Three months.

Three months was filled with nothing but agony for Oliver and his friends at Malfoy Manor. From the long days spent in the drawing room being taunted by Death Eaters to the sleepless nights in the cellar, there was still some difficulty trying to numb the pain.

Of course, Oliver and Eliza were not the only ones who had to endure the torture. Jacob and Andrew also dealt with a few encounters themselves, but most likely didn't have to suffer as much due to the two of them being half-bloods. Then again, it was possible they got it just as bad for being associated with two Muggle-borns.

Every night, the four of them would compare cuts and bruises, which Oliver and Eliza tended to have more to show off.

There had been moments where Oliver passed Mary and Violet in the halls before or after his ridicule with the Death Eaters. When he locked eyes with the girls, all he could see was fear as it took over and controlled their every move. Both of them always kept their mouths shut as they strolled on with the Snatchers.

A part of Oliver was still upset with Mary for her betrayal, even though she explained to him what happened. The other part of him still longed for her, getting to where his dreams consisted of her whenever he was able to get some sleep on the cold floor of the cellar. The thoughts of having her in his arms again would often keep him warm.

One day, footsteps made their way down the stairs, which the four prepared themselves to see who was being taken first. Malfoy appeared at the door, unlocking it with his wand. Once he opened it, he stepped inside and looked down at the four.

"Who's the lucky one to go first?" Jacob practically spat out in a bitter tone.

Malfoy pointed his wand at Oliver. "You. Get up."

Oliver obliged, shooting the blond boy a glare as he made his way towards him. When Malfoy led him up the steps and in the drawing room as usual, he was surprised when Malfoy continued on, heading for the hallway.

"Getting a change of scenery, I see," Oliver spoke up.

"Someone wanted to speak with you," Malfoy stated. "No, not Mary. She's out with the Snatchers."

"I didn't even ask about her."

"No, but you were thinking about her, weren't you?" When Oliver didn't respond, Malfoy kept going. "She's worried about you and your friends."

"Then why doesn't she come down to the cellar and check on us?" Oliver retorted.

"She isn't allowed, according to her mother." He paused for a brief moment, then continued. "It may not seem like it, but she does care about all of you. She's been trying to come up with escape plans these last few months, but she's been on a tight leash with the Snatchers, along with Hamilton."

Oliver let the words sink in. The thought that Mary still cared stuck with him, becoming the only thing he could use as a distraction with what was about to come next.

Malfoy stopped in front of the door to what looked like a study. He slowly opened the door and took Oliver inside. The two were met with a man sitting at a desk with his fingers intertwined as his hands rested on the desk.

The man held a blank expression, nodding towards Malfoy. "Thank you, Draco. You may leave us." When the blond boy obliged and closed the door behind him, the man shifted his eyes towards Oliver.

Oliver studied the man, then quickly realized who he was based on his voice. "You're Mary's father."

The man nodded his head. "Surprised?"

"Not really. The accent gave it away."

He chuckled in response. "Of course, seeing as it's not hard to identify us Americans based on our accents alone."

Oliver wasn't sure what the appropriate reaction would be. Really, a good hex towards the man sounded nice if he had his wand on him. He remained in place, trying to keep himself composed in front of Mary's father.

"Why did you want to see me?" Oliver inquired.

"Well, I thought that would be obvious," the older man replied, standing up from his chair. "I'd like to talk about Mary."

Oliver shot him a puzzled look. "What about her?"

Mr. Fowler eyed the boy, placing his hands behind his back. "Despite our differences, I still care for my daughter. She might not see that, but I really do. Her mother feels the same way." He paused, making his way around the desk. "Do you care for my daughter?"

Oliver was almost too scared to answer the question, but he managed to muster up some bravery to do so. "Yes."

Mr. Fowler pursed his lips for a moment. "Do you think she reciprocates those feelings?"

The boy took a deep breath. "Yes."

The man merely nodded his head, then let out what almost sounded like a chuckle. "You know, Mary does talk about you. Not to me or her mother, of course, but to Mr. Malfoy, as they are very good friends, I'm sure you know that already." He took a few steps to the side of the desk, leaning against the wooden top. "You see, I hear things. The walls have ears of their own. Sometimes, I can hear your other friend crying, Violet Hamilton is her name, I think. Yes, she really lets out her emotions, doesn't she?"

Oliver clenched his fists so tight they were shaking, but eventually let go before Mr. Fowler noticed. "I'm not entirely sure what your point is, Mr. Fowler."

"Well, I was getting to that, Mr. Campbell. Oliver is your first name, right? Yes, I've read your file. Very interesting stuff, I must say, especially with your sister and all--"

"Don't mention Fiona," he snapped. "This is about Mary, remember?"

