FIC: Surrender the Grey (3/30)
Mar. 16th, 2005 01:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emmagrant01NOTE: This is the first draft of this story. The final version can be read HERE.
A bit earlier than usual, but it's well into Wednesday where I am currently. ;-) I'm still travelling, so I may not be able to respond to comments -- but please know that I appreciate them very, very much!
Title: Surrender the Grey
Author: Emma Grant
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Draco Malfoy returns to London after five years of self-imposed exile to start a new life with Harry. But will the secrets of the past destroy everything they've worked for?
Sequel to: Left My Heart. This will make much more sense if you have read that first!
Disclaimer: Not my characters, no copyright violation intended.
Length: 150,000 words
Status: COMPLETED November 2, 2005 (Posted March 2 - November 2, 2005)
Notes:
1. Please don't archive this story yet! This is the first draft, and in the next few months, it will be revised and edited. I'll post the final version on my website and a few other select archives, but in the meantime, feel free to link to this post.
2. There aren't enough words to say THANK YOU to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jedirita, hazelhawthorne, and charlotteschaos for beta-ing this story! These are some of the hardest-working betas out there, and they deserve lots of snaps for putting up with me for eight months.
3. Even though the backstory of this fic only assumes canon up through Order of the Phoenix, I stole a few cool ideas from Half Blood Prince. Cause they were cooler than mine...
Part 1 | Part 2
++++++++++++++
(3)
"And why should I help you?" Draco asked, taking one last drag off the cigarette. He blew the smoke up above his head, where it disappeared into the light haze that so often covered San Francisco. "You won't even tell me what those plans are."
Lucius's eyes glinted as they followed the cigarette Draco dropped to the pavement and put out with his shoe. He took a step forward and stroked a black-gloved finger down Draco's cheek. "All in good time, boy. There is something I want you to do."
Draco stared at him, feeling his stomach tighten. "I haven't changed my mind. I have no intention of--"
"All I ask now is for your assistance in capturing Potter," Lucius interrupted. "We know where he is. We can take him easily, but we'll need your help to control him, to convince him to cooperate."
Draco looked away and pursed his lips, thinking. He'd been walking this line for far too long. He'd been able to avoid choosing sides for longer than he'd ever thought possible, but it looked as if the end were coming at last. He turned back to his father, but found himself unable to speak: his mouth wasn't cooperating with his brain.
Lucius paused a moment, then leaned forward and brushed a kiss against Draco's cheek. "I'll contact you in the usual way," he whispered. Even his breath was cold; Draco suppressed the urge to shiver. Lucius turned and walked away.
Draco leaned against the alley wall and exhaled. I'll contact you in the usual way. He'd run the other way, if he ever saw that--
A hand grasped his wrist and whirled him around in the darkness. He shouted and lunged towards it.
And sat straight up in bed, panting.
"Shit," he whispered, rubbing at his face with one hand. "Fucking dream."
A hand touched his wrist, and he couldn't help but start.
"You okay?" Harry asked. He was squinting at Draco in the dim light.
Draco forced himself to relax. "Yeah... Sorry to wake you." He slid back under the duvet and took a deep breath.
"S'all right," Harry yawned. "Nightmare?"
"Yeah," Draco replied, turning to look at Harry. Harry's eyes were dark, and his hair was splayed all over his pillow. He looked so different without his glasses.
Harry took Draco's hand in his and squeezed it. "I hate nightmares." For a moment, he looked as if he might say something more, but he didn't.
Draco looked away, focusing instead on their intertwined fingers. Harry only wore two pieces of jewelry: a ring that used to belong to Ron and a bracelet that used to belong to Draco. Both adorned his right hand. Draco traced the ring with his thumb and toyed with the idea of asking Harry if he'd ever take it off.
He didn't have to ask about the bracelet, of course. He missed its weight on his own wrist, its reassuring smoothness against his skin. It had been a constant reminder that his mother, somewhere deep down, had cared for him. Now it was just a reminder that he cared for Harry -- far too much. He was tempted to look at Harry again, to see if that feeling was mirrored in Harry's eyes. Draco closed his eyes instead.
Harry sighed. "Draco--"
A muffled sound came from the other side of the wall. They looked at each other, surprised. The sound was there again, a little louder this time, distinctly a voice. Two voices, rather; one of them said, "Oh god..."
