It was when Hermione and Barty entered the smaller dining room together when she saw Kyle and Skye already sitting there. In a reflex, as it seemed the most sensible thing to do at that moment, Hermione grabbed Barty by his arm and dragged him back outside, closing the door behind her.
"He didn't leave," Hermione breathed, stating the obvious.
"Clearly," Barty said through clenched teeth. "Maybe he will after I've taught him a little lesson."
He wanted to go back to the dining room again, but Hermione yanked his arm away from the door and pulled him back roughly, pushing him against the wall. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he didn't fight her either.
"You are not getting back inside," Hermione said firmly.
"Why not? You warned him, didn't you? It's his fault that he didn't listen."
"He doesn't know that I have told you about- you know, his plans."
"So? That doesn't mean I can't hurt him."
"I am dealing with this, and you will not murder the boy. Not yet anyways. He is not a threat to you right now, so there is no need for violence. You just wait here until I am done with Kyle. You can come in when he is gone."
"Ah, ah, no way. I am not leaving you alone," Barty protested. "I am going to show that boy why exactly it is a bad idea to threaten me or my family."
He wanted to reach for the door again, but Hermione firmly pushed him back.
"No, I said no. I will not allow it," she said.
It was silent for a very long moment, while they were both trying to stare each other down.
"Did you just give me an order?" he asked her quietly.
"Yes, I did. You stay here, and I will talk to Kyle. If you do what I say, then maybe I'll reward you for it later tonight," she said seductively, stroking his chest lightly, knowing that this was the only weapon she could use against him. It was the only way she could influence him. Angering him any further was never going to work.
"Hmm," he purred. "Tough decision, that is. Alright. I will listen to you for now. I will not interfere, and I promise to keep my mouth shut. But, I am still going in there with you. Just in case you need my more... extreme methods."
"Okay, deal. But only if I say so. Or no reward for you tonight."
"Oh, why are you so cruel to me," he whined.
"I learned from the best," Hermione winked, sticking her tongue out.
Barty growled and grabbed her around the waist tightly and he kissed her on the mouth. But Hermione pushed him away again softly.
"You have to earn it, love," she said.
"You little tease," he growled, but he didn't advance on her again. He was slightly pouting, so Hermione gave him a light kiss on his cheek before taking his hand in hers and leading him back to the dining room.
Barty did as he had promised, he didn't say a word. But the looks he was giving Kyle already said enough. After he sat down in his chair, he threw his feet on the table and stared Kyle down with cold eyes full of hatred and despise. So Hermione kicked him softy under the table, which drew his attention away from the boy.
"He knows," Hermione said bluntly, explaining the boy her husband's hostile behavior. "I've told him. And you are a bloody idiot for still being here. Have you told Skye yet?"
"I-I couldn't," Kyle stuttered, turning white as a sheet while glancing nervously at Barty. "I do love her. That was not a lie."
A low growl escaped Barty's throat, but he still kept his mouth shut.
"You better have a good explanation for why you have not left this house after what you have done. Maybe you should tell Skye about what you did. After all, it's not fair that she is the only one who doesn't know, now is it?"
Kyle gulped visibly as he looked at Skye who was staring at him with confusion.
"What's going on here? Why is everyone so angry with you all of a sudden?" she asked her boyfriend.
"Because- because I did something very, very stupid," Kyle said in almost a whisper. "I planned on killing your father, and now everyone thinks that I used you to get closer to him. But that is not true, I do love you, and I regret my actions. I was stupid, I realize that now. I don't want to leave you, I don't. I want to stay. With you."
"You- you wanted to kill my father?" Skye hissed. "No wonder everyone is angry with you. So that is why you started dating me?"
"Well- yes," Kyle confessed, his forehead now shining from all the sweat. "But not anymore," he added quickly. "I have talked with Hermione today, and it made me realize how stupid I had been, and how much I really love you. So that is why I came to dinner. I want to ask forgiveness."
"You are brave, to sit here and tell me this with everyone around," Skye said, narrowing her eyes. "How do I know you are not lying to me again?"
"Because then I would not be sitting here! I am risking my life here to tell you this. You have to believe me, I would not have come to dinner if I didn't truly love you," Kyle said.
"Love is a strong word. And besides, you might just be saying this so that you can keep spying on my dad. So... you work for the Order?" Skye asked.
"No! No, I don't!" Kyle said, though it was too clear that he was lying. "I don't! I just said, I am sorry, and I beg you for your forgiveness. I am not lying... please..."
