Chapter 18: Chapter 18

My dear readers!

I hope you had an amazing Christmas. When this year started I intended to finish this fic by the end of the year. Less than three days are left and this story is still far from finished. Who knows perhaps next year will be better. For the time being I don't have internet at home, so I have braved hardships unknown to bring you this chapter. How can I complain that I can't upload a fic from my android?

Hugs,

SW

Of Nurseries and Choices

The cold marble beneath my feet sent a wave of comfort to my heart. My thoughts strayed to the summers past when I would wake in my room and touch the cold floor. On Sunday mornings my parents would be downstairs reading books or enjoying a conversation. I breathed the air and wondered what type of memories my child would have of his childhood. It all depended on the decisions I took in the days to come.

In front of me Tom's tall frame was heightened by his long dark robes. A man of thirty, with stunning looks and unparallel intelligence, characteristics that many witches would find just perfect to be the father of their children. Nonetheless, I knew better, this handsome man could never be a good father, because long ago he had decided to be the type of man who chose power over love. After everything I had seen and lived, did I still think he could be redeemed?

"Hermione it's impolite to stare, especially when the other person's back is turned to you," he admonished veiled laughter interwoven in his tone. "I know my personal charm is compelling, but please woman try to be discreet."

I scoffed at his remark, crossed my arms over my chest and came to stand next to him, matching my stance to his.

"If you must know your charm is not what I was thinking about, besides it loses most of its lustre when the other traits of your personality are added up to the equation. There are no favourable characteristics that combine well with megalomania," I grumbled.

He simply smiled.

"I'll let your comment slip this once, but please dear remember you are no longer amongst your friends and lover. I would expect you would at the very least mind your words around me," he punctuated the statement by allowing his magic to expand like a menacing cloud around my body. I shivered the threat clear as day.

Unsettled, I wondered if I should try to be tamer, but decided against it. If I let him intimidate me, I would have to be subservient to him for as long as I found myself forced to dwell with him. The one reason he respected me was because he had found his match in me. Someone he could not intimidate into silence. I had to remain strong and defiant.

"Well my dear Tom, when you give me a real reason to show you respect I will. Bullying doesn't work on me, not even when brought to the extreme. Have you forgotten the outcome of that majestic display of jealousy you had me endure under Lucious?" I said in the sweetest voice I could manage. "Because I have not, and I don't think I ever will forget that episode. In the end it all backfired on you, for had you not gone to the extremes you went, I might not have ended pregnant with Malfoy's son. I know you must have deducted all of this by yourself. It must be such a galling feeling to know that you are responsible for all of this, must it not? If you want we can continue to play the same games we always have, but never forget that so far you may win the match but lose me in the process."

He stopped at my words, his face livid.

"You really believe that it is all my fault, don't you?" he said , his voice raw. "You insolent little girl, everything I've ever done has been for your own good. I made a perfect copy of Hogwarts, I offered your ginger sweetheart a chance to set you free, I took Bellatrix to spare your sensibilities and beliefs I was even going to let Harry live."

With every word he had reduced the space between us. It was as if we were dancing, he took a step forward I took one back. The danger he presented highlighted by his controlled movements and his fierce expression. In moments like this I was painfully aware of his height. Truly those Greek gods of old must have been inspired in men such as him. All perfect angles covering an inner raw strength. When my body came into contact with the wall, I panicked. There was no room left for me to move, I was a rabbit who had thoughtlessly wandered into the snake's hole. In a dark corner where my worst and only nightmare dwelt, it had been foolish of me to forget that he was deathly. A monster, who had coiled his power around the Wizarding World, and around myself. In moments like this he had just to apply a bit of pressure for me to become painfully aware that what he truly was at heart, a killer.

I bolted, only to find his left hand blocking my path. I tried the other side, only to feel his other hand come to rest over my belly. I froze. My heart trying to beat its way out of my chest, while I looked up at him defiant for just an instant, before lowering my eyes.

He leaned into my ear and whispered. "The problem here my dear girl is not what I have done or what I have failed to do. You are not angry at me, but rather at yourself. You knew all along what I was capable of, and yet you failed to stop me. Stop being churlish with me, it is not my fault you can't forgive yourself. If it is any consolation to you Harry forgave you for everything. It is quite unnatural the way that boy truly forgave everyone. Please stop ruining our moments together with your attitude. Can we not let the past rest where it truly belongs? Let's forge our future from this day onward."

He slipped an arm behind my back and continued guiding me down the corridor.

We halted in front of a black door. He opened it with a flick of his wrist. I couldn't help but feel envious at his use of magic.

"I hope this place is answer enough to your previous thoughts."

I entered into a place of dreams and hope, with walls the color of a vibrant garden. A dark wooden cradle with a tiny mattress and plush toys sat comfortably on the corner of the room. A pair of rocking chairs, both of which had the Slytherin crest as the centre of their design. A window with billowy curtains allowed both air and light to enter the room, carrying with them a soft scent of roses.

There was a set of drawers the first of which was open, revealing its precious contents, tiny clothes in all shades of green, black and grey.

"Tom, this is all very beautiful, but this means nothing. You cannot seriously think that grand gestures and little details, is the sort of base upon which I can build a relationship to raise my child in. Long ago you made your choice, and it wasn't me which you picked. The world is finally at your feet, and even though I'm here. We both know this can't work. Not this once. I was willing to try it out when it was only you and me. Now everything has changed. I can't keep doing this."