"Oh god." Harry's blush was even visible in the dim light.
Draco grinned and sat up, tilting his ear towards the wall. "They must've come in late. They probably don't know we're here." There was a regular pattern of moaning, a squeak indicating a shift in the mattress, a gasp of breath, and more moaning. Draco grinned at Harry.
Harry looked completely mortified. "I don't want to hear this!" he hissed, sliding down to pull the duvet over his head.
"Oh, come on," Draco teased, tugging at the duvet. "Since when are you such a prude?"
"I'm not a prude. I just don't want to... it's private and..." Harry rolled his eyes and let go of the duvet, a gesture of defeat. "Oh, it's pointless explaining this to you."
Draco snorted. "You're a prude. Just admit it."
"M'not," Harry muttered. A whimpering sound could be heard through the wall now. Draco stretched out beside Harry, listening. Harry closed his eyes and sighed. "I could have got on fine without knowing she makes that much noise in bed."
Draco rolled onto his side and leaned forward to whisper in Harry's ear. "Or what she sounds like when she's being eaten out?"
"You don't know that's what they're doing," Harry groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
Draco couldn't help but grin against Harry's cheek. "She's the only one making noise. He's never this quiet unless his mouth is occupied." He traced the shell of Harry's ear with the tip of his tongue.
Harry swallowed. "I... suppose you'd know about that."
Draco let his breath tickle Harry's ear and kept his tongue busy enough that he couldn't reply. Hermione's moans seemed to reach a crescendo, and then it was quiet for a moment. Harry took a shaky breath, then turned onto his side and kissed Draco.
It was a nice kiss: slow and sweet, the kind that builds up to frantic in a controlled way. Harry was a fantastic kisser, though Draco had never told him so. Draco had never really spent a lot of time kissing people. Kissing had always been a rough, quick prelude to sex, but with Harry, it was something else entirely. Harry pulled back until their lips were barely touching, just enough that their breath mingled. His hand stroked down Draco's side, slowly moving lower, almost teasing. Draco remained as still as he could bear. He loved the tension, and Harry was becoming very good at playing his body like this.
The sound of the headboard thumping rhythmically against the wall shattered the moment. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and then began to laugh. It was beyond a cliché; it was ridiculous, and they both were bordering on hysterical after two minutes of it. They struggled to stay quiet, staring at the ceiling and listening to the thumps and Manny's grunts and Hermione's cries.
After five minutes, Draco began to feel a bit inadequate. He stole a glance at Harry, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"He never lasted that long with me," Draco muttered.
Harry snorted. "Who could?"
"Good point," Draco replied, grinning.
"Is that...?" Harry paused, biting his lip. "Do most men take that long?"
Draco wasn't sure if this was insecurity or genuine curiosity. "Not in my experience," he replied. "But that's what women like, isn't it?"
Harry's face clouded.
The thumping sped up and became erratic, accompanied by intermittent sounds from Manny and Hermione. Then the noise ceased altogether. Draco grinned at Harry, and then applauded. Harry stared at him for a long second before finally joining in with a whoop.
"Encore!" Draco shouted, laughing.
There was silence behind the wall, and then a very distinct, "Fuck off!"
Draco grinned. Harry pulled the duvet over them both and settled down again, draping an arm across Draco's chest. Warm and comfortable, Draco closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn't dream.
+++++
24 February, 2004: Tuesday
The owl was rather unusual, though no one noticed. Its feathers were a dark grey-brown, and in certain light it almost looked black. But its most unusual feature by far was a white mark on its breast: nearly a circle, as if someone had taken a paintbrush in hand and made a swirling swipe at the bird.
It fluttered to a rooftop, scanning the ledges of the building below for pigeon chicks left alone in their nests. One pigeon eyed the owl suspiciously, cocking his head and cooing, settling down further in his nest. His mate paced nervously beside him, keeping an eye on the owl as well.
The owl turned its gaze to the street below, which was bustling with people on their way to work. None of them looked up. The owl's eyes followed a few as they walked: an old man carrying a sack of fruit home from the green grocer; two school children chattering to each other and swinging their satchels about; a young woman carrying a briefcase and rushing to work. The owl turned its attention back to the pigeons.
