Chapter 9
Blaise whipped around quickly, avoiding the man. He discreetly cast a Sobering Spell on himself so he could comprehend better. Slowly, Blaise turned and took a sip of his drink casually, looking around the room. He found the man with the dark eyes now seated at a small table opposite him. He decided to test his theory.
Striding to the door, Blaise threw on his cloak and exited into the street. He strolled quickly down the road, then ducked into a small cafe.
He seated himself at the back of the room and pretended to read the menu, his eyes shifting back to the door once in a while. A waitress came to his table and asked for his order, but Blaise wasn't paying any attention.
"Sir, excuse me, sir, what would you like?" the waitress asked irritably.
"Oh, right, one coffee please, black," Blaise replied with a smile, but his eyes were locked on the door. Was it just his mind playing tricks on him? Because it had been ten minutes already and nobody had entered.
Blaise glanced around quickly and there he was, the man with the dark eyes seated at the counter. Blaise's eyes widened and he turned back to his coffee. Had he been there the whole time? This confirmed it. He was definitely being followed.
Draco and Calista jolted apart from a rather passionate kiss as someone pounded frantically on their hotel room door. With a sigh, Draco got off the bed and opened it, and Blaise stumbled in looking faintly disorientated, glancing over his shoulder wildly.
"Blaise. We weren't expecting you so soon," Draco greeted.
Blaise looked at Draco. "I came over as soon as you owled back. Wait- you are Draco, right?" he asked, staring suspiciously at the still-disguised Draco.
Draco sighed wearily. "Yes, it's me. I warned you I'm in disguise."
"Who was the first boy I kissed?" Blaise demanded, still looking at Draco through narrowed eyes.
"Oliver Wood," Draco replied immediately and Blaise relaxed.
"Okay. Good. It's you."
Draco gestured to Calista. "Blaise, meet Calista, my partner."
Blaise looked at the woman standing behind Draco with curiosity. Draco told him about his partner-slash-lover several times before, but this was the first time he actually met her.
"Blaise Zabini," he said, extending his hand.
"Calista Archibald, or Eleanor Vartan for the moment,"Calista replied, shaking his hand.
"So, what are you here for?" Draco asked Blaise.
The panic in Blaise's eyes returned. "Someone's following me, not the paparazzi, I didn't realise it until yesterday, but I'm pretty sure this guy has been following me even before that."
"Someone's following you," Draco muttered to himself, but loud enough for everyone to hear. He shot Calista a look, but she just shrugged and looked uncertain.
"Did this person have a tattoo on his neck, by any chance?" Draco asked.
Blaise frowned and shrugged. "I didn't notice."
"Think carefully," Calista urged.
Blaise pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down on an armchair.
"I don't know. I was shit drunk, and it was dark in the club. He had dark eyes, I remember. Wearing jeans, black top, dark blue cloak." Blaise narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. "Horrible hair, but good shoes. Lacoste sneakers, Spring 2003."
"Tattoo, Blaise! We don't care about the shoes," Draco exclaimed.
Blaise squinted hard and tried to recall the man's neck. "Oh my god, yes, I think so. A star? I think..."
Draco and Calista glanced at each other, wide-eyed.
"When was the first time you noticed him?" Calista asked.
"About a week ago, I was buying a new suit for this meeting and I noticed this guy looking at me, but I just brushed it off, cause well...people look at me all the time." Blaise smirked playfully.
Draco and Calista rolled their eyes simultaneously.
"Did he follow you here?" Blair asked.
"No, do you think I'm that stupid? I apparated to the main Floo transport, lost him there, and took a taxi here. I didn't want him to know I came here," Blaise explained.
Draco looked impressed; he never knew Blaise was that sly, since all he did was party and get wasted, but he was a Slytherin and a director of Zabini Industries, so maybe it should have been expected.
Blaise, Calista and Draco stayed up all night, plotting a plan to try and capture Blaise's stalker. Blair and Draco had filled Blaise in on their own case, without giving away too much information because of the Fraternity's confidentiality policy. Since Draco believed the two cases were linked, he thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try and find Tuer Academy's headquarters.
By sunrise, they were ready. Blaise had taken Polyjuice Potion containing Draco's hair, then Draco had charmed Blaise so that he would look like the olive-skinned, brunette version of Draco. Calista remained as she was, looking as conspicuous as possible in a black trenchcoat and dark, wide-rimmed sunglasses. Draco himself had placed an extra-strong Disillusionment charm on himself.
The plan was for Calista and Blaise to exit the hotel noticeably, letting however many stalkers there were to follow them. Draco, invisible, would follow behind, keeping a look-out for the men from Tuer Academy.
Calista and Blaise would then lead the stalkers to a deserted area, where Draco could seize them, bring them back to the hotel and question them.
"Bounjour, Madame et Monsieur Vartan." The doorman greeted Calista and fake-Draco brightly. Calista gave him a warm smile and went out, taking 'Draco's' arm in hers.
To other people, they looked just like a normal rich couple going out, nothing out of the ordinary. They started walking to the planned destination they had agreed upon, keeping a normal pace and casual look. As predicted, a cloaked figure followed them, walking just a few metres behind the couple. Unknowingly to the man, he was also being followed by none other than the real Draco Malfoy. After stopping to get some coffee as Calista and Draco always do, they continued on to a deserted park.
Draco held out his hand and quickly cast a powerful ward around the area, to prevent unsuspecting muggles from wandering in.
Calista and Blaise sat down on a bench and started talking quietly. Draco spotted the cloaked figure strolling towards them.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Draco called out, his wand aimed at the figure.
Having heard Draco's cry, the figure had pulled out their own wand, but it was too late. Draco's hex had hit the person, who was immobilized on the ground.
Blaise and Calista had leapt up from the bench, wands at the ready for any more stalkers that may have been around.
Draco reached down and pulled the hood off the person, revealing a woman around thirty years old. He stepped back in slight shock, having expected a man. Calista came up next to him.
"All clear. We better get back to the hotel," she said.
Draco nodded, waving his wand over the woman, binding her in ropes and placing a gag over her mouth. Blaise took out the prepared Portkey from his pocket, and in a few seconds, they all appeared back in the hotel room.
Céline Dupont watched as the brunette man pointed his wand between her eyes. She really didn't think that things would end up this way; to say that she was shocked was an understatement.
"Finite Incantatem," Draco ended the body-binding spell.
A chair was placed in front of her and a redheaded lady sat down on it.
"Hello there," Calista greeted with a bright smile.
Céline shifted on her chair, trying to feel how the rope was tied and maybe plan for an escape. However, it was useless; the rope was bound tightly and a securing charm was placed on it. Calista noticed what the woman in front of her was trying to do and grinned.
"It's a bit tight, isn't it? Don't bother trying to escape; Draco placed a binding spell on it as well."
"I've noticed," Céline hissed through gritted teeth.
Still with her warm, cheerful expression, Calista asked, "What's your name?"
The woman in front of her said nothing, though, just stared at her coldly.
"You know, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
Céline didn't reply.
Calista stared at her for a few moments before turning to Draco. "Veritaserum."
"No, no, I'll talk!" Céline rasped in a rough voice.
Calista grinned. "Good girl. Who sent you?"
"My boss is Marcellus Tourneau."
"And who hired your agency for this job?"
Céline glared at Calista for a while before speaking. "Astoria Greengrass."
End chp 9
