Edge Of Gravity

Author note-Okay guys this is a very dark chapter, but I had to put a background for Dobby. I just wanted everyone to get an idea of what Lucius did to him, its for furture chapter purposes.

Beta-LariLee..thanks.

The looming moonlight, ciphered through Severus Snape’s curtains, created a hazy dreamlike quality in the room. It was silent except for the small whimpers of the tiny house-elf, crammed into a corner his legs pulled up to chest in panicked horror. Dobby tried to control his crying; his face buried into his knees. He had found sanctuary in Severus’ room, hiding behind his favorite chair. It left him with little view of the room, only the smallest glimpse of the walls and a window that moonlight burned through.

Even though Snape was not seated in his chair, his body slouched over a book trying to read by the weak light of fire, it made Dobby feel safer. It made him feel protected from anyone who came, anyone who wished him harm. It did not fight back the memories, not even his scared whimpers would appease them enough to leave him alone. The memories that haunted his nightmares and sometimes his dreams.

Dobby pressed his face deeper into his legs, his knobby knees digging into his forehead. His body rocking, leaving him uncaring his back was slamming into the bricks of the wall. It didn’t matter as he remembered; all his focus was on the past.

The nights he had spent tortured by Malfoy by wand, or worse, Muggle punishment. His body sometimes not even good enough for magic to be spent on it, leaving Lucius to kick or punch his body into oblivion. His arms being the main aim so he could not lift them to protect his malnourished body from the torment. The nights when his screams would echo off the walls, to come back and remind him of what he was living and what he had lived only seconds before.

Every time, it never got easier. The pain never grew less intense but only built on the foundation of past beatings. His body left crumpled on the beautiful marble of the Malfoy Manor until he found himself being clutched in Winky’s bony arms, her squeaking in his ear not to die. Her begging him not to leave her, hands moving about to try and soothe his wounds. Winky’s eyes wide in terror.

All those times though never compared with the screams of Winky being tormented, screaming loud enough to make your ears hurt. His knobby fingers digging at the walls, trying to escape the cell to protect the female house-elf. To make Lucius focus his anger on his body rather then his weaker female companion. Her screams growing more loud with every passing second, while his fingers skin pulled painfully against the door. Then the silence, the silence that would leave all within their cell quivering in scared panic. Had Winky died because of Lucius’ rage? Which of them would be next?

Dobby would pound on the door, frighten each time the silence came. It pressed upon him, making him more scared never thinking that the house-elf had survived. Then Lucius’ angered face would appear, the cell door slamming open to toss Winky within it. He treated her like she was nothing, less then nothing.

Unconscious or awake when she was tossed onto the floor, she would pull her body into a tight ball, tears running down her dirty face while her body quaked in pain and terror. Then it would be his turn for trying to escape, for trying to protect her from Lucius’ power. Malfoy’s claw-like fingers closed around his arm, dragging him from the cell with only a small glimpse of Winky crying. His fingers clutching so hard that he wondered if his arm would just break sometimes.

“Malfoy not here,” Dobby whimpered to himself, his whimpers growing louder. “Master Snape protect Dobby.”

His memories pinpointed on the night that he was sure he would going to die at Lucius’ hands, the night that the thoughts of dying had come into crystal clarity. His body probably being tossed somewhere like it was useless garbage that nobody cared about. The night that everything changed.
_

Dobby’s body lay above the still fresh grave where he had buried Winky, his fingers digging into its moistness while caught in a dreamless sleep. His body curled into a tight ball, trying to protect himself even in his sleep.

Lucius had not bother to remove his Death Eater garb before going to find Dobby in his cell. Usually, Malfoy never wore his Death Eater robes while torturing ‘his toys’ in case one of them bleed in the session, or in one case exploded because of the power pulsing through them.

Dobby mind move slowly feeling a hand wrap around his arm, to drag him from the cell. In his half wakefulness he clutched onto the source to avoid his arm from being dislocated, not realizing the punishment Lucius would inflict on him for such a act.

His rules had become stricter since Winky’s death, punishing him for the slightest infractions. Leaving him to wake in such pain, with no Winky to cuddle him in her arms. She was not there anymore to cuddle him in the night to keep him from freezing, or clutching onto him when Lucius came for him too soon. She couldn’t take his beating anymore, she couldn’t even beg him to hold onto life instead of slipping into the oblivion of death.

“HOW DARE YOU!” The Death Eater mask didn’t even muffle his bellow, in fact it seemed to intensify the power of it.

Dobby found himself in the main entrance of Malfoy Manor, a beautifully marbled ground that was colder then his own cell floor. He blinked upwards, nearly screaming in horror seeing the ghostly mask looming above him in the moonlight.

“HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME!”

