Mark Me Yours - Chapter Two (Harry/Draco)
Title: Mark Me Yours
Author: digthewriter
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco. Original characters. Some Weasleys.
Warnings/Content Notes: Possible OOC. Short-tempered Harry. Confusion. Longing. Angst. Magical tattoos. Moving Art. Fluffy ending. Made up Pureblood rituals, and some magic history. (Also, not sure if I should warn for: UST)
Word Count: ~45,000 (total fic) / Chapter Two: ~10,100
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Read Chapter One
*
Draco left Potter's office feeling unsure. Everything was now just so final. He was now officially Potter's property. His oeuvre. The idea in the beginning hadn't really seemed so bad, but now Draco still wasn't too sure about it. He tried to think if it was someone else, if it wasn't Potter who had claimed him, would he have been so upset?
He walked past Avi's room, as he heard music he wondered if he should knock on her door and tell her how it had been. He changed his mind.
Avi clearly found him to be a threat, not really knowing the real history about him and Potter. If she did, she wouldn't have thought so. Draco wasn't in the mood to enlighten her. All he wanted to do was go into his room, close the door, and crash on his bed. Maybe he could just sleep. Sleep it all off.
*
The next day when Draco showered and went down for breakfast, Potter was already at the table. He was laughing with Asha as he drank his coffee and straightened up when Draco entered the room.
"Morning," Draco mumbled and took his assigned seat at the table.
Asha smiled warmly at him and served him his eggs and toast.
"I'd like for you to come to the shop with me today."
Draco looked up after a moment of silence and realised that Potter was talking to him. "Pardon?" He gave Potter a confused look.
"One of the girls that works with me is on holiday and I need some assistance in the shop. Do you wan-" Potter cleared his throat. "Would you be willing to accompany me to the shop?"
"Of course," Draco said. He wasn't sure if he could stay at the house for a whole day again. At least at the manor, he had the garden to walk around in, and as much as he was impressed by the library and its contents, Draco reckoned it would be better to get out. See people, even if they were Muggles and Draco wouldn't know how to conduct himself.
"Avi is due to come in in the afternoon for another session and perhaps you can watch me work."
Draco nodded. Potter wanted it arranged for Draco to watch him work. Draco wanted to ask Avi if she'd too done the same with Potter when she'd first arrived to stay with him, but decided that he wouldn't ask her because he didn't really wish to hear more of her disappointed remarks. If Potter was treating Draco differently than any of his other past oeuvres, he didn't want to share it with Avi. With the way Potter and Avi seemed so close, Draco was afraid that perhaps one word from her and she'd have him kicked out of the house.
"Will I be coming in with her?" Draco asked.
"No. You will help me set up the studio so you'll leave with me and she'll arrive an hour later," Potter answered.
Avi entered the room shortly after and sat at the table with them. She seemed preoccupied with something and Draco wondered if Potter had noticed. If he had, he didn't remark on it. As soon as Draco was done with his breakfast and about to announce that he was taking his leave, an owl arrived and everyone's attention was diverted.
"It's got the Orléans family seal on it, I believe it's for Ms Nay-" Before Alexis could finish his sentence, Potter grabbed the letter from his hand and ripped it open.
Draco glanced at Avi and she'd barely flinched, except, he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. She watched intently as Potter read the letter. Draco shifted his gaze towards Potter who looked irritated. For once, he was glad to see that the irritation wasn't targeted towards him.
"It seems that Monsieur Orléans has invited you to a feast, again." Potter's tone was dry and highly unfavourable.
"Oh?" Avi asked. "Will you be going, then?" she added.
"You know that I will not be there," Potter said firmly. "I reckon you wish to attend?"
She didn't answer and Draco watched this game of theirs in fascination. Who was this Monsieur Orléans and why did Potter hate him so much? Draco wondered if he was some royalty that was interested in Avi and that made Potter jealous.
Was that why he seemed so cross all the time? Was it that Avi had suitors and as long she was bound by the contract under Potter she wasn't allowed to date? And did that upset Potter? Was he in love with Avi?
"I'll take Draco with me if it'll make you feel better," Avi responded, finally.
"Excuse me?" Potter snarled. Clearly it was not going to make him feel better. "He isn’t-"
"You know that you will have to soon make an announcement that you've taken on another patron that will serve as your new oeuvre. What better time than as my escort at a Jacque Orléans' feast?"
"Aren't you afraid that he might get in the middle of your festivities," Potter responded with an eyebrow raised. It was clearly a challenge.
"I haven't done anything that defies any of the rules and if you're worried that Draco might-"
"Avi." Potter's voice was firm. Before she could respond to him, Potter pushed his chair back, stood up, still glowering at her, and turned to leave the room. Draco had no idea what had just happened.
"Ten minutes, Malfoy," Potter said as he stormed out, reminding him that they were due to leave.
"You best get ready," Asha told Draco as she gathered the dishes off the table. Draco looked at Avi who seemed unperturbed by the whole encounter.
*
Draco arrived at his room and found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt on his bed. When did Asha even have the time to stop by and drop the new clothes off for him? As he unfolded the clothes, he noticed that they still had their tags on them. New clothes. Would they fit?
He dressed quickly, surprised that though his jeans did hang a bit low on his hips, he didn't need to charm them for size. His t-shirt was a bit looser than he'd like it to be, but he reckoned it was probably Potter's way of telling him that he needed to eat more.
He rolled his eyes and made his way to the fireplace, figuring that they were going to take the Floo to Potter's shop. He didn't know the name of the business and he hadn't bothered to ask anyone; he hadn't even thought about it up until that moment. It wasn't like him to not pay attention to such details, but with everything else that was happening around him, Draco truly felt lost.
Potter didn't speak to him as he waited by the Floo. He still looked cross, probably about whatever he and Avi had argued about. Since he'd arrived at the house, Draco had only seen adoration for Avi in Potter's eyes; it was strange to see such hostility.
Potter stepped into the Floo and Draco followed suit. They arrived in the attic of the shop and when they reached the door to go downstairs, Potter finally turned and looked at Draco. "Ready?" he asked and Draco nodded.
They walked down the stairs and through Potter's studio to another flight of stairs. A moment later, Draco realised that they were in the front of the shop. When he'd arrived with Kaminas a few days ago, they'd clearly entered through the back.
He heard the faint buzzing sound and looked around and saw a man who looked like he was in his fifties laid flat on a table while a woman, who barely looked twenty, was tattooing him. Draco was aware of the basic concepts of the ways of Muggle tattooing but it was fascinating to see it in person.
"An early start, Ann?" Potter asked, his tone was light and it was night and day from what he'd witnessed earlier with Avi.
The woman, Ann, looked up and grinned at Potter. "Yeah, boss. Opened up early today for Mr Black over here. I know he's your favourite!" she said and returned to her work.
Potter turned to look at Draco and his lips curled up just a bit. "This way," Potter said, and Draco followed him.
They reached the front desk and Potter gestured for Draco to sit. "Ann's going to be with Mr Black...Yeah, I know," he said, smiling, "for about another hour. I'll need you to sit at the desk and help whoever comes in. There shouldn't be anyone walking in that doesn't have an appointment. Today is our appointment-only day, but in case there are stragglers, you can give them one of these flyers and tell them to come back. If they want to make an appointment, tell them to phone the shop after noon, when Ann is going to man the desk."
"What are you going to do?" Draco was almost panicking. Potter expected Draco to sit and deal with Muggles on his first day?
"You'll be fine. Just say good morning, smile, and ask them what they want. You don't have to be super polite, it's a tattoo shop, you're supposed to act like you're doing them a favour. An attitude, I'm sure you can muster up." Potter chuckled as he watched Draco scowl.
"What makes you think I won't just run away?"
"As part of your magical contract holder, I have placed a tracing charm on you. If you do run, I will be able to track you easily."
Draco gaped at Potter in horror. Why wasn't he notified of this?
"I am joking, Malfoy," Potter said. "I need to get my studio set up for Avi-if she'll show up today, that is. And I need someone to man the desk. If the phone rings, don't answer it. It rings in my studio too and I'll take the messages."
"Pott-"
"Malfoy! I woke up today in a really good mood, and then Avi tried to ruin it for me. I'd really appreciate it if you could just not-just don't! If you need anything, scream for Ann. She won't mind."
Potter walked away without looking back and Draco didn't want to call after him again. Well, he did. He wanted to yell at Potter, and tell him that he was a wanker, and that he should've clearly just stayed home but-but-Draco had a job. In the ten years after the war, no one had hired Draco, and Potter had given him a job!
"Merlin's beard," Draco muttered to himself. He was employed. Granted, he was probably not going to get paid for his task to "man the desk," but still, Potter was trusting him with something. That was...strange. Draco's thoughts were interrupted when the bell at the door rang and someone walked in through the door.
"Hi. Welcome to, erm, welcome to-" Draco looked around frantically; he had no idea what the shop was called. His eyes fell on the flyer sitting by the phone and he quickly grabbed it. "Lily's tattoo shop," he read and then looked up at the woman that was glaring at him. "Welcome to Lily's tattoo shop, how can I help you?"
"I've got an appointment with Jackson." She looked at Draco derisively. He nodded at her and found an appointment book and opened it up. "First day?" she asked.
"In every sense of the word," Draco answered quietly and found the section marked Jackson. He flipped over to the day and saw a name scribbled on the top. "Mrs Lipton?"
"Yes, like the tea," she answered.
"Okay," Draco replied, confused.
"I'm early, I know. I'll just sit here and wait for Jackson to stroll in, hung-over, a latte in one hand and a cigarette dangling from his lips. I bet you'll think he's just so hot, won't you?"
"Erm...I'm sure," Draco replied, still confused. "Please have a seat," he said, but she'd already sat down on one of the sofas by the window. "Right, then."
She shook her head at him and looked out the window. "Do you think it'll rain?" she asked but didn't turn to look at Draco. Draco wasn't sure if she was expecting him to answer.
He mumbled an "I don't know," and started to examine the contents of the desk where he was sitting. Lily's tattoo shop. That's what the shop was called. Potter's mother's name was Lily, Draco remembered and wondered if Potter had named the place after her. Surely a Lily was a more interesting name than James's tattoo shop.
It was quiet for a while and Mrs Lipton continued to stare out the window. She was young, probably only a few years older than Draco and wondered why she went by Mrs Lipton and not her first name. Mrs Lipton sounded like an old woman's name, someone who was probably around Draco's mum's age.
The bell rang again and Draco looked up to find a man with a scruffy beard, Muggle sunglasses, with a long white stick hanging out of his mouth, holding a white cup. He paused to examine Draco and Draco was stunned silent. The man was striking, even though his eyes were hidden behind the mirrored shades and Draco only saw a reflection of himself-looking shell-shocked.
