My Wings Are Black

Odette sighed from where she sat at the Slytherin Table, looking discreetly across the hall to the Gryffindors, where out of several heads of flaming red haired Weasley’s she could pick out the face of Fred. She picked at her dinner, all too aware of Draco’s arm wrapped around the back of her bench. It may have been a simple gesture but in a wave of teenagers, whose main worries were the status of popularity in their school environment it meant a lot of things. Draco Malfoy had finally claimed his prize, and the bed of the most hated, feared and beautiful girl in the school.

For those who were a member of the Slytherin House, it wasn’t a surprise. Those that seen them act like royalty knew they would come together sooner or later, in reality or pretence to ensure complete rule over the school.

Odette flickered her eyes around the Hall, staring fiercely at a pair of Hufflepuff girls who were quite obviously talking about her. With the return to Hogwarts, had come the return of pretence, pretence to be interested in Draco to fool everybody around her, including herself.

She looked at Draco and surveyed him as he talked to Blaise Zabini. His pale grey eyes, and white unblemished skin were in such contrast to the brown eyes, and freckled face that haunted her head. She growled to herself and tightened her grip on her fork, it bent slightly at her grip and she released it, unconsciously leaning back into Draco’s arm. Draco turned to look at her and smirked, raising his arm to allow it to drape over her shoulder casually. She could feel the heat of her body as he pulled her slightly closer to him and all of a sudden, she just didn’t have the energy to stand away from him and embarrassing him in front of the students. She had to do this, for her own future, and for Fred’s safety, somehow she had to lure eyes away from her love interests.

She flicked her eyes to the professors table where Snape was watching her. She didn’t smile or acknowledge him as he nodded at her for only her to see, unaware of Harry Potter’s eyes on them. She looked away, closing her eyes. What was happening to her? Where was her fight, her zest?

Odette stared at the table, ignoring Pansy Parkinson’s brainless chatter towards her. Draco looked at her, recognising the signs she was in a mood that was not good, nor did it promise him anything good. He sighed and turned away, not wanting to deal with it at that moment. Odette felt eyes burning her and looked up, already knowing in her heart who it was that was staring at her and Draco together.

Fred stared at her, his eyes sad and disgusted. He hadn’t talked to her in three weeks, since they arrived back after the Christmas Holidays. She knew what he thought when she looked at him, and he at her…a killer, a murderer…a Death Eater. The lowest of the low in his opinion. But this was what she was bred to be. This was what she was meant to be…it had meant everything to her, until recently…until he had arrived into her life and caused her to question everything she believed.

She broke the gaze, unable to look at him anymore and then grabbed the hand of Draco. She needed to get out of the suffocating hall under the suffocating gaze of the students. She needed to be distracted. Draco smirked, rising with her and wrapping his arm around her waist, leading her out. He thought nothing of Fred’s stony gaze, thinking it no more than jealousy.

It happened as they reached the doors, a burning pain like nothing Odette had ever experienced before. It rushed through her body, crippling every bone in her bone and sparking every nerve into knots of agony. It was a burn of anger, impatience and murder. The burn of a master intent on punishing his slave.

Odette bit her lip as the pain engulfed her, a small moan escaping her mouth, resisting the urge to scream. Draco felt her body slump against his and he supported to the corridor leaning her against the wall which she slumped against. Her breath came in gasps her eyes closed. Her face was as pale as the Bloody Baron, tilted upwards so the thin stream of blood from her bitten lip ran down her white chin, an obscene mark that was mysteriously mesmerising.

Draco caught her as she slumped forwards, and she whimpered when his voice echoed in her head as if he were whispering in her ear “Tonight, the Manor, midnight…don’t be late. Don’t allow hope.”

She looked up at Draco, her eyes wide and terrified “He’s going to kill me Draco”

Draco shook his head “No, he won’t. You’re too important. Fight Odette…fight for your right”

Odette gripped the hands of the one person who knew what she was going through, the fear she lived with “I feel I have fallen in favour, there’s no hope…”

Draco let out a strangled noise from is throat and pressed Odette against the wall, trapping her body with his. He kissed her, deep and passionate, allowing the words he could not say speak. Odette kissed him back, her eyes open and staring at the silent figure of Fred Weasley hidden in the shadows.

~

“I’m telling you Hermione, something’s odd going on with Silver and Malfoy.” Harry’s voice hissed to his friend, under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak.

