Playing with Fire

Chapter 41

"Barty," Hermione whispered when she was lying in bed with him on the day before the last day of the schoolyear. His hand was resting on her belly, where their first child together of one month old was growing. Hermione had taken a test from the hospital wing to assure Barty that it was indeed his child. And after the positive result, he was much more loving and caring towards her. He had become even more protective of her, which was quite frightening to see at some times. She wasn't in any danger, luckily, but others who would even look at her wrongly, they would receive Barty's most threatening death glare. For Hermione it only meant that she would bruise her arms, because he would tighten his grip on her whenever he saw someone looking at her.

"Hmm," he replied softly in her ear.

"I was thinking..." Hermione continued, taking his hum as an encouragement to go on. "And don't take this the wrong way... But I was thinking, how it is possible for me to actually have feelings for you. I mean... I used to hate you, and now all of a sudden... You mean everything to me, and I am carrying your child, I love you. How can I love you while you are a murderer? You are everything I used to hate. You killed my friends, and I don't even hate you for it. You even got me so far that I actually killed someone... Am I insane? Am I becoming like- you?"

The last words came out really carefully, as if she was saying something that would make him snap.

"And what does that mean exactly, becoming like me?" Barty asked her without sounding angry. He really had changed this last year; if she would have spoken to him like this during their first week together with her as a prisoner, he would definitely have tortured her mercilessly. But now, he was calm.

"A- a murderer. An insane murderer who enjoys people's fear and pain. I- I don't want that," Hermione clarified.

"I am still rational, darling. I am selective. Some people deserve to live, others don't. And you... you deserve to live. That is why I offer you protection, power even, and that is why you love me. You have learned to appreciate me. Because when I don't hurt you, I am not that bad, am I?" he grinned.

"I thought, maybe, I am staying with you out of fear. Either that, or I am really going insane?"

"Am I sensing some ungratefulness here?" Barty said, now slightly irritated. "You love me, you said so yourself. And look at all I've done for you. Without me you would have been nothing, you would have been dead, probably. And here you are, trying desperately to find reasons for staying here with me other than love. You love me. You. Love. Me."

"Barty, please, don't be like this," Hermione said, tears forming in her eyes while turning on her side to face him and look him in the eyes. "I do love you, I am just trying to find out the reason why. Because I used to despise you. And you me."

"Love can grow," Barty growled.

"And you will not- leave me? Because... if Parkinson was right, with what she said about the Dark Lord, that he is planning on starting breeding programs... He might not want you to stay with me. You are a Pureblood, the Dark Lord might want you to... mate with someone else. Not me."

"You think that I will desert you? That I will replace you with a Pureblood?"

"I don't know!" Hermione snapped. "Convince me! Say that you will not leave me! Show me that I am staying with you out of love, not out of fear. Convince me that you love me."

"You are being ridiculous. What is the matter with you?" Barty asked, his hand leaving her belly now. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"You're a Death Eater," Hermione replied bitterly.

"Fair enough," Barty sighed. "Alright, if it means so much to you, I shall prove my love for you. Marry me."

"Wh-what?" Hermione stammered, her eyes widening.