Deal with the Devil
DRACO
Draco leaned back in his throne-chair and let his thin fingers play with the velvet armrest.
“There is a meeting with Koyoto, Stella Crayton, and Tarish Soom happening a week from now at The Sinful Thirst . I want a seat at the table.”
Harvati’s eyebrows raised.
“How’d you even - “
“You will introduce me as your nephew,” Draco went on. “As your trustworthy apprentice.”
Harvati hesitated, but the deal was already as good as done in Draco’s mind.
“...and?” the older man drew his hand over his weary face like Draco was a child asking too many annoying questions.
Draco swallowed the resentment down and smiled, “You will conduct your meeting. And I will listen.”
“You couldn’t just send a spy or something?”
“I keep my cards close to my chest Emile. But don’t worry.” He narrowed his eyes in a way that was extremely worrying. “I have no intention of harming you or your empire,” he grinned. “You’re my uncle after all.”
By the time Harry was brought in by four guards, Draco and Harvati were already shaking hands.
The two women holding him shoved Harry to the floor and Draco internally cringed from the knocking sound his knees made. Draco could see Harry’s lip twitch smugly through the messy hair in his eyes.
He gave Draco a look. I did it .
So reliable.
Good boy .
He turned back to Harvati and noticed the man’s lingering gaze from Harry to himself, as if gaging the potential exploitation value he could procure from them via torture of the other.
Draco scowled.
“I need him. Harvati. You try anything and poachers will be at your doorstep within the hour.”
Harvati laughed. “With you, I can’t tell if you’re bluffing, or if you’re just that anal that you have a backup for your backup.”
“Does it make a difference?”
“I guess not.”
HARRY
He might be the one with hands tied behind his back, but they were the ones whose thoughts and plans will now be up for purchase. He had placed an “ Earstone ” device that Draco had invented himself at the centermost, highest point on the Manor’s roof.
From now on, everything said would be recorded and transfered to the matching opal-like Earstone around Draco’s ring finger. Harry smiled in satisfaction.
Draco smiled ever so slightly back before turning back to face the Governor. His smile shifted into threatening seriousness.
“I need him, Harvati. You try anything and poachers will be at your doorstep within the hour.”
Harvati laughed. “With you, I can’t tell if you’re bluffing, or if you’re just that anal that you have a backup for your backup-”
Harry tuned out the man’s gravely voice out, instead focusing on the side of his companion’s face. The flickering light cast from the candles in the room hit the boy’s brow and cheekbones in all the right places, leaving his eyes in indecipherable shadow.
He wasn’t sure why Draco had timed this “meeting” to land on the full moon. He wasn’t sure why he had insisted that Harry carry a silver knife. He wasn’t sure , but he also wasn’t an idiot and could piece the reasons together well enough. Well enough to hope that what Draco said about Camila not being mentally present anymore was true and that Plan C wouldn’t have to happen.
“Alright. Give it here.” Harvati opened an uncalloused, impatient hand to him.
Draco nodded and Harry instantly rolled over a vial of Mind Tonic to him before the guards could react. Draco stopped it with his pointed boot, just the right amount of pressure to keep the thin glass from cracking.
Harvati groaned and rubbed a hand over his weathered features.
Draco had left the vial with Harry because he had expected him to be captured.
Just not as quickly as it panned out. Luckily for them, the devil worked fast and Harry worked faster. He had been able to plant the Earstone and recite the activation spell in record time today, his feet kicking dead leaves over the incriminating evidence as guards pulled him away by the arms.
Draco bent down and handed the bargaining chip over to Harvati. The man turned the thumb-sized vial over in his hands, examining the impossibly blue liquid that squirmed inside of it like a miniature ocean.
"Satisfied?" Draco adjusted his cufflinks.
"Hmmm…" he pulled out an enchanted monocle swirling with faint red lights and used it to examine the vial.
Harry rolled his eyes. Amateur.
“You will be receiving a letter with more instructions tomorrow," Draco continued. "I suggest that you follow them.”
Haravti just stared at him like he could bore holes into his eyes if he tried hard enough.
Draco nodded as if they had just finished brunch and stood up. Meeting adjourned.
“Wait.”
Harvati got up and strode towards the door, too transfixed on the vial to even look up.
“Come with me.” He dismissed the guards holding Harry's arms. They let go, but stayed in his personal bubble, practically breathing down his neck as they herded Draco and Harry toward the governor’s disappearing footsteps. “You can leave once my Camelia is back.” He called over his shoulder.
“I never sell counterfeit products.” Draco picked at a piece of lint on his sleeve.
Harry caught his eye, tilting his chin questioningly. Should we attack?
No, we're good. Draco flexed his hand. Do you still have knives?
Of course I still have knives. I’m insulted you would even ask.
“Ay! Stop exchanging looks like that.”
One of the guards shoved Harry’s messy head of hair forward. Draco all but bared his teeth back at her. He exchanged a look with Harry.
“Stop that!”
They almost walked into Harvati who had suddenly stopped in front of a dented cellar door.
He raised a ringed fist, rapping against the silver metal twice, and then twice again.
The knock seemed to echo forever.
“Camila? Sweetheart? I’m coming in love-” he pulled out a necklace that had been hiding under his shirt and used the copper key wrapped around it to open the door.
It opened, and they were met with the most fucked-up little girl’s room you had ever seen.