Regulus emerged from the side room he had been hiding in. He didn't want to have to fight Sirius and his friends, but he also didn't want to fight against his parents. He froze as he heard a blood curdling scream.
He sprinted in the general direction of the noise, flinging the doors open to empty rooms. As he neared the end of the corridor, he heard weak cries of pain. A sound he had heard one too many times before.
It couldn't be.
Cass wouldn't be in some random side chamber, would she? She would be with Sirius, getting rescued. Regulus pushed open the door to the final room, bracing himself for what he was about to see.
Bellatrix was standing over a shaking Cass, the cruelest look that Regulus had ever seen plastered on her face. Cass screamed again and Bellatrix laughed. She laughed.
She turned as she heard Regulus enter the room, her smile only growing.
"Come to join the fun have you Reggie?" Bellatrix cackled. "Ooo, this will be good practice for when you join the dark lord."
She cane towards Regulus, gently guiding him so he was standing over Cass.
"Do it, torture her." Bellatrix hissed in his ear.
Regulus looked down at Cass and felt his stomach twist. He could have mistaken her for dead, if it wasn't for the gentle rise and fall or her chest and the tears dripping down her cheeks.
"Reg.." Cass choked out. "Reg, please."
There was no way that Regulus was going to hurt her. Not when she was already in so much pain.
"Do it Regulus." Bellatrix commanded.
"I- I can't." Regulus said. "She'll die."
"And good riddance." Bellatrix sneered, aiming a kick at Cass. It landed in her ribs, causing her to suck in painfully. "If you won't do it, I will."
"Don't." Regulus snapped. "Haven't you done enough?"
"I don't think I have." Bellatrix said, tracing her fingered up Regulus' arm. "Maybe dearest Cassiopeia would find it beneficial to see her darling brother tortured."
"Don't t-touch him." Cass snarled.
"Do it Bella, I dare you." Regulas said, sticking his chin out defiantly. "I don't think my mother would be very happy to hear it."
"Well, I don't think she'd be happy to hear you sticking up for this filthy blood traitor!" Bellatriz screeched. "Enough of this! Crucio."
Regulus watched in horror as Cass convulsed on the floor, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Regulus grabbed Bellatrix's arm, forcing it away from Cass.
"Stop it." He said. "Enough."
"You don't have the stomach for this Regulus, the dark lord will have to teach you his ways." Bellatrix hissed. She glanced down at Cass. "Oh dear, it appears she couldn't take it anymore."
Cass had passed out from a combination of blood loss and fear. Regulus knelt down beside her, whispering healing spells.
"Stay with me Cass, c'mon."
•
Clarisse finally managed to send Avery flying backward with a flick of her wand. The aurors swarmed him, placing him under arrest. What for; no one really knew, and they wouldn't until Cass told them.
Dorcas and James, who had been hit the hardest by the death eaters, were carted away on stretchers. Grace, Alice, Marlene and Remus went after them, all six of them headed for Mungos. Clarisse reluctantly went with them. Sirius and Noah remained, blatantly refusing to go until Cass went.
Noah broke away from the group of healers, wondering how they were all so fucking stupid. No one had bothered to search the building. Noah pushed open door after door, met with empty rooms. He neared the end of the corridor, pushing open the final door.
Bellatrix looked up from where she stood digging her wand into Cass' arm. She smirked evilly at Noah before disapparating with a loud crack. Regulus lay unconscious beside Cass.
"Hey! Help!" Noah shouted. He knelt down beside Cass, shaking her gently.
Her once white wedding dress was now stained with dark red blood. A broken cry escaped her lips as he eyes flicked open.
"No. I-I'm sorry. P-please no m-more." She pleaded desperately.
"Cass, it's me." Noah said gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"N-Noah?" Cass stammered. "No, no, you're not really here. Get out of my head!"
"It's really me Cass, I swear." Noah said. "We're taking you home."
"No, y-you need to g-go with-without me." Cass said.
"What are you talking about? Don't be daft." Noah said.
"I- I have caused you so much p-pain. You'd be b-better off without me."
"No I wouldn't." Noah said firmly. "You haven't caused me any pain, don't be silly."
"It's my fault that you almost d-died." Cass said flatly.
"Not this again, no it isn't." Noah said. "It's Averys."
Cass flinched at the name.
"I- I have ruined your life." Cass said. "You'd have been b-better off never m-meeting me."