"Hi," he managed to mumble, and then Mrs Lipton conveniently cut in.
"See, I told you. Hung-over, latte, a fag, though the sunglasses are a nice touch, Jackson."
"Mrs Lipton, early again, I see," the man, who had to be Jackson, answered. He wasn't English. Draco was sure that the man's accent was American. He'd only met one American wizard before and it was someone who had done business with his father years before.
Jackson handed his cup of latte to Mrs Lipton and she happily took a sip. He removed his sunglasses and turned to look at Draco. "You're new."
"That's rather observant," Draco replied and cursed his tongue for being so short. "I mean, yes. I am with Pott-" Draco stopped himself, unsure of how he was supposed to introduce himself.
"Oh, the new guy. Harry did send me a text about that. So you're going to let him tattoo you and shit," Jackson said.
"Yes. Precisely. I am going to let him tattoo me and shit," Draco answered, dryly.
"Sorry, I forgot for a minute. Too much gin last night. I'm Jackson, and this is Mrs Lipton who is going to bite my head off if I don't get set up, so I'll see you later, new guy."
Draco watched Jackson disappear in the back and returned his gaze towards Mrs Lipton who was back at staring out the window.
Another ten minutes of silence and Jackson returned asking Mrs Lipton to follow him. When Draco locked eyes with Jackson, he winked at Draco, and walked away. Draco felt a blush creep up his neck. It'd been a while since he'd allowed himself to appreciate another man's appeal and suddenly the words from the night before started to ring into Draco's ears.
Until I am done with you, your skin will belong to me. That means I have say over all that could impact it...your coming and going...
Draco gulped nervously. It'd be best not to develop an attraction towards a man that was employed by Potter, and even better to never act like he had an attraction. Who knew? If Potter was as cross as he was at Avi that morning for receiving an invitation from someone, he'd be more agitated with Draco and sell his contract to someone else.
It was best not to dwell on hypotheticals that wouldn't play out anyway.
Another client came in a few minutes later, stating she was meeting with Ann. Draco told her to wait and went in the back looking for Ann. Mr Black was sleeping on the table he was at, and there was no Ann in the room. Draco walked up the steps towards Potter's studio and it was slightly open. He peered in and saw Ann speaking with Potter.
"Do you think that's really a good idea?" Ann asked Potter who didn't say anything. "Given your history..."
Draco knocked on the door startling both of them. "Sorry," he said, keeping his tone even. "Ann, your appointment is here and she's waiting. I didn't know if I was supposed to-"
"Great!" the woman said almost jumping with joy. "I'll wake Mr Black up and then you can send her in after he leaves. I'm Ann by the way, we weren't properly introduced."
"Draco." He smiled at her as she led them down the steps to the front of the shop.
It was quiet again for some time and Draco thought about the conversation he'd overheard outside Potter's studio. Given your history. Had Potter told this Ann woman about him and Draco? About the war? Magic?
As the bell rang again and Draco looked up to greet another customer, Potter had returned to the front of the shop.
"Perfect timing!" Potter exclaimed to the woman that had just arrived and she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.
"Susan, this is Draco. Malfoy, this is Susan. Draco's been doing your job while you were out this morning," Potter said to the woman. He didn't sound excited, proud, or upset. His tone was very matter-of-factly. "Draco is staying with me. He's going to be working with me, like Avi."
Susan nodded at Potter's words and then turned to smile at Draco. "A pleasure," she said offering her hand.
Draco took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you," he said. He stood up from the chair and moved so she could settle in. He turned towards Potter, next. "Are you ready, for me?"
"Almost. Avi's informed me she's going to be late. We have time to go and get a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry," Potter answered. "Join me."
Potter walked out the door expecting Draco to follow. Draco did, since had no other choice. Besides, he was glad. He was getting a little hungry. He wondered if that's what this was about-getting proper nutrition. He reckoned, you were hungrier the more you ate.
They walked quietly for about five minutes until Potter stopped outside a café. "How do you take your coffee?" Potter asked.
"Black," Draco replied.
"Brilliant." Potter handed Draco some Muggle money and Draco stared at him blankly. "I want you to order for me. Two medium black coffees and whatever pastries you want to order."
"For you or your staff as well?"
Draco saw a slight gleam in Potter's eyes before it was gone. He looked impressed. "Just for us," he said. "I'll order for the staff."
Draco followed Potter into the café and Potter waited for him to order. He looked at the pastries that were set up on display and made his decision. Walking up to the counter he ordered. "Two medium black coffees and two scones."
"Do you want the butter on the scone or on the side?" the woman behind the counter asked.
Draco turned to look at Potter who shrugged. "On it is fine, thanks," he said to the woman and offered her the money that Potter had handed him earlier.
It wasn't like Draco had never been to the Muggle part of the world before. He had, but it was only a few short times when he'd found a gay club to go to. Then, he'd only Apparated there, didn't order a drink until someone offered him one, shagged a bloke in the back alley, then Disapparated home. Of course, that didn't really count as ordering coffee and scone at a pastry shop, but surely, if Draco had tried, he would have been successful at it.
Draco watched as Potter ordered for his staff. He smiled at the barista behind the counter as she openly flirted with him. She looked over at Draco again and then eyed the Mark on his forearm.
"Cool tattoo. Where did you get that one?"
Draco fumbled over his words, unsure of what to say. He knew that the t-shirt he was wearing would display his fading Dark Mark but he really hadn't realised that he was going to be around Muggles and that he would have had to answer their questions about it.
Potter decided to answer for him. "A man named Tom Riddle is responsible for it. He's been dead for about ten years now." He smiled at her again and they walked away from the counter.
Draco had no idea how he was supposed to react to that. Even if that was the truth.
"Did you do this with Avi?" Draco asked after they'd been quiet for a few minutes as they waited for their order to be prepared.
Potter shook his head. "Avi wouldn't have any of it. She was ready to be tattooed from day one, and all she wanted was to be known for that. She wouldn't want to learn a new trade, or deal with Muggles."
"Why did you- Why am I doing it, then? To see if I'd fail?"
Potter shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't fail," he said.
Their conversation was interrupted as the barista called out their order and they started to walk back to the shop. When they arrived, Susan informed Potter that Avi had arrived through the back entrance and was waiting in his studio. Potter dropped off his purchase at the front desk with Susan, and continued walking. He didn't turn to look at Draco, but Draco assumed Potter would want Draco to follow him.
When Potter opened the door to his studio, Avi was sitting in the leather chair. She'd undressed and was settled under a white sheet. Draco was uncomfortable for a moment, but neither Avi nor Potter seemed to notice.
Potter's back was turned towards them for a while as he looked through a book of sketches. Draco turned to look at Avi who'd been watching him intently. "Asha sent some sandwiches for lunch for you, Draco," she said, finally. "We weren't sure if you were going to come back to the house until the end of the day."
"Turn around," Potter said, ignoring Avi's comment.
She removed the sheet off her and her eyes flicked towards Draco as if she was challenging him to watch her. Draco turned his gaze away to show her the respect to her privacy. He heard her snort and then shift in the chair.
"Malfoy, hold this," Potter said and when Draco'd turned to look again, Avi was settled in the chair, resting on her stomach. Potter handed Draco his sketch book.
Draco observed as Potter traced the sketch of his artwork on Avi's lower back. He pressed his wand against the parchment and watched as the ink leaked from the parchment onto the skin.
Potter looked up at Draco and must have seen the fascinated look because he smiled. He nodded towards the chair in the corner of the room and returned his gaze towards his work. Draco dragged the chair next to them and sat.
He was quiet the entire time Potter worked. The buzzing sound of the tattoo machine was scary at first when it was so close, but as Potter operated it, drawing over the design, colouring it in, wiping the blood, it was becoming more and more soothing.
Draco imagined the needle on him. Potter's steady hands on him. Could he trust Potter to do this to him? Would he?
Potter had been hot and cold since he'd arrived, but still, he'd been respectful. He'd showed Draco that he trusted him, and everyone else around him seemed to just love Potter. That isn't anything new, Draco thought. Maybe I should give him a chance too, then.
Avi appeared relaxed under the needle as she lay under Potter's hands. She was happy with a genuine smile on her face that Draco had only seen when she talked about her ink. Potter was right, that was all she cared about. Draco liked the idea of having the ink, of becoming something more. People would be fascinated by them. It would be a treasure that no one could ever take away from him.
He would take the ink well, Kaminas had said to Potter. Potter had brushed him off, but now Draco could see, Potter really did believe that. Draco was there, watching Potter, because Potter wanted him to know what would happen to him. Draco had never felt more alive, and he couldn't wait until it would be his turn to be in that chair.
At that moment Draco realised that he'd do anything to be inked. To be Potter's oeuvre. It would mean everything to him. He was going to impress Potter anyway he could. If Potter wanted him to be the shop's secretary, he'd do that. He'd steer clear of that bloke Jackson, avert any flirtatious remarks thrown his way-the last thing he'd want would be for Potter to kick him out over a distraction.
Over an hour had passed as Draco watched Potter's technique. From time to time he looked through Potter's sketchbook and thought it was odd that Potter was trusting him with something so important. He wondered if the canvases from the past had done the same thing.
An odd sensation of jealousy rose inside Draco at the fact that there were others who'd seen Potter's private collection, been part of it. Why was he jealous? Of course there had been people in the past. He was sure.
He wondered how long Potter had been in the trade? Where had he learned? Did he ever fall in love with any of his charges? If he had the resources, Draco would have enquired in the wizarding world, found out who else had been inked by Harry Potter, but of course he did not. He'd have to rely on this information from the patrons of the house and wondered if Asha or Alexis would share the details with him.
"I think that's enough for today," Potter said. The buzzing sound had stopped and Draco glanced over at Avi who didn't seem pleased.
"I can take more," she said.
"I know, but this is a big design and it needs to be taken in steps. An hour and a half per session is good enough for now."
"But my-"
"You'll have enough time before the Orléans' feast." Potter rolled his eyes. "You can show your new ink by then, except, I will need to wait the full two weeks before affecting it with magic."
Orléans. There was that name again. Potter had been so cross with Avi in the morning regarding this supposed feast and now he seemed like it was no big deal, at all.
"The feast is in ten days," Avi argued.
"Yes, and in six days, you will be back and I will add on to the art. Then you'll use the salve as you always do, and it'll be fine."
