Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to JK Rowling, etc.
The New Dark Lord
Chapter Seven
Fabric moved gracefully through the air, a delicate feminine shape posing as if before a mirror, admiring herself and the dress she wore. Seraphina pursed her lips, soft eyes scrutinising her work, before humming in satisfaction, and with a flick of her wand, storing the dress safely away upon her rack with her other projects. It had taken her longer than expected, but she was proud of the finished product, and couldn't wait to show it to her client. She sincerely hoped Miss Mayer would be pleased.
Neville was working late at Hogwarts, already engrossed in his greenhouse, taking care of his plants. Sera didn't mind, as long as he was happy. He would be home soon enough, and then he was all hers. She would take a shower, make herself pretty for him, and then wait for him to come home. The thought still made her blush like a schoolgirl as she ascended the stairs into the house proper.
Their bedroom was located up a flight of stairs, and included an on suite bathroom that Sera found very useful. Ignoring the bathroom for now, she opened up her dresser and began to peruse her options while undressing and slipping into a soft white bathrobe. She didn't have a lot of suggestive underwear (she wasn't that kind of woman). In fact, she hardly had any, and certainly none she had bought for herself.
However, nestled at the very bottom of the drawer, still wrapped in purple paper, was a gift given to her by Luna soon-to-be-Weasley Lovegood. There was a woman that didn't care what people thought about her. The gift had been given on the sly, one afternoon when Luna had been visiting, with a wink, a smile, and a few whispered words of encouragement.
`Don't be afraid to try something new. You might like it. And Neville certainly will.'
Now Sera paused for only a moment before taking the purple wrapped package and slowly opening it. The underwear inside made her face turn a bright shade of red, but she didn't allow her nerves to stop her. She laid the flimsy garments out on the bed, ready for when was done showering.
In the bathroom, she made sure the shower was hot before disrobing and stepping into the cubicle, closing the glass door behind herself. The sound of the shower drove away everything else, and steam slowly fogged up the windows.
(----)
Neville arrived home a little later than expected, appearing just outside their house - located in a small wizarding village not far from Hogwarts - with a muffled thump. He shut the front door with a flick of his heel and called out, `Honey, I'm home,' with a big grin on his round face. Making his way into the kitchen, he waited for her response.
And waited.
In the kitchen, he helped himself to a swig from a carton of orange juice, glancing up at the ceiling with a small frown. `Sera?'
There was still no reply. Had she fallen asleep? He took the steps up to the bedroom two at a time, only to find it empty, and unruffled. He could hear the shower running.
He smiled, realization dawning. She couldn't hear him over the shower. He began to tug off his clothes, throwing his robe onto the bed and unbuttoning his shirt. Maybe he would surprise her. He opened the door…
…and the grin on his face transformed into a mask of horror. Shards of bloody glass littered the floor around and inside the shower stall. His hand clenched on the handle as his face paled. Written in blood on the wall was a message:
She's mine this time Longbottom.
Luv Mandy B.
Neville fell to his knees and vomited.
(----)
`Neville,' Ron said, some indeterminable time later. All Neville could see was her face. Sera - gone - kidnapped by… oh Merlin help her. `Neville. I'm sorry. I know how horrible this must be. If this happened to Luna… but we need to know what time you got back.'
`Shit Ron, does it really matter?' Elle asked. `We know when it happened. You said so yourself, her magical signature is all over that room. Fresh as a fuckin' corpse.'
Ron sighed. `I'm just trying to get a clear picture. Follow procedure.'
`We know what happened. Sera was showering. Miss B for bitch came in, blasted the shower door in with a powerful curse, cutting Sera to shreds it seems, and kidnapped her, leaving a grisly message with what can only be Sera's blood. What I'd like to know is why. This Brocklehurst bitch obviously has a grudge against Neville. The message makes that clear enough, so this isn't just a random Death Eater attack. There's motive.'
`Yeah, but it's not what you think.' Ron looked deeply disturbed by this.
`Then what the fuck is it?'
`It's not about Neville. It's about Sera. Brocklehurst has some kind of weird obsession with her. The last time they met, she almost raped Sera.'
Elle's eyes went wide. `Shit!'
`Yeah.'
Neville heard all this peripherally, like he was underwater, or wearing headphones. Everything was distant, so far away, and all he could hear was Sera pleading for help. All he could see was her face…
(----)
`What are we doing wasting time here? We have to find her!' Elle was frantic by the mention of rape, already imagining being in Sera's shoes, and hating the feel of them.
`And what would you have me do?' Ron demanded harshly. `I can't follow her trail, and unless you have some power I don't know of, neither can you. So? What do we do? Well?'
Elle glared at him. `Fuck you,' she spat, and then turned her back on him.
Ron sighed. `I'm sorry,' he said. `I don't like it either. We just need to focus on our job. The more we learn, the better chance we have to save Sera.'
Elle scowled angrily at the wall, knowing he was right, hating the whole situation. She could feel harsh hands groping at her flesh and it made her want to throw up.
`The time Neville?' Ron asked.
Elle's eyes slid along the wall and caught the sight of something reflected in the mirror. She did a double take. What was that? Elle turned around, scanning the room for the object in the mirror. There it was, lying in a crumbled ball by the bed. She knelt beside it and picked up the purple wrapping paper.
