Snyde was a vain woman, and hopeless at intimidating. You think that someone in her profession would be more self-aware, especially when both parties had already come to a settlement without her mediation. Despite that, she kept switching between glowering at me and giving me condescending smirks, as if she were keeping me intimidated while dictating the terms to poor little me.
Some people.
"You should understand this, Mr. Potter," she said snidely, "that my client is being exceptionally generous with you. Why, if I had the freedom to deal with this like I wanted, I'd have made you pay hundreds of thousands of galleons and a year to serve the Malfoys. Trying to frame a respectable pureblood scion like Master Malfoy over something this petty, why the sheer—"
I yawned, cutting her from her tirade. "Good thing that you're not in charge, then. I suppose I have to thank your client for her magnanimity for that."
Narcissa rolled her eyes.
After Narcissa had taken the desired oaths, we had sat down and discussed what she wanted. By discussion, I mean she had sunk herself down on my cock, her pussy this time, with her straggling over me, her breasts rubbing against my chest. And I'll admit, when Narcissa Malfoy gave her word, she meant it. Whatever she was offering was indeed a pleasant surprise.
Once we had gone through it all, she had cast wandless cleansing charms on both of us, followed by another set of glamour charms after we got dressed. Then she had walked out of the privacy ward and called in Snyde and Hestia for the formalities.
"Miss Snyde," said Hestia, who had resigned herself to glowering back at the woman while sitting next to me, "why don't we cut this ridiculousness and get to the settlement's clauses?"
Snyde sneered at her. "Of course. I should've known you'd lack the stomach for it. As expected of a half—"
"Merula," Narcissa snapped. "Do what I have asked you to do. Lord Potter and I are both Blacks, and we've come to an acceptable compromise over it. I'm glad he has been so forgiving of Draco despite his actions, and my offering is an act of gratitude in return. I'd ask you to not defile it with your useless commentary."
That shut Snyde up.
The solicitor's face flashed with an interesting spectrum of colours, before she exhaled loudly and focussed on the document before her. "According to this settlement offer, Lord Harry Potter will be paid a total amount of fifty-five thousand galleons, payable via cheque from the Malfoy vaults. He will also be given complete and unconditional ownership of a private property in Alfriston, East Sussex. A holiday cottage, given to Lady Malfoy as part of her dowry from the Black family. As per Gringotts's valuation, the property has a sell value upwards of forty-seven thousand galleons. Lady Malfoy will also meet with Harry Potter at Gringotts on a mutually agreed upon date, and help him inspect and navigate the property."
I nodded.
"Harry Potter will also receive a formal apology from Draco Malfoy, for his… unfortunate lack of self-control."
"Just an apology?" Hestia demanded. "He cast an unforgivable—"
"And is paying a handsome amount in gold and property to soothe the pains," said Snyde in a sickly sweet tone.
"Hestia…" I warned, and she wisely cut off.
"In return, Harry Potter will withdraw the case against Draco Malfoy and his friends Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. He will admit to some… minor antagonization on his part and refuse to testify against Draco Malfoy should the matter move to Wizengamot."
"You expect to just buy him off with your gold?" Hestia demanded.
"Yes," I said. "And yes, I agree."
"But—" Hestia exclaimed and met my eyes. I narrowed mine and nodded at her meaningfully. Obviously there was more happening than just what was officially on the document, but I couldn't put my real dealings with Narcissa on paper, could I?
Please, I thought, let it be.
I don't know if she could hear my thoughts, or if she had read my face well, but she agreed and sat down, exhaling.
"... Fine!"
"Good," I said with a smile and turned towards Snyde. "I agree to the terms. I imagine you have the property deeds and the cheque ready?"
Snyde shook her head and spoke in a reasonable tone. "Both parties will sign this document, and hold on to a copy, while I will submit the original to Gringotts. You can expect the gold transfer by midnight, while the deed transfer will require further checking and other procedures. Usually, that takes three to four days."
"Which means I'll have no way to know for sure if the property is what you claim it is." I said. Honestly, I didn't give two shits about it, but I couldn't just come across as completely lax, could I? That would be suspicious.
"That's… not a problem, sir," said Hestia. "In case there is an issue with the property, Gringotts will fine the Malfoys for financial fraud, and offer you an extra punitive relief. Even in the worst-case scenario, you'll get a gold transfer of forty-seven thousand galleons."
Mmm. Everything considered it was a win-win. I was getting a decent amount of gold added to my fortune, and by decent, I meant the equivalent of what a muggle born would end up making in multiple lifetimes of service. Then again, if compared to the vastness of the Potter fortune, and the additions I had made to it, it was practically pocket change.
