Chapter 20: Bargains and Gifts
Bargains
Antoine stood in the terrace, the moonlight leant his fair hair an unearthly iridescence. The violet pupils were dancing in mirth. From this distance I could easily see it was all a game to him. When his gaze fell on me he winked and approached Tom. The fair hair and pale clothes contrasted with Tom´s dark hair and black robes. There was a fondness in Antoine's gaze, the sort reserved for the people who were one soul in two bodies. I looked carefully at Tom, his gestures and pose reflected none of this sentiment, and yet, there it was a tiny upwards lift of the left corner of his mouth. He was fond of Antoine, irked at the interruption but fond of the Vela standing in the terrace.
"What are we having for dinner on this delightful night?" Antoine said while some of the calamari appeared in his plate, an obvious display of his power. "Seafood, my my, that boy of yours Hermione will have a Mediterranean heart if you continue to allow Tom to pamper you with this exquisite food."
I tried to ignore the guest only to give up on the idea. After everything I had been through in the last months, it would be good to see someone with real leverage play against Tom. If I was lucky enough they might lose their temper and kill each other. If not at least Tom would have a distraction and I would be able to breath and have some space to myself. Having Tom know what I was doing at every moment was more than I could bear. Just the other day, I had been in the garden reading a book, while Tom worked on a potion for disreputable ends, when I decided to stand and walk to the shade of a tree only to be stopped by a piercing pain. It felt as if someone had plunged an ice pick in the joint between my femur and my coxes and in a single movement tried to dislodge my joints from their proper place. As soon as it had started the pain stopped. In my spare time I had been reading on pregnancy in medical books, this was the result of my body producing far too much relaxin, a hormone which helps pregnant women deliver babies by allowing their joints to stretch and help the baby fit on the way out. It was not entirely normal, but everybody being different it was not entirely unprecedented. I knew I could prevent any further pain by not making sudden movements. While all this was passing through my head, Tom had arrived, with purposeful strides he was by my side in an instant. Wand drawn and spell cast, he visibly relaxed when the spell circled my hipbones. Tom cast a warding spell that enveloped the garden with a silver sheet. If I was right that spell would stop any on looker from seeing what happened on the inside. As soon as the sheet covered the whole area, to my utter surprise Tom fell on his knees, kissed my tummy and hugged me, resting his head in the soft folds of my dress. We had a long discussion about what had happened, and he was quite upset about not knowing what hormones were, so much so that he apparated in the spot and I didn't see him for a couple of days. Our next encounter he had a potion with him which would help me. As reluctant as I was to drink it, his reasoning behind it was sound enough. From that day onwards I didn't experience the stabbing pain. I was able to move as suddenly as I wanted; the price I was to pay was that his response time only improved, much to my chagrin.
A sudden cold wind brought me back to the present time. Tom remained standing, even at this late hour, after months of intense work; his whole figure carried the burden like others might a great success. He had been made to excel, to strive and achieve perfection. Each passing second aggravated his already altered mood. The complete stillness that meant agony for whoever was responsible, settled in his posture.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. Pain would follow, it was a given.
"Now, now Tom, I haven't seen you in more than six months and you can't even manage to be cordial towards an old friend. Should I remind you that you owe me all the strings that now tie sweet Hermione to you? If the rumors of a wedding I've been hearing are anything to go by, I may just have handed you the price you so sought for decades. Truth be told, my only intent was to push Hermione into action, perhaps lead her to end your life, but something better has happened she will give you the one thing you never had, a family. I will be your children's favorite uncle. I'll spoil them rotten. I can't wait for Hermione to give birth to your first born! Imagine all the talents that child will have, the world will then know true danger. Ohh the possibilities! But I am getting ahead of myself; Hermione has first to give birth to that Malfoy boy. At least he will have some of Hermione's smarts. Too bad her first child couldn't be yours Tom." He taunted with a gleeful expression.
I paled and wisely stepped away from them both. Something was bound to end up in flames soon and I didn't fancy getting involved, not today. I wasn't in the mood for more drama.
"Antoine, I should have your tongue removed for your insolence, or better yet perhaps make sure you are never able to have children of your own," Tom said wand in hand, "but I cannot bring myself to care. Whatever you intended has not happened, and I guess some credit must be given to the mind who outsmarted Hermione. She is mine, and so are any children she bears. If the first is blonde, it matters not. Her genes and my mentoring will correct any fault. Thanks to you, I now have to add the training of my newest army to a long list of duties to carry out. I would be willing to overlook every nuisance you have caused me during our friendship if you happened to come bearing gifts."
