CHAPTER 12

Part 2

"Where were you?" he roared at her as soon as she had entered the office.

Ginny smiled at her partner as she took her seat. "I was at the nicest little coffee shop, right down the street from—"

"Why were you there and not here?" he demanded. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago! I've been sitting here, a hot lead growing cold in my lap, while you were out drinking coffee!"

"Tea, actually. Clara had coffee." She looked at him pointedly.

"Clara? Why were you with her?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"I was cleaning up your mess."

"There is no mess," he replied with a sniff. "She just can't take a hint."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt if you were just honest with her. Just tell her you're not interested, it's better than ignoring her!" she said, her voice sharp with annoyance.

Draco sighed. "We don't have time for this, Weasley. You can hound me later, but right now we have a lead."

"What is it?" she asked, her attention diverted by the possibility of a new break in their case.

"Kingsley's found a way for us to get close to Nott and find more information."

((((0))))

Draco sat in the waiting room in front of Theodore Nott's office. Nott and Nott was a law firm that was started by Theodore's grandfather and then taken over by his father after his grandfather's death. It was a large firm now. Theodore's father had done well after the first war against Voldemort, making the firm famous by winning many of the cases against the Death Eaters.

Now that Theodore's father was retired, Nott took his seat as an iconic namesake for the firm. He helped to decide what cases they would take on. Nott had no legal training, but he was cunning. He had a good eye for what cases would win and bring in the most money and power.

Draco had been sitting there for a good forty minutes, waiting. He was bored out of his mind and nervous. There was a window across the room, and he walked over to it, looking down on Diagon Alley.

He turned slightly and caught sight of his reflection in the glass. The face and body in the reflection were not his own. He had been Polyjuiced into Jonathon Thuban, a Slytherin three years younger than himself. He remembered the man from Hogwarts, a pudgy little junior Death Eater who hung around him looking for attention and power. That was how Slytherins were, they always made sure to place themselves in positions of power, or at least try to. Many had followed him around like dogs when he was in school. He didn't remember many of them, but Thuban had stood out somehow.

He saw Thurban's small black eyes reflecting back at him and he sneered. The Death Eater had been arrested last night, caught owning a number of dark magic items and trying to buy more. He had cried when they had taken him in, offering everything he had in exchange for his freedom. When money didn't work, he turned to information. The moment Kingsley had heard him name Theodore Nott and the slave trade, he had called Draco in.

When Draco walked into the room, Thuban had recognized him immediately. His cruel laughter filled the air. "So this is where the traitor got off to! I was wondering if I would get to see the 'great' Auror Malfoy!" He sneered, spitting at Draco and missing him by mere inches.

They had questioned him under Veritaserum and found out that Thuban had spoken to Nott about purchasing a slave. He didn't know much about the trade, only that Nott was in charge of the sales. When he had told them he had an appointment with Nott the next day to discuss making a purchase, they knew they had a way in.

With this new information, and Thuban's hair, Draco would go to Nott's office in place of Thuban and find out all he could about the trade.

"Mr. Thuban? Mr. Nott is ready to see you," Nott's secretary called, popping her gum as she talked. Draco suppressed a smile as he turned around, walking towards her desk and the office door beyond it.

He winked at the brunette as he walked by and received a very subtle and rude hand gesture in return. He stopped, leaning into the secretary's personal space. "Be nice, Weasel," he whispered.

She smiled at him and blew a large bubble in his face. "Sure thing, Ferret," she answered quietly.

He knew she wasn't happy with this situation. She had wanted to be in there with him, where the action was, but it just wasn't safe. Nott would suspect something if Thuban brought someone with him. It was better to have her disguised as Nott's secretary and sitting nearby so that if things did go badly, there would be help waiting.

"Just watch my back"

She nodded and threw in a giggle for the rest of the room so that it looked as though they had been flirting.

Draco stood, smiling at her for show before walking to Nott's office door and pushing it open. Slytherins didn't knock.

"Jonathon!" Nott called, standing from his desk and grabbing Draco's hand in a firm handshake. "It's good to see you."

"You as well, Theodore," he replied as Nott lead him to a plush leather seat. He sat, carefully crossing his now chubby legs. Nott sat behind the large oak desk, folding his hands together.

The way he was sitting made him look like a king on his throne, while the look on his face was an expression of 'the-cat-who-caught-the-canary'. Draco let his eyes skim the walls of the round room, taking care in noticing the large windows on the far end of the room. Memorizing his exits, incase he needed the information later.

