Chapter Fourteen
Monday morning Alex woke well before dawn and lay staring at her ceiling for a long, long time. This was it. Opening Day. She took several deep breaths and released them slowly, trying to rid herself of the quivering feeling around her heart.
If this didn't work, she didn't know what she'd do. Money was no longer an issue, thank goodness, but riches did nothing to alleviate the boredom that she tended to feel after only a few hours of inactivity.
Going back into 'the business' was a dreary prospect. It had been exciting, but she wasn't getting any younger. It was time for a change, time to let someone else do the dirty work, a fresh horse. She had no illusions about the likelihood of her amazing luck holding out, the majority of it having been spent in her encounter with Lucius Malfoy.
She sighed.
Lucius.
Damn.
Not a mark on him. Or, at least, not that she'd seen. And, she'd been the last person to see him at all. According to Severus, Lucius had not been at the Ministry nor had he answered Snape's last letter. After three days, Dumbledore and his associates were getting uneasy. Rightly so, Alex thought with a secret smile.
Her grudging respect for Malfoy was something she was learning to accept. She'd tried at first to fight it, reminding herself of the pain he had caused her, but it was no use. Her father's beliefs were too deeply engrained. She knew what Lucius was. She accepted him, respected him, and in a dark, shadowy corner of her heart, she absolutely adored him. Men born with silver spoons in their mouths just didn't turn out to be intelligent, powerful, driven wizards. More often than not they never grew up at all, consumed by the petty desires of youth, never needing to accept any responsibility. Malfoy was a fascinating exception to this rule. He had challenged her and lost, amazingly enough, yet he still proved himself the victor. He was out there somewhere, unscathed and unshaken, whereas she was forever scarred.
Not only from the remnants of the wound on her leg which she had insisted on keeping; that was just a reminder to be more careful. The real damage was internal, unnoticeable to most, her new tendency to jump at shadows, the nervous habit of touching her wand just to assure herself that it was there, the constant nightmares which haunted the little sleep she managed to get, and the ceaseless search for activity to cover the nagging sense of self-doubt that had suddenly imposed itself on her character.
But worse than any of this was the knowledge that she still wanted him. No. Strike that. She had wanted him when she first saw him at Nina's. This had surpassed desire and become an all-consuming obsession. It had become nearly impossible to focus on anything else. She even half suspected that her leaping into bed with Severus had something to do with the extreme frustration she was feeling. To have been so close to Malfoy only to experience the pain he could cause was maddening. If he could please half as well as he could torment---
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There was no fanfare when she unlocked the door for business, flicking her wand at the new sign which now read 'Borgin's Curiosities' and causing it glow a vibrant shade of blue. She'd always loved the neon signs that decorated muggle shops and was thrilled to have her very own version.
Unfortunately, no one was waiting to come in and buy up all of her inventory or sell her some exceptionally rare item from an ancient Egypt tomb. But, on the other hand and to her great delight, she did have quite a few customers. They wandered in and out all day, browsing, occasionally buying, most often just stopping by to size up the new owner. Most had heard rumors that Borgin's niece had bought the place, but they assumed that the stories about it's reopening were hearsay. They found that they were wrong, to their great delight.
As she had hoped, some of her uncle's suppliers came skulking in around midday, asking vague questions, offering second-rate items, and basically beating around the bush until they conversed with her enough to learn that this supplier knew that buyer who bought this or that particular item which had been acquired by Alex Borgin in the U.S. at point in the past. And, here she was, in person, anxiously waiting to pay top dollar for their hard-earned wares; a thief among her peers. Word passed swiftly in the back alleys of the magical world and before she closed the store, she had reestablished almost half of her uncle's connections and on much friendlier terms. All in all, it was a good day. Just before she closed, a welcome silhouette appeared in the doorway.
"Severus!" She rushed around the corner and into his waiting arms with an abruptness that would have gotten most people hexed to Hell and back, but they had established a solid understanding since the night she had passed out in his lap. He wanted her and she wanted him. Neither wanted the bondage of a relationship, or a mate who was constantly underfoot. The company was good. The sex was great (Severus had a knack for mixing extremes of pleasure and pain). And each had a healthy respect for the privacy of the other. They would deal with the details as they presented themselves.
"Hello, Alex."
"I'm so glad you came, Severus."