Still, money was money. And I hadn't gotten to where I had in my past life by squandering it away.
With this done, I had effectively gained a powerful ally on my side, who'd guarantee my ascension to Black Lordship. All that remained was withdrawing the case, which, in the scheme of things, was remarkably easy.
I glanced at Narcissa and then nodded. "Alright."
…
…
…
"I don't believe this!" growled Gawain Robards. "You're choosing to withdraw this case? Mr. Potter, I should tell you that Draco Malfoy cast an unforgivable. You are the prime witness. If you do not testify, you'll be letting a criminal walk free! You can't tell me you're okay with that!"
Okay, so maybe I was underestimating the difficulty.
"Auror Robards," I tried, doing my best to ignore the stares I was getting from Tonks and Robards. Susan's expression was flickering between acute disbelief and glowering at me. Whatever points I had won with her were dropping faster than rain. Penelope looked pasty pale, but I couldn't care less about her. Hestia looked utterly content to play the role of the dutiful and submissive secretary, doing nothing to help me weather the aforementioned glares.
Narcissa looked at the proceedings with a frisky smile, utterly content to let me deal with the fallout.
Bitch.
"Mr. Potter," said Robards, "I do not think you really understand what you're doing. These are serious charges. Use of an unforgivable in public. Multiple counts of attempt to murder, and charges of open violence in public. Regardless of you walking away from your civic duty, Mr. Malfoy and his friends will be pushed to court. And trust me, we will call upon you as witness, under veritaserum if necessary. Plus, we have Miss Bones, Miss Abbott and Miss Clearwater as direct witnesses, as well as a list of twenty other people who can testify to it."
I clenched my fists. "If you have that many people testifying, why do you need me?"
"Because you're the victim," said Robards. "I must ask you to reconsider it. Whatever settlement you have had with Mrs. Malfoy, is it really worth it?"
He deepened his voice slightly. "Mr. Potter, are you being… threatened? Because I can assure you, I will guarantee you Auror protection. You're the Lord of a Noble and Ancient House and a celebrity. I can post permanent Auror security for you for as long as necessary. But do not do this."
"Auror Robards," said Snyde, "you're pressuring Mr. Potter."
"I'm bloody not," snapped Robards, slapping his palm against the table.
"Actually, you are," claimed Thicknesse. The guy had come back during our ongoing settlement. "Mr. Potter obviously has something to hide, which is why he's insisting on denying testimony. I told you, Robards, I can spot a crime from miles away."
"Thicknesse…" Robards growled. "Either shut up or get out."
"The Minister—" Thicknesse began.
"I will deal with the Minister myself," Robards said, "now, out."
I heard Thicknesse snap and murmur obscenities under his breath as he walked out of the room, while Robards drank a glass of water from the table before taking his seat. "Mr. Potter. I will tell this again. If you do this, you are not helping anyone. I have enough evidence to drag this matter to court, and if you refuse testimony there, it will raise questions on your character. Do you really want that?"
I exhaled. This was going out of control. If I allowed him to continue his self-righteous prattle for one more second, it'd start sewing doubts in others.
He needed to shut up. Now.
"Auror Robards," I said, keeping my voice level. "Do you have anything personal against the Malfoy family?"
The man blinked, taken by surprise at my sudden defence. Everything in his body language screamed yes, but when he opened his mouth, he said —
"No. I do not."
"Do you not understand that Draco, apart from being juvenile, is also distantly related to me by blood? I am a Black, through my great-grandmother Dorea, and he is directly descended from my… cousin, Narcissa."
Robards's nostrils flared, but he stayed silent.
"I have had time to reconsider things. I'll be candid. I played a role in the entire event. Draco and his friends behaved unacceptably with Miss Clearwater. I know I could have just stopped them directly, but doing so would've brought Miss Clearwater into this picture, and knowing the problems suffered by muggleborns, I didn't want to throw undue attention on her."
"You certainly don't have any qualms doing so, now," claimed Robards.
"She's here, isn't she?" I asked, gesturing at Penelope. "As Auror Cadet Tonks will remember, I did my best to keep her out of testifying. People like her don't get enough employment opportunities, sometimes out of bigotry, and other times, because of their pride. Miss Clearwater obviously doesn't conform to my beliefs."
Penelope blanched and let out a soft whimper. Hannah grabbed her hand in support. Susan tucked her arms under her breasts and levelled a narrow-eyed glare in my direction. Narcissa casually sat on the chair, a pose of utter indifference, though it was clear she was paying undivided attention to my actions.
