Daisy Potter and the Fallen Angel (Book 7, Harry Potter ff)

Chapter 26 - No Pink Clouds

I hung in Riddle's arms, nearly sobbing, as Fred, George, Terry, Lee, Dean, and surprisingly, Luna and Ollivander the wand maker, were forced into the room by Bellatrix.

Fred, George, and Terry's faces immediately twisted in fury when they saw me, paling, and Terry tried to run forward; with a lazy flick of Bellatrix's wand, he was flung backward, nearly knocking over George, the latter holding him up and setting him back on his feet.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Fred snarled, and I shook my head at him, my eyes wide - he can't speak to Riddle like that! Does he want to get killed?

"Ah. Weasley. We meet again." Riddle said pleasantly. "Though I cannot say that I am happy to see you. I rather dislike you."

"The feeling's mutual." Fred seethed, and I noticed that both George and Lee's hands were clamped down on his arms, firmly holding him back.

"Red, shut up!" I pleaded weakly. "Don't provoke him!"

"No, no, it is quite all right, my love." Riddle tightened his grip on me, tilting me to set me on the floor. My legs wobbled, but Riddle quickly slid his arm around my waist, holding me up. "Let him speak. I am eager to hear his thoughts about me. About your HUSBAND."

I glanced at Fred, alarmed. His usually cheekily-attractive face was twisted, scowling, his eyes flashing with a rage I'd rarely ever seen before on him.

"You are not her husband." Fred said slowly, harshly. "You are a predator."

"A predator." Riddle repeated, his voice soft but dangerous. "What does that make you, then, Weasley? With your initial carved above her heart?"

I felt faint; with each second spent trying to keep myself from passing out onto the floor, I felt that I was being drained of all my energy.

"What?" Fred said loudly. "What? You made me do that - you were trying to get to me through her -"

Riddle laughed. It was a high, cold laugh, one laced with menace. "I was only influencing the situation. You would not have sliced open Miss Potter's skin and spilled her blood if you did not truly want to do it."

Fred's mouth fell open. "I - I - I wasn't wanting to -"

"Aha." Riddle smirked, his hand curling around my hip. "You are stuttering now. Some part of you wanted to lay claim to my wife, regardless if you specifically wanted to harm her. And now she has your mark on her..."

"No - no - that's not what I wanted -"

"Oh, but it was, was it not?" Riddle said. "You attempted to mark her as yours. But it was too late, Weasley. I have already marked her as mine... all over her skin, everywhere..."

Riddle's eyes dropped, and he pointed his wand at my torn and bloody jumper. It fell apart around me, leaving my topless body shivering in his other hand. He smirked, his eyes on my chest covered with heart-shaped scars, but then the corners of his mouth turned down as his eyes moved lower.

"Bella..." He said, his quiet voice laced with danger. "What have you done to my wife?"

My cuts throbbed as blood slowly but steadily seeped out of them, all along my stomach and sides, all up and down my arms. Riddle's eyes focused on the wound left by Gryffindor's sword, which had opened again under the torture and had drenched the bandages with blood.

"I didn't do it, my Lord!" Bellatrix shrieked, her wild eyes on the wound too. "It wasn't me! It was already there when she came to us!"

"But you did everything else?" Riddle's eyes moved across to my left forearm. "Including... this?"