Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Lucifer. They belong to J.K. Rowling and Fox and now Netflix.
Chloe grabbed some coffee from the station machine, and watched Lucifer as he chatted with Carol from HR. Honestly she didn't quite understand why Carol was so friendly to Lucifer. Sure she had seen women like Linda fawn over Lucifer, but Carol didn't seem to be attracted to Lucifer. She just liked him. Of course, plenty of people liked Lucifer platonically, Ella for example. But Ella liked everyone. Carol liked no one. Well almost no one.
She took a sip of her coffee and started to make her way to her desk. Draco was late which was totally unlike him. If Lucifer ever got to work before you did, either Lucifer was showing unusual commitment or you were really late. A part of her wondered if Draco knew that she had seen him and Harry talking to Gerald Grant last night. Maybe that would explain why neither of them showed up.
Carol laughed loudly at something Lucifer said. Chloe checked her watch. This was just getting ridiculous. She should just call Draco since he obviously didn't seem to be showing up anytime soon.
She had just pulled out her phone when Draco and Harry walked into the station. Instead of walking over to where Chloe was, the two of them stopped to talk to Carol and Lucifer. Chloe didn't bother waiting for them to come to her. She got up from her desk and strode over to the four of them.
When she reached Draco, she didn't wait for a lull in conversation to interrupt. "I need to speak with you." She grabbed his arm and dragged him to a corner.
"Why does everyone keep grabbing my arms?" Draco exclaimed as he gently extracted his arm from her grip. "What is this about, Chloe? Is everything alright?"
"Care to explain what exactly you and Agent Potter were doing at Gerald Grant's house last night?" Chloe said, arms crossed.
"How did you––you followed us." Draco frowned. "Honestly, Chloe, that's more than a little disconcerting. Stalking me is a rather large breach of trust, especially since we're partners. I mean I would expect it from Potter or even Lucifer, but from you?" Draco broke off. How foolish could he be to believe that muggles would be more trusting, that they wouldn't assume he was always up to something.
"Exactly, Draco. We're partners. Which means that you shouldn't be going behind my back on cases. You broke my trust first."
"How would you have even known that we were meeting with Gerald unless you followed us?" Draco glanced over at Harry who was giving him a look of concern. Why did he have to be here to see Draco's life fall apart?
Chloe played with the edge of her jacket sleeve. "We saw that you were looking into Grant, then we followed you."
"Oh," Draco looked down at his feet. "Still, you looked at my computer without my knowledge." His voice grew shaky. "I know you aren't sure if you can trust Potter, and I get that, but now I'm not sure, I can trust you. Not if you refuse to have faith in me."
"How can you say that after what I saw last night?"
"What are you talking about?" Draco had a feeling that he knew what she meant, but he didn't want to invite further interrogation if she was talking about something else.
"Your tattoo. I saw your tattoo." Chloe lowered her voice. "The same design that was branded on all three of our victims."
"Dammit, Potter," Draco muttered. He was never going to hear the end of that bloody mark. "Look, it's not what you think, okay?"
"So you're not part of an extremist group that murders random innocents?"
"No, I'm not," Draco insisted. "I have nothing to do with any of these murders I swear. I want to catch whoever's doing this just as much as you do, probably more."
"Well, what am I supposed to think? You've never talked much about yourself, you've been dodgy about this whole case, and Potter who seems to know all about your tattoo has been withholding information about the case."
"Look as much as I would like to tarnish Potter's golden boy image, he's just trying to do his job. He's not involved in any sort of cover up."
"Well then what is going on? What aren't you telling me?"
Draco sighed. At this point it just seemed like it would be easier to tell the truth. Hopefully Potter wouldn't be too mad, but even if he was, Draco couldn't bring himself to care. "Look, I'll tell you, but you cannot tell anyone. This is really something I want to leave behind."
"Okay, I'm listening," Chloe said. "But I can't unconditionally promise to not tell anyone. Not if telling someone will help stop these murders."
Draco was pleasantly surprised. He had expected her to lie. Her honesty was strangely refreshing even if it meant she was refusing to trust him. "Understandable." He took a deep breath. "I was part of the group that we suspect is responsible for these murders." Chloe was about to respond, but he kept going. "However, I was coerced into being a member, and I have an official pardon from the British government. So rest assured, I'm not connected to the case."