A devilish smile appeared on Tom's face. Antoine matched it with a smile full of joy and gave a discreet nod.
"If what I suspect is true, you won't be doing much in terms of training, but rather in modifying and domesticating," he hinted, a devious eyebrow accentuating his meaning.
From the inner pocket of his cloak Antoine produced a piece of parchment, tied with a red ribbon and offered it to Tom, who with a pleased smile took a sit. In a morbid way it was fitting for the ribbon to be red, the innocent white of the parchment only accentuated the brightness of the other. It was a fitting bond for a dreadful content.
I could only stare and wonder, these demented men had found their match in one another. All their games and words, all their love and hate, all their talents and faults brought both the very best and the very worst in one another. Antoine, just as I, could have stopped this, all of it. But we were both corrupted by his charm. Not that this made us any less responsible for what had happened, it simply made us accomplices in Tom's crimes. He also brought the worst out of me.
"My dear friends, you will make amazing parents, I can only imagine what your children would be like. Given my generosity, I guess it wouldn't be too much to ask for one of your daughters' hand in marriage, now would it? That way our families would be forever united. You could call on me anytime you needed and I wouldn't have a way of denying you anything."
I felt my insides boil at his words, but managed to remain calm, even adding a look of curiosity to my face. All the time I spent around Tom seemed to have helped me improve my acting skills. Finally something useful had come out of all this.
"Why would you be interested in one of my daughters? What if I never bear a girl?" I enquired.
"Well given that you are already taken, dear girl, I must look elsewhere for a partner. Besides Vela and wizards have been known to get married and produce beautiful children."
Tom smirked, grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles.
"That tongue of yours is bound to get you killed," Tom warned, "why so shy in admitting to my fiancé that the males of your kind have been known to be unable to father children with their own kind. Being the King of Vela does require you produce an heir, which leaves you with two choices for the mother of your children, a witch or a muggle. What is not clear to me is what I would gain from this exchange, as you can see I am more than capable of running the Wizarding world on my own, and now that the only survivor of the rebellion is to be my wife; I see no need of joining forces with you or anyone else. Give me one good reason to even consider your offer, friend."
Antoine's smile broadened and his eyes brightened with the heat of a purple flame.
"For one, you wouldn't find a better prospect for one of your girls, but knowing you as I do I guess I must offer you something of value. How about unlimited access to the knowledge in my vault," he said offhandedly.
In a single motion I was out of my seat. The clatter of my chair lost to my ears. "Have you lost your mind, Antoine? That knowledge is yours to guard. You would let Tom have access to it, just so you can get a wife? What is wrong with you?!"
Antoine leveled me with an innocent look. "Dear girl, do you really think there is anything else Tom could do to the Wizarding World which he hasn't by this point? More knowledge won't affect the outcome of the war, you lost. I want what you and Tom have, companionship, endless intelligent conversations, love. Surely you most understand, besides you are no one to throw accusations at me, dear. Your hands are the ones with the most blood on them. Even if you weren't personally responsible for his rise to power and victory, the compromises you have had to make are not what one would expect from the great Hermione Granger."
His words rang true in the silence that followed. Somewhere along the path I had lost a sense of right and wrong. I had been blind by love and, if I was honest with myself, lust as well. It cut deep to hear the words spoken out loud, the same words my conscience had been adamant I listen to. Every life was important, every single one of them. How many times had I turned a blind eye to the loopholes in the articles? All the time telling myself it was the only way to avoid some worse measure to be approved? Too many whispered my heart.
"If we ever have a daughter it would be acceptable to take your marriage proposal, though if she is anything like Hermione you will have to win her heart. Taking this into consideration instead of sealing an arrangement for her before she is even conceived, let us agree that should she ever fall in love with you or for any other reason consent to marrying you, Antoine, then we will not oppose her decision," Tom's voice was loaded with irony. "In the meantime why don't we make the best out of our time together?"
My mouth dropped. Just like that Tom had all but sold our first girl. I closed my eyes, feeling bile gather at the back of my throat. This was sick. I turned my back on both of them, thick repulsion and slimy disdain for both of them boiled in my veins.
