Thank you for the reviews and alerts. Here is another chapter!
The library was full of scattered books and papers as Rose roamed through different volumes, searching for any clue where the Amulet might be. She had read the myth about Ananke at least dozen times, but she didn't find any instructions that hinted as to where the blasted artifact was. She'd searched every corner of the library, opened every box and cabinet that could be opened and still nothing. By the evening, she came to terms with the fact that the gem must be somewhere else. But where? The mansion was vast and Winky would easily notice that her Mistress was searching for something, and that fact would be very interesting to hear for Barty. Rose knew that she must not raise any suspicion, so she tried to avoid the house-elf and secretly search as many rooms as she could before her husband's return.
After the library came Barty's study. It was the most likely place to store such a treasure. Dumbledore sent Rose a letter, repeating the things that Snape had told her (except the sad truth about him staging her as a toy for Death Eaters to play with) and adding a few clues. According to his words, Barty himself had no clue what the artifact was. Rose had to get the Amulet without him realizing what it really was and what it could do. The Headmaster urged Rose to burn the message after reading it and to not expect any more letters from him. Sending this one was risky enough, and when in Barty's home, receiving any owls would be purely foolish.
Rose thoroughly sorted through Crouch's things, careful to leave everything in its right place, exactly how she had found it. Some drawers were locked, though, and Rose didn't have a wand to open them. Knowing Barty, a simple Alohomora wouldn't work anyway. The witch felt completely helpless without her wand and soon, she decided that her first step would be persuading Barty to return it to her. She nearly laughed out loud every time she thought about it. There was no way in hell Barty would let her use magic, even if she swore on everything that she wouldn't attempt escape. It would take months, if not years, for him to trust her to such extent. Nevertheless, she had to try. She was useless without her magic.
The study was filled with many Dark items. Rose wasn't stupid, she didn't dare touch anything she wasn't sure was harmless. That made the search that much more difficult and when the night came, Rose was exhausted and disheartened. The next few days she continued to search, but without any progress. Many rooms were locked, many of them empty. Earlier, she had no idea how vast the house really was, but she now knew all too well.
In the evening, the girl went to Barty's bedroom. She approached the four-poster bed, curled up under fluffy, dark blue blanket and began to think. During the search of the Amulet, she tried not to do this, but now she hadn't any other choice. She was tired, very tired and she didn't know what to do. If she'd found the artefact while Barty was gone, she could quickly pass it to Dumbledore. Then she could live in peace, without any fears that her husband would come after her for it.
But what next? If they managed to destroy Voldemort, what would become of Barty? Azkaban? The Dementor's Kiss? She trembled at the very thought. She didn't want him to get hurt, but the only way to ensure his safety was to let Voldemort win. And she couldn't do that.
She tried not to remember the memories she saw in the Pensieve, of his face when his father blamed him, when those girls betrayed him. If he ever found out that she was plotting against him, he would kill her right away if his master didn't get to her first. Maybe that would be the best. She hated herself for not being able to change her fate, but most of all, she hated Dumbledore.
She understood Barty's feelings perfectly well. She was betrayed too. Her Headmaster, the man she saw as noble, wise, and kind, had actually done something so unfair and cruel to her. The worst thing was that someone had to do it. If not Rose, then it would have been someone else. It was just her bad luck that Dumbledore had thought her the best option. An orphan, without family, without someone to miss her. It was like her existence wouldn't matter to the world. If she was dead or alive, there would be no difference.
Why? Was she so bad, had she done something to deserve all of this?
The bedspread was now damp from the girl's tears. She wrapped the blanket closer around her body, imagining that it was Barty who gave her warmth. He at least wanted her. He protected her even though she hadn't given him a child yet. She knew that it was sick, but she had to cling to this little bit of affection, or she'd go insane from sadness otherwise. A thought about telling her husband the whole truth often crossed Rose's mind, but she couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. It would be selfish, it would help Voldemort, the same man that killed hundreds of people, tortured her, and gave her to his loyal servant as a trophy.
It was a miracle that she survived so far, that Barty wasn't so bad when it came to her. She missed him terribly. She wanted to stay like this, with him, even if it meant to be a prisoner for the rest of her life. Rose knew that she couldn't be saved, the Death Eaters (Barty included) had destroyed her, and now she preferred to be a bird in the golden cage instead of a rotting corpse abandoned in some forest. Or a traitor. She wouldn't be the cause of Barty's demise, no matter what.
But the question now was, how to persuade him to escape and hide, in case the Order won? Voldemort was everything to him, she saw that in the Pensieve. If there was some cure for his madness... But the girl was no fool, she worked at St. Mungo's after all. Once mad, there was no turning back. There were some potions of course that could help the mentally ill, but they were only to reduce the symptoms. They made them less aggressive and helped control them, but the madness was still there. Even wizards couldn't cure a damaged brain. Or a soul for that matter.
Rose snuggled further into the blanket and fell asleep, imagining how her life could have looked if Lord Voldemort never existed.
