Author's notes:

First of all, many heartfelt thanks to Grace, aka optimise, for being such a wonderful beta and lovely person! :-*
(and for her initial reaction to this chapter, it made me laugh)

This chapter contains an explicit scene of a sexual nature. It does have some (mild) dubious consent, so skip right to the end if you don't like it (or reading about Draco getting seduced at the club).

Besides that, I do understand that the whole chapter can come off as a bit of a shocker, but I do seriously hope that the resolution at the end is explanation enough for Draco's behaviour throughout the chapter.

However, I always intended to have him find out about Hermione's secret either like this or in a similar way...

Please, do leave a comment if you liked it! :-)

Chapter 12: Code Word: White Ferret

Mr Malfoy,

We have received your request.

Your background has been checked,
and we can hereby confirm your acceptance into the exclusive audience of our entertainment clubs.

Next event: Saturday
Location: —Factory Hall
Time: from9pm
Code word: White Ferret

Please make sure to attend this event to finalise your membership.

There is only one rule: Do not talk about your membership to others. We will know.

Draco had been surprised how fast his request had been accepted when the note arrived early Saturday morning; he had only sent the note to the person Barsky had mentioned shortly after he had left the cell with the plan still forming in his head. He had sent it without Potter's permission as he just couldn't wait any longer in that moment. Yet, now he was hesitant, doubting his own plan, but he couldn't back down from it any longer; he had to go through with everything.

.x.x.x.

"And you are sure you want to go through with the plan?" Harry asked when he had read the note later, raising his eyebrow at the code word. He had come over as soon as he had read Draco's note. "After all, they were fast with accepting you."

"Yes, I know. " Draco took the note back, letting out a deep sigh. "Suspiciously fast. I remember a few stories my grandfather and father told me about secret societies—no details, mind you!—and it usually takes them weeks to accept new members, if at all."

"They know."

"You can be certain about that. But it would look suspicious if I backed out now–"

"You'd be walking into the lion's den without knowing what to expect," Harry said, pushing his glasses back up. "We don't even know whether she's even there."

"Potter, please," Draco replied, slightly exasperated. "If I learned one thing from Hermione, it's not to back down from words I've given. I said I'll do this, and I'm sticking to it. Just please let me do it my way. I'll let you know when I'll need the cavalry."

"Cavalry?"

"You Gryffindors do make good Aurors, but you still have the tendency to rush into everything head-on."

"You mean to say we're missing the finesse of a Slytherin from a formerly noble house."

Draco briefly sneered at Harry's remark. "Don't you have a family to go back to? I remember Ginny telling me about you taking James to a game..."

Harry sighed. "She's making me spend two hours at the Wasps game with my son... But yes, you're right. I should probably go back. I'll blame it on you if he turns into a Wasps fan."

"At least one Potter has taste then," Draco replied with a smirk before Harry left again through the Floo.

..

Shortly after nine that evening, Draco was in front of the factory hall, waiting nervously to be let inside, his hands fiddling with the invitation. He was unsure what to expect once inside, and he didn't like that. Ginny had been right to call it something crazy, but he had to do something, and following up on Barsky's information was as good as any other plan.

Then the entrance was finally opened by a stern looking man; Draco guessed that he was a door steward, making sure only the invited guests for the evening were allowed in. "You're punctual," the steward said.

"Yes." Draco waved the invitation in an impatient manner. Snobbish, he could do.

"Code word?"

"White ferret," Draco replied with a hint of disdain in his voice. He still didn't like being reminded of that incident in his fourth year at Hogwarts.

"Please enter." The steward further opened the door and then stepped aside, eyeing Draco closely as he passed him.

"Mr Malfoy, I presume?" the Head of the club greeted him upon entering with a polished smile, waving for someone else to join them. "Welcome to the club. Lilah will be your personal companion tonight, as is custom for new members."

