everyone, it's all going to be alright. Lucius and Salem will be back." Andromeda announces to the common room filled with worried Slytherins. 

"We know Snape's alive but we don't know that they'll be back." A first-year that Salem was mentoring, says through teary eyes.

If Andromeda was being honest, she didn't know if Salem or Lucius was alive. She didn't know what Salem was even doing at Malfoy Manor but this wasn't the time for that. All she cared about at this point was knowing whether or not she would be mourning her best friend in the following hours.

As if her prayers were answered, the common room door jerks open and incomes Salem, bruised, bloodied, and hurting.

"Salem." She runs over and helps her stay upright. "I'm okay." She reassures her best friend, even though she was lying. 

"Is Lucius alive?" Zabini asks. "Yes. Lucius is alive and well at the manor." She tells him as Andromeda helps her to the stairs.

She gets Salem to her room and closes the door.

"What happened?" She asks as Salem slowly sits down on her bed, still in a tremendous amount of pain. 

"Lucius invited me to the New Years' Eve gala for the ministry and everything was going well. We danced, drank, the minister even offered me a position for when I graduate." Salem tells her as Andromeda's hands her clothes to change out of the evening gown. 

"Then Lucius and I went outside to get some fresh air. I heard fireworks, figured it was midnight and then I remembered there were no fireworks in the wizarding world." She says as her eyes become glossy once more. 

"Oh, Salem..." Andromeda hugs her for comfort. 

"And then everyone came running outside. I was tortured under the cruciatus curse and in that moment, I was readying myself for inevitable death." She tells her as she slowly pulls off the gown, changing into an old t-shirt.

"I know you're probably questioning why I was there but-"

"Hey, that is not important right now. I will ask questions when you are okay again. I'm just happy that you're alive, Salem." She says as she wraps her arms around her best friend.

"Thank you." She manages to choke up.