The young woman on the street below checked her watch and frowned, then ducked in the door of a Pret a Manger. She ordered two caffe lattes and a pastry at the counter, smiling when the cashier flirted with her through a thick eastern European accent. She brushed her dark hair out of her face, collected her purchases, and winked at him, earning a smile that revealed a bit too much information about the man's dental history. A middle-aged man in a stylish coat opened the door for her when she reached it. She smiled her thanks, ducking her head just a little.
Back on the pavement, she veered onto a side street and narrowly avoided colliding with a man in a smart suit -- who apologized and tried to engage her in conversation before she politely repeated that it was fine, no harm done. She had to get to work, she said, perfect red lips quirking into an amused smile. He watched her walk away with a sigh.
She rounded a corner and stopped before an antique shop. Its windows were full of dusty objects, and the sign on the door was turned to 'closed'. It was always closed, though no one noticed. It was an altogether unremarkable shop on a quiet street.
The woman looked up and down the street, then whispered a word to the peeling paint on the door. She paused for a moment more, and then stepped right through solid wood into a brightly-lit office building.
She walked past a receptionist, who barely gave her a glance, and headed toward a suite of offices in the back. She walked through another door into a large room containing several desks, computers, various pieces of equipment, and a variety of exotic houseplants. A man sat at one desk, tapping at a keyboard and staring intently at the screen of his computer.
She contemplated him for a moment, taking off her coat and settling the coffee and her briefcase on a desk. She picked up one of the cups of coffee and walked over to him.
"Good morning," he said, not looking up from what he was doing.
She placed the cup next to the keyboard, then perched on the edge of his desk. "Latte, with a shot of hazelnut syrup." She crossed her legs and her short skirt hitched up a bit. She let her voice lower a notch. "Just like you like it, Mr. Padilla."
Manny glanced up at her, and seemed a bit startled by the view. "Good morning," he repeated. He picked up his coffee. "Thanks."
She smiled and leaned forward so she could see the monitor. "What are you working on?"
"That lead you were supposed to investigate," he replied, sipping his coffee.
She bit her lush red lower lip. "Oops. I was going to get to that this morning."
Manny raised one eyebrow. "Sure you were. Well, if you're going to be late, bringing me coffee certainly smooths the blow."
"Anything else I can do to atone?" she asked. She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and smiled, lips parted just a little.
"No," Manny replied, turning back to his work.
"Are you sure?" She leaned forward a bit more.
Manny's eyes darted up, first to her exposed cleavage and then to her face. He realized what he'd done a moment too late, and winced.
The woman grinned. "I'm going to tell your girlfriend you looked down my blouse."
"And I'm going to tell your boyfriend you were flirting with me," he retorted. "Now will you please get your lovely ass off my desk and get to work?"
She grinned and hopped to her feet, straightening her skirt. A wolf whistle sounded behind her.
"Hey, baby!" A young man was leaning against the door frame. "Where's my coffee?"
She shot him an annoyed glance. "Get your own fucking coffee."
"Oooh, testy," he replied, smirking. "That time of the month?"
She rolled her eyes and flipped him off.
"All right folks, enough," Manny interrupted. "Meeting today, remember? Ben, have you got that report finished?"
"Almost," Ben replied, and disappeared from the doorway.
"And you're not going to the meeting like that," Manny said, turning to the woman.
She leaned against her desk and smiled. "Why, am I distracting you?"
"Yes," he replied, turning back to his keyboard.
"I think you like it."
He ignored her, scrolling through a spreadsheet instead.
After a moment, she heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, all right. Finite incantatum. " Her image shimmered, and then Draco Malfoy stood in her place. "You know, people are terribly nice to pretty girls."
Manny smirked. "Thinking of making the change permanent?"
Draco snorted. "Very funny." He settled behind his desk. "If you wouldn't mind sending me those files--"
"The ones I've been working on?" Manny asked, a note of false indignation in his voice.
"And I do appreciate it so," Draco replied, not looking up from his own monitor, which was firing to life. He pushed his glasses up his nose and affected his best Brooklyn accent. "Make it snappy, wouldja?" The computer whined. "Shit, more updates for Wizard XM already?"
"Yes," Manny snorted. "I told you we should've gone with Linux. They have a fantastic magical interface. But no--"
"I know, I know. I've sold my soul to Microsoft."
Manny's wand tapped the screen of his monitor. "Epistula."