"But-"
"I am no longer discussing this subject," Potter roared. "You know the rules of the contract, you have accepted them and now you must abide by them. I can write to Jacque Orléans and inform him that you will not be attending his request-"
"What good will that do? You won't earn anything if I don't go-"
"You know that whatever is earned-"
"I know!" She nearly screamed her response. Potter didn't say anything else. He stared at her, his face nearly expressionless, except his green eyes seemed to glow. "I am sorry, sir," she said, finally. She turned her head in the opposite direction and closed her eyes. Draco saw tears fall onto the leather chair but she didn't move her hand to wipe them off.
Draco grabbed one of the paper napkins the barista had given them with their order and dabbed it on her face. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Can Draco come with me?" she whispered and Draco wasn't sure if Potter had heard her.
Potter clearly had because he tensed up right away. "That's up to Malfoy," he answered and stood up from his chair and returned to his workstation.
"You can get dressed now," he said after a while when no one had spoken.
Draco looked away again and he sat quietly, awkwardly, staring at Potter's sketchbook.
"Draco, are you coming?" Avi asked, her tone, virtuous.
"I need Malfoy to stay and help me," Potter answered coldly.
She didn't look at either one of them and Disapparated.
Potter turned towards Draco. "Eat the sandwich Avi brought and then pull up the chair at the workstation when you're done."
"For what?"
"I want to show you the designs and see if you can draw, too."
"I haven't ever tried before," Draco replied.
"It doesn't mean you can't."
They ate in silence and Draco could hear the buzzing sounds of the tattoo needles from downstairs. Draco thought about all the questions he had again, and wondered if he should ask Potter about them.
He didn't.
He pulled up the chair next to the station when they were finished with their lunch.
"What did you think of the sketches?" Potter asked.
"I liked them. They were all very different from each other. How do you decide what to use on your canvas?"
"It's a mix of everything," Potter answered. "Avi is very colourful, and her emotions are always displayed on her face and in her eyes. She's barely guarded. She isn't afraid to tell you how she feels, when she feels it, as she feels it. I'm sure you've noticed."
He smiled at Draco and began drawing on a piece of parchment. Strong strokes, not caring if the paint was falling off the parchment, onto the wall, the floor. "Her anger is fire, but it's also maintained... that's why she reminded me of the peafowls. She's social and curious, always looks at you in the eyes when she speaks to you, aggressive, protective.
The strokes on the parchment slowed and Draco realised what Potter had been creating. It looked like fire but it was a muster, a flock of peafowls that seemed to travel together. From a distance it looked like flames, they weren't, it was a group of birds.
It was captivating.
Draco was at a loss for words and Potter was looking at him like he expected Draco to say something. Potter's lips were parted and he stared at Draco, waiting.
A knock on the door broke whatever force had filled the room and Draco sighed, grateful, for the distraction.
"Harry, your next appointment is here," Susan announced and left the room.
"Do you want to watch me work on a Muggle, or do you want to go home?" Potter asked Draco, his expression was impassive again.
"I'd like to stay if it's all the same to you," Draco replied.
"Of course." Potter left the room and went to greet his Muggle client.
*
They returned back to Grimmauld Place just in time for dinner. Potter headed to his room straightaway and indicated that he would join the rest of the household later. Draco quietly stayed in his room until Asha stopped by to get him.
"Are you feeling alright, Draco?" she asked when she found him laying on his back staring at the roof.
"Yes, just tired," Draco replied and jumped up off the bed to head downstairs with her. "Long day," he added.
"Of course. We expected you to return with Ms Avi in the afternoon, and were surprised when she told us that you were going to stay."
"Potter wanted me to learn the tricks of the trade," Draco replied.
"And you don't mind?"
"No, of course not. It was a good learning experience, and it beats sitting around the house-" Draco stopped talking immediately when he realised that his words might have been offensive to Asha. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Of course not!" She smiled genuinely at him and he sighed with relief. "I understand it's more interesting to watch Mr Potter do his magic than go to the market with me shopping for produce."
"If you ever need my services-"
"You're too kind, Draco, but I can manage on my own. Thank you very much." She laughed to let him know that she was teasing him and he was glad.
When he took his seat at the dining table across from Avi, Draco noticed that Avi seemed to be in a much better mood than earlier that day. "Good news?" he asked.
"Yes! I've sent in the RSVP for Monsieur Orléans' feast, and he insisted that I bring you along. It's going to be so much fun, Draco!"
"What kind of a feast is it?" Draco asked, unsure of how he should have felt. He was excited at the prospect of going to a party, and Avi seemed really excited about it, too. But, with the way Potter had reacted towards the invitation had him worried. What if Potter would be angry at Draco for wanting to go?
"It's really an engagement party for Jacque's sister, Marie. And I hear Emmanuel is going to be there, too!" Avi turned to Asha to inform her; Asha looked mildly interested in the news.
"Who is Emmanuel? Who are the Orléans?" Draco asked.
"Jacque, Emmanuel, and Marie Orléans are part of the richest Pureblood wizarding family in France," Avi informed him.
"I've never heard of them," Draco said.
"It's not surprising. They were second only to the Greengrass family. Jacque's told me that they were too young when the first wizarding war had happened, and their family had decided to keep low because they didn't want to speak for or against You Know Who. They'd moved to wizarding Belgium in the early ‘80's and moved back to France in 1999. Jacque and Marie manage the family business, and Emmanuel was travelling the world working with Teachers Without Borders."
It was clear that Avi was having a hard time containing her enthusiasm. It was as if she'd been waiting for Draco to ask her about them.
"How old are they?" Draco asked.
"Jacque is thirty-six, Marie is twenty-four, and Emmanuel, I believe is either thirty or thirty-one." She took a sip of her wine and looked enthusiastically at Draco.
"How do you know so much about them? They've never been mentioned in the Prophet." Draco was becoming curious about the Orléans, as well. They sounded like a well-established Pureblood family, and he was curious about Avi's fascination with them.
"The Prophet, please!" Avi rolled her eyes. "The wizarding tattoo world works differently than the rest of the wizarding world. If you're inked, your demand is high in the Pureblood circles, and they barely advertise their private affairs in the Prophet. The only families who do it are the ones looking for attention. Well-established families know how to avoid the papers."
Draco nodded at Avi's comment reckoning that she was correct. "And you've known them long?"
"I've only met Emmanuel once or twice, he didn't really visit the UK when his family would come and visit and I'd attend the feasts. I suppose that now he's done with this charity work and is going to join the family business, I'd see him a lot more."
"So you attend these feasts often, then?"
"Whenever they are in the UK, they request my presence. But, I'm not the only one who is invited, as an art-piece, I mean. There are several of us there."
"You seem really attached to Monsieur Orléans," Draco said.
"Jacque...He's a wonderful man," Avi replied.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You love him." It wasn't a question, and when Draco'd said it, he noticed the twinkle in her eye. Her gaze went past him and she schooled her expression.
A moment later, Potter entered the room and Avi tensed up.
"What are we talking about?" Potter asked, sitting down at the head of the table. When no one answered, he shook his head. "Monsieur Orléans, I'm sure."
"I was curious regarding my presence at the feast," Draco said, trying to save Avi any trouble and really, avoiding another fight between Avi and Potter. "What I would be expected to do, or if there were special garments-"
"You aren't inked, yet," Potter said, and Draco could see that he was struggling to keep his composure. Draco had watched Potter all day, and he was starting to learn the man's subtle little cues.
"So just every day robes, then?" Draco asked, sounding casual.
"We will discuss it when the time comes," Potter answered and he looked over at Asha who quickly brought over the dinner dishes to the dining table.
The conversation changed when Alexis began discussing a new style of Firewhisky that he'd been introduced, and Draco was relieved when the tension quickly died down.
*
That night as soon as Draco lay in bed, he realised how exhausted he really was. He wondered if he should have told Asha to wake him up in the morning so he could be ready to go to the shop with Potter again. Potter hadn't asked him to accompany him again, but Draco was sure that if he was ready in the morning Potter would allow him to tag along.
His eyelids felt heavy and he was just about to drown into slumber when there was a faint knock on the door. Draco wasn't sure if he'd actually heard it or if it was his imagination.
"Yes?" he whispered in the dark.
"Are you decent?" Avi whispered in return.
Draco grabbed his wand and tapped the candle that was on top of his nightstand. A dim light entered the room and he saw Avi waiting by the door. "Come in," he said, and sat up on the bed.
"I just wanted to thank you for earlier tonight," she said, taking a seat on the bed.
"For what?" Draco asked, struggling to keep his eyes open; his mind was all but asleep.
"The conversation at dinner about Monsieur Orléans." She smiled at him and brushed the hair off his forehead. "You really saved me from another argument with Harry."
"I think he just cares about you, and about his work," Draco answered, unsure of what else to say. "Also, I really did it for myself, too. I didn't want to sit through another argument that really has no resolution." He was honest, too honest, and he chalked it off at being excruciatingly exhausted.
She laughed at his comment and then patted his head as if she were his older sister. "Well, he won't have to worry about me for too long," she said. "I don't have much time left on my contract and then-who knows."
"Are you hoping that Monsieur Orléans will ask you-"
"Shh!" she interrupted him immediately. "Don't say such things, I don't want to jinx anything."
"But, I thought you'd want to be free-not attach yourself to someone else. Isn't being inked a huge recognition. Everyone would want you, and your worth would be so high. Avi, you are too beautiful to just settle down after all this hard work."
Draco had no idea what this Jacque Orléans looked like, but still, he'd have thought that Avi would value her freedom more than attaching herself to a Pureblood wizard and be something that was an equivalent of a Trophy Wife.
Potter had clearly seen something in her, especially when he talked about her fire. She was a beautiful, smart, and an insightful woman; she could have a pick at whatever and whoever she chose. Why was she limiting herself to the first Pureblood man that came around the corner?
"You wouldn't understand," she said, and Draco nearly laughed at that. He was someone who had all the choices taken away from him, if there was anyone that would understand, it would have been him.
"Perhaps, when it's not so late in the night, you could explain it to me," Draco said.
"Perhaps." She leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, Draco."
"Goodnight, Avi."
*Draco woke up several times in the night, afraid that he would oversleep. Eventually, he gave up on sleep all together and headed over to shower. When he went to the kitchen in the morning, he saw Asha gaping at him in surprise.
"Has Potter left for the shop?" he asked Asha, attempting to ignore her shocked reaction.
She shook her head.
"Brilliant, then I hope I have time for breakfast!" He smiled at her and she eventually turned around and poured him a cup of coffee and cracked a few eggs.
Potter mumbled a 'good morning' as he walked into the kitchen. At first he hadn't noticed Draco but when he did, he had the same look as Asha had.
"Morning," Draco said enthusiastically, and then realised that perhaps that was a bit too much, even for him. "I was wondering if I can accompany you to the shop again." He evened his tone and sounded more nonchalant.
