Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Harvest Moon ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

 

 

They decided it would be best to investigate any connections the young woman might have had to the Gilded Lily and made plans to go there once they'd left Luna's office. Draco thought he had seen the woman in the sketches there on his last visit. He didn't care to elaborate and Hermione didn't think she wanted to know anyway.

 

“Do you think we should go change?” Hermione asked, looking at her neat pinstripe muggle pantsuit.

 

“I don't think that will be necessary, Granger,” Draco said. “Though you might get mistaken for one of the Dommes wearing that.”

 

Hermione stuck her nose in the air and glared at him. “I hardly find it amusing to be compared to one of those sorts of women, Malfoy.”

 

“Ah, Granger, you have so much to learn,” he said, leading her out of the Ministry and to his car.

 

 

Hermione wasn't certain what she'd been expecting in a house of ill repute but it was certainly not the stately old manor only a few miles outside of London. Ancient oaks formed an archway over the cobblestone drive and she leaned her head out of the courtesy carriage window to look at them in the gathering dark. They had arrived via Draco's sleek and lovely Jaguar but had left it to the parking attendants at the gates as they'd been whisked away in the carriage. Draco said the ride was supposed to be daunting to the submissives and majestic to those who had domination in mind. Either way it was impressive: and not at all what she had in her mind when thinking about what a house of pain might look like.

 

“You were perhaps expecting some raggedy old castle with screams echoing up from the dungeons?” he suggested, one blond brow quirking up in question.

 

“More or less,” Hermione said dryly. “In all honesty, I wasn't sure what to expect.”

 

“Expect the unexpected here,” he said. “I'd stay close by me if I were you.”

 

“Why?” Hermione asked.

 

“It's safer that way. Unless you want some little submissive begging you to walk on them. Literally.”

 

Having nothing what so ever to say to that Hermione kept her mouth shut and focused on the ride to the manor house. The carriage came to a stop and the door was opened by an elegantly clad man who offered his hand to Hermione to help her out. She accepted is help, stepping lightly down and noticing an odd shift under her feet as she descended. She blanched a little upon realizing just what she had stepped on when getting out of the carriage. Her stair had been a very large and very naked human being. Her eyes flew to Draco as he got out; he shrugged and managed to put the bulk of his weight in the center of the person's back he was stepping on.

 

The man who had helped Hermione out of the carriage turned to Draco. “Master Malfoy, would you care for an escort or would you prefer to walk?” he asked coolly.

 

“I believe we'll walk this time, Andrew. If you would be so good as to inform your Lady that my partner and I have a matter of some importance to discuss with her.”

 

The man bowed. “Of course, Master Malfoy. How shall I announce your partner?”

 

Draco turned and looked Hermione over thoughtfully. “She may be addressed as Lady Granger if you please, Andrew.”

 

“Very good, Master Malfoy. I will take you to my Lady. If you would follow me, please.”

 

They followed the man Draco had called Andrew into the manor, trailing him down a long foyer with marble flooring. He paused outside of a heavy oak door, knocking firmly before being bade to enter. He stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar so Hermione and Draco could hear what was being said and addressed his employer.

 

“Lady Tazura, Master Malfoy is here with a woman he calls his partner. He says he wishes to speak to you concerning a matter of importance.”

 

“Really? I wasn't aware he'd brought someone with him. He usually comes alone,” a woman's voice said.

 

“As it is, my Lady, it happens to be the younger Malfoy who wishes to speak to you.”

 

“How . . . interesting. This could be entertaining. Send them in if you please, Andrew.”

 

“Certainly, my Lady,” he said, opening the door fully and bowing Draco and Hermione inside. “My Lady Tazura, you know Master Malfoy and may I present Lady Granger.”

 

Hermione was taken aback by the woman seated at the large desk. She supposed she had expected an impossibly thin woman with huge breasts wearing a leather catsuit and this woman was far from that. For one thing, the leather was conspicuously absent as the woman was wearing a beautiful emerald green brocade renaissance corset over a lighter green silk evening gown. She was petite and very curvy in all the right places, with long red hair and the greenest eyes Hermione had seen on anyone aside from Harry Potter. The way she carried herself spoke of class and good breeding as she walked around the desk to greet them.