Several files appeared on Draco's monitor. He opened one, only to have a pop-up window appear, telling him he had to restart his computer immediately so the new Wizard XM updates could be integrated. "Or risk certain system failure and destruction! " the pop-up warned, complete with the image of a cranky-looking wizard scowling and shaking his head at Draco.
"Fine," Draco grumbled, and passed a hand over the screen.
"Updating! " the screen displayed in a cheery font. "Why not step out for a cup of delicious StarbucksTM coffee while you wait? "
Draco took a sip from his Pret latte and opened his briefcase. He had several leads to follow, so many that it was hard to know where to begin. Ordinarily, it would have been a challenge to relish. He liked sneaking about, assuming false identities and gaining the trust of unsuspecting people. But having a price on his head took a bit of the fun out of the job. Glamours were a way of getting around the Muggle world unrecognized, but they wouldn't do him much good when he started tracking down Death Eaters.
And the more he thought about it, the more realized that was what he'd likely have to do. He couldn't see another way out of this mess.
+++++
At 11:00, they apparated to the Ministry office on Farringdon where Harry and Hermione worked. Hermione's assistant Peggy met them in the apparition room. She was a cute, slender brunette -- and the model for Draco's morning glamour charm. Ben flashed her a big California smile, and she winked at him. Manny and Draco had a bet going on how much longer it would be before those two started shagging.
As they headed toward the meeting room, Draco felt a knot twist in his stomach. He hadn't seen Harry since Sunday afternoon. They'd disagreed on what to do that evening, and the simplest solution had been to go their separate ways. Monday had been busy and by evening Draco hadn't yet heard from Harry. So naturally, he didn't seek him out; he waited for Harry to call or owl with plans for dinner, or to apparate over while Draco was watching telly, or to show up just in time to slip into bed with him. He'd finally gone to bed after midnight without hearing from Harry at all.
Harry was already in the meeting room conferring quietly with Director Bass, and didn't look up when they entered. Hermione glanced up from the notes she was studying and smiled. She'd been mortified Sunday morning after being overheard in the throes of orgasm. Draco had taken great pleasure in teasing her throughout breakfast. "This scone is sooooo good, ohhh, god…" Harry'd had to kick him rather hard before he'd finally stopped.
Harry wasn't still cross about that, was he?
They took their seats around the small conference table. Peggy brought a pot of tea and some biscuits, then settled at the end of the table with a dictation quill and a scroll. She whispered to it and it began scribbling.
"I'll begin," Harry said, standing to hand out copies of a report.
Manny would probably grumble later that Harry could have simply emailed everyone the file in advance to save time. Manny and Ben had both been surprised that British wizards used so little Muggle technology.
Harry had yet to make eye contact with Draco, or to greet him in any way. Draco sighed, pushing his glasses up on his nose. He'd only worn them today because Harry always seemed to like them. Desperation did not become him, that was for certain.
His copy of the report was dropped onto the table in front of him. There was a yellow magic-stick note on top, and on it was printed in Harry's tiny scrawl: Missed you yesterday. And just like that, the knot in Draco's belly dissolved. He looked up to see Harry settling back down at his seat.
"We've heard reports of Death Eater activity outside of Durham," Harry said, "which wouldn't ordinarily be of interest to our investigation, but in this case, the activity occurred during an official visit by unidentified persons on classified Ministry business."
"And you have no idea who those visitors were?" Manny asked.
"We have some leads," Harry replied.
"Leads," Draco repeated, digging out a quill and carefully writing, Me too -- lunch? on the magic-stick note. "That's all we've got as well. In fact--" He dug his working file out of his briefcase and rifled through the pages. He pressed the magic-stick note to the top page and handed his list of leads to Harry. "These are the ones we're investigating at the moment. Suspicious travel is one of the flags we look for. Maybe there's some overlap."
"Unfortunately, there's not much suspicious about a trip to Durham," Hermione quipped.
"North Carolina?" Ben whispered to Manny. Manny gave him a long look.
Harry studied Draco's list, making a few notes on it as he did. "We can give you classified information on these, up to Level 5. Beyond that--" He glanced at Bass, and they exchanged a meaningful look. Bass nodded. Harry handed the paper back to Draco. "If you send me a copy of this, I'll see what I can do."
Draco glanced at the page. Harry'd written Got a meeting. Dinner? Draco looked up and smiled. "That would be fantastic."
