𝖠𝖱𝖱𝖠𝖭𝖦𝖤𝖣 | 𝖥𝖱𝖤𝖣 𝖶𝖤𝖠𝖲𝖫𝖤𝖸

𝐋

THE SAVIOUR

❝𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍.❞

━━━━━━━━━━━━

The Cruciatus curse hit Lilith like a fucking spear through the heart. She barely saw the red light before a wrecking pain flooded her body.

She couldn't help but fall to the floor and scream because of how much it hurt; Lilith could say it was one of the most horrendous feelings she had ever experienced -- it felt as if all of her bones were being crushed at the same time, as if nails were scratching her soul till making her bleed, her skin being burnt, her eyes being gauged, every muscle in her getting the worst of cramps and exploding in pain.

It was awful. Truly awful, and it was leaving a mark on her.

But she wouldn't beg. She was definitely not going to beg for it to stop. One of Lilith's fatal flaws was that she was too proud for her own good.

Lilith rolled on the ground because of the pain, feeling how even her throat hurt because of her very own screams.

"STOP IT!" a familiar voice was heard. Not Fred's --who had been manacled and held by Ares and Douglas to avoid him helping her --, as Lilith would have imagined, but her mother's. Circe was looking at her daughter with a troubled look, paler than ever and trembling. "Please, stop it."

Voldemort looked, intrigued and disappointed at Circe, making Avery low his wand and letting Lilith catch her breath for a second as she couldn't help but sob silently because of the relief from the pain. 

"Are giving me orders, Circe? Are you daring to go against me? Your Lord?" Voldemort hissed, with a calm and frivolous tone that denoted his anger towards the Snape woman. Everybody else in the room was deadly silent with serious expressions on their faces, except for Ares Arambella, who seemed to be enjoying the show.

"No-" Circe whispered, her eyes still glued to Lilith's, breathing heavily. She wanted to murder everyone in that room starting with Voldemort. "What have I done?" was her thoughts. What have I done? Seeing her daughter screaming in pain tore her broken heart even more. She couldn't believe all her decisions in life had guided her and Lilith to this moment - to see her little girl being tortured. Circe felt her stomach stir at the thought of all the pain she had caused to her Lilith - just because of her selfishness. "No, Dark Lord. I just want to discuss the punishment."

Everyone stayed silent. Fred felt his head spinning because of the anger but Avery, Ares and Yaxley were holding him still. Lilith was trying to normalise her respiration, scared of what the result could be. She didn't trust her mother, Circe had hurt her too much in the past to earn Lilith's trust in just a couple of minutes, but she would lie if she said the firmness in Circe's eyes didn't relieve her. 

Voldemort narrowed his eyes but kept his stoic façet on. 

"Go on, then. What do you propose?"

"Not here, my Lord," Circe mumbled, "In your office. Please."

"And why is that, Circe?"

"I have something to tell you in private. About the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Lies. It could cost her life, but it was the only thing that came to her mind that could interest Voldemort enough.

Voldemort seemed to hesitate for a second, but as soon as he heard the Potter boy reference he took a deep breath.

"Fine, the Death Eaters can come with us, Arambella will stay here. I suppose you don't want to share a room with him," he spoke, with that hissing voice that Circe was starting to despise so much.