Indecent Transactions

Oooohaha, its Lucius time!!
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Brin grinned to herself as she chopped up the several pounds of daisy roots she had acquired from Professor Sprout. It\'s so completely simple, she thought to herself, every fourth year knows about the minimizing properties of daisy roots, and yet, it hadn\'t even crossed her mind. She turned to the large cauldron of clear liquid brewing silently in the corner of the dark room. Daisy roots were a good start, but if this potion was to be undetectable she knew she would have to look for something stronger to add soon. And there was only one place in all of London to get items of this nature, Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley. Brin dumped in the finely chopped daisy roots, the potion slowly taking on a greener and greener color. Without pausing, she flicked her wand three times: an invisible hand began stirring the potion with a nearby wooden stick, a dark green cloak flew into her arms, and a small vile of glowing orange liquid flew into the cloak\'s inner pocket as she left the room.

She made her way down to the Forbidden Forest where she could disapparate unnoticed, slipping quickly past Hagrid\'s care of magical creatures class which was somewhat preoccupied with a little, old elf in a red cap who had apparently grabbed an unsuspecting student through his cage bars and would not let go.

\"Don come near!\" she could hear Hagrid yelling at the students as he tried to pull the stuck boy\'s arm free in vain, \"he\'s jus\' a bit nervous being around so many people for the firs\' time!\"

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Brin found herself alone in a small alley. She automatically pulled her cloak around her and over her head, making sure the small vile was still in her pocket. It was dark and smelled of mildew, but she had seen (and smelled) Knockturn alley several times before and seemed not to notice the distinct change of scenery from the fresh, warm forest to this dank, chilly place. Making her way to Borgin & Burkes, she did not look anyone in the eye and kept her hood close around her face. Thankfully, she was in and out of Mr. Borgin\'s with everything she had needed in only ten minutes. As she slipped back down the alleyway she had first come from something scuffed on the ground behind her. She whipped around, instinctively pulling out her wand and shouting \"Petrificus Totali...\", but she ran straight into something...someone.

Brin looked up into the mocking smile of Lucius Malfoy. She attempted to move back but he held her wand arm firmly out to one side. \"Brin, Brin, so we meet again,\" he jeered.

\"Why Mr. Malfoy, I don\'t think that we have ever been formally introduced,\" she replied disdainfully, trying again to pull her arm free. He laughed and pushed her arm away, the wand flying from her hand.

\"So we have not! Well, as you already seem to know, I am Lucius Malfoy,\" his grey eyes bright with sarcasm, \"and Brin Dumbledore, I presume.\"

\"The pleasure\'s all mine, Mr. Malfoy, believe me.\"

\"Yes, well I am sure it is, please call me Lucius, Brin.\"

Brin began slowly backing away, reaching her right arm into her cloak pocket.

\"Oh please don\'t go yet Brin dear, we have so much to discuss.\" As he said this Bellatrix Lestrange and Augustus Rookwood stepped into view, wands raised.

\"Can I help you with anything Mr. Malfoy?\" her right hand finding the small vile in the bottom of her pocket.

\"Please, let us drop the formalities,\" said Lucius calmly, still smiling. \"I think you have something for us, do you not?\"

\"I am sad to inform you that I do not,\" said Brin, shaking her head in mock sadness, slowly pulling her had out of her pocket.

\"Lucius!\" shouted quickly Bellatrix, \"Her hand!\"
n frn froze, and then quickly clenched her left hand and raised it into the air. Rookwood immediately pointed his wand at her left hand yelled \"Expelliarmus!\" and Brin pretended to throw something from her hand into a pile of garbage at her foot.

\"No, you fool!\" screamed Bellatrix, \"The other hand!\"

Brin prepared to throw the vile as Bellatrix and Rookwood raised their wands, but Lucius shouted, \"Stop! Stop it now! What is this? Are we so uncivilized that we must revert to violence to end every conversation?\" He now addressed Brin directly, although his eyes had never left her, \"I am certain that Brin is willing to cooperate with us, are you not Brin?\"

Brin detected a slight edge on Lucius\'s voice, but he let no anger show in his face. \"As I just asked, Lucius, can I help you with anything, anything at all?\" She gestured an open palm with her left hand, quickly pulling the right one out of her pocket and behind her back.

Lucius smiled, \"Now that is more like it.\" He took a step towards her, Bellatrix and Rookwood closing behind. He began shaking his head, \"But I am afraid that this will not do at all. Bellatrix, my dear, would you do the honors? Nothing too much, just a little...incentive.\"

Bellatrix smiled broadly, \"Oh I would absolutely love to,\" pulling her wand into the air and taking a deep breath.

At just that moment a hard, cold voice said, \"What, exactly, is going on here?\"

Bellatrix and Rookwood hurriedly spun around, but Lucius, who did not take his eyes off of Brin, merely smiled and said, \"Ah, is that the voice of my old friend, Severus, I detect?\"

Severus stepped gracefully out of the shadows, \"Lucius, Bellatrix, Augustus...\" he nodded greeting to each of them, \"...and who, may I ask, is this?\"

\"Severus, meet Brin Dumbledore. Brin, Severus Snape,\" said Lucius cheerfully. Slowly. he added, \"Just conducting a bit of friendly business.\"

\"Brin Dumbledore?\" asked Severus, crinkling his forehead, \"As in Albus Dumbledore?\"

\"The one and only,\" replied Bellatrix spitefully.

\"Just the person I was looking for,\" said Severus, over pronouncing every word, the corners of his mouth curling. He faced Brin, \"Your uncle sent me to find you, he wishes to have a word.\"

Brin raised her left eyebrow for an instant (much in the manner of her uncle) at Severus, who quickly flashed a warning look at her. She gave a slight nod. Frowning, she raised her voice, \"I will not be going anywhere, with any of you!\"

\"But I am afraid you have no choice in this matter,\" said Severus, shaking a few loose strands of black hair out of his face and stepping up next to Lucius. \"Lucius,\" he continued, \"is there any...business I can help you conduct on our way.\"

\"No, no I think not Severus,\" said Lucius irritably, \"We shall see you another time, then, Brin dear. Until then.\"

Lucius nodded to Brin and then to Severus, spun around and pushed passed Bellatrix and Rookwood and into the shadows. Looking murderous, Bellatrix spat out, \"Until then,\" and turned out of the alley, Rookwood following suit.

Much relieved, Brin went to pick up her wand, but Severus grabbed her right hand. She looked up into his jet-black eyes but found no comfort there. He pulled her hand in between them and opened it, the orange liquid still giving off a faint glow. \"A little essence of Salamander?\" he barked. \"You know as well as I that this vile could blowup half of Knockturn Alley! Was that what you had in mind?\"

\"No! My god, I obviously diluted it with a little bezoar. Do you think me no more than a child!?\" Brin did not know why he was so upset over this of all things.

\"Nevertheless, this could have blown you up as well, or anyone who was near. That is not attention we can afford to have now.\" With that he grabbed the vile out of her hand and placed it in his own pocket. \"I suggest you think before you make something of this sort again.\"

\"Believe me, I will,\" she said, pronouncing each word slowly and calmly, in the same tone Severus had used just moments before to address Lucious.

Severus took a deep breath, putting on an emotionless face again. They turned and walked out of the alley.