"I thought you might want dinner."
"You are such an angel!" she gushed.
He scowled down at her. "You may keep your insults to yourself, Miss Borgin."
Alex laughed heartily as she turned off the sign. "Fair enough. Where are we going?"
"You choose."
"Harvest Moon?"
"That would be satisfactory."
"Great!" She smiled up at him to see that he was giving her that brows furrowed, appraising look that she had grown so fond of. "What?"
"You wore this the first time you and I were together."
She was indeed wearing the same emerald green blouse and long black vest, and had chosen it for today because of the pleasant memory attached to it. "You remember that? It was in pieces on the floor within an hour."
He arrogantly arched a brow as he reprimanded her. "I repaired the damage I caused."
"Oh, quite well. It's a wonder you didn't become a tailor." She gave him a wide smile.
He answered it with an infinitesimal narrowing of the eyes. "Very funny. And lest you begin to think I care one iota for fashion, allow me to assure you that the only reason I noticed was the synchronicity of your choice. Green and black are the colors of my house crest."
"Really?" She drew her wand and quickly restored the wards as they left the store.
Severus glanced down at her. "Yes. House Slytherin." He turned his attention to stairs ahead but not before she caught the flicker of a wry smile forming on his lips. "They suit you," he said softly.
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The Harvest Moon was a tiny café on the outskirts of Hogsmeade that Alex would have mistaken for just another homey cottage had Nina not enlightened her. It's stone walls were almost completely obscured by the thick ivy which grew in abundance up the sides and over the roof of building. Gracefully arched windows flickered from the hearth fire within, and the huge garden which surrounded the place was a testament to the freshness of their wares.
Severus and Alex were silent as they secreted themselves away at a secluded table in a shadowy corner, and the latter let out a contented sigh as she stared dreamily into the hearth on the opposite wall. "I love England. I could stay here forever."
Severus arched a eyebrow. "Are you going somewhere?"
Alex smiled. "Who knows? I never dreamed I'd settle down, but despite the unpleasant events of my first few days, I'm really happy here. I'd like to stay."
"It strikes me as odd that you would think of leaving if you truly are enamored of the place."
"It's not that I'm actively planning to leave, though I do keep a bag packed just in case. Of course, I've always done that. It's just strange to think about having a home."
Severus returned his wineglass to the table with a thump, but his voice was as soft and even as ever when he spoke. "You are either lying outright to me, or you are not being honest with yourself. You are, in fact, thinking of leaving. You are considering running from Lucius Malfoy."
Alex sighed again, heavily this time. Lucius. "Yeah. I guess I am."
"Allow me to offer you a word of advice." He folded his hands sagely in front of his chin and leaned in slightly. "Do not."
"Excuse me?"
"Lucius Malfoy is a predator, Alex. Do you know what happens when you run from a predator?"
"Yes. They invariably give chase, but I'm not easy to catch, Severus."
"I've experienced the truth of that, personally. However, Lucius is older, more cunning, and certainly more vicious. He would find you, and when he did, he would feast on your suffering for a very long time for being such a nuisance." He took a dignified sip from his glass.
"And, if he comes after me here?"
Had Severus been able to choose, he would have kept Alex as far from this war, and as far from Lucius Malfoy as possible. However, like so many other aspects of his life, his choices in the matter were limited at best. Encourage her to cooperate with the Death Eaters and keep her here, or help her escape, losing his lover and possibly his life in the bargain. In the end, as it often did, his selfishness won out. "Lucius is a reasonable man. As I told you before, he has decided that you could be of more use to him alive than dead. Keep a civil tongue in our head when next you see him; sarcasm provokes him. Find a way to be of value to him and negotiate."
"You make it sound so simple. Is that how you handle him?"
Severus' expression turned sour, and when he replied, it was with profound bitterness. "Whenever possible. However, unlike you, more lives than my own hinge on my relationship with the Dark Lord's favorite aristocrat. Because of that, I find myself in the supremely frustrating position of knowing that I am the better wizard, yet needing to yield to him for the time being. But, someday---" His knuckles turned white around the fragile-looking glass and Alex braced herself in anticipation of it's shattering in his grip.
As fortune would have it, the waitress chose that moment to return with two steaming plates of food. The delightful aroma caused Alex' mouth to water and her stomach to complain stridently that she had not had breakfast this morning. Thankfully, with the advent of dinner, her hunger eased and the conversation lightened.