 

“Ah, Draco, seems like forever since I've seen you,” Lady Tazura said.

 

Hermione made an odd noise upon hearing the other woman speak. “American?”

 

Lady Tazura's lips twitched upward into a smile. “What gave that away?” she laughed. She waved them over to the large armchairs by the fire place. “Sit down. Andrew informs me that you have something important to speak to me about.”

 

“Yes, actually, we do,” Hermione said, pulling the folder containing the sketches from her bag and handing them to the other woman. “We were wondering if you could identify this person. Draco mentioned he thought he'd seen her here on a previous visit.”

 

“I see. You must understand that if I do recognize this person I will have to ask them for written consent to give you their name.”

 

Hermione frowned. “Why is that?”

 

“There are very strict confidentiality codes enforced here. There have to be, all things considered. I will not have it said that anyone who comes here isn't completely assured of it. I will not have my clientele broadcast all over the Daily Prophet.”

 

“I doubt you'd be able to get the person's permission unless someone can channel the dead,” Hermione said.

 

“I see,” Lady Tazura said, opening the folder carefully. She gasped a little when looking at the first sketch and a look of sadness filled her eyes. “Oh, Dawn, that's what happened to you. You said she was dead. May I ask what happened to her?”

 

“I'm sorry but we can't give many details,” Draco said.

 

“I take it she was murdered,” Lady Tazura said. When Draco nodded she sighed sadly. “It stood to reason with you asking about her considering what you do for a living. I'll tell you what I know of her since she's no longer with us to give voice to anything. Her name was Dawn Morris. She was an occasional employee here for the past five years.”

 

“An occasional employee?” Hermione asked.

 

“Yes. This isn't a full time lifestyle for most. Even I can only be a full time bitch for so long before it starts to wear thin. Dawn would contract to the manor for a set period of time then leave to continue her regular life. She wasn't quite a squib but she was very close to it and chose to live in the muggle world most of the time.”

 

“She was one of the submissives?” Draco asked.

 

“She was.”

 

“Did she have any regular clients? Who was with her the last time she was seen here?” Draco asked.

 

“Yes. She did have a few regulars. If I recall correctly the last person to be seen with her here was . . . hmmm . . . curiouser and curiouser. Andrew, please go to the gentleman in room 513 and ask if he would care to speak to Master Malfoy and Lady Granger about a rather sensitive matter.”

 

Andrew was out the door as soon as she had finished the sentence.

 

“Is it possible to get a list of questions you'd like asked if the gentleman doesn't want to speak to you?”

 

“This is a murder investigation, surely he would have no . . .” Hermione began.

 

“Madam, may I remind you what I've said concerning confidentiality. Everyone who comes to this place does so because they have a specific interest the outside world tends to frown on. Seeing it as perversion of the highest order. As a good deal of these people are high ranking members of society they have no desire to have their names connected to deviant acts. I personally think one should do what pleases them as long as it causes no long term physical or psychological damage. What someone does in their sex life is their own business.”

 

“But you've made it your business,” Hermione pointed out.

 

“That's because it's lucrative, my dear.”

 

“It's still allowing the strong to prey on the weak,” Hermione said, eyes narrowing.

 

“Ah, and morality rears its ugly head. You obviously know nothing about the lifestyle nor the people who participate in it. As a general rule, most submissives in this arena are strong willed, hold excellent jobs and are very well educated. They are no where near the meek and downtrodden most presume them to be.”

 

A knock sounded at the door, cutting off the angry tirade Hermione had been about to launch into and Andrew came into the room.

 

“My Lady, the gentleman has agreed to speak to Master Malfoy and Lady Granger,” he said.

 

“By all means, send him in then, Andrew,” Lady Tazura said, smiling like the cat who'd eaten the canary.

 

Draco's jaw dropped and Hermione nearly fell out of her chair when they recognized the man who walked in.

 

“Draco,” Lucius said, nodding to his son. He turned to look at Hermione before smirking. “I'm afraid I must echo a muggle saying in this case, Miss Granger. What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?”