"Then what's with Potter? Was he part of the group too?"
Draco barely held in his laughter. "Lord no. He's exactly what he says he is, a British liaison." He paused and wrung his hands. "He's my . . . well, he's basically my parole officer." Draco blushed and looked down.
"That's why you're so edgy around him," Chloe realised. "And that's why he was already in LA. But why did he show the tattoo to Gerald? What importance would it have to him?"
"Gerald knew of the group. Potter showed him the tattoo because he wants me to go undercover in the AA group." Draco checked on Harry again who was still watching him intently. "He thinks there's a mole. The tattoo convinced Grant to let me go undercover. I'm going to another private meeting tonight."
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "And were you ever going to tell me about this plan?"
Draco rubbed the back of his neck. "Potter and I were just sort of going to erm cross that bridge when we came to it." He winced. Honestly, he wasn't really sure what Potter had planned to tell Chloe. He was just along for the ride at this point.
"Look, I get why you kept this from me, but this can't happen again." Chloe put her hand on Draco's shoulder. "We're partners. We need to trust each other, communicate. Otherwise we'll never be able to do our jobs."
Draco nodded. "I agree." He stepped towards Chloe. "And I do hope you know, I do trust you, Chloe."
Chloe smiled. "I appreciate that, Draco, but I'm not really sure if I trust you right now."
—-
"So how is the investigation progressing?" Graves asked Harry.
Harry shrugged. "As well as can be expected." He looked down at the desk, considering his next words. "However, it would be progressing far better if I weren't constantly being blindsided every time I interviewed a suspect." He shot Graves a pointed look.
Graves frowned. "I'm not sure I quite understand what you're getting at, Mr. Potter. Have there been unusual complications in this case? As I've said, my department is at your disposal. We're happy to assist however possible."
"Like how you assisted me by making a press release without my knowledge?"
Graves bristled. "This department is under no obligation to inform you of press releases that were released before you were even brought in on this case. You would do well to remember that you are a guest here. Your jurisdiction and license to operate can easily be revoked if you prove ineffective in this investigation."
'There it is' Harry thought. He fought the urge to laugh at how quickly Graves abandoned his team player facade. "I can assure you that I'm very well aware of my current precarious position in this city. However, I would appreciate it if in the future I was informed of the content of press releases since yours seem to be more detailed than those of the LAPD." He leaned over the desk. "Given your decorated career in this department, surely you can understand why releasing details of a murder can hinder a high profile investigation."
"Which is why we were very careful about what was included. However, if you would like, I could have my people send over a copy of the release." Graves fell silent, making clear to Harry that this was the only concession he would make.
"You should be sending those releases to squibs and muggle family members of wizards. They need to know this information if the rest of the wizarding public of Los Angeles knows it." Harry knew that the chances of Graves taking him up on this suggestion were ridiculously slim, but he was curious about how he would react to Harry even daring to bring it up.
"I hardly think that's necessary. This issue doesn't really apply to them."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Or you don't care that they're part of the wizarding world and are being directly affected by these deaths, especially since all the victims are muggleborns." He sighed and shook his head. "You know, just because you repealed Rappaport's Law doesn't mean that you're at all as tolerant as you should be."
"I understand that things are different in Britain, Mr. Potter, but this is America." Graves leaned back in his chair, his intimidating presence filling the office. "While we admit that No-majs can safely marry wizards, it is simply too dangerous for no-majs to know about us given our history."
"You mean because of scourers?" Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. "They've been gone for hundreds of years! No muggles are going to break the statute of secrecy when it could put someone they love at risk."
"Any wizard that reveals us is, at their core, a scourer. This government, this department especially, was founded to eliminate scourers and protect our community from their deception and betrayal. I will not compromise that just because you have some self-righteous desire to have transparency between our communities." He pulled out a pen and began to read over some forms on his desk. "You can see yourself out. Good day, Mr. Potter."
—-
Draco shifted awkwardly in his chair as he watched people stream into the meeting. Ten people were already in the room and it seemed like even more would be coming. Gerald had said that there would be around fifteen people tonight, but Draco was worried that there would be more.
