Blood Vengeance

Chapter 13

Published: August 31, 2022

Although Harry had rarely watched the telly growing up, he couldn't help but feel that the spa was a cliché out of a muggle police show. Complete with a shady owner in expensive designer clothes and goddy makeup. The "massage therapists" were lounging around on red sofas waiting for clients, while new arrivals were whisked down the hallway to private rooms. He probably should have changed before he walked in, as one wizard, who was chatting up two girls, suddenly got up and rushed out the door.

Fool. Harry had looked right at him, but he turned to the dominatrix, who quickly approached him. "Good evening, madam."

"Hello, Auror. We have already talked to your friends. I'm sorry, but I have seen neither individual, and I must ask you not...."

"Look, I'm sure that this is a very well-rehearsed speech, Madam...?"

"Rohama."

"Rohama, but I have on good authority that Mr. Malfoy frequents this establishment."

"No! Absolutely not! I would not allow such vermin in my shop!"

Harry paused and wondered if there was another massage shop, but the one was closer to Gringotts and Draco would've had to pass it. "Madam Rohama... if you want me to come back with a full contingent of Aurors to inspect your business... that is up to you. But I know Malfoy comes here."

Her eyes narrowed. "Listen... some people do not like Death Eaters wandering around freely."

"Just tell me who worked with him," he grunted, looking over at the massage therapists and wondering why he was investigating this place... and off the books.

"Sherrie," the woman called and a gorgeous (by most people's standards) bleach-blonde girl came over. "Sherrie is the one who has been tending to Mr. Malfoy. We are a reputable clinic, Auror Potter."

Harry's eyes narrowed at the big-breasted girl now batting her eyelashes at him. He wondered if Terry or Mike had come here and decided they wouldn't have stayed long. The girl was a ploy to distract and redirect from the line of intrigue.

"Hey there, Auror Potter... I never thought I'd see you in person. Your eyes are so... striking," she gushed, touching his arm, but Harry pulled free, done with the game.

"Madam, please," he said, gruffly. He wasn't remotely interested in her or any female. "I'm here to ask questions."

"What do you want to know, sugar?" she said, in a high-pitch voice.

His eyebrow rose. There was no fucking way that Malfoy would have abided by this... adolescent screechy, bottle-blonde girl. He knew him that much. Malfoy hated everything. He also had a feeling that he wouldn't have liked a blonde. He wouldn't have wanted competition, Harry thought contemptuously. No, she was there to drive sales and hook clients in. He could have imagined Dawlish already coaxing a massage out of her... with a happy ending.

"If you actually assisted Malfoy... tell me, what scar does Malfoy have on his chest?"

The girl gave him a look. "Umm... a burn?" She was guessing.

"A silver line slashed across his whole chest," a muscular guy with short dirty blonde hair said, from the hallway entrance.

"Aiden!" Sherrie hissed. There must be a commission to hook johns, Harry guessed, or she wanted to bang him.

"That is correct. I take it you're his actually...?"

The guy sighed, and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Yeah, he's a right prick, but he pays well."

"Listen, Auror Potter, I can help you," the ditsy girl insisted.

"I highly doubt it. Would you excuse us?" he asked, firmly, and Sherrie stormed down another hall. Harry eyed the other employees, and Aiden motioned for him to follow. He led him into a small room with a massage table.

"And what's your name?" he asked, the guy, who wasn't pleased.

"Aiden Greenleaf."

Harry judged that he was telling the truth. So he decided to get the young adult to start talking. Harry knew that Aiden was definitely the type of person Malfoy would want, complete with a surly attitude. "So, how do you know Draco Malfoy?"

"Work. Malfoy comes on the first of every month at 1245 exactly to get his monthly massage. No frills or anything. Doesn't smile or make small talk, even when I... umm..." he broke off, eyeing Harry's Auror robes.

"Yes?" he prompted, sure that Aiden was about to admit to giving sexual services. Harry's heart beat faster as he realized the implications. Aiden was a guy. That was interesting. Was Malfoy... like him? Gay or... not straight? Harry recalled that Draco's mother had quickly offered him praise and support when he told her. She had done it immediately without batting an eye.

"What did you want to know?" Aiden said, nervously.

"How long has he been coming here?"

"Phh... longer than I've been here... so at least two years. I got him cause no one else likes him. He's still got the mark, and he's a bastard to boot."

"He was demeaning or insulting?" Harry asked, worried that Malfoy was abusive. Emotionally or physically.

Aiden rubbed his chin. "No, just... irritable and rude. I mean... he's kinda famous cause of you, but... he never talks about anything. It's just disappointing," Aiden said, sulking.

Harry gritted his teeth. Of course, this guy had no idea what Draco had been through, but still, he was the prick. Then he picked up on how much this guy wanted to... brag. Just like that Sherrie girl, he was a star-stroker. He wanted in on the action and was willing to talk. How he said before that Draco always comes on the first exactly at 1245. Aiden had said those words before. Maybe many times.

"I see. How long is Malfoy here, usually?"

