Suspending Consciousness - 2

So, due to the content in this chapter I'm upping the rating to M.

He had gotten up early that morning, lifting the lid to a chest-more like a prison-in the corner of his office. Inside Alastor Moody looked up and Crouch simply smiled down at him. It was always satisfying to see the Auror trapped, today he was hoping it would be slightly more pleasing than normal though.

"I would like your opinion on something, Moody." A laugh escaped him when he used the name that was his alias. "Was the other day eventful for you?" Judging by the more menacing glare than usual it had been. He didn't bother to hold back his chuckle. "Well isn't that perfect? An Auror that's able to see more than his prison. I bet it gives you hope, most of the time." He was grinning now. "Able to see students-or should I say student? And yet not able to lift a finger to help. It must be driving you mad, 'as a hatter,' they say. Well, speak your mind."

With a flick of his wand he adjusted the curse so Moody would have to do as he said, answer anything he asked.

"You keep away from my students, Bartemius-"

"Your students?" He grinned wickedly. "I believe they are my students, but please, continue."

"And keep your hands off them."

"Whose them?" There was only one student he had put his hands on, and he was curious if Moody could actually see from the eye within there. This question would simply confirm it as Alastor wouldn't be able to know who it was any other way.

"The Granger girl, Hermione. I don't know what your planning with her but keep your filthy hands off her. You came here for Harry, leave all the other students out of it."

Ah, so he could. "I'll have you know the filthy one here is you. You stink." He chuckled as he raised a hand to grab the edge of the chest. "Have a good day, enjoy the show." With the chest closed he latched it to keep it shut, waving his wand absently to increase the hold of the imperio curse on his captive. He didn't need the fool screaming and trying to open the chest today when the Granger girl-as he had put it-came around for detention.

At first Barty had found himself irritated because he had classes to attend to, and the fact that it would be hours before Hermione arrived for today. Throughout the day though that feeling kept growing. The first, second, and third years he was teaching just made it even more irritable. He had felt a sense of relief when the last class was departing. That is, right before a student had dropped the name Granger and Krum in the same sentance.

He couldn't remember the last time his blood had run so cold. Hermione was his toy to play with, not that of some foolish young boy that was born with the lucky gift to become a Seeker for a Quidditch team at such a young age.

When she opened the door he had already cast a silence spell over the room having had enough time from then and now for his blood to be boiling. "Same seat as before Granger, you know the drill." He waved his hand at the chair and it pulled away from the desk. Barty didn't chance a glance at her until he heard the scraping of wood along the stone.

Her eyes were already closed, so compliant. He wasn't sure he liked that anymore, it made it too easy. It would be better if she gave him a fight. That would require him to reveal who he was though and he couldn't do that without prior planning to make sure she didn't run off and tell anyone-or rather couldn't tell anyone. For now though he would settle for this. Pointing his wand at her he hissed the spell, already pulling out the eye and peg mistaken for a leg.

Once the transformation was complete he slowly walked back to her, flicking his wand so the table drew to the side of the room, so the chair was pull to the center only to be taken away a moment later as he levitated her body above the floor. With a couple more flicks the rest of the desks and chairs were at the edge of the room and he resumed walking around her. Extending his wand once to pull strands of hair away from her face.

He stopped in his pace, studying her body before murmuring, "Crucio."

Her lips parted in a silent scream as she started to thrash in the air. Fingers clutching for whatever was causing the pain, but unable to find anything. The lids of her eyes flickered but never opened. It was good to know the spell held so strong. A lesser one would have broken, she would have been waken by the pain.

As it was her body twisted silently and he watched for awhile.

He sat on his desk before addressing her, "When I ask, you will answer, got it?"

A sound finally forced it's way from her drawn lips, "Yes."

He regarded her for a moment, glad the spell kept working even with her under the curse. Now he could finally start to use it to it's full extent. He pointed his wand at her this time while he spoke, slowly working the magic inside of her, "How do you know Krum?"

"He... watches me... study." The words tumbled slowly from her, the pause longer when her limbs gave a particularly nasty jerk. "Most of the... time."

"Most?" He prompted, giving a flick of his wrist and watching as a blue glow traced along her arm for a moment before fading back into her skin.

"Other times... he just... watches."

"Focus on those memories for me." As his wand moved more blue traced her skin, "Keep it at the forefront of your mind." The glow increased with every second that passed, "Right," This time he could see the blue even beneath her robes, "there."

The glow brightened instantly at his command, then it was shooting along the skin as it dulled once more, digging into the skin, all moving up to her mind. With another flick he said the spell for the second time that day, "Mintea Ridicati."

A gasp escaped her lips then she was silent again, no longer looking like she was covered in blue flames.

He only waited a second before voicing his question, "Do you know Krum?'

"Who?" Her voice no longer trembled.

"Good girl." He smiled as he got up from the desk to circle her. "Now, listen closely," Barty turned her head so he could whisper directly into her ear, "Whenever you see Krum watching you, you will leave the room. If he tries to speak to you, you will ignore him. Understood?"

"Yes."

He pulled away with a smirk, looking along her body that still twisted sharply under the curse's grip. It still wasn't enough, but the spell had also worked just as it was suppose to. So it would have to be enough for now. Though the longer he thought about it the more his thoughts wandered to a darker spell. That... that could be very entertaining for the remainder of time she needed to be in the classroom.

With a muttered, "Lux Cor." her body arched barely a second later. It still twisted but the pained look on her face had gone away, her lips parted in desperation for something other than pain. The jerking of her limbs had become more fluid, as if following the twists of the curse.

He grinned. "Do you like that feeling?'

"Yes." There was a moan in her word that made his smirk widen.

This had been a very good choice of spell indeed. "What if I take it away?" He broke off the crucio curse and she cried out in loss, quickly murmuring lowly, resorting to begging to be put back under.

When he glanced to the clock though he found that her detention had been over for a minute now. He couldn't chance anyone coming into the classroom with her in this state and quickly moved the desks and chairs back to their former locations while taking a swing of polyjuice from his flask, stopping the grip the two last spells had on her after settling her body back in the chair. "We're done for today, Miss Granger." He said the leg already reattached while he stuck the eye back in.

Her eyes opened and he wished for a moment that they had been able to do so before, being able to see her whole reaction would have been nice. Another day, maybe.

"Professor? For tomorrow can I come a bit later?" He regarded her but didn't answer, silently asking for an explanation. "There's some work I have to do, including group work in Charms for a project."

"How much later?" He didn't want to give up any time he had with her, considering how limited it was. But he couldn't keep her up through the night either.

"Two, maybe three hours."

Barty hardly had to think about it. "I'll give you two hours, and I expect you here at the new time, no later." This way he wouldn't have to take an hour off her detention.

"Thank you, Professor."

She had started to turn away but he called to her, "One more thing Miss Granger. Do you know who Krum is?"

When she turned back to him, she looked confused at his question. "Who?"

He had to hold back his smile. "Nobody. Go on."

The door shut behind her and he grinned as he settled back into his seat.