Because this wasn't an official sting operation, they had decided to forgo the earpieces, a decision for which Draco had initially been grateful, but he actually found himself wishing he had someone speaking in his ear. Someone to cheer him on, or at least distract him from the suspicious stares everyone was giving him. Gerald seemed to think that it was best to introduce Draco when everyone had arrived. Draco wasn't so sure he agreed since a delayed introduction seemed to be resulting in people making up their own identities for him.
Finally, every seat was filled. Gerald stood up in front of the group. "Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today as we all continue grieving for the loss of our fallen friends." He paused for a moment to collect himself. "We have a new friend with us today. This is Drew Mohn." He gestured to Draco. "He's just moved here from Britain and he's trying to adjust to the culture change. Welcome, Drew."
Draco gave a small wave as he ran through his new backstory in his head. He was a British muggleborn named Drew Mohn who had moved to LA because England was too stuffy for him. He looked around at the group, trying to see if anyone looked suspicious.
Gerald sat back down. "Tonight's meeting is all about facing trauma, letting it breath so that we can understand it and move past it. Does anyone have anything they would like to share?" He spoke in a soft voice that made Draco want to tell him everything that had gone wrong in his life. He pinched himself and tried to refocus his mind.
A woman in a blue jumper slowly raised her hand. "I have something I would like to share." She spoke softly. Draco had a feeling that she was new to this whole sharing business.
Gerald turned towards her, a surprised smile on his face. "Wonderful! Thank you, Ana."
The woman, now known to Draco as Ana, gave a soft smile in return and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I'm kind of new to this so I'm probably going to do it all wrong."
"There's no wrong way to speak your truth, Ana," Gerald said. Draco felt like gagging. Why did the phrase speak your truth always sound so superficial and ridiculous? 'Probably because no one ever cared for your emotional well being enough to say it to you?' the obnoxious part of his brain told him.
"Well, I was out for drinks with this," she paused and looked around the room nervously, but then she sat up a little straighter and charged on, "girl, and I was really nervous because I hadn't been out in a while. But she was really nice and I managed to not embarrass myself." She smiled in spite of herself, a bittersweet smile of things that could have been. "We were talking about our parents and I mentioned not being close with mine because I have to lie to them. She became really cold all of a sudden and got mad at me for not telling her my blood status sooner. She even refused to pay for her part of the check."
Ana sighed and looked down at her hands. "I know I'm supposed to say I'm better off without her, and that it was her loss, but I can't help but wish I had just lied about my blood status. That maybe then I'd be good enough for her." She fell silent and refused to look up.
Gerald frowned. "Thank you for sharing, Ana." He looked around at the rest of the group. "I know we've all felt like Ana has. Sometimes it's easier to be what others want us to be at the expense of our own selves. But when someone hates something about you that you can't change, you're going to end up hating yourself."
A man with round glasses looked between Ana and Gerald. "I mean, it's also illegal to impersonate another blood status. You shouldn't break an important law just because someone's standards are . . . bigotted."
"That law is bullshit, Lawrence," an old woman, who Draco had a feeling was Muriel, said. "Don't bother opening your mouth if you are incapable of intelligent speech."
Gerald winced and placed a soothing hand on Muriel's shoulder. "This is a good time to remind everyone that this is a safe, judgement free space. Please keep the personal jabs to a minimum." He shifted so he was facing Muriel. "While I agree that the law is oppressive and awful, Lawrence has a point. You shouldn't need to break laws to make someone happy."
Draco wanted to laugh. Yeah what sort of awful person would force their loved one to break the law and completely change themselves for a small sign of approval?
"Who else would like to share?" Gerald asked. A man with the wildest hair Draco had ever seen raised his hand. Really it looked like Potter's. "Wren, great! Go for it."
"I know I've spoken about my experiences a few times in this group, but in light of the recent violence, I would like to share something that I've been too nervous to share." He ran his fingers through his hair making Draco wince as he messed it even more. "However, if descriptions of violence or slurs are triggering to you, you may want to step out of the room." He waited as a well dressed woman with a buzzcut who looked to be about in her mid thirties quietly strode out of the room.
Gerald tapped the woman gently on the elbow as she walked by. "I'll come grab you when he's done." The woman nodded and stepped out into the hall.
Once the door had closed, Wren addressed the group again. "As many of you know, I was bullied when I was in school. What I haven't said is that I received almost daily verbal abuse about my blood status. If it were happening at no-maj school, I would have transferred, but I was trapped because of limited education. It's not like I could have been homeschooled."