"But we're digressing," I said. "I admit I could've handled things better. I could have… not taunted Draco and his friends in the manner I did. Perhaps I got a bit… carried away. Maybe if I hadn't, things wouldn't have devolved to this."
"And you're suddenly overcome with sympathy from Draco Malfoy?" asked Robards, his tone lined with disbelief.
"Not sympathy. Understanding. He's a juvenile, and if he's sent to Azkaban, it'll destroy his future. And I'll know that it was because of my actions that we lost him to such a fate. Because of my… lack of self-control, I'd damage the reputation of a Noble family and… myself as well, should I have to testify in open trial. But then, that is what settlements are for, isn't it?"
Robards fell silent.
"I've been the victim of something similar in the past, Auror Robards. Back when I was in my second year, a house-elf popped into my place and performed a hover charm, and they almost expelled me for doing so. So yes, I have some sympathy for Draco Malfoy, regardless of his actions."
Robards stood up and sighed. "This is bloody bollocks! A complete waste of time!" He stared at me with an unreadable expression for a good minute. "Potter, either you're being sincere, in which case," he shook his head, baffled. "I do not understand you. At all. Your actions are not helping anyone and getting a criminal out of jail."
I said nothing.
"Or," said Robards, "you're a person who is using this opportunity, and playing upon Draco Malfoy's misfortune to secure something vital, or Lady Malfoy is holding something vital as ransom over your head. I don't know what it is, but it is clear it is enough for you to do this."
Technically, she had done both, but there was no need for me to admit that out loud.
"Do not mistake my words, Potter. You're helping a criminal go free, but you're doing it while simultaneously cladding yourself in such moral armour as to make yourself practically unassailable. In which case, I suppose… I admire your skill in arranging matters."
He was calling me a politician. Which was… not very far off from the point.
Robards let out a soft snort. "You are free to go. But please keep this in mind. I will still push for a trial. I hope your moral armour saves your reputation for taking a hit."
"If that happens, Auror Robards," I said, with a soft smile, "I'll deal with the fallout. And I'm hoping Miss Snyde will keep things from devolving to that level. It is her job."
Something like grudging understanding tinged the woman's gaze. Narcissa, on the other hand… was smiling.
And it was genuine.
And it scared the fuck out of me.
Yeah. This is what you get for scoring out of your league.
I gave a soft smile in Robards's direction, before giving a slight nod towards Hestia, urging her to follow me out, and departed from the room.
It was over.
…
…
…
"POTTER!" came Susan's angry voice. "Potter! Don't you dare leave before facing me!"
In hindsight, I should've known better than to call it off so soon. Especially when there were a few unrequited parties at hand. Chief among them, being Susan Bones.
I sighed and urged Hestia to cast a privacy charm around us. It wouldn't do to have our debacle seen in public. At least this wasn't the Ministry Atrium, or else I'd have inquisitive heads buzzing around.
Thank God for small mercies.
I regarded the angry redhead with a resigned expression. Hannah — looking somewhat confused, and Penelope — still pale and shaking, stood behind her. Tonks, still in her Auror morph, just observed me quietly, while Susan threw me a glare, her hands on her hips, like a police officer staring down at a petty criminal.
My eyes went to her breasts, and I idly wondered how she could keep those massive titties from sagging. Magic was likely the culprit.
"My eyes are up here!"
"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," I said.
"You won't distract me this time, Potter," she growled. 'I want to know what the hell happened back there."
Damn it. She saw through it, didn't she? I looked up and opened my mouth to reply—
"And don't think I believed one word of that bullshit you were pulling out of your arse. You don't give a flying fuck about what happens to Malfoy. I saw it, Potter. It was there in your eyes. You wanted him to act the way he did, and you were bloody happy when he cast the unforgivable. And don't give me any of that crap about you both being Blacks and all that nonsense."
Crap. There went that option. She was an observant shrew, wasn't she?
"If you already know it was crap, why are you here?"
"To know the truth. Why did you let him go free? You're Lord Potter, and unless House Malfoy signed off half its fortune to you, I doubt you'd have cared. So what is it? What did Narcissa Malfoy tell you that got you to play ball?"
Even Hestia looked at me, interested. Tonks just… watched.
I met Susan's eyes. "You're right. On all counts. But tell me, do you honestly believe I'll tell you what the settlement was about?"