That was how Winky found her hours later. She shook the girl's arm gently, whispering:
"What is Mistress doing here? It's forbidden to be in Master's study! It's already late and Mistress should sleep in her bed."
Rose rubbed her eyes sleepily. Indeed, the sky behind the window was completely dark now and the clock pointed to midnight.
"I just wanted to be in Barty's room for a while. I miss him terribly," said the girl, getting up from the bed. Winky's big eyes widened in worry for a moment, before she suddenly smiled.
"Winky has an idea! Mistress Rose could take Master's cloak to her room. Mistress will feel better with it!"
It wasn't such a bad idea. Rose went to the wardrobe and found a leather cloak, the smell of Barty's aftershave still lingering on it. She smiled at the house-elf and obediently went to her bedroom. Winky closed the door behind them and the house fell silent again.
The next morning, Rose was sitting at her usual spot in the dining room, munching on toast and wondering where the Amulet could be. She had no idea what she should do once the artifact was found, so she focused on the search for now. Winky brought her a cup of hot chocolate, glancing at her, still worried. The little servant knew that something was wrong with her Mistress but she had no idea how to help her.
"Does Mistress wish to eat dinner in the garden today? It's such a lovely weather," the house-elf squawked.
"Yes, it would be nice," said Rose.
The weather was very beautiful indeed. The sun was shining brightly and the slight, pleasant breeze was goading puffs of clouds across the blue sky. Winky smiled, bowed, and hurried away to do her chores.
Suddenly, there was a gentle tap on the window. Rose stood up to see what it was and noticed a brown owl, knocking on the glass with its beak. The girl quickly went to let the bird in. It had a letter attached to its leg, a letter addressed to Rose.
She quickly opened it.
"Rose,
Everything's settled so I'll be returning tomorrow evening. I hope that you're fine and that you weren't trying to escape. You know what happens if you do that. Tell Winky to make a cottage pie for the supper tomorrow. Go to bed earlier tonight, because when I return, you won't be getting much sleep for a couple of nights.
Yours, Barty."
Rose blinked.
'He's completely demented', she thought with a mixture of amusement and awe, before going to the kitchen to inform Winky of her master's homecoming.
The following day Rose spent searching for the Amulet, taking advantage of the last hours without Barty's predator gaze on her back. Around five in the evening she took a bath and started to doll up. She did her make-up and Winky helped her with hair. It was only when she was putting on the tight, indigo coloured dress that Barty liked, that the absurdity of the whole situation hit her once more. Voldemort was on the run, Dumbledore gave her a mission, and here she was, trying to impress a mad murderer. She nearly laughed. On the other hand, Snape told her that she must gain Barty's trust. This was the best way to accomplish it even if she felt otherwise. Besides, she was too happy that he was coming back, she wasn't going to ruin that good feeling by thinking about the Order.
Rose waited in the living room, while Winky was finishing preparations for the supper. Finally, the witch heard front door opening and soon Barty Crouch entered the room. The girl ran to him and threw herself in his arms. He grinned and spun her around, making her giggle in delight. Soon he put her back on the ground, pressing his lips to hers. How could Dumbledore expect her to betray him? She must save him. Save him and destroy Voldemort. She couldn't let Barty go back to Azkaban or die, never...
"Barty," she sighed when he began to lift the dress up, his mouth on her neck. "The supper..."
He ignored her.
"Barty," Rose repeated, more firmly this time. "You wanted the cottage pie, remember?"
He finally stopped and gave her an exasperated look. His hair was now even messier then before and his eyes were clouded from desire.
"Blast the bloody pie. I want you, now."
"But Barty, Winky spent the whole afternoon preparing it. Be kind to her." Rose wasn't going to give up, as her husband was struggling now with her suspender belt, trying to get the stockings off. "We have all night."
"Fine," he sighed impatiently.
Rose stifled a laugh at seeing his face - he was pouting like a small child who wasn't permitted to play with his favorite toy. She quickly straightened her dress, took his arm and led him to the dining room. He was sulking all the way, but when he saw food already served on the table his face brightened immediately.
They ate in silence, Barty didn't speak a word about the 'business' he was attending to during his absence and Rose knew better than to ask him. She couldn't help but wonder, though, had he tortured someone? Killed? Had they found that prophecy they wanted so much? Did someone from the Order die? Rose hadn't had the chance to ask Snape last time she saw him. She was too preoccupied with the immediate danger threatening her own life to think about the others.
Barty must have noticed the change in her face, because he looked at her with narrowed eyes. She felt his suspicious gaze and smiled at him immediately.
"I have a small headache. It'll pass," she lied and he returned to his meal, without a word.
The rest of the supper passed quietly. Winky was overjoyed that her master had returned and she did everything in her power to please him. When she exited the dining room with the dirty plates, Rose and Barty stood. The girl wanted to head towards the bedroom, but her husband had other ideas. With a flick of his wand he pushed everything off from the table, and with his free arm seized Rose's waist (despite her protests) and threw her on the furniture. The table creaked dangerously as he leaned on it, his tongue darting out, a mad grin Rose knew all too well taking its place on his face.