Draco only now saw who had joined them, a beautiful woman with a practised smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He had a moment to assess his companion for tonight while the Head of the club was probably giving her instructions in hushed tones. Her whole appearance reminded him of a Veela; she was not as fair as one, yet she was just as magnetic. She was tall for a woman, probably on level with him, but his eyes were mostly glued to her figure that was subtly emphasised by her dark green dress.

"Mr Malfoy," Lilah said with another polished smile while approaching him, pulling him out of his trance. "It's an honour to be at your service tonight. Your wish is my command..."

"It will surely be a pleasure to have your company," Draco replied politely, noticing how the Head of the club had already started to disappear into the background once more. He offered his arm for her to hook in; only then he noticed that her hands were covered in black, long, silky gloves.

"I do like a gentleman with manners," she said as she hooked her arm through his and lead him inside the main hall of the club.

"I do like the company," Draco replied, nodding briefly while taking in everything he could see in the main hall. It looked like it was enhanced with magic to fit everything into the factory hall. It had the atmosphere of a higher-class gambling room without the stuffiness that usually came with it. On each side, there were two bars, all of them staffed with female barkeepers, who were entertaining a host of enticed male patrons. But the main attraction was the railed pit in the middle of the hall—the fight pit Barsky had mentioned. He could hear cheering from the audience, due to a fight going on right now.

"It's the first fight of the evening, the main fight will be announced later," Lilah explained and then pointed towards one of the bars, where one of the female barkeepers caught her gesture and winked back suggestively.

"What's the main fight?" he asked, his eyes still glued to the audience around the pit. He thought he recognised a few faces—either very old and rather former friends of his family or business partners. He made a mental note to write down the names of the people he had recognised before the touch of her still gloved fingers on his arms brought his attention back to her.

"They will announce it only shortly before it starts, keeps the suspense," she replied, sliding her fingers up to his elbow. "Drink? I'm guessing you're the purist type, preferring an exclusive brand Firewhisky. Ogden's is one thing, but we have something better."

"Only the best for a Malfoy," he said, a cocky smile on his lips. From what he could hear going on at the pit, Draco figured that a drink might be a good idea before he would have look. Besides that, he could feel a warmth spreading slowly through his arm from where her fingers were still resting, giving a very relaxing feeling.

"Working tonight?" the barkeeper asked when they approached her bar, her eyebrow raised slightly while checking out Draco.

"Just introducing a new member, Marla," Lilah replied and hooked in more tightly around his arm, leaning closer in the process. "A real gentleman."

"What can I prepare for you, sir?" Marla asked Draco, an almost amused smile on her lips.

Draco simply nodded, briefly distracted by Lilah leaning in, her hips brushing his and sending a short electrifying wave through his body.

"A glass of your special Firewhisky for the gentleman, Marla dear," Lilah said, amused about his momentary absence.

"And you take the usual?" Marla asked with a brief side-glance towards him and then nodded once when Lilah shook her head. "Having a Martini night, then?"

"Yes."

"Martini night?" Draco asked, returning to the conversation with a smile as Marla placed a tumbler with a perfect amber liquid in front of him.

"Martini nights are good nights at work," Lilah answered, leaning further into him. "I'd say you're even worth a double Martini."

"To double Martinis," Draco said in response and raised his glass for a toast. The Firewhisky was as smooth as it was amber, with only a hint of afterburn in the throat; Marla had indeed given him the expensively good stuff. And to top it off, he would be spending the evening in the company of a very intriguing woman. He did feel drawn to her presence, and her small touches were subtle invitations for more. The way his evening had started off, he was eager to see where it would lead.

.x.x.x.

"Gentlemen, the main fight of the evening is about to commence. Tonight we present you: The Half-Giant versus The Bear in a life or death fight. Please place your bets now, gentlemen, before the fight starts."

"Oh, I've haven't seen The Half-Giant fight before," Lilah said in a genuinely excited tone, straightening up. "He's a favourite with the patrons here!"

"You want to place a bet?" Seated on one end of Marla's bar, Draco followed her gaze towards the pit where the other patrons were now slowly assembling. Her hand was lingering on his thigh, with the index finger drawing small enticing circles; his own hand was placed on her lower back, carefully dipping lower. His body was humming lightly in approval of the touches, craving for more.

