The Era of Aria Snape

110

Chapter One Hundred and Ten

ARIA HAD WOKEN with a start, breathing heavily. She reached up to rub her sleepy eyes and found her hair sticking to her sweaty skin.

Draco was still beside her, fast asleep it seemed and despite the gut-wrenching nightmare she had just woken up from, Aria felt her stomach grumble.

She slid her feet into the cozy slippers embroidered with M and made her way out of the room and down to the kitchen.

She didn't have bad dreams every night, but when she did they were terrible. Bloody and heartbreaking. She assumed it was because she was in the constant presence of the Dark Lord. As much as she had worried about the baby's health, she noticed that hers was starting to decline.

Aria constantly felt suffocated, not by Draco or his family, but by the Manor itself. The sky was always cloudy and dark, she hadn't seen the sun in ages, and whether that was because it was winter or because of the pure negative energy she didn't know.

It was rather depressing, though.

Aria wondered about her father while she opened a jar of cookies. He had gone back to the school already. She wondered what the condition of things might be like, were the classes still the same? Were there festivities?

She sealed up the jar again and went for the cupboard, sifting through the numerous foods until she found what she wanted.

The Manor was eerily silent, Aria assumed everybody was asleep so it took her by surprise when she felt someone's presence right behind her, so close that she felt their breath tickling the back of her neck.

She felt herself pale, hoping it was only Draco upon realizing that her wand was still up in the room.

She glanced back, her eyes met the ugly mud shade of his. He was one of the Snatchers, one that she had seen eyeing her countless times. "What do you want?" She snapped, turning around to face him.

"Fancy seeing you out so late, you should some rest."

"I was hungry."

He had some light stubble on his jaw and a scar lining his right cheek. She'd like to give him another on his left one.

"Me too." He grinned. "Weird how that works."

"You're not supposed to be in here." She gripped the counter behind her to steady herself, suddenly feeling dizzy.

He shrugged. "I come and go as I please. Nobody tells me where to go, not even that boyfriend of yours or his daddy."

"Perhaps I should report back to them then, that one of their Snatchers needs some reminding of who's in charge." Aria snapped and tried to push past him, he grabbed onto her arms.

"You've always had such a big mouth." He tutted, eyes drifting to her exposed neckline.

He leaned in to kiss her. Without the use of her hands, Aria did the only other thing she could and spat right in his face. "Don't touch me."

He shook his head and wiped his face with his gloved palm. "You're going to regret that." His fisted hand clashed with Aria's cheek, a cracking sound as the bones collided.

She released a groan, blood and spit spilling from her mouth. Her hands immediately went to her stomach, and panic set in. She could handle a punch, no matter the pain it caused, but her baby...

Usually, she would hit have hit back. She wondered where her spark had gone, the one that got her into so much trouble at school. She longed for the nerve to hit him back. But all she felt was fear. She hated it. 

She fought against his grip, struggling. "Let go of me you disgusting, foul—"

"Someone needs to show you your place."

Aria closed her eyes, allowing a few tears to slip down her face as he ran his hands along her sides. There was nothing she could do. Her wand — which she realized she depended far too heavily on — was in her room. No matter how hard she punched him, he wouldn't even flinch, and kneeing him in his crown jewels would only make him angrier and on the small chance that it did work, she wouldn't have enough time to run to the other side of the house and get Draco. Her screams wouldn't reach him either and seeing as prisoners in the dungeons below or Death Eaters who had stepped out of line were known to release screams when tortured, he would most likely brush hers off as one of them.

She didn't care about herself, not when her baby could be harmed.

"Crucio!"

Aria's eyes shot open as the Snatcher before her tensed up and let out a howling scream.

"Silencio!"

Aria ran to Bellatrix as she tortured the Snatcher, watching in delight as his body sank to the ground, still twitching. Even as blood ran from his mouth she didn't stop. His screaming was silenced by her charm.

Draco ran in a moment later, eyes landing on Aria. "You were gone and then I heard..." His stare moved from Bella to the half-dead Snatcher on the ground. "Did he hurt you?" His tone had gone from concerned to icy. His glare was even colder — Aria had never seen him so angry.

Aria shook her head, "No. He was going to, I left my wand in the room I'm so stupid." She sobbed. "If Bella hadn't been here—"

Bellatrix shook her head. "Don't cry." She stalked over to him, grinning. "I will take care of him because people who mess with family," she drawled, lifting him by the collar, "Die. Slowly, painfully..." The Snatcher groaned.

Draco walked towards him as Bella threw him to the floor again. "Touch her again." He threatened and kicked the Snatched in the gut. "And I'll deal with you myself." He looked down at the body and kicked down into the Snatcher's face, a loud cracking sound reverberating around the room as his nose crumbled.

"Go, go." Bella urged the two of them. "I'll deal with this." She smiled, seeming far too happy.

Draco took Aria back to their room, he set her down and cradled her. "You should have woken me."

"I want to leave, Draco."

"What?"

"I need to leave the Manor. If Bella hadn't shown up, if you hadn't come through... I can't have a baby surrounded by these people!"

His skin paled. "We can't go anywhere, they'll find us, they'll kill us if we leave."

"I'm not going to have a baby with the likes of him skulking around." She looked down at her lap. "Even if it means I have to leave by myself."

"What?"

"You heard me." She glanced at the ring on her finger, her heart sinking. "It's not about us anymore. I have a responsibility to keep this baby safe and I can't do that here."

He said nothing, not for a long while. "I know." He finally whispered. "But there's nothing we can do."

Aria snorted. "There's nothing you're willing to do. Do you even care about the baby at all?"

"Of course I care!" He snapped. "Which is why you can't leave. He'll kill you! Please, Aria, I'll do anything if you just stay, for the time being until we do get to leave."

"And how long is that?"

He looked down, "Until Potter is dead."

Aria felt her heart race at the statement, she only hoped her true feelings didn't show on her face. Finally, she nodded. She always knew that was coming, regardless of how little they spoke, she didn't exactly want to admit to herself that her only brother would have to die and she would be there to witness it. "I don't..." She didn't know what to say. "I'm going to sleep."

With that, she lay down, her breathing slowed as he did the same, and despite how tired she was, Aria didn't sleep another wink, not for many nights to come.