When Susan didn't say a word, I continued. "But this I will tell you, Miss Bones. You were right. I intended things to play out the way they did at the parlour. Miss Clearwater's treatment at Crabbe's hands was a convenient opportunity, and I have a rule against seeing others get mistreated. I saw a shot and took it."
"Then why let him walk free?" asked Hannah.
I smiled. "There are two kinds of plots, Hannah. The first are those which must succeed, where you keep the core idea as simple as possible and take every precaution. The second, are plots you can afford to fail, and with those, you can indulge yourself; test the limits of your ability to handle complications."
I turned to Hestia. "You were right. Narcissa Malfoy… she's a shark alright."
"This…" mumbled Susan. "This was the second kind, wasn't it? You were experimenting while ensuring you'd…." she paused, midway, as it hit her. "Son of a… you were aiming for that settlement. Whatever it was. Wasn't it?"
Her eyes drilled into mine.
I laughed. "Something like that."
Susan scowled. "And you roped me into participating in this twisted game of yours. You knew I'd act how I did. You sly snake! Just how much did you plan ahead? And why pull Penelope into this mess?"
I arched an eyebrow. "I'll accept all of your claims, Susan. But not that last one." I turned towards Penelope, who looked down at the floor, her hands still shaking. "I remember telling you this several times that I don't need your help. And I certainly didn't need your testimony. It'd have changed nothing."
"But — but I thought—" Penelope began.
"And who gave you permission to do that?" I glared at her. Penelope shrivelled under my gaze, which was funny given she was older and more qualified than I was. "Who told you that you can think what I was thinking? Stay in your bonnet, Clearwater!"
"Potter… Harry," said Susan, her voice toned down. "I think you're being incredibly unfair to her. She risked everything to support you in this trial."
"Well, I didn't ask her to do that, did I?" I glared at Susan, and she shut up. I laughed at Penelope, and it was cruel. "I love this twisted irony. You rejected my help because you wanted to keep your job out of your blasted pride. And now, you've lost that same job to help me with something I didn't need in the first place. Hilarious, I tell you."
Even Hestia had fallen silent. Tonks still kept on watching.
I exhaled, letting the anger dissipate from my mind. Truth be told, I wasn't as angry as I'd have them believe, but it was necessary.
"Well?" I asked her. "What will you do now?"
"... take… job… if you…" she mumbled.
"LOUDER!"
Penelope flinched. As did Hannah.
"I said," Penelope murmured, audible this time. "I was hoping you were still interested in giving me that job."
"Oh. Now you want the job, do you?" I asked. "What happened to your pride? And look at me when I'm talking to you."
Slowly, hesitatingly, Penelope met my eyes. She was shaking. "I—I—I just want to say that — "
"That what? That you stammer? I can see your confidence booming!"
Hestia grabbed my arm and pressed it softly. The meaning was clear.
"I said I want to grab the opportunity. I don't want to be — be a useless mudblood."
I said nothing.
"I — I'll do whatever job you give me. Even if it isn't what you were offering the last time. I — I'll work and prove my worth. You'll not regret giving me this opportunity."
I exhaled and turned to Hestia. "Arrange a meeting whenever it's convenient. Check her credentials and see if she fits for… you know."
Hestia nodded without a word.
I turned to Susan. "I'm… sorry I used you like that. If you'd like, I can make it up to you."
Susan snorted. "If you think you can twist this into your benefit, Potter, you've got another thing coming."
I laughed. "No. But I need a favour from you."
"And you think I'll grant you that? After all that, you pulled over me?"
"Yes."
"How do I know you'll end up using me again? How can I believe you?"
"Because you want to."
Whatever she was expecting, my answer wasn't it. Susan opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She tried again, but to no avail.
"He's got you good this time, Sue!" Hannah quipped, elbowing her.
"Shut up!" said Susan, flushing. "Fine! What do you want? And I swear if it's something perverted, I'll—"
I raised my hands in surrender. "Nothing like that. I just want a private audience with your aunt."
"What?" Susan drawled. "You messed things up with me, so you're trying on my aunt next? Fair warning, Potter. My aunt's the DMLE Director. She wouldn't even need a warrant to send you packing for Azkaban."
I laughed. "Nothing so dastardly. I just want to talk about a couple of things. Give her some… information. Oh, and it has to be off the record."
Susan narrowed her eyes. "What are you playing at, Potter?"
I smiled. "You'll see. Can you arrange it?"
She shrugged. "I guess. I'll talk to her. But she'll obviously hear about your silly games, Potter. Whether she grants you the audience after that is up to her."
"Fair enough."
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