thirty-two

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trigger warning : violence, abuse

Marina was drowning in Narcissa's perfume as the older woman combed her newly washed curls harshly, cold water dripping on her pale hands.

When Marina looked into the mirror, she could see that Narcissa was watching her sister with worried eyes. Bellatrix was standing in the doorway, pouting her lips and playing with her wand as if she was bored.

The huge window behind them lit up the bedroom, the warm sunlight shining on Narcissa's face. Marina could see it much more clear now: Narcissa was aging rapidly.

She put the hairbrush in her lap and reached to stroke Marina's face. The young girl flinched in an instant; Narcissa's touch didn't feel gentle anymore, like it once had.

Marina cursed herself for leaving Grimmauld Place. How could she and Harry have been stupid enough to go to the Burrow and expect everything to turn out fine? How had she been so stupid to have chased Bellatrix out in the Weasleys' garden?

"You look beautiful," Narcissa whispered into her ear.

Marina looked into the mirror again. She didn't look like herself anymore. She looked much like a doll, with a pretty black dress on, red lips, and hair flowing down her back. She hated it.

"Are you going to do it, then, Cissy?" Bellatrix asked, rolling her eyes. Narcissa nodded slowly, making goosebumps rise on Marina's arms. The woman reached for her wand.

So, this was it then.

Narcissa pointed the wand at the girl's head, their eyes locking through the mirror. She showed little emotion, only her eyes glistening. Marina closed her eyes and imagined herself in Harry's arms one last time. Then, Narcissa muttered the simple word that would destroy it all.

"Obliviate."

A flashing green light twirled its way out of her wand and entered Marina's head.

"I'll go tell the Dark Lord," Bellatrix chuckled, turning in her heels before running down the hallway.

Once sure Bellatrix was long gone, Narcissa sighed loudly. She got to her feet and began pacing around the room. Marina opened her eyes again, more confused than ever.

"I don't understand," she said, looking at Narcissa with her jaw dropped. Something was wrong - or rather, right: she could remember everything. Every memory of her and Harry was still intact, and the truth about her parents was still planted in her head.

Narcissa stopped in her tracks. She walked to kneel beside Marina, pressing a long finger against the girl's lips.

"This is our secret, okay?" she whispered. "Sister thinks I removed your memory of everything that happened this year, but I just took away the memory you had of the day you and I went to Hogsmeade together."

"Why?" Marina pressed out, feeling her hands beginning to shake. If Narcissa was trying to trick her own sister, she could end up in grave danger.

"Listen, Marina," the elder woman leaned closer to her. Her voice was so thin that Marina could barely hear the words she spoke. "Kreacher came to me after Christmas. Sirius had shouted that he had to get out, and Kreacher obeyed his order and came to me. He told me everything; how you had fallen in love with Harry, and how he had shown you the truth about Regulus and Darya..."

It was like it hurt Narcissa to say Regulus' name - she let it drip off her tongue as if it was poisonous venom.

"Lucius overheard the conversation. We agreed to keep it our secret - we agreed upon protecting you. But the Dark Lord entered his mind and found out, and sent him to get you and Potter at the Ministry. Now, he's planning on giving you and Draco the Dark Mark."

Marina glanced down at her arm. Narcissa was grasping it, stroking it with her thumb.

"You lied to me," the youngest Black spat, darkness filling her eyes. "You told me Bellatrix was my mother. You lied to me for fifteen years! The same bedtime story, every night, about how my perfect mother had gone to Azkaban for protecting me. Can't you see, Narcissa? You are no better than them!"

Narcissa shut her eyes. Marina felt rage fill her body. If it was one thing she hated, it was that she never knew how to keep her mouth shut. When she got mad, she always yelled without thinking far, and this day was no exception.

"I did it to protect you," Narcissa whispered, just a second before the door burst open. Bellatrix stood there, her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed together to make a straight line.

Marina reached into her dress to draw her wand, but nothing was there.

"You deleted her memory," Bellatrix looked at Narcissa, nostrils flared. "Didn't you?"

"Something must have gone wrong-"

"NO!" Bellatrix shouted, stomping her foot into the ground. "The Dark Lord will not have it!"

Thuds were heard from the stairs. Marina felt panic fill her body; her vision disfiguring, her body going numb. She could have passed out at any second, for before she knew it, Voldemort himself stood in the doorway of her bedroom.

"My Lord," Bellatrix continued, Narcissa looking at Marina in fear. "She still remembers."

His red eyes met Marina's eyes as he raised his wand and called for the name of extreme torture again. She fell backward, collapsing on the chair, the back of it tearing the skin on her arm open.

It seemed as if the pain only got worse for each time the curse hit her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her legs shaking, and she gasped for air.

"Leave," Voldemort spat, not even removing the curse from Marina, but pointing Bellatrix and Narcissa toward the door. Marina had too many tears in her eyes to see their expression, but she was sure they were all pleased by the sight of her pain.

After no less than three minutes, the wizard lifted his wand. He showed no emotion, and put his hands behind his back. The pain had made Marina sick to her stomach, as she turned on the floor, tears rolling down her face.

