Draco Malfoy and the Girl Who Hid

42

The cold, stone walls of the dungeons echoed with Yn's strangled cries, each one reverberating through the narrow hallways and chilling Draco to his core. He could feel the magical energy pulsing through the stone, could sense the depth of Bellatrix's intrusion into Yn's mind. She had her hands pressed against Yn's temples, her eyes closed in rapture as she delved deeper, relentless in her quest to extract information.

Draco's footsteps pounded against the ground as he rushed toward them, his pulse racing with a mixture of dread and fury. The sight of Yn, writhing under his aunt's grip, her face twisted in agony, pushed him over the edge. He didn't even stop to think. "Stop! Stop it now!" he shouted, grabbing Bellatrix's shoulder and yanking her back.

Bellatrix spun around, her eyes wild with shock and anger, a manic gleam in her gaze. "What are you doing, Draco?" she sneered. "This is what must be done! She's hiding something, and I intend to find it."

Draco's jaw clenched, and he stood his ground. "You're killing her! This isn't going to work. She's not going to talk if you break her."

Bellatrix let out a low, venomous laugh, her fingers twitching as she looked back at Yn, who was slumped on the floor, barely conscious, trembling violently. "Oh, poor little Draco. So weak. Just like his mother, always fussing over things that don't matter."

Draco's anger flared, but he kept his tone steady, forcing himself to sound calm. "If you kill her, the Dark Lord will have nothing. He needs her alive."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes but reluctantly withdrew, muttering curses under her breath as she straightened her robes. "You're getting soft, Draco. The Dark Lord doesn't need weakness in his ranks." She gave Yn one last, hateful glance before sweeping out of the dungeon.

The moment she was gone, Draco dropped to his knees beside Yn, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but she flinched, scrambling back from him as if his touch burned. The pain and betrayal in her eyes were almost unbearable, but he pushed aside his own guilt, focusing on helping her.

"Yn, it's all right now. She's gone," he said softly, trying to keep his voice gentle, though he knew it would offer little comfort.

Yn shuddered, pressing her back against the cold wall, her eyes narrowing with fury and distrust. "Stay away from me, Draco," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Don't pretend to care."

Draco's heart sank, but he forced himself to remain steady, taking a deep breath as he met her gaze. "I had to step in. She... she would have killed you."

Yn's laugh was brittle, filled with bitterness. "So what? You'll just keep me alive so they can do it again tomorrow?"

Draco hesitated, searching her face for any sign of softness, any hint that she might understand his impossible position. But her eyes were hard, her expression filled with a cold determination. He knew he couldn't reach her, not yet. Perhaps not ever.

Sighing, he turned toward the door, gesturing for two of the young ladies-in-waiting who were often at his mother's side. They had been passing by, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Come in," he ordered, stepping back to give them space. "Help her. Make sure she's taken care of."

The girls hesitated, glancing at each other before approaching Yn, their movements tentative. They seemed wary of her, as if they feared catching whatever had drawn the Dark Lord's attention to this tortured girl.

As they knelt beside Yn, one of them extended a trembling hand, offering a small flask of water. "Here... this will help," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.