You threw on a sweater over your uniform, glancing around the beautiful, spacious room you've lived in for the last few months. Though you weren't sure what to expect today, the glow in your chest informed you with confidence that you wouldn't be returning to this space tonight. This space, where you'd first met Lucius, the space where he'd first kissed you, first fucked you into submission. Your chest was full of guilt, even more so than yesterday, but you knew there was no backing out of this now.
Last night you had informed Enzo of your plan, in the secrecy of the night, once Lucius had been long gone to his important overnight meeting. He was worried--worried about a few select holes in your plan, but after a long, tedious discussion about it, he was overall happy that you were able to get Draco to help you, to help get you far, far away from this place. The bag of guilt you've been carrying around for the last two days clung to your heart with force as you gave Enzo a hug goodbye, telling him to stay safe, and that you hoped everything would work out for him.
Lucius was still gone, and the rest of the house was seemingly quiet, as if it was mourning for what was to come. Since Draco had said he was set to leave at noon, you preformed your normal duties this morning, getting up bright and early to ensure that you didn't cause any suspicion. No one had really seen you except for Enzo and a few others, with one quick fleeting glance and a good morning from Severus.
You were nervous, but at this point, you were so fucking ready to get this over with. You couldn't handle carrying around this feeling of anxiety and dread for even a second longer, you knew at this point that you just had to get it done. Lucius's last words still bouncing around in your mind.
I'll see you tomorrow. He'd said. Part of you wished he would.
But the other, larger part of you was so fucking thankful to get a chance at a fresh start. To get a chance at getting out of here, breaking free from the chains Lucius had you in, from the spell he had you under, before Narcissa had the chance to find out about anything. Regardless of all of his words he had said to you yesterday, words such as 'you haunt me' and 'I can't get you out of my fucking head'--you knew that it was all a facade...all a fake, rehearsed routine that he'd performed on dozens of women before you.
You had to remind yourself that it was all a lie, that regardless of the fact he had said there has never and would never be another maid like you--it didn't mean anything, because he couldn't care less about you. Lucius had used you like a toy, or an instrument, something he took out of storage for his entertainment, something to be locked up again when he was done. The fact that even for an instant you'd tricked yourself into feeling special made your skin blaze with embarrassment. His tenderness, his confusion, his stupidly beautiful face--none of it mattered now, and you wanted to blast every recollection to fragments.
In the still of the home, you began your descent to the garage, quietly creeping your way through the empty halls. You took your time, admiring all the intricate details of the luxurious space as you did, wanting to engrave it into the folds of your memory, wanting to remember it all for as long as you could. Because despite everything, this place was without a doubt the most beautiful home you've worked in, and your time here was one you'll never forget.
As you finally reached the garage, you released a deep, intense breath of relief. Unable to even comprehend the fact that you've made it there unscathed. Your shaking hand reached toward the handle of the door, fingers connecting to the chilled brass metal when you heard a sound from behind you and you involuntarily flinched, stifling a gasp as your head spun on a swivel.
As you turned, eyes scanning the dark hall, you seen nothing. No signs of anyone around you. Your brows furrowed with confusion, because you could have sworn you felt a presence behind you, but you knew you couldn't waste even a second more of time. So, as quickly as possible, you turned the knob, and entered the garage, slowly easing the door shut behind you, as quietly as physically possible.
Your eyes widened at the sight before you, the garage was bigger than anything you've ever seen before, four cars aligned inside--all so shiny and clean you could see your own reflection in the paint--all expensive, high end cars including BMW, Audi, Mercedes and even a McLaren. You were in awe, and that pang in your chest returned, before you snapped yourself out of it, quickly bringing yourself over to the black BMW hatchback that was going to be your ride to freedom. You tried the handle of the trunk, holding your breath as you pulled, and it popped open, forcing the relief from your lungs.
As you climbed into the spacious trunk, you were so anxious you could hardly see straight. The adrenaline was coursing through your veins like blood, keeping your heart pumping as you pulled the hatch back down, gently clicking it back into place. You spun around, crawling back against the seat and tucking yourself behind the boxes like Draco had said, and then you stilled, silently working to calm your breathing as best as possible.
