Turn back time - Hermione Granger in the Marauders era

Chapter 34 - Pain

Hermione's legs collapsed from underneath her. She slammed against the ground, screaming and screaming. Tears rolled down her cheeks. It hurt. Oh Merlin, it hurt so much. The ache in her chest pounded as her body rocked with sobs. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.

She was so pained she couldn't even hear Bellatrix's laughter. Or notice her own cage opening. Then someone had her by the back of her robes. She was thrust forward. She collected herself as she was pushed away. Looking up, she saw Lily pounding against her cage. Screaming at them to stop. Hermione struggled against Bellatrix as she was shoved a room. The room. It was pitch black. But Hermione could still make out the body slumped in the centre. Hermione collapsed again. Stumbling towards her. Screaming and screaming to no avail. She reached the slumped body and could just about see the face. Mary stared back up at her with glazed over eyes. Hermione sobbed into her lifeless body. Blood soaking her hair and face. She couldn't breathe with pain and shock.

Suddenly, she was yanked to her feet and thrown to the floor again, metres away from Mary. In an instant, Bellatrix was on top of her. A knife grasped in her hand. She cackled madly then brought the knife to Hermione's face. Hermione shook all over. Quaking with fear. Tears streamed down her face. She begged and struggled, but Bellatrix held her to tightly. With a laugh of madness, she slit Hermione's cheek. She gave a silent scream of pain. It hurt so much. Pain. Pure, explicit pain. Tears drowned the wound as Bellatrix stared at her bemusedly.She grabbed a hold of her arm and slit the sleeve open. Hermione's body shook uncontrollably. Bellatrix brought the knife down to her arm. Skimming the skin playfully. With a threatening hiss, Bellatrix whispered in her ear. "You disgusting filth Mudblood. You deserve all this. I've already killed one of you. I won't stop until I've killed you all. After today the Dark Lord will welcome me into his closest circle. The Death Eaters. And we'll destroy all of your filth. Your little friend should consider it an honour that she was the first Mudblood to die at my hand. And believe me, she won't be the last. But let's have some fun first, like I did with your friend."

Bellatrix's pulled away suddenly and grabbed the arm of Mary's lifeless body. By her arm, she pulled Mary forward. Mary slunk across the floor sharply. With a thrust, Bellatrix pulled away Mary's robes from her arm and showed Hermione the skin.

Mary's arm was drenched in blood. But Hermione could still just about see the scratches engraved on her skin.

Mudblood.

Hermione sobbed harder, especially when Bellatrix shoved Mary away again.

"I think your arm could do with the same decoration, don't you think?" Bellatrix laughed.

She assembled herself over Hermione's body. Pining Hermione underneath her. Hermione could hardly move. She fought desperately to release herself. But it was no use. Hopelessly, she struggled against Bellatrix. But her arms and legs were pinned to the ground. Bellatrix sniggered at her attempts. Then she drew the blade out again. She dragged it against Hermione's skin slowly, deliberately, painfully. Each edge of her skin burned as the blade was dragged across it. One line. Two lines. Three lines. Four lines. One letter, of pain. Hermione's head smacked from side to side. Her mouth was open in a scream. Her arms shook at her sides and her legs were a flurry underneath Bellatrix. Again she brought the blade to Hermione's skin. Blood leaked from her skin in droplets. Then it poured out. The engravement was hardly visible underneath the downpour of blood spread over her arm. But Hermione could feel every millimeter of her skin that had been eaten away by the blade. Her whole arm was on fire. Another letter. Pain. Another letter. More pain. Another letter. Insistent pain. Another letter. Unbearable pain. The blade scratched at her skin. Burning. Eating away. Stinging, stinging, stinging. The pain droned out Bellatrix's hissing and laughing. Everything was fading away. She couldn't see. She couldn't hear. She could only feel the immense pain. Eventually she couldn't even process that.