Maurelle's torture lasted for weeks. With little food and water given. It's a miracle that she was still breathing with the amount of blood loss. Voldemort hasn't visited her since the first day, 'Coward.' She thought to herself. She felt the effects of dehydration, fatigue-ness and her shallow breathing from the loss of blood. She could barely keep her eyes open. She started to lose hope, she tried calling Percival multiple times throughout, but he couldn't get through. He was able to use legimilency to contact her every now and then, and told her that something is blocking him. She knew that it was Voldemort's doing, and that the only way Percival could bypass the barrier, is if Maurelle uses her magic energy. However, at this point, that's out of the question.
"I must say. I'm quite impressed you've lasted this long. I guess you aren't the useless daughter of Iris. Yet you bleed like a helpless filthy mudblood, probably from your father." Bellatrix said.
Maurelle was confused that Bellatrix didn't know who her father was. She came to realize that her father was not so public with this information.
Bellatrix continued, "Since you won't give in anytime soon, I'll come back in a week, or maybe until I feel like it. As much as I enjoy this I've got better things to do. You need to rest up anyway before we begin again. I can't have you die on me, the Dark Lord wouldn't be pleased with that." She slowly walked up to her and squatted as she looked at Maurelle's bloody face, "I don't know what's so special about you anyway." She then stood back up, "You can survive more than a week with no food, but here's your water." Bellatrix kicked her a bucket filled with water. She walked over to the door and opened it, before she left she said,"Sweet dreams, little Maurelle." she laughed menacingly as she closed the door. Her cackles echoed as she walked away.
As Maurelle begins to shut her eyes, she started to see a mirage of some sort at the corner of the room. She began to blink, to adjust her eyes but her vision was a bit blurry. This figure came closer to her. Maurelle was too weak to react and gave up on doing any sort of movement. She sat on that strapped chair, helpless.
"Maurelle." a woman's voice said.
Maurelle recognized this voice from her dreams, all those night terrors . She realized, this voice belonged to her mother's.
"Mu-mu" Maurelle muttered, but was two weak to move her lips.
"Shshsh, don't speak, my child. Oooh, look at you, I'm so sorry, my dear. I can't believe he has done this to you. His own child." Iris said.
"N-n-no...h-his f-foll..ower...L-llest-trange." Maurelle said.
"Ahhh, he's still alive?! Thought he'd be dead by now." Iris said.
"S-shheee" Maurelle said.
"Ooh, okay that makes sense." Iris said.
"A-arre y-you reaal. Y-y-you'ree a-a-ali-vve?" Maurelle said.
"Only if you believe me to be." Iris said.
Maurelle can see from the corner of her eye, Iris's hand gently caressing her head and tucking her hair.
"I-ii'm s-scared, m-mum" Maurelle started to cry, but even crying was too painful.
"I know sweetheart. You've put on a brave front for so long. It is okay to be scared." Iris took Maurelle's head and hugged her.
Maurelle could feel this embrace, or at least that's what her mind is telling her.
"I-t-it h-hurts." Maurelle said.
"I understand, Maurelle. But you need to fight through this. Don't you have, Percival?" Iris said.
"I-I don'tt h-have e-e-enough m-magic i-in m-me." Maurelle said.
"Well, sometimes, magic isn't what you need. Have faith, my child." Iris looked at Maurelle. She held one of Maurelle's strapped hands and rubbed it,"Let's both call him, okay? Loud and clear."
"B-but I-i can't i-i-it h-hurts." Maurelle said.
"I know, Maurelle, but you are a strong girl. You're my strong girl, and you can do this. Now let's say it together." Iris said.
"Percival." Iris said.
"P-P-Per...civ..al." Maurelle choked up.
"Let's go again." Iris said.
"P-p-per..c.ival." Maurelle said.
"Once more, okay?" Iris said.
"P-percival."Maurelle said.
"Good, now louder?" Iris said.
Maurelle took a pause and shouted,"Percival!"
Percival appeared and was shock to see Maurelle's state,"Oh my, Maurelle. What have they done to you?!" He rushed in and untied the straps.
"M-mmy m-m-mum, w-where i-is s-she?" Maurelle moved her eyes in search for her mom, who was no where to be seen.
"What are you talking about, Maurelle? No one is here?" Percival said.
"B-but but s-she h-helped m-me g-g-gettt y-you here." Maurelle said.
"No, it was you, Maurelle. Only you." Percival carried her and apparated both of them out of the mansion.
He gently placed her down on the couch. He quickly grabbed a rag and a warm bowl of water.
"I'm so sorry, Maurelle. I wished I came sooner. I just wasn't strong enough to get to you." Percival said as he cleaned up her face.
Maurelle was a bit traumatized from what she endured and stayed silent, staring at nothing.
"You're all covered up in blood. We need to clean you up, and get you in the bath. Do you need me to help you?" Percival said.
Maurelle nodded slowly to the point where it didn't hurt to move. Percival helped her out of her bloody clothes and into the bath. He even helped her wash herself, since she was unable to move on her own. After getting her dressed up for bed, he tucked her in the sheets and was about to leave.
"Wait." Maurelle voice sounded strained.
"Yes?" Percival said.
"C-Could you stay with me for the night. I just don't want to be alone right now." Maurelle said.