+++++
Part 4
A bit earlier than usual, but it's well into Wednesday where I am currently. ;-) I'm still travelling, so I may not be able to respond to comments -- but please know that I appreciate them very, very much!
Title: Surrender the Grey
Author: Emma Grant
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Draco Malfoy returns to London after five years of self-imposed exile to start a new life with Harry. But will the secrets of the past destroy everything they've worked for?
Sequel to: Left My Heart. This will make much more sense if you have read that first!
Disclaimer: Not my characters, no copyright violation intended.
Length: 150,000 words
Status: COMPLETED November 2, 2005 (Posted March 2 - November 2, 2005)
Notes:
1. Please don't archive this story yet! This is the first draft, and in the next few months, it will be revised and edited. I'll post the final version on my website and a few other select archives, but in the meantime, feel free to link to this post.
2. There aren't enough words to say THANK YOU to
jedirita, hazelhawthorne, and charlotteschaos for beta-ing this story! These are some of the hardest-working betas out there, and they deserve lots of snaps for putting up with me for eight months.3. Even though the backstory of this fic only assumes canon up through Order of the Phoenix, I stole a few cool ideas from Half Blood Prince. Cause they were cooler than mine...
Part 1 | Part 2
++++++++++++++
(3)
"And why should I help you?" Draco asked, taking one last drag off the cigarette. He blew the smoke up above his head, where it disappeared into the light haze that so often covered San Francisco. "You won't even tell me what those plans are."
Lucius's eyes glinted as they followed the cigarette Draco dropped to the pavement and put out with his shoe. He took a step forward and stroked a black-gloved finger down Draco's cheek. "All in good time, boy. There is something I want you to do."
Draco stared at him, feeling his stomach tighten. "I haven't changed my mind. I have no intention of--"
"All I ask now is for your assistance in capturing Potter," Lucius interrupted. "We know where he is. We can take him easily, but we'll need your help to control him, to convince him to cooperate."
Draco looked away and pursed his lips, thinking. He'd been walking this line for far too long. He'd been able to avoid choosing sides for longer than he'd ever thought possible, but it looked as if the end were coming at last. He turned back to his father, but found himself unable to speak: his mouth wasn't cooperating with his brain.
Lucius paused a moment, then leaned forward and brushed a kiss against Draco's cheek. "I'll contact you in the usual way," he whispered. Even his breath was cold; Draco suppressed the urge to shiver. Lucius turned and walked away.
Draco leaned against the alley wall and exhaled. I'll contact you in the usual way. He'd run the other way, if he ever saw that--
A hand grasped his wrist and whirled him around in the darkness. He shouted and lunged towards it.
And sat straight up in bed, panting.
"Shit," he whispered, rubbing at his face with one hand. "Fucking dream."
A hand touched his wrist, and he couldn't help but start.
"You okay?" Harry asked. He was squinting at Draco in the dim light.
Draco forced himself to relax. "Yeah... Sorry to wake you." He slid back under the duvet and took a deep breath.
"S'all right," Harry yawned. "Nightmare?"
"Yeah," Draco replied, turning to look at Harry. Harry's eyes were dark, and his hair was splayed all over his pillow. He looked so different without his glasses.
Harry took Draco's hand in his and squeezed it. "I hate nightmares." For a moment, he looked as if he might say something more, but he didn't.
Draco looked away, focusing instead on their intertwined fingers. Harry only wore two pieces of jewelry: a ring that used to belong to Ron and a bracelet that used to belong to Draco. Both adorned his right hand. Draco traced the ring with his thumb and toyed with the idea of asking Harry if he'd ever take it off.
He didn't have to ask about the bracelet, of course. He missed its weight on his own wrist, its reassuring smoothness against his skin. It had been a constant reminder that his mother, somewhere deep down, had cared for him. Now it was just a reminder that he cared for Harry -- far too much. He was tempted to look at Harry again, to see if that feeling was mirrored in Harry's eyes. Draco closed his eyes instead.
Harry sighed. "Draco--"
A muffled sound came from the other side of the wall. They looked at each other, surprised. The sound was there again, a little louder this time, distinctly a voice. Two voices, rather; one of them said, "Oh god..."
"Oh god." Harry's blush was even visible in the dim light.