"I assume that everything went well, today."
Alex sat a bit taller and her eyes lit up as she began to speak. "Oh, better than well. It was wonderful! Everyone seemed really pleased with the changes in the shop, I made some good sales, and my uncle's suppliers finally decided to make their respective appearances."
"And?"
"And, we discovered that we have mutual business associates."
"Is that good?" Severus asked reservedly, but his insides were squirming, knowing that her safety depended on her connections and her ability to exploit them.
Alex laughed excitedly. "Of course it is. I've established clientele and a supplier base with hardly any effort at all. I couldn't have asked for a better situation. My reputation seems to have preceded me."
"Your reputation?"
"Sure. I happen to be a very reliable thief, thank you very much. I've never failed to deliver." She offered him a suggestive leer. "I'm really good at being bad."
Severus smirked minutely as he felt her foot slide smoothly up his leg. "That is a fact which I have noted."
"I hope so."
"So how is it one becomes a reliable thief?"
"By knowing which jobs not to take, and by never, ever, ever choosing fight over flight. Basically, you avoid anything that moves until you have your prize in hand, and then you run like hell. It's pretty simple, really." Wind blown right out of her sails by the cynical glare she was receiving, Alex lowered her fork and began again. "Alright, Severus, the truth is that I've escaped by the skin of my teeth so many times that I've lost count. I have no idea how I survived that lifestyle as long as I did, and I am more than happy to leave it to the kiddies, at this point. I'm ready to kick back and let someone else risk their ass for a change." Alex chuckled as she took a forkful of potato.
Severus swept the café apprehensively with his eyes, not joining in her mirth, as usual.
"Severus, will you lighten up? What's bothering you?"
"Lucius," he responded softly.
"Oh, he'll turn up," she said lightly. "Maybe a vacation will make him forget that he wants to kill me."
He stared at her blankly. "Unlikely."
"Well then I guess I'll have to take your advice and figure a way to be of use to him."
"That would be wise."
Alex sipped her tea (she had again sworn off liquor) and scowled at her plate. "Can we talk about something else, please?"
"Certainly. We can talk about a tentative schedule for your lessons."
Alex shrugged. "If the shop's closed, I'm available. You're probably much busier than I am," she added. "What's good for you?"
"I'll need to establish your aptitude before deciding on the number of days I shall actually tutor you. I have already collected the standardized exams of imperative subjects for you. I shall, of course, need to be present when you take them."
Alex snorted. "Are you suggesting that I might cheat?"
She was not prepared when he answered calmly, "You have confessed to me that you are a smuggler of illegal goods and a thief. I harbor no illusions about whether you are trustworthy."
For a moment, all she could do was stare, her mouth agape.
"Do close your mouth, Miss Borgin. You give the distinct impression of a fish out of water." He picked up his fork again and resumed eating as if he had said nothing out of the ordinary.
Actually, Alex thought, for Severus, that's pretty standard behavior.
"So, you don't trust me at all?"
"No, I do not," he answered quietly.
"Severus, I traded something of great value for these lessons. Why would I cheat?"
Calmly, he placed his fork on his nearly empty plate and delicately touched his napkin to his lips, a supremely sensual gesture. "Alex, between your falling all over Lucius Malfoy and avidly pursuing my participation in the blood sport you call sex on the second day of our acquaintance, you have proven to be no match for your more base desires. I have seen no indication that you can master temptation of any kind."
"I haven't betrayed you yet," she said defensively.
"You have not been given the opportunity, nor will you be."
"No? I'm sure I could buy my safety from Lucius with the information that you're a spy for Dumbledore." Ha! Let him stew on that!
Severus never batted an eye. "If I thought you were that stupid, you would be dead already."
Alex laughed aloud. "You would kill me?"
His black eyes were devoid of emotion as he met her gaze unwaveringly and his whisper held a cold, lethal edge when he answered her. "Without a moment's hesitation, Miss Borgin."
Severus felt immense satisfaction in seeing the blood drain from his lover's face and a look of shock replace the snide smirk she'd been wearing a moment before. He was pleased as well to see that it was the only reply she could manage. Good, he thought, trifle with me, woman, and you'll find that my retribution makes the few hours you spent with Lucius pale in comparison.