"Of course, I just thought you might be tired from..."
"I enjoyed the experience, and thought maybe I could be of some use."
Potter nodded. "Susan has started teaching an early morning yoga class so we do need the help in the morning. It's good of you to offer," he said and looked at Asha as though asking for coffee telekinetically. She fumbled with a cup and poured him some right away. "I can pay you..."
"You, what?"
"I was going to offer yesterday but then it just got so busy, I didn't get a chance. If you want to work the morning shift at the shop, I can pay you. I mean it can be Muggle money or I can add it to your fund I've created for you and Avi at Gringotts."
"Oh," Draco said; he hadn't thought about doing it for money. He just wanted to be able to get out of the house and mingle among...people. Plus, he liked watching Potter work. The art of tattooing was fascinating.
"Do you think Avi would mind?" Draco asked.
"Why would she mind? And you don't have to tell her if you don't want to. I don't discuss my business with her. She just comes into the shop to get inked and leaves. She's never showed any interest-" Potter stopped himself as if he was hesitating in speaking ill of her.
"Alright then. It sounds like a good plan. The more money I can save to get my things back from Kaminas, the better."
"Okay, it's settled then," Potter said. He looked at the eggs that Asha had just served him and smiled up at her. "We'll leave in twenty minutes, and we'll be back in time for supper."
"Very well, then," Asha replied. "I'll consult the list you've created for me for Mr Malfoy's diet. I'll send lunch over with Bhim." She turned and left the room, leaving Potter and Draco alone together.
Even though they had been alone together in the shop the day before, being alone in the kitchen like that was awkward. He wasn't sure what he'd ask Potter. He knew that he didn't want to bring up the Orléans in conversation again, that was for sure.
"How did you get into tattooing?" he asked, after what felt like an hour long silence when in reality it'd only been five minutes.
Potter smiled. "After the war I travelled for a while and then sort of just picked it up. I met some great tattoo artists, both wizards and Muggles and learned the trade. I spent a year in Romania before I returned to the UK. I was sitting at the coffee shop where we went yesterday morning. I was in the corner and drawing on a napkin when a woman, Lena, approached me, and told me that she was looking for artists for her shop. At first she just wanted me to draw some designs for her, but when she found out that I'd had proper training and that I had the talent for it, she wanted to employ me."
"So you accepted her offer right away?"
"No, not right away, but I went to her shop. It was called 'Lily's tattoo shop' because Lilies were her favourite flower and I thought-" Potter paused and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know, I thought it was like a sign or something so I worked for her. Then five years later, she said she wanted to sell the business, and I offered to buy it from her. I love doing what I do, so there was no reason to stop."
"Oh, I thought you named your shop..." Draco trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"That's what most people think," Potter said, shrugging. Apparently, he hadn't noticed Draco's awkwardness. "That's why I think it was a sign. Like it was meant to be."
"And it really bothers you that Avi doesn't take any interest in the business?" Draco asked. He hadn't missed that bit. Potter always brought Avi up in conversation when they talked about the shop and his disappointment was rather evident. He must have really been in love with her, Draco reckoned.
"I'd like all my charges to take interest in the business. I know that most people are just canvases, and they want to be inked and then move on; but, it'd be nice once in a while to be able to share a different part of me than just my...technique."
Draco nodded. He remained quiet, feeling like it was the thing to do. Potter was talking, for some odd reason, and was opening up to Draco. So Draco allowed it.
"It's kind of like when I was growing up. After the celebrity of Harry Potter was over, it was really just about me and my expertise in defeating Dark Magic. No one really seemed to care what I was about or what I wanted to do."
"The Aurors," Draco whispered.
"Yeah. Exactly. I wanted to be an Auror when I was at Hogwarts, but I realised that it was the same thing, doing the same thing for the rest of my life. I guess I was done taking orders."
"Now you just jab needles in people's bodies..." Draco said, and Potter laughed. "Creating beautiful art, of course," he added with a smile.
"Of course," Potter said.
They finished their breakfast in silence and it was like on cue that Asha had walked back into the kitchen to clear their dishes. They took the Floo to the shop and the day flew by as it had the day before.
*
Things continued in a similar pattern for the rest of the week. Draco woke up early in the morning, had a quiet breakfast with Potter, and then they'd go to the shop. He'd mind the front desk until lunch time, and Susan would arrive to work.
Jackson continued to flirt with Draco and everyone else would roll their eyes. When Draco overheard Potter tease Jackson about his flirting, he sighed with relief. Then he knew for sure that it was harmless and that Potter wouldn't be cross with Draco for it. He still didn't trust that he was safe. He still feared that Potter would find any reason to kick him out or sell his contract to someone else. He didn't exactly like being a contract-bound servant, but he had no other choice.
Potter continued to sketch with Draco in their downtime. He'd given Draco his own sketchbook and asked him to practice in it. He'd told Draco that he liked Draco's brushstrokes and his choices of colours.
It wasn't until Friday, after Avi had come in for an hour of tattooing that Potter asked Draco to remove his shirt and lie on the chair.
"You're going to start inking me?" Draco asked, excitement evident in his voice.
Potter smiled. "It's just the initiation. Everyone gets my mark inked on them first. Then we'll wait to see how it heals and then the real process will start."
"Your mark? What is it?" Draco asked.
"Can you guess?" Potter asked in return.
Draco thought about it. Potter's mark, it'd had to be something obvious, like a Snitch, or a scar, or- He thought about what he'd seen on Avi's body. He hadn't seen anything Quidditch or Voldemort related on her, then- "A lily," he said, realising, of course, it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Potter chuckled. "You're the first one to ever guess it correctly," he said.
"Do I get a prize?" Draco asked, speaking before thinking.
"Actually, you do," Potter replied.
"What is it?" Draco asked, when Potter said nothing after that.
"You'll have to wait for that," Potter said and turned to grab his parchment with a small lily drawn on it.
"Please don't tell me the gift of patience is my present," Draco retorted; again speaking before thinking.
Potter laughed at that. Genuinely laughed. "No, I am not that deep," he said shaking his head. He sat on a stool next to Draco's reclined body. "Okay, relax."
Draco leaned back and closed his eyes. All of a sudden, he was nervous. He felt every nerve of his body pulsating, his heart was beating a thousand beats per second and his feet itched. He could not hold still!
"Draco," Potter whispered and Draco shot his eyes open. "Just take deep breaths and don't move," he added.
Draco nodded and he knew that he'd tensed up again when Potter placed the small parchment on the right side of his body, just above his hip bone. He felt Potter's wand press into him and a slight wetness as the ink from the parchment transferred over to his skin. He wasn't sure why he was this nervous. He'd seen Potter do the process at least two dozen times already.
He took in a breath and out and finally relaxed.
"There you go," Potter said and Draco felt his skin prickle up when Potter rubbed his fingers on the ink that was drying on his skin. "I'll just leave that on for a second, alright?"
Draco didn't open his eyes but nodded. He felt Potter's eyes on him but he didn't dare open his own eyes. He wouldn't know what he'd see if he saw Potter looking at him. He wasn't sure he wanted to.
The slight buzzing sound startled him again and Draco finally opened his eyes. He saw Potter looking at him, nervous. Brilliant! Potter was nervous.
"What's the matter?" Draco asked, furrowing his brows.
"Just...this is it. After this, there's no going back," Potter said.
"I don't want to go back," Draco answered, and was surprised at how much he meant it. This was it. In so many ways.
The first time the needle touched his skin, Draco felt like he was on fire. Except, it was the fire that was cutting into his skin. He burned, but in a good way. This was nothing like the way he'd been Marked. This was different, at that moment he'd wanted to die, and now, he finally felt alive.
The irony of the matter wasn't lost on him. His first symbol on his body represented something so purely evil, and the second symbol was being given to him by none other than the Saviour. His symbol. The symbol that represented pure love.
Draco closed his eyes again and felt the needle when it pulled away. Then Potter wiped his skin with cloth, and Draco supposed he was probably bleeding. He'd seen the process done enough times to know that. He breathed in and out again and the next time the needle touched him, Draco had felt Potter relax.
"Doing okay, Potter?" Draco asked, his eyes closed and a smirk creeping up on his lips.
"Don't tease me when I have you like this under me, Malfoy," Potter said, teased, and Draco stiffened up a bit at his words. "I didn't mean...I won't ruin your skin."
"I know, it's fine," Draco replied. He didn't stiffen up because he thought Potter could harm him, but because, Draco was open, vulnerable under Potter's touch. Under Potter's touch.
A few minutes later, they were done. Draco heard Potter push his stool back and stand up. He waited for Potter to return and rub the salve on his skin. "It's done," Potter said and Draco finally opened his eyes.
Draco stood up to look in the full length mirror in Potter's studio. He examined the small flower just above his hip bone. It was simple, and the light lilac and green seemed to shimmer under the salve. Then his gaze fell upon the rest of his body. His jeans still hung low on his hips but he looked-better. Healthier, even.
"What is it?" Potter asked when Draco had clearly been quiet for too long.
"I think the diet you put me on is working," Draco answered, turning to look at Potter and smirking.
"And the tattoo?" Potter asked, his voice stern but he was grinning.
"I like it. I like the location you picked as well. Avi's is below her right shoulder blade."
"All part of the design. The way the peacock's feathers open up, the flower blends with it..."
"And my design?"
"I'm still working on it, but I have a few ideas."
"When will I see it?"
"All in good time."
Draco nearly groaned. "I really hate that phrase." It's what Kaminas had told him when Draco had inquired about the tattoo master.
Potter ignored him. "So you know what you have to do for the next few days to take care of it?" he asked, and Draco nodded. He'd heard Potter tell each of his customers, one after the other. "Brilliant."
"Why did you pick today?" Draco asked and when Potter looked confused he added, "to tattoo me. Why today?"
"Oh," Potter said, looking slightly annoyed. "The Orléans' feast is coming up in a few short days. If you'll be accompanying Avi, then you need to have my ink on you." He turned away from Draco. "If you're going to be seen in public," Potter added as an afterthought.
Draco considered Potter's words for a moment. "What's my reward?" he asked. "You said that I get a prize."
Potter's face lit up. "Alright, pick a design," he said to Draco, handing him three of his own sketches; sketches Draco had drawn up in his room at night when he couldn't sleep.
There was the dragon, the phoenix and the serpent.
"These three are my most favourite," Potter informed him. "So pick one."
"Pick one for what?" Draco asked.
"Just pick one first," Potter said. He quickly turned to tend to his tattooing supplies, lining up the colours, changing the needle, and testing the voltage.