"You would place one for me?" She leaned in, her lips ever so lightly brushing over his cheek. "I have no way of paying you back..."

A wave of aroused excitement shot through him when she let her hand slip suggestively towards his groin to emphasise her words. He didn't care about money; he never had, and right now, he didn't mind spending it on her. Pinning her hand in the current position on his thigh, he finally nodded. "I would."

"Gentleman indeed," she replied and placed a soft kiss on his jaw before getting off her chair with a smile. "Follow me; I know the right guy to place the bet."

Immediately missing the touch of her hand on his thigh, he followed her to the pit, appreciating the sight of her backside for a moment before catching up with her; she was already discussing with another staff member, a male this time.

"Tony, I tell you the truth, he wants to place a bet, and I can choose."

"Lilah, staff can't place bets, you know that," Tony replied rather stoically, continuing to count the bets he had already received. "Just do what you're told to."

"Who do you want to bet on?" Draco asked, approaching her from behind, smiling when she turned towards him.

"The Half-Giant!"

"Sir, you want to place a bet?" Tony asked with a professional smile.

"Yes," Draco replied coolly. "As the lady said, I wish to place it on The Half-Giant."

Tony nodded, his smile unwavering. "How much?"

Lilah leaned in to whisper into Draco's ear, smiling broadly when he nodded. "I'll write it down." She grabbed the pen and the piece of parchment from Tony to write down the amount of money Draco was willing to spend on her behalf as well as the name of the fighter it was bet on.

"Just so we're clear, it's his bet," Tony said when he received the piece of parchment back. "You won't get anything out of it, Lilah."

"I know," she retorted with a short roll of her eyes. "Now, let me do my job."

"How many fights have you seen before?" Draco asked when they found a spot at the railings to see the fight; he let her stand at the railings and stood close behind her. He actually had to speak into her ear directly as the noise around them was deafening. Not that he minded much, it meant he could lean closely into her, which tempted him to kiss the spot just beneath her ear.

She turned her head to speak into his ear, smiling at him as always. "Too many. Part of the job here. You see enough?" Her smile broadened when he nodded and placed his arm around her waist.

Draco wasn't exactly keen on seeing someone getting killed in the pit, for he had seen enough death in his life to last him several more. But he was here on a mission, trying to gather enough information about everything. "Is every fight to the death?" he asked after the opponents were led into the pit.

"Almost, sometimes the boss varies things a bit, like one of them only has to punch the other unconscious while the other still fights to kill. And the fights aren't always fair either. Whatever brings the most spectacles that evening, I guess." She brushed with her lips over his ear, trailing down to his jaw.

The fight itself was brutal since the opponents were almost evenly matched in strength. Lilah flinched several times when The Half-Giant got hit particularly hard, but Draco felt a bit queasy about it too, as it reminded him too much of the battles he had been in during the Second War. In the end, and to Lilah's joy, The Half-Giant won, ending his opponent's life for a cheering audience.

"I never won anything!" she exclaimed, turning around to hug Draco, kissing his cheek over and over again, until he turned his head and she landed on his lips instead.

Draco was electrified by the touch and claimed her lips in a fervent kiss. She was like a crave he needed to satisfy, a hunger that had lain dormant for far too long. And the way she responded only made him want more.

"Double Martini indeed," she husked when she eventually broke off for air, licking her slightly puffed lips, pursed in a suggestive manner. "We do have more private rooms, furnished for every need..."

"Show me," he said hungrily and kissed her again, wanting more of her, feeling like an addict who needed his fix now. His whole body was humming with the carnal desire to feel her everywhere.

"Let's collect your winnings first," she whispered after pulling away again, her lips still brushing his; her hand was placed on his chest.

.x.x.x.

Seemingly long minutes later, they finally arrived in the room Lilah had mentioned; it was furnished like the main hall, the same dark wood, the same expensive fabric. The room was dominated by a king-sized bed, ready for whatever they had in mind now.

