Hustler
A/N: I do not own the Harry Potter universe, or its characters. It all belongs to JK Rowling and the Warner Brothers.
Chapter i: The left turn.
Prague, September
The clicking of purposeful boots echoed on the mist covered cobblestones. The woman tried subtly to shield her face with the cowl of her cloak. Few of the alley's occupants looked at her speculatively, until she took a left turn to a narrow passage and her form disappeared.
An arched dark green door was the only opening in the dead end street. The wood lacked any marking or carving, except a conglomeration of apparently random dots in the very middle. She placed her hand carefully on them. The speck lighted up and began connecting. The wood began bulging and morphing under her hand into the form of a scorpion. As soon as she intended to take her hand off, the tail twisted itself around her wrist, the needle pressuring itself into her palm. It continued its steady pressure until blood dripped down and under her blouse's sleeve.
Checking for the pureness of my blood, no doubt.
When her wrist was released, the door creaked open. Stepping inside she realized she is in some sort of gallery. The walls were covered in shelves with various oddities. The shelves where covered in a barely visible blue shimmer.
Protection spells.
The only other dweller in the room was a young girl. Barely an adult, perhaps not even. She looked at the woman with a vaguely unnerved expression, standing behind a desk. Her hands were in mid air with some papers, evidently sorting them before she was interrupted.
'Hello, Missis.', the girl spoke with her head bowed, as in someone who was accustomed to not look other humans in the eyes, 'Can I be of any service?'
'Miss, if you don't mind.' the woman drawled in a bored tone, taking down her hood. Her dark red curls gleamed from the lights of the chandeliers hanging on the ceiling.
The woman stared pointedly at the younger girl. The humid warmth, made a trickle of sweat travel down the girl's exposed neck. The girl tried to wipe her neck, cringing as her fingers touched the letter M carved on her skin. The M looked like a cross between a scar and a sloppily executed tattoo.
The woman's stare stopped on the M.
'Muggleborn', the red haired woman stated nonchalantly.
The girl nodded, her shoulders slumping.
'I'm looking for the Scorpion. I have an appointment,' she continued pacing around the room, as if it was her own. The girl stayed silent, opening and closing her mouth a few times. The silence was filled with the music coming vaguely from one of the closed doors in the hallway from across the room.
Losing her patience she spat out sharply.
'Well?' she leaned in closer, making the girl jump a few inches back, 'Are you going to take me to him?'
'Sorry, Miss. The Scorpion is unavailable right now. If you would please... please, wait here for a few minutes...' she voiced her plea almost hesitantly.
'No. I'm not the kind of person to be put on hold.' she flipped her hair back and subsequently turned to stride across the room, right towards the source of the music.
The girl's pleas for her to not go there were echoing in the hallway. As soon as finding the room with the music, the woman pushed aside the burgundy cloth serving as the door. The room she entered was filled to the brink with various sized mirrors. All showing the same scene.
A blonde, lightly tanned man, with black, vein-like vines adorning his whole back, unabashedly pumping into a petite brown haired woman. His movements were fluid and deliberate. The girl, slightly older than the one from the other room was moaning vehemently. She was on her knees and elbows, arching her back as she cried out.
'Harder, please. Please...'
His hands were gripping her hips, one of them traveled up her back, making the girl shiver wantonly, fisted up a chunk of her hair and pulled it. His rhythm became almost violent. He was fucking the girl like a feral animal, however there was undeniably still an iron wrung control about his whole demeanor.
His gaze shifted to the mirror in front of him, observing himself.
'Miss Quinn, I presume,' he was smirking and making eye contact through the mirror with the woman in the door way. His pace never missing a beat.
The woman closed her mouth, which was noticeably opened in a shocked gape. She rapidly tried to school her expression in annoyance and wished the flush to dissipate.
'And you must be the Scorpion, I assume,' she managed to spat out in a hoarse tone. She cleared her throat trying to will her voice to go back to normal. 'I must say, this is not how I pictured our meeting would go.'
The man responded with a rich laugh, while the girl glanced with a confused expression towards the man. The man pulled out of her and slapped her playfully across her buttocks.
'Anetka, you are dismissed,' he turned towards Ms. Quinn, giving her a full frontal encounter with his nakedness, 'Unless the Miss here would like to join us.'
His smirk turned into a full on shit eating grin.
'No, thank you.'
Ms. Quinn averted her gaze, she only turned it back when the girl passed her in a run, covered in a simple black dress. Quinn tried to capture her gaze, but all she saw was her head bent low and her neck being plastered with the same M the other girl had. She shook herself, steeling her nerves.
