Gone Twisted

Torment.

Terror.

Turmoil.

Tears.

Torture.

Darkness surrounded the girl. She was still sitting in her comfortable leather chair, bound there by fear and pain. A cough escaped her dry throat. Her eyes about to fall shut.

How long had she been here? No idea. Not very long she presumed, but it still felt like days and days to her.

"Why am I still alive?" she asked in a coughing spree.

"Why should I kill you?" came the answer out of the darkness. The girl shivered in fear.

"I betrayed you," she wheezed.

"You want to die?"

The girl didn't say anything in return.

"I thought so," the voice chortled evilly. "Then tell me, who's in it with you?"

"No one, I'm alone," she said for the umpteenth time.

"Then you don't have anything to hide, let me into your head!"

"Forget it," she said quietly, her voice wouldn't raise any more.

"I will make you talk, you know that!"

"Try."

Pain. Unbearable pain surged through her body once again. A scream penetrated her lips.

"You dare to challenge me?"

Coughing once again. Eyes open once again, hate brimming.

A knock on the door.

The eyes of the dark creature looking at the door. Its voice calling out for the new arrival to come in.

"Ah, Severus," the voice said, a smile clearly present in the tone.

"My Lord, you sent for me," the person said.

The girl froze in her chair, forced herself not to look or beg mercy of her friend.

"Yes, I've encountered a slight problem," the darkness cloaked voice said again.

"How can I help you with that sir?"

"I need you to make Veritaserum. My little doll wont talk."

The girl didn't see anything, it was all happening behind her back.

"Who are you interrogating, my Lord?"

"A traitor," the voice said with anger.

The girl heard footsteps coming nearer. Movement in her peripheral vision.

"Ash?" Snape asked, shock in his voice.

"Yes, who would have thought? She managed to make me believe that I had her under control. Now I fear that my plan of using her to lure in Potter and use her against him was a failure. Who knows, maybe he was already here to claim her and she hid it."

"We'll just have to find out my lord. I'll make the Veritaserum right away," Snape said. Just before leaving the room, Snape locked eyes with his former student. He looked pale, even for his standards. He was unsure of what to do.

Suddenly they heard the door open once again. "Master, I brought you lu-" Wormtail's words were cut off by the scene in front of him.

"Wormtail! what about do not disturb me, do you not understand you thick-headed rat?"

"I'm sorry Master. But you know how you get when you don't eat anything..."

Voldemort sighed, "put it on my desk."

Ash heard the shuffle of feet over the wooden floor boards. Slowly she let herself look up and watched as Wormtail walked past her, tray in hands... wand sticking out of his trousers... In the background she heard Voldemort and Snape talking.

"Wormtail..." she said softly, trying to ignore the need to cough once again. Wormtail froze, the others continued speaking...

She could see Wormtail's head wander towards the Dark Lord, quietly asking what he should do now. She was still hearing Voldemort talk, so she was unsure if he saw, but Wormtail swallowed and started making his way over to her.

"Yes?" he asked consciously, very quietly... maybe Voldemort hadn't noticed?

"Come... here..."

Again a glance towards the dark hooded creature and a couple more steps to wards her.

"Nearer..."

Another glance, another few steps.

Finally he was standing near enough. Swiftly she pushed herself off the chair and jumped the cowering fellow. Before he had time to change into his rat form, Ash had pulled the wand out of his pants and pointed it at herself. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, her eyes looking at Voldemort, but her words directed at someone else in the room.

"Obliviate" she screamed and watched as a silver rod came flying out of the wand and flew towards her.

In the background she saw Severus staring at her in shock. Voldemort stayed hidden in the shadows but she heard a distinct but distant "nooooo" follow her memories into oblivion.