Draco grinned and sat up, tilting his ear towards the wall. "They must've come in late. They probably don't know we're here." There was a regular pattern of moaning, a squeak indicating a shift in the mattress, a gasp of breath, and more moaning. Draco grinned at Harry.
Harry looked completely mortified. "I don't want to hear this!" he hissed, sliding down to pull the duvet over his head.
"Oh, come on," Draco teased, tugging at the duvet. "Since when are you such a prude?"
"I'm not a prude. I just don't want to... it's private and..." Harry rolled his eyes and let go of the duvet, a gesture of defeat. "Oh, it's pointless explaining this to you."
Draco snorted. "You're a prude. Just admit it."
"M'not," Harry muttered. A whimpering sound could be heard through the wall now. Draco stretched out beside Harry, listening. Harry closed his eyes and sighed. "I could have got on fine without knowing she makes that much noise in bed."
Draco rolled onto his side and leaned forward to whisper in Harry's ear. "Or what she sounds like when she's being eaten out?"
"You don't know that's what they're doing," Harry groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
Draco couldn't help but grin against Harry's cheek. "She's the only one making noise. He's never this quiet unless his mouth is occupied." He traced the shell of Harry's ear with the tip of his tongue.
Harry swallowed. "I... suppose you'd know about that."
Draco let his breath tickle Harry's ear and kept his tongue busy enough that he couldn't reply. Hermione's moans seemed to reach a crescendo, and then it was quiet for a moment. Harry took a shaky breath, then turned onto his side and kissed Draco.
It was a nice kiss: slow and sweet, the kind that builds up to frantic in a controlled way. Harry was a fantastic kisser, though Draco had never told him so. Draco had never really spent a lot of time kissing people. Kissing had always been a rough, quick prelude to sex, but with Harry, it was something else entirely. Harry pulled back until their lips were barely touching, just enough that their breath mingled. His hand stroked down Draco's side, slowly moving lower, almost teasing. Draco remained as still as he could bear. He loved the tension, and Harry was becoming very good at playing his body like this.
The sound of the headboard thumping rhythmically against the wall shattered the moment. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and then began to laugh. It was beyond a cliché; it was ridiculous, and they both were bordering on hysterical after two minutes of it. They struggled to stay quiet, staring at the ceiling and listening to the thumps and Manny's grunts and Hermione's cries.
After five minutes, Draco began to feel a bit inadequate. He stole a glance at Harry, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"He never lasted that long with me," Draco muttered.
Harry snorted. "Who could?"
"Good point," Draco replied, grinning.
"Is that...?" Harry paused, biting his lip. "Do most men take that long?"
Draco wasn't sure if this was insecurity or genuine curiosity. "Not in my experience," he replied. "But that's what women like, isn't it?"
Harry's face clouded.
The thumping sped up and became erratic, accompanied by intermittent sounds from Manny and Hermione. Then the noise ceased altogether. Draco grinned at Harry, and then applauded. Harry stared at him for a long second before finally joining in with a whoop.
"Encore!" Draco shouted, laughing.
There was silence behind the wall, and then a very distinct, "Fuck off!"
Draco grinned. Harry pulled the duvet over them both and settled down again, draping an arm across Draco's chest. Warm and comfortable, Draco closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn't dream.
+++++
24 February, 2004: Tuesday
The owl was rather unusual, though no one noticed. Its feathers were a dark grey-brown, and in certain light it almost looked black. But its most unusual feature by far was a white mark on its breast: nearly a circle, as if someone had taken a paintbrush in hand and made a swirling swipe at the bird.
It fluttered to a rooftop, scanning the ledges of the building below for pigeon chicks left alone in their nests. One pigeon eyed the owl suspiciously, cocking his head and cooing, settling down further in his nest. His mate paced nervously beside him, keeping an eye on the owl as well.
The owl turned its gaze to the street below, which was bustling with people on their way to work. None of them looked up. The owl's eyes followed a few as they walked: an old man carrying a sack of fruit home from the green grocer; two school children chattering to each other and swinging their satchels about; a young woman carrying a briefcase and rushing to work. The owl turned its attention back to the pigeons.
The young woman on the street below checked her watch and frowned, then ducked in the door of a Pret a Manger. She ordered two caffe lattes and a pastry at the counter, smiling when the cashier flirted with her through a thick eastern European accent. She brushed her dark hair out of her face, collected her purchases, and winked at him, earning a smile that revealed a bit too much information about the man's dental history. A middle-aged man in a stylish coat opened the door for her when she reached it. She smiled her thanks, ducking her head just a little.