"Didn't any teachers try to stop it or help you?" Ana wrung her hands. "I'm sorry if that's a stupid question. I went to Castelobruxo, so I don't really know what the culture at Ilvermorny is like."
Wren waved her off. "Don't worry about it. When teachers caught people bullying me, they told them off or sometimes gave them a detention, but no one ever really tried to stop them." He pushed his sleeves up on his arms. "They were clever about not getting caught too. They would call me the British slur that's been appearing on these bodies, so that teachers wouldn't notice what they were saying."
"It got so bad that one day, four boys in my dorm dragged me out of my bed and kicked and punched me. They said they were hurting me the no-maj way because that's what I was." Several people in the room gasped and winced. "I tried to report it, but it was my word against theirs and teachers decided there wasn't enough proof to punish them for such a serious charge." His left hand twisted the end of his sleeve so hard Draco was sure it would tear. "They only did it once, but I never felt safe at school again no matter how many kind and unprejudiced people there were."
Everyone was quiet for a few moments after Wren finished speaking. Finally Gerald broke the silence. "Thank you for sharing that with us, Wren. I'm truly sorry you had to go through that at a place that should have been safe and welcoming."
"They certainly start them young don't they." Muriel shook her head. "Absolutely disgusting parenting."
"Even if they hadn't been raised to be prejudiced towards us, boys––kids––will always find something to bully others about," Lawrence said. "It's disgusting, sure, but it's human nature."
"Once again, Lawrence, you have made me doubt that there is indeed a brain under that quiff you parade around," Muriel said. "Are you suggesting that no person can just be decent to others? Are you so incapable?" Lawrence blushed and he was about to respond, but Muriel held her hand up. "Please don't try to justify. Just be quiet."
"Muriel! Can we keep the judgemental language and comments to a minimum please?" Gerald said. He began to discuss what Wren had said with the rest of the group, but Draco was completely lost in his own head.
Wren's story had initially comforted him. At least he wasn't physically assaulting muggleborns when he was in school. But was he really any better than those boys? He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind before he drowned in them. He clung to the conversation around him and refocused on saving the lives of people he would have tormented in his youth.
Draco lost track of time as several others spoke. Wren had invited him to speak, but he had refused. Sure, he had technically suffered at the hands of the same sort of people and ideals as everyone else in the group, but he had believed those ideas, hell he had wanted to be a death eater when he was younger.
Draco tried to pay attention as he heard Gerald begin to speak again. "So I'm hearing a little more fear than usually in the stories today. Does anyone want to share why they think that is?"
Muriel rolled her eyes. "This isn't youth group, Gerald. We all know why we're scared."
Gerald gave a tight smile. "Alright. Would anyone else like to say anything?"
Wren raised his hand. "I think it's a mix of the fear of the unknown and the fact that even though we all heard about what was going on in England a few years ago, none of us ever thought it would get here. We never thought we'd have to deal with it."
Gerald nodded. "I think you're right, Wren."
"Is this what it was like for you, Drew?" Ana asked.
Draco jolted and looked up at her. "What?"
Ana bit her lip. "I'm sorry if this is a sensitive subject. I was asking if living under the Death Eaters was like this back in England."
Draco shook his head. "Not when they had taken power. Everything was much more in the open and government sanctioned. This is more like when they" 'we' he thought to himself "were still gathering power and operating in the shadows. People would just disappear or turn up dead. Nowhere was safe."
Ana rubbed Draco's arm gently right where his mark was, and her hand felt like it burned his skin through his sleeve. "I'm so sorry you had to live through that."
'Would you still feel sorry if I was the one who caused it?' Draco thought.
Thankfully Gerald spoke up. "While we're on the subject, I wanted to go over some safety suggestions with you all before we wrap tonight up."
Draco listened to him speak and desperately tried to steady his churning stomach and pounding heart.
I hope that everyone is safe and healthy, both physically and mentally. Thank you for all the feedback and support, and thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed, and gave Kudos.
I don't normally do this, so please ignore if you don't care. If you're looking for some amazing covers and original music, check out misty. on youtube or Spotify, especially their cover of Misty Mountains from the Hobbit. They're absolutely fantastic singers and deserve way more attention than they are currently getting.