Northern Crown [t.r]

Chapter Eleven

  His eyes took in and registered Bellatrix, recognizing her from Delilah's memory of being tortured, looked at Delilah and how pale she was, blood dripping down from a cut at her throat - all in a matter of seconds.

  Pure, unadulterated rage burnt through him as he stalked forward. Breaking the cuffs off with a mere movement.

  She didn't appear to recognize him, however. He had no doubt his future self, Voldemort, would want to keep his youthful days under wraps.

  "Who's this, your boyfriend? He's cute." Bellatrix giggled as her whip unfurled from her free hand.

  That didn't halt Tom's advance, he couldn't see anything but his girl bleeding out and looking terrified to death.

  The crack of that goddamn whip ripped through the air just as Tom reached his arm out and caught the curling end of it. The leather stinging into his skin as pain tore into him.

  It didn't matter.

  Bellatrix's eyes went wide for only a moment before her own anger took hold of her as Tom wrapped the end of the whip around his hand and yanked.

  She let out an enraged yelp as she staggered forward, dropping Delilah in the process.

  Her mind was blank, her eyes dazed as her knees scraped against the ground and her jeans tore. Blood still trickling and making her throat slick with crimson.

  Delilah couldn't - she didn't... where was she again?

  Blinking rapidly she tried to focus but could look at nothing but her hands as they clutched uselessly at the wet stones.

  There were flashes of color going on somewhere near her. Or far. She couldn't tell. The most she could register was the flashes of red and white. A lot of green.

  So much green.

  Something then got pulled out of her pocket. The whistle of it loud in the air.

  Where was she again?

  Who was she with?

  What time was it?

  She blinked again, forcing herself to look up and saw a boy - Tom, now holding her wand and fighting.

  By god did he look furious.

  Delilah had enough trouble recognizing him, but at the moment he looked like someone else entirely. Face etched with wrath but in an almost subtle way.

  The kind of quiet anger that made fear dig deeper.

  She felt terribly light headed. Trying to stand, she ended up swaying and falling back against the wall. Her hand was shaking as she raised it, her fingers just barely brushing her neck and they came away wet and that metallic smell met her nose.

  "Tom-" her voice was hoarse.

  His eyes slated to the side at the sound of her voice, causing him to just barely miss the spell Bellatrix had thrown at him.

  Her lip was pulled back in a grimace as she then deflected his impediment curse.

  It bounced right off her shield and slammed into Delilah.

  Tom's ears rang with both Bellatrix's maniacal laugh and his scream of agitation. Watching Delilah slump to the ground, head slamming into the floor and her eyes wide and empty.

  She looked dead.

  Fear, something he wasn't accustomed to feeling, ripped him apart from the inside and pricked at every nerve.