`What's this?'
Ron looked at the object in her hands and shrugged. `Neville?' The shell-shocked Herbology Professor looked dazedly at the wrapping paper. `Do you recognise it?'
Neville shook his head.
`What does it mean?' Ron posed the question, not sure if the paper meant anything at all.
`I don't know,' Elle replied with a frown.
(----)
The room Seraphina woke up in was cold, dark, and entirely stone, probably a cellar in some house out in the middle of the woods. She huddled in the corner, naked, arms wrapped around herself in a vain attempt to keep even a modicum of warmth in her body.
She had awoken here some time earlier, unsure what was happening. Then it all came back to her. Brocklehurst. The shower. Blood. She'd felt tears well up and her body going into shock, but had denied them. She fought them roughly down and forced herself to take stock of her situation.
She was still as naked as she'd been in the shower, but where she expected to find cuts and scars from the broken shower glass was only smooth skin. Brocklehurst must have healed her. The thought of that woman repulsed her and she shuddered. The very idea of Brocklehurst's magic being worked upon her made her want to cut her skin open to spite the foul harpy.
Thankfully there was not a single object in the room that would allow her to do that. Nothing. And that included her wand. She was defenceless, trapped, a prisoner of her worst nightmare. Despite herself, she trembled, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
And so here she huddled, in the corner of the dank cell.
There came occasional noises from upstairs; the slam of a door; feet upon the ceiling, heels clicking on wood; and malevolent laughter. The laughter of a demonic witch about to get what she'd always wanted.
Sera sobbed every time she heard it. She had no desire to hide her terror, here alone in her cell, and why should she? There was no escape without her wand. All she could do was hope for rescue, and that wasn't likely to happen. Brocklehurst was a Ravenclaw. She wouldn't have left any traces to be followed. Sera knew her fate and acting tough would not make her feel better.
It was inevitable, but Sera still flinched as the door to her prison opened and the witch herself, Mandy Brocklehurst, entered. Azkaban had not agreed with her. She was gaunt, with dark hollows under her eyes, and her once fabulous red hair was dull and scraggly. Yet, behind her deprivation, she exhumed satisfaction, sauntering into the room with her hands behind her back, and head held high.
Sera remained in the corner with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped protectively around them. She knew her modesty would not be kept for long, but she would hold onto it for as long as she could.
Brocklehurst looked at her through half lidded eyes. `Stand up.'
Sera shook her head and tightened her hold on her legs.
The Death Eater witch brought out her left hand from behind her back. In it was her wand. `Stand up.'
Sera looked fearfully at the other witches wand. She could resist, but what good would it do? Brocklehurst would torture her and she'd eventually give in. Why bother? And so, shamefully, she rose to her feet, but kept one arm across her breasts and one hand covering her nether region.
Brocklehurst licked her lips. `Hands at your sides,' she ordered, waving her wand threateningly.
Sera bit her lip, cast eyes down at her feet, and moved her hands as commanded. Humilition washed through her. She could feel the harpy's eyes on her. This time she fought the tears and sobs. She would not give the… the… bitch… the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Brocklehurst raked her eyes over every inch of exposed flesh, smiling with sick pleasure. `Look at me.' Sera was forced to raise her eyes. She hoped they weren't as teary as they felt. Brocklehurst gazed at he with lust. `Put this on.' She produced her right hand. In it was the lingerie Luna had bought for her. The lingerie she was going to wear for Neville.
Sera couldn't help it. She let out a little sob. This bitch was going to make her wear the lingerie for her.
No! Suddenly, defiantly, Sera glared at Brocklehurst. `Never!'
Pain flashed through her body as the Cruciatus Curse worked its evil magic. Sera fell to her knees and cried out. Her tormentor strolled over to her as she knelt on hands and knees, panting out painful breath after painful breath. The Death Eater crouched before her, lingerie held out before her.
`Put it on and the pain will stop,' Brocklehurst said, moving a strand of Sera's hair back behind her ear in what could have been a tender gesture, but was in fact disturbing and creepy.
Sera shuddered and sobbed and shook her head no.
Brocklehurst grabbed her by the hair roughly. She forced Sera to look into her gaunt face. `Don't be stupid. I will torture you until you're nearly dead. I know what I'm doing. I can bring you to the brink every day for the rest of your life, but I will never push you over. Death will be something you dream and long for if you don't do as I say. But if you do as you're told, then I won't hurt you. Truly. I don't want to hurt you. I love you baby. It breaks my heart to see you suffer, but I will make you scream until you learn if I have to.'
Sera closed her eyes. Her whole body convulsed in fear and pain. `P-please,' she weeped, `please stop.'
`Will you be a good girl and put this lovely lingerie on for me?'
Tears dripped from Sera's quivering chin. She had to force the words out. `Y-y-yes.'
Suddenly the pain was gone. Brocklehurst stood up with lingerie held out still. Sera collapsed onto the floor in relief and cried.
`Come on. Get up. Be a good girl for me and put on your lingerie.'
Sera wiped the tears and drool from her face as she climbed up on shaky legs. She took the lingerie and stared at it in her hands for a moment, before finally slipping it over her head.
Brocklehurst smiled widely. `Goooood girl.'
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