A/N: Thank you for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! Huge thank you to lanamarymack for alpha/beta reading this chapter! You can find me over on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.
Please let me know what you thought of chapter eight and be on the lookout for chapter nine soon!
Fenrir came to the door to pick her up for the art auction, wearing a well fitting navy suit and carrying a single perfect pink peony. Hermione fought a smile as she took the flower, before disappearing back into the kitchen so that she could put it in water.
"You look good tonight," she said, biting her lower lip as she appreciated the way that the suit complimented his strong form. "I didn't know that you owned a suit."
He snorted at her. "Come on, Hermione. How could I not own a suit? Do you think I'm some sort of heathen?" he asked, his tone bordering on derisive. He gave her own body an appreciative up and down. "You don't need me to tell you how gorgeous you look — you already know it, surely."
Hermione flushed pink, looking down at the slinky black dress she was wearing. From the front it was simple enough, though clingy, but it was the thin criss crossing straps on the otherwise fabricless back that was the real show stopper. She could admit that she did feel gorgeous in the moment.
She couldn't wait for Sirius to see the expense report when he went to approve it. If they were going to put her in dangerous situations, she was going to get something out of it.
"We should go," she said, regretfully. "There is no point in putting this off any longer."
If they played everything right tonight at the art auction, Tom Riddle might finally be taken down in a matter of days, once the funds pinballed their way through the banks, under the police's watchful gaze. Hermione couldn't wait to be done with this chapter of her life, if only because she finally felt like it would give her the opportunity to create something real with Fenrir.
The large man drove her to the warehouse they had selected, somewhere in between where Antonin's gym and Fenrir's own warehouse was located. It was rented, all in cash, for this particular evening. Apparently warehouses gave a certain vibe to art shows, according to Luna, and Hermione didn't know enough to argue. But, she had painstakingly set up every detail to attract the right clientele to make the auction seem legitimate enough.
When they walked in, the party was already in full swing, with loads of rich people standing around talking about the intent and the feeling in Luna's artistry. Hermione wondered if they knew there was so much blood in the massive canvases that were hung around the room. She contented herself with grabbing some of the free champagne that was flowing and took a sip.
"Let's make our appearances," Fenrir suggested, wrapping his hand around her waist when he caught some unknown man looking at her appreciate — possessive as ever.
Hermione agreed and quickly spotted Antonin and Luna standing together. Luna looked stunning in a form hugging cream dress made of floral applique. It honestly wouldn't have been out of place as a wedding dress, if it was not practically see-through. She looked like an ethereal being — an angel or a fairy or something — with her long blonde hair flowing around her.
But, what was most surprising was to see the way that Antonin was hanging on to Luna's every word. Clearly he was more than a little smitten with the young woman. When he caught sight of Hermione and Fenrir, he walked over to them, leaving Luna to talk to the art investor she was chatting with.
"You have brought me a succubus," Antonin said with a broad grin. "That woman has bewitched me. She is insatiable."
A laugh bubbled up inside of Hermione to see the normally commanding man brought to heel by such a slip of a girl. But, she couldn't deny that she was happy for him to find a little bit of happiness. "I think that I'll leave you two to talk particulars," she said, knowing that she didn't need to be there for that sort of a conversation. "I will go do a lap and make sure that everything is going smoothly."
Hermione left, fighting to keep a smile off of her face. She was happy to give Fenrir and Antonin a bit of time together, seeing as they were still friends. Looking at Luna's artwork, there was no denying that it was striking. She stopped in front of one canvas that caught her eye, though she couldn't say why. Tilting her head, she looked at the empty space where the white canvas was still visible behind the red paint.
Someone came to stand next to her. "Miss Granger, it's a pleasure to see you again," Tom Riddle's voice greeted her.
Taking a calming breath, Hermione turned to look at his profile. He was very attractive in a dark grey wool suit. "You aren't in disguise tonight, Mr. Riddle," she said, pursing her lips together. "It's a pleasure to meet you officially."
It wasn't really a pleasure. Hermione wished that she could be just about anywhere else. If there was one person that she really wished she never crossed paths with again, it was undoubtedly the extremely dangerous Tom Riddle, who seemed to hold the whole entire country in his palm. She had no doubt of what would happen to her if she would slip up and reveal to him who she really was.
"You can't fault me for my subterfuge," he answered, smirking at her. "I like to get a first impression of someone without them knowing who I am. I get to see who they really are under all the falsity, when they think I am just a nobody."
"And what did you find out about me?" she asked, wondering what it was about her that made him take a second look.
