(Draco's p.o.v.)

My own home did not feel my own. My home. Invaded by death eaters. My home. I couldn't even believe I was calling this place my home. A smile spread on my face at the cruel humour. The dark lord had turned this place from heaven to haven for me. And I couldn't do anything. It was as if I didn't have any rights in my own home.
How much more sadder could it get! A fake smile spread on my face, disguising my true feeling of contempt. I wish I had shown the courage Shine had. Everything would have become normal. I would hav regained the lost glory of my father. We would have been honored above all others. But no, I couldn't; and I am partly glad I didn't. I have seen the effect it has on her. I have heard her cry herself to sleep a million times in the last month that she has been staying here. I have seen her stare into space a million times. I have observed the way she just smiles to herself as if laughing at some inside joke and suddenly her eyes well up. I have looked away immediately a million times as she has looked around in fear, wiping her eyes, to see no one noticed. The girl has gone through a lot of pain. And I am not brave enough nor strong enough to face what she is going through.
Within a few months she would be standing in the battlefield against many faces who she has grown up loving. And yet she has been putting up a very brave front. In front of the dark lord, she is like the mirror image of Aunt Bella. Excited, bloodthirsty, hateful, full of spite for mudbloods and very glad of what she has done. But behind that mask she is broken, still a child, a girl who was forced to murder someone. Whether or not she cared about Dumbledore I wouldn't ever know. But I knew he had a major role to play in her life while growing up. And you don't easily forget the people who were with you growing up.
Shine wasn't an emotional wreck. But she had suddenly changed. Last year she had been forced to grow up. And now she was forced to murder one of the most important people in her childhood. I am sure she was emotionally attached to him. I sometimes wonder how she culminated the strength to actually kill.
The sound of female screams brought me out of my train of thoughts. I pulled the pillow closer to my ears. The screams for help echoed off the walls of my room as I clutched the pillow tighter trying to block them. I lay helplessly on my bed.
There was no way I could go down to help whoever the dark lord was torturing right now. There had been discussions to catch Charity Burbage. Maybe this was her. But I would never know. This could be another batch of the muggle girls from the nearby village who they had brought in for their sadistic pleasure.
The screams stopped, followed by whimpering, mixed with sounds of cackling. I reached for my wand. No.
I couldn't use spells for another week. I wasn't seventeen yet. I sighed and got off the bed. I couldn't sleep like this. I knew these sounds would haunt me forever as long as I lived here. But I needed to ask Mom to block them or I would hear them in my nightmares as well.
I knocked on the oakwood door a little scared to admit I was already freaking out. My father would never approve of my behavior right now. But as far as I knew I didn't care if he approved or not anymore. He was part of the reason my life was in ruins. He thought it was a great honour that I played a part in a murder.
"NO. Please." Another scream echoed from the cellar, resounding in the entire Manor. It chilled me to my bone. "Please. She is only a child. Spare her, please. Not my daughter. Please."
"Avada Kedavra." I heard someone shout, I heard the final scream as the curse hit her, and then the sound of laughter.
"Momma?" an innocent voice asked. I hadn't seen her but I could picture the girl. Her blue eyes large in fright as she saw her mother fall. She sounded no more than ten.
"Mamma, wake up. Please." the girl shrieked in between sobs. Those inhuman imbeciles cackled in laughter. I knocked again on the door. I had no intention of hearing anymore. The door slowly creaked open.
The silvery blond hair of my mom was tied up in a messed up bun. Her eyes rimmed by reddish purple had dark circles under them. She looked like she had lost a lot of weight. At one time, this woman was very beautiful. But now her eyes were sunken, her hair frizzy, her cheekbones jutted out a bit too sharp. She rubbed her own sleep deprived eyes and looked up at me. I had grown taller than her in the previous years.
"What is it, Draco?" she asked, her sleepy voice worried. Another scream echoed shattering the whimpers and sobs. I closed my eyes for a moment resisting my first urge to close my ears, cover them with my hands and curl up over myself. I opened my eyes to see my mother trying to do the same.
"I need my room soundproofed. I can't sleep with this." I told her.
"You think you can sleep without it?" she asked, her voice concerned. The answer was no. I couldn't. I would keep awake thinking of tonight. How I couldn't save yet another human being from torture, magical or muggle didn't matter to me anymore.
"I hope so, mother." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. She nodded and accompanied me back to my room.
