She was bound tightly in ropes that she couldn't break out of as those masked Death Eaters took her to the Dark Lord's hideout. She struggled against them but the silencing charm did not let her speak and the ropes held her tightly, restricting her movement.

At last the entourage reached the hideout and they dragged her in, throwing her at their Master's feet.

Eleanor drew back in alarm, eyes traveling up the jet black robes of the creature in front of her, stopping on that chalky white face and murderous red eyes.

Lord Voldemort.

The Dark Wizard who was responsible for the terrible war that was about to break out as well as for killing several innocent people including her parents.

"Well done," he appreciated his followers but then ordered them to leave the room.

And when there was no one but him and Eleanor, he bent down, revoking the silencing charm from her.

"Welcome back, Eleanor," his voice was raspy and sent chills down her spine but she braced herself, not willing to surrender easily. "I see you after so many years yet you remain the same... Beautiful, fiery and looking quite ready to kill me."

His voice held a derisive hint as if mocking her for how the tables had turned. Even after all her efforts, she couldn't stop him from becoming Voldemort nor could she stop the war.

She might not have changed apparently, however, she could see how much he had changed in all those years.

He looked nothing like the Tom Riddle she had seen last. His head was covered with a dark hood and his grey eyes had turned blood red in color. His features though the same sharply striking were even more deadly and his skin had lost the humanly tinge, turning a terrifying chalky white.

"You broke your word," her eyes flashed in rage, "I should have made the Unbreakable Vow that night so that you'd have been killed already."

His bony hand reached out to caress her cheek, watching her turn her face away as if repulsed. "Just as angry as you used to be... Some things really never change."

"Such as your ability to backstab, you vile, monstrous, piece of..."

But his cackling laughter drowned away her words and that once he didn't care that she was trying to pull her face away from him. Instead his hand closed onto her jaw, forcing her to look at him.

"I did not backstab you, love. Regulus and Esmeralda are both alive."

She stopped resisting against him at those words, "what?"

"Yes. I did not break my promise to you and spared them. Even though Regulus wasn't even fated to die by my hand but I prevented his death and he is also alive."

Her heart ached to be able to see him because for her it had been so long since she had laid eyes on him. Hearing that he was alive made her yearn to go to him and Esmeralda.

"Where are they?" She asked, her eyes still flickering in doubt, "I won't believe you until I see them."

"Very well," he nodded and with a single flick of his hand, the ropes bounding her tightly vanished.

She stumbled but he reached out, his hand closing onto her arm to steady her. Eleanor would have pulled away immediately but then paused, knowing any resistance might end up in him changing his mind and refusing to take her to Regulus and Esmeralda.

"Wise decision, love," he remarked smugly, leading her down to the dungeons where the prisoners were kept, "though you must know I do not intend to bargain their lives for free."

"I spared your life, didn't I? There was no other bargain," she remarked.

"Yes but I have spared them upon your word once. That did not include me granting them freedom. If you want them to be released, I will want something in return too," he came to a halt in front of a massive stone gate.

Eleanor had clenched her fists tightly, suppressing the rage that was coursing through her veins. He was insufferable, she thought, of course she should have known he would not play fair.

There had to be a catch because making a deal with him was like selling one's soul to the devil. There was always some underlying condition to it that would end up harming the one who signed that contract.

The stone gate parted and a horrible sense of dread gripped her heart. Those dungeons were much more terrifying than the ones she recalled back in Malfoy Manor. Chains hung from the ceiling, prison cells were lined up and a deathly silence gripped the place.

He stopped in front of a cell and Eleanor hesitated to look inside, not wanting to see the terrible state Regulus and her sister would be in. But she had to look in order to confirm they were alive so she braced herself and looked in.

Her hands gripped the bars as she leaned closer to be able to see clearly. Esmeralda and Regulus were both in there though sitting at a distance from each other. It seemed as if the woman had drifted off to sleep but Regulus's sharp senses told him that someone had come down there.

He looked up at last and blue met marble green as his eyes locked with Eleanor's. Her grip tightened on the metal bars, finally seeing him in front of her after a unbearably long time.

"Elle..." He breathed out, wanting to stand up and come close to her.

But he paused, eyes flickering towards Lord Voldemort who was standing right beside her. He could see that the Dark Lord had brought her down there and that in itself was quite unsettling.

Just last night Esmeralda had been mumbling to herself about the Dark Lord wanting something from Eleanor and though he hadn't believed her at first, seeing him outside the cell with her confirmed that doubt.

He realized that he and Esmeralda were probably the prisoners Voldemort was going to use as a bargain to force Eleanor to do what he wanted.

"So now are you certain?" His raspy voice snapped Eleanor out of it, "both your lover and your sister are alive. Just like I had promised."

"Let them go," she turned to face him.

"Very well," an eerie smile played upon this thin lips, "but in return I want you to do something for me."

"No!" Regulus has stood up, stumbling closer to the bars and his voice woke Esmeralda up too. "Elle, don't listen to a word he says. You don't have to..."

"Crucio!"

He was struck by the Cruciatus curse and Eleanor's eyes widened in alarm.

"Stop it, stop!" She tried to make Voldemort withdraw the curse, "don't hurt him!"

Esmeralda too was frightened to see her there because she was well aware of Voldemort's intentions. "Ellie, you shouldn't have come here..."

She had drawn back in horror seeing Regulus struck by that curse. Eleanor grabbed hold of Voldemort's robes, shaking him violently as she asked him to stop the curse.

Tears were streaming down her eyes to see Regulus in pain and seeing her tear stained face eventually made Voldemort withdraw the curse. Regulus had fallen to the ground, struggling to breath as the pain was still fresh.

But he was more worried about Eleanor and what Voldemort could do to her.

On the other hand, Voldemort's bony hand reached out to her cheek, feeling that those tears were very much real. For some reason it stabbed through him to see how much she cared for Regulus and it sent a pang of jealousy course through him.

He could never be what Regulus was to her. Perhaps he should have killed the young man when he had the chance.

"I left the choice in your hands, Eleanor," he spoke up, burying those feelings of jealousy and hatred towards Regulus, "I will let them go free but only if you follow my conditions."

"What conditions?" She asked, feeling there wasn't any other way left.

If Regulus and Esmeralda stayed imprisoned there they would eventually die from starvation and torture. Eleanor clearly didn't want that.

"Don't... Don't listen... To him..." Regulus breathed out but his voice was very low from the torture he had just borne.

Voldemort ignored him, focusing only on Eleanor who looked like she would give in as her lover and sister's lives were at stake.

"Join me," he offered, "I want you to come to my side. Only then will I let these two go."

***