_____

'' It hurts. It all just hurts.''

_____

'' Pucey!'' Theodore's hands slammed against the bars, '' Time to wake up, mate.''

Amelie stood hidden behind her friend, sheltering herself from the demon she was about to meet, yet she wasn't as scared as she used to be. He was a monster, if not worse, but she had bloomed. The deeper he swam, the higher she climbed.

She was flourishing, and she knew what she was capable of now. She wasn't going to allow the boy who already had taken so much from her — take anything else.

'' What do you want?'' Adrian mumbled as the sound of battling chains echoed throughout the basement. He stepped closer, and his knees looked to be weakening with every step.

His persona had fallen, even more, his body wounded and worn.

'' I have someone with me.'' Theo tilted his head, nodding towards Amelie's nervous yet confident self standing behind him, '' And she'd like to have a word with you, Pucey.''

'' I bet she does.'' Adrian coughed out, his hands tanged into chains in front of him as he leaned his forehead against the metal, '' Let's hear it then.''

Amelie sought to take a step forwards, to face Adrian for the first time since she last saw him, but Theodore's hand stretching out in front of her made her falter.

''Not so fast...'' He mumbled, narrowing his eyes in Adrian's, '' If you as much speak the wrong thing to her. I swear—''

'' You can't do anything to me, that Malfoy haven't done already, so let's just get this over with.'' Adrian huffed with his teeth clasped together.

He was mad, infuriated to still be locked up, but he stood no chance against Malfoy's magic without his own. He was robbed of his wand months ago, and with the lack of strength he held — he couldn't fight back. He had no choice but to stay in chains.

'' Amelie.'' Adrian muttered, '' What do you want from me this time?''

She didn't answer, she simply peered up at Theo for permission to level the devil behind bars, and he granted her a slight nod, agreeing to let her speak to him. Her eyes widened as she stepped forward, and her gaze flickered all over the boy.

'' I'd like to ask you something, if I may?'' She stood close to him but still an arm's length away. In no reality, no matter how beaten he was, could she trust him — she understood that.

'' Do I really have a choice?'' Adrian's note was kept calm, steady — still, his vocals tore through her ears with force.

'' No,'' Theodore smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as his fingers fiddled with his wand. He wanted to show Adrian who held power between them now, after years of him toying them around — Theo now possessed more might than he did.

'' You are going to answer whatever question she asks, and if you as much as look at her the wrong way, Pucey. I'll let Malfoy know about it.''

Adrian's eyes rolled as he tilted his head back at Amelie, '' Darling.''

Her insides wrenched at that — she felt sick to her stomach of what he'd just called her.

'' I want to know about Draco—''

'' What about Malfoy—''

'' And my father.''

'' Oh.'' The devilish smirk she had grown to loathe smeared onto his lips, '' Didn't I tell you that you would be coming back to me once you found out about that?''

Adrian could see right through her. He had been shaping and forming her mind to his advantage for years — and even if she broke out of the trance he so viciously kept her in, and she realized her unviable worth on this earth — he still knew her, like the palm of his own hand.

Amelie was strong, and just as Draco believed — the world did rest on the tips of her fingers, but Adrian still had her tied up — bound in darkness.

'' Did he tell you, or did you see it?'' Adrian pushed her tamed temper, '' I think you saw it because I know for a fact that the Dark Lord made him forget.'' A dark peel of chuckles left Adrian's throat as he came to mind with his own words.

'' And that's why Teddy is here and not Malfoy, isn't it? Because you finally realized that he can't be trusted, am I right?''

'' Pucey—'' Theodore aimed his wand towards the cruel boy, '' Watch it. I'm not Malfoy, but push it one more time, and I might as well be.''

Amelie didn't say anything, and Adrian plainly ignored Theo's words.

'' Isn't that right, Amelie? He got you hooked, and you gave it all to him just so that he could take it all away?''

'' Stop.'' Amelie whispered, her fingers twitched against her palms, '' Don't talk about Draco, you know nothing about him.''

He chuckled again, '' So you're telling me that you still trust him? After he not only killed your father, but he did so to use you? To take you away from me and earn the pathetic Malfoy name some respect?''

'' I said, stop.'' Amelie said again, thunderous this time, '' You know nothing about us.''

'' Us?'' Adrian rose a brow, '' Oh, you mean that he finally got you into bed, and that's why he left—''

Adrian couldn't finish that sentence before Amelie forced her palms into the metal door, her hand curled around his chains, and her wand dug deeply into his neck.

'' I said stop.'' She said again, and even if she for one of the first times finally stood up for herself — her skin was shivering in fear.

'' Look who's standing up for herself. I'm proud of you, darling.'' Adrian didn't seem bothered with her act. He looked to be enjoying her closeness.

'' Tell me.'' Amelie's jaws clenched, and everything she held buried within the coat of her body was on the far edge of rupturing, '' Tell me what you know, Adrian.''

