Don't Save Me

Chapter 31: Again?

Once again, the summer passed and I hated every torturous minute of it. Relief washed over me as I woke up the next morning to my uncle screaming at me to "wake your ass up and make sure you are ready for school tomorrow!" The end of the summer was the only time I ever appreciated his yelling because it meant he was telling me to wake up so I could leave. I dragged my body off the floor and stood at the end of the stairs. The basement door opened and my uncle began walking down the stairs.

"Are you up?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Make sure your trunk is packed and do not make me wait for you tomorrow morning. I am off to work. I will be back later tonight."

"Yes, sir."

With that, he walked back up the stairs, closing the door behind him. After I heard the front door slam and the car pull out of the driveway, I waited five agonizingly long minutes before bolting up the stairs, grabbing my broom, and taking off.

I arrived at Malfoy Manor not long after and knocked on the door. Dobby answered the door and immediately ushered me inside.

"Come inside. Master Malfoy told Dobby we may be expecting Miss Y/n." I smiled at the little elf as he brought me upstairs to the same door as before. My legs felt weak but I forced them to hold my body up. Dobby knocked on the door and a shuffling of papers was, once again, heard from the office before the door swung open. Lucius quickly scooped me into his arms and carried me to the guest room.

"Get Narcissa, Dobby," Lucius ordered and Dobby quickly scurried out of the room.

"Again?" Lucius asked. I nodded.

"Every summer," I whispered, looking away. Once again, the adrenaline wore off and I began to feel the full extent of my injuries. My eyelids began to close and I had to force them to stay open.

"Don't let me fall asleep, Lucius... please. He'll be home in 6 hours and I have to be there when he gets home." Lucius nodded, pushing the hair out of my face.

"Even if you do fall asleep, I will make sure you are back in time so nothing happens to you, dear."

Narcissa rushes into the room, Dobby following closely behind her.

"Dammit, Lucius! I knew we shouldn't have let her go back!" Narcissa shouted, as tears ran down her cheeks. "He did this to you?"

"It's okay... Just a few more years... that's all," I whispered in broken fragments as the pain became overwhelming. "I can... I can do this." Narcissa placed her hand on my arm and I winced in pain as her fingertips brushed a bruise. She quickly retracted her hand.

"Y/n, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think... I- I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I said, trying to smile as my body burned with pain.

"Let's get you healed, yeah?" Lucius asked, pulling out his wand. He pressed it to my arm and, once again, the burning filled my arms as the bruises and cuts disappeared. He lowered his wand, waiting to see if all the bruises disappeared. I went to sit up but an ache spread through my stomach and I quickly lowered my body to the bed once more, letting out a small whimper.

"Y/n?" Narcissa asked.

"Mhm?" I responded, trying not to show the amount of pain I was in.

"Y/n... may I lift up your shirt so I can see your stomach?" I hesitated for a moment before nodding at her. Her hands lifted the hem of my shirt and exposed a deep purple and brown bruise on my stomach.

"Y/n...," Narcissa whispered, gently touching my stomach. "How did this happen?"

"I think it's pretty obvious how it happened," I responded, not wanting to remember the details.

"Y/n... I think you have some internal bleeding. When did this happen?"

"Uhm... well, this happened last night." Narcissa nodded softly, tears in her eyes as Lucius raised his wand once again and pressed it to my stomach. Tears slipped down my cheeks as the burning returned. Narcissa held my hand in hers as Lucius performed the spell. She lifted up one hand and pushed my hair from my face. I tried to bite back the screams but it was no use. As the spell reached its pique, the pain became unbearable. I screamed for relief, tears streaming down my face.

"I know, dear... I know," Narcissa soothed, her hand smoothing the hair away from my face. "Dobby, go get a cold, damp cloth, please," she said and the small house elf scurried out the door, returning just a few moments later with a cloth. Narcissa brought the cloth to my forehead, trying to wipe the droplets of sweat that were sliding down my forehead.

"Lucius... why is this spell taking longer than normal?" Narcissa asked, turning to Lucius.

"It's internal bleeding, Narcissa... I've never done this before... It takes a bit longer," he replied, tears in his eyes as he watched my body writhe in pain. Narcissa nodded and brought the damp cloth to my forehead again.

"Please make it stop!" I screamed, the burning becoming unbearable. A sob slipped from Narcissa's lips as my screams filled the room. A few moments later, Lucius lowered his wand and the pain slowly dulled. My breathing was heavy and sweat dripped from my forehead, my hair sticking to my face.

"Y/n...," Narcissa began but I quickly cut her off.

"Don't. I already know what you're going to say and just... don't."

"Y/n... we can't let you go back there."

"We've been over this already."

"Y/n, that was before it got this bad! I understand you want to protect the people you care about but this... this is going too far. It isn't worth all this. You shouldn't have to suffer," Narcissa reasoned.

"It will all be over soon, Narcissa. I just have to make it to 18... that's all."

"That's all!" Lucius hissed. "That's four more years of this suffering, Y/n! We can't let you go back there!"

"Please... it isn't normally this bad... he just had a bad day at work yesterday. Please, just let it go. I won't survive if he hurts Severus or my other friends. Please..." I begged. Lucius took my hand in his.

"You really care for Severus, don't you?" he asked.

"He's my best friend. I'd do anything for him," I replied. Lucius and Narcissa shared a knowing look before turning back to me.

"Y/n, we'll keep your secret, but if it gets this bad again... promise me you'll come to us. You got lucky this time that the internal bleeding started just last night. If it would have happened any sooner and you waited to come to us... you might not have made it here." I nodded to Lucius and him and Narcissa pulled me into a hug.

"I have to go... I have to make sure I am back before he gets home," I said, pulling away from the hug. "Thank you... for everything." Lucius and Narcissa nodded and I walked out of the guest room. Before I turned down the hallway, I heard Narcissa's sobs and Lucius trying to soothe her as his own sobs threatened to overtake him.

"She's just a child," I heard Narcissa sob.

"I know, darling... but we promised her. She wants to protect Severus and her friends... I'd do the same for you, my dear," Lucius responded. I quickly left before my own sobs overwhelmed me. I quickly left the manor, jumping on my broom and returning to my uncle's home. I entered the basement and made sure my trunk was fully packed before pulling on a long sleeve sweater and curling up on the cold floor to sleep.