Black and White

25

I've been sitting on my bed, preparing myself, for two hours. Finally, there is a knock on the door. I open it, and look up at Draco. He looks so broken.

"I'm-" His voice catches in his throat, and he has to clear it before he can try again. "I'm supposed to take you down to the meeting room."

I nod and give his hand a quick squeeze, before releasing him, and walking towards my fate. He follows slowly. A few steps from the closed doors, I turn to my cousin.

"Draco," I whisper. "If he decides to kill me, please don't look. You're not like them. Promise that you won't watch him kill me."

Draco stares at me for a long moment. "I promise," he answers.

I hug him quickly. "I love you, Dra."

"Love you, too, Lucy," he chokes out.

He composes himself, before opening the door for me, showing me the way to my destruction.

I enter, and see only about half of the Death Eaters are here, and the table is gone. They all stand across the room from me, most of them smirking. Voldemort is in the middle of the room, staring me down. Draco joins his parents. And then it begins.

"You've done us a service, Black, by killing that wretched blood-traitor you call a father. But then you betrayed us, attacked one of our own," Voldemort accuses. "I am going to kill you. But first, Lucida, you will know pain like never before."

A shiver of fear runs down my spine. I knew I would be tortured first, but knowing isn't the same as being ready.

"Crucio!" Voldemort cries.

I fall to the ground, not even attempting to hold back my screams and tears. It's worse, so much worse, than any time Bellatrix or Lucius cursed me. And he just laughs at my pain.

He stops just long enough for me to take a breath. And then it begins again.

"Crucio!"

"Crucio!"

"CRUCIO!"

Then, during a pause, someone clears their throat.

"My lord, if I may," Professor Snape requests, stepping forward from the group of Death Eaters.

In the reprieve, I glance at Draco, and see silent tears streaming down his face as Aunt Narcissa holds him close.

"Yes, Severus?" Voldemort asks, but his tone makes it sound like a test.

Professor Snape doesn't even look at me as he says, "My lord, I believe Lucida could still be of use to me. She has become close with Dumbledore. I could use her help as a spy."

Voldemort seems to be considering, but his eyes are narrowed in suspicion. "This has nothing to do with her, I trust."

The way he says it, I don't think he's talking about me.

"No, my lord," Snape assures. "I couldn't care less about that incident."

Voldemort eyes me for a moment, then grins back at Snape. "Prove it, then," he orders, gesturing to me with his wand. "Prove to me that you harbor no feelings for little Lucida."

"Easy," Snape says simply.

He turns to me, his back facing Voldemort. But as he raises his wand, a look crosses the professor's face that I've never seen on him before. Fear, and sorrow. And pain. And that, I think, scares me more than anything else.

"Crucio," he says softly, and the stabbing pain rips through me again as Voldemort laughs.

A scream tears from my throat, tears streaming down my face. But he doesn't release me. Not until-