"Muffliato." she cast the spell around my room; moving around in a circle, waving her wand. I sat down on my bed as the silence spread. No sounds reached my ears anymore. But in the recesses of my brain, the girl still screamed. Her innocent eyes wide in fear, her red curls flailing in the air, her tiny mouth screaming hoarse, her little mind hoping for help praying to whichever Gods she worshipped. But no help would come. And she would be lucky if she didn't survive the night. And I would be lucky if I could block out this nightmare. But this wasn't something I could block out. I was living it. My life was a nightmare.
I wanted to save her, I wanted to nurse her back to health. I wanted to let her cry for her mother, I wanted to apologize for putting her through this at her age. That was the only redemption for my mistakes. That was the only way I could save my peace of mind, my sanity. But I couldn't. I couldn't save her. I couldn't save myself.

****************

(Shine's p.o.v.)

"Peacocks." I muttered the password and the gates to the Manor opened to grant me entry. I sighed and dragged my feet along with the stolen broom. I looked up at the moon shining bright in the night sky. The stars twinkled. It looked like every other night.
But every other night and day was a nightmare nowadays. It had become quite a routine with torture and murder happening everyday, there was always that one incident which ruined the entire day. Today was going as normal as it could except for that one minor setback. I looked at my watch, at three in the night, I had begun the next day uneventfully, quite a rare event. I let a sigh escape my lips. I just wanted to curl up on my bed and go back to sleep after today.
Dawlish was so persistent. I agree I shouldn't have jinxed that muggle. But it was just some harmless fun. I was getting bored. Waiting to attack the muggle prime minister. And his assistant spotted me making butterflies with my wand. I panicked. I could have used a memory charm. But he started shouting. And all I could think to make him stop was make him quack. Dawlish saw me. And then started the fight. That idiot was hell bent on capturing me for murdering Dumbledore. Him, I could have easily handled with his assistant.
But then Kingsley appeared.
And that was like a punch to the gut. I couldn't fight him. He was a man I idolized. His fighting skills, his ability to stay calm in every situation. I didn't want to fight yet another man I idolized. It bore similarity to a very similar situation I recently faced. He was so strong, he was like Dad in some ways. And I instantly went on defensive. I tried escaping. I apparated to France but they caught on to me before I could spin on the spot. We duelled again. And I was blasted back into a ranch. I could have cried for the searing pain in my back where I hit it hard. I could hear them outside, jogging to catch up with me. I could hear dogs barking at the sight of intruders. I could hear the hens clucking in panic at the sound of blast. The owners too would be here soon. I knew I would be caught.
Laying on that pile of hay with the smell of horse shit surrounding me I knew it. I knew I would be thrown into Azkaban. I pointed my wand at the broken wood.
"Reparo." I managed to hiss through gritted teeth. I wasn't sure how I managed without screaming out in pain as small splinters that had lodged un my back, shoulder and jacket flew to recreate the wooden wall. I pushed my wand back in my pocket and tried to stand up. That would give me some time to act.
I looked around pulling off my gloves. I closed my eyes and concentrated then spun on the place. Small red and gold plasma ball like things gathered around me like confetti as they flew in at me, a little life and magic essence from every animal, blade of grass, tree and human being. I was lifted off my feet. My vision was lined in red. I knew my eyes were maroon. I could feel magic in the place. By my luck we had landed in a magical family's ranch. I wished they had brooms. I could fly maybe.
"Accio broom." I screamed, hoping it would fly to me even though I was wandless. I heard the shackles move. And a broom zoomed up. I caught it in my hand and mounted it midair. I looked down. The ranch looked like a tornado had been inside. The door burst open. Dawlish walked in followed by the other two. Very carefully, they entered. He looked up at me. Healed and completely fine. I grinned down at him and zoomed and sped over their heads out of the ranch.
Flying for so many hours I managed to completely shake them off my trail. My hands were frozen. My back hurt, my bum felt sore after sitting on that broom for hours. I was exhausted physically. I needed a glass of warm hot chocolate and a warm bed. I was in no mood to entertain any more drama tonight.
I pushed open the doors to the manor and heard the screams echoing from the cellar. They sounded like a child's. How more low could these idiots get! I resisted the urge to go barge in. It would only cause problems. And I was too tired. I forced my feet in the kitchen's direction. I pulled out a cigarette and put it to my lips. I lit it with my wand and inhaled the sweet clove scented smoke. The fag burnt orange as I sucked on it.
The screams echoed once again, followed by sobs. I sighed loudly. To hell with the hot chocolate. I was going in there first. I pulled out my wand and stomped straight to the cellar.
