CURSED: FROM THE BEGINNING [D.M]

-(60) it is my fault

DRACO is the last one to arrive at the Dark Lord's Lair upon his call. He had ignored the burn in his forearm until he could no more. He didn't leave Zilliah there because he wanted to but because he had to. There's nowhere else she'd be safer than among her own people but he still feels this dread in his chest as if something might happen to her if he's not around, especially when she is vulnerable like she is right now. But he has no other choice. He has to answer Voldemort's call. He has to receive the punishment for failing him. He can't let him grow too suspicious either. Zilliah and Draco's relationship was never quite a secret at Hogwarts. And he'd only be surprised if Voldemort doesn't come to learn of it sooner or later.

He walks into the hall, his eyes downcast.

"Where is she, Draco?", Voldemort's voice is anxious, angry.

"I lost her, my lord", Draco lies. In an instant does the pain rip through his body, his bones feeling like they're being crushed under the weight of a thousand stones. He falls to the ground on his knees, his mind a disastrous hurricane. He can't feel anything but the curse eating away at his soul, making him wish he was better off dead. That's the thing about the Cruciatus- it makes you wish Death would place his crooked hands upon you and take you away just so the pain could finally stop.

"You useless fools", pounds Voldemort's voice through the air, lifting the curse off of him. And that's when he sees, he was not the only one under the curse. Severus, Yaxley, Pansy and Theo- they all were there, their faces pained and exhausted.

Voldemort walks upto Yaxley, gripping him by the collars and slamming him against the wall. "You killed her!", he hisses in pure rage. "I told you I wanted her alive and you killed her, you moron!"

"I'm- I'm sorry, my lord", Yaxley stutters out, pure fear written across his face. "I didn't think- I- I don't remember how it.. I can't.. I just..  I just remembered I did.."

"Enough!", Voldemort bellows and lets him fall to the ground. "Nagini!", he calls and everyone knows what is about to happen next.

"No no no", pleads Yaxley, clutching onto Voldemort's feet. "Please, my Lord. I'll do anything. Anything. Please don't kill me."

"You're a disgrace to me!", Voldemort's voice is seething, unmerciful.

"I'm so sorry, my Lord. I'll do anything to make it up to you, I swear."

Voldemort kicks Yaxley off of him and turns around, his rage filling the atmosphere with much potency. He calls for Carmen Oliver, one of his men, and orders to him, "Take him away and put him in exile. Somewhere far off. Somewhere stranded. If he wants my forgiveness, he has to make it back here on his own and bring me Zilliah. Until then, he's worthless to me. Now be off with him."

"Yes, my lord", Oliver bows, and grasps Yaxley, dragging him out of the room.

Once they're out of sight , Voldemort walks upto the dias and takes his seat. He points to the last stair leading to it and orders all of them to kneel there. They obey, straining every nerve in them to crawl to that stair. Theo and Pansy take position to the right of Draco while Severus kneels on his left.

"You're utter disappointments", he seethes. "I warned you. I warned you about the consequences you'd have to face if you failed me."

"We're sorry, my lord", Theo manages to speak, his voice small and weak.

"Sorry?!", spites Voldemort. "Your sorries are of no damn use to me." He raises his wand, undoubtedly to use the curse on them again but he is interrupted by Snape speaking up.

"It is my fault, my Lord", he says, his eyes downcast, his voice neutral. "I had her in sight, yet she slipped away. It is me who ordered Malfoy, Parkinson and Nott to spread out and search despite having a hunch about where she might have gone. I should've taken them with me and followed that path. It's entirely my fault, my Lord."

Voldemort laughs maniacally, standing up and rounding about on Snape. "Severus. Severus. Severus. I thought you were better than this."

"I regret having failed you, my Lord."

"Oh, of course you do", Voldemort hisses into his ear, lifting his wand and pointing it at him. "And you'll regret it even more because CRUCIO!"

The pain makes Snape's knees give out and he wriggles on the floor helplessly. His whole body twists and turns but there is not a single sound that escapes him. No cries. No screams. Nothing. He just suffers there in silence and they are made to watch.

He takes the curse for five whole minutes until he can no more. And that's when he passes out cold.

Voldemort withdraws the curse and turns to Draco, hoisting him up by the collar. "You tell your godfather when he wakes up that the only reason he is alive right now is  because he brought about Dumbeldore's death. And you three", he looks at Theo and Pansy before looking back at Draco. "You fail me one more time and you're six feet under the ground, I assure you that."