Senses

Chapter 13

Draco curled his lips to the strong smell of mud and sweat. He didn't know why his father had insisted on him coming with him. It wasn't his mission to capture the Lovegood girl so her father would stop writing positive stories about Potter. Why did he have to be exposed to the disgusting filth of the underworld? It wasn't like his father even needed him there, snatchers were the lowest of low in the ranks of the Dark Lord, only the truly insane would have even thought about doing something untoward with a marked Death eater, even one as disgraced as his father.

"It'll be just a moment, our boss is a bit...occupied."

The seedy looking man grinned darkly at Draco making a small shiver crawl up his spine. The regal blond snapped his eyes away choosing any direction but the one the man stood in to turn his cobalt eyes. There was only the man before them and another by a fire. The entire camp look like it had been made in haste, he suspected that their job required them to move around a lot.

A deep groan from the tent beyond turned both blonds attention and his father cleared his throat adjusting himself to stand just a bit straighter. It was a position Draco had long since learned meant his father was uncomfortable with the circumstance. As if standing taller would make him appear stronger. Draco, of course, had naturally absorbed the gift but not the intimidating stare that went along with it.

The man who had greeted them grinned and turned towards the tent but neither blond turned to follow. Instead, they stood at the door waiting to be greeted like they should have been from the start. Their wait wasn't unbearable but still longer than what was respectable and Draco could feel the impatience wafting off of his father. It was just when he was sure he was to go in himself when the door to the tent finally came open.

"Lucius! So sorry to keep you waiting." The man looked as though he'd been dragged through hell. His face was heavily scarred on one side with the eye a stark murky white against his weather-tanned face. He walked with a small limp but Draco was sure he wasn't as incapable as he appeared. All in all, he was definitely someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

"It better have been worth it. As you know there is a bounty on your head from the Dark Lord himself."

"And yet, you still seek my services. Quite brave of you."

"Do you have her or not?"

"I do." The man looped his thumbs into his belt loops, his head tilting a bit as though he'd heard something before his sharp green eye turned back to them, "Where's the rest of my bounty?"

Lucius jabbed Draco with his elbow, prompting the teen to pull out a pouch of galleons. As much as he didn't want to approach the man he had no choice. Swallowing down the bile that had risen in his throat from the smell of the man, he moved forward to place the pouch into his waiting hand. As he placed it inside, his eyes shot over his shoulder where the tent had remained partially open.

His heart skipped a beat when his eyes caught sight of the bed—or rather who was laid upon it. He blinked dumbly as he was surely seeing things. Her head was turned towards him, the red band around her fixed eyes searing itself into his mind. What he could see of her body was bare, her chest fluttering weakly as blood ran down the arm that had fallen to the floor. It was just a glance, but it was an image that would surely haunt him in his dreams. He was sure he was seeing an illusion, a trick of the senses brought on by the horrid smell of the man before him.

Draco dropped the coin into his waiting hand before a sharp movement caught both of their attention. They turned in unison to a dark figure that appeared to materialize out of the shadows cast in the waning sun. Draco felt his blood run cold as his Godfather came to his full height, his sharp eyes piercing directly into his soul; judging him for something he wasn't even aware he'd done.