Slytherin Poison

chapter one

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five years ago.

I was a child that night. Not old enough to remember, not old enough to understand.

I hadn't understood why Mum and Dad were tortured without a trace of blood until I realized that the Aurors didn't want to leave a mark that would lead back to them.

At least, not a physical one.

"Where is it?" they demanded with a hiss. "Where is it?"

In my nightmares, there were always blinding flares of light. And, of course, horrible screams that haunted me to this day.

I wanted to save them, I swear I did. I wanted to rush to them and yell at them to stop. I wanted to beg them. I wanted to tell them I would be good if they promised to stop.

But Mum said to stay put. And I always listened to Mum.

"Please," my mother's voice rasped, begging. "Please, I don't know. I don't know, I don't-"

A scream ripped out of her throat and I shrunk back to the corner, unable to watch. Their bodies were writhing on the floor in pain. Mum was grasping her stomach, her hair flayed all over her face, and sobbing in a curled position.

I felt like my ears were bleeding.

"Just tell us where it is," the woman crooned, her teeth baring in hunger, "And we'll let you go."

I was scared.

I was a coward.

Mum had tears flowing down her cheeks. Father was clenching his jaw tight, trying to crawl to Mum but the man waved his wand once more. My parents had refused to say a thing. So, the silence was filled with their terrible screams.

"CRUCIO!"

My mother let out a piercing scream the same time I did. Tears slipped through and I was choking. I just wanted it all to stop.

"Stay put, Rosalynna," Mum had said, shoving me away before they came.

I couldn't take it anymore. I leapt to my feet and almost came out of my hiding spot. The Aurors didn't notice me. It was too dark, too rainy, and too blinding with the lightning. Still, Mum saw me instantly, as if she had been watching me this whole time.

Her eyes, filled with tears, warned me to stay put. Father shook his head slightly before crying out in agony.

It was as if they knew it would be the last time they'd see me.

"Come on, you know what to say." The woman had used her wand to trace my mother's beautiful face. I saw the fury in my mother's eyes, despite the sweat and pain wracking her.

Why were they doing this? How could they just torture Mum and Father like this?

Years later, I would realize that because society had labeled these Aurors, these torturers, as 'good', they could and would get away with murdering them. And my parents?

They were the villains of the story.

I was crying. I almost couldn't take it again but then arms wrapped around me and I was pulled back into the shadows of the room. Into the magical protection conjured by my parents.

I thrashed.

I cried.

I did anything to get to them.

"Rosalyn." Sev, my godfather, had me in his grip. He shook me, hissing in my ear as his dark strands of hair swept down. "Rosalynna. You cannot make a sound."

"Mum!" I cried, but the thunder covered my voice. "Dad! I can't leave-"

A blinding light of green burst out.

"NO!"

My mother had screamed in a way no torture could bring out of her. It was pure agony for my father. Sev closed his eyes in mourning.

A strangled sob left me from that scream. Everything was suddenly silent except the beating of my heart before even that stopped. No. No. This can't be happening, I thought.

That silence.

It was different.

The man broke the terrible silence. "I may have killed your husband, but I don't have to kill you as well. Just tell me where it is."

Sev sucked in a breath. Mother finally spoke.

"You can go to hell."

All I felt was the numbness. They killed him. They killed my father.

"S-Sev?" I asked my godfather, wanting him to say they were lying, but he only held me closer. Tears flowed down my cheeks as then another blinding green flash winked and then soon, there was only rain.

I had wanted the screaming to stop but now I was regretting that wish.

Sev slammed his eyes shut and turned away, as if he could shield me from it all.

"Dead." I heard the disgust in a voice. "You tortured them too hard. Now we lost our only lead."

"Death Eaters, this lot. At least we eliminated them for the greater good."

The footsteps faded through the pattering rain and clamoring thunder. I remember being woken up by a grieving Severus with a raw throat and puffy eyes. Something in me broke after that night.

My parents told me they would come back. They told me they would. They told me that it would be okay.

But then again, my parents told me a lot of things.

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