"Now, for the dessert, pet," he said.
Hours later, Rose was lying in her bed, waiting for Barty to come. He went to his study saying that he had some 'work to do' and didn't come out for a long time. The girl sighed. She was happy (or as happy as someone in her situation could be) and tired. Soon, she found herself drifting off to sleep. It was then when the door of the bedroom opened and someone came in. Rose heard the mattress creak and felt Barty's body pressing against hers. He brushed away the hair from her neck and placed a small kiss on it. His one hand was massaging her back, the other was stroking her hair. The girl felt relaxed, safe. Safe until she had heard her husband whispering:
"What were you doing in my bedroom and study?"
He kissed her neck again, his hand tangled in her hair. The girl stopped breathing. She knew that the caresses where in fact a silent threat.
'Think, think, think...' she repeated in her head. She opened her mouth but closed it after a moment of hesitation. Barty's grip on her hair tightened, the hand which had been massaging her back moved to her throat.
"Don't try lying, honey, I know that someone besides Winky has been there," he didn't sound angry but Rose felt panic rising in her chest. She knew him well enough to expect the worst.
Her fears were confirmed, when he started to slowly massage her throat before hissing in her ear: "Well?"
Her experience spent dealing with the mad Death Eater for so many months paid off as Rose whimpered and quickly whispered:
"If I tell you, you won't laugh, ok?"
There was no response, but he didn't put any more pressure on her skin which was a good sign.
"I missed you so badly that I couldn't sleep and I thought... I thought..."
She sniffed as the tears left her eyes and ran down her cheeks, onto Barty's hand. She didn't have any problem with crying at will, as she was truly terrified that he'd found the truth. The little act wasn't difficult to play. And she wasn't lying entirely, she had ventured into his room because she missed him.
"I thought that I'd feel better when I had something yours beside me. I went to the study, thinking that maybe you had left one of your coats there but there was nothing, so I went to your bedroom and fell asleep on your bed. Winky found me like this and she gave me your coat. See? It's on the armchair," she said and felt Barty turning his head away to look at his outerwear hanging on the armchair exactly as Rose had said. She thanked Winky in that moment for finding her in his bedroom and she thanked him too, for often asking the house-elf if she hadn't seen his coat. Winky would regularly tell him that it was in the study.
Rose sobbed and whispered:
"I'm sorry, I know that I was forbidden to go there, but I haven't touched anything, I promise. It's just...It's just I grow used to you sleeping with me and I can't stand being separated from you...Please don't laugh..."
There it was. Rose wept quietly, wondering if he had bought it. It was partially the truth, but what if he didn't believe her? What if he would use Legilimecy on her?
"Shhh," he whispered and pressed his body more closely to hers. The grip on her hair loosened a bit and he said:
"You really missed me that much?"
There was something weird in his tone. Rose tried to turn around and see his face, but he held her head in place with his other hand.
"Of course I did," she answered, curious about this new situation.
He was silent, so she went on: "We've been living together for months now. It's natural that I grew used to you… that I care for you."
Rose was sure that he'd laugh off her feelings and tell her that she was weak and stupid (a very Death Eater thing to do), but he didn't say anything of that sort.
"Really?" he repeated in this same strange tone.
A tone he had never used before. It felt as if he was uneasy, unsure of something. And maybe a little afraid. The girl touched his hand with hers and said:
"Really. I have no reason to lie to you."
It was the truth - she was a prisoner, an obedient wife and she was treated fairly well. Making up lies about her feelings for him wouldn't change anything, in fact, she risked being ridiculed or punished for trying to 'deceive' him.
Barty said nothing more, but still wouldn't let her look at him. He embraced her more tightly and nuzzled her hair with his nose.
"I have a present for you, but it's already late. I'll show you in the morning," he whispered softly. "And next week, we must go to a party at Malfoy's. I don't want to," here his voice returned to its usual rasping and growling tone. "But I have to and you'll come with me. I know that you're fond of the idea as much as I am, but there's no choice, we'll survive."
Rose was surprised by the fact that he bought something for her, however she was anxious too about the prospect of entire evening in the company of the Death Eaters. Maybe even Lord Voldemort himself. On the other hand, the fact that Barty didn't want to come either lifted her spirits a little. And his next words made her forget the Malfoy's party completely.
"The party's on Sunday. I've planned a trip for Monday. A small town, there's an old castle to see and a lake. We'll see if you won't try to escape. Now sleep," he said and kissed her cheek.
'He bought it,' Rose thought hours later, still unable to sleep. 'He actually bought it. I'm making progress with him now.'
How could Dumbledore ask her to betray him? She must find the artifact on her own, and soon. Hand it over to the Order and be shut of it. Let them do whatever they want with it. But Barty must not know.