'Very well, then,' he said with a hint of amusement in his tone. He turned his back at her and carefully pulled over his back a gray velvet robe, 'I would say that you don't know what you missed, but I think you witnessed just that a few moments ago, so...'
Ms. Quinn stared at him while he was covering the black veins on his back inch by inch.
'Curse?' she inquired before she could stop her curiosity.
'Now, now, Miss Quinn, I think for the first date I might have already shared the required intimate details about me,' he spoke with the same unwavering smile.
'Please, have a seat,' he pointed towards a grand mahogany office desk. He took a seat opposite her, drumming his fingers together. 'How can I be of service?'
'Mr. ...uh, Scorpion, I would.'
'Oh, please, call me Draco, I think a first name basis is appropriate after seeing me naked,' he interrupted her.
'No need to remind me of that,' she drawled, blushing minutely, 'Draco... as in Draco Malfoy?'
'Yes,' he spoke cautiously, 'We do not know each other, do we? Judging by your accent you are not exactly English.'
'No, I'm Irish. But news travel to us, too... Draco,' she spoke fluttering her eyelashes slightly, 'call me Aurora, please.'
'Very well, Aurora. What exactly brings you to the Czech Republic?'
His face expressed nothing but a pleasant poise. Smoothing his long hair into a tidy pony tail, he looked at her with a calculated glaze. His feature were well-defined and strong, yet he had about him a sort of aristocratic softness.
'I came to look for adventure and fun, Draco,' she crossed her legs and finally returned his smile.
'Oh. Is that so?' he narrowed his eyes and bit his lips. 'I may have some potions for that. Or a few select magical objects. I may even be able to offer you a discount.'
Aurora threw her head back and giggled.
'I'm not talking of that kind of fun, Draco,' she leaned forward giving him a generous look into her cleavage, 'I'm thinking more like the special East European entertainment style.'
Draco's smile faded, and his eyebrows rose. The music, which she couldn't actually identify where it came from, filled the silence.
'Oh, please,' she continued with slight irritation, 'I'm talking about the kind of fun from where you got your receptionist. The kind of fun where you purchased your,' she cringed, 'Mudblood whore from. If you cannot help, perhaps you are not the go to information source I was told you were.'
He leaned forward, his smirk returning in full force.
'Aurora Quinn. Sole heiress to the long standing Pureblood Quinn dynasty from Ireland. Lost her parents at age 10. Recluse until the age of 32, when she left home traveled to Eastern Europe.'
Her composure was intact, however her eyes gave away the surprise. Encouraged by her silence, he carried on.
'Now, after a life spent being indulged as your main occupation, you came here to what? Satisfy your darkest, most forbidden and dare I say, most unusually cruel desires? You see, I always do my research about my clients.'
His words vibrated in the air. Aurora sat back calmly. Suddenly she returned his smirk.
'I've heard the Dark Lord drained most of the Malfoy funds,' she spoke conversationally, 'I assume that's why being indulged is no longer your main occupation.'
His response was a full-blown cackle.
'You are much more clever than you look, Aurora.'
'Yes, well, that's not much of a compliment, is it, Draco?' She took a steadying breath. 'Now that we got the pleasantries out of the way, let's get to the business. I want to buy myself a Muggleborn ... let's say... companion.'
'I do not deal in that, Aurora,' he stated frankly.
She stood up promptly and turned to leave.
'I bid you a good day, Draco. You'll be happy to know you can now resume the activities I interrupted earlier.'
'I can help you connect with people who do, though.' She turned back to find him inspecting his nails in a casual manner. 'For a price of course.'
She reached under her dark green cloak to the small bag she was carrying attached to her hip. She placed a small pouch on his desk gingerly. He looked at it with interest.
'500 Galleons. You'll get another 500 as soon as you connect me with a person who can help.'
He stood up, extending his hand to her.
'It's a deal, Miss Aurora Quinn,' he said smiling at her as she took his hand. He pulled her extended hand and started to inspect her palm. He gingerly stroke the tiny wound, where the scorpion's needle stabbed her. Now the blood has already been dried. She looked at him quizzically, while he continued to stroke her palm.
'Sorry about this, Aurora. It's customary for all my visitors. It will heal soon, though,' he smiled leaning forward until just inches were separating them, 'And you know what they say... there's no pleasure without pain.'
'Goodbye, Draco,' she said giggling.
She pulled back her hand gingerly and left.
...
She pulled off her boots and opened her laptop. Muggle technology was her best ally nowadays. Most wizards wouldn't dream of touching such things, let alone knowing how to actually use them.
To: King S
From: H
I've been searching for an intro to the Underground for two weeks. So far unsuccessfully. The Pureblood community is tight-knit and secretive. I found a black-market magic objects dealer, who can give me a contact dealer. I will update you precisely in two weeks time. In case I die, my Confessional Orbs will be released, as previously agreed.