"What brings you here today?" Nott asked, breaking the silence.

Draco's eyes narrowed. He knew Nott. They had spent enough time together when they were younger for him to know that Nott was playing with him. The overly long wait and now this game, he was being tested.

"Don't play with me Nott. You know why I'm here. I want one of the Muggles."

Nott pursed his lips, sizing up the short and chubby man sitting before him. After a moment, he inclined his head in a gesture of acceptance. "Let us speak freely," he said, waving his wand and placing a silencing spell on the room.

Draco made sure to school his face into a mask of indifference, hoping that Ginny wouldn't get nervous and try to play hero when she noticed the spell on the room.

"That's better," Nott said with a crooked smile. "You want to purchase a slave, am I right?"

"You know that you are," he said with a huff. Thuban had told them under Veritaserum that Nott knew of the appointment and the issues that would be dealt with there. He also said that he wasn't sure if Nott was trust worthy.

"Well, Jonathon, what do you want to know?"

"I want to know how it works and if it's worth the inordinate amount of Galleons that you are asking" he spat, imitating the way Thuban had spoken while being questioned.

Nott's smile grew feral and large, making his long face look wolfish. "I can assure you that it is well worth the price. The slaves are very well trained."

"Trained? What does that mean?"

"It means that they are completely submissive. They will bend to your every desire. Carnal or otherwise." He answered, his lip curling upward.

Draco made sure that his face looked pleased, forcing a smile upon his lips. On the inside, he felt sick. "How does it work? When can I get my slave?"

"That depends…" Nott purred.

"Don't fuck around, Nott. I don't trust you, and I want to know if you will come through or not."

Theodore paused for a moment, giving Draco a sideways glance. "I'm afraid that I don't know much. The Muggles are attacked by an... unknown beneficiary, who then notifies the man we know simply as Mr. X. Then Mr. X contacts our associate by owl, telling him the drop off date. We just collect the money and make sure that we are there at the right time."

"We?"

"Crabbe and I."

Draco made sure he looked shocked. Most people thought the former Death Eater was dead. "Crabbe is alive?"

Nott laughed. "Yes, Vincent has proven himself to be very good at hiding."

Knowing that the Polyjuice would begin to wear off soon and not wanting to ask too many questions, lest Nott become suspicious, he changed gears. "I want a guarantee, Nott"

"We don't do that, Thuban." Nott sneered. "No money back."

"I want assurance that it will be worth it."

"You have my word."

Draco eyed him for the appropriate amount of time, making it look as if he were considering. "When will my slave be ready?" he asked, finally, removing Thuban's checkbook from his pocket.

Nott's eyes brightened when he saw the check book. "A week from now. We'll send you notice as it gets closer."

Draco pulled out the check that Thuban had already made out before he was arrested and handed it to Nott, who took it greedily.

"It's always pleasure, Jonathon. Always a pleasure," he said with an oily smile.

((((0)))))

After moderating the memories of Nott's secretary, they made their way back to Auror headquarters. In the privacy of their office, Draco told Ginny everything that had gone on in the office, and they discussed a plan of action for the next few days. Deciding to put off the day's paperwork until tomorrow, they gathered their things and made their way to the elevator.

The two got off on the next floor, walking down the familiar hall towards Tonks' office. They passed Clara on their way out, and the blond waved at Ginny, pointedly ignoring Draco as they passed. A few steps more and they had made their way out of Auror HQ and into the main halls of the Ministry. When they were almost to the doors to the Apparation area, Ginny turned to him, breaking the silence. "Why did you turn her down?" she asked, curiously.

"Who?"

"Clara. She's very pretty. I was just wondering why you turned her down," she said, addressing her feet as she spoke.

Draco was silent for a moment before replying. "She reminded me too much of Parkinson; a pretty shell with not much brain," he said, his face an emotionless mask.

"Hey! Clara is a very intelligent girl, just a little… ditzy." She huffed.

"Since when did you two become friends?" he asked, his left eyebrow cocked.

She shrugged, and they were silent as they walked to their Apparation point. "See you tomorrow, Malfoy," she said with a sweet smile before disappearing with a pop.

Draco ran a hand through his blond hair, looking at the spot where Ginny had just been.

"She wasn't you, Ginny. I turned her down because she wasn't you"