"Gods, you're so full of energy," she whispered in a greedy tone, already occupied with his clothes, hastily trying to get them off, but as she grew impatient she simply tore at them. "I can feel it. I-I need it."

Meanwhile, Draco didn't care that much any longer about her dress and just pulled it up to reveal that gorgeous body of hers. He was by now completely addicted to her touch, but he was at a point where it wasn't enough anymore. He moaned hungrily when she stroked over his groin in her attempt to get his trousers off and pinned her hand in front of it, urging her to repeat the stroking. Gods, he needed her now!

"Hey," she let out in surprise when they arrived at the bed where he gently pushed her back so that she came to lie on it. Her moans were deep and loud when he started to trail kisses down her cleavage. "You're so good," she uttered between moans when he nibbled, sucked, and kissed his way further along her breasts and down her belly. "But... But... I need to be on top."

"Need?" he asked, wandering lower and lower on her belly with his kisses. He smiled into her skin when he heard her moan in surprise as his fingers finally managed to dive into her folds. Gods, she smelled absolutely intoxicating! He needed to have a taste!

"Oh, sweet Lilith!" She arched involuntarily when he added his tongue to her folds, framing his head with her thighs. "Just don't let me... come this way!"

Draco was too focused on feasting on her folds, on making her moan in need, to listen to her. No, she simply tasted too exquisite to stop now...

But she wouldn't let him have it, and instead pulled him up. "Let me sit on you," she said, panting heavily. "Afterwards, I'll do whatever you want me to," she added before kissing him deeply, her hands fumbling with his briefs and earning herself a low moan from him when she reached his member.

He pulled his briefs off to give her complete access, relishing in the touch of her hand that so expertly stroked his member. "Good," he husked between kisses.

"Turn, please." She gently pushed him up a few inches with her free hand.

He stopped kissing her and gazed at her for a heartbeat. She was still stroking his member expertly, knowing exactly which spots he liked. Yet there was also a needy plea visible on her face with her mouth forming the word please again. He did prefer to be on top, but seeing her pleading so desperately, he nodded and rolled off on his back.

"Thank you!" Smiling suggestively, she propped herself up on her knees and bend down over him.

"Oh my gods!" He moaned loudly in surprise as she started sucking, she knew exactly what she was doing! Such a wicked tongue!

"I-I can't wait any longer, I need it now," she said after a few more turns of licking and sucking him even closer to the edge. "You're so full of it."

The moment she very slowly lowered herself on his cock was when Draco lost it. She was absolutely everywhere, flooding his body with heat and desire, driving every other thought out of his mind.

"Yes!" she hissed, grinding her hips into his, arching her back. "So good!"

"Hmm..."

She leaned forward once more, riding him increasingly faster. "More. I need more," she moaned, placing her bare hand on his chest. "You have so much!"

"Fuck! Stop it!" Draco was roughly pulled out of his trance when he felt a painful sting spreading through his upper body, replacing the desire he had just felt moments before. "Wh-What are you doing?" he asked irritated, pushing her hand away. "Stop it, I said!"

"No, please! I-I need it," she begged, still grinding her hips. "It won't... kill you."

"No!" He grabbed her hands roughly to keep her from placing them once more on his chest. He was shocked about what just happened, and his head was again as clear as it had been when he had first arrived. However, his body was still humming with need.

"Please, let go," she begged, trying to wriggle her hands free. "I... I need this."

"No!"

She slumped down, hiding her face behind her hands. "I-I'm sorry. This is what I am, and... and they force me to do it. I wouldn't have taken more than absolutely necessary, I promise–"

"Can you get off me?"

"Of course," she said quietly and carefully climbed down, looking ashamed of her actions. "Please understand that they forced me to treat you like this."

"What are you?" he asked, eyeing her warily while propping himself up. He shook his head to keep his mind clear, as he was starting to feel his body crash down from the previous high, and he was going to crash down hard.

She sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. "I'm a succubus. I seduce men to feed on them... And I'm really sorry I had to do this to you. They made me do it to a lot of men, but you're the first I really feel sorry about. You shouldn't be here, you know?"

A succubus. He had heard about them in old tales, but he never thought they really existed. But from what he remembered, it explained why he had felt so helplessly drawn to her, up to the point of risking everything—his mission, and Hermione—just for some sex. Taking a deep breath, he tried to keep the light shaking under control. In addition, he felt dizzy, and he was sure he was going to break out in sweat any moment. Not to mention the nausea.

Gods, he had expected anything in response to his request to join The Organisation but not being seduced and fed upon by a succubus. To keep from swaying too much and feeling ever dizzier, he clutched at the edge of the mattress. "I should have realised earlier. But you were too good."

"I'm sorry about tricking you. I actually hate it..." She curled herself up, resting her head on her knees; she was shaking too. "They know about you, that's why they chose me to be your company tonight. They knew you wouldn't be able to resist my charms, that you'd be like dough in my hands."

"Were you supposed to eliminate me?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't do that. More like trying to find out what you know... They know who you're looking for, and they want to keep you away." She sighed and rubbed her legs. "I wasn't raised like this... I mean my kind is adamant about consent, you know?"

"Your-Your kind?" Draco was now breathing more shallow, focusing his mind on the grip of his hands around the edge of the mattress. He was shaking more violently now, and still felt dizzy, but at least not like he was going to throw up any moment.

"We're only a few... Not many people like us for what we are." After another deep sigh, she uncurled her legs to get up and collect her underwear. "I think I better leave now."

"Stay. Please."

"W-Why? I mean I just hurt you..."

"Just stay." He smiled faintly at her reluctance and took a deep breath; his dizziness was slowly disappearing at last. "I think we both have something the other needs."

..

The next morning, Draco woke up feeling completely groggy and exhausted; it took him a moment to realise where he was and why. But then the memories came back, images of the succubus woman telling him more about what she knew, such as names, places, and hierarchy. And then the image of her sitting on him again, hesitant to place her hand on his chest once more. He would need to save those memories as soon as possible; whether or not he would let Harry have them was another story.

He let his hand absent-mindedly run over the spot she had placed her hand the second time; it felt sensitive to the touch and was probably reddened, but his skin still felt intact. He didn't know who used whom in that moment, and he didn't feel exactly good about it. Even worse, it felt like a betrayal. How was he able to forget Hermione so easily in one night? Why had he let the succubus woman drive her out of his mind?

With his thoughts still lingering on Hermione and how he should have gone about this differently, he turned his head. He wasn't exactly surprised to find the other side empty; the succubus must have left at one point during the night. However, he was surprised to discover a piece of parchment with his name scribbled on it on the empty pillow. Groaning because of his protesting and sore muscles, he picked it up.

When you find this note, I will be long gone, as I'm not allowed to stay all night with a client.
However, thank you for such a memorable night, and for letting me have your energy willingly.
You are indeed a gentleman and worth a triple Martini for what you did.

There is one last piece of information you might be interested in. I didn't know how to tell you last night.
The person you are looking for is held captive in another fight pit, though I don't know where.
She is a creature, and I heard that she is a fierce fighter.

I do hope you find her soon, and good luck with the rest!

Lilah

Additional notes:
To the anon who wants to be warned about surprises, I have a clarification for you:

I will post a warning for the big bads, (such as non-con/dub-con, assault, rape, etc.), but I will NOT post a warning every time something unexpected happens in my story. It is meant to surprise, or to shock.

Draco and Hermione ARE NOT in a relationship at this point of the story—anyone who has read all the chapters would know that.
Besides that, the focus in this story is NOT on the romance between them, but rather the mystery of Hermione's disappearance and the joined effort of Draco and Harry to find her alive.

I always planned to have a similar scene in this chapter, as it shows that even someone with the best intentions and plans can stray momentarily, only to realise they made a mistake (which might become a conflict later on, but who knows, right?) and double their efforts.

I feel free to delete anon reviews that insult me or my work.