'' Amelie,'' Theodore warned her from behind. Not in his clear mind to whether he could trust Adrian being near her, '' Let him go, Amelie.''

'' Tell me.'' She was vocalizing every word, harsher, putting more pressure upon the wand she held against his neck, '' I want to know, what you know.''

'' Do you?'' He smirked again, and he inhaled sharply through his nose to gather all the scent of her, '' I missed the scent of you, darling.''

'' Amelie, he's not going to say anything. Let's just go.'' Theodore's spine off the wall as he placed a hand on her shoulder, '' Let's not give him the satisfaction he wants. We can ask Malfoy ourselves when he comes back.''

But it was as if Amelie didn't hear or feel Theo's touch. She stayed still, her fingers burning around his collar of how tight she was gripping it.

'' Tell me, Adrian.'' She said, her tone nearly broke in desperation, and tears shredded in the corner of her eyes. She wasn't going to beg him — no, she had been pleading to that boy for as long as she could remember. She was going to tell him, to demand him into answering her.

It wasn't a plain thing, Amelie challenging someone for something — yet, when it came to that blonde boy who held her heart in his hands, she seemed to be capable of anything.

'' I will hex you.'' Her wand nearly breached his skin, '' Tell me, or I will do to you what you did to me all those years.''

'' Okay—'' Adrian started to give in to her uncivil act, '' The Dark Lord didn't tell me much, but what I do know is...''

Amelie blinked quickly.

'' That he has been using you, ever since he approached you in the hallway after I hurt you all those months ago, and he knew, Amelie. He knew what I was doing to you. He just acted like he didn't, to earn your trust.''

The air left her body — she couldn't breathe.

'' He knew what I was capable of when he told me that he saw you hug Nott in the corridor.''

Amelie let go of Adrian as she stumbled back with pooling eyes.

'' No—'' She gasped, her hand flew up to her own throat, grasping it in torment, '' No. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't—''

'' He did. Ask him yourself. I gain nothing by lying to you.'' Adrian began to draw away from the door, leaving Amelie to the horrifying truth in front of her.

'' Amelie—'' Theodore's hands grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to keep her steady on her feet, '' Amelie, don't listen to him, we don't know anything. He can be lying, we don't—''

'' Why would he lie?'' Amelie's eyes fell heavily upon him, '' Why would he lie, Teddy? Like he said, he gains nothing from lying to me right now. He's already locked up, with no one here to save him, he has no reason to lie to me.''

Theodore stayed silent for a brief moment. He tried to wrap his head around all of this. He didn't particularly like Malfoy, but he knew that Amelie did. Draco had been teaching her things, helping her in ways no one ever had done before, and that was all that mattered to Theo.

He didn't need to get along with the blonde to stand him. All he needed was for Amelie to be happy — and no matter how hurt she held in this time, he knew that he made her feel things she yet had lived to experience.

Draco was good for her, and she was better for him.

'' Then why would he search your memory again? When he knows that you can watch his? Why would he do that, Amelie? If he didn't realize that he could find this out, or perhaps... he wanted you to know.''

Amelie's lips parted, '' He was going to tell me...'' She whispered, '' He said that he wanted to show me something because he wasn't ready before, but now he was. He—''

'' He trusted you enough to come clean about this...'' Theodore finished for her, '' He wanted you to know, but I still don't think we should judge him before we talk to him, Amelie.''

Her back started to shiver against the cold basement wall, and her head began to pound. All of this was too much for her — she didn't understand how she would ever be able to process this, to take this in, and to talk to Draco about it.

'' He knew, Teddy. He knew what Adrian was doing to me, and he still told him. Adrian almost beat you to death that night, and he nearly strangled me. Draco knew, and he let it happen.''

Theodore didn't respond because he knew that she was right. He couldn't defend him anymore. He didn't know how to.

'' I don't know what to think, Teddy. It hurts. It all just hurts.'' She whimpered as her hand flew to her mouth, '' I thought this was it. I thought I was going to be happy again—''

She couldn't finish her words because the sob clearing her throat hewed her off, and without warning — Theo's arms wrapped around her, hugging her as close as he possibly could.

He could feel her pain again, all that sorrow and hurt, but this time — this time, he didn't know how to take it away.

They stayed there for minutes — her crying into his chest and him holding her with all he had.

'' Amelie, Theodore?'' Narcissa's voice from the top of the stairs made them both flinch back, breaking out of the embrace, '' Are you two down there?''

Amelie's eyes grew broad in panic of being caught visiting Adrian again, and Theodore's brows dragged together in a swift move.

'' It's just me down here, Mrs. Malfoy.'' Theodore called back, '' What can I do for you?''

'' Would you mind bringing Amelie and the other girls into the dining hall?'' She said, '' Draco and my husband are on their way back.''

_____