épanoui || sirius black

XXXVIII

"Your mind was very hard to access," he continued. "I taught you well. But you've let your guard down hanging around with those imbeciles you call family. They're even worse than your real family if I must be honest."

"Depulso," Nuna angrily murmured as she brought her better hand up towards Voldemort. To both their surprise, he stumbled back, allowing Nuna enough time to stand up before losing her balance and clinging onto the cave wall for support. Once Voldemort regained stability, he scoffed.

"Such a shame," he snickered in pity. "When you were 15 you could knock me to the ground. What has that unfortunate school taught you?"

"Last I remember you attended that unfortunate school."

"I excelled at Hogwarts," he angrily cried. "They were fools to look at me as nothing but superior. Fools to make me attend that school with mudbloods like your friends." Nuna had no strength to defend them, no matter how much she wanted to. She just wanted to wake up. Her head and hand still bled profusely, and she felt the taste of metal rising up in her mouth, slowly yet excitingly. She didn't realize she had this much blood in her.

Nuna tries to look at him but her eyes look in a different direction, unable to focus on the correct thing. She could hear him ranting about some stupid plan of his. He really loved ranting. But she was tired of listening. She tried walking with the wall but her knees buckled and she fell slightly forward, catching herself on the huge boulder in front of her. Wedged between the boulder and the wall was something shiny, seemingly valuable before she remembered where she was.

In an instant she fell backward, attracting the attention somewhere away from the locket. She could feel the bones in her right hand twisting the wrong way. Then she heard the laugh. That slow, grueling laugh that haunted her dreams came from Voldemort. She looked slightly up to see his entire mouth was unhinged. No matter what he would do, he always looked like a monster. She hated to think he was once human.

"What do you want with me?" she groaned, still laying on the ground. It was easier than standing.

"I just wanted to see how my star pupil was doing. Friends, family. You really did get the life you wanted."

"Not yet," she mumbled. "You'd first have to die."

"Hmm. Pity you'll die soon enough." He walked closer to Nuna. "How's the Black brother? Still a Gryffindor? How's that Pettigrew character?"

Nuna's head tilted. Why the hell would he care? "Why?"

He ignored her as he grabbed her by the face, bringing her whole body up as he bent down. "How's the Potters' son? Harry, isn't it?"

She shook her head until he dropped it back down. "You stay away from them!"

"He's only 3 months old, is he not?" he snickered. "July 31st. What an interesting birthday. Wouldn't you agree?"

Blood was drooling down her face, she thinks. She couldn't tell if it came from her head or mouth because all she could see was red.

"W-What do you want with me?" she stuttered out. "Why now? Years after I ran, why now? I-I don't understand your motives, your—your reasoning for this!"

He tilted his head so she could feel his energy as he grabbed her forearm and squeezed as hard as she could. Her arm felt like it was being burnt with fire. Hot molting fire. The sun would be fucking jealous. She didn't know she could scream so loudly. She should enroll in singing classes with the type of range she had. Nuna bet it was all music to his ears.

"That love you feel? I want you to feel every single ounce of it. Because once I take it all away, you'll be left with absolutely nothing. You'll be so empty inside that you'll be begging and crawling back to me because I am all you will have left. You. Will. Fall."

The tears in her eyes fell hard as it rained heavily outside of the cave. She didn't feel like herself. She felt like the small little girl she was when she was still a death eater. She felt like nothing. "I-I don't understand."

"You foolish child," his voice grew delayed, the entire cave ringing with just him. "You could have been the greatest in the world. But you let love weaken you."

"Fuck off," she spat.

"Do not try to understand me."

He squeezed her forearm as hard as she could and as pain shot through her entire body she jolted up and out of bed.

"Fear me."

She felt numb. Her head was pounding and her mouth tasted like metal but she felt fine.

Sirius slowly turned towards her, waking up. He rubbed and blinked his eyes before he saw Nuna was heavily alert and wide away.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, half asleep.

Nuna rubbed her eyes with her right hand. "Nothing, just a bad drea—"

"Why the hell is your hand bleeding?" Sirius jumped and instantly cradled her damaged hand. She didn't feel the pain. She didn't feel anything. Sirius jumped out of bed and began looking for a special aid kit, all while waiting for an answer.

"I-I," she stuttered, "I don't know."

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very random chapter lol it'll tie up soon dont worry