It felt as though it was hours before you heard a noise around you, even though you knew it hadn't even been ten minutes. The garage door was opening, light spilling into the atmosphere, warming the flesh on your body. You felt someone grab onto the door and yank it open, taking a seat on the drivers side--and after another painfully long moment, you heard the engine roar to life, the vibration of the motor calming the nerves in your brain.
The radio was turned down, and after another brief moment you felt the car shift into gear, before it moved, rolling gently out of the garage and down the driveway. You let your lids flutter shut, an unbelievable feeling of relief washing over your body--you couldn't believe you had actually fucking pulled this off. The ride was silent for what you guessed had to be at least ten minutes, an anxious energy buzzing through the air as you continued to get further and further away from the manor, and then Draco's voice broke the silence by calling your name.
"Everything okay?" He said, voice cautious.
You smiled--a genuine, ecstatic smile. "Couldn't be better, Draco."
"I can't believe this worked," he said, a small chuckle leaving his chest. "Sit up, get a look at this view."
Without hesitation, you did, and your eye's widened, jaw popping open as you peered out the back window of the hatch, the trees beautiful and full, their branches a bright emerald green under the morning rays. The glimmer of the sun reflecting off the lake made the water look like diamonds, reminding you of the beautiful chandeliers that you'd loved in the manor. Guilt hit you in the chest once more, but you pushed it away, admiring the beautiful lake homes and the families in boats out on the water, enjoying their lives without care, just as it should be.
"You could probably climb over and come sit up here now, if you want..." he said. "Pretty sure we are in the clear at this point."
You wanted to cry, just those words made your heart nearly explode from your chest. It was a beautiful feeling, one that was indescribable with words. You contemplated his suggestion for a minute, admiring the view out the back window for a few seconds more, when Draco's panicked voice startled you from your thoughts.
"Oh shit..." he breathed, nearly inaudible. "Shit shit shit..."
Your pulse quickened. "What is it Draco? What's wrong?"
"Get down." He said. "That's my fathers ride."
Without a second's hesitation you ducked back down behind the seat, tucking yourself into the spot amidst the boxes. You held your breath, oxygen seemingly evaporating from the vehicle, being replaced by sheer anxiety, coursing through your veins, your lungs, your blood. You were trembling, and as you felt the car slow down, you were certain you were going to pass out in fear.
The sound of the window rolling down, a slight breeze fluttering through the car--a moments silence, and then the familiar deep, husky voice that has continually been known to make your stomach twist and your cunt clench. "Good luck this afternoon, give Dumbledore my regards."
"Thanks, I will."
Silence, words lingering in the air like cobwebs, your heart pounding so hard you could hear each intense thump, pounding against your sternum like a drum.
"Okay, give me a call once you're out--drive safe."
Draco replied with another quick thanks before you felt the car beginning to resume motion, and heard the sound of the window rising back up into place. Another few moments of silence before Draco spoke again.
"Okay well, I think now we are certainly in the clear." He said, his voice cracking. "Come on up here."
You swallowed, peeling yourself off the floor before you slowly climbed over the seat, your entire body trembling as you worked your way up to the front, carefully holding your skirt down against your thighs as you did. Once you had planted yourself next to Draco, he shot you a small smile, his bright blue eyes an almost translucent baby blue, the glimmer of accomplishment inside them was enough to make your heart melt.
But the more you looked at him, the more difficult it became, as he just resembled his fucking father so much...the curve of his nose to the line of his jaw, the size of his forehead to the angle of his eyebrows, not to mention his fucking hair. It was uncanny.
You looked away, feeling the tension in the air growing vigorously, and your eyes caught something in the mirror, something that made your heart stop dead in your fucking chest.
"Draco..." you breathed, so quietly he didn't hear it. You cleared your throat. "Draco!"
He snapped his attention to you. "What!?"
"There's...there's someone behind us."
