A Game of Lies & Seduction

Loyalties

Theodore

Theo groaned as he apparated to the Mansion, “Beeky” he muttered pinching his eyes, the house elf appeared with a pop “Yes, sir?” “I need a very strong and very large coffee, and a pain potion-” he mumbled. The elf disappeared as he walked into the dining hall, Mattheo was hunched over Sophie who was working on her computer. Thomas, their drug dealer was also there, he was on the phone, and all of them were absorbed in work. “Their hiding something Mattheo, I can feel it-” Sophie said, Mattheo nodded “-Me too. Keep looking Soph,” He told her quietly. “How long have you been working? Why didnt you call sooner?” Theo asked taking a seat, Matt shook his head “Its fine, couldn't call a meeting till now-” he murmured as Draco walked in with an annoyed look. “She get home?” Mattheo asked without looking at Draco, “Left five minutes ago” He said tightly. “Who?” Theo mused accepting the pain potion and coffee from Beeky, he tossed him a chocolate coin. “Ariella” Draco said flatly, Theo leaned forward “She was here?” He asked quickly, Draco smirked at him the same time Mattheo scowled at Draco. He suddenly felt a wild pang of jealousy, that was new, he straightened and sat back in his seat.

“So what's the emergency?” He asked tightly as he tossed back the pain potion. Blaise walked in with a smile on his face “What did I miss?” He said happily taking his seat. “I want Ariella in our crew-” Mattheo said tightly texting on his phone. They all sat forward with interested excitement. “Anyone object?” He asked without looking up at them, they all grinned and shook their heads. “Perfect-” He put down his phone and looked at them “-we know Krum's working on a rare cure, he needs Sophie to help his own dealers crack the missing piece-” he looked at her, and she nodded in confirmation. “Ari confirmed the cure was for Tori, for her bloodcurse. They aren't giving Sophie all the information, so we believe he's hiding something-” He explained. “I think they might already have it Matt-” Sophie said as she looked at her computer curiously, she projected the screen to show them the research. “Here-” She pointed to the beginnings of a scientific breakdown of a potion “-they start off strong-” she pointed to the final findings of the breakdown “-and they finish strong, but the middle is messy.” She pulled up the full breakdown to explain further “-you wouldn't be able to procure an end at all let alone a strong one without the rest of the potion and its chemicals. It's like someone erased it, like their pretending.”

Blaise was scowling now, Thomas clapped a hand on his shoulder “I've got ingredients lined up throughout my connections, I can get almost as much of the stabilizing potion as you want.” Blaise let out a heavy sigh “That won't last forever though, will it?” He asked looking straight at Mattheo, he held his gaze as he slowly shook his head. “How much time does she have without a cure?” Blaise asked “If she'll let us, we can bring her in and run some tests Blaise but currently we don't know,” Sophie told him gently. “I'll convince her-” He told them, Mattheo nodded “Good, Ariella is clearly doing this for Tori, we need her on board-” Blaise nodded. “Find out where Enzo's loyalties are,” Mattheo told Theo, he looked at him with confusion. “She couldn't leave without Enzo's permission last night-” Draco retorted, coating the describing word with sarcasm. Theo shook his head “-Enzo wouldn't-” he started but remembered what she had said about being under lock & key last week.

He looked up angrily at Mattheo “You think Krum's holding her captive?” Mattheo's eyes darkened as his fist tightened “-something is keeping her there-” He said darkly. “She's sacrificing her own happiness so Tori might live, she told me she wasn't happy, that it was a small price to pay-” Draco added tightly. Theo felt uncontrollable anger bubbling up inside him, “Why the fuck did we ever stop talking to her?” Theo hissed “-she wouldn't be in this fucking situation if she had any one of us to come to instead of fucking Krum” He yelled. Blaise and Draco were staring at Mattheo as if they agreed with him, “It was safer for her-” Mattheo argued. “Oh, like your fucking breakup had nothing to do with it-” Draco snapped. Mattheo slammed his fist into the table and came nose to nose with a just as violent Draco “Would you have risked her, with Voldemort, with the Death Eaters?” He asked venomously. Draco's upper lip twitched at the memory, he dropped his eyes, Theo knew he wouldn't have, none of them would have.