"The serpent," Draco said, finally. He handed the sketch to Potter who took the other two from Draco's hand, but let Draco hold onto the serpent one. "What is it for, Potter?"
Potter rolled up his shirt sleeve and washed his upper arm on the basin in the corner of his studio. "It's your turn," he said.
"My turn for what?" Draco asked.
Potter sat on the tattoo chair and leaned back. He rested his arm lazily on the side table that he'd dragged near the recliner and looked at Draco. "Ink me."
"What?" Draco almost shrieked.
"It's your turn, Draco. Show me what you've learned."
"Are-are you sure?" Draco asked, now more nervous than he was while he was under the needle.
"Yes. I want to see if you paid attention. You can draw, you're good with fine quill I gave you to design with. I want you to show me how good you can be with the needle."
Draco cleared his throat, suddenly, in desperate need for some water. What was Potter on? How could he-how could he trust Draco like that? "What if I fuck it up?"
"Well, that'll show me the kind of teacher I've been," Potter answered calmly. "Now come on, before I change my mind."
Draco's hands shook as he placed the sketch of the serpent on Potter's arm. Potter grabbed his wrist and looked at him straight in the eye. "Relax. You'll do fine, Draco," he said.
"When did you start calling me Draco?"
"Oh," Potter said, thinking it over. "Today, I guess. It is your name isn't it?"
Draco didn't say anything but glared at Potter before returning to the task at hand. He took Potter's wand and pressed it on the parchment and watched the ink leak onto Potter's skin. The dark green serpent swivelled around Potter's bicep until the silver lines that Draco had drawn on emanated through.
Draco had seen Potter do this the Muggle way when he would stencil the design on the skin rather than use magic. He was so nervous that he'd almost asked Potter if he could try it the same way, too. Yet he refrained; the need to impress was bigger than his anxiety.
He waited for Potter to examine the serpent design on his arm before proceeding. Potter lifted his right arm and examined it. "Looks good," he said and returned it to rest on the table.
Draco turned on the machine that was connected to the needle and started. His hand shook a little before the needle touched the skin, but as he started to outline the serpent on Potter's arm, he was more relaxed. He knew that he could do this. The designs that he'd spent hours on were not a waste of time as he'd originally thought. If Harry Potter, the supposed famous ink master, was trusting him with this: he would not fail. Because he couldn't fail. He couldn't fail. Not when he had something to show Potter.
Draco decided not to dwell on the fact his need to show off to Potter had returned again as it had when he was a child, and instead decided to focus on the task at hand. Literally.
Drawing on skin was definitely harder than on a parchment. Potter's muscle twitched under his touch and Draco stopped to glare at him. "The amounts of times you've told your clients to stop moving, Potter-" Potter gave him a grin, like Draco had just said something incredible, which had Draco flabbergasted. "Just stop moving," he said.
Potter nodded then relaxed his head back and closed his eyes. Draco continued. He was becoming more confident by the minute. He knew exactly how to angle his wrist, and at what speed to move the needle on the skin. It was like the notion of tattooing was speaking to him. He knew what he was doing, and he didn't doubt it.
He could see how Potter worked the way he did.
When he paused and looked up at Potter, Potter was staring at him. His eyes looked like they were full of wonder, as if he was shocked to see Draco be so confident.
"What?" Draco asked, immediately feeling self-conscious.
"Nothing," Potter answered and blinked away. "How much longer?"
"Just about done," Draco replied and returned to work.
A few minutes later, they were done, and Draco followed Potter's procedural steps. He pushed the stool back, and went fetching for the salve. He returned a few moments later, wiped the tattoo one last time and applied the aftercare treatment.
"It's ready," he announced and Potter turned to look at his tattooed bicep for the first time.
"Looks great," Potter said and walked up to the mirror. "Really good. I'm glad you picked a simple design. I always wondered how a snake would look on me."
"It suits you."
"Said the Slytherin," Potter said and wrapped his arm with some gauze and tape before pulling his sleeve down. "Alright. Let's go home, I'm starving."
READ CHAPTER THREE
Author: digthewriter
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco. Original characters. Some Weasleys.
Warnings/Content Notes: Possible OOC. Short-tempered Harry. Confusion. Longing. Angst. Magical tattoos. Moving Art. Fluffy ending. Made up Pureblood rituals, and some magic history. (Also, not sure if I should warn for: UST)
Word Count: ~45,000 (total fic) / Chapter Two: ~10,100
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Read Chapter One
*
Draco left Potter's office feeling unsure. Everything was now just so final. He was now officially Potter's property. His oeuvre. The idea in the beginning hadn't really seemed so bad, but now Draco still wasn't too sure about it. He tried to think if it was someone else, if it wasn't Potter who had claimed him, would he have been so upset?
He walked past Avi's room, as he heard music he wondered if he should knock on her door and tell her how it had been. He changed his mind.
Avi clearly found him to be a threat, not really knowing the real history about him and Potter. If she did, she wouldn't have thought so. Draco wasn't in the mood to enlighten her. All he wanted to do was go into his room, close the door, and crash on his bed. Maybe he could just sleep. Sleep it all off.
*
The next day when Draco showered and went down for breakfast, Potter was already at the table. He was laughing with Asha as he drank his coffee and straightened up when Draco entered the room.
"Morning," Draco mumbled and took his assigned seat at the table.
Asha smiled warmly at him and served him his eggs and toast.
"I'd like for you to come to the shop with me today."
Draco looked up after a moment of silence and realised that Potter was talking to him. "Pardon?" He gave Potter a confused look.
"One of the girls that works with me is on holiday and I need some assistance in the shop. Do you wan-" Potter cleared his throat. "Would you be willing to accompany me to the shop?"
"Of course," Draco said. He wasn't sure if he could stay at the house for a whole day again. At least at the manor, he had the garden to walk around in, and as much as he was impressed by the library and its contents, Draco reckoned it would be better to get out. See people, even if they were Muggles and Draco wouldn't know how to conduct himself.
"Avi is due to come in in the afternoon for another session and perhaps you can watch me work."
Draco nodded. Potter wanted it arranged for Draco to watch him work. Draco wanted to ask Avi if she'd too done the same with Potter when she'd first arrived to stay with him, but decided that he wouldn't ask her because he didn't really wish to hear more of her disappointed remarks. If Potter was treating Draco differently than any of his other past oeuvres, he didn't want to share it with Avi. With the way Potter and Avi seemed so close, Draco was afraid that perhaps one word from her and she'd have him kicked out of the house.
"Will I be coming in with her?" Draco asked.
"No. You will help me set up the studio so you'll leave with me and she'll arrive an hour later," Potter answered.
Avi entered the room shortly after and sat at the table with them. She seemed preoccupied with something and Draco wondered if Potter had noticed. If he had, he didn't remark on it. As soon as Draco was done with his breakfast and about to announce that he was taking his leave, an owl arrived and everyone's attention was diverted.
"It's got the Orléans family seal on it, I believe it's for Ms Nay-" Before Alexis could finish his sentence, Potter grabbed the letter from his hand and ripped it open.
Draco glanced at Avi and she'd barely flinched, except, he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. She watched intently as Potter read the letter. Draco shifted his gaze towards Potter who looked irritated. For once, he was glad to see that the irritation wasn't targeted towards him.
"It seems that Monsieur Orléans has invited you to a feast, again." Potter's tone was dry and highly unfavourable.
"Oh?" Avi asked. "Will you be going, then?" she added.
"You know that I will not be there," Potter said firmly. "I reckon you wish to attend?"
She didn't answer and Draco watched this game of theirs in fascination. Who was this Monsieur Orléans and why did Potter hate him so much? Draco wondered if he was some royalty that was interested in Avi and that made Potter jealous.
Was that why he seemed so cross all the time? Was it that Avi had suitors and as long she was bound by the contract under Potter she wasn't allowed to date? And did that upset Potter? Was he in love with Avi?
"I'll take Draco with me if it'll make you feel better," Avi responded, finally.
"Excuse me?" Potter snarled. Clearly it was not going to make him feel better. "He isn’t-"
"You know that you will have to soon make an announcement that you've taken on another patron that will serve as your new oeuvre. What better time than as my escort at a Jacque Orléans' feast?"
"Aren't you afraid that he might get in the middle of your festivities," Potter responded with an eyebrow raised. It was clearly a challenge.
"I haven't done anything that defies any of the rules and if you're worried that Draco might-"
"Avi." Potter's voice was firm. Before she could respond to him, Potter pushed his chair back, stood up, still glowering at her, and turned to leave the room. Draco had no idea what had just happened.
"Ten minutes, Malfoy," Potter said as he stormed out, reminding him that they were due to leave.
"You best get ready," Asha told Draco as she gathered the dishes off the table. Draco looked at Avi who seemed unperturbed by the whole encounter.
*
Draco arrived at his room and found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt on his bed. When did Asha even have the time to stop by and drop the new clothes off for him? As he unfolded the clothes, he noticed that they still had their tags on them. New clothes. Would they fit?
He dressed quickly, surprised that though his jeans did hang a bit low on his hips, he didn't need to charm them for size. His t-shirt was a bit looser than he'd like it to be, but he reckoned it was probably Potter's way of telling him that he needed to eat more.
He rolled his eyes and made his way to the fireplace, figuring that they were going to take the Floo to Potter's shop. He didn't know the name of the business and he hadn't bothered to ask anyone; he hadn't even thought about it up until that moment. It wasn't like him to not pay attention to such details, but with everything else that was happening around him, Draco truly felt lost.
Potter didn't speak to him as he waited by the Floo. He still looked cross, probably about whatever he and Avi had argued about. Since he'd arrived at the house, Draco had only seen adoration for Avi in Potter's eyes; it was strange to see such hostility.
Potter stepped into the Floo and Draco followed suit. They arrived in the attic of the shop and when they reached the door to go downstairs, Potter finally turned and looked at Draco. "Ready?" he asked and Draco nodded.
They walked down the stairs and through Potter's studio to another flight of stairs. A moment later, Draco realised that they were in the front of the shop. When he'd arrived with Kaminas a few days ago, they'd clearly entered through the back.
He heard the faint buzzing sound and looked around and saw a man who looked like he was in his fifties laid flat on a table while a woman, who barely looked twenty, was tattooing him. Draco was aware of the basic concepts of the ways of Muggle tattooing but it was fascinating to see it in person.
"An early start, Ann?" Potter asked, his tone was light and it was night and day from what he'd witnessed earlier with Avi.
The woman, Ann, looked up and grinned at Potter. "Yeah, boss. Opened up early today for Mr Black over here. I know he's your favourite!" she said and returned to her work.
