Snape's family (Severus x OC)

15 Death

Ginny had dozed off, not sure how long she had spent in complete darkness.

She woke up when Bellatrix returned to bring her food. Apparently, the death eater had orders not to let her die, but Ginny was not comforted by that. Bellatrix smiled cruelly as she saw the remains of the previous meal and the girl's stained face.

"I see that it is true that you Weasleys are like dogs."

"I'm not going to give you the pleasure of dying here," Ginny responded, defiant despite her situation.

"Well, you would be doing a great favor, you know? Your boyfriend will surely risk his life to save yours. A heroic act, but useless despite everything," Bellatrix laughed, and added evilly. "If you died, he wouldn't have to waste his life for you."

"You are such a..." Ginny insulted Bellatrix in every way she knew, with all the hatred and anger she was capable of feeling.

The death eater advanced towards her, grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up.

"Don't ever talk to me like that again," she whispered, bringing her face closer to the girl's, and then, with incredible force, she threw Ginny against the wall. The young woman screamed in pain and curled in on herself, as a stone stuck in her back. "Crucio!"

The curse ran through her entire body, making her writhe in pain. Ginny didn't want to scream, but the death eater tortured her mercilessly, until her screams finally echoed through the basement.

When Bellatrix was satisfied, she retreated down the stairs, but not before kicking the plate she had brought, spilling its contents on the floor.

Ginny continued hunched over, trying to breathe, for a long time after Bellatrix left the cell. She fought the pain and tried to move, despite the twinges she felt throughout her body, rejoicing to discover that, apparently, she had nothing broken. That's when she realized her arm was bleeding.

Ginny turned with effort to look at the wound, and discovered that, due to the impact against the wall, a piece of stone had broken, injuring her.

The girl ignored the blood and groped for the stone with her hands; she already had something to cut her ropes with.

***

Celine hummed the song playing on the radio as she drove, trying to keep her nervousness at bay.

Draco sat by her side, without saying anything, and looked at her thoughtfully, glad that she was the one accompanying him, but unable to explain why.

The noise of the engine and the monotonous movement of the car were making him sleepy, but even so, he couldn't stop looking at her. He remembered how he had met her and how pretty she had seemed to him then, and he also remembered how he had insulted her afterwards (and felt stupid for it), and how Celine had taken her revenge in the forest.

After that, and the fight with the manticore, he had not bothered her again, and Celine had little by little become someone who was always by his side when he needed to talk, someone who, in some sense, supported him. She had become a friend.

"You know? I'm surprised what you're going to do," Celine commented, waking him up. "I would never have imagined you helping Harry."

"I already told you, if he is the only one capable of defeating the Dark Lord, he better not be distracted by anything. If he falls, many of us will be in danger."

"Oh."

"And... well, a lot of people I care about will be too," Draco added, unsure. Celine glanced at him, surprised, before focusing on the road again.