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A Better World by Strawberry Shortcake
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A Better World

Strawberry Shortcake

This is the first installment of a small trilogy that I couldn't get out of my head.

I DISCLAIM EVERYTHING!!

In a darkened room, in a darkened house a lover and her husband lay intertwined in elegant silk sheets. Though the man beside her has sex with her, he is not her lover. He gives no love into their relation ship and in turn takes none of hers.

Letting out a sigh Cho Chang stood up and instinctively reached for her silk robe. Drawing it close around her she walked to the parlor where she could meditate on her thoughts. The flagged stone walk ways were icy at this point in the winter and chilled her feet as she continued forward.

How did she get to this point?

Sitting on the overstuffed couch she clapped her hands and a fire appeared. The purple flames radiated an immense warmth, but were not nearly as beautiful or as warm as red flames. They didn't use red flames because they reminded him of her hair. Letting out a little sigh Cho rubbed her hands together trying to get warmth to her finger tips.

Their house was never warm.

With a small sigh she summoned a glass of muggle brandy. It was one of the few muggle things left in this newer, better, muggle-free world. The amber colored liquid rushed down her throat filling her body with a tingling sensation. It didn't have the same effect as fire whiskey, but was less likely to get her intoxicated.

Taking one last sip she threw the tumbler into the fire place and watched the flames erupt as they became exposed to the alcohol.

She hated this. She hated living the life of a Malfoy wife, feared by all and friends with none. She hated being in a loveless marriage. She hated the fact that her husband loved another woman. Most of all, she hated herself.

Standing up she extinguished the fire with another clap of her hands and began walking the familiar route to the Malfoy torture dungeons. She glided past the filled cells to the unadorned wall on the other end of the chamber. Pressing the locket against a certain torch holder made the bricks waver and then disappear. As soon as she entered the new chamber the bricks rematerialized.

This room was shown to her by Mrs. Malfoy before the older woman's death. Apparently Lucius had a tendency to find comfort in others beds, so when she found out she would take to other women to this room. It was filled with terrible instruments of torture that Cho couldn't possibly use on a human being.

Well, any human except her.

She lay crumbled in the corner of her cell obviously malnourished and tortured. Her long red hair which Draco loved more than anything lay limp and dirty around her as she used it as a makeshift pillow.

With a clap of her hands the room was illuminated with purple light from the torches stationed along the walls.

"Rise and shine dearest!" Cho's words echoed through the room waking up Ginny.

Draco thought she was dead.

Distrust and disappointment etched themselves across her features as Cho made her way to the cage. With a wave of her hand the steel bars opened and Ginny walked out.

"Which device to you want to experiment with today dearest?" Cho always called her dearest during these times.

Ginny longed to pick one of the less painful instrument like the thumbscrews, but knew that Cho would only get angrier at her. Walking forward she laid on the stretching table and held her hands above her head waiting to be strapped in.

Cho walked over and buckled the metal straps but didn't spin the dial to begin the stretching. Instead she picked out a large pair of tongs and thrust them into one of the torches.

"Let's see how much Draco likes you with only one breast dearest," Cho let out an evil chuckle and the next thing that was heard were Ginny's screams.

_______

Stepping back Cho admired her work. Ginny was a bloody mess on the table and the air had a faintly metallic smell. With a small was of her wand the wound in Ginny's chest healed, but did not create another breast.

The younger girls shallow breathing began to even out as a blood replenishing charm was cast on her. With another flick of Cho's dogwood wand Ginny was dressed in a formless gray wool dress. With a simple charm the girl was levitated into her cell and Cho locked the door.

Looking at the blood that was staining the stones a quick cleansing charm was cast, but Cho left the breast behind as a reminder. Letting out a sigh she cast a thorough cleansing charm on herself and walked through the brick wall. Daylight was beginning to creep in through the barred dungeon windows.

"He is going to find her eventually," Blaise Zabini whispered from behind his cage.

"Who is going to tell him Blaise?" Cho asked with a malicious chuckle.

"I might," Blaise said in little more than a whisper.

"Like he would believe you," Cho walked past blowing a quick kiss over her shoulder before ascending the staircase.

Blaise knew Cho was holding Ginny Weasley captive in the cell next to his. He heard her cries during the day and her tortured screams at night. He knew she was the one girl Draco loved. He knew Draco thought he killed her.

_______

Cho crawled under the covers on the large bed snuggling down in their softness. Draco didn't ask where she was, then again, she didn't expect him to.

They had a marriage of convenience mainly based on the purity of their blood. Cho came from an old oriental line and Draco from a European one.

Everyone thought they would make beautiful children.

The only problem was Draco didn't want to have any children with Cho. There was only one woman he wanted carrying his baby, and she did at one time, but Cho made sure that problem was taken care of when Ginny Weasley was put into her custody.

Ginny cried when Cho told her it was a baby girl.

Draco scooted closer to Cho trying to get warmer.

"You're cold," He growled pulling the blankets closer to his face.

"I always am," Cho whispered slowly falling asleep.