The small 'drip-drip-drip' of each water drop falling and hitting the stone floor was a sound that Freddie Lynch had become accustomed too. For the past three months, he had been held in a place, no idea where he was and no idea if anyone even knew he was missing.
His only crime? Falling in love.
Freddie could only imagine this was what Azkaban prison was like, the sheer silence, the darkness and the sense of fear that filled the air also filled his werewolf senses. He had no idea what day it was, what month it was or even if his family knew he was missing. Of course, they would know. Elyla would knew something was wrong if Freddie went missing. Bounds held his hands behind his back, chains held his legs still and a gag was wrapped around his mouth, he couldn't cry out, call for help or even move to attempt to kick a door or a wall down with his werewolf strength. Being shackled to the wall, he had no freedom to move about and some kind of spell had been placed on him so he couldn't transform into his werewolf forms to try and escape. Whoever was holding him, had thought this through. Laying on his side, he winced as he felt old wounds open back up. Of course, they would have found a way to stop his werewolf healing ability too. Subjected to hours of torture, Freddie's body was battered, bruised and beaten to a pulp daily.
Suddenly a loud explosion came from nowhere and Freddie's head turned at the sound, before two death eaters swept in, grabbed him from the floor and pulled him out into a large room that he could only assume was once a ballroom, and to the sounds of fighting. "Stop! Or we kill him!" The voice of his captor, Alecto Carrow yelled out above the noise and suddenly the room went quiet. Freddie's head hung limply down, too weak from lack of food, water and the beatings to lift his head to see what was happening. "Freddie!" He heard TJ yell at the sight of his baby boy in such a state and he could only assume that Christian had grabbed TJ to stop him. "Ah ah ah" Alecto smirked, pointing his wand and jabbing it into Freddie's neck. "Move and he dies" He spoke, the stupid smirk still on his face.
Letting a loud hiss escape past his teeth as a hand weaved itself into his dark hair and yank his head back, letting his eyes fall open to see his family, his parents, siblings and grandparents stood in front of him, here to save him. Letting a half smile grace his beaten features, Freddie looked towards his parents. "It not as bad as it looks.." He joked, referring to his black eye, split lip and the various bruises across his face.
"Who lead you here?" Alecto challenged them, demanding in his tone. At that moment, his only daughter, Sapphire Carrow appeared beside Elyla, wand in her hand and at the ready. "Sapphire, get over here right now!" Alecto demanded, shoving his wand impossibly further into Freddie's neck. "No! I love him, Father. Look around you, this is what hatred does to people! I won't follow you anymore! I choose him.." She stated, whispering the final part as her eyes locked with Freddie's. Alecto stared at his daughter, shoving Freddie to the side as he aimed his wand at Sapphire. "Bad mistake girl.. Sectumsempra!" He yelled.
Sapphire braced herself for the pain that was about to come, but it never did. At the last second, Freddie threw himself in the way of the spell and it hit, directly in the chest. "NO!" Sapphire screamed, as she stepped forward and caught Freddie in her arms, gently lowering hi to the floor as blood began to seep through Freddie's white school shirt as he screamed in pain. Behind the pair, the death eaters apparated away in clouds of black smoke while some gave chase, others searched for more prisoners or anyone else, while Freddie's family ran to his side. "I-I'm.. sorry.." Freddie whispered in between breaths, before his eyes slowly closed. "No, you stay awake do you hear me?!" Sapphire demanded, her face instantly going to the side of Freddie's face and cupping it gently. "No, don't you dare close your eyes!" She shouted. "NO! Please Freddie! Freddie, no!" She screamed, tears beginning to fall from her eyes, as she held a tight vice grip onto Freddie's hand. Christian knelt down beside her, placing his wand over the wounds, beginning to mutter. "Vulnera Sanentur.." The counter-curse of the Sectumsempra spell.
"It looks like King's Cross station. Except a lot cleaner and empty, and there are no trains as far as I can see." - Harry Potter.
White. The purest of whites was all his hazel brown eyes could see for miles and miles, and with shaky legs he slowly stood, dressed in pale blue bottoms and a plain white t-shirt. Looking around, he stepped forwards as the strange place he was in started to take shape. The stairwell outside the Great Hall, yet the stone walls were white and not their usual sandy stone colour. "Hello?!" Freddie called out, hoping to find someone or for someone to hear him. "Hello Frederick" A voice spoke up behind him and Freddie turned around to see his grandfather, Alexander Black standing behind him, dressed in the finest white robes. With a smile at seeing a familiar face, Freddie ran into the elder male's arms and hugged him tightly. "Its good to see you kiddo" Alexander whispered into Freddie's hair. "But where am I?" Freddie asked, pulling away from the elder and once again looking around. "You are in Limbo, the place between life and death. Do you remember what happened to you?" He asked his grandson and Freddie nodded in answer. "I was protecting Sapphire.." Freddie whispered, as he moved to sit on a stone step, with Alexander sitting beside him. "Why the steps outside the Great Hall?" Alexander asked him. "It where I saw Sapphire for the first time. Before we got put in our houses, I thought she was so beautiful and scary at the same time" Freddie said with a laugh. "Now the real question, do you want to carry on and experience the afterlife or go back to your family and your loved ones?" Alexander stated, giving him the all important question. Freddie stayed silent for a moment before he turned to face his grandfather. "I'm going back, I'm not letting Sapphire leave my side ever again" He said, complete and utter determination in his eyes.
And unknown to Freddie, his body lay in a hospital bed in St Mungo's, kept in a coma to allow his injuries to heal, the steady rise and fall of his chest along with a soft voice talking to him and a hand holding onto his tightly, with the only person in the entire world that he wanted by his side. "I'll be right here when you wake up.." Sapphire whispered, as she pressed a kiss to the back of his hand.
