~TW: This chapter contains content dealing with sensitive themes of sexual assault and post-traumatic stress. Reader discretion is advised.~

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Eleanor knew she had to tell the Order about all she had heard in the Death Eater meeting. But recalling that night would make her recall how she had been tortured as well and she didn't want to relive it.

But she knew it was important to tell the Order what they were up against. So she had to overcome that situation and help the Order that had in turn helped her, both by rescuing her and keeping Reg and Esme safe.

"I want to talk to Professor Dumbledore," she told Regulus when he stepped into her room, "it's very important."

"Alright, I'll tell him," he nodded, coming to sit beside her bed, "how are you feeling now?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine... But I'm still terrified that he will... That he..."

Her voice got choked at the mere thought of Lord Voldemort capturing her again. She looked scared as well and it hurt Regulus to see her as such.

"I won't let him take you away. I promise."

"I don't want to return to that hell... It was worse than hell..." She was trembling and he brought her close to him, in order to calm her down.

"Eleanor, you won't," he tried his best to reassure her, "you have me with you now. I swear I won't let anything bad happen to you."

A while after, Regulus told Sirius about her request to meet Dumbledore to which he said that he would arrange it. And by evening, the wise old wizard was there at the headquarters, intending to hear what Eleanor Troy had to tell him.

Eleanor was hesitant at first but then she told him everything she remembered from the last Death Eater meeting that had been held at Voldemort's hideout. She told him that Voldemort had his spies in Hogwarts, children of pureblood families who had been recruited young. And the Dark Lord wanted to wreak havoc by infiltrating the school as well as the Ministry, crippling the wizardkind that was standing against him.

The information she gave to Dumbledore would obviously be helpful to the Order but there was a high chance that the Dark Lord and his cronies would have changed plans after Eleanor's escape so that they would not get found out.

Still, Dumbledore thanked her for her cooperation and promised her that he would personally give her protection from Lord Voldemort if the need arose. Right then, she was safe with the Order and Regulus.

After he had left, Regulus could see that Eleanor was very disturbed and wanted to take her mind off the worries.

But they were living in trialing times with the wizarding war at its peak. There was nothing that could prove to be a distraction for them.

As Dumbledore left, Regulus and Eleanor were alone in that room. He gently pulled her close in a hug, pausing to let her stop him if it made her uncomfortable. 

He had noticed that she got terrified of physical contact and only ever allowed very few people to come close to her. So he would always obtain her consent before touching her so that she would not feel uncomfortable around him as well. 

He was always considerate of her needs and as he understood what she had suffered, he tried his best to be even more caring.

She accepted the embrace, letting him engulf her in his loving warmth. He was holding her such that her back rested on his chest and her hands held onto his forearms wrapped around her. She rested her head back on his shoulder, tears falling down her eyes ceaselessly.

"Reg... That night after the meeting ended... He... He assaulted me," she whispered, her voice breaking as it hurt to say it out loud. But she couldn't stop those painful memories from flashing in front of her eyes on repeat.

She had to let it all out to someone or else she would burst with all the smoke building up inside her.

"He tore me apart and I could do nothing to stop him... Nothing..." Her voice shook and her grip tightened on him, holding onto him as if he was the only thing keeping her from drowning to death, "it hurt so much... It was so painful..."

Tears glistened in Reg's eyes too as he listened to her, not knowing what he could say to comfort her at that moment. The only thing he could do was let her open up to him and let go of all the pain building up inside her.

"He had this sick fantasy that if I was from his time and if we had met before, he would have fallen in love with me. He still believes that a part of him loves me and that's why he wants to keep me with him forever but that's not true... He's a monster inside out, he can not love anyone... Anything... Only himself and the power he so craves."

Regulus knew the extent of his monstrosities as well. He too knew that Lord Voldemort was incapable of love and the only thing he loved was immense power and immortality.

No one else could compete against that unhealthy obsession of his.

But alarmingly enough, Eleanor had become another obsession for the Dark Wizard. 

"He said... He said that he possesses me and would never let go of me," she had started to tremble in fear, "he said that once he sees what should be his, he claims it and doesn't let go until there's nothing left... Nothing..."

She let go of his arms, turning around to face him. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes were red. Regulus tried to cup her face in between his palms, to wipe the tears away and try to calm her down.

But it was too late for that.

"And there's nothing left," she grabbed his hands, putting them on either side of her face, her eyes piercing through his, "look at me, Reg... Is there anything left now? Have I not been destructed completely? Tell me, there's nothing left for him to chase anymore... Nothing..."

"Elle," a tear escaped his eyes to see her so torn, "calm down."

"No... Look here," her eyes were wide and crazed as if the fear was driving her insane. Her hands let go of his hands and closed onto his shoulders instead, shaking him weakly, "tell me there's nothing left... Please..."

"Eleanor, don't say that," it hurt him as well to see her so broken but he still tried to console her, "everything will be alright. He will not be able to get to you again. Trust me."

She shook her head, tears of distress streaming down her cheeks, "nothing will be alright... Do you know, each time I close my eyes, I can feel his hands ravaging me still... Every inch of my skin... Every spot that I let no one else touch but you... He left his marks everywhere. Each time I look in the mirror I see those marks... And it hurts. It fucking hurts..."

He was trying his best to soothe her but nothing was working on her anymore. Her condition was getting even worse as she was hyperventilating and looked as if she would break down any second.

"Make it stop... Please make it stop..."

He had no other option but to put her to sleep or else she would end up hurting herself. So he brought her shaking self close to him and with his wand resting against her temple, he mumbled a sleeping spell.

Her voice faded eventually and her grip on his shirt loosened as she slumped to an unconscious heap against him. That outburst had shaken him up as well and he knew she needed more than just a sleeping spell to help her heal from all the injuries she had suffered.

But they had neither the resources nor the time for it.

They were in the middle of a war and everything was in shambles already.

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