"Is there anything Tom you wouldn't exchange for power?" I seethed.
"My dear girl, don't be unreasonable, the terms I set for Antoine are quite civilized, and your great hero love was allowed to be part of the agreement. Don't fuss about iniquities."
I felt my lips curve upwards, in disgust and mockery of his words.
"Your words are poison, every single one of them. You left enough loopholes in that agreement for the giant squid to swim into it unnoticed. Your charm may work on the world, but it doesn't work on me. It never did, and I hope and pray it doesn't work on my children."
"Our children, dear," he deadpanned, the sharp threat evident in his tone. "I see no point in furthering this discussion, I've given my word and that's it."
"If you think you can take decisions over my…our children just like that, you are dreadfully mistaken, dear," I countered in the same tone.
"What could you possibly do?" he challenged.
"Underestimate me at your own peril Tom, I love it when you do. The look on you face when I land on my feet against all odds is more than worth the effort."
"Hermione, you have no magic, and being as pregnant as you are the odds of you undertaking any sort of activity that might endanger my son are nil," he said slowly as if speaking to a child.
"That may be so, darling Tom, but I won't be pregnant forever," I said sweetly, "if you'll forgive me gentlemen I don't think I'll be joining you for dinner, my stomach is not what it once was. I think I've had my full of the sort of dishes present on the table this night."
As always when I was troubled I headed to the library, in search for warmth and comfort. As I entered the rows of books greeted me, a sense of contentment and peace filled me. With aching joints and swollen ankles I browsed the shelves, more to feel the old leather covers of my papery friends than with a real intent of reading anything. Sometimes I got a little bit sad about not being able to read every single book which has ever been written. As this thought coursed through my mind I touched a book which felt different, not in its cover, but more in its aura. Only magical books could have an aura. Magic or no magic there were simple things even a muggle could feel about the Wizarding world. I grabbed the book and took it for some light reading. My heart ached at those words, long gone were the times when my two friends would tease me about my standards for light reading. That I had outlived them both was outrageous, when the war started I had considered I might outlive Harry, but never Ron. What had I done to this beautiful world? Before I meddled with time, there was beauty, goodness and hope. Perhaps if I hadn't decided I could spare everyone some pain we might have won, and my boys would still be alive.
My baby kicked, kindling hope on the dead leaves of my aching memories. If things had been different this beautiful baby wouldn't exist. Regardless of my mistakes and crimes, for keeping silent when I should've spoken was a severe crime, I had been granted life and beauty. Orpheus would be a fitting name for my boy. Perhaps he would be the one that would guide the Wizarding World out of the treacherous kingdom of Tom. Oh the irony of it all.
"Sweet girl, you cannot name your boy without taking Tom's opinion into consideration. I bet he would feel slighted if he heard," his barely perceptible accent granted an alluring note to his words.
"Antoine, I tire of you. I came here looking for solitude," my voice sounded more tired than I intended it to.
"I understand child," he said sitting on the armchair opposite to me. "Nonetheless, since Tom will respect your wish for solitude and I have managed to conjure a double of myself with which my old friend shares all of his plans. We have but little time, there is only so much nodding Tom will take as an appropriate answer before he realizes something is amiss. I hear your wedding will be celebrated in a fortnight and I would love to give you my wedding present beforehand, something which will help you regain your peace of mind."
His long fingers unveiled a dagger, wrought in iron, sheathed in a delicate scabbard adorned with golden and silver filigree in the shape of leaves and roses.
"A fitting weapon to commit murder, a woman's weapon; let me guess it has been dipped in Basilisk venom," I murmured, resting my head on the palm of my hand; lately tiredness creeped upon me relentlessly.
"Sharp as ever," his voice was full of pride.
"Thanks. I guess it is time for you to return to Tom," I said extending my hand to grab the knife.
"You'd trust me so easily?" he whispered.
"Never, it is just that my options at the moment are limited, and if you are risking the fine deal you just made with Tom, I guess it must be for something important."
"I hear you promised Tom to devout yourself to your relationship with him. Will you be able to do that and use the dagger?" he asked his voice full of curiosity.
I smiled impishly. "Of course, I promised him that and I intend to keep my word. I will just make sure we have what everyone has, one lifetime and one lifetime only. No backup pieces of soul hiding around the world."
He smiled and disappeared.