Memory Of A Dear Place

34. The Dinner

July, 1996

~\~ Bella Huxley ~\~

I slowly open my eyes. Darkness. Head pounding. Muscles aching. Cold hard stones pressing into my skin.

I stay still for a few seconds, using only my eyes to take in my surroundings. Where the fuck am I and what the fuck happened?

The last thing I remember was that old lady on the streets having something that looked like a seizure. Cedric running towards her together with some other people. Distracting me from being aware of my surroundings. Hands grabbing me. Apparating away. A house. A big huge fucking house. It all happened within seconds, too fast for me to react, too fast for me to comprehend before everything went black.

I try to move one of my fingers, without any luck. I feel my chest tightening from the inside as I start to panic a little. Where am I? It's too dark for me to notice anything and my view is limited because I can't move my head to look around.

Am I at Malfoy manner? That wouldn't make sense to be honest. Why would they kidnap me and leave me in a dark space without being able to move. Or is this one of Draco's weird jokes? What the fuck is going on?

I hold my breath as I hear a faint sound penetrate the silence. Footsteps. Quick footsteps. First far away, but coming closer. Now so close I can conclude they're coming my way.

I panic, breath quickening. The urge to flee, the urge to run appears in my body, but I can't.

A door opening. Footsteps getting closer, stopping right behind my head. I move my eyes upwards, but am not able to see.

But then a familiar face appear in front of me as they bend over me. Amaris, with a big filthy smirk, eyes piercing through mine.

''Welcome home, Bella... Where you belong!'' she laughs as she strokes my cheek with her long, black finger nail. Oh fuck.

''SHE'S UP!!'' she screams as her high pitched lunatic voice fills the unknown space. More footsteps closing in. Theodore appearing next to her.

''We'll do it right away...'' Theodore says dryly as he reaches underneath my armpits and yanks my stunned body up.

''Yay!'' Amaris cheers as she claps in her hands and Theodore now carry's me over his shoulder. As he walks I can only see the ground move in front of me.

He then throws me over a table, my front pressing against the wood. I can see the warm tones of a flickering fire. What are they going to do to me?!

Theodore moves away and Amaris moves herself in front of where my head is lying. She grabs all of my hair in her hands, exposing the back of my neck.

''Did you see that filth in her neck Theodore?!'' Amaris scoff as she yanks my head up by my hair, scowling at the hickeys in my neck.

''Yes...'' Theodore says lowly, preparing something near the fireplace.

''She's been a filthy whore...'' Amaris hisses as she grabs my neck tightly.

''Patience Amaris... She will learn. That Malfoy boy has been too soft on her, we know that now...'' Theodore says with a calm voice. Amaris releases my neck, dropping my head back onto the table.

I can hear Theodore move next to Amaris.

''My dear, if you will...'' he whispers. I can not see, but I hear Amaris use her wand for something, whispering words unknown to me. I hear sizzling. What the fuck are they doing?

Suddenly Theodore presses something hard into the skin in the back of my neck. The pain I feel is indescribable and it's worse because I can't scream or move.