Abandoned

Chapter 32: Initiation

A/N: I'm so sorry for the shit you're about to read

Paint It, Black by Ciara

General POV:

Lyria knocked on the door to Voldemort's study. When he didn't answer, she grew impatient.

"Tom!" She yelled, still pounding her fist.

"Tommmmm!"

"Tom Tom Tom Tom Tommy Tom" she persisted.

"Oh great and powerful Lord Voldemort. Please open the door, my most favorite half blood, " Ly didn't get the chance to finish.

The door swung open and almost flew off its hinges.

"How dare yo- " He started to yell but stopped once he saw who it was. "Jesus christ Lyria, why must you do this to me?" He said, clearly irritated. She simply ignored him and pushed her way into the room. Tom was shocked but shook his head and moved on.

"What do you need Ly-Ly?" Voldemort asked.

"Well...." she formed the most innocent expression she could muster and batted her eyelashes up at him. Tom was worried now.

"Could I pretty pretty please.." Yes, Tom was definitely worried.

"Get the Dark Mark today?" she finished in a rush. Seeming to hope that he would be more agreeable if he couldn't fully understand her words.

He was silent for a while. Looking in her eyes, trying to understand her. She knew how painful the process was and the danger she would be in once she was marked. After 10 minutes of silent staring, he spoke one word.

"Fine."

***

Draco was waiting anxiously outside the door. Inside the dining hall, Lyria was sitting in a chair and was allowing Bellatrix and Lucius to hold her down. Bella was standing behind the chair and her arms were wrapped over her shoulders to keep her body from convulsing. Lucius was kneeling and had one hand on her wrist and the other at the crease of her elbow. He held her left arm firmly in place. Tom looked at Lyria one last time, making sure that this was what she really wanted and she gave a small smile and nodded. Voldemort pressed the tip of his want onto the exposed skin. As soon as the first word of the incantation came out of his mouth, she began screaming. She lashed and fought against her family who was restraining her. Begging and pleading for it to stop. Bellatrix was mumbling apologies into her little sister's shoulder and Lucius had a heartbroken expression. Even Tom had a tear in his eyes at the sight but he refused to let it fall. Of course, she noticed none of this. All she could focus on was the feeling of jagged knives carving the skin of her arm open and sticking a white hot branding iron into her split open flesh. None of that was actually happening but this was some of the darkest of magic. A kind of magic that the Dark Lord had created himself.

After a few minutes that went on for centuries, he spoke the last word and the pain stopped. Lyria blinked, it was as though the feeling was all but a distant memory. She looked down at where the sectumsempra scar used to be but now rested a skull that morphed into a dark snake. She could feel the energy it gave off and she smiled up at Tom. He was so relieved to see her not disgusted or repulsed by it. She popped up and threw a 'thanks' at the trio and walked out to find a terrified Draco.

As soon as he saw her, Draco hugged her so tightly.

"I heard you screaming." his voice cracked over the words.

"Hey, hey. I'm fine. The pain was gone as quickly as it started. She threw an arm over his shoulders and the pair walked off to head to bed.

To The Shu by Gwendolyn Sanford, Brandon Jay, Scott Doherty

***

Lyria rushed out of her room immediately when she felt the presence. It wasn't normal, it wasn't safe. Draco's room was the closest to where she was so went there first. Her hand wrapped around the handle and shoved it open.

"Draco?" She shouted, frantically looking around for him. She saw his lump on the bed and rushed over to hug him, relieved that he was okay. When her arms wrapped around him, they felt wet. She looked down to find blood covering her skin. She snapped the lights on to see her cousin with a slash across his neck. Her hands scrambled to cover the cut and try to stop the bleeding. She pulled random sheets and pressed them to his neck, they were drenched immediately. His normally beautiful pale blonde hair was soaked into a sickening scarlet. She grabbed his wrist while leaning down to put her ear next to his mouth. A sob ripped through her when she felt no pulse and heard no breathing.

She ran into the hall, hating to leave him but needing to see if everyone else was okay. She didn't even know where her feet were going, panic clouding everything else in her mind. She looked up to see her running towards the guest bedroom. She didn't even bother using her hands this time and just flashed her magic when she was a few feet away to have the doors crash open, the lights turning on too. There was nobody in the bedroom so she proceeded to the bathroom. She screamed. The tub faucet was running and overflowing with water. Pansy and Blaise' bodies were halfway into the rub. Heads just under the water. She rushed to them and pulled them both out and onto her lap. There were black bruises all around the backs of their necks. Like somebody had held them underwater. She once again checked for a pulse and found nothing. Her heart shattered further. She kissed them each gently and rushed out.

Narcissa and Lucius' bedroom was only one corridor away, that was where she headed next. Her knees wanted to give out in anguish but her willpower to keep running persisted. Inside, the couple were laying upwards on the bed. Side by side, holding hands. There was a knife in each of their chests. Her knees buckled and she crumbled to the floor, sobbing. After a moment, she rushed to stand, remembering that there were more people in the Manor. Across the hall was Bellatrix's bedroom.

Lyria knew immediately that she was gone. Her face had turned purple and blue. Her body was crumpled into a heap on the floor. Bella's signature whip was wrapped tightly and secured around her neck. Afraid to give up, she felt her fingers to the ice cold skin, just to check. Again, no pulse. Lyria's hands lingered on the sides of her face but she inevitably got up to check on the last resident of the house.

The room was on the other side of the building but she ran and ran until she made it there. She swung the door open just in time to see Dumbledore sending the killing curse straight into Voldemort's chest. He crumbled. Lyria screamed. Dumbledore looked over to smirk before apparating away. Lyria fell to the floor and sobbed and screamed and cried. Everyone was gone. They were all dead. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself. She rocked back and forth, the sobs never slowing. She was alone. Everyone she loved? Dead.

***

Lyria jumped awake, half of a scream escaping her throat. Her face was drenched in tears, her fingers tugging at the hair by her scalp. She couldn't stop shaking. She was terrified. Her knees were pulled in and she was rocking just like she had been in the dream. The relation made her stand up and stop immediately. She paced back and forth in her room before giving up and rushing over to Draco's room. She quietly opened the door and walked over to his bed. She poked his arm, waking him up?

"Lyria? What's wrong?" He asked with only half opened eyes and a tired voice.

"Nightmare..." She said so quietly he could only just barely make it out. He sighed and pulled her arm so that she fell into bed next to him. She went stiff at first but quickly relaxed and rested her head on his chest. His cotton t-shirt was soft on her skin. She was silently crying, trying to keep Draco from hearing but he knew. His hand rubbed up and down her back, trying to stop the shaking. He was whispering encouraging words to her. Telling her that it was all okay, that it was just a dream, that she was safe. After an hour she finally gave into exhaustion and fell asleep. Draco worried in his head about her. She had been through so much help and never once asked for help. She never let herself be vulnerable. So what dream had been so bad that she had climbed into his bed at 2 am for comfort? He didn't know. Instead he just hugged her tighter, promising to keep her safe through the night. Promising to keep her safe through her life.