Bad [Harry Potter Fanfiction] (Bad Series: 1)

19 | Another shot

Vander was late. Ginny checked her watch for the fourth time. Stretching back against the wall in Kockturn Alley, the shadows hiding her from the view of curious glances. She yawned. She'd been waiting for half an hour. She glanced at her watch again. Where was he?  If he didn't show soon, she couldn't be held accountable for her actions. She was still ticked about last night with her meeting with Malfoy. Whenever she thought about it, a throbbing started behind her eyes.

Where the hell was he?

She folded the Daily Prophet under her arm. Still nothing about the robbery. Had the Ministry silenced the truth? She didn't know why she was surprised.

Ginny heard him coming down the alleyway. Her wand in hand, Vander turned the corner to his usual spot beside Borgin and Burkes but jumped back, a soft cry on his lips, when he felt the stick in his stomach.

Arms shot up. "Don't, I'm unarmed!" He cried, not even reaching for his wand.

She snorted. "Like hell you are." She pulled back and grinned at him. "Good afternoon, Vander."

He groaned, turning around and shaking his head. He came back around. Her smile grew. Abram Vander did not enjoy her visits, but she wasn't here to make friends. If she allowed him or any of the others in this line of work walk all over her, she would've been dead a long time ago.

She brushed blond hair behind her ears and stepped a little into the light. 

Vander frowned, brushing his fingers through his graying hair. "What can I do for you, Ms. Elizabeth?"

"A stolen item, of course," she told him. "And I need it quickly." She stepped towards him, and he retreated. In the crime world, it was always a dance. An endless cycle of chasing.

He licked his lips and rubbed his hands together."How quickly are we talking?"

"As soon as possible. It's a rush job." She stopped and frowned then ran her tongue over her teeth. "Unfortunately, I had dessert before dinner. Bad of me, but that's just me." She shrugged, a grin pulling onto her lips.

Vander crossed his arms, eyebrows furrowing. "Depends on the money and exactly what the item is."

Her head tilted. "Money? Did you already forget my last visit?" Her eyebrow rose.

He gulped. "Wait-" He stopped, eyes widening and hands held up between them.

"I gave you plenty of galleons. Did you forget?" She crossed her arms. "This isn't how you play fair, Vander. I don't like that." She exhaled. "Do you want me to find someone else to help me?"

He waved his hands. "No! I remember now! I do! Really! Yeah, you gave me more than enough last time. I-" He stopped and cleared his throat.

She grinned. "That's what I thought." She stepped back and leaned against the wall.

"Tell me what you need." He rubbed his hands together.

She wanted to pat him on the shoulder but figured he would jump out of his bones. "I need blueprints to a manor," she said.

"Blueprints?" he asked. "Why do you need blueprints?"

"Not why, but whose?"

Vander got the meaning and backed off of the information. "Yeah, I meant whose blueprints of whose manor?"

Ginny nodded. "Now you're getting it."

"Is this about the Black Locket?" He chanced a guess. "Did you find out where it is?"

It would probably move things along faster if she shared with him. "Yes, I found it. I'll need blueprints for the Parkinson Manor as soon as possible, Vander. Like yesterday. Do you understand?"