The Battle of the Grounds

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Holly shivered again, eyes on Gryffindor tower.
They were up there, she thought. They were all up there, probably watching her right now....just waiting.
Holly licked her lips nervously, waiting.
A huge black falcon swooped down from the tower at the speed of light.
Holly automatically stepped back wand outstretched waiting.

It was killing Holly to be so helpless when Shadow was being in so much pain. But if the plan worked it would be worth it.
"Yeah," she agreed, "Tell him that when he gets here and you might just keep your heads ...."

Shadow hugged her legs to her, hiding her right arm as well.
"You're both valuable, and I think he will be interested in a new recruit, especially one so... young, and manipulable."

Holly nodded knowledgeably.
"See. S'good idea. Im ... manipula....thing."
She crossed her fingers hoping it would work.

Shadow cringed as she sensed Voldemort land in the room.
"Why have you called me here?"
"We have captured your demoness and her friend." Voldemort glanced boredly at Shadow and began to examine Holly.

"No no no no no no no see thats not Shadow thats a bad imitation," Holly explained "I was looking to become a Death Eater and brought her with me. Her real name's Natalie. Anyway, think I could join?"

Voldemort walked over to Shadow and pulled up her right sleeve, showing another tattoo, but a V and a D.
"This is Shadow." Voldemort said, turning back to Holly.

Holly frowned and then shook her head.
"So about me joining...." she said, "Ill trade you my following if y'let Shad go"

"The demoness belongs to me, but I accept our membership." Voldemort said, drawing his wand and walking towards Holly as the death eaters tightened their grip on her.

Holly glanced at Shadow.
"Well then just now," she said, "Let her go just now and you can have me. Do whatever you want just let her go now...please ..."

Voldemort signalled to a death eater, who grabbed Holly's arm, pulling up her sleeve. Voldemort placed the tip of his wand on her forearm, branding the dark mark.

Holly keeled over in pain and attempted to force her heavily scarred right arm back. The pain was unimaginable, but Holly's head was saying not in front of him, dont give him that satisfaction.
The pain was gone as quickly as it had come, leaving a stinging sensation and a dark mark, something Holly had sworn to herself she would never see on her skin.
"Can she go now?" she whispered weakly.

"No." Voldemort said, summoning silver bands around Shadow's arms to stop her using magic against him.

"What?" Holly yelled, and fought against the death eaters that held her. When she realised it would be of no use, she held her head back and cursed herself for the many mistakes she had made.
"What do need from us?" Holly spat at him.

Voldemort turned his red gaze to Holly.
"I have two unwilling death eaters, but both will do anything to help the other. Shadow, demoness, princess of darkness. I hurt you, she will bring down any world I tell her to. I hurt her, you will do anything I tell you to."

Holly glanced again at Shadow, knowing this was very true.
"How d'ya know that wasnt just a ploy?" she said blocking all thoughts, "Maybe I hate her and just hang with her cause she makes me look good..."
Holly could lie, but not about her friends, and so she knew this sounded very fake.

"Then you wouldn't have been begging me to let her go." Voldemort pointed out.

"Oh shut up!" Holly said, "Tell us what it is you want us to do already,"

Voldemort looked at Shadow and then back at Holly.
"For now, nothing. But you will be staying in Riddle House, I can't afford to let either of you out of my sight." He said. He vanished, and two death eaters grabbed Shadow, vanishing along with the ones holding Holly.

Holly caught one last look of Shadow's scared face before she felt herself being moved.

Shadow fell with a thud onto a dungeon floor in Riddle House. She felt the pain in her legs again and bit her lip to stop herself crying.

Holly fell on top of her and rolled over, apologising.
"Jeez, that looks sore," she said, indicating Shadow's leg. She addressed Voldemort.
"Are you gonna leave us alone now?"

Voldemort waved a hand.
"Do the usual with the demoness, leave the girl." He said before leaving. One death eater pulled out his wand while the other got out a silver collar and heavy looking chain. They forced Shadow into her wolf for and chained her to the wall before leaving. Shadow lay down painfully, putting her head on her paws.

Holly watched her with all the pity in the world.
She edged over and sat next to the wolf, unable to think of anything smart or comforting to say. After a moment she said pathetically, "I wanna go home Shadow...."

Shadow raised her head, her pure black eyes looking into Holly's. She nodded, putting her head back down.

Holly nodded and took a deep breath, gazing at the mark on her arm, "Im sorry my plan didnt work out. It pretty much sucked.....Im sorry...."

Shadow shrugged and wagged her plumy tail.

Holly nearly smiled but then put her head back on the wall and closed her eyes.
"I'll need to bandage both arms up now," she murmured.

Shadow smiled wolfishly. shifting her front paws about. Even in her wolf form, the two letters stood out in white fur.

Holly gazed at Shadow's paws for the longest time and then reached out absently to link her little finger into the smallest claw.

Shadow's tail wagged slowly again, but it seemed half hearted. She looking into Holly's eyes, trying to say This is my fault...

Holly looked at Shadow and tried to figure out what it was she was trying to tell her. When she realised she shook her head.
"No its not," she said quietly, " S'mine....U'm sorry....it seems I got us both screwed dude..."

Shadow whined quietly, shaking her head.

Holly shook her head.
"Hey, im the youngest, so I get to be trusted ari?" she said sternly, "Its my fault. Thats that."
She moved to lie on her back next to Shadow staring at the ceiling, not caring that the dirty floor was touching her hair.

Shadow moved her head so that it was next to Holly's hand. She nudged it gently with her nose.

At the sudden cold, Holly jumped, but then patted the wolf's head gently, and put her hand back below Shadow's nose.
She sighed lightly.

Shadow's tail thumped against the stone floor, before she curled up the best she could with her broken legs and sighed deeply.

Watching her Holly felt severly saddened, and couldnt bear to look. She sat up, and there as an intake of breath and she felt the wood of a wand poking into her stomach.
She was so stupid.

Shadow's head shot up at the gasp, her head on one side.

"I had my wand all along," Holly said, cursing herself for her stupidity, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
She looked expectantly at the silver chain and then cast "Reparo" at the wolf's legs, hoping for the best.

Shadow attempted to stand up, but her legs collapsed between her. She smiled a wolfish smile, but the door slammed open to show Voldemort.

Holly jumped in front of Shadow automatically.
"What?" she asked cooly.

"I have a mission for you Bristol." Voldemort hissed, "And one for your wolf friend."

"Not seperate ones?" Holly asked, eyes narrowed.

"Yes, separate." Voldemort said. "Bristol, you are going out to torture a muggleborn for information. Demoness, you're going to help me prune some new recruits."

Holly glanced at Shadow uncomfortably.
"Heal her," she said quickly, "You gotta heal Shadow or she cant go anywhere...."

"She will be able to walk enough." Voldemort said dismissively. He used his wand to turn the heavy chain into a lead and conjured braces around her back legs to help support her. A death eater came in and handed Holly a uniform.

After biting her lip in Shadow's direction, Holly accepted the uniform from the Death Eater, glaring at him as she did so.
"Right. What?"

"You will be joining other death eaters Bristol, who will be here presently." Voldemort said.

There were three thousand six hundred and fifty two sarky remarks Holly felt like saying, but she just nodded.

Voldemort left, practically dragging Shadow after him.