Imperium - t.r.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Murderous Intent

(T/W: This chapter is very heavy on death)

Grindelwald sat at the banquet table, looking at her with the eyes of a predator lying in wait. Her breath quivered when her eyes locked with his. Trying to maintain her own steely gaze was folly. The hours of torture made her vulnerable to his overpowering presence. Her lungs seemed to fill with an air of decay as her heart quickened its pounding. Anastasia's hands were frozen and numb despite the warmth coming from the fireplace on the east wall. The candlestick felt so heavy in her hands and it started to slip from her sweaty grip.

    "We meet again, Anastasia De Meath," Grindelwald said. "Don't look so scared, I'm not here to do you harm."

    A thousand snarky remarks to his statement ran through her head, but the fear in her heart kept her mouth tightly closed.

    "Come, sit! Don't be shy!"

    Anastasia did not dare move, her mind froze her in place. The woman from before roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her to the chair before forcing her down. The brass candlestick was still in her hand, being held only by her weak fingers.

"I'm impressed, most soldiers would have only lasted a few weeks and yet you lasted for three months!"

    "What do you want with me?" Anastasia asked him with a quiet, hoarse voice.

    "I want to give you a second chance," Grindelwald replied. "I'll let you and your little friend go free if you tell me the Ministry's plans."

    "Angelo's here?" Anastasia inquired, the prospect of Angelo being alive regenerating some semblance of hope inside her.

    "Yes, he is here," Grindelwald said. "Writhing in a cold cell, like you were, not long ago."

    "And he's alive?"

    "Very much so," Grindelwald replied. "So... what is your answer?"

    Anastasia sat in silence, contemplating the offer. Angelo's alive, that's good. She can't handle another day of torture. She's going to break anyways, so telling him now would at least spare Angelo. Perhaps a lie could do the trick. Though, if he doesn't let them go until the information is proven to be true, they could both be killed. There's a chance that he won't uphold his end of the bargain at all. Then again, there's a chance that Jasper is still alive. By giving him information, she would be endangering Jasper. Maybe only revealing a small part of what she knew would suffice.

    "I don't know much," she said. "As far as I know, they were planning to retreat further west."

    "Further west?" he inquired. "How far?"

    "About thirty miles, I think," Anastasia replied. "It's been so long I can't completely remember. I wasn't of any significant influence, so I wasn't exactly kept in the loop."

    "I see," Grindelwald sighed. "They did that about a month ago, but that's to be expected."

    Anastasia's breath caught in her throat. Would he still let her and Angelo go even if the information was no use? A sigh from his lips made her look back up.

    "Well, you don't know anything," Grindelwald said. "Albus sure was thorough, damn him."

    "Are we free to go?" asked Anastasia with a meek voice.

    "There's no point in keeping you here any longer," Grindelwald replied. "Griselda, take her to the gate. She'll meet the boy there."

    The woman pulled her up and dragged her out of the hall. Without a coat, Griselda took her to the outer walls of Nurmengard, where she stood in the cold. While it was still freezing, the winds weren't as biting as before. It's probably because of the fact that it was now April. She stood, shivering, for what seemed like hours. Finally, Grindelwald walked towards her with a bag in his hand. Before she could express her confusion at Angelo's absence, the dark wizard took her arm. Reality warped around her as they Apparated, after a few seconds, she found herself standing upon a hill overrun with wildflowers and green stretching out as far as the eye could see.

    The sun shone on her face for the first time since last year. Her lungs gladly welcomed the fresh, spring air and the scent of blooming flowers. Anastasia looked at him with confusion in her eyes. With a sneer, he handed her the bag. When she saw what was in it, she dropped the bag onto the ground, letting Angelo's head roll out onto the bed of flowers. Her breath quickened and quivered. Her eyes were blown wide with disbelief as she looked into his emerald green ones that had long lost their light. Anastasia's knees buckled, falling onto the damp grass. Her mouth gasped and muttered out half-articulated questions.

    "He died... three months ago," Grindelwald said to her. "When we took you, he resisted a bit too much. A loyal, steadfast boy... until the very end."

    Anastasia's chest wracked with sobs as tears fell from her eyes onto his white cheeks.

    "Bury him well, Daughter of Dragons," Grindelwald said. "Before you fall into your own grave."

    With a crack, he disapparated. She knelt there, still looking at Angelo. His head must have been embalmed or preserved in another way, because he had not decayed. Anastasia evened her breathing. It wasn't him. This was just Grindelwald's way of psychologically torturing her into giving him information. This isn't real!

    Every passing moment that she tried to rationalize it, the more it seemed real. The wind was still bringing a chill to her skin, the grass was imprinting on her knees and staining her pants green, the sun was still warm on her face as it began to set. When she reached out to stroke his cheek, Angelo was cold as ice. Tears continued to fall as the sun retreated behind the horizon. The moon cast a cold light on Angelo's face, making him almost glow in the darkness surrounding them. She had no idea how long she was kneeling there, a few hours maybe? Her stomach started to rumble and her head pound, but she took no notice of it.

    So this was it... Angelo was really dead. Anastasia curled up and cried. Her hair surrounded him as she replayed every moment from the attack. If she hadn't climbed up the cliff, if she was there to protect him and Sadie. If she had just not tempted fate with Grindelwald, hadn't tried to spy on him. If she hadn't left Hogwarts at all, maybe he would be sitting in the Slytherin Common Room, asleep on his charms textbook. Maybe he would be laughing with Jasper and Hagrid at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the looks the other lions gave him. Maybe he would be shooting a discreet hex at Orion Black or tutoring Uriah. Maybe he would be on the Astronomy Tower, marveling at the stars only to hate them a few seconds later when Professor Gillingham assigns another Star Map. If she had just stayed put and continued to study dutifully, getting high marks on exams and attending Slughorn's dinner parties, maybe he would have stayed too.

    She lifted her head up to the ever-burning stars that shone far above a human's hand and screamed. She screamed in hatred and in fury. Why couldn't she have just kept him safe? Why did she have to go to Germany? Why did he have to leave her behind? Why did he have to leave his brother? Grindelwald killed him and removed his head! For that he must pay, for that he must die himself. Fire leapt from her mouth and her hands, setting the green hills ablaze with crimson and black. Angelo's head was untouched by the flames, kept perfectly safe from the fire within a circle of green and white.

    Anastasia glared up at the moon with murderous intent and made a vow to herself. A vow that she would destroy Grindelwald in all senses of the word. She no longer cared for Dumbledore or his ties with the filth of the "Greater Good". After all, she warned him that she was going to end it one way or the other. And it would only end with a flash of green light and Grindelwald's limp carcass at her feet.

A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter was so short. In the previous author's note, I said that I've been struggling with mental health. With that in mind, expect more frequent hiatuses as a result. I'm going to try my best to get healthier. Thank you all so much for your support! I deeply appreciate all the love. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

- Raven