Author's note: I am so sorry that it's taken me a week to update. I had a small personal crises that had to be dealt with immediately. Now that that's well in hand, I can write without undue distraction.
Chapter Five: An Old Acquaintance
Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the enemy's fate. --Sun Tzu (The Art of War)
In the still hour just before dawn the shadowy, cloaked figure of Alex Borgin stood silently in front of Nina's Pastries, head hung low and shoulders drooped in sorrow. Staring into the shop window and contemplating Nina's absence was almost more than she could bear, and the tears that she thought had finally stopped falling came to her now, unbidden.
In a few hours, this street would come alive with doors flung wide in invitation to happy customers. Some would pass this shop and whisper in horror at what had occurred there only a few weeks past, some would dip their heads briefly in sorrow for the woman who had lost her life, but most had already moved on, something that Alex couldn't manage to do. Soon, Nina would just be a memory on Diagon Alley, another horror story that people would tell when talking of 'He Who Must Not Be Named'.
But for Alex, this place was a shrine; a memorial to the only mother she'd ever known, and a reminder of the unbelievable consequences of her overconfidence and her childishness. How could she have been so innocent, so blind to the reckless violence of these people, these Death Eaters? How could she have gathered information for them, done business with them, smiled in their faces as they purchased her most dangerous items? Just what the hell had she been thinking? That she was something special? That her famous luck would see her through anything?
Obviously, her loved ones didn't share her good fortune. And they had paid dearly.
Now another debt was due, and she would not rest until it had been settled.
"I'm so sorry, Nina," she whispered into the darkness, her voice carried away on a chill wind. "I didn't know, but I swear this won't go unanswered. Just turn your head for a little while. You don't want to see this."
Amber eyes darkening with emotion, she disapparated just before the first rays of dawn touched the sky.
Five hours later, she sat within an extraordinarily lush sun room in the palatial mansion of Neroli Tamburo, not even noticing the warmth of the summer sun on her face. A fair-haired maid in an impossibly pristine uniform placed a tea tray between Alex and the distinguished older gentleman and slipped out quietly.
"Alex Borgin, how long has it been?" the man asked in softly-accented English, warming her with a fatherly smile. A few years ago, when he had sent her after his rival's treasure in a vault in Annwn of Salem he had been a different man, one who had never known anything but success; and those eyes hadn't held a hint of warmth. But loss creates empathy and compassion, and this man had lost his entire world; this wizard who had been her trainer course in dealing with men like Lucius Malfoy.
"It's been quite a while, Mr. Tamburo," she answered with less warmth than he was accustomed to hearing from her. "It was before you lost your son."
He placed his cup down with greater force then was necessary causing the china to clatter noisily, and his face colored with the effort of keeping his tone even. "That's true. You were long gone when I lost my Dante. I had forgotten that." His eyes brightened as he looked up from his cup. "My son, he loved what you did at Annwn, said it was a damn shame he didn't see it for himself. You became a legend to him after that and my boy, he followed the news of your business dealings obsessively. I think he was quite taken with you, truth be told."
"I'm flattered, Mr. Tamburo." Alex covered the man's wrinkled hand with her own, wishing she had some comfort to give. Another time, maybe, she would have had the right words, but so soon after Nina, she was helpless to comfort even herself. "Dante was a good-natured boy, always loved a good joke. I can see where he would've found my career to be entertaining in the extreme."
The older man sighed and sat back with a sad, reflective smile. "Entertaining? He was crazy about you, Alex. Thought you hung the damn moon in the sky, girl." He nodded his head lightly. "You were exciting to him, a flurry of adventure wrapped up in this cute little package. But, I'm sure you didn't come here to talk about my Dante. What's on your mind?"
"Actually, Mr. Tamburo, I did come to talk about your son."
The man leaned forward in his chair and looked deeply into her eyes. "Well, what do you know? With you, there is always the element of surprise, eh? What about my boy?"
