I sighed as another pile of files banged on my desk, Teresa gave me an apologetic smile as she left. It was already after my working hours, but I had gotten used to it. I blinked my eyes a couple of times to help me stay awake. Sipping my hot coffee on a rainy day, my phone rang a familiar tune.
"Hey, Tommy!" I said quickly picking up the FaceTime.
"What's this I hear about you not coming back in April, like we discussed?" he said angrily not even greeting me.
"I know, I'm just - ppshh - I'm just busy, so I won't be able to come in April" I said sighing loudly and closing a file. He shook his head, "But I wanted to spend a day with you" he whined like a little baby. I chuckled but before I could say anything, he interrupted, "Timber wanted to play with you"
"Don't play the Timber card, Tom-" I said but he held her up next to his face and made a pouty face. I smiled, "Hi, Puddles! Hi, how are you?" she let out a small dog whine, "Ohh, I know, I miss you too, darling. I promise, I'll be back soon" I said in a baby voice. "So, when are you coming back?" Tom asked putting Timber down and throwing her a ball.
"Erm, I think, June 22nd, yeah" I said checking my ticket in my phone. "Why am I finding out that you're not going to come in April, one month before and that you are coming in late, 2 months late for the filming?" he said squinting his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Tom. You have no idea how busy I have been, it's hectic, look at my desk-" I flipped the camera, "This-" "You're still at work?" he asked cutting me off. I took another sip of my coffee, "Yeah, this pile, is due tomorrow, then this on Wednesday and that one on Friday" I said pointing to the three piles.
"Shorty, I'm about to sleep, it's like 4 AM here, so it should be 11 there" Tom pointed out. "I know" I whined a little. "But I have to do it, I can't push it more, because David called and he said they need me so, I can't delay more" I said placing the phone on support and continuing work.
We were talking and we heard a noise, "Are you alone, Shorty?" he asked sitting up straight because he heard it as well. I looked back at the screen in fear, I nodded. "Okay, now quietly, grab whatever you can and head in that direction"
"Tom, we've seen enough murder mysteries to know that you should never inspect a voice in the dark" I whispered grabbing a lamp and unplugging it. "I'm right here" he whispered back. I stood up, dimmed the brightness of my phone, held Tom close - I mean, my phone close and went towards where the sound came from.
"Tom, keep talking, keep talking or I'm gonna kill you if I get killed here!" I whispered as I took a turn. I was about to hit whatever or whoever it was with my lamp, but they stopped me, "Babycakes!"
"Rob?" Tom and I asked in unison. He put his torch on his face, "Duh!" I sighed in relief. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked pulling him back to my desk. "Well, I knew you were going to work late, and I knew that you would drown yourself in coffee and not eat. So, I brought Thai" he said pulling a bag up to my desk.
"Tom..." I turned to call but he had already hung up. "No, now, all phones aside, work aside, we're going to have dinner" Rob said taking my phone and putting it in his pocket. We had a fun dinner and I got relaxed, we headed home together and I called it a day.
••••••
Two months later - June 2009
"Welcome back, Y/N!" David said happily. We talked about some or other of my scenes, when I was tackled to the soft ground beneath me. "SHORTY!!" Tom yelled as he tightly wrapped his hands around me. I laughed and hugged him back. "When were you going to tell me that you're coming early?" he asked still not pulling away.
"I wanted it to be a surprise" I said as he pulled away. He kissed both of my cheeks and my forehead and then helped me up. "I missed you so much, darling" he said pulling me into another hug. "Y/N!!!!" Another voice yelled my name and I knew I was about to be tackled again. I was right. Emma jumped on me and we both fell to the ground.
"You're here!" she yelled in my ears. "Yes, I'm here and I'm not leaving till the premiere in London" I said as she smothered me with kisses, a few landing on my lips as well. "Okay, now Y/N, we all missed you dearly, but let's get you back in the game!" David said as Ralph arrived.
"Hey, Ralph!" I said sweetly greeting him. "Hi, honey" he replied sweetly as well, right now looking at him, didn't feel like he was Lord Voldemort. "Okay, so, Y/N, we're going to take short clips of you either lying on the ground or something like that, then we'll begin the cruciating scene, alright?"
"Yeah, sounds fun!" I said happily and took my position. "Scene 34, take 1. Action!"
Two months.
It has been two months since I am here in the Malfoy Manor. He has me hidden here from everyone's eyes. No one knows that I am here. Not even Draco or his mother. The only way I know is that this is Malfoy Manor is that I hear Narcissa shout the house elves for work, I hear voices of different people in the meetings that have been going on downstairs.
I have been in this dark room for two months. It just a room, nothing else.
