Smoke | James Potter

。thirty-four 。

the curse was inflicted on her for a third time and she screamed, nails scraping on any surface she could reach. it felt never ending and she was close to fainting with exhaustion and pain but the curse relented. orion then muttered a spell quietly, one astra could hear properly as her heart thumped in her ears.

a large gash magically appeared on her stomach, a strip of her dress cut through as she began to bleed. her hands shakily reached up to press down on the bleeding wound as orion left her room without a care for her, slamming the door behind him.

some time passed by and astra managed to stand on swaying legs. the gash on her stomach wasn't going to be fatal but it still bled through her fingers, dripping down her wrist as she pulled herself up. the witch glanced around her bedroom and caught sight of her trunk, wondering if she could escape this time. she could stay in the leaky cauldron for the rest of the week.

stumbling for her trunk, astra flipped it open and began to shove things inside hurriedly. she had her own vault at gringotts so she could buy another wand with her money. she had enough money to last her a lifetime, she could do this easily. the hard part was getting out of grimmauld place unseen.

astra hadn't heard her bedroom door open or close, but she felt arms wrap tightly around her waist. her mouth opened, preparing to speak or shout but a large hand clamped over her mouth, pressing her cheeks together in a painful grip. her blood ran cold and she felt frozen to the spot, as if she was paralysed.

salem placed his chin on her shoulder and astra's eyes closed in dread as he spoke, "where did you plan on going to? you have no one, astra. your mudblood and blood traitor 'friends' are keeping you around for convenience, nothing more. and if it wasn't for sirius," salem almost spat his name, "do you really think potter, lupin or pettigrew would give a shit? i'm not sure even sirius does, he probably pities you. i know i do."

astra tried to wiggle out of his hold, pushing at his arms with her hands, digging her nails into his skin. she lifted a leg and kicked him harshly in the shin causing him to stubble slightly and loosen his grip on her. she turned around sharply and punched him in the face. salem's head fell backwards with a groan, blood trickling down his top lip.

angered by her painful punch, salem reached for his wand in his inside pocket, aiming it at astra. she tried to dodge whatever spell he was about to shoot at her but rope bonded around her hands from the charm he mumbled, locking her hands behind her back. he repeated it to her ankles next and she nearly fell forwards with the impact of the magical rope. before she could topple over, salem caught her from behind, pressing her back into his chest. astra opened her mouth again but his grip returned over the bottom of her face.

"you can scream all you like once i'm done talking," salem started, pulling some hair from her neck with his free hand to whisper close to her ear, "in fact, i may even prefer that. no one will hear you, anyway. and even if they did, i doubt they'd care all that much. but you try anything other than that, if i leave this room with anymore blood on my face, i'll make your life even more miserable. do you understand?"

astra didn't say anything, she didn't mutter a word behind his hand as tears welled on her waterline, her mind flashing to the christmas ball at the malfoy's house. the bathroom. his hands. her consciousness slipping away and then coming back. merlin, she wished he'd knock her out this time. but he seemed to be enjoying the face she was more aware of what he was doing.

salem's thumb found the gash on her stomach and he dug it into the wound making astra jolt and whimper in pain behind is hand, the salty tears burning her eyes as they started to dribble down her cheeks.

she felt utterly helpless once again.

"do you understand?" salem hissed, pushing his thumb into her cut harder and she lowered her head with another muffled sound of pain. "i'll take that as a yes."