"You know who killed him, don't you?" Alex asked as gently as she could manage.
Still, the man's eyes darkened dangerously when he answered. "Of course I know. It was that bastard, Cimino. He's been preying on the guilty and innocent alike for decades. Doesn't care who the hell he kills if the price is right. Tessio thought it was proper revenge." His voice began escalating as his face turned an unhealthy shade of red. "I have you take a few petty baubles from Tessio. He takes my whole damn life, my son, my reason for breathing. That bastard!" He slammed his hand angrily on the table causing the drinks to spill. "His father would roll over in his grave if he knew what his son had become; a spiteful, good-for-nothing disease! That's what he is!"
Alex waited for the tirade to dissolve before she attempted to speak again. "I can't bring your son back, Mr. Tamburo, but I think I can even things up a bit."
"What do you mean, girl?" Tamburo questioned. "Speak your mind."
"What if I did what none of your hired wands have been able to do? What if I got rid of Cimino? What would that be worth to you?"
"It would be worth my whole damn life, more than that. But, it can't be done. He's like a shadow. The wands on my payroll are the best in the business, and they can't touch the guy. What makes you think you can?"
"What makes you think I can't? And what do you have to lose? If I kill him, you give me what I want. If he kills me, you've lost nothing but an old acquaintance." Alex stood and offered her hand. "Are we in business?"
The older wizard clasped her hand firmly in his own. "As always, your simplest points are the hardest to refute. You bring me Cimino's head, I'll give you whatever you want if it's in my power."
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The street was as unbelievably crowded as the restaurant where Cimino customarily ate his lunch. Actually, it wasn't even custom. It was closer akin to ritual. According to Alex's sources, Cimino ate here everyday at noon like clockwork; the same meal, everyday. It was stupid, really. At lunchtime, anyone could track the man's movements. Of course, most people had no idea who they were looking for. The name was much more widely known than the handsome face to which it was connected. Still, it was risky. Those who could connect the two would know where to find him for a hour or two on any given day.
Alex smiled grimly to herself, leaning on the streetlamp outside the window. Obviously, she wasn't the only one who though she was untouchable.
She could just barely see inside where the coldhearted killer who was her prey was calmly eating a bowl of soup and chatting amiably with a gorgeous young waitress. His good looks were undeniable, the dark hair and swarthy complexion, the charming grin.
He had, in fact, Alex noted, not changed a bit since the first time she had met him at the Tamburo estate. She had been on her way out when she stumbled into him as she was turning a corner, her eyes occupied with admiring the streaming fresco on the hallway ceiling. He had been incredibly charming about the matter, making light of it by remarking on the dangers of art blinding one to the harsh realities of life, demanding loudly that the fresco be covered up as it was a menace to everyone.
Alex had been immediately taken with him.
It wasn't until she was casually discussing the matter with an informant that she had discovered who the man had been, and it had sickened her. Alex had spent most of her life on the wrong side of magical law enforcement, but there were ethical lines that no respectable thief would ever cross, and committing murder for gold was one of them. Wizards like that were an atrocity.
And, now she was about to become one of them. But this is different, she thought. This is vengeance for a childhood friend. They had found Dante Tamburo in pieces, scattered outside the front gate of his estate. It had destroyed his family; his sisters, his mother, but especially his father. Destroyed him on the one hand, made him a better person on the other.
Life was strange that way.
It didn't matter. Cimino deserved to die, and Alex desperately needed something that he possessed; his knowledge. His death would serve many purposes, she reasoned. This is the right thing to do.
The other voice in her mind, the one that saw this as murder, she pushed away with a vengeance. No time for that, now. Cimino was leaving. It was time.
No sooner had he reached the pavement than Alex was trailing him, never allowing her eyes to settle on him, knowing that any reprobate worth his salt would sense a pair of eyes boring into him and become suspicious, making her job that much harder. She needed this to go smoothly. Her future depended on it.
