Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Forty-Eight: In the Shadow of Azkaban

Sebastian's POV

"You know it's funny," the still unnamed Auror said lazily, looking over at me. "You all seem to think we won't find out what you did. Every one of you Dark Wizards is the same."

I glared at him, keeping my mouth shut. I was sure he was to get a rise out of me. He had no evidence for what he was accusing me of doing, despite the fact that I had done it. He would keep trying to get me to confess, I knew that. It didn't matter if I answered him, as I sat across from him, bound in chains, he could poke and prod all he wanted.

He'd already tried a few of these angles. None had worked.

I kept my glare fixed on him while he waited for me to say anything.

"Your little... friend seemed distraught at you leaving. Why is that?"

I flinched back slightly, the echo of her crying as I'd been pulled away ringing through my head.

"You don't talk about her."

I cursed myself for falling right into his trap. He wanted me to talk, and he had already tried everything except her. Of course he'd use her reaction to my arrest to get the answers he so desperately needed.

This man shouldn't be talking about her in any capacity, though, and he needed to know that.

"Oh? What's the matter, worried I'll get her next?"

"Don't."

"I am very interested in why she was so willing to trade you for herself. Not many people, especially young women, would-"

"She's done nothing but save the necks of ungrateful pricks like you for years," I hissed, cutting him off sharply.

"Ah, yes," he mused, leaning back happily with a grin. "She's the one who defeated Ranrok, isn't she?"

I bit my tongue, glaring at him harder. I knew he knew who she was. The entire wizarding world knew who she was, and it wouldn't take more than a quick glance though the Daily Prophet to jog the memory of her face if it had slipped from memory.

"Why would she risk everything for a murderer like you?"

"I didn't do it," I said through clenched teeth, pulling at the chains that bound me in the carriage. Magically reinforced, I could see their menacing red glow, dark and draining.

I couldn't get the look on her face out of my mind.

She was there, in her beautiful dress, staring at me with wide unbelieving eyes, her expression nothing short of broken. Tears were sliding down her face as she called after me, Professor Weasley restraining her, while Ominis clutched at her arm, his own face pained. Poppy was stroking her beautiful blonde hair, looking at me and shaking her head; not in anger, but in confusion.

No one had said anything, that much I knew.

At least I thought I knew.

Anne would never have let what I'd done be known. She couldn't have been this angry with me still. But this man, this auror, seemed to know her already. That couldn't be good news.

And then there was the way Abbi had broken as I was forced away from her-

The way our hands had grasped for each other, the finger tips gently grazing each other before we were ripped apart from each other-

Her screams-

I forced my eyes shut trying to drown out those terrible screams.

I couldn't take them with me to Azkaban. I had to force them, all of the screams I'd ever collected from her, into a box in the back of my mind and throw away the key. If I didn't, they'd torment me into insanity within minutes.