Dobby curled himself into a tight ball, his fingers digging into his knobby legs. The first kick of the night hit him, followed by several more rapid ones. They aimed for his legs and arms to prevent him from protecting his body, to make them useless so he could not possibly protect himself from the torment. His first broken bone of the night was his arm, falling limp to the floor. The bones slightly brittle from the break it had received only six months ago, but this time their would be no Winky to wrap it.

The boot footfalls were growing weaker, Lucius growing tired from the unusual exercise. His wand came out then, the sight of the sharp dark piece of wood enough to send any of Lucius ‘toys’ into panicked fits. Dobby grabbed his arm sending agony through his body, enough to make tears brim in his eyes. He knew what was coming but he knew he couldn’t escape it; there was nothing to stop this madman.

The first hex hit him, taking him by surprise even though he had expected it. A thousand daggers seemed to dig into his stomach making his stomach heave painfully. But Malfoy had not fed him in over a week, leaving not even enough stomach acid to burn his throat. His body could only convulse painfully, making old aches burn with bright new pain.

“NEVER EVER TOUCH…” The words were ignored, as a second hex hit his body. Digging into his body with ruthlessness that made the first seem merciful. Dobby knew he had screamed, the burning of his throat alerting him of that fact, but his ears could not pick up on the sound. He didn’t even have the sounds to concentrate on to try and dull the pain, instead on a loud buzz went through his ears. It made the moment more vivid, more real to the giddy excitement of the white mask man above him.

The Crucio curse hit his body, with no slow torturing that Lucius had enjoyed with giddy excitement. It made his body convulse about, his body jerking backward at the digging pain of it. Crucio curses were different for every creature, depending on the strength of the wizard, and the receiver’s powers. While Dobby’s power had melted away from the torture but the residue of it still lingered, making it strong enough to kill many creatures after only seconds.

He didn’t feel the kicks while he convulse around, or his wrist of his broken arm snapping as he landed on it. Lucius left him under the spell for a lifetime, it seemed, reveling in the power over another living creature. Not caring the effects it would inflict on it, instead just wondering how long it would take before it would simply die.

Dobby jerked to a stop realizing Lucius had released the spell, allowing him to slip into the scorching pain that his body was feeling. Two ribs throbbed under his skin, several of his fingers were bent at a odd angle, and his wrist and arm hung over his body with no possibility of being able to move them by himself.

The thoughts of the dirt falling on Winky’s face while he buried her entered his mind, his body wouldn’t even have a grave. Lucius would either dispose of him by magic, or toss his corpse out for someone else to deal with. His body lay limp, wishing to just give out, to release him from Lucius’ power.

Breathing made his body hurt; everything made his body hurt. “YOU WILL PAY FOR…” Lucius voice fell silent, his head jerking towards the door. His stare narrowing through the slotted eye holes, before he turned to leave Dobby half-alive on the ground. Somehow, that seemed worst to the house-elf, instead of just killing him.

“Lucius.” The deep bass of a familiar voice circled the room, making his body warm despite the icy chill of the floor. Footfall echoed off the walls, Lucius obviously letting the man into his manor.

“Severus.” Lucius’ voice was cold, annoyed…ruthless. “What has brought you…”

Footsteps came closer, before a grim face appeared above Dobby. “I see you have been taking your anger out on this.” He waved toward the crumpled body of the house-elf, his life starting to leak out of him.

“It is there for that…I was just about to dispose of it if you wish to watch.” Lucius removed his Death Eater mask, a wide sadistic smile planted on his lips.

Severus remained emotionless, stepping away to look at Malfoy. “Do as you wish.” He was devoid of emotion, making tears stream down Dobby’s face. It made him feel like Winky must of…less then nothing. His only hope he would see her in his afterlife. Lucius raised his wand, a thrill of his excitement obvious on his face.

“Of course…” Snape cut in before Lucius could lower his wand to Dobby. “I could use a creature for my experiments.” Lucius arm was frozen midair, a frown on his face. “The Dark Lord would be greatly pleased if I finished his poisons, and I doubt your contribution would not go unnoticed.”

Lucius lowered his arm, looking at the creature for several second obviously contemplating Snape’s statement. He tapped his wand against the side of his thigh for several seconds before putting it back into his robe. “The Dark Lord will be please.” He smirked, walking up to lift the elf by the arm before handing him to Snape.

Severus took the house-elf, his face emotionless while he clutched onto the arm. He could feel the break beneath his fingers, but didn’t show any indication he cared. “I will be sure to mention your generosity to the Dark Lord,” Snape growled, before Apparating out of Lucius Manor.
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Tears burned in Dobby’s eyes remembering how Snape had cradled him in his arms, gently calling his name. The hours he had nursed him, made the pain slip away until it was only a ache of what it was.

“Dobby.” The soft growl of Snape’s voice seemed to echo through the room, making him lean over to blink past the chair. “Dobby.”

Snape was calling him, trying to find him. “Dobby coming.” He cried, jerking himself from his hiding place. His body propelling towards the door, and through the hall to find him.