A plain fucking room, with absolutely nothing in it. No bed, no windows, no lights, no chairs, no closets, no bathrooms, nothing. I lie on the cold floors the whole time. The only way I know that it has been two months is I had been counting the hours I have been here and then using math to know what day or date it could be. That was the only thing for me to do.
And it goes without say, but I'll still say it, he took my fucking wand. It still didn't matter as I could do wandless magic now even without my wand near me. But I couldn't take any chance.
My morning starts with my father coming in my room and cruciating me for hours. My punishment for being away from him. For hiding myself from him. Then he leaves and if he wishes then and only then, I am served some food. It could be any part of the day. Sometimes he would bring in breakfast that would've left untouched because I didn't trust him. Sometimes the house elves would bring in something to eat.
I used to eat their food as Voldemort wouldn't bother talking to them and telling them to mix some poison in my food. But why would he? He knows who I am. What powers I hold. He knows everything. And then the whole day I would just lie on the cold floor like a lifeless body. I had been threatened, just like Draco had been. I was threatened that if I tried to escape the Manor or even leave the room, then everyone I hold dear will be long gone.
"Cut! Excellent! Now, let's continue, Ralph, let's continue!"
"Ah, my lovely, lovely daughter" he said making me sit up straight and pushing myself to the wall behind me in fear. "Now, did you change your mind?" he asked bending down to my face. "No! No! I'm never going to join-"
"Crucio!"
"AAAHHH!" I screamed on top of my breath, wriggling on the floor in pain. I kept screaming until his spell stopped. "This is for hiding from me all these years! Cru-cio!" he said making me feel the pain again - the one that makes you feel like your body is on fire, the one where you feel thousands of needles are being pressed into your body, repeatedly. I screamed again.
He stopped as I laid lifeless on the ground. He picked my face with his leg, "What a waste of so much magic, so much power, so much pure-blood" he said in disgust. Even when I was in so much pain, "You're a waste of all those things!" I spat as I tasted some blood in my mouth. He cruciated me again, this time for hours.
"Cut!" The whole set was quiet because of my screams. I actually screamed that much and that loud. Ralph helped me up, "Impeccable acting" he praised and everyone erupted in applause. "It looked so real! Very real" David said as I went over to him.
"I'm-I'm worried for your voice box" Tom said handing me a bottle of water. "I'm fine, Tom" I said placing a kiss on his cheek. "Y/N!" Jade said as she came to hug me, "It's so good to see you" she said pulling away. "Hi, Jade, I hope you're keeping my best friend happy" I said as we draped arms around each other's waist and looked at Tom.
"Very happy" he said smiling widely.
"Alright, Y/N and Helen, scene's ready" David said and I went back to the setting. I took my position, "Action!"
"You cannot know I am here" I said as I pulled the person into my room and locked it. "W-What are you doing here?" Narcissa asked and ran to hug me. "Mrs. Malfoy" I said and hugged her back. Her warmth filling up my body.
She pulled away and looked at me and then around the room. She looked at the condition of my clothes and how I was drained with the lack of sleep and lack of food and constantly being cruciated for hours.
"You cannot tell anyone, or he's gonna-" I said crying but she cut me off. "No, of course not, sweetheart" she said as stroked my face. "I have been here for almost three months now" I said as I fell to the floor.
"He comes in here, every morning and cruciates me. For hours. He hasn't let me out, of course" I said looking at her. She sat down next to me. She took my hands in hers and I looked at her with tears in my eyes.
"I wasn't allowed to leave this room. No one was supposed to know that I was here. I risked your life. I-I'm so sorry, Mrs. Malfoy" I said joining my hands and begging her to forgive me. "That's" she said and pushed my hands down, "That's alright, sweetheart" she said and kissed the top of my head.
"Draco, how is he?" I asked smiling a little. "The letter" she said and it clicked that Draco must have told her about the letter. "He told me to do it" I said and she nodded.
"You are all he talks about. There's not much joy in our lives and around here, but the minute I see him talk about you, I smile widely. You took great care of him. He told me about Liquid Luck and everything. Thank you, Olivia. You kept your promise that we made 3 years ago in this house" she said with tears in her eyes.
"Please, Mrs. Malfoy. Don't tell anyone and especially Draco" I said and she furrowed her eyebrows. "He would love to know-" "No, I can't- if he does know I am here, his life will be at risk. Please" I said cutting her off and she nodded.
She went out the room and got some fresh and hot food for me. I ate the food quickly and talked to her for an hour or so. "You have to go, if he comes in here, your life will be in danger, more than it already is" I said and she went to the door.
"Cut! Let's take the last part again" David said and that's what we did. We took a few more takes and called it a day.