"No! No! We almost- I mean, I-I almost... She didn't make it! Ellie, my Ellie, d-didn't make it..." Hermione panted frantically as she recognized her girlfriend's absence, though her voice seemed to go unnoticed.

Hermione turned to the side, and her eyes rested on Harry, who was kneeling as he held Dobby, Bellatrix's knife jutting out from his chest. Though she felt a sorrow for the fallen elf, she couldn't shake the last image of Ellie's face.

Harry called out to her, but Hermione simply couldn't focus on his voice. A loud ringing replaced every other sound, causing Hermione to bang her palms against her ears.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out. "Harry, we've got to go back! Ellie's still-"

Ron suddenly wrapped his arms around her, but only in attempt to keep her from lunging towards him.

"Hermione, stop! Dobby's gone! Harry just lost him! Imagine how he feels," Ron pleaded as he tried to keep the writhing girl from escaping his grip.

"I know how it feels! Don't ever assume that I don't!" Hermione countered in a deafening tone as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. "And I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm hurting too! Call me selfish, but she's still there! My girlfriend's trapped, Ron! Don't you understand? They'll kill her!"

"I know, I know. But it's too dangerous to go back for her," Ron reasoned, though his voice broke at the thought of Ellie's punishment. "We can't risk it."

"No, no, no... They're gotta be another way... anything... Please... I need you to help me!" Hermione shrieked as her eyebrows turned upwards from her cry. "I can't lose her again..."

"Hermione, Harry's got bigger problems to worry about," Ron reasoned. "Ellie's gonna make it. She's a tough girl. She'll survive, okay?"

Hermione fell to her knees, and a gut-wrenching sob overcame her. She buried her face in her hands as her entire body shook from the pain. Ron came to comfort her, but she only shrugged him away, wanting only Ellie's touch to return.

"Darling... please... just stay alive... I'll find a way, my love... No matter if they're with me or not..." Hermione trailed quietly as her head hung down solemnly, her heart feeling as if it has been twisted inside out.

--

"They made it out," Ellie cried out weakly, a small smile replacing her pained expression as she watched the last of their twisting Apparation disappear. All other worries were put aside, now knowing that her friends were safe.

Ellie let herself be dragged away by Bellatrix, who huffed in disappointment at the group's escape. The lady's fingernails dug into Ellie's skin while one hand pulled at her hair, nearly ripping out chunks of the brown waves. She finally succumbed to the weakness tempting her body, falling unconscious with a content feeling.

--

For the next two weeks, Ellie had grown accustomed to the new schedule that dictated her life. Every day, three times a day, Bellatrix went down into the cellar and tortured the Hufflepuff. In addition to the Cruciatus Curse, Bellatrix carved the word, Traitor, into different parts of her arm until every inch of the pained limb was filled with scars. The wounds were never cleaned, and the blood only stained her skin. Though Ellie attempted to grow accustomed to the pain, every session was different, a new sensation of harm penetrating the girl. Whether it be the sensation of burning, drowning, choking, or slicing, Ellie faced new variations. Her throat had become severely dry from the screams that resulted from these sessions, and her cries became no more, as she ran out of tears.

Draco was ordered to send her food scraps everyday at precisely noon, never staying for more than two minutes; any time longer would result in a serious interrogation involving the blonde-haired boy. The short delivery were the only moments Ellie ever broke a smile, grateful that someone had come down without intent of hurting her. Draco never talked much, afraid that his voice would be heard from above. He always managed to sneak Ellie some tasty delicacies he had tucked away in his pockets during breakfast. It broke him to see his friend in such a state, Ellie's eyes slowly starting to sink in as her body grew thinner with malnutrition.

Ellie saw no one other than Bellatrix and Draco. Not once did Steven show his face, though she already expected that her father wouldn't dare look at her anymore, ashamed with embarrassment.

Every second of everyday of Ellie's time in the cellar were pained. She couldn't sleep, she barely ate, and she had no supplies to take care of her hygiene. The emotional pain proved to be far worse than any form of physical pain.

Every thought in Ellie's mind consisted of Hermione, missing her terribly. She felt guilty, and her heart started to shrink as she lost hope for any type of rescue. She knew Ron wouldn't dare to return to the manor, and Harry would simply be too conflicted to make a decision. Perhaps Hermione was planning her trip back to the manor; or perhaps she simply gave up. Ellie always tried to shake the latter thought as she strived to keep a positive mindset. After a painful two weeks of the same routine, the Hufflepuff made the decision that she wouldn't rely on her friends coming to break her out, and eventually, Ellie lost all hope. She accepted the fact that there would be no savior, no knight in shining armor, no one. Ellie was alone.

It wasn't until one night, that Ellie had a glimmer of hope.

The sound of quick footsteps approached the stairs quickly, and Ellie groaned as she prepared herself for her session. Yet, it was midnight. Bellatrix wasn't to arrive until the crack of dawn for her maniacal entertainment. The gate to the cellar creaked open, its rusty hinges echoing off the stone walls. The gate didn't close, causing Ellie to raise an eyebrow. It was always locked behind the visitor, preventing her from any attempt at escape.

The visitor stepped into the light. The bleached parts of her hair gave her identity away as she stared at Ellie with fearful eyes.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Ellie greeted softly, frowning her eyebrows at the new face.

Narcissa pressed a finger against her own lips, gesturing for her to be quiet as she withdrew a wand. Ellie identified it to be her own wand, recognizing the distinct design. Narcissa pressed the wand into Ellie's hands, forcefully closing the Hufflepuff's fingers around the wood.

"Shell Cottage. Outskirts of Tinworth, I'm told," Narcissa whispered as she constantly turned her head for any newcomers.

"W-What? Why are you doing this?" Ellie stuttered as she grasped her dirty fingers around the wand.

"I owe you one. I intercepted an owl meant for Draco. No sender, but I assume it was of your friends' whereabouts," Narcissa explained. "I haven't seen my boy talk about one of his friends so highly. He talks about you, you know. Says you've saved him. His face lights up when he mentions you, and I haven't seen that smile of his in... Merlin, who knows how long... What I'm trying to say is, I owe you. This isn't a favor or an act of kindness. It's not an act of pity or a sign of softness. It's merely a debt for the things you've done for my son."

A small smile crept upon Ellie's face, her lips cracking at the deprived gesture.

"Thank you. I don't know how I can re-"

"Enough chit-chat. We don't have much time," Narcissa urged harshly, cutting her off.

Narcissa started to push Ellie out of the cellar, helping her crawl up the stairs as they entered the drawing room once more. Flashbacks of what had happened flooded Ellie's memories, but she pushed them away to focus on the task at hand.

"You know where to go," Narcissa whispered as her eyes flickered around suspiciously.

"Thank you," Ellie thanked again with a genuine expression. "Tell Draco thank you as well."

"Yes, yes. Go along, then," Narcissa pushed. "Be safe."

Ellie gave one last grateful expression to the woman before preparing herself for the journey. Within a second, she Apparated herself to her destination, collapsing on the wet sand as the moon shone over her. Her tense body finally eased as she sank into the ground, finally being able to sleep peacefully without the over-bearing expectations of pain upon awakening.