Gypsy

Chapter Thirty Six

The staff/slaves were surprisingly efficient at removing the corpse of the Senior Avery. Barely a minute had passed, after he had 'passed', and the door opened again and several people walked in. They kept their eyes downcast and quickly removed the body, once that was done Riddle waved his wand and the blood on the carpet was gone.

Rosie was with the staff who came in, she gave me a small smile which I was unable to return. She frowned, worried, and continued with her work.

"Rosie." She stopped dead at Riddle saying her name, and bowed. "We owe you a debt for helping Antoinette."

She faltered and bowed again, "My Lord?"

"What do you wish for?" He looked over at me and something akin to guilt flooded his face. "I believe you are to be traded this afternoon?"

"Yes My Lord." She opened her mouth, shut it and then opened it again. "I wish to stay here My Lord. To serve Creature 1403 in anyway that she requires."

I was shocked at this, but then maybe Rosie was smarter than she looked. As a 'broodmare' she would get little freedom besides raising children, and knowing Nott he would make her life hell.

Lips pursed a little, Riddle looked at me and then at her. "Very well, you may remain in the service of the House of Malfoy."

She somehow bowed even deeper, and still bowing left the room with the other Muggleborns. I let out a sigh of relief, which bought out a small whimper when it made my cheek twinge.

"How is she?"

Malfoy waved his wand over me again, and again I felt my bones knitting together, it was a slow process and usually performed better with potions. "She will heal." He sounded abrupt.

"Speak your mind Abraxas."

Malfoy let out a curse and stood, facing Riddle. "We nearly killed her."

"Avery nearly killed her." He had the decency to look a little abashed.

"No, Avery simply did what all predators do when you give them a fucking smorgasbord Tom." He looked down at me, his blond hair fell over his eyes for a moment and he pushed it back. "How the fuck didn't we know what he was doing?"

"An oversight."

Something exploded to the left of me, a lamp. "This isn't a simple oversight Tom, this is fucking attempted rape at best. And god knows what he has been doing, what they have all been doing."

Riddle's hands clenched in anger, I stiffened and he noticed, taking a breath he released his fist. "It was a mistake putting Avery in charge of the prisoners."

"You think that this is a big deal?" I finally spoke, looking up at them both. My voice was rough, but firm. "You are holding a ball, to celebrate the eventual rape or coercion of Muggleborn men and women to your Pure and Halfblooded followers."

"They aren't forced Tony." Reasoned Riddle, he looked frustrated.

"Then explain to me, why Rosie was so eager to stay on as a slave rather than become a whelping bitch to Nott." A huffed out a breath, "do you remember what he said to me, when he had me pinned up against a wall at Hogwarts?" Both men looked confused, and then not. "When he had me shoved against that wall, and said 'you know, Mudblood, you haven't turned out half bad'. What exactly did you think that he was going to do? I think you knew Riddle, tried to turn him off me if I remember correctly. Do the words 'do you want to catch something' ring a bell?" I closed my eyes in anger.

"I remember." Riddle's voice was quiet, I looked at him in surprise.

"And you wanted to give Rosie, somebody who is kind and sweet and innocent, to that monster?" I scoffed, "and then you have the gall to tell me she want's it?"

I flinched when my rib started to ache, my hand went to my side. "If you think, for one second, that I would set foot in that 'ball', you are wrong. You can force me sure," I touched my collar, "but you'll be forcing me to do everything for the rest of my life if you make me go."

They were silent. "What do you want?" Asked Riddle.

"I want..." a tear escaped my eye and I furiously wiped it away, "I want to go back to the way my life was. When I had Jenny and Jeremy, and yes I know he betrayed me and joined your gang, but he was kind and sweet and you can't fake that." A sob crept out, "I want to see my mother, and tell her I'm awake. I want to be able to do what I want, when I want. And I want you to stop selling Muggleborn's to your followers, if they want to go then fine, but don't force them. Nobody should be forced to do anything." The last part came out as a whisper, tears were flowing down my cheeks now.

"Malfoy."

"Yes My Lord." Back to formalities are we?

"Send word that the ball will go ahead as planned," I wanted to scream. "But, there will be no forcing of the Mudb-- Muggleborns to marry any of the Halfblood or Pureblood population. And for fucks sake, go and get an actual healer for Tony."

Malfoy bowed, a small smile on his mouth and left the room.

"Better?" I nodded, stunned that he had actually listened. "You seem to have this view of me Antoinette, that I am inherently evil."

Well you did split your soul. He frowned as if he heard that, and I wondered if this collar projected my thoughts.

"It does to a certain extent, but I have to be listening properly to hear it. And no, I won't remove it." His tall form moved towards me and knelt down on the floor next to my reclined body. "I am not evil Antoinette, I do evil things yes, but it is for the betterment of Wizardkind. I believe..." he paused, "that you might have some not so stupid ideas on how to improve it further. And I would be willing to listen, to a degree, if you agree to come with Malfoy and I to the Ball tonight. I believe that you would enjoy seeing at least some of your changes come to fruition?"

"I--" my throat croaked a little and I coughed, a small spittle of blood hit Riddle on his white shirt. He looked down, but didn't seem annoyed. "I'm not sure..." Again, he didn't look mad, only curious.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know why you want me to come? I understand that we are a triad, we can't avoid that. But why do you want to bring me into your society? I am not a part of your world anymore Riddle, it's too horrible."

He sighed and ran a finger along my wrist, the tip making small circles over my pulse. "We require those who hold power, to recognise that you are ours. If we don't, then you will always be in danger. What Avery did was disgusting, and I will ensure that nothing like that will happen again, to anybody." Riddle looked at me, his head tilted in an almost puppy way, waiting for my response.

"Did you mean it? About the Muggleborns, you won't keep selling them off?" Riddle nodded.

"You made your point little Nymph. I will still require that the bloodlines be strengthened with Muggleborn blood, but there will be no forcing or coercion into unity."

I nodded, "Ok, I'll come. But no dress." Riddle smiled, an actual smile that almost radiated warmth and I blinked in shock.

"Deal."