Out of the Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 11- Broken (Ava)

A/N-

Hey guys! I have another update here which is (again- I'm sorry) not very long. However, I know exactly what I'm doing in terms of character development and storylines and I really don't want to have to flesh it out with 'fillers'- it just seems unnecessary. So... here's a sort of short-ish chapter. I hope you'll forgive me! Good luck to anyone who's got mocks soon or receiving their results ( I know mine were a mess...)

Chapter 11 (Ava)

The potion had certainly done its work- I woke up without the aching in my bones from the day before. A Death Eater was standing by the door with a smirk on his face.

"How're you feeling this morning? How's the aching bones?"

I simply smirked and sat forwards, "Perfectly fine, thank you. It'll take more than one Cruciatus curse to break me."

The Death Eater's face darkened, "We'll see about that."

And then he threw down a plate of food beside me, "Don't know why we have to feed you- you're a bloody prisoner."

"I'm sure Lord Voldemort wouldn't want me starving to death in here, would he? I'm important to Voldemort, and you all know it. Perhaps you all ought to treat me better."

The Death Eater stepped forwards, "The Dark Lord said you were important. But he said nothing about treating you well."

I didn't move a muscle, not wanting to show any signs of weakness. I didn't even blink. Instead, I raised an eyebrow at him and leant forwards to pick at the bread roll on the plate.

"Well, we know he's a man that can be very easily displeased. I wouldn't get on the wrong side of him if I were you. Also, if I do know any information, I certainly won't be sharing any of it if you dare to touch me."

He hesitated, his gaze steady as he looked at me, trying to search for any signs of bluffing. After a moment, he muttered something in frustration and spun around, storming out of the cell and slamming the door behind him.

I collapsed against the wall, allowing myself to let out a shaky breath. I was not going to show fear, no matter what the Death Eaters did to me. It would only make things worse.

I closed my eyes and wondered if my fate was to stay in this cell forever, never to see those that I loved again.

* * *

A strange routine began. Bellatrix would call me up out of my cell and torture me for information. Draco was always there, watching with a pained expression. I wouldn't give anything away- I couldn't, considering how much I had been kept in the dark by the Order. Eventually, Bellatrix would become bored and send me down to my cell.

Whenever I woke up, I found a plate of food and a potion phial beside it to ease the pain. The gesture made my heart swell, but I had to remember to hide the phials for fear of Draco being found out. I didn't want him getting into trouble. I knew that Bellatrix would not easily forgive him.

One night, when I awoke in a cold sweat with a raw throat, I realised that I'd had a nightmare- the first one since I had become a prisoner. I looked around for the plate of food and phial, but there wasn't one. Suddenly, a click from the door opening upstairs made me jump, and I leant against the back wall, my heart pounding.

Draco appeared on the other side of the cell door, opening it with a flick of his wand and settling down beside me.

"I heard you screaming." He muttered, "You were having a nightmare."

I nodded, "I can't even remember what it was about. Usually they're so vivid."

"I have nightmares about that night on the top of the Astronomy Tower," Draco whispered, and I closed my eyes. Without thinking, I reached out and held onto his hand. It felt cold in my grip, but I didn't let go.

"What do you dream about?" Draco asked, turning to face me. I gulped, wondering how I could explain my nightmares.

"Being a Death Eater," I spoke softly, "I dream about what my life would have been like if I'd have completed my mission last year."

"Am I in that life?"

My heart seemed to stop for a moment, and I gulped, "You are. But we're both scared."

"Just like we are now." Draco breathed, "But in reality, we fight for different sides."

I shook my head, "Draco- you can change which side you fight for. You would have my protection, if I took you to the Order. I would make Remus promise his protection as well."

"Or you could become a Death Eater."

The words seemed to hang in the air, and my breath hitched in my throat. I gulped, trying to keep my breathing steady.

"That isn't what I want, Draco. You know that. You've known for the past two years that the only side that I want to fight on is my brother's. That's the difference between you and I. It always has been. I fight for what is right, while you fight for what could save your life."

I felt Draco's grip on my hand loosen, and he pulled away.

"Maybe you should stop doing what's right. Maybe, for once-"

"No. Last year, I lost myself because of the fear and the stress of that mission, of working on the wrong side. I became scarred, Draco. And it's taken me a while to start healing myself. You can't break me again. I don't want to break again."

"Ava-" He started, but I cut him off.

"You're broken too, Draco. I know you are. The two of us are a broken mess. We can heal each other, but only if we're on the same side."

Draco was silent for a moment before he replied at last, "Then I don't think we'll ever heal."

I looked at him. Really looked at him. At his pale face, and the dark circles underneath his eyes. I didn't see the bully that I'd met two years before- now all I saw was a boy who was too scared to fight for what was right. My eyes stung, and I blinked.

"God, Draco. This bloody war has done nothing but hurt the both of us."

He closed his eyes, "We could run away. You and I. Break away from all of this and find somewhere else to live, somewhere that isn't affected by war."

I felt the tiniest part of me long to do that exactly, but I shook my head, "I don't run, Draco. I'm staying here."

We sat in silence for a while, staring into the darkness and contemplating everything that we had said. Eventually, Draco turned to face me again.

"Go back to sleep."

"I don't want to," I whispered, "I don't want to have another nightmare."

I felt him reach out and hold onto my hand.

"Then I won't let you. Go to sleep."

My eyes widened slightly, and I studied his expression carefully. Was this all a trap to gain my trust? I couldn't tell, but something told me to allow myself to trust him anyway.

Still holding onto his hand, I changed my position so that I could sleep comfortably. Just before I closed my eyes, I muttered one word to Draco that I hadn't said in a long time.

"Thank you."