Nemesis

The following days were both difficult and straining on her strength, sitting long hours at the library, studying books and reading difficult texts of history. She felt like being back in school and more than once Marcus had to listen to her complaining about the ‘stupid topic’, ‘moronic history’, ‘boring myths’ and ‘Why do I have to learn about this Baldric anyway?’

“Benedict, honestly – it’s important that you memorize this so that you can learn from what have happened to others who were in the same condition as you!”

Sighing the girl bowed her head, continuing to read the Greek Myths which were believed to have some building stone in the curse when it first surfaced. Flipping the page her face screwed up in disgust before looking up at Marcus, pointing his attention towards the picture there. A horrid scene of a burning of the bearer of the Nemesis Curse, the fire turning into a firestorm surrounding the stake and burning everyone in the radius of 15 yards.
Her eyes asked a question he merely answered with a shrug of his shoulder before returning to the book he was going through himself. Blowing a stray of her hair out of her eyes she held a sigh captured in her chest as long as possible, the curse was horrid and violent to any enemy of the Bearer and often it got so out of hand that the Bearer ended up dead in at a young age but not after killing or injuring everyone around him or her. Narrowing her eyes a small smirk formed on her lips, what if Lucius did something to truly make her tick…

The door slammed, making both of them jump, turning their heads towards the source of the sound. Marcus got up casually while Benedict jumped to her feet, almost knocking the chair over. Something she had started doing an awfully lot lately. Why so nervous he had asked her – she didn’t know, it was just…

“Any progress?”

The icy voice sent shivers down her spine, she felt guilty, all of a sudden for thinking so horrible thoughts about him. He intimidated her, the whole radiation surrounding him made her nervous and self-conscious. Marcus merely shrugged his shoulder.

“Slow but steady!”

Sending him a glare behind his back Benedict felt herself freeze when she saw that Lucius had caught her in the little act of misbehaving. As the grey eyes narrowed she looked down, feeling her cheeks burn with shame.

“Marcus – the Room!”

Looking up she found both men looking at her, her eyes wide when she realized that he had been giving the dark haired an order, an order concerning her. Taking a step back she watched the large hand wrap itself around her over arm and guiding her firmly towards the door, looking back over her shoulder she saw a very confident Mister Malfoy follow them, strides perfectly relaxed and a cruel smirk curling his thin pale lips.
As they walked through the doors she didn’t dare ask though her mind was begging her to do so and finally all logics were gone.

“Where are you taking me? You cannot seriously be-“

Her voice disappeared, placing a hand on her throat she tried harder to make it return, sending frantic looks towards Marcus but his face seemed like carved in stone, eyes not seeing anything but the hallway ahead. Turning her head slightly she noticed that Lucius was placing his wand back in his pocket. Was it possible to rob someone of their voice by magic? Trying again harder, she hung her head as it was in vain. Bugger!

Down the stairs she felt the temperature drop and as they reached the bottom of the stairs her teeth were pressed together tightly so they wouldn’t clatter, if it was the cold or something else that made them do so she didn’t know, admitting fear was not one of her stronger sides…. Yet.
The door was pushed open, revealing nothing but darkness but Marcus continued as if it was a brightly lit room, the darkness blinding her apparently didn’t blind him in the same way or did he just know this room perfectly? Down the stairs and into a complete deserted world. Up could be down and the other way around and as someone closed the door behind them Marcus released his grip on her arm and left her standing there alone. Moving further into the room the silence seemed to drown the gentle pads of his steps, moving her head in the direction she thought he would be in, she heard nothing, not even the steps behind her as a hand was placed on the back of her neck and with a jump and a silent scream she spun around, not seeing the hand before feeling it collide with her cheekbone and sending her crashing to the floor. Gasping she narrowed her eyes. Bastard!
Sure the steps were muffled by something but she could hear the swish of a robe nearby and with the grace learned from hours in the gym, on the floor by orders, she rolled over and captured the legs of the person between her own before kicking them from under him. Hearing him fall to the floor made her day, it was Lucius.
Suddenly the room was lit as was it outside but squinting her eyes didn’t help one bit so she did not see who grabbed her and placed her in the chair. Doing her best or worst to be difficult she kicked at the person holding her down but hit nothing but air.

“Blasted girl! Stop laughing!!!”

She could hear Marcus sniggering, he too had ended on the floor thanks to her ability to move quickly and kick in the right places. He had forgiven her though she knew this would not be the case this time. Ropes snaked their way around her legs and arms before being blindfolded and as the door was open and closed she was again left in an isolated world.

As the two wizards left the room, leaving the girl behind Marcus had a grin on his face while Lucius kept a scrowl.

“She’s dead when the Lord is done with her!”

Lucius now found his usual smirk

“And left to me she will regret ever being born!”

Marcus shot the older wizard a dangerous glare

“She will do us a great favour, she should be rewarded her life!”

Lucius smirked, his eyes growing colder

“When He’s done with her she will be begging for death!”

Stopping to a halt Marcus looked at the white haired with narrowed eyes

“You know of the plans He has made for her?”

Lucius turned with an annoyed look on his face

“Of course not, don’t be silly but she’s a muggle and a pain in the rear, you honestly think he’s going to let her live and don’t forget how he normally treats his toys…”

Blinking a few times Marcus straightened himself before breaking into a jog to keep up with the other wizard, thoughts racing through his head as he decided to change the subject.