"Of course." Percival said.
He climbed on her bed and Maurelle laid next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her.
"Thank you, Percival. You're the only person I can ever let my guard down. I know I feel protected when I'm with you." Maurelle said.
Percival grew a smile on his face, not only has he lived up to his purpose on serving Maurelle, but said he was a person. A comment he never knew, could please him so much.
"Anything for you, my lady." Percival said.
"I-i j-just..."Maurelle started to crack and tears rolled down on her face,"I'm just so scared, Percival. Others think I'm strong and I'm not afraid of anything, but who isn't afraid. I only put up this act because no one else wants to. Somebody has to protect them. Then I have to deal with living up to my mother."
"Who says you have to live up to your mother?" Percival said.
"W-well....I have to don't you think? She's my mother, I'm her daughter. My future's been written." she said.
"No one has to live up to their families legacies. Your mother was a great witch because she loved magic and continued to learn it. Not because she wanted to be the strongest or had to live up to her family name. She loved it so much, that becoming the most powerful was just the perks of it. She didn't care for the title, and neither should you. Everyone is unique in their own way, you just have yet to find yours or you are in the process of it. If you spend your whole life pleasing everybody else and the way they think of you, one day on your death bed, ask yourself, 'Am I happy with what I've done with my life?'" Percival.
"Where did you get that from?" Maurelle said.
"A book that talked about death and dying." Percival said.
"You and your muggle books." Maurelle laugh.
"Now go to sleep. You've suffered enough, and you deserve a long night's rest." he said.
"Could you read me that one book you had that one time. Or I think you called it a play? By someone named, Sheeksphere?" Maurelle said.
Percival started laughing.
"What?" Maurelle said.
"You mean, Shakespeare?" he said.
"Yeah, yeah that's it. And what was it called? Started with a 'M'" Maurelle thought long and hard.
"Macbeth?" he said.
"Yeah!" she said.
Percival magically appeared the book on his hand, and started to read Maurelle to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maurelle recovered mentally and physically after what happened in the Malfoy Manor. She was surprised, that Bellatrix hasn't noticed she left since she didn't feel her Dark Mark sting. Now that she was stable, she has to come up with a plan.
"Percival, where did you put those black clothes I wore from the Malfoy Manor?" Maurelle said.
"They are folded over there. I didn't know if you needed them, but I washed it. Why? What are you planning to do?"
"I can't hide from him forever. " she said.
"You're going back?! After what they did to you!" he said.
"If I play along and make him think I stand with him. I will be fine." she said.
"And how are you going to do that? Last time you were up to killing was when you created me, ever since then, you weren't one to harm unless threaten." he said.
"Well, I'm going to get a little help with an old friend of mine, who's been hiding for a while. I just need to learn how to control her." she said.
"No, Maurelle! Once she's taken over you, there's no going back." he said.
"How can you be so sure. We haven't tested it out yet." she said.
"Your father is a prime example." he said.
"Well he wanted that to happen, of course it was easy." she said.
"Last time this 'thing' tried to come out, you almost lost control of your conscience. We don't know how powerful this thing is." he said.
"Well, I don't want to be scared of this thing, Percival. I want to control it. In times like this, I can't be afraid to do something dangerous. This 'thing' is just another side of the coin that makes me who I am. I have to merge with this darker side in order for me to do what I need to do. She is the key to dealing with Voldemort. Remember what happened in the trial? You saw what she did to him." she said.
"Okay, Maurelle." he gave in.
"Now, the question is, how do we get 'her' out?" she said.
"When do you remember her coming out?" he said.
"I remember dealing with Umbridge, I kind of blanked out a bit. I suppose that's when she came out. But it's hard to recall because whenever she does come out, I black out a little, but I can still try and grasp what I was doing." she said.
"I'm quite shocked that 'she' hasn't come out while you were being tortured." he said.
"Oh no, trust me. She was ready to come out. but I couldn't let Voldemort have what he wanted. All of what was left of my magic energy, was placed on concealing her. That's why you couldn't save me sooner." she said.
"So then how were you able to call me that time?" he said.
"This might sound crazy, but I saw my mum." she said.
"Your mum?" he said.
"I know. I know. This other side of me was bursting to get out of me because its instincts was to defend me. But hearing my mother's voice was so soothing. I felt safe. The moment she was there, I was happy. I had faith. This darker side went away, and it was a weight lifted off my shoulder." she said.
"I see. " he said.
"So maybe if I just remember everything that happened down that cellar, the tournament, with Umbridge. I could trigger it." she said.
Maurelle sat down and closed her eyes, remembering every ounce of pain and scars. The cackles of Bellatrix's voice, echoing through the walls of her mind. Blood everywhere. The darkness she slept in and woke up. Feeling cold and wet. Maurelle had a tear roll down her left eye. Percival walked over to her and bent down. He place a hand on her shoulder.
"Maurelle, are you okay?" he said.
She had her eyes closed still. Percival nudged her gently. She was still stuck in her trance of painful memories when she felt Percival's touch, she thought it was Bellatrix laying a hand on her. She grabbed Percival's wrist. She quickly opened her eyes, they were piercing with red pigment. Those snake-like eyes glared at Percival. Her cheekbones were tinted green with prints of scales.