Playing with Fire

Chapter 6 - Setting The Rules

"Mistress!" Winky's voice sounded for the third time that morning. "Mistress should wake up! Mistress should have breakfast!"

"Leave me alone," Hermione groaned. She had been up for more than one hour now, but she didn't want to be downstairs with Barty. She hoped that if she would wait long enough, she would not have to eat with him.

"Master Barty is waiting downstairs!" Winky said again, her voice sounded slightly panicked.

Hermione's blood ran cold. Why didn't Winky tell her that before? That man was waiting for her downstairs? He was waiting for her to have breakfast together? Then he had been there for more than an hour already. She had made him angry. She was certain about that.

"Why didn't you say so?" Hermione shot up straight and she put on her new clothes immediately.

"Winky is sorry, mistress, Winky thought mistress knew..."

"Is he angry?"

"Winky does not know. Master Barty only told Winky to fetch mistress," Winky said, staring at her feet.

Hermione quickly put on her shoes and then she ran down the stairs, quickly entering the dining room. She wondered why that man could make her so scared. Lucius had tortured and threatened her, but she had not been impressed at all. Barty had not even tortured her and yet he succeeded in making her more scared than ever. And she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because of his insanity, because of his coldness. She couldn't tell. All she knew was that the Death Eater was clearly angry when she saw him. He was sitting in a chair at the end of the table, his arms resting on the armrests. His posture seemed to be calm, but his eyes told Hermione otherwise. His eyes narrowed when they spotted Hermione in the door opening.

"You are late," he stated.

"Sorry."

"Very late."

"Yes, sorry," Hermione repeated.

"Sit down."

Hermione quickly took the chair at the other side of the table, just to be as far away from Barty as possible.

"Not there, come here," Barty ordered and he nodded towards the chair next to him, on his right side.

Hermione stood up and obeyed him, only to make sure that she wouldn't make him even more angry with her.

"So... has my little witch learned to obey me already?" Barty sneered.

Hermione decided not to answer that question. She really didn't want to obey him, but she didn't want to make him angry either. She was scared. More scared than ever. And she had the feeling that Barty knew that.

"You let me waiting for you for quite some time."

"I know," Hermione said quietly in response. "I am sorry."

"Good. Now about last night... You were rude. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea what happens to people who are rude to me?" Barty asked with a deadly menacing voice.

"N-no," Hermione said quietly. She wanted to hit herself for being so cowardly. She should be stronger than this. What was the worst the man could possibly do to her? He could torture her. That was it. He couldn't kill her.

"Most of them don't live to see another day. Unless they are Death Eaters, they get away with only a torture. The only person who is allowed to talk down to me, is my master. So... lesson number one, what have you learned?"