H
Draco Malfoy... what has become of you. A black-market dealer. Not a step above Mundungus Fletcher.
Putting her head on the pillow she willed to empty her mind of disturbing images of black vein covered muscles moving rhythmically.
...
'Miss Aurora!' Draco exclaimed with his ever present smirk. 'What a pleasure!'
'Likewise, Draco,' she extended her hand to him, hoping it will not result in another disturbing flirting session with Malfoy.
'Are you ready?' he asked firmly gripping her hand and looking her in the eyes.
After a nod, he Disapparated them.
They Apparated in a dimly lit room with wooden walls. A middle aged, balding, blonde man was waiting for them with his arms crossed. His round figure was shaking with barely masked irritation.
'This is Leopold. Leopold, this is Aurora Quinn. From the ancient and proud Quinn Pure Bloodline,' he let go of her hand. 'Ms. Quinn here is interested in one of your auctions.'
'Yes, yes,' he glanced at his pocket watch, 'Welcome, Miss. Please follow me.'
There were no secret passages, no protection shields, no magically protected doors. Just a seemingly endless hallway, and entering multiple doors, left and right. At one point there was a 10 minute descent on some stone stairs.
'I apologize for the route,' Leopold said, 'its a bit twisted. Normally, we take the elevator. But there are many guests coming that way tonight, and Mr. Malfoy here was very persuasive about how we shouldn't make you wait.'
She glances at him.
'Yes, Miss Quinn here is not a woman to be put on hold,' he said with a small chuckle.
Finally, they arrived at a double archway with a metal door. Leopold took out his wand, made a few complex motions with it, muttered something in Czech. And in they were.
She found herself in the top rows of a middle sized amphitheater. It was half packed with various aged witches and wizards, enthusiastically chatting among themselves. More were flowing in, from doors scattered between the rows of seats. The scene was covered in darkness. Leopold conducted her into a private box, leaving them and rushing off who knows where.
She glanced at Malfoy who took a seat casually.
'Well... sit down, Aurora. The show's about to start.'
She took out another pouch from her bag and handed it to Malfoy.
'Thank you for your services.' she said dispassionately.
'This feels like a dismissal.' he took the money with a smirk.
'Because it is, you have done your job.'
'Oh, but I cannot leave.' he said, and true to his word he did not budge from his seat, 'I wouldn't want to miss your reaction.'
'My reaction? I am enthusiastic about this, but that is not particularly of any interest, I'm sure.'
'Oh, I disagree,' he said, coyness shining on his face, 'I want to see whether or not your need for entertainment and adventure will be satisfied.'
Aurora gave him a perplexed look, but in that moment the lights went out, and she reluctantly seated herself next to Malfoy. Bright lights chased away the darkness on the stage. Leopold appeared in the middle.
'Witches and wizards of most noble and pure blood.' he cried just like a circus master would, 'we are here tonight only for the pleasure of your entertainment. Tonight you will see Mudbloods and other inferior magical animals being tested and evaluated. Torn apart and put together. At the end of the night hopefully from those that remain fairly undamaged,' he stopped to laugh, which turned into a coughing fit, 'you will be able to choose one for purchase.'
The following hour consisted of one of the most grotesque shows she had ever witnessed. And she survived a war. Everything from gremlins and goblins to hipogriffs and griffins were taken upon the stage and tormented. Apparently, these people's idea of testing the product included cursing every single creature exposed and watching them trying to fend it off.
When they finally came to the human part of the exposition she was already gripping the edges of her seat violently. Her nails were digging in the fabric almost painfully.
First exponent, a Squib guy, named Petr was shaking, while he was dragged in shackles on the stage. When Leopold directed his wand at him, she was already gritting her teeth, barely balancing herself on the edge of the seat.
'Crucio.'
The next moment was filled with Petr screams that echoed on every surface of the amphitheater. She grabbed out her wand from sleeve, ready to jump and take down that pretentious blonde bastard.
'Gryffindors. Always so impulsive,' he said gripping her wrist firmly, he leaned in, their noses were brushing. These were the first words he spoke during the entire show. She never even noticed Malfoy's silence.
'What are you talking about, Malfoy?' a mixture of panic and anger imbibed her question.
'Oh, you are just so precious,' he leaned in to whisper in her ear. 'I do my research thoroughly on all my clients, Granger.'
Then he Disapparated them.
A/N: I might be in need for a beta for this story. If anyone is interested please do contact me through private messaging. Also if you'd do me the kindness of reviewing that would be awesome, too.
Love,
Red