He took a glance in the mirror, eyes squinting as he attempted to identify the vehicle behind you. After a moment, he exhaled.
"It's fine." He said. "That's not one of our cars."
Your stomach twisted, but you tried to ignore it. You stuffed your hands under your thighs, desperate to try to calm the shaking in your tendons. You leaned your head back against the headrest, forcing your eyes shut as you worked to calm your heart rate, to bring your pulse back down to an acceptable pace. As your eyes fluttered open again, you caught a glimpse of something in the mirror once more, something that made all of your efforts useless--made your heart race so fast your whole chest rung with pain.
Behind you, a black car swerved into the oncoming traffic lane, passing around the car you originally were worried about, before cutting in front of it and picking up speed, quickly gaining on you.
The earth evaporated. Terror wrung you. You screamed.
A black Audi.
Draco slammed on the gas, engine roaring to life, lurching you back against your seat with force. He took a corner at top speed, eyes darting between the road and the rear view mirror, his hands tensing around the leather of the steering wheel.
"What are you doing?!" You gripped onto the fabric of his jacket, wide eyes analyzing his face. "Draco you're going to get us both killed!"
A roar of a motor behind you, two headlights increasing speed, drawing closer.
"I can lose him."
A dirt path up ahead, and you watched as Draco's eyes flickered over it, you wanted to open your mouth to tell him absolutely not, but it was too late. He rammed the gearshift back, then forth, and the engine wailed, the seatbelt throwing you back as he cut the wheel and hit the gas, darting between the trunks of two gigantic pines.
Dust kicked up behind you, and you couldn't see the headlights any longer, but you knew they couldn't be far behind. Draco floored the gas, the car bouncing and swerving over rocks and deep ruts, bottoming out more times that you thought the car could physically handle. You were gripping onto the handle of the door as hard as you physically could, head slamming off the window too many times to count as the tires smacked the uneven forest floor.
After what had to have been five tense, painfully silent minutes of this, the car slowed and Draco sighed, turning his attention to you, jaw tensed. "Get out and run--just run until you can't fucking run any more..." he said, breathless. "I'll lose him, I...I'll draw him away and then I'll come back to get you."
You didn't even have time to respond as he slammed the brakes, and you whipped open the door, not daring to shoot him another glance as you sprinted as fast as you could into the woods, dodging over splayed branches and trees. You couldn't believe how fucking crazy this was, how everything went so wrong so fast, and that now you were being hunted like a fucking animal by the man of the house, by the man with the crippling need to own you, to possess you. Your chest was heaving in pain, sweat pouring down your forehead as the humidity drenched your flesh, but you kept moving, unable to stop your feet from carrying you as far away from those headlights as possible.
After well over ten minutes you stopped, peeling over, hands on your knees, chest heaving with such intensity you thought you were about to vomit. Every single thread of your being was in pain, your lungs burning as though they were on fire. After you collected yourself enough to stand up straight, you looked around for a good hiding spot, eyes landing on a thick bush just a little ways away.
You began making your way over, branches crunching under your shoes, the sounds making you wince, you wiped the sweat from your forehead, exhaling a sharp breath as you reached the green pile of brush, about to tuck yourself inside when a sound behind you made you jump, immediately whipping around to find a man, a man you'd never met before, standing behind you.
You swallowed, his dark eyes planted on you, his lips curved into a devilish smirk, one that made your entire corpse freeze. He took a step forward, and another, until he was just a few meters away.
"Going somewhere?" He said, his voice dark, sadistic, turning your heart to stone.
You parted your lips to speak, but then, you heard another noise, and another, and another, and before you could even realize what was happening, black shadowed figures were surrounding you, a body at every single angle your head turned. The world stopped turning, breath evaporated, tears on the verge of exploding. Your eyes darted from one Death Eater to the other, each one sporting an evil, menacing smile, the happiness and excitement they were getting from the reality of this situation practically radiating from their flesh.
The man stepped forward, drawing closer, and you backed up. He smirked. "Come on, beautiful...we don't bite..." someone laughed. "Well...maybe just a little."
