I'll love you, until the end.

Fifteen: The Dark Mark

I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I had to remind myself to breath and even then I didn't want to. I wanted to just disappear, vanish in then air. I could feel my legs shaking but the rest of my body was stiff as a board. My scalp was burning from Bellatrix death gripping my hair but in this moment I didn't care, I was too scared, terrified, of the man standing in front of me. Voldemort. Draco jumped to his feet, blood dripping from a gash on his cheek from his father whipping his face. His fist were clenched and his chest was heaving. He broadened his shoulders and his face turned bright red. Voldemort didn't even notice Draco, his full attention was on me.
"Let her go." He waved his hand at Bellatrix as he began circling me.
Bellatrix loosened her grip on my head and my knees began to buckle but I caught myself and tried to stand tall.
"So, I hear that you're.. not, with child." He hissed, still circling me.
My eyes locked on Draco and he was intently watching Voldemort.
"What a shame. Now I don't know what to do with you. I can't just let you go, you know too much, I could kill you but what good would that do?" His words sliced through the air like knives.
"NO!" Draco shouted.
Voldemort slowly turned to look at him then flashed a glance to Lucious.
"Control your boy, or I will." He snapped.
Lucious bowed his head and hurriedly walked to Draco. He lifted his cane again and cracked it over Draco's head. Draco fell to the floor with a thud and all I could do was watch. Bellatrix grabbed me by the throat, slamming me against the wall causing all the air to escape my lungs. Voldemort looked over his shoulder at me and smiled an evil, disgusting smile.
"No use in wasting you so maybe it's time the boy became a man and earned his mark, and maybe you can join him as well." He hissed.
My heart stopped beating. My breath caught in my throat and my blood froze. No. This can't be happening. I watched as Voldemort kneeled down next to Draco, gently grabbing his arm and turning it over. Draco looked so peaceful, almost like he was sleeping but then Voldemort pressed his wand against Draco's arm and Draco jolted awake. He began screaming and thrashing around. The two men that came with Voldemort jumped forward, holding Draco's arms and legs down as Voldemort continued pressing his wand against his arm. Black ink began rushing down Draco's wrist like vines under his skin. Draco was crying and pleading, begging for him to stop, but he didn't. Not for awhile anyway. Finally he stood up and took a step back, the two men let go of Draco and also took a step back. Draco writhed around on the floor, clasping his arm to his chest, crying in pain.
"Draco!" I whispered just as Voldemort turned his attention back to me.
Draco was now moaning and gasping still on the floor. Blood had trickled down his cheek and was dripping down his neck. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks, my body was shaking but I couldn't move. Bellatrix was still holding me against the wall but Voldemort gently pushed her away. He held his hand out, motioning for me to give him my arm but all I did was stare at his long spidery fingers.
"You can either give me your arm and pledge your allegiance to me, or I can take it. I can take your arm off your body and bury it with your mother." He threatened quietly.
I looked up at him, his beady eyes fixed on mine. I slowly began lifting my arm before he snatched it and flipped it over. He gently pressed his wand to my skin and for a second I couldn't feel anything, but then he smiled and it was like venom had been shot through my body. Electricity was throbbing in my arm and all I could do was scream. My knees buckled and I fell to the floor, clawing at my arm. In that moment I didn't care if he killed me, at least the pain would stop. A loud ringing began piercing my ears and I couldn't tell if I was screaming, crying or just sitting their silently. My eyes were open but the room was spinning all around me. I felt his grip loosen on my arm and I ripped it away, slamming it to my chest and curling in to a ball on the floor.
"There now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" He snickered as Bellatrix let out a loud nasty cackle.
I didn't want to move, I didn't want to make a sound, so I just laid there, my back to everyone and my arm tightly pressed against my body. I was biting my lip to keep from whining and I began to taste blood from biting down too hard.
"The boy will finish his tasks and you will be sure he does. Help him in any way he needs, seeing as how you two are bonded, it'll be easier that way." He spat.
Bonded?
I heard a crack, followed by a few more and I knew they had left but I still couldn't move. Did this really happen. Just a few weeks ago I was putting on a Christmas dress with Pansy and now I was getting a dark mark from Voldemort. Pansy. What would she think of this. Would she run the other way when I came around now or would she understand this wasn't my fault? What about mom? Would she hate me now or would she stick by me and love me? My world was over. My life was ruined. I began to silently sob on the floor. I felt a hand gently touch my arm and I flinched, rolling over to shove away whoever was grabbing me but I let out a breath when I saw Draco. His face was pale and his eyes were huge, his face was still covered in blood but he didn't seem to even notice. He was grabbing at me and thrashing me around, he grabbed my arm and ripped it away from my chest, revealing my dark mark. We both stared at it, silently. I had no thoughts in my head but I did wonder what he was thinking.
"Clover." He whispered.
I raised my hand and gently laid it on his cheek. Suddenly, his face crumbled and he collapsed onto the floor next to me. He let out a few loud sobs before I quickly grabbed him, forcing him to move his body closer to mine. I laid facing him, brushing his hair out of his face and gently kissing his nose. I pulled him into me and just held him as he cried into my chest. The only thing keeping me together right now was making sure he was okay. We laid there, on the cold, hard floor, holding each other until he drifted off to sleep. I listened to Draco's breathing as I closed my eyes and slowly began drifting off to sleep myself.
Bonded...