We go down, together

Olivia

How long has it been? Hours? Days? I just want it to end. Every breath made my lungs ache, suffocating would be a mercy compared to this.

A sweet smell enveloped the small space, I shifted on the ground towards the source. "Oh.. I'm sorry. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

This is a trap. This is a trap. This is a trap. This is a-

"Water." My mouth opened before I could snap it shut.

"Oh my, of course. Where are our manors? Mummy would be so disappointed." A pair of boots briskly walked to a corner and then halted a few steps from me. "You will have to sit up."

My knees barked in protest as I dug them into the jagged ground. I tried and failed to rise my upper body into a sitting position. My forehead stung as I pushed the ground into it, the back of my eyes began to throb. "My dear, you are quite helpless, aren't you?"

A set of hands began pulling my shoulders up, a thank you almost passed my lips. Something metal slid across the floor and landed directly in front of my raised head. "By all means, drink." The hands released me and I went teetering forward, directly into a bucket of ice cold water.

Fingers slid into my hair and pushed my face further in. I began to buck wildly, the chains rendered my hands useless. My face was yanked upward for one blissful moment before being forced back beneath the icy liquid.

"Are you still thirsty?" I shook my head violently. Darkness began swimming in the corner of my vision.

"She still looks rather parched to me." The fingers released their hold as I desperately tried to catch my breath. There was a sloshing sound and then a wave of water slammed down on top of me. I gasped as it soaked through my clothes, chilling me to my bones.

"Look at that, you wasted it all. How very ungrateful of you." I heard the deafening crunch before I felt it. "Apologize."

"I'm- I'm sorry." Pain radiated through my core.

"Pathetic." Another swift kick to my stomach sent me heaving on the ground. I fought the bile that rose up my throat. "I said apologize."

"I am sorry." The word burnt my tongue.

One of the men clicked their tongue, "I don't believe you are." I could feel them circling, vultures sizing up their prey. Maybe they have grown bored with this dance, maybe they would end it.

Oh Merlin, I hope they end it. Please. End it.

"Incendio." The spell was nothing more than a hiss and then... heat.

Fire began licking up my arm, burning into the soaked fabric. For a brief moment I welcomed the warmth and then panic took over. Instinctively my body began rolling to put it out. I bit back my screams.

Merlin, is this how I die?

"Do you know what else is pathetic? Those whimpers. You can do better than that."

No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

"Please- stop. Please." I could no longer discern where either of them were. The only things I could feel were heat and the chill air against my wet hair and face.

"Crucio!"

My body arched off the ground, stealing any semblance of air I had left. The curse wormed itself into my veins and slithered down my bones. I could feel each spark as it sizzled along my nerve endings. This time felt more excruciating than the previous. Tears ran down my cheeks mixing with something sticky that started to drip down my chin. I hadn't noticed that I bit down on my tongue.

"Guess I owe you a couple galleons. I thought this would be the one to make her scream for sure." Disgusting pigs.

"I think we can make the little bird sing." A body hard as stone pulled me up against him. The sharp tip of a wand against my throat had me frozen in place.

Seb. Omi. I love you both dearly. I'm sorry. I'm sorry we didn't have more time.

The revolting voice interrupted my silent prayer but that didn't matter. Nothing else mattered, as long as it reached them. It would reach them.

Thank you for being mine.

"Now behave and scream for me." I didn't hear the cast. I didn't hear the man's voice that sounded so utterly familiar yet so foreign. Barely registered that I was still being held captive against him.

An ear piercing scream tore through the silence and ricocheted off the walls.

It took me a few seconds to realize that it was my own.

I don't know what I hated more.

Them? Or the fact that I gave in.