I knooooooow it's been way too long. But I haven't abandoned you! So here is a new chapter. It's not very long, but it'll have to do :)
Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next chapter!
X
In the morning, Hermione woke up alone in the bed. Much to her relief. But when she opened her eyes and looked up, she saw Barty sitting on the chair at the other side of the room, reading the Prophet in his trousers, not even taken the effort to put on a shirt. He put away the newspaper when he saw her looking at him.
"Ah, good. Now get dressed so we can go downstairs," he told her.
He put on a shirt himself, while Hermione put on her own clothes, trying to hide her body from him the best she could. When they were both dressed, Hermione wanted to go downstairs without saying a word, but Barty stopped her with his arm.
"You won't try anything at Hogwarts… If you refuse to obey me in any way, I'll break my part of our agreement as well," he growled. "And yes, I intend to keep my promise, in case you were wondering. For now."
He removed his arm and opened the door for her, so that they could go downstairs. Bellatrix was waiting for them in the hall, and she greeted Barty with such a great enthusiasm that it scared Hermione. It never meant anything good when she was happy.
"Barty!" She exclaimed. "Look at what we have here!"
She pointed with her wand at a group of people standing in the hall. They looked rather scared, from what Hermione could see, because most of them were staring at the floor.
"Muggles!" Bellatrix continued. "They have just been brought to us!"
"I've told you, they are Muggle-borns, not Muggles," a girl that was in front of the group told them rather angrily.
"And she is the bravest of them all," Bellatrix grinned, looking at the young girl with amusement.
Hermione looked at Barty's direction, worried about what his reaction might be. A whole group of young Muggle-borns at his disposal, and no one to stop him. That couldn't mean anything good.
"You said they are Muggle-borns," Barty said slowly, his eyes still fixed on the girl who had spoken. "Then what are you if you aren't one yourself?"
That was very perceptive of him, Hermione had not even noticed the way the girl had chosen her words. But the girl didn't answer the question.
"We'll find out who you are soon enough," Bellatrix grinned, waving her wand around in a lazy manner.
In the meantime, Barty was walking around the group of captured people. He studied the pretty girls in the group extra carefully, with a mischievous look in his eyes. When he grabbed one of the girls by her chin in order to look her in the eyes, she turned around and slapped him hard across the face in an act of self-defence. However, that was not something Barty would accept. He stumbled backwards at the force of the slap, and his chest was heaving as a sign that he was angry. He took out his wand and aimed it at the girl, whose angry face turned in a terrified one very quickly. She seemed to realize what was coming next.
"Crucio," Barty growled.
The torture continued for a pretty long time, and Hermione didn't dare to look until it was over. When the screaming finally stopped, Hermione saw that Barty was really enjoying what he was doing. It almost looked as if it turned him on. And he wasn't done humiliating the already very weakened girl yet.
"You shouldn't have done that, missy," he snarled. "No one attacks me without bearing the consequences. Certainly not a Mudblood like you. Take off your clothes."
"What?" the girl croaked.
"You heard me. Take them off."
The girl looked at the wand in the Death Eater's hand and decided that it would be better to obey him. So she did as she was asked, her whole body shaking. When she was stripped down to her underwear, she looked up at the Death Eater who was still standing in front of her, feeling his cold eyes studying her even colder body.
"You're a good little girl. Now apologize."
"I'm sorry," she mumbled too quickly and too softly.
"I said… apologize."
She bowed her head and tried again, a bit louder this time.
"Good. Now stand with your group again, Mudblood, and don't try to talk to me like that ever again."
He started walking around the group again, his stone face searching for people who dared to make eye contact. There were none, fortunately. Until he reached another pretty girl. When he put his hands under her chin, she looked up obediently. She had just seen what would happen if she didn't.
Hermione clenched her fists when she saw the lust in his eyes. His hands trailed down the girl's body, then he bend down to whisper something in her ear. Hermione couldn't quite understand what he said, he was just out of her reach. But the fear in the girl's eyes already told her enough. And she couldn't help herself any longer, the need to protect those poor Muggleborns from that monster was just too strong.
"Don't touch them," she snarled. "The fact that you've had a bad childhood doesn't mean they have to suffer because of it. Just leave them alone."
Barty turned around slowly to look at her. He had a very strange expression on his face, something between anger and disbelief.
"Pardon?"
"I said, leave them alone. Having me imprisoned is already bad enough as it is."
"I thought I had told you not to cross me anymore in any way?"
Her bottom lip started to tremble. She knew that she was playing a very dangerous game here, because if she refused to keep her promise, then he would definitely break his. He would hurt her again, or other people. He walked towards her with his eyes fixed on Hermione."
"I could leave them alone, of course," he said with a grin. "But I need something in return for that."
"And that is?" she said, crossing her arms.
"You," he whispered.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Let me have my way with you and I won't have to hurt others."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I will take one or two of these ones here," he said, gesturing towards the group of prisoners.
"Why do you want me so badly?"
He leaned down to whisper the answer in her ear.
"Because you're special."
"Just leave them alone, bastard."
"Don't swear to me," he warned.
Suddenly the girl who had spoken earlier broke the silence.
"Just let us go now! This has been going on for long enough!"
That drew the Death Eater's attention away from Hermione.
"If you aren't one of them, then what exactly are you? You seem to be brave, somehow you dare to speak up around us. And not because you are naïve, you are just not afraid. Why is that?" Barty asked with genuine curiosity.
"I have been looking for you. That was my whole mission."
"Looking for who? Me?"
"Yes. You."
"Wh-what?" Barty said, he was clearly not expecting this.
"I know you guys are always trying to catch groups of Muggleborns, so this was my chance to find you. I didn't know where to look."
"You don't even know we. Not many people would want to go looking for someone like me. What are you, Half Blood?"
"Why would I tell you?" the girl snapped.
"Because… My patience is running thin. And you don't want to find out what happens when my patience has run out. I want to know who you are, and what you are," Barty demanded.
"Half Blood, since you are so eager to know. Pureblood father, Half Blood mother. My grandmother is a Muggle. Enough information?"
"What is your last name, we should know your name if your father is Pureblood."
"I don't use his name. I never knew him. I use my mother's name."
"Come on, Barty… You've had time enough, hurry up," Bellatrix whined.
"Just a second, I'm almost there!" Barty said, turning his attention back to the girl. "I want you to tell me who you are and what you want, or else I'll force it out of you."
"Like I said, I never knew my father," she answered.
"So?"
"So… I'm here to change that. That's why I wanted to see you."
"Why? You won't even tell me who he is. Do I know him?"
"You do know him. It's you. You're my father. And I'm your daughter. Elora's daughter."