Hermione clicked her tongue “They’re not Death Eaters Harry. That’s ludicrous. it’s just your imagination”

They walked slowly towards the Entrance Hall, their footsteps muffled and quiet. Harry was breathing loudly and he wiped his glasses. He would find out the mystery behind Odette Silver and what she was really doing here in Hogwarts. Why she looked at him oddly, as if trying to invade his mind, why he could have sworn she followed him on several occasions.

Hermione stopped as did Harry as a figure cut in front of them, unable to see them. She was garbed in a long midnight black cloak, it covering her face with the hood. But there was no mistaking the figure that walked confidently and quietly, knowing she was walking in secret and in darkness.

“Don’t you find it odd, Snape isn’t at the doors like he normally is on a Thursday night” harry whispered and Hermione nodded, her face fixed on Odette’s retreating figure. She moved quickly, opening the doors and disappearing

“Follow her!” Harry hissed, and they did knowing they would catch her doing whatever she should not be doing,

They slipped through the doors barely two seconds after Odette and stopped dead, looking around the empty grounds that held no soul, ghost or student.

“Where did she go?” Hermione whispered…

“I don’t know…it’s as if she disappeared into thin air”

Harry peered for a dark figure, or a broomstick in the sky but he saw nothing bar a few rabbits eating Hagrid’s pumpkins and a lone eagle flying through the dark sky.

~

Odette’s legs shook as she stepped onto the ground in the middle of Scotland. Around her lay rolling marshy hills, and there appeared to be nothing alive in sight. The only sign of humanity was a lowly cottage in front of her, a small lantern swinging in the mist.

She stepped towards the cottage and as she passed a rake lying on the ground, the cottage changed, becoming a large manor House. She gulped, clutching her trembling hands as she saw dark cloaked figures in the windows. She shook her hair out, allowing it to fall in front of her face and opened the door, stepping into the large hallway,

She ignored the various Death Eaters that occupied the premises, making her way to the basement where she knew he was waiting.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her master, her lord. He stood straight and proud, looking at her in a way that he appeared amused. On his right side, a woman that made Odette’s mouth curl in a growl stood haughtily, her hooded eyes surveying the young girl; Bellatrix Lestrange.

Odette ignored Bellatrix, hurrying towards Voldemort and collapsing to her knees in front of him. She took his hands, kissing his fingers “My Lord, it’s been too long since I have last seen you” she murmured, staring at the ground, afraid to look into his slit like eyes, knowing he would see her weakness, her fear.

Lord Voldemort sighed, rolling his head on his shoulders, cracking his neck loudly. He took his fingers from Odette’s soft grasp, and pressed one finger to her forehead and running it down her face. She shivered, from disgust or desire she did not know.

“My Lord” she murmured again,

“Silence!” his voice was hoarse and it hissed around the room like a snake. Odette trembled but managed to raise her eyes to meet his,

“My lord, you sent for me” she whispered in Parseltongue, knowing how it annoyed Bellatrix who growled.

“I did my Swan…” Voldemort spoke in English, and Odette’s heart sank. He always revelled in speaking snake with her, it was something they could share with each other and no other.

“I have failed you” she whispered and Voldemort nodded, his face contorting with cruelty;

“Indeed you have my Swan” he tipped her chin up with a finger and rose her head, bringing her body up from the floor “And those who fail must be punished.”

He looked at her, slipping into Parseltongue so only she could understand “You are chosen Odette, so you set examples. And you fail…your punishment will be worse.”

“Are you going to kill me?” she whispered and she saw a flicker of uncertainty in Voldemort’s eyes. He shook his head;
“No…but you may wish I had. I will leave you in the hands of Bellatrix”

Odette’s eyes widened and she looked at the woman who took pleasure in torturing others. She stepped away from the Dark Lord, backing into the wall, standing straighter, refusing to fall for Bellatrix, refusing to beg her for mercy.

Voldemort sighed in boredom, and started to walk away. He looked back as Bellatrix rose her wand and sent waves of pain through Odette’s body. With a grim satisfaction, he noted how Odette stayed straight resisting the urge to scream, not allowing herself to show weakness, He knew it could only last so long for Bellatrix would only get angrier and her curses stronger. He looked away, not telling anyone that he did not perform the punishment himself because he did not want to hurt his Swan himself. He would blame others for that. He closed the door as he heard Odette slump to the ground. It would be another few hours before she opened her mouth.

Hours later as Odette suffered the Cruaciatus curse beyond sane measures, and various pain jinxes and Sectumsepra curses upon her body, Fred Weasley awoke hundreds of miles away in Hogwarts, the echoes of a screaming girl vibrating around his head.