"Maybe I would." Noah said. "But I don't care, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Noah, you don't understand what I'm saying. You'll never be able to live your life normally with me." Cass said. Her breathing became more ragged.
"It's not my life without you in it." Noah said firmly. "You're coming with me and we're taking you home."
As if on cue, the healers burst into the room. Cass became panicked as she saw the wands in their hands.
"Miss Black, can you hear me?" A healer asked, bending down beside Cass.
"Y-yes." Cass said, closing her eyes.
"Code blue." The healer said. "We need to get her to Mungos."
Cass' breathing became more laboured and she struggled to breath. Her limbs flailed desperately, trying to catch a hold of something to ground her. Noah let her hand find his and she seemed to calm down a little bit.
"I-I'm sorry." Cass said. "I'm s-so sorry."
And then she passed out.
•••
Sitting in a room beside an unconscious Cass was something that Sirius had grown rather accustomed to, but usually it was just the hospital wing instead of St Mungos. Cass was in a private room, with several tubes sticking out of her — feeding her nutrients potions and blood replenishers.
She was dangerously thin, Her ribs looked like they were practically about to poke through her stomach. There were thick rope burns covering her neck and arms, contrasting violently with her almost white skin.
Sirius didn't even want to think about the scars that lay hidden underneath her hospital gown. Or the spell damage that didn't leave a scar, namely the cruciartus curse.
First hand experience with the curse had taught Sirius that it doesn't leave a physical mark, only worsens ones you already have, but the pain felt from it lasts for hours. Sometimes days. And now, not only Cass had felt that pain but so had Remus, Dorcas, Marlene, Lily, and James.
"Hey." Remus said quietly from the doorway.
"You should be in bed." Sirius said. "You've faced a great trauma today."
"So have you." Remus said, sitting down beside him. "You got hit with the same curse as me."
"I'm used to it." Sirius said. "The first time is always the worst."
"You shouldn't know that." Remus said. "Holy shit Pads, you really shouldn't have to know that." Sirius shrugged.
"Well, I do." He said. "Go and get some rest. I'm serious."
"I know you are." Remus grinned. "It is your name after all."
"You're such a fucking idiot." Sirius said, unable to keep the smile off of his face.
"Mr Lupin, you should be in bed." Healer Jones popped her head into the room. "You too Mr Black."
"I've already told you, I don't need treatment." Sirius said stubbornly.
"You'll do as I say young man, get to bed right now." Healer Jones instructed. Sirius huffed but stood up. Remus intertwined their hands, squeezing Sirius' gently.
"I'll be back." He said. Healer Jones rolled her eyes.
"I know you will, after you get some rest."
•••
Cass woke up in an unfamiliar room wearing unfamiliar clothes and for a second, she thought Avery had managed to take her back to Malfoy Manor. She realised that the room was too bright and cleanly to be anywhere Avery would put her and relaxed slightly.
She went to stretch but found that she couldn't, her arm tied down with several tubes. She debated pulling them out but decided they were probably there for her own good. She winced as she leant on a bruise.
"Ah Miss Black, you're awake." A woman that Cass didn't recognise bustled into the room. "I'm Healer Miller, but you're can just call me Gwen. Am I okay to check your vitals?"
Cass nodded slowly, eyeing up Gwens wand. She want sure if she wanted to even see a wand again.
"Don't worry, I'll be using the muggle equipment." Gwen assured her.
She chatted away as she checked Cass over, dabbing various creams and ointments onto Cass' various cuts and bruises. She paused as she came to her neck. She rummaged around in her robes before pulling out a tub of cream.
"Here, you can apply it yourself if you'd like." Gwen offered, handing her a mirror. Cass nodded gratefully, gently applying the cream onto her neck. She winced as it stung. "There's quite a parade of people waiting to see you, shall I send your parents in?"
Parents? Surely, Walburga and Orion wouldn't have the nerve to show up and try anything. Cass wasn't sure what to say. If she said yes, she could end up dead. If she said no, she could end up dead. Really, it was a lose-lose situation.
"I- uh- o-okay." Cass stumbled over her words as she struggled to control the violent shaking of her hands.
"Perfect, I'll be back in a jiffy." Gwen said, bustling back out of the room.
Cass found it harder to harder to breathe as she panicked more and more. The door opened and Cass wasn't sure if she should close her eyes or not. She did so, clenching her eyes tightly closed so as not to meet Walburga or Orions eye.