It was clear that he was panicking right now. Hermione was secretly really proud of Skye that she wasn't forgiving him that easily. After all, the boy had started dating her with the completely wrong intentions. And maybe he was still trying to date her with the wrong intentions. Maybe he still wanted to spy on Barty. Skye was quiet now, as if she didn't know what to say anymore.
"Maybe you should just leave," Hermione said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "We can't trust you. I appreciate that you are trying to apologize, but you know it is not going to work. Leave while you still can."
"While he still can? Why are you all acting as if the boy will die if he doesn't leave?" Barty suddenly asked.
"Oh, come on, I know you. You will kill him without a second thought just for threatening you and for using your daughter," Hermione said. "Now please, let me handle this."
"No, no, if Skye is willing to give him a second chance, then maybe I should be lenient too... If he is prepared to beg me for forgiveness as well, of course."
"I am, sir, I am," Kyle said quickly, slightly relieved for some reason. Though Hermione could not understand why he would be relieved, since it was very clear that the tone in which Barty was speaking wasn't reassuring at all. On the contrary, it suggested that he was up to something very unpleasant.
"Good, good," Barty said, staring at Kyle with cold eyes. "Though I find it hard to believe that you would deviate from your own ideals and the Order within a day. Suddenly your love for Skye should mean that you are on my side, on the Dark Lord his side. That is something I cannot simply believe. I have the feeling that you are under the assumption that you can fool me. Do you think me a fool, Mr. Anderson?"
Kyle quickly shook his head.
"N-no, of course not-"
"Do you think Skye a fool?"
"No, sir!"
"Then what the hell makes you think that either of us will grant you as much as even one ounce of mercy?" Barty now said quite viciously, throwing his feet off the table.
"I-I-" Kyle stammered without finishing his sentence.
"Lost your tongue all of a sudden?"
"N-no, I-"
"I must say, I am very glad that you decided to join us for dinner tonight. Because you can give me information about the Order. You can give me names, locations, plans... Now, if you give me what I want, then I shall start listening to your pleads. If not... you are a dead man walking already."
"Are- are you going to hurt me?"
"If your information does not satisfy me, then yes. If I don't like the answers you give to my questions, then you will feel pain. True pain. Do I make myself clear?" Barty growled.
"Yes, sir," Kyle said with a small voice.
"Good. Oh, and one more thing..."
"Yes?"
"You touch my daughter again and I'll create one personal hell for you. No, I'll do worse than that, you'll wish you were in hell."
"Dad..." Skye now half protested, though she did not say anything else.
"No one treats you like that, love, no one. You can do way better than that. He is messing with the wrong family, and he will face the consequences of that," Barty said, and Skye didn't respond to that.
"Barty," Hermione now intervened. "You promised me. Let him leave, don't do this."
"Why are you still protecting him?" Barty sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I can use the boy, I can find other traitors with him. I can keep you both safe."
"No, you shouldn't-" Hermione tried again, but Barty cut her off.
"Enough. I don't want to hear another word anymore from either of you. He is my prisoner now, to do with as I please."
Hermione clenched her teeth furiously. He was still treating her like a little girl, and he still refused to listen to her. But she would give him a piece of her mind later. After dinner, when Kyle and Skye could not hear them. So the entire dinner it was awkwardly silent, since no one felt like talking anymore, and no one wanted to add fuel to the fire. Least of all Kyle, who could not get one piece of food down his throat. But after dinner, when Kyle had been put away in a room where he couldn't possibly escape, and when Skye had retired to her own chambers, Hermione showed Barty her real anger, as soon as they entered their bedroom.
"What the hell was that?" she half yelled. "You promised me! And yet... I didn't want to make a scene out there, but you really pissed me off this time. You were going to listen to me, for this one time! That's not much to ask, is it? You were not going to intervene, and five minutes later, you decide that you want him for information. Why?!"
"Because I can use him," Barty replied calmly.
"The war is over! What is your problem?"
"I am not going to discuss this with you right now. I am not in the mood for this."
"Oh, you never are, are you? I am not afraid of you anymore, you asshole! One year ago, yes, you would have scared the shit out of me. But not anymore. I am sick of doing your bidding, I am sick of doing whatever you say, whatever you want. You never listen to me. And I am so done with that! You married me, but why? Since you are still treating me like a mindless slave."
