The Shattered Dragon

Chapter 35: A Debt Come Due

For a company wielding so much power over the wizarding community, Archlight Printing was unassumingly situated in a narrow, three story building hidden on a colorful street of row houses in Chelsea. While a large department within the Ministry printed and sent out The Veritas every day, some of the smaller, monthly publications, legal documents and decrees more directly related to the activities of the Pureblood Council were created offsite where the Archives were held. In particular, publications like the Monthly Portkey Register.

Theo told Draco that Trevor had meetings there on Tuesdays and the rest of the staff usually steered clear hoping to avoid his inevitable temper tantrums when he didn't get his way. There were other rumors too. Rumors that Trevor had withdrawn from most of public life, that he'd developed a drinking problem and moved out of Archlight Manor to hide it. The society pages of The Veritas and Witch Weekly said he didn't look well...hadn't for months; appearing pale and gaunt with dull, unkempt hair. He was rarely seen in the company of women unless they were paid for and most pure blood whores refused his galleons because he was known throughout London to be violent, to call them all mudblood princesses, punishing them physically for some misdeed only he knew.

It was Hermione's first trip into London since she'd been thrown in jail nearly two years earlier and the city seemed threatening and gigantic, the looming buildings and shadowy alleys giving off a sense of foreboding as she walked behind Draco through the narrow streets. They'd apparated to Diagon and took the Underground to Chelsea, Draco holding tight to her hand as they crammed into the tube with the usual London commuters. None of them could know who she was or what she was doing there but still it felt as if they were staring and so she was grateful for his protection. As an extra precaution she'd chosen a simple glamour to shorten, straighten and lighten her hair and wore a simple grey skirt and jacket. Draco was in his best black suit, looking every bit the millionaire playboy he'd been only a year earlier, the two of them easily blending in with the muggles. She didn't realize she was shaking until they entered the building on Cadogan Street and Draco approached the pert looking receptionist. He squeezed Hermione's hand before letting go and whispered into her ear,

"It's ok, love, before you know it we'll be on our way home and all of this will be behind us."

The girl behind the desk couldn't have been a day over twenty and her eyes lit up at the sight of Draco's suave approach. He gave her his cockiest, smarmiest smile, dragging a hand through his hair as if modeling for a catalog and Hermione had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud at the preening display. Another part, a quiet and feral part of her that she wasn't very proud of wanted to tear the girl's eyes out for even looking at him how she did, but she swallowed that jealousy down and stood behind her Dragon waiting patiently for their moment to proceed.

In truth, Draco hadn't wanted her to come at all. He couldn't fathom that she'd ever want to see Archlight again in her life, and he didn't want to send her off into a spiral of shame and fear at the sight of him, the smell, the sound of his voice.

"I'm going," she'd told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've faced every person that ever hurt me, looked them right in the eye, and I won't let him be any different. This is the end of our story with Trevor Archlight and I want to be there for it. Besides, you need me to finish the task. I trust that you'll protect me if necessary."

His eyes had gone dark and serious in that moment and he held her chin in his hand, locking on to her gaze.

"You'll never be within a mile of this man after today if I have anything to do with it. He will never speak to you, never touch you, never hurt you again, I promise."

And Hermione believed it.

The girl behind the desk flashed a devastating smile, leaning a bit forward in her chair to show off the severely low cut of her shirt. She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth and opened her big blue eyes wide and Hermione nearly snorted at the attempt but kept her composure, straightening the cuffs on her blazer as the performance progressed.