"Hour massage, sometimes two if I don't have another appointment."

"Where does he go when he leaves?" Harry asked.

"Walks out the back entrance and Apparates away."

"Back entrance?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, some people use it to avoid being seen coming or..." Aiden again clammed up and was getting nervous.

"I'm not interested in the illicit activities here at the moment. You have read the newspaper recently?"

"Yeah, that he was nearly killed by the Death Eater Killer..." the boy said, softly, now sinking in that his client had been brutally tortured, and it was crass to be speaking ill of him. "What do you want to know? I get him off when he comes here, but he doesn't seem to appreciate it. He shakes... I don't know if it's the potions or what, but he always shakes when we're alone. At first, I thought he was afraid, but I don't know what is wrong with him."

"I do, and it's unimportant. Does he get the potions here?"

Aiden tensed in a way that confirmed he did, or at least some of them. Malfoy was skilled enough to mix his own brews, but he needed the right ingredients. The worst ones were considered Class C non-tradeable substances by the Ministry, and that came with a hefty fine for possession alone. Harry just shook his head and didn't push him.

"He leaves out the back door, but does he come in through the front?"

Aiden nodded, relieved that Harry had moved on. "Yeah."

"Can any customer come in and get an appointment?"

Aiden smiled and looked him up and down. "Of course, immediate service."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Has any customer asked about Malfoy?"

Aiden's smile vanished. "A few, but Madam Rahama denies that it was him or shoos them away."

Harry didn't believe him. "No one has asked you about him?"

Aiden looked uneasily. "No."

"Listen good. I'm an Auror. You've already admitted to enough things to get you some time and this place shut down. You better start telling me the truth, or we can finish this conversation at the Ministry in an interrogation room."

The kid blanched and stammered, "I-I didn't d-do anything!"

"Who did you talk to about Malfoy?" Harry growled.

"I... a few people. It was kinda a big deal 'cause no one sees him anymore."

"So, you brag about having Malfoy for a client?" Harry guessed.

"Yeah."

"Who was interested?"

"There was a girl, Daphne. She said that she knew him. Another guy had a fake dark mark tattoo and wanted to know about him."

Harry doubted that either one was DEK. "And?"

"There... were others. I don't remember them all."

"How about a younger guy, barely legal?"

Aiden looked wary. "We don't service children."

"He was an adult."

"There was one... he was here just for... stuff...."

"Potions?"

Aiden was shaking. Dealing Class C non-tradeables usually meant Azkaban for a few months.

"Answer me."

"J-Just hoppers and healing potions."

Harry nodded. This place doesn't remember things like real apothecaries do.

"Was it this kid?" Harry said and finally showed him the memory photo.

Aiden's eyes widened. "Y-Yeah... but-but...."

"He was enthralled with your 온라인카지노게임 about the grumpy former Death Eater?"

"He... yeah...."

"How long ago?"

"Couple months... but it's not...I didn't do anything wrong!"

Harry stared at him. "I want the memory of the incident."

"What? No!"

Harry had no authority to force him, legally, anyway. "You want to keep discussing what happened then? You've just admitted to me that you saw our suspect and gave him information. You're a material witness, now, Aiden."

The kid sat down on the floor and wrapped his arms around his legs. "No... I... this isn't my fault!"

Harry crouched down. "Aiden... you had no idea. I didn't say it was your fault. But a few days ago, Draco Malfoy was abducted on his way here by that kid. You had a conversation with him, and we can spend the next few hours trying to jog your memory of what happened with words. But any little detail might help discover where he is and who he is. I need that information, and whether or not you intended to hand Malfoy over to DEK, the fact remains that he found out about him from you. And you obliged him."

Aiden started crying. "No...."

"Aiden, please, I need that memory."

"And what if Malfoy comes after me!?"

"He's not going to come after you. He's not like that, and giving up the memory will be a sign of good faith for him. This was... an unfortunate accident, Aiden. Please give me the memory."

"But... it has the deal on it!" he said.

Harry sighed and saw his dilemma. Material witness or not... Aiden was guilty of a serious offence. "I will keep it off the record. After DEK is captured... I will destroy the memory, but only if you get the heck out of here. It's only a matter of time before it is raided. Your boss makes you do the deals, as she can deny any knowledge of it. That's my deal."

Harry knew he was riding the line of right and wrong... from a legal POV.

"I don't know what to do," Aiden murmured. Harry walked him through it and got the memory.

"Thank you. Find a different job and get out of here. This killer... he's psychotic. If he thought you helped me...."

Aiden nodded and started crying.

"Good luck and keep your nose clean," Harry said and went out to harass the others until he got a few more memories of DEK. He advised everyone to call him immediately if they spotted him, but Harry doubted he was stupid enough to come back. He went back out and discreetly set some alarm wards on the door, just in case. Then he apparated back to the Auror department to meet up with his team.

This chapter was in no way influenced by Law and Order: SUV lol. I almost had Harry bang his fists on the table or something, but it seemed unnecessarily violent.