The invisibility potion she had imbibed would only be in effect for another fifteen minutes or so, and she had been too preoccupied to bring more than one. Smart, Alex. Let's add this to our track record of recent failures, shall we? She silenced the self-effacing thought almost immediately. It wouldn't bring her any closer to her goal.
He had four blocks to go before he reached his hotel. If he managed to get inside, she'd have to wait until tomorrow. Calmly, she surveyed the situation, pushing aside the rising panic, just as Severus had taught her during their dueling lessons. The next crossing would be as good a place as any. He would be surrounded by the jostling crowd waiting to cross and would probably never notice the sting.
Resolutely, she slipped between the people and gained his heels just as he stopped to allow the traffic to pass. Positioning herself so that no one could get between them, she pressed a miniscule lever on the side of an ornate silver ring, exposing a tiny needle and lightly pricked the flesh at his elbow where he was least likely to feel it.
Unfortunately, he was too in tune with his body to not notice and turned sharply just as Alex stepped back. She dodged a muggle who had been directly behind her and spun around a mailbox trying to put something solid between them. All this was done rapidly, within a few seconds, and silently, thanks to her boots. However, the elaborate dodge had not been necessary. Cimino had only turned on his heel, spotted the muggle behind him, and smiled politely with the confidence of a man who knows he has no equal.
A block and a half later, his steps began to falter, but he kept his feet with admirable tenacity; obviously knowing that something was amiss, but trying to make it to the safety of his room. One block more and he collapsed completely, people around him gasping in surprise and moving forward to aid him.
Alex was faster. Seizing the moment, she sprang on his prone form, wrapped herself around him and disapparated them both, leaving the crowd horrified with shock.
He was still unconscious when she killed him. Thank Merlin, she thought. I couldn't have looked into his eyes and done this. I don't care what he was guilty of. The task had been unpleasant enough as it was, even though the wound was small and the blade heavily poisoned. Besides, the potion which coated the needle had knocked him out completely. He hadn't felt a thing.
It still constituted a mortal wound, though, and she pressed the Parasitic Stone (one of a few choice items she had not sold to the Ministry) to the still-open lesion, coating it with the man's blood, and hoping to Merlin that this wizard had the knowledge she needed.
The information Simon had given Alex in no way prepared her for what happened next. Suddenly, she was thrown into Cimino's life completely, watching it through his eyes. It all happened at dizzying speed, yet she felt every moment of it, drew in the knowledge as if it had been gained firsthand; his tricks, his suppliers, his techniques, his spells; and finally, the rush nearly giving her a heart attack, she absorbed his power. The resulting transfer of might threw her from his body and into the wall, knocking her head sharply on the stone. Instantly, she knew what to take to kill the pain and where to find it in his room.
His room. She knew how to get in there, how to get past the warding and invisibility spells on his incredible collection of items. She knew how to cast those spells, as well. Sweet Mab! The man owned the greatest bag of tricks she'd ever heard of, and his skill was such that he didn't even need them.
Interestingly enough, she thought, as she assimilated his knowledge, he wasn't much more skilled in magic than she. That gave her pause. Maybe lousy witches and wizards are all destined to become thieves and assassins. She giggled wildly at the thought, and then cut herself off abruptly, staring down at the body and realizing how inappropriate this was.
It was time to be rid of this task and move ahead with her plan. Without thinking much about it, she severed his head with a charm, sealed it in a conjured container, and apparated back to the front gates of the Tamburo estate to collect her reward.
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"You want me to write a letter?" Mr. Tamburo asked in obvious disbelief. "I offer you whatever you want and you ask me to write a letter of reference? That's all?"
"Well, no," Alex answered. "Not exactly. That's the most important part, though. It's gotta be a glowing reference, something no right-minded aristocrat could turn down. Next, I want you to create a person. I'll tell you who she is and what she's done, and you make her real. I'll need your contacts in Italy. Have personal records penned, birth certificates, the whole nine yards. It has to be flawless. Then, I need to stay here for a couple of days and learn about the estate and how it's run. Is that okay?"