Potter turned to look at Draco and his lips curled up just a bit. "This way," Potter said, and Draco followed him.
They reached the front desk and Potter gestured for Draco to sit. "Ann's going to be with Mr Black...Yeah, I know," he said, smiling, "for about another hour. I'll need you to sit at the desk and help whoever comes in. There shouldn't be anyone walking in that doesn't have an appointment. Today is our appointment-only day, but in case there are stragglers, you can give them one of these flyers and tell them to come back. If they want to make an appointment, tell them to phone the shop after noon, when Ann is going to man the desk."
"What are you going to do?" Draco was almost panicking. Potter expected Draco to sit and deal with Muggles on his first day?
"You'll be fine. Just say good morning, smile, and ask them what they want. You don't have to be super polite, it's a tattoo shop, you're supposed to act like you're doing them a favour. An attitude, I'm sure you can muster up." Potter chuckled as he watched Draco scowl.
"What makes you think I won't just run away?"
"As part of your magical contract holder, I have placed a tracing charm on you. If you do run, I will be able to track you easily."
Draco gaped at Potter in horror. Why wasn't he notified of this?
"I am joking, Malfoy," Potter said. "I need to get my studio set up for Avi-if she'll show up today, that is. And I need someone to man the desk. If the phone rings, don't answer it. It rings in my studio too and I'll take the messages."
"Pott-"
"Malfoy! I woke up today in a really good mood, and then Avi tried to ruin it for me. I'd really appreciate it if you could just not-just don't! If you need anything, scream for Ann. She won't mind."
Potter walked away without looking back and Draco didn't want to call after him again. Well, he did. He wanted to yell at Potter, and tell him that he was a wanker, and that he should've clearly just stayed home but-but-Draco had a job. In the ten years after the war, no one had hired Draco, and Potter had given him a job!
"Merlin's beard," Draco muttered to himself. He was employed. Granted, he was probably not going to get paid for his task to "man the desk," but still, Potter was trusting him with something. That was...strange. Draco's thoughts were interrupted when the bell at the door rang and someone walked in through the door.
"Hi. Welcome to, erm, welcome to-" Draco looked around frantically; he had no idea what the shop was called. His eyes fell on the flyer sitting by the phone and he quickly grabbed it. "Lily's tattoo shop," he read and then looked up at the woman that was glaring at him. "Welcome to Lily's tattoo shop, how can I help you?"
"I've got an appointment with Jackson." She looked at Draco derisively. He nodded at her and found an appointment book and opened it up. "First day?" she asked.
"In every sense of the word," Draco answered quietly and found the section marked Jackson. He flipped over to the day and saw a name scribbled on the top. "Mrs Lipton?"
"Yes, like the tea," she answered.
"Okay," Draco replied, confused.
"I'm early, I know. I'll just sit here and wait for Jackson to stroll in, hung-over, a latte in one hand and a cigarette dangling from his lips. I bet you'll think he's just so hot, won't you?"
"Erm...I'm sure," Draco replied, still confused. "Please have a seat," he said, but she'd already sat down on one of the sofas by the window. "Right, then."
She shook her head at him and looked out the window. "Do you think it'll rain?" she asked but didn't turn to look at Draco. Draco wasn't sure if she was expecting him to answer.
He mumbled an "I don't know," and started to examine the contents of the desk where he was sitting. Lily's tattoo shop. That's what the shop was called. Potter's mother's name was Lily, Draco remembered and wondered if Potter had named the place after her. Surely a Lily was a more interesting name than James's tattoo shop.
It was quiet for a while and Mrs Lipton continued to stare out the window. She was young, probably only a few years older than Draco and wondered why she went by Mrs Lipton and not her first name. Mrs Lipton sounded like an old woman's name, someone who was probably around Draco's mum's age.
The bell rang again and Draco looked up to find a man with a scruffy beard, Muggle sunglasses, with a long white stick hanging out of his mouth, holding a white cup. He paused to examine Draco and Draco was stunned silent. The man was striking, even though his eyes were hidden behind the mirrored shades and Draco only saw a reflection of himself-looking shell-shocked.
"Hi," he managed to mumble, and then Mrs Lipton conveniently cut in.
"See, I told you. Hung-over, latte, a fag, though the sunglasses are a nice touch, Jackson."
"Mrs Lipton, early again, I see," the man, who had to be Jackson, answered. He wasn't English. Draco was sure that the man's accent was American. He'd only met one American wizard before and it was someone who had done business with his father years before.
Jackson handed his cup of latte to Mrs Lipton and she happily took a sip. He removed his sunglasses and turned to look at Draco. "You're new."
"That's rather observant," Draco replied and cursed his tongue for being so short. "I mean, yes. I am with Pott-" Draco stopped himself, unsure of how he was supposed to introduce himself.
"Oh, the new guy. Harry did send me a text about that. So you're going to let him tattoo you and shit," Jackson said.
"Yes. Precisely. I am going to let him tattoo me and shit," Draco answered, dryly.
"Sorry, I forgot for a minute. Too much gin last night. I'm Jackson, and this is Mrs Lipton who is going to bite my head off if I don't get set up, so I'll see you later, new guy."
Draco watched Jackson disappear in the back and returned his gaze towards Mrs Lipton who was back at staring out the window.
Another ten minutes of silence and Jackson returned asking Mrs Lipton to follow him. When Draco locked eyes with Jackson, he winked at Draco, and walked away. Draco felt a blush creep up his neck. It'd been a while since he'd allowed himself to appreciate another man's appeal and suddenly the words from the night before started to ring into Draco's ears.
Until I am done with you, your skin will belong to me. That means I have say over all that could impact it...your coming and going...
Draco gulped nervously. It'd be best not to develop an attraction towards a man that was employed by Potter, and even better to never act like he had an attraction. Who knew? If Potter was as cross as he was at Avi that morning for receiving an invitation from someone, he'd be more agitated with Draco and sell his contract to someone else.
It was best not to dwell on hypotheticals that wouldn't play out anyway.
Another client came in a few minutes later, stating she was meeting with Ann. Draco told her to wait and went in the back looking for Ann. Mr Black was sleeping on the table he was at, and there was no Ann in the room. Draco walked up the steps towards Potter's studio and it was slightly open. He peered in and saw Ann speaking with Potter.
"Do you think that's really a good idea?" Ann asked Potter who didn't say anything. "Given your history..."
Draco knocked on the door startling both of them. "Sorry," he said, keeping his tone even. "Ann, your appointment is here and she's waiting. I didn't know if I was supposed to-"
"Great!" the woman said almost jumping with joy. "I'll wake Mr Black up and then you can send her in after he leaves. I'm Ann by the way, we weren't properly introduced."
"Draco." He smiled at her as she led them down the steps to the front of the shop.
It was quiet again for some time and Draco thought about the conversation he'd overheard outside Potter's studio. Given your history. Had Potter told this Ann woman about him and Draco? About the war? Magic?
As the bell rang again and Draco looked up to greet another customer, Potter had returned to the front of the shop.
"Perfect timing!" Potter exclaimed to the woman that had just arrived and she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.
"Susan, this is Draco. Malfoy, this is Susan. Draco's been doing your job while you were out this morning," Potter said to the woman. He didn't sound excited, proud, or upset. His tone was very matter-of-factly. "Draco is staying with me. He's going to be working with me, like Avi."
Susan nodded at Potter's words and then turned to smile at Draco. "A pleasure," she said offering her hand.
Draco took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you," he said. He stood up from the chair and moved so she could settle in. He turned towards Potter, next. "Are you ready, for me?"
"Almost. Avi's informed me she's going to be late. We have time to go and get a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry," Potter answered. "Join me."
Potter walked out the door expecting Draco to follow. Draco did, since had no other choice. Besides, he was glad. He was getting a little hungry. He wondered if that's what this was about-getting proper nutrition. He reckoned, you were hungrier the more you ate.
They walked quietly for about five minutes until Potter stopped outside a café. "How do you take your coffee?" Potter asked.
"Black," Draco replied.
"Brilliant." Potter handed Draco some Muggle money and Draco stared at him blankly. "I want you to order for me. Two medium black coffees and whatever pastries you want to order."
"For you or your staff as well?"
Draco saw a slight gleam in Potter's eyes before it was gone. He looked impressed. "Just for us," he said. "I'll order for the staff."
Draco followed Potter into the café and Potter waited for him to order. He looked at the pastries that were set up on display and made his decision. Walking up to the counter he ordered. "Two medium black coffees and two scones."
"Do you want the butter on the scone or on the side?" the woman behind the counter asked.
Draco turned to look at Potter who shrugged. "On it is fine, thanks," he said to the woman and offered her the money that Potter had handed him earlier.
It wasn't like Draco had never been to the Muggle part of the world before. He had, but it was only a few short times when he'd found a gay club to go to. Then, he'd only Apparated there, didn't order a drink until someone offered him one, shagged a bloke in the back alley, then Disapparated home. Of course, that didn't really count as ordering coffee and scone at a pastry shop, but surely, if Draco had tried, he would have been successful at it.
Draco watched as Potter ordered for his staff. He smiled at the barista behind the counter as she openly flirted with him. She looked over at Draco again and then eyed the Mark on his forearm.
"Cool tattoo. Where did you get that one?"
Draco fumbled over his words, unsure of what to say. He knew that the t-shirt he was wearing would display his fading Dark Mark but he really hadn't realised that he was going to be around Muggles and that he would have had to answer their questions about it.
Potter decided to answer for him. "A man named Tom Riddle is responsible for it. He's been dead for about ten years now." He smiled at her again and they walked away from the counter.
Draco had no idea how he was supposed to react to that. Even if that was the truth.
"Did you do this with Avi?" Draco asked after they'd been quiet for a few minutes as they waited for their order to be prepared.
Potter shook his head. "Avi wouldn't have any of it. She was ready to be tattooed from day one, and all she wanted was to be known for that. She wouldn't want to learn a new trade, or deal with Muggles."
"Why did you- Why am I doing it, then? To see if I'd fail?"
Potter shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't fail," he said.
Their conversation was interrupted as the barista called out their order and they started to walk back to the shop. When they arrived, Susan informed Potter that Avi had arrived through the back entrance and was waiting in his studio. Potter dropped off his purchase at the front desk with Susan, and continued walking. He didn't turn to look at Draco, but Draco assumed Potter would want Draco to follow him.
When Potter opened the door to his studio, Avi was sitting in the leather chair. She'd undressed and was settled under a white sheet. Draco was uncomfortable for a moment, but neither Avi nor Potter seemed to notice.