"Merlin, Hermione, what-"
"Go on then, get angry again! Lose your self-control again! That's what you're good at, after all. All you care about is your stupid war, who to kill next, who to torture next. You never care about me! Never! I am just here to do whatever you desire!" Hermione yelled now, knowing fully well that she was not being completely fair. But she was so furious now, she couldn't care anymore.
"Shut up now, before I will lose my control. Go calm down somewhere else, leave me," Barty ordered, his voice not really dangerous.
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"I said no. You do not get to order me around. Go on then, break me again, torture me again, kill your baby in the process! You did not deserve either of us anyways! You might as well just finish us off both!"
He was shaking with anger now, or maybe something else, Hermione couldn't tell anymore. But he had balled his hands into fists, and his jaw was clenched tightly.
"You have no idea... no idea... Please, Hermione, please, run away now," he said with an unnatural soft rasping voice.
Hermione knew that she should listen to him now, she really should. Trying to stay calm right now was taking him every bit of self-control, every bit of sanity he had left. She also knew that what she was saying was really unreasonable. She knew he wouldn't kill her or the baby, and he had told her multiple times that he cared for her. She had seen often enough how protective he was over her. So what she was saying was not fair at all, but she only wanted to make him realize how dominant he was, and that he should value her judgement more often. But this... this was becoming dangerous. She was testing his boundaries now, which had not been her intention. She had let her anger take over. She was becoming too much like him.
"I will not run away from you," Hermione whispered, her anger fading away slightly. "I would never. I am not afraid of you anymore. Not even right now."
"I- I won't hurt you, I won't" Barty growled, not looking her in the eyes. Hermione could see how hard he was trying to hold back.
"I know, I know that, I'm sorry, my love. I am sorry. I should not have talked to you like that. But I am angry, because you don't listen to me. Can you understand that?"
She reached out towards him carefully. He let her touch his face, which was all she could think of at the moment to calm him down.
"I won't hurt you," he said again, his voice soft, not answering her question at all.
Hermione now wrapped her arms around him in a comforting way, desperately trying to reassure him. She didn't try to push him any further. She knew him too well for that. The fact that he was repeatedly telling her that he wouldn't hurt her, only meant that he would in fact hurt her if she would push him too far. So she gave him the time he needed to calm down first. Shouting wouldn't help his case, it would only make him dangerous.
"I am sorry too, love," he suddenly whispered in her ear. "I should have listened to you."
Hermione smiled up to him.
"It's not too late. You can still let Kyle go," she said, stroking his back softly.
"No," he shook his head. "My decision is final. Though I should not have broken my promise towards you, and I am sorry about that."
Hermione half considered trying to argue with him again, but she decided against it. She knew it wouldn't solve anything. She could be headstrong, but so could he. And if she would start arguing with him again, he would definitely be able to hurt or even kill her if she would anger him enough. He was insane, if she would make him snap, he would lose control completely. She had been lucky so far, and she was making progress with him, but she shouldn't try to push her luck. Maybe in the future, she could influence him even more. But not now. So she only nodded in response.
"However... the way you just talked to me... That deserves a punishment, don't you think?" he growled, lifting her up and placing her on the bed."
"Ah, ah," Hermione protested, pushing him away from her. "You are not getting anything from me tonight. That is your punishment for not listening to me, remember? I told you, you would not get an award if you wouldn't listen."
"But you are so beautiful," he growled, climbing on top of her now.
"Yep, now get off me," Hermione grinned, throwing him off of her.
"Hmm, no, I need you," he groaned.
"I can see that," she said, raising her eyebrows while looking at the bulge in his trousers. "Maybe you should think about that before deciding not to listen to me."
"You little minx," he hissed. "What are you going to do about it then, eh?"
He tried to climb on top of her again, but she still fought him off. She liked this game of power, which she almost always lost. But not today, she was not going to give in. She was not going to be the submissive wife he wanted right now. She was a Gryffindor, and she would show him that.
"I have not forgiven you yet, dear husband," she said. "Disobedient husbands do not deserve their wife's attention."
"I told you I am sorry!" Barty pouted, practically begging her now.
"Nope, I am not giving you anything. Try again tomorrow," Hermione said sternly, but she did stick her tongue out playfully. "You're a clever boy, go take care of yourself."
"Right then, you spoiled little wife, I will. But only because I am listening to you right now. But be warned... Tomorrow I will not be as merciful..."
Hermione smiled inwardly, and she realized how much she had grown to love him. Not so long ago he would have forced himself on her, but not anymore. He respected her now.