"Is that okay?" Mr. Tamburo grabbed her head between his sweaty hands and kissed her deeply on both cheeks. "I was fully prepared to give up my fortune avenging my son. You are the most unselfish girl I have ever known. You'll stay in my best suite and eat the best my chef has to offer---"
"Actually, I need to stay in your servant's quarters and learn to cook the best your chef has to offer."
Mr. Tamburo sat his wine glass down heavily. "Alex Borgin, you are a mystery, girl. What would possess you to do such a thing?"
"I have a lot to learn," she stated simply. "Listen carefully, Mr. Tamburo. This is what we're going to do."
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Siverfey: Hmm.. Everyone needs someone to talk to. Maybe Lucius feels as though he can talk to Severus. They are old friends after all (well, in my story, anyway). It's possible that he doesn't understand the nature of love and therefore thinks himself capable of such an emotion. Likely what he feels for Alex is a mixture of fascination, admiration, and frustration. With Severus, well-- I think he doesn't understand the nature of love, either-- and therefore doesn't realize he's deeply within it's grasp.
Rycca: By Merlin, you're right! Voldemort is a couillon! And, good point about Hitler. I hadn't noticed the similarity until you mentioned it. Interesting. I wonder of the Goddess, J.K., meant to do that. Severus is most definitely fooling himself, but he's an awfully stubborn little man. How long will it be before he understands his feelings? How long after that before he admits to having them? There's just no telling with him. I'm thrilled that you're liking Lucius more. The rest of this story would be downright painful if you didn't at least enjoy reading about him..
Slate One: You're such a challenging little reviewer! Try to remember, dear, that I do have a habit of elaborating on things in later chapters, so at times you only get bits and pieces of the whole. Try to gather them up as the story continues. I promise they'll fit together to form a picture. I will assure you of one thing because I understand your being upset by the idea (I know I would be): Lucius has not said that he's "turning to the light." He's said, essentially, that Voldemort is a screw-up and needs to be overthrown. He's sick and tired of his family name being dragged through the mud because Voldie can't come up with a decent plan. As for Narcissa, I feel it's only fair to answer your very good points: 1. A mother who constantly sends sweets from home (made by the cook, no doubt) is trying to buy affection that she knows isn't there. I know this from personal experience. 2. Draco did tell his buddies that his mother didn't want him to be so far from home. Why? In my opinion, because he didn't want them to know that Narcissa had put her foot down because she didn't want Draco to become more like his father and therefore draw even closer to him and further from her. She despises his similarity to her husband. Draco at once repulses and frightens her. Those are my feelings on the matter. Hope they answer some of your questions about my motivations. As to your last question about what happened to Lucius, I must reassert that I will explain later. I promise. I'm glad to have you back, but I can't tell you everything that's going on. It would spoil the story. Be patient.
PPP: I'm glad you like my quote. It's a new thing this story. I saw everyone else doing it and just had to join the crowd. :-) Do you really believe about Sev and Lucius, or do you just want to? Hmmmnn----
Lady Jenilyn: Yeah!!! The sidekick gets him on the weekends! Hurray! Thanks for the compliment, by the way. I love a twisty story and it was my greatest hope to not bore the reader with predictable action and dialogue. You have given me hope that I have not done so.
Fleur K: Honestly, I was a little shocked, myself. I want to know what they're planning as well, so I'd better keep writing. Another week's delay for some personal crisis, and I may start to go nuts with anticipation! Seriously, I'm so glad that you're still enjoying the story. As I said to Jenilyn, I'm quite relieved that it's not predictable. Thank you!
Intel Ewok: You are so funny! What a cute dialog! Severus, I find, does not need to lie. He tells just enough truth in just such a way that makes it impossible to see what is real and what is not. I just love him for that! I'm looking forward to watching him do his thing, as well, and then writing about it! Yeah!