Potter's back was turned towards them for a while as he looked through a book of sketches. Draco turned to look at Avi who'd been watching him intently. "Asha sent some sandwiches for lunch for you, Draco," she said, finally. "We weren't sure if you were going to come back to the house until the end of the day."
"Turn around," Potter said, ignoring Avi's comment.
She removed the sheet off her and her eyes flicked towards Draco as if she was challenging him to watch her. Draco turned his gaze away to show her the respect to her privacy. He heard her snort and then shift in the chair.
"Malfoy, hold this," Potter said and when Draco'd turned to look again, Avi was settled in the chair, resting on her stomach. Potter handed Draco his sketch book.
Draco observed as Potter traced the sketch of his artwork on Avi's lower back. He pressed his wand against the parchment and watched as the ink leaked from the parchment onto the skin.
Potter looked up at Draco and must have seen the fascinated look because he smiled. He nodded towards the chair in the corner of the room and returned his gaze towards his work. Draco dragged the chair next to them and sat.
He was quiet the entire time Potter worked. The buzzing sound of the tattoo machine was scary at first when it was so close, but as Potter operated it, drawing over the design, colouring it in, wiping the blood, it was becoming more and more soothing.
Draco imagined the needle on him. Potter's steady hands on him. Could he trust Potter to do this to him? Would he?
Potter had been hot and cold since he'd arrived, but still, he'd been respectful. He'd showed Draco that he trusted him, and everyone else around him seemed to just love Potter. That isn't anything new, Draco thought. Maybe I should give him a chance too, then.
Avi appeared relaxed under the needle as she lay under Potter's hands. She was happy with a genuine smile on her face that Draco had only seen when she talked about her ink. Potter was right, that was all she cared about. Draco liked the idea of having the ink, of becoming something more. People would be fascinated by them. It would be a treasure that no one could ever take away from him.
He would take the ink well, Kaminas had said to Potter. Potter had brushed him off, but now Draco could see, Potter really did believe that. Draco was there, watching Potter, because Potter wanted him to know what would happen to him. Draco had never felt more alive, and he couldn't wait until it would be his turn to be in that chair.
At that moment Draco realised that he'd do anything to be inked. To be Potter's oeuvre. It would mean everything to him. He was going to impress Potter anyway he could. If Potter wanted him to be the shop's secretary, he'd do that. He'd steer clear of that bloke Jackson, avert any flirtatious remarks thrown his way-the last thing he'd want would be for Potter to kick him out over a distraction.
Over an hour had passed as Draco watched Potter's technique. From time to time he looked through Potter's sketchbook and thought it was odd that Potter was trusting him with something so important. He wondered if the canvases from the past had done the same thing.
An odd sensation of jealousy rose inside Draco at the fact that there were others who'd seen Potter's private collection, been part of it. Why was he jealous? Of course there had been people in the past. He was sure.
He wondered how long Potter had been in the trade? Where had he learned? Did he ever fall in love with any of his charges? If he had the resources, Draco would have enquired in the wizarding world, found out who else had been inked by Harry Potter, but of course he did not. He'd have to rely on this information from the patrons of the house and wondered if Asha or Alexis would share the details with him.
"I think that's enough for today," Potter said. The buzzing sound had stopped and Draco glanced over at Avi who didn't seem pleased.
"I can take more," she said.
"I know, but this is a big design and it needs to be taken in steps. An hour and a half per session is good enough for now."
"But my-"
"You'll have enough time before the Orléans' feast." Potter rolled his eyes. "You can show your new ink by then, except, I will need to wait the full two weeks before affecting it with magic."
Orléans. There was that name again. Potter had been so cross with Avi in the morning regarding this supposed feast and now he seemed like it was no big deal, at all.
"The feast is in ten days," Avi argued.
"Yes, and in six days, you will be back and I will add on to the art. Then you'll use the salve as you always do, and it'll be fine."
"But-"
"I am no longer discussing this subject," Potter roared. "You know the rules of the contract, you have accepted them and now you must abide by them. I can write to Jacque Orléans and inform him that you will not be attending his request-"
"What good will that do? You won't earn anything if I don't go-"
"You know that whatever is earned-"
"I know!" She nearly screamed her response. Potter didn't say anything else. He stared at her, his face nearly expressionless, except his green eyes seemed to glow. "I am sorry, sir," she said, finally. She turned her head in the opposite direction and closed her eyes. Draco saw tears fall onto the leather chair but she didn't move her hand to wipe them off.
Draco grabbed one of the paper napkins the barista had given them with their order and dabbed it on her face. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Can Draco come with me?" she whispered and Draco wasn't sure if Potter had heard her.
Potter clearly had because he tensed up right away. "That's up to Malfoy," he answered and stood up from his chair and returned to his workstation.
"You can get dressed now," he said after a while when no one had spoken.
Draco looked away again and he sat quietly, awkwardly, staring at Potter's sketchbook.
"Draco, are you coming?" Avi asked, her tone, virtuous.
"I need Malfoy to stay and help me," Potter answered coldly.
She didn't look at either one of them and Disapparated.
Potter turned towards Draco. "Eat the sandwich Avi brought and then pull up the chair at the workstation when you're done."
"For what?"
"I want to show you the designs and see if you can draw, too."
"I haven't ever tried before," Draco replied.
"It doesn't mean you can't."
They ate in silence and Draco could hear the buzzing sounds of the tattoo needles from downstairs. Draco thought about all the questions he had again, and wondered if he should ask Potter about them.
He didn't.
He pulled up the chair next to the station when they were finished with their lunch.
"What did you think of the sketches?" Potter asked.
"I liked them. They were all very different from each other. How do you decide what to use on your canvas?"
"It's a mix of everything," Potter answered. "Avi is very colourful, and her emotions are always displayed on her face and in her eyes. She's barely guarded. She isn't afraid to tell you how she feels, when she feels it, as she feels it. I'm sure you've noticed."
He smiled at Draco and began drawing on a piece of parchment. Strong strokes, not caring if the paint was falling off the parchment, onto the wall, the floor. "Her anger is fire, but it's also maintained... that's why she reminded me of the peafowls. She's social and curious, always looks at you in the eyes when she speaks to you, aggressive, protective.
The strokes on the parchment slowed and Draco realised what Potter had been creating. It looked like fire but it was a muster, a flock of peafowls that seemed to travel together. From a distance it looked like flames, they weren't, it was a group of birds.
It was captivating.
Draco was at a loss for words and Potter was looking at him like he expected Draco to say something. Potter's lips were parted and he stared at Draco, waiting.
A knock on the door broke whatever force had filled the room and Draco sighed, grateful, for the distraction.
"Harry, your next appointment is here," Susan announced and left the room.
"Do you want to watch me work on a Muggle, or do you want to go home?" Potter asked Draco, his expression was impassive again.
"I'd like to stay if it's all the same to you," Draco replied.
"Of course." Potter left the room and went to greet his Muggle client.
*
They returned back to Grimmauld Place just in time for dinner. Potter headed to his room straightaway and indicated that he would join the rest of the household later. Draco quietly stayed in his room until Asha stopped by to get him.
"Are you feeling alright, Draco?" she asked when she found him laying on his back staring at the roof.
"Yes, just tired," Draco replied and jumped up off the bed to head downstairs with her. "Long day," he added.
"Of course. We expected you to return with Ms Avi in the afternoon, and were surprised when she told us that you were going to stay."
"Potter wanted me to learn the tricks of the trade," Draco replied.
"And you don't mind?"
"No, of course not. It was a good learning experience, and it beats sitting around the house-" Draco stopped talking immediately when he realised that his words might have been offensive to Asha. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Of course not!" She smiled genuinely at him and he sighed with relief. "I understand it's more interesting to watch Mr Potter do his magic than go to the market with me shopping for produce."
"If you ever need my services-"
"You're too kind, Draco, but I can manage on my own. Thank you very much." She laughed to let him know that she was teasing him and he was glad.
When he took his seat at the dining table across from Avi, Draco noticed that Avi seemed to be in a much better mood than earlier that day. "Good news?" he asked.
"Yes! I've sent in the RSVP for Monsieur Orléans' feast, and he insisted that I bring you along. It's going to be so much fun, Draco!"
"What kind of a feast is it?" Draco asked, unsure of how he should have felt. He was excited at the prospect of going to a party, and Avi seemed really excited about it, too. But, with the way Potter had reacted towards the invitation had him worried. What if Potter would be angry at Draco for wanting to go?
"It's really an engagement party for Jacque's sister, Marie. And I hear Emmanuel is going to be there, too!" Avi turned to Asha to inform her; Asha looked mildly interested in the news.
"Who is Emmanuel? Who are the Orléans?" Draco asked.
"Jacque, Emmanuel, and Marie Orléans are part of the richest Pureblood wizarding family in France," Avi informed him.
"I've never heard of them," Draco said.
"It's not surprising. They were second only to the Greengrass family. Jacque's told me that they were too young when the first wizarding war had happened, and their family had decided to keep low because they didn't want to speak for or against You Know Who. They'd moved to wizarding Belgium in the early ‘80's and moved back to France in 1999. Jacque and Marie manage the family business, and Emmanuel was travelling the world working with Teachers Without Borders."
It was clear that Avi was having a hard time containing her enthusiasm. It was as if she'd been waiting for Draco to ask her about them.
"How old are they?" Draco asked.
"Jacque is thirty-six, Marie is twenty-four, and Emmanuel, I believe is either thirty or thirty-one." She took a sip of her wine and looked enthusiastically at Draco.
"How do you know so much about them? They've never been mentioned in the Prophet." Draco was becoming curious about the Orléans, as well. They sounded like a well-established Pureblood family, and he was curious about Avi's fascination with them.
"The Prophet, please!" Avi rolled her eyes. "The wizarding tattoo world works differently than the rest of the wizarding world. If you're inked, your demand is high in the Pureblood circles, and they barely advertise their private affairs in the Prophet. The only families who do it are the ones looking for attention. Well-established families know how to avoid the papers."
Draco nodded at Avi's comment reckoning that she was correct. "And you've known them long?"
"I've only met Emmanuel once or twice, he didn't really visit the UK when his family would come and visit and I'd attend the feasts. I suppose that now he's done with this charity work and is going to join the family business, I'd see him a lot more."
"So you attend these feasts often, then?"
"Whenever they are in the UK, they request my presence. But, I'm not the only one who is invited, as an art-piece, I mean. There are several of us there."
"You seem really attached to Monsieur Orléans," Draco said.
"Jacque...He's a wonderful man," Avi replied.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You love him." It wasn't a question, and when Draco'd said it, he noticed the twinkle in her eye. Her gaze went past him and she schooled her expression.
A moment later, Potter entered the room and Avi tensed up.
