When Darkness Calls

Chapter 7- Dark Stranger

My body didn’t feel my own as it contorted in the pitch black, just when I thought my body couldn’t take any more pressure the back of my head connected with something solid and my body landed on a carpeted floor.

‘Ahh bless I don’t think she’d been taught the art of apparition yet,’ mockingly the younger of two men that had taken me laughing whilst staring down at my crumpled body.

‘Wh….where am I?’ I asked rubbing the back of my head that had hit the wall.

‘All in good time dear now let’s go and get you looking a bit more presentable,’ his eyes trailed down my body as I realised I was still only wearing my nightdress and Snape’s cloak. The way he looked at me made me feel uneasy and I tried in vain to cover myself with my hands.

‘Follow me.’ The older man still had not spoken but watched me cautiously as I followed the younger out the room.

We left the small empty room and walked out into a hall covered with plush, dark red carpet that felt good under my feet. The walls were dark panelled wood and lined with portraits and landscape scenes. We passed door after door of what appeared to be uninhabited rooms. A portrait of a woman caught my eye when I suddenly ran into the back of the younger man in front who had stopped dead in his tracks and was bending down head bowed.

‘Scabior I trust you were successful?’ he voice was familiar, it was him the stranger in my dreams. I righted myself as Scabior, as I now knew him to be, stepped to the side and I looked into his ice blue eyes which briefly connected with mine before trailing down and back up again with an unimpressed curl of his lip. He was dressed in a black shirt and loose black trousers his pale skin striking in contrast. My heart started pounding in my chest but the way he was looking at me stopped me from advancing towards him. I smiled at him but it wasn’t returned he looked back at me with a glare indifference.

‘Get her something to put on then bring her down after breakfast it has been a while since we’ve had some…….entertainment. ’ the way he said the last word made my stomach flip.

‘Yes my Lord, thank you my Lord,’ Scabior said bowing in time.

As I watched my dark stranger walk away I was frozen to the spot. Scabior grabbed me roughly by the arm and half dragged me down the corridor.  I was suddenly anxious it felt like a million butterflies were fluttering in my stomach the sensation was almost unbearable. Something was wrong, the way he barely looked at me and when he did it was with such disgust, such disdain. The things he told me in my dreams I thought he understood me I thought he wanted me? Maybe he was just busy and would come to see me later, I hoped. I had wanted to come here he had promised to teach me how to control my powers he told me I would be free to do and go where I pleased. No doubt I would have more of an idea what was going on after breakfast when I get to see him again. Why did Scabior call him Lord? The young man had appeared so fearful in his presence perhaps he was an authority figure like the professors at Hogwarts and taught many young witches and wizards the art of magic.

‘Here we go you’ll find some clothes in the drawers in here I’ll be back for you in a few hours.’ We had come to a stop and Scabior gestured into a dimly lit room. I tentatively entered the small sparsely decorated room. Like the hall it had the same carpet but that’s where the luxury feel stopped. There was a single wrought iron bed and a low ceramic basin under a large double hung window that had a lit candle on its ledge. Tucked behind the door was the large oak chest of drawers.

‘Once I leave you won’t be able to leave this room so I suggest you get cleaned up them try and get some rest,’ Scabior said with his hand on the door.

‘What, why won’t I be able to leave the room,’ I asked in confusion, ‘am I a prisoner here?’ The room certainly looked like a cell.

‘Well that depends on you my dear.’ Scabior said with a dark smile and with that he slammed the door and was gone.

I immediately tried the door but as I expected I found it to be locked and the window also. I looked out the window but the world was plunged in darkness and I had no way of knowing what time it was. The whole night had been a blur from being in the forest, to the kiss and finally to being rescued? Kidnapped? I didn’t know now. I ached all over and was weak from lack of food. I decided to try and clean myself up and then I’d get some rest I was feeling exhausted. There was no way I could escape this room so I needed to sit tight and try and regain some strength.

I tried the door again to make sure it was locked then I went over to the sink and removed Snape's cloak and then my nightdress . I turned the taps which spluttered in protest before brown water started to trickle out. After a minute or two the water started to clear and I filled the sink while looking for something to wash with. Finding nothing I ripped my nightdress up and soaked the rags in the water it was ruined anyway. I started washing my feet working up trying to get all the caked on dirt off my body and face. Despite Snape’s balm my feet were still sore but felt better at least I could walk on them. When I thought of Snape washing my feet I blushed hard. What had I been thinking to kiss him like that and why did he get so angry with me I suppose I’d never know nor did I want to.

When I had freshened up I went to drawers to find something to wear. I opened each drawer in time to be met with row after row of black clothes. I couldn’t distinguish one garment form the next. Who had this room belonged to I wondered as I started throwing items on the bed.  There was a lot of long skirts and dresses but I eventually found a long black jumper that hung off one shoulder and a pair of black trousers that were a bit big and hung on my hips. I got into bed and took a few deep breaths trying to clear my mind of my racing thoughts. It took a long time to slow the anxious pounding of my heart by after a while I drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.

‘Time to get up sleepy head,’ Scabior’s voice was close and had its usual mocking tone, when I opened my eyes I saw he was crouched next to the bed his chin resting on his arms that lay across my pillow. I quickly got up out of bed not wishing to be anywhere near him he made me feel uneasy, the way he looked at me.

‘The Dark Lord wishes to see you and we mustn’t keep him waiting.’ There was no humour in his voice now and my stomach dropped in anxious anticipation.