𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐒 | 𝐃.𝐌

₄₁ ᴀᴄᴛ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ

Sρσƚιϝყ ρʅαყʅιʂƚ ϝσɾ αʂʂαʂʂιɳʂ
ʅιɳƙҽԃ ιɳ ɱყ Ⴆισ
┈˃̶༒˂̶┈

Ava wondered if she would ever see the bright blue sky again or feel the warm golden sun on her skin. Would she see her family again? Would she find them? Would she have a family of her own? Ava let out a painful groan, the chains rattling against her movement.

She felt the cold air against her stomach, her top rising up above the waistband of her trousers. She felt exposed, weak, and hopeless. There was no stopping this. When death came, would she embrace it? Or would she fight?

"Draco," Voldemort called as Barret placed his daggers in front of his throne, "come and choose one."

Ava looked up and watched Draco walk forward to the throne Voldemort sat in.

"Any dagger I like?" Draco asked, his voice a little stiff.

"Indeed," the Lord grinned, "choose wisely."

Ava looked toward Blaise like he would be able to help her, but he was just as helpless as she was. Any wrong move, any wrong look or word spoken, then they would die. And as wretched as this world has become, they all have hope. Hope for a brighter future.

But Ava is slowly losing that hope. Especially when she watched Draco kneel to his knees and pick up a deathly-looking dagger.

"Good choice," Voldemort began, the dagger was long and black and so sharp that it glistened, "that's my favorite."

Ava could not see Draco's face and she was glad for it because she couldn't bear to see the hatred she knew was written all over his handsome face.

Voldemort smiled, and then locked his eyes on Ava, "Now go slice her cheek so her pretty face bleeds."

How was it possible for a person to feel so much terror and fear without dying? How was it possible that Ava's heart was pounding so hard in her chest that it was about to explode?

Ava watched Draco nod and then watched as the tall boy turned on his heel. She became rigid when he faced her. That was not the man she fell hopelessly in love with. That was not the boy who picked on her friends in school. It was the devil, the devil doing the work of a monster. A man who now looked so unfamiliar to her he was a stranger. Terrifying, monstrous stranger.

He approached her, his back now to the Lord and walking toward Ava. When he reached her, he hesitated. He was so close now that she could smell him. Only a few hours ago she was this close to him, her hands wrapped around his neck and kissing him with all the love that she had.

Now, he was going to hurt her. Just one cut, Ava told herself. Do it. Why isn't he doing it? Do it, get it over with. Ava looked down at his hand, the hand that the sharp blade was in and saw his knuckles had whitened around the handle and were shaking. Ava looked back up at Draco and ever so slightly, she lowered her chin. Telling him it was okay.

"In your own time—"

Draco suddenly grabbed Ava's throat, so harshly that she retreated back, the chains on her wrist hanging to, sung wildly. His sudden movement interrupted the Lord's words. Ava could barely breathe as she watched Draco raise the dagger and place the blade against her cheek, so close to her eye.

She hadn't braced herself for the pain.

She whined as Draco pressed down and dragged the blade down her cheek. Ava squeezed her eyes closed and gripped the chains as blood spilled down her cheek.

Draco released her, her body withering against the chains as she tried to keep her balance. Draco stepped back and turned, facing the Lord with Ava's blood dripping from the blade and onto the stone floor.