"Oh, Cass darling. Look at you." Cass was extremely surprised not to hear Walburgas screech or Orions harsh voice, instead hearing the soothing, warm tone of Euphemia Potter. She opened her eyes, seeing Euphemia and Fleamont standing in the doorway.
"O-oh thank M-Merlin." Cass breathed out. Euphemia came further into the room, examining Cass from a far. "They said p-parents, I thought that ma-maybe..."
"No, just us." Fleamont said, giving her a cheery smile.
"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry." Euphemia said. "If I ever get my hands on that blasted-"
"Mia, darling, I doubt Cass wants to talk about it." Fleamont interrupted her gently. Euphemias features softened again.
"Of course not. Oh Cass, sweetheart-"
Sweetheart. That was all it took for Cass to go rigid and fall into a dark hole of her memories. Pain radiated through every pore of her body as she began trembling. You're nothing. Its all because I love you. You're mine.
Gwen gently applied a cold flannel to her head, the shock bringing her back into the hospital room with a bump.
"You're burning up." Gwen informed her. "I'll get you some calming draught."
"Are you alright Cass?" Euphemia asked gently.
"I-I'm sorry, I- I just that name. I-it's- it's what he calls me. I- I don't know what ha-happened." Cass stuttered.
"Don't apologise Cassie, it's my fault." Euphemia said. "Oh, come here honey." Euphemia wrapped her arms around her frail figure and Cass welcomed the familiar smell of her perfume.
"Hey, save some Cass for the rest of us." Fleamont joked. Euphemia laughed, swatting her husbands arm gently. Fleamont gave Cass a hug too and Cass felt a little more at ease in the small hospital room than she had before. There was a sudden commotion in the hall.
"Look, I know I sort of resemble that psycho but I am not her! I'm as good as it's going to get from our family, so if you'll excuse me I have a cousin to see!" Cass recognised Andromeda's voice immediately. Her breath hitched in her throat. She wasn't sure she was ready to see someone who looked so close to Bellatrix.
"Miss Black-"
"It's Mrs Tonks, thank you very much." Andromeda snapped.
"Could y-you tell them to l-let her in?" Cass asked timidly.
"Of course." Fleamont said. He disappeared out of the room.
Cass reached instinctively for Euphemias hand and Euphemia took it without hesitation, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Everyone's asking for you." Euphemia said. "The healers have had to restrain Sirius from barging in hear every five minutes." She chuckled. "Oh, and Regulus is awake too. Everyone is. James is a bit worse for wear but he'll live. He keeps saying now he can flex his scar to impress the girls."
"Oh, g-good." Cass nodded. The door opened and Andromeda stepped in. She had dyed her hair a vibrant pink, making her look completely different to Bellatrix. Cass sighed with relief.
"Oh Cass." Andromeda said, dropping her bag to the ground. "When they said- oh that doesn't matter now. You're okay." She engulfed Cass in a bear hug. Cass nuzzled into her.
"I- I like your hair." She said.
"Thought it'd be a good thing to make myself look extremely different from my sister." Andromeda said darkly. Cass laughed nervously. "Anyway, I was going to bring Dora but then I decided the last thing you needed was a screaming child."
"Y-you should bring her n-next time." Cass said. "I'd love to see her."
"Yes, maybe she'll be the mum doll for you." Andromeda teased. "Get back ol' Clarisse."
"H-have you seen her?" Cass asked. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine physically, but I think losing Pierre has hit her quite hard. She's still in here, somewhere. The hospital I mean." Andromeda said.
"I- I'd like to see her. To apologise for Pierres death. It's m-my fault." Cass said.
"It's not your fault." Andromeda said, so sharply that Cass flinched. "Sorry, but Clarisse already told me that she blamed Avery wholeheartedly for it and that she plans on getting her revenge."
"I think that would be good for all of us." Euphemia muttered. Cass laughed quietly.
"D-did they get him?" She asked, terrified of what the answer might be.
"They did." Andromeda said. "But if they want to put him behind bars, they'll need you to give them evidence. Maybe testify in court." Cass blanched.
"I- I d-don't..."
"You don't have to." Euphemia said. "But without solid proof he could go free."
"Take your time thinking about it." Andromeda said. "We'll support you no matter what."
wow a chapter with no cliffhanger? what's next? blue snow?