𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 ; 𝒹.𝒽

fifty-two

She slowly walked out and took one last look around the house before apparating to the Hemlock Manor. She walked through the empty entrance hall, the only sound being her heels clicking against the marble floor. 

She walked into a sitting room, and found Gabriel Hemlock standing up looking at a portrait of the Grayson and Gabriel Hemlock. 

"Where have you been?"

She gave no answer, only holding up her wand. 

"Face me, Gabriel."

He turned to her, letting out a soft sigh at the sight of her wand raised. He slowly walked to her, taking her chin between his pointer finger and thumb softly, "What's gotten into your head, Lavinia?"

"You mean what's gotten out of my head."

He stepped back, "Do it, then."

She gripped her wand tightly as her chest heaved, "You've abused me for years. Used me."

"I saved you."

"No."

He tilted his head, "Do you really think they would have let you live if it weren't for me?"

"I would have rathered death over what you did to me. You took my life. My choices."

He smiled lightly, "You think this was all me?"

"No. But you're the easiest to kill."

"My darling Lavinia, I have a son. How will you live knowing you took his father away from him?"

She swallowed harshly, "You don't care about him."

"What do you think will happen to you if you kill me? Hm?"

"I don't fear death. I've longed for it for years," Lavinia said as tears began to stream down her face. 

He approached her again as her hand shook. He slowly lowered her arm, and she let him. He pulled her into his chest, stroking her hair as she sobbed.

"I've kept you safe, and this is how you return my kindness," Gabriel said. He pulled her head from his chest and cupped her face, "But that's okay. You don't know any better, do you?"

Her black eyes burned into his green ones, "no," she whispered.

He placed a kiss on her forehead and then her lips as he easily took the wand from her hand. He wiped her tears away, "All will be over soon, darling." He stepped away from her and placed the wand in his coat pocket. He took her hand, "Let's take you to bed."

He guided her upstairs to her room, shutting the door and locking it behind him. She looked out of the window at the garden as he peeled off her cloak. 

"I'm scared."

"What are you scared of?" he asked as he swept her hair behind her shoulders.

She gave no answer as her eyes flickered to the wall of wands she won from wizards. The wands her hung over her bed. She saw them as trophies in the past, but now she only felt sick thinking about how cruel she was with killing them all. Killing good people.

She closed her eyes at the feeling of Gabriel's lips on her neck, a feeling she once welcomed, but she now felt nothing. He guided her to her bed, gently pushing her back onto it. He crawled on top of her and kissed her lips again, and she let melted into him for a few passing moments. 

When she pulled back, his hand wrapped around her throat. He applied gentle pressure, a warning. A warning she knew all too well.

He used his other hand to pull down the strap of her dress and she shuddered.

"Relax," he whispered, "I won't hurt you."

Her eyes snapped open at his words. She stared up at the ceiling as he hitched her dress up. She raised her hand, reaching above her bedpost and grabbing a wand. She pressed it to his chest and pushed. 

He leant back and she sat up, "Lavinia. Stop."

He got off the bed and she followed suit, walking him against the window with the wand to his chest.

She stared at him and whispered, "No."

And she yelled those two fateful words. That familiar flash of green encompassed the room as he was flown through the window. She let out a breath of air she didn't realize she was holding in. She pulled the strap of her dress back on her shoulder and slowly approached the broken window.

She looked down and saw his body lying on the stone with blood slowly gathering around it, and she smiled. 

Lavinia searched the house for Grayson. Not to kill, but to simply alert him.

But alas, he was no where to be found.

She apparated to the Malfoy Manor and walked down the hallway, bumping into Narcissa.

"Lavinia? What?–"

"I killed him."

"Who?"

"Gabriel. His body is still there if you want to see it for yourself," she said, pushing past her and heading straight for the meeting room.

She stormed in, startling several Death Eaters.

Voldemort stared at her from the head of the table with an unreadable expression. She looked to Grayson, "Your father is dead."

His eyes widened, "What?"

Narcissa walked in with wide eyes, catching Draco's worried expression.

Before Lavinia could even raise her wand, Voldemort disarmed her and used Crucio on her. She fell down in pain, as he walked to her.

"How disappointed I am in you. I thought you'd be better than your brothers."

She glared up at him, "I never was. I could only dream of being like them."

"Aren't you going to beg for your life?"

She slowly shook her head and Voldemort stepped away, "Nagini, it's dinner time. Take your time with this one."