Darkest Desire - English

33

Liz had declined when Mattheo offered to hex her to sleep. It would benefit their performance if they kept it as realistic as possible, and that included sleep deprivation.

They'd spent half the night going over the details. At least the ones Liz could know.
"I'm not going to tell you what you can't know. Just in case."

"Just in case?" Liz still struggled with the idea of fully trusting Mattheo. In a fight against yet another basilisk, perhaps, but Bellatrix Lestrange was far worse.

"I'll answer for you most of the time, but if the situation does call for it, you can't say anything that might jeopardize my story."

Liz had changed back into her dirty and ruined school uniform, which they had left in that state on purpose.

Mattheo would claim that he had been following her since Hogwarts and had now finally caught her in a Muggle neighborhood. He hadn't told Liz what his reason for the pursuit was, only assured her that it was a good one.

Together they stood in front of the large fireplace in the basement. The only one that could be hooked up to the Floo network.

"Liz," he gripped her shoulder. "I-"

"It's okay," she interrupted him. Nothing was okay. She hadn't been able to eat or sleep because everything inside her was fighting it.

"I need to say it again. I need to know that you'll really forgive me. Yesterday, that was just a fraction of what I'm going to be today. I'm going to hurt you. Physically, as well as emotionally. You will hesitate for sure, unsure if I planned this all along and just lured you into a trap. I swear to you, I didn't."

Trembling, Liz grabbed his hand. "You can't scare me any more than I already am. Just promise me you won't leave me alone with her. I can survive anything and anyone. Except her."

Doubt flitted across Mattheo's face. Of course, their plan was crazy, but Liz didn't have a better one, and she definitely didn't have the strength to keep running. She was already dizzy from lack of sleep and food.

And then a nod and all warmth disappeared from his features. Roughly, he grabbed Liz's hair and yanked her forward.
"Move it, bitch."

He hadn't finished the sentence when the old familiar room spread out around them. The Lestranges' mansion. It was similarly imposing to the Malfoys', but far shabbier and more used up.

Liz stumbled over the uneven stone floor, but Mattheo made no move to catch her. Instead, he pushed her off him. Liz groaned as her knees cracked on the rough floor.

"Who have we here?" warbled a voice sweet with delight, making Liz instantly forget the pain. Bellatrix Lestrange broke away from the group that had been waiting just for her. Liz didn't have to lift her head to know exactly how manic this woman's eyes must be flashing. Mother. Aunt. No. Neither. Bellatrix was her own personal nightmare.

"I picked her up not far from London. In an ugly Muggle suburb."

If Liz had thought Lucius Malfoy could be threatening, it was only because she had never heard Mattheo talk like that before. Involuntarily, she wrapped her arms around herself and cast her first glance up at the bystanders.

The Malfoys, of course. Father, mother, child. The perfect family. At least Draco had the decency to let a hint of horror seep through his patchy mask.
Bellatrix and her husband. And two other figures who had completely wrapped themselves in their cloaks.

"How unfortunate to see you again, Lysandra," Bellatrix purred, making a half circle to scrutinize her ward. "Do tell me how a Squib can escape a Djinn." Bellatrix had already raised her wand, not really expecting an answer from Liz. She was about to crouch down to cast whatever spell when Mattheo interjected.