"Well, for one, you didn't treat me like a nobody, which is a rarity," he said with an amused face. He pressed his hand to her lower back. "Walk with me so that we might look at the other art Miss Lovegood has created."
They walked to the next canvas and stopped in front of it. Tom's hand did not leave her. It felt heavy and hot against her bare skin. Hermione longed for Fenrir to march over and tell Riddle who she belonged to, but he did not.
"I further found that you had quite a mind for this sort of business. But, you were not so greedy as to try to profit it from it for yourself. You simply did your job to the best of your ability," he continued praising her. "That's an even greater rarity. Why do you think that is?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Fenrir promised that I would be looked after. There was no reason to go for more money when I was getting enough," she said, though she knew it must be unusual.
Tom gave her a half-smile, teasing and unnerving at the same time. "And yet, Fenrir did not do such a good job of looking after you," he said with a tsk. "He got caught up by the police and you did as well. He let such a precious commodity slip through my fingers." He turned to face her, his dark eyes blazing.
Hermione bit her lower lip, trying to decide what to say. "It wasn't his fault. And the police couldn't keep me for long. They had no idea who I was or what I did. I let them think I was just a romantic partner to him and they cut me loose," she lied, hoping that he would take it.
"And now you have come back to us," he said, sounding extremely pleased with himself. "You've put together a rather masterful play, here, Hermione. So many people here, dying to give away their money. Everyone will come out better than they started."
"Yes and it's a silent auction, so no one can outbid you on your selected piece," she reassured him. "With the profit Luna will be turning, you won't have any trouble from her."
"But I wonder, what do you get out of this?" Tom asked, his voice seductive and dangerous.
"Antonin and I have already agreed to a fee," Hermione insisted, drawing her eyebrows together. She did not understand what he was trying to get at. "So that is what I will get out of it."
"And perhaps, assurance that you will be taken care of, regardless of whatever position Fenrir might put you in?" he asked, glancing over to her date.
Fenrir was still deep in conversation with Antonin. It looked to have grown serious and she wondered what it was that Antonin was scheming up now. As he said, there was always the next job and more money.
"I don't understand," she said, returning her gaze to the handsome man in front of her. "Fenrir and I work well together."
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to assume anything," Tom answered, indulgently. "It's just that Antonin thought there might be some lingering unhappiness between you and him."
"No, no unhappiness," Hermione said, reminded of all the time that they had spent together in the flat, practically living with one another. It was more than she could ever hope for really — a preview of what was to come next if everything worked out.
"That's good," Tom said with a frown. "But, I just wanted you to know that... well, should you ever become less fond of Greyback, well, we would still look after you. You've impressed Antonin a great deal and you've kept me happy."
"Something that I endeavor to do, of course," she said. "You are the boss, after all."
Tom chuckled at her statement. "Yes, I am," he agreed. "Fenrir is... well, he is good at what he does, but he's expendable. He can be replaced easily by half a dozen men tonight if I make the call. But it is rare that I come across someone like you, who just gets the job done and does it well."
Hermione swallowed thickly and shook her head back and forth. "Oh, well, I am quite fond of him at the moment," she said, hoping that she wouldn't upset Tom with her forcefulness on the matter. "In fact, he makes me quite happy. And I do my best work when I am happy."
He smirked at her once again. "Then I shall endeavor to keep you happy, Miss Granger," he said, indulgently. Hermione was glad that he wasn't upset being spoken to like that — like he ought to do something for her. She knew that it was dangerous and she was playing with fire. "Enjoy the rest of the auction. You'll be hearing from me."
He stepped away from here then, leaving her in front of a painting that now seemed ominous. She let out a huge breath of relief when he was gone, not realizing just how on edge the whole time he'd been with her. She could still feel the ghost of his hand where it had been on her back, searing her permanently.
Hermione frowned. She had not liked that conversation one bit, but at the same time, she did not get any impression that Tom had any idea of who she really worked for. Or the massive fall that she was setting him up for. If anything, it seemed that he wanted her to work for him more than ever. But, she did not like the idea of him thinking that Fenrir was expendable.
Frowning, she decided that she would return to the safety of her partner's side for the rest of the party. She did not want to be parted from him any longer. Refreshing her champagne on the way back to him, she found Fenrir standing with a frown on his face, Antonin nowhere in sight.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "I saw you speaking with Tom, hands all over you."
"Yes, everything is fine," she said, hoping that it was true. "There is no need to be jealous. He wasn't trying anything, he was just asking about the success of our play. And... and offering me more work in the future. What about you and Antonin? It looked like he was cooking something up with you, too."
Fenrir's frown grew deeper. "I think I need to speak with Uncle Sirius when this is over," he said, though he did not give her any details. "Tonight."