"Stupid child... You think you can defy me?" he began circling her, as if she was his prey.

"I can, and I will," she answered, breathing heavily, twisting her head to look at him. "You dropped me in cold water, and I swam. You sent dragons on me, and I breathed fire. You put me in with the lions, and I roared. I will always win, Tom. And do you want to know why? It's because I've felt something you will never feel: love. I have something worth fighting for, now."

In a swift movement, Voldemort dropped to his knees beside her on the floor. Marina expected him to knock her out, but instead, he smiled widely.

"Do you remember the game we used to play when you were younger?" he asked, his tone calm. "No? You don't? Well, then, let me remind you again... We used to play it while you were sleeping, remember now? It was you and me - oh, we cannot forget little Ginny - in the Chamber of Secrets..."

He reached to grab her head with both of his hands, his nails digging into her skull. Everything went dark for a second, and then, her eyes rolled back and her body dropped to the floor.

Marina found herself standing in the Chamber of Secrets. There was no skeleton of the Basilisk there, now, only Ginny lay lifeless on the floor. The charming Tom Riddle was standing next to her, wand at the ready.

"Of course, I can imagine you have grown quite close to Ginny, now," he said and clicked his tongue. "But you know what to do."

"I'm not hurting her."

"Oh, but if you don't, I will," Tom bowed down and used the tip of his wand to play with Ginny's red hair. "And I am very sure my ways of torture are much worse than yours."

As he brushed the hair away from Ginny's face, Marina could get a clear view of her. Her eyes were closed, making it look as if she was gently asleep. The memories of the nights at the Burrow came rushing into her head: Ginny had always been the first one to comfort her after her nightmares.

"Please don't do this," Marina tried, shaking her head.

Tom only smiled and walked over to her, and rested his hand on her cheek.

"But I must. You see, we're not leaving this dream until you make her beg to be killed."

Marina gulped and glanced at the man. Then, she lifted her wand, tears forming in her eyes...


Marina woke up the next day in the same position on the floor, still in the black dress. Voldemort had left her dreams in the middle of the night, leaving her alone with Ginny in the Chamber for hours. But of course, Ginny had been in immense pain the whole time, unable to speak: Riddle had cast a curse on her that lasted the whole night.

Marina wasn't dumb, she knew that she had not actually hurt Ginny - not the real Ginny. The real Ginny was safe at the Burrow. But, something hurt Marina when she saw the girl twitch and cry on the ground: it felt as if she was actually torturing and killing her.

A knock on the window made Marina gasp. It took a few seconds before she could see properly. Outside of her window flew a snowy white owl, her bag hanging from its beak. She rushed up from the floor, opened the window, and let the owl fly in.

Hedwig's large round amber eyes gazed at her as she gently grabbed the straps of her bag from her beak. Marina thanked her greatly, but she did not leave. Hedwig wanted something more, and began making noises and glanced at the bag as if she wanted to show Marina something.

The Black threw the bag on her bed and opened it, reaching a hand into it. Along with her clothes and the photograph of her and Harry, there was a note written in cursive handwriting. Her heart beat faster as she read it: Stay Strong, Help is Coming.

"Is this from Harry, Hedwig? Is he coming?" she asked. The snowy owl made a light hoot. "No, you have to stop him. He can't, it is too dangerous here. Voldemort will kill him."

The owl flickered its wings and looked at her curiously. Marina scanned the room for any parchments and quills, so that she could write to Harry, but found nothing.

"You have to go, Hedwig, and stop him. Can you do that for me?"

Little did Marina know that outside of her room stood a Death Eater, listening to every word she spoke.

Just as she finished her sentence, the tall man broke down the door and ran into the room. His face was gigantic, nearly bigger than his body, with open cuts and blemishes all over. He was a huge man, with long, dark hair, and his robe half-way off. He drew his wand quicker than Marina could think and pointed it straight at Hedwig.

A blinding flash twirled toward the owl. Marina let out a cry, as she watched Hedwig fall to the floor, her feathers flying everywhere.

"The Dark Lord said you weren't allowed to speak to anyone," the Death Eater said and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. His eyes grew wider for every word he spoke. "And he told me to punish you if you did so."

He now pointed his wand at Marina, his head twitching. She closed her eyes and dropped to the floor, ready for pain and torture to take over her body for what seemed like the hundredth time that week.

However, the pain and torture never came. She could hear a groan escape the man's lips, and when she opened her eyes again, he lay on the floor.

A thick snake had attacked him and bitten him in the neck, poisonous venom already running through his veins. He had thrown his wand away and was now clutching the bite with shaky hands.

"They are coming," Nagini hissed, Marina picking it up in Parselmouth. Blood pounded in her ears, her feet going numb.

It took all the strength she had to get up from the floor, trying not to look at the bodies laying next to her. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, instead, her heart sinking. Marina brushed a shaking hand through her hair and wiped her tears.