“How long are you going to keep her down there?”

“Ninsy will bring her water in the morning!”

Marcus gaped, it was only noon but decided not to say anything, Lucius was far more skilled than himself with it came to torture.

---

In the darkness, when robbed of every last thread of connection with the world outside, Benedict felt fear creeping into the very core of herself. Sure she heard someone enter the room she was still without her voice to ask for reassurance in this, turning her head every second to try and catch the soft pads of feet or swishing of robes but each time – nothing.
Several hours later she was sweating, blinking her eyes furiously behind the silk cloth, why blindfold her in a dark room, it was dark wasn’t it? No blindfold could be this good – could it? What was that? Did I hear something? Had he returned? Marcus…?

---

In the Master Study Lucius sat down in his usual chair by the desk, watching the young man try to sit down once, then twice, every time almost jumping to his feet, eyes glancing at the grandfather clock every few seconds. Pacing through the room, to the shelves, looking over the books just to turn with a shaking head, to the fireplace, watching the flames for a few seconds, look at the clock again before finally looking at the elderly wizard who’s cold grey eyes were watching his every move.
Marcus stopped for a few moments, looking at Lucius before clenching his jaw and fists and starting pacing again. As the tea arrived on the dot the dark haired had almost worn out the carpet between the shelves and the fireplace, Lucius sighed with a hint of annoyance. Pouring himself a cup he raised it to his lips, drinking slowly before carefully setting the cut back down.

“Calm yourself Marcus, she needs to learn”

The dark eyes met his cold ones, frustration showing brightly on his face before he shook his head and started pacing again.

“Honestly lad, you’re wearing my carpets out!”

Spinning around he seemed eager to say something but instead a low growl escaped his throat before storming out of the room, slamming the door hard as he left. Lucius sighed, taking another sip of the tea.

“And a problem it is!”

---

Down the hallways Marcus found himself heading for the Room before mentally slapping himself and forcing him to head for the door to the gardens.
Pacing through the rose gardens for a few minutes he suddenly stopped and summoned his broom to him, jumping onto it as it came soaring through the air and immediately turned it in the direction of one of his old professor’s residence.

---

The Room, I wonder why; is there a reason for seeding fear in me? Is it a way to control my mind, should I learn from this? And what?

The vivid images from the books came soaring through her mind, pictures of her family, her sister – growing more and more pale, eyes vacant and body limp. Mother isolated in her own world, a bit like the world she herself was in at the moment she imagined. Father… oh father – why did you leave me?

Silent sobs were heard in the cold room, the shaking and shivering body bound by magic, physical force and fear.

-I’m not afraid-

---

Landing in front of the house he identified himself before being allowed to go through the wards, striding towards the front door, raising his hand to knock but the door was opened before he could even touch the wood.

“Please enter Mister Flint!”

Stepping inside his eyes took a few minutes to get use to the darkness ruling the room, a single candle on a table and the fire in the fireplace didn’t bring much light to the room, not to mention the fact that both burned with black flames.

“And what can I do for you?”

Turning in the direction of the voice, a big leather chair in the corner of the room by a bookcase he bowed curtly as a token of respect before venturing closer to the chair.

“I have come to ask for your expertise!”

Seeing a hand motioning for a chair nearby Marcus sat down, still facing the wizard.

“I never found you interested in potions a school, why now? What has changed?”

Marcus cleared his throat.

“Not potions Sir, torture!”

There lingered a silence between the two men for a moment before the older one spoke.

“Yes, concerning what? Or should I ask who?”

Knowing he could not reveal anything about the current situation or the task given by the Lord he cleared his throat again.

“When you leave someone in a dark room, bound and blindfolded without water or anything….”

The older man nodded, only small lights flickered over his face, embedding themselves in his eyes.

“Yes, very good for breaking the spirit of the person, making him or her face demons of the past”

Marcus didn’t say anything but continued to listen. Sweat starting to form on his forehead.

“The person can leave the torture broken or stronger, all depending on the strength of the mind and the time spend in solitude. Psychological torture always leaves bigger scars than physical torture!”

Nodding Marcus clenched his fists, his mind racing as the older wizard stood, walking over to a shelf on his left side.

“You have some nerve coming here and you know it!”

Marcus snapped out of his trance and looked at him

“Excuse me Sir?”

Holding a large leather-bound book in his hand Severus Snape looked at the young man

“It doesn’t take much to figure out that you’ve found who ever you were looking for and now Lucius is trying to break the person because he or she is too strong minded!”

Marcus jumped to his feet.

“Relax boy, I am not going to tell anything but I might pay dear Lucius a visit not too soon, if not before the party then certainly after!”

Standing dumbstruck he watched the older wizard leave the room, feeling chills all over. He had implied a plan of the Dark Lord and if Severus was serious and visited Lucius that would mean trouble, especially for Marcus.
Leaving the house as quickly as possible he grabbed his broom and hurried off, not looking back and if he had he would have seen a pair of dark eyes following him from the kitchen window.
---
A/N

Gaps of Misery: I just read the story, I think I might actually have read it before ;) I didn’t have this story in mind when writing Nemesis though I have to admit there are some similarities but just you wait till I get the final chapters up ;)

LaBibliographe: I had actually no clue exactly how this story was going to end when I started writing it, I have several endings and is not entirely sure which one to choose… lol