He had been leaning on one of the walls, his arms crossed, his wand lazily held in one hand. "I agree. I don't expect you to be swayed by this room or the garden. Those are just tokens I am presenting to you. Take them to be signs of peace or whatever you want them to be. You have come at a great price, my forces were almost completely obliterated in your last plan. A slight which I am not prone to forget, that is why from now on we are going to do things my way. The world will be reshaped, what I am offering you this day is to let you have a hand in deciding how to organize the new order. Make no mistake I already have everything planned, but I am willing to compromise in certain matters if it so pleases you. I know I have gone to great lengths to eradicate what childish love you once had for me. Nonetheless, I know I still hold your heart. We need to spend time together like we once did, and this project is just the sort of thing that could entertain our minds. Work with me, work for me and make the difference in the new order. That is my proposal.

Since your magic will take an unknown period of time to regenerate, well I guess you could put that mind of yours to work on something worthy of you. See it for what it is, a business proposal. One in which not only you and I get to obtain something from it, but as the only sensible option available to you at the present moment."

I smiled. "For argument's sake let's suppose I refuse. What are my options then?"

At my words his smile truly reached his eyes. He uncrossed his arms and sat next to me in the other rocking chair.

"Options, if only I could make that word disappear from your vocabulary forever, but even though I can, what fun would there be in that? Your options are simple really, you can leave and go into hiding have this baby in the wilderness and battle my forces, for I do not intend to leave them as they are, and be on the run for the next, let me think… six months? If you and the baby both manage to survive the stress of that sort of life. By the way, don't count on Malfoy Manor to be your shelter. It appears Malfoy had his mind otherwise engaged when he made his way back. So you can always live life on the edge moving from site to site, never lasting more than 16 hours in one place. It is your choice."

His words squeezed my heart with frozen fingers.

"I accept Tom, but please don't harm Draco and his mother," I implored coming to stand before him and grasping with shaking hands his robes.

"So it is Draco, I guess being the father of your baby does change things. Too bad he should've thought of it before he betrayed me. Don't trouble that mind of yours with unimportant matters."

"Don't patronize me, I mean it, if you harm him that will be the end of us!" I seethed.

He laughed.

"You are delusional if you think there has ever been an us. It has always been me, chasing you. I would say I am sorry for what will befall Draco, but I am not. He deserves whatever he gets. Don't get all worked up about it, the baby can't handle this sort of emotional upheavals especially after the ordeal you just went through. I'll take my leave, have a rest. I expect to see you tomorrow at eight sharp to start working on our new project," as he said this he untangled my hands from his robes.

Desperation clawed at my soul, I couldn't lose Draco, forsake him to a painful end. Knowing what I must do, I turned and chased him, grabbing him by the collar I pulled him down to my height.

"There is one thing I can offer you," my tremulous voice a mere whisper in his ear, "once not so long ago you made me an offer, never to repeat it again. Now the tables have turned, and it is my turn to offer. Marry me, Tom. My unwavering commitment to us, for his life and safety, it sounds like a fair deal. Wouldn't it?"

A sudden look of adoration entered his eyes, while a treacherous smirk absorbed his lips.

"Now, now is this what the great Hermione Granger has been reduced to a supplicant, a beggar? How the mighty have fallen. Do you really believe that this small gesture, will be something I can build our relationship on?" he mocked. "If I let that man live, I'll always have a rival for your affections."

Looking into his eyes, I saw glee and expectation dancing behind his lashes.

"You know me, Tom. Responsibility and commitment are values I uphold to the outmost of my capacity. Accept my offer and you will never have to chase me again."

Humour vanished from his face, and his usual mask fell back into place.

"Keep your duty and responsibility, for we both know how well you have served those masters before," he sneered.

I took a sit and sighed.

"Anything else I've got to offer is not something you would care about, you made yourself quite clear about it in the time I've known you."

His mood shifted from breaking storm to refreshing breeze, a small smile lending tenderness to his stony features. His figure knelt before my own and grabbing my hand he gallantly kissed it.

"The importance of it all darling girl, is not to be found in the meaning it may or may not have to me, but in the meaning it holds to you."

In moments like this I couldn't help but miss Ron, the boy who could be so dense about emotional matters, and yet at the same time have a golden heart.

"In moments like this, it would be in your best interests not to allow your thoughts to stray," he stated plainly.

Legimency! He had used it on me and I didn't even feel it. My magic was truly gone and with it all defence and hope for a secret plan or escape route.

At my musings his smile widened.

There was something so right about that boyish smile in his face. It lent him a semblance of peace and wisdom, normally absent from his angular features. To me it was an oasis in the dessert of his cruelness and ambition; it reminded me the side of him that I loved. If I were to be honest with myself, it was his unbridled ambition and cunning which drew me to him. Intelligence by itself could be rather dull, knowledge for the sake of knowledge thrilled me, but applying knowledge to achieve an specific goal, required another set of skills. I loved this man for who he was. That was the truth. Believing that I only loved the good in him would render the magnificent into dull and mediocre. It would produce the same effect that removing the shadows in Rembrandt's works would have. The rapture in the gazes would turn dull. The eternal rendering of the human soul in the canvas would be stained with mortality once more. That was it! This man was imbedded with the lustre of greatness, which the years and his own darkness had only heightened.

"Well, if that is all, I have a traitor to deal with…" he turned to leave.

I stood and whispered, "I love you, Tom, Voldemort, Heir of Slytherin. Whatever bloody pleases you to call yourself! I curse the day we crossed paths and there is nothing I desire more than to see you stopped."

He continued walking, a distinct change in his posture present. It betrayed his mood. I had seen him walk thus, in those moments just before he created a Horocrux.

"See Hermione, admitting the truth wasn't that bad, was it? Now if you'll excuse me there is a wedding I must arrange and an execution which cannot be avoided. Too bad you forgot to include Mrs. Malfoy in your last request. Your dear Draco won't be pleased," he taunted, before closing the door in his wake.