Nagini was slithering around on the floor as the girl grabbed the bag Hedwig had given to her. She could hear steps coming from the hallway. Quickly, Marina hid the bag under her bed, and sprinted out into the hallway, just as a man was about to enter her room. She stopped in front of the door, and looked up at him, narrowing her eyes.

Severus Snape.

"What do you want?" she spat and closed the door behind her, pretending that she was not panicking.

"The Dark Lord wants you downstairs," Snape answered, tilting his head upward. "They're all waiting for you in the Drawing Room."

They. Marina understood who it was. She was about to attend her first Death Eater meeting in nearly a year.

The man turned around, licked his lips, and begun walking down the hallway. She followed him closely, trying to breathe normally, though she couldn't. The portraits of the deceased members of the Malfoy family hung on the wall, and she remembered the time the family members had smiled at her, but now, they were only crinkling their noses and gritting their teeth at the sight of her.

Twenty people were seated around the long table in the Drawing Room - twenty of Voldemort's closest and most trusted. They all looked at Marina with wide eyes as she entered the room. Marina glanced right back at them. They didn't look like the people she had always admired - they were monsters.

Severus sat down at the end of the table without speaking a word. The chair on Voldemort's right side was pulled away from the table, welcoming Marina. She sat down, Draco on her right, Bellatrix across her. One didn't even dare to look at her; one made horrible grimaces.

"You know, I've always felt an immense hatred for my family, especially my father, I can recall," said Voldemort, as Marina's chair was pulled closer to the table. He looked around the room before continuing, "but I've come to realize that you are my true family."

Some Death Eaters hummed in response, none daring to actually speak.

"There are many things to discuss today, I must say," Voldemort continued. "I am sure that you have all realized by now that my daughter is back from her mission..."

Marina felt uncomfortable just hearing him say the word daughter. She bit her lip, holding back her words. She knew that if she answered him, he wouldn't think twice before throwing a curse her way.

"Today, she will be getting her Dark Mark. However, I feel the need to tell you all, that there is something I must do first. You see, the boy has managed to trick her. He's got her to believe that we are not her family."

The soft humming turned into gasps. Every head turned to Marina now, as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"So, I am sure you all understand why I must do this," Voldemort said and nodded wisely.

He drew his wand and pointed it at Marina. She looked down at the table, her heart thumping faster and faster. Suddenly, she felt her hand go warm. Draco had grabbed her hand under the table, much like he had done when they were children, and they were expecting bad news. She looked up at him, noticing the bags under his eyes and his pale face. Then, Voldemort said the simple word:

"Obliviate."

This time, a white light spread through her body, moving upward and exploding in her head. Marina swore she could hear someone scream into her ears; a piercing, loud noise blocked out everyone else.

Before she knew it, it all stopped. Bellatrix was leaning over the table with a happy smile of satisfaction as Voldemort took hold of Marina's left arm. She clutched Draco's hand and watched the man dig his wand into the skin of her inner arm and whisper the word that would create a Dark Mark on her body.

Only Voldemort's inner circle were branded with the Dark Mark. Any other Death Eater would be more than honored to receive it, but as pain struck Marina's body and as a black skull begun forming on her skin, she felt nothing but pure disgust.

"And so, we can finally begin the meeting," the Dark Lord let go of her arm and tried to press out a chuckle, which he failed miserably at. "Wormtail, will you bring our guest in?"

A sweaty Pettigrew squatting beside the fireplace shot up, bringing his hands up to his face and looking around curiously.

"Yes, My Lord."

He sprinted around the table with small steps. Marina adjusted in her seat. Draco was stroking the back of her hand now, drawing circles.

"It has come to my attention that the Slytherin house has been made filthy," Voldemort put out. "A new year is to begin at Hogwarts, and I see it as my duty to fix it."

"You're a good man," said a blond sitting next to Snape. Marina snapped her head his way. Behind him came Pettigrew, carrying a lifeless body in his arms. Her stomach did a flip: for a split second, she had thought it was the body of the Death Eater that lay dead in her room, but she soon figured out that the figure Wormtail was carrying was much smaller than the unconscious man.

"Can you smell that?" Voldemort asked his followers as Pettigrew dropped the body on the table. "Dirty blood."

Marina's body went numb. In front of her lay Louis Allen, the first-year student she had promised to protect all year.

"Kill him!" hissed Bellatrix, lunging forward and pretending to hit him. Voldemort laughed darkly.

"It is time to prove your loyalty, my dearest," he said and turned to Marina. With a steady hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out her wand.

"Do you want me to kill him, Father?" Marina asked quickly, pressing her lips together. "Do you want me to kill the boy?"

"No. I want you to break him - they need to see him broken so we can gain the respect we deserve."

The youngest Black stared right into the eyes of the Dark Lord. He had just the same blood status as Louis, yet he called him filthy.

"I will not." Marina answered without hesitation. "I will never hurt an innocent."

She watched Voldemort's face twist; his smile turned into a frown; he narrowed his eyes.

"Fine," he simply said before pointing her wand at Louis' head. "I did warn you that my methods of torture are much worse than yours."

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