My feet echoed on the cold floor as I walked, my rage fuelling me. I pushed the door but it didn't move. Locked from the inside. I pointed my wand lazily at the door.
"Confringo." I drawled and blasted it straight off it's hinges. The sounds of laughter and cackled all stopped suddenly as they turned to look at me. The only sound was of the child whimpering in the middle of their circle. The poor girl cried holding herself, most probably shivering. She glanced up fearfully at me. Her brown eyes sparkled with the tears waiting to fall down her cheeks. I looked around the room. There was a body in the corner, half naked, hair torn out, bite marks, burn marks and other injuries covering her. With the red curls she definitely bore some resemblance to this girl. Maybe it was her sister or her mother. I threw down my cigarette and stubbed it, stepping inside the cold, damp cellar. The evidence of torture, the blood spilled, the screams still ringing in my ears, my own screams rang in my ears reminding me of my torture in a very similar situation in the cellar of Riddle Manor.
I resisted the shudder running down my spine and took firm steps towards the girl. The men separated to reveal more of her tiny little, bruised figure, shivering and crying. I heard someone whisper spoilsport behind my back but I was in no mood to fight. And they knew better than attack me or go against me. I was about to bend down to pick her up.
"Wait, Snape. You can't take her." I heard the scraggly voice of Rookwood behind me. I turned to see him standing in front of me, his eyes level with mine. He was one of those who actually enjoyed my torture. I turned around.
"Now I know how they could stoop so low as to hurt children." I growled, seeing his pock marked face curtained by greasy gray hair set my teeth on edge. "You think you are doing something great? Well, let me bring this to your notice. You are not. Now get out of my way or I will give you a taste of your own sadistic methods."
I turned back around and reached for the kid. She tried to move back away from me.
"It's okay, love. I am not going to hurt you." I whispered soothingly to her picking her up bridal style in my arms.
"Put her down or I will call the dark lord. Leave her here or we will do to you what we did to her mother." he threatened. His wand was out and pointed straight at my throat. I moved back two steps and put her down on her feet. The scared girl clung to my waist and started begging and whimpering. She was too weak to even support herself. I could feel it. I wasn't going to leave her.
"Very well. You asked for it." I replied and pulled out my own wand. I deflected his jinx with my wand and it hit a corner of the cellar. The rocks came crashing down with a loud sound.
I redirected my attention to him while he looked at the damage he caused, probably wondering how to pay back Lucius.
"Crucio." I uttered so calmly it shocked me. He was lifted off his feet. His head thrown back, he floated three feet above the ground. His fists curled up but his mouth remained shut. I twisted my wand wishing him to feel pain in every single inch of his pathetic body. His mouth opened and a horrible scream rang out echoing in the cellar and in the entire home. The girl covered her ears. I twisted my wand, wishing more pain on him. His contorted face almost gave me pleasure, a strange satisfaction. He screamed louder. Someone tried to lower my wand but I wouldn't stop.
My vision was lined in red. I was sure my eyes were maroon again. My grip over my wand was so tight my knuckles hurt. My nails cut red crescents into my palms. The pain cleared my head and vision. I lowered my wand. He collapsed to the ground in a shuddering, panting heap.
"Th-that wasn't just the Cruciatus. It was..... something w-worse. Definitely worse." he muttered under his ragged breath as he gasped for air. I turned to him. My ears strained to hear him. His voice was too low. "It felt like I was reliving my worst nightmare. Th-there were images playing.. right here. She killed Stefan. She tortured him. In.. in ways worse than any human can think of."
I stuffed my wand back in my pocket and picked up the girl. Yes, I was thinking of threatening him with torturing his five year old son. I wouldn't have done it. But threats are not always meant to be carried out. Scaring him would have been enough for me. The girl hugged me tighter and I started walking out.
"The dark lord will hear of this, Snape." Wilkes shouted behind my back. I smirked and turned around.
"Really? Go ahead." I mocked. "I am pretty sure he wants to hear this instead of news about the Boy who Lived. And that is something I have. I am not concerned, Wilkes. Try what you want. The dark lord trusts me. And I know I did right."
When he just stared at me angrily, I knew he didn't get my logic. I couldn't afford the dark lord knowing. He might think of this as treachery. And if he heard of my powers he might want to exploit them. I couldn't have that. I needed to give him a reason for my actions tonight.
"No child, magical or muggle should be subjected to what you were doing to this poor girl. And am sure the dark lord agrees with me." I added the last line as a last measure to ensure he didn't say a word.