"Right, so there are times where I hear Draco and Mary talk in hushed voices, and I wonder why. At first, I assumed it was typical behavior coming from two teenagers, but the more I thought about it, it finally occurred to me that you and your friends were the ones that she's been with all this time." Mr. Fowler let out a laugh. "Here I thought me and her mother raised her better than that. After all, your kind is nothing but trouble."

"Muggle-borns are the least of your worries," Oliver retorted. "Mary made her choice when she left this place last summer. She's a brave girl. I'm sure you know that already."

Mr. Fowler's expression turned cold. "Yes, I do know that, but now she also made her choice when she decided to turn all of you in." He took a few more steps towards Oliver, the grip on his wand getting tighter. "You and I both know whose side she's on, so I suggest you forget whatever thing you and my daughter shared right now."

"It's a lot easier said than done, Mr. Fowler," Oliver replied.

The man raised his eyebrows, finally coming to the ultimate realization. "Oh. You mean to tell me that my daughter has been romantically involved with a Mudblood?"

"Don't you dare call me tha--"

"But that's what you are!" Mr. Fowler shouted, the veins in his forehead popping out. "Maybe my daughter is too blind to see it, but I'm not. You're nothing but a Mudblood in my eyes, Oliver Campbell."

Before he knew it, the door behind him flew open, causing both Oliver and Mr. Fowler to see who it was. A woman was standing there, along with a Death Eater that Oliver had seen a few times.

"Done with your interrogation, sweetheart?" the woman asked, to which Oliver assumed was Mary's mother. "Lucius and Narcissa are waiting for us in the gardens."

Mr. Fowler let out a frustrated sigh as he motioned the Death Eater to take away Oliver, placing his wand back in his pocket. Oliver took one more glance at Mary's parents before he was forced to face forward.

*******

"I don't see any new cuts or bruises this time," was the first thing Andrew said to Oliver when he was thrown back into the cellar.

With a grunt, Oliver pushed himself up from the floor and scoffed. "Today's my lucky day."

"That's a shock, seeing as Bellatrix isn't one to go easy on prisoners," Eliza added.

Oliver shook his head. "I didn't see her today." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Mary's father wanted to speak to me."

The three friends perked up, intrigued by this.

"What did he want with you?" Jacob asked.

"He mostly talked about Mary," Oliver explained. "Just about how she's on his side and not ours."

"Well, can't really argue with that," Andrew commented. "After all, she's the reason we're here."

Oliver still let the words said by Malfoy and Mr. Fowler linger in his mind. He wasn't sure what to believe in regards to Mary. "Maybe she'll be the reason we get out."

Andrew scoffed. "Doubtful."

"Don't give up on hope, Andy," Oliver said.

"We've been here for three months, Ollie," Eliza pointed out. "I gave up on getting out of here on my eighteenth birthday."

"We're lucky we haven't starved to death," Jacob added.

The four looked over at Luna, Ollivander, and the new prisoner that arrived a few days ago: a goblin from Gringotts named Griphook. He mostly kept to himself, not speaking to the others as he remained in a corner of the cellar, isolating himself.

"Do you really think she can help us?" Eliza questioned. "I mean, I figured she'd have us out of here by now."

"Malfoy said she's been working on escape plans," Oliver stated.

"And you believe what that prick says?" Andrew retorted.

Oliver shrugged. "I guess. I don't see why he would lie about that."

"Because he's Malfoy," Andrew replied. "I wouldn't trust him with my life."

"Well, I'll just take what he said to me and go with it," Oliver said. "That's all I can do." He paused, leaning against the wall. "Mr. Fowler knows about Mary and I as well. He figured it out."

The three became interested once again.

"I'm sure he had a lot to say about that," Eliza stated.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah. Needless to say, he didn't like it one bit." He didn't care about how Mr. Fowler felt about his relationship with Mary. It was none of his concern, anyway.

As a Death Eater came down to gather Andrew and Eliza, Jacob made his way over towards Oliver, sitting next to him. "Do you love her?"

Oliver shifted confused eyes towards his friend. "What?"

"Mary. Do you love her?"

Oliver was startled by the question. "Oh. Um, well...I-I don't--"

"For Merlin's sake, don't play dumb with me. It's been obvious for a while now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I've seen the way you two look at each other. Believe me, you two make it noticeable."

Oliver couldn't help but let out a snort in amusement. "Well, you and Violet are no better."

Jacob chuckled. "That is true." He paused, sighing. "I miss her."

Oliver nodded. "I know. We all do."

For a moment, he thought more about Jacob's question, giving it serious thought. The more he let it swirl around in his head, the more the chances of him actually being in love with her got higher. His heart fluttered a bit as he got close to admitting it.

Finally, he spoke his answer. "Yes."

Jacob looked at him. "What?"

"Yes, I do love her."

A grin crept up on Jacob's face. "That's what I thought."

~~~~~~~

A/N: Well, here we are. Almost getting to the action (and pain, oops).

Song above is Way Down We Go by KALEO.

Comment, vote, next update will be on 8/9.

-A