Indescribable amounts of terror were coursing through your veins as you continued to back away from this man. Of course your efforts were useless as you were completely surrounded, but you didn't want him to touch you, you didn't want him anywhere near you.
"Get away from me." You spat, teeth barred.
His smirk grew. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be..." he took another step closer. "You know you're coming with us...willingly or not."
Your back slammed against the thick trunk of a tree that you hadn't realized was even there, knocking the wind from your lungs. You gasped, and the Death Eaters around you burst into sadistic laughter, the sounds echoing through the dense forest greenery. Once more the man stepped closer, directly in front of you now, his eyes dark as the dirt below your feet. You were frozen, terrified, and he reached out and snatched your wrist, his tight grip threatening to bruise.
You thrashed, squirming against his grip but he held you tight, sharp fingernails digging into the flesh of your wrist. He spun you around, pinning your backside to his front as he hooked your arms behind you, holding you firm.
"Let me fucking go." You spat, continuing to fight and squirm, shoulders flailing. "Please just let me go."
All the Death Eaters continued to laugh as you squirmed and begged and pleaded, all to no avail. They all began coming in closer, and that's when you spotted your worst nightmare, Bellatrix.
"Poor pretty little thing..." she drawled, voice as dark and sadistic as always. "Trying to run away so she doesn't have to face the consequences of her actions, hm?"
They were all huddled around you now, your entire vision consumed by blackness--black hair, black eyes, black robes. You were beyond petrified, the man still holding you firm in middle of the circle of Death Eaters, while Bellatrix came forward, slowly dragging her wand up your arm.
"Poor Lucy...how heartbroken he is..." she drawled, wand working it's way up your neck, her dark eyes full of venom. "He was trying so hard to protect you...to keep you from us...but there's no saving you now..."
You swallowed, your chest rapidly heaving with intense breath. "Get away from me."
She cackled, glancing around at her companions in disbelief. "You guys hear that?" She sneered. "She said to get away from her...guess we better leave!"
Laughter erupted, painfully loud, scraping your bones like nails on a chalkboard. Bellatrix leaned in, her wand pressing tight against your throat now, her hot breath flooding your face as she eyed you with suspicion.
"No one is coming to save you...you're ours now..." she said. "And we're going to have our fun with you, and then bring you back for Lucius to finish you off."
She shifted her wand to your temple, digging into your skull with force. You whimpered, eyes squeezing shut, breath sputtering from your lungs as you thrashed some more, desperate to get free. But it was helpless.
Until you heard a voice from behind her. "Drop your wand, Bellatrix."
Your eyes shot open, relief flooding your features, the amount of shock coursing through you you'd thought you had just won the lottery. Severus made his way over, breaking through the wall of Death Eaters and bringing himself in front of you. Bellatrix huffed, opening her mouth to speak when Severus held up his hand.
"Don't fucking bother." He said.
The man released his hold on you, and you whimpered, joy flooding your face as your eyes met those of the menacing man in front of you, the man who you now owe your life to. You threw yourself into his chest, wrapping your arms tightly around him, tears pouring down your cheeks. He was tense under your grasp for a minute, until he relaxed, placing one single hand on the small of your back, the other wrapping around your wrist.
"Please don't bring me back there Severus...please..." you whimpered, pulling back to look up at him. His eyes were soft, pitiful, and he sighed.
"I have no other choice." He said, turning his attention over to Bellatrix. "Take the Audi back to the manor, I'm going to apparate her back."
Terror rung your chest for what had to have been the millionth time today alone. You couldn't breathe, couldn't even think straight, realizing that the car chasing after you this whole time was Severus. Had you just stopped, had you just talked to him, maybe you wouldn't be in this situation right now. Maybe he would have helped you, maybe he would have understood. You wanted to simply disintegrate, you'd fucked up again. This time, however, you weren't sure if there'd be another chance at redemption.
Severus shot you one more pitiful glance, tightening his grip on your wrist before everything faded into black.