Fire and Ice (Book 2)

Chapter 12 - Explanations and Arguments

ROSE'S POV-

Gradually, Alice started to heal. We didn't really know how to talk about what happened at the ministry. None of us wanted to bring it up to her. What Lucius did was horrible, disgusting even. In the end, it was me who got her talking. I knew it would be hard but we needed to know the details on what happened. Just yesterday I managed to shoo Al out of the room Alice was resting in. We were now alone. I sat on the side of her bed and sighed.

"It's extremely annoying listening to Al constantly fret over you." I said with a smirk. "Yeah, I'd have to agree if it wasn't so cute." She said with a giggle. "Oh whatever. How are you feeling?" I asked casually. "Better I guess. My abdomen still hurts occasionally. Scorp's stitches are holding nicely though." She commented. I noticed the dark shadows under her eyes indicating lack of sleep. I knew the feeling all to well. I didn't like sleeping when we first got home from the hospital after I'd been tortured. I was finally off of dreamless draught and the dreams were just to much. "I know this is going to be hard, but could we talk about what happened in the Ministry?" I asked hopefully. She sighed. "I knew this was coming. I guess we should just get it over with." She said. "Maybe we should start with what happened." I suggested. "Al's given us a faint outline on things, but not many details." I said. She took a breath and exhaled deeply. "Here goes nothing. After Lucius broke in, Al and I were separated from you and Scorpius. Lucius set a few things on fire and we were both completely lost in all of the smoke. Out of nowhere Lucius popped out. There were a few others with him. They started to beat us." She said as her voice broke. "It went on for a while. Then we sat in a room. He told us if we said a word we were dead. We sat still for hours until he came back in. He took me into another room. He pulled out a-a-a knife. He said if we didn't stop trying to stop him he'd cut me. I told him nothing in this world could ever stop me from attempting to end his evil actions. He didn't like that answer. He c-c-cut me." She said as a sob escaped her. I wrapped my arms around her comfortingly. I knew exactly how she felt. "I don't know how you put up with it for a month. I just wish we would have found you quicker. I can't even begin to imagine how awful it was." She said with a sniffle.

"I kind of got used to it." I said honestly. "Well, it's nothing you should have to get used to." She said fiercely. "At least I have someone to talk to about everything. Al is great, but he doesn't quite understand. And I know what I went through was just of a fraction of what happened to you. And it might be aggravating to hear me go on about all of this. He only hurt me for a few hours. You were trapped for a month! A whole bloody month! I just don't know how you manage to get up in the mornings." She said. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Every second of every day I can feel the blade digging into my skin. I can feel my body withering from the weight of countless curses. And every time I sleep, I see his menacing grin. An insane, power thirsty man. I just can't deal with it!" She said as she pulled her knees to her chest. She shook with sobs and I wrapped my arms around her. "It gets easier. I promise." I vowed.

We stayed like that for a while longer. Just two best friends who were fighting similar battles. Alice eventually sat up and wiped away her remaining tears. She pulled her long blonde hair into a sloppy ponytail and sighed. "So a time turner?" She asked randomly. "Yup. A bloody time turner." I said with a groan. "It could be worse." She said optimistically. "Yeah, right." I said sarcastically. "How are we supposed to stop a man with a time turner? He has the potential to kill all of us!" I shrieked. "We both know Scorpius won't let that happen." She said. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, Lucius is his grandfather. His flesh and blood. He has the biggest reason to hate him. I know wants him dead. Every time any of us mentions his name I can see it. And the fact that Lucius has hurt you kills him. He loves you more than anything in the entire world." She said. A blush grew in my cheeks. "And you know all of this how?" I said in a falsely modest tone.