Back on the pavement, she veered onto a side street and narrowly avoided colliding with a man in a smart suit -- who apologized and tried to engage her in conversation before she politely repeated that it was fine, no harm done. She had to get to work, she said, perfect red lips quirking into an amused smile. He watched her walk away with a sigh.
She rounded a corner and stopped before an antique shop. Its windows were full of dusty objects, and the sign on the door was turned to 'closed'. It was always closed, though no one noticed. It was an altogether unremarkable shop on a quiet street.
The woman looked up and down the street, then whispered a word to the peeling paint on the door. She paused for a moment more, and then stepped right through solid wood into a brightly-lit office building.
She walked past a receptionist, who barely gave her a glance, and headed toward a suite of offices in the back. She walked through another door into a large room containing several desks, computers, various pieces of equipment, and a variety of exotic houseplants. A man sat at one desk, tapping at a keyboard and staring intently at the screen of his computer.
She contemplated him for a moment, taking off her coat and settling the coffee and her briefcase on a desk. She picked up one of the cups of coffee and walked over to him.
"Good morning," he said, not looking up from what he was doing.
She placed the cup next to the keyboard, then perched on the edge of his desk. "Latte, with a shot of hazelnut syrup." She crossed her legs and her short skirt hitched up a bit. She let her voice lower a notch. "Just like you like it, Mr. Padilla."
Manny glanced up at her, and seemed a bit startled by the view. "Good morning," he repeated. He picked up his coffee. "Thanks."
She smiled and leaned forward so she could see the monitor. "What are you working on?"
"That lead you were supposed to investigate," he replied, sipping his coffee.
She bit her lush red lower lip. "Oops. I was going to get to that this morning."
Manny raised one eyebrow. "Sure you were. Well, if you're going to be late, bringing me coffee certainly smooths the blow."
"Anything else I can do to atone?" she asked. She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and smiled, lips parted just a little.
"No," Manny replied, turning back to his work.
"Are you sure?" She leaned forward a bit more.
Manny's eyes darted up, first to her exposed cleavage and then to her face. He realized what he'd done a moment too late, and winced.
The woman grinned. "I'm going to tell your girlfriend you looked down my blouse."
"And I'm going to tell your boyfriend you were flirting with me," he retorted. "Now will you please get your lovely ass off my desk and get to work?"
She grinned and hopped to her feet, straightening her skirt. A wolf whistle sounded behind her.
"Hey, baby!" A young man was leaning against the door frame. "Where's my coffee?"
She shot him an annoyed glance. "Get your own fucking coffee."
"Oooh, testy," he replied, smirking. "That time of the month?"
She rolled her eyes and flipped him off.
"All right folks, enough," Manny interrupted. "Meeting today, remember? Ben, have you got that report finished?"
"Almost," Ben replied, and disappeared from the doorway.
"And you're not going to the meeting like that," Manny said, turning to the woman.
She leaned against her desk and smiled. "Why, am I distracting you?"
"Yes," he replied, turning back to his keyboard.
"I think you like it."
He ignored her, scrolling through a spreadsheet instead.
After a moment, she heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, all right. Finite incantatum. " Her image shimmered, and then Draco Malfoy stood in her place. "You know, people are terribly nice to pretty girls."
Manny smirked. "Thinking of making the change permanent?"
Draco snorted. "Very funny." He settled behind his desk. "If you wouldn't mind sending me those files--"
"The ones I've been working on?" Manny asked, a note of false indignation in his voice.
"And I do appreciate it so," Draco replied, not looking up from his own monitor, which was firing to life. He pushed his glasses up his nose and affected his best Brooklyn accent. "Make it snappy, wouldja?" The computer whined. "Shit, more updates for Wizard XM already?"
"Yes," Manny snorted. "I told you we should've gone with Linux. They have a fantastic magical interface. But no--"
"I know, I know. I've sold my soul to Microsoft."
Manny's wand tapped the screen of his monitor. "Epistula."
Several files appeared on Draco's monitor. He opened one, only to have a pop-up window appear, telling him he had to restart his computer immediately so the new Wizard XM updates could be integrated. "Or risk certain system failure and destruction! " the pop-up warned, complete with the image of a cranky-looking wizard scowling and shaking his head at Draco.
