Her Eyes

Her Eyes

She watched me with a mixture of fear, loathing, and some odd emotion I could not define, in her eyes as I entered the cell.

Curled into foetal position in a corner, she shivered involuntarily, her thin and pale body wrapped in robes ragged and torn. She had become resigned to my daily visitations, yet continued to rebel. A stubborn streak that refused to be defeated. It was due to this extreme defiance that my Lord himself handpicked me to break down her defences. I was honoured to serve my Lord. I was confident to carry out this duty successfully as I had done in the past. In the end it was all for the preservation the true way. The way of my Master.

She avoided my eyes as I regarded her from the cavernous dark of my hooded garments, knowing what was to come.

'You will acknowledge my presence.' My words echoed around the damp room. She flinched at the sound of my voice, but refused to raise her eyes to mine.

'If you do not, we will have to begin all over again.' I warned, shivering slightly in pleasure and joyful anticipation. My fingers ached for my wand, I half-hoped she would defy me again. To prove my threat was not empty, I reached into the depths of my robes.

Her eyes shifted as she perceived my movement against the darkness of the cell. They settled on my hooded figure emanating a dull shine, a reflection of the lit torches behind me.

'That's better. Wasn't so hard now, was it?' I smirked. My hand emerged from my robes empty. Her lips pursed tightly. Her eyes narrowed at me.

'Was it?' I repeated more forcefully. She glared at me in stubborn resistance, refusing to answer. I reached for my wand again, this time revealing it in the dim flickering light.

'You're not making this any easier for yourself, you know.'

Silence.

'No one is going to save you, there is nobody left. I thought you would have accepted this after all this time.'

Silence. Her eyes flashed boldly once more.

'Fine. Have it your way. Crucio!'

From her corner, erupted a long piercing scream. A smile crept to my lips as I watched her body writhe in pain, twisting and turning in unnatural positions. I lowered my wand.

'Had enough?' I asked. She glared at me once more, the hurt she felt evident in her eyes as she attempted to regain her composure.

'Traitor!' She hissed at me, her body shaking in anger. 'We trusted you! - I trusted you!' A solitary tear streaked down her thin cheek, exposing months of painstakingly hidden emotions. She wiped it away roughly.

'And why would you say that?' I baited, thoroughly amused.

'How could you do this - become this evil filthy subordinate thing?! ' Her voice began to waver as she fought the tears that threatened to overflow. 'This is not you... I know the real you! They've done something to you! - A memory charm or something! ... Don't you remember?'

I stared stunned at her pleading face for a moment before my Master's words washed over me.

'Beware the mudblood. They are the filth of wizard kind. They will use any means possible to deceive you. Kill if needs be...'

Words I would obey as I always had and always will. My face returned to its mask-like purity.

'Enough. You are being impertinent.' I waved my wand at her. 'Crucio!'

She closed her eyes. Her body writhed once more as the torture began. Her back arched as she screamed in agony, her hair flying everywhere. I grinned.

'I do not tolerate impertinence, Mudblood. You should know that. Now, will you admit defeat? It is all over. You have lost.' Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she lay twisted on the floor. She clenched her teeth, fighting short and angry sobs from overwhelming her. But it was all too much for her to bear anymore.

She let out a loud groan and burst into tears. Her energy was nearly spent. My duty was near completion - her defences were crumbling. I lowered my wand in triumph.

'I will not stop until you cease this useless rebellion. The final battle has been fought and rightfully won by my Master. Will you admit your crimes against my Lord?' She gritted her teeth, tears now rolling freely down her cheeks. I felt a sudden pang in my chest, something familiar, yet alien at the same time as I saw the despair in her eyes, but thought of my Master's words and dismissed it. Mudblood tricks. She lay silent, shaking uncontrollably.

'Say "yes". That is all you have to do.'

'No! Never!' She shrieked. 'How can you call him your "master"?! - He has killed everyone you have ever loved!! And he will never stop!' She buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

'Spare me these futile lies, Mudblood.' I directed my wand at her once more. 'Crucio!' She twisted and cried in torment. She took a sharp breath.

'What happened to you?! You're not the boy I remember!' She cried out, nearly passing out from the effort.

I stopped abruptly. Her words continued to echo throughout the room. Or was I hearing things?

She whimpered as she crawled, limping out of her corner, moving closer to where I stood in the center of the cold stone cell. Something like fear flooded through me. Knots formed in my stomach. Forgotten and half-formed memories of playing Quidditch, and a long ago Yule Ball, too blurry to make out clearly floated through my mind. I did not know what they meant. I tried to block them as they threatened to cloud my vision. As they forced me to forget my Lord's commands.

'What do you mean?' Curiosity triumphed for the moment.

She snivelled; pushing her thick matted hair out of her face and looked up at me from where she lay at my feet. The pleading look in her eyes returned.

'It's me, Hermione.' she whispered. 'Don't you remember? I loved you. Against all odds, no matter what you did or what happened. I loved you so much!' Her voice grew softer. '...And I know you loved me.' Something like hurt and betrayal radiated from eyes that refused to give in.

I laughed cruelly, yet against my will, a vision of her in a periwinkle blue dress appeared before my eyes. She looked so beautiful. An emotion stronger than I have ever remembered flooded through me. But as always, my Master's words dammed the flow. The feeling was gone as quick as it came.

'You loved me? You are nothing more than a filthy mudblood! How could you ever expect me to have loved something as impure as you?!' My voice grew icy. I had grown tired of playing games.

'But... but you did...' She faltered. Tears fell in a constant trickle, forming rivulets down her dust covered face.

'Enough!' I snapped. 'Enough of these lies!'

Her eyes fixed me with a sad stare. Their penetrating gaze irritated, yet drew me. I found I could not break this eye contact.

'This is your last chance.' I told her, fighting these new, conflicting emotions. 'Your life is now in your own hands. Will you stop this stubborn defiance? You will be set free once you do.' I smirked, knowing this was untrue.

She shook her head violently.

'I will never betray my friends. Never!' She shot me a fierce look. For a second I had a mad urge to stroke her cheek. Immediately I banished the irrational thought from my mind. Why does this mudblood affect me like this? I cursed silently.

'Then you leave me no choice!' I brandished my wand at her. Her eyes widened in horror and disbelief, and then slowly, she resigned to her fate. She braced herself, staring at me straight in the eye boldly.

'AVADA KEDAVRA!'

I watched as the green light sped towards her. Her deep brown eyes held my gaze. They paralysed me, I could not turn away. The malice and sadness I was so used to seeing disappeared. They softened. Her lips curved into a slight smile, as if she was remembering better times. Then she whispered words that echoed throughout the cell and in all my sleepless nights.

'I'll always love you, Ron.'