"Fine," Draco grumbled, and passed a hand over the screen.
"Updating! " the screen displayed in a cheery font. "Why not step out for a cup of delicious StarbucksTM coffee while you wait? "
Draco took a sip from his Pret latte and opened his briefcase. He had several leads to follow, so many that it was hard to know where to begin. Ordinarily, it would have been a challenge to relish. He liked sneaking about, assuming false identities and gaining the trust of unsuspecting people. But having a price on his head took a bit of the fun out of the job. Glamours were a way of getting around the Muggle world unrecognized, but they wouldn't do him much good when he started tracking down Death Eaters.
And the more he thought about it, the more realized that was what he'd likely have to do. He couldn't see another way out of this mess.
+++++
At 11:00, they apparated to the Ministry office on Farringdon where Harry and Hermione worked. Hermione's assistant Peggy met them in the apparition room. She was a cute, slender brunette -- and the model for Draco's morning glamour charm. Ben flashed her a big California smile, and she winked at him. Manny and Draco had a bet going on how much longer it would be before those two started shagging.
As they headed toward the meeting room, Draco felt a knot twist in his stomach. He hadn't seen Harry since Sunday afternoon. They'd disagreed on what to do that evening, and the simplest solution had been to go their separate ways. Monday had been busy and by evening Draco hadn't yet heard from Harry. So naturally, he didn't seek him out; he waited for Harry to call or owl with plans for dinner, or to apparate over while Draco was watching telly, or to show up just in time to slip into bed with him. He'd finally gone to bed after midnight without hearing from Harry at all.
Harry was already in the meeting room conferring quietly with Director Bass, and didn't look up when they entered. Hermione glanced up from the notes she was studying and smiled. She'd been mortified Sunday morning after being overheard in the throes of orgasm. Draco had taken great pleasure in teasing her throughout breakfast. "This scone is sooooo good, ohhh, god…" Harry'd had to kick him rather hard before he'd finally stopped.
Harry wasn't still cross about that, was he?
They took their seats around the small conference table. Peggy brought a pot of tea and some biscuits, then settled at the end of the table with a dictation quill and a scroll. She whispered to it and it began scribbling.
"I'll begin," Harry said, standing to hand out copies of a report.
Manny would probably grumble later that Harry could have simply emailed everyone the file in advance to save time. Manny and Ben had both been surprised that British wizards used so little Muggle technology.
Harry had yet to make eye contact with Draco, or to greet him in any way. Draco sighed, pushing his glasses up on his nose. He'd only worn them today because Harry always seemed to like them. Desperation did not become him, that was for certain.
His copy of the report was dropped onto the table in front of him. There was a yellow magic-stick note on top, and on it was printed in Harry's tiny scrawl: Missed you yesterday. And just like that, the knot in Draco's belly dissolved. He looked up to see Harry settling back down at his seat.
"We've heard reports of Death Eater activity outside of Durham," Harry said, "which wouldn't ordinarily be of interest to our investigation, but in this case, the activity occurred during an official visit by unidentified persons on classified Ministry business."
"And you have no idea who those visitors were?" Manny asked.
"We have some leads," Harry replied.
"Leads," Draco repeated, digging out a quill and carefully writing, Me too -- lunch? on the magic-stick note. "That's all we've got as well. In fact--" He dug his working file out of his briefcase and rifled through the pages. He pressed the magic-stick note to the top page and handed his list of leads to Harry. "These are the ones we're investigating at the moment. Suspicious travel is one of the flags we look for. Maybe there's some overlap."
"Unfortunately, there's not much suspicious about a trip to Durham," Hermione quipped.
"North Carolina?" Ben whispered to Manny. Manny gave him a long look.
Harry studied Draco's list, making a few notes on it as he did. "We can give you classified information on these, up to Level 5. Beyond that--" He glanced at Bass, and they exchanged a meaningful look. Bass nodded. Harry handed the paper back to Draco. "If you send me a copy of this, I'll see what I can do."
Draco glanced at the page. Harry'd written Got a meeting. Dinner? Draco looked up and smiled. "That would be fantastic."
+++++
Part 4
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Date: 2005-03-16 09:03 am (UTC)Waiting for more H/D action.
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Date: 2005-03-22 03:40 am (UTC)