"What are we talking about?" Potter asked, sitting down at the head of the table. When no one answered, he shook his head. "Monsieur Orléans, I'm sure."
"I was curious regarding my presence at the feast," Draco said, trying to save Avi any trouble and really, avoiding another fight between Avi and Potter. "What I would be expected to do, or if there were special garments-"
"You aren't inked, yet," Potter said, and Draco could see that he was struggling to keep his composure. Draco had watched Potter all day, and he was starting to learn the man's subtle little cues.
"So just every day robes, then?" Draco asked, sounding casual.
"We will discuss it when the time comes," Potter answered and he looked over at Asha who quickly brought over the dinner dishes to the dining table.
The conversation changed when Alexis began discussing a new style of Firewhisky that he'd been introduced, and Draco was relieved when the tension quickly died down.
*
That night as soon as Draco lay in bed, he realised how exhausted he really was. He wondered if he should have told Asha to wake him up in the morning so he could be ready to go to the shop with Potter again. Potter hadn't asked him to accompany him again, but Draco was sure that if he was ready in the morning Potter would allow him to tag along.
His eyelids felt heavy and he was just about to drown into slumber when there was a faint knock on the door. Draco wasn't sure if he'd actually heard it or if it was his imagination.
"Yes?" he whispered in the dark.
"Are you decent?" Avi whispered in return.
Draco grabbed his wand and tapped the candle that was on top of his nightstand. A dim light entered the room and he saw Avi waiting by the door. "Come in," he said, and sat up on the bed.
"I just wanted to thank you for earlier tonight," she said, taking a seat on the bed.
"For what?" Draco asked, struggling to keep his eyes open; his mind was all but asleep.
"The conversation at dinner about Monsieur Orléans." She smiled at him and brushed the hair off his forehead. "You really saved me from another argument with Harry."
"I think he just cares about you, and about his work," Draco answered, unsure of what else to say. "Also, I really did it for myself, too. I didn't want to sit through another argument that really has no resolution." He was honest, too honest, and he chalked it off at being excruciatingly exhausted.
She laughed at his comment and then patted his head as if she were his older sister. "Well, he won't have to worry about me for too long," she said. "I don't have much time left on my contract and then-who knows."
"Are you hoping that Monsieur Orléans will ask you-"
"Shh!" she interrupted him immediately. "Don't say such things, I don't want to jinx anything."
"But, I thought you'd want to be free-not attach yourself to someone else. Isn't being inked a huge recognition. Everyone would want you, and your worth would be so high. Avi, you are too beautiful to just settle down after all this hard work."
Draco had no idea what this Jacque Orléans looked like, but still, he'd have thought that Avi would value her freedom more than attaching herself to a Pureblood wizard and be something that was an equivalent of a Trophy Wife.
Potter had clearly seen something in her, especially when he talked about her fire. She was a beautiful, smart, and an insightful woman; she could have a pick at whatever and whoever she chose. Why was she limiting herself to the first Pureblood man that came around the corner?
"You wouldn't understand," she said, and Draco nearly laughed at that. He was someone who had all the choices taken away from him, if there was anyone that would understand, it would have been him.
"Perhaps, when it's not so late in the night, you could explain it to me," Draco said.
"Perhaps." She leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, Draco."
"Goodnight, Avi."
*Draco woke up several times in the night, afraid that he would oversleep. Eventually, he gave up on sleep all together and headed over to shower. When he went to the kitchen in the morning, he saw Asha gaping at him in surprise.
"Has Potter left for the shop?" he asked Asha, attempting to ignore her shocked reaction.
She shook her head.
"Brilliant, then I hope I have time for breakfast!" He smiled at her and she eventually turned around and poured him a cup of coffee and cracked a few eggs.
Potter mumbled a 'good morning' as he walked into the kitchen. At first he hadn't noticed Draco but when he did, he had the same look as Asha had.
"Morning," Draco said enthusiastically, and then realised that perhaps that was a bit too much, even for him. "I was wondering if I can accompany you to the shop again." He evened his tone and sounded more nonchalant.
"Of course, I just thought you might be tired from..."
"I enjoyed the experience, and thought maybe I could be of some use."
Potter nodded. "Susan has started teaching an early morning yoga class so we do need the help in the morning. It's good of you to offer," he said and looked at Asha as though asking for coffee telekinetically. She fumbled with a cup and poured him some right away. "I can pay you..."
"You, what?"
"I was going to offer yesterday but then it just got so busy, I didn't get a chance. If you want to work the morning shift at the shop, I can pay you. I mean it can be Muggle money or I can add it to your fund I've created for you and Avi at Gringotts."
"Oh," Draco said; he hadn't thought about doing it for money. He just wanted to be able to get out of the house and mingle among...people. Plus, he liked watching Potter work. The art of tattooing was fascinating.
"Do you think Avi would mind?" Draco asked.
"Why would she mind? And you don't have to tell her if you don't want to. I don't discuss my business with her. She just comes into the shop to get inked and leaves. She's never showed any interest-" Potter stopped himself as if he was hesitating in speaking ill of her.
"Alright then. It sounds like a good plan. The more money I can save to get my things back from Kaminas, the better."
"Okay, it's settled then," Potter said. He looked at the eggs that Asha had just served him and smiled up at her. "We'll leave in twenty minutes, and we'll be back in time for supper."
"Very well, then," Asha replied. "I'll consult the list you've created for me for Mr Malfoy's diet. I'll send lunch over with Bhim." She turned and left the room, leaving Potter and Draco alone together.
Even though they had been alone together in the shop the day before, being alone in the kitchen like that was awkward. He wasn't sure what he'd ask Potter. He knew that he didn't want to bring up the Orléans in conversation again, that was for sure.
"How did you get into tattooing?" he asked, after what felt like an hour long silence when in reality it'd only been five minutes.
Potter smiled. "After the war I travelled for a while and then sort of just picked it up. I met some great tattoo artists, both wizards and Muggles and learned the trade. I spent a year in Romania before I returned to the UK. I was sitting at the coffee shop where we went yesterday morning. I was in the corner and drawing on a napkin when a woman, Lena, approached me, and told me that she was looking for artists for her shop. At first she just wanted me to draw some designs for her, but when she found out that I'd had proper training and that I had the talent for it, she wanted to employ me."
"So you accepted her offer right away?"
"No, not right away, but I went to her shop. It was called 'Lily's tattoo shop' because Lilies were her favourite flower and I thought-" Potter paused and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know, I thought it was like a sign or something so I worked for her. Then five years later, she said she wanted to sell the business, and I offered to buy it from her. I love doing what I do, so there was no reason to stop."
"Oh, I thought you named your shop..." Draco trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"That's what most people think," Potter said, shrugging. Apparently, he hadn't noticed Draco's awkwardness. "That's why I think it was a sign. Like it was meant to be."
"And it really bothers you that Avi doesn't take any interest in the business?" Draco asked. He hadn't missed that bit. Potter always brought Avi up in conversation when they talked about the shop and his disappointment was rather evident. He must have really been in love with her, Draco reckoned.
"I'd like all my charges to take interest in the business. I know that most people are just canvases, and they want to be inked and then move on; but, it'd be nice once in a while to be able to share a different part of me than just my...technique."
Draco nodded. He remained quiet, feeling like it was the thing to do. Potter was talking, for some odd reason, and was opening up to Draco. So Draco allowed it.
"It's kind of like when I was growing up. After the celebrity of Harry Potter was over, it was really just about me and my expertise in defeating Dark Magic. No one really seemed to care what I was about or what I wanted to do."
"The Aurors," Draco whispered.
"Yeah. Exactly. I wanted to be an Auror when I was at Hogwarts, but I realised that it was the same thing, doing the same thing for the rest of my life. I guess I was done taking orders."
"Now you just jab needles in people's bodies..." Draco said, and Potter laughed. "Creating beautiful art, of course," he added with a smile.
"Of course," Potter said.
They finished their breakfast in silence and it was like on cue that Asha had walked back into the kitchen to clear their dishes. They took the Floo to the shop and the day flew by as it had the day before.
*
Things continued in a similar pattern for the rest of the week. Draco woke up early in the morning, had a quiet breakfast with Potter, and then they'd go to the shop. He'd mind the front desk until lunch time, and Susan would arrive to work.
Jackson continued to flirt with Draco and everyone else would roll their eyes. When Draco overheard Potter tease Jackson about his flirting, he sighed with relief. Then he knew for sure that it was harmless and that Potter wouldn't be cross with Draco for it. He still didn't trust that he was safe. He still feared that Potter would find any reason to kick him out or sell his contract to someone else. He didn't exactly like being a contract-bound servant, but he had no other choice.
Potter continued to sketch with Draco in their downtime. He'd given Draco his own sketchbook and asked him to practice in it. He'd told Draco that he liked Draco's brushstrokes and his choices of colours.
It wasn't until Friday, after Avi had come in for an hour of tattooing that Potter asked Draco to remove his shirt and lie on the chair.
"You're going to start inking me?" Draco asked, excitement evident in his voice.
Potter smiled. "It's just the initiation. Everyone gets my mark inked on them first. Then we'll wait to see how it heals and then the real process will start."
"Your mark? What is it?" Draco asked.
"Can you guess?" Potter asked in return.
Draco thought about it. Potter's mark, it'd had to be something obvious, like a Snitch, or a scar, or- He thought about what he'd seen on Avi's body. He hadn't seen anything Quidditch or Voldemort related on her, then- "A lily," he said, realising, of course, it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Potter chuckled. "You're the first one to ever guess it correctly," he said.
"Do I get a prize?" Draco asked, speaking before thinking.
"Actually, you do," Potter replied.
"What is it?" Draco asked, when Potter said nothing after that.
"You'll have to wait for that," Potter said and turned to grab his parchment with a small lily drawn on it.
"Please don't tell me the gift of patience is my present," Draco retorted; again speaking before thinking.
Potter laughed at that. Genuinely laughed. "No, I am not that deep," he said shaking his head. He sat on a stool next to Draco's reclined body. "Okay, relax."
Draco leaned back and closed his eyes. All of a sudden, he was nervous. He felt every nerve of his body pulsating, his heart was beating a thousand beats per second and his feet itched. He could not hold still!
"Draco," Potter whispered and Draco shot his eyes open. "Just take deep breaths and don't move," he added.
Draco nodded and he knew that he'd tensed up again when Potter placed the small parchment on the right side of his body, just above his hip bone. He felt Potter's wand press into him and a slight wetness as the ink from the parchment transferred over to his skin. He wasn't sure why he was this nervous. He'd seen Potter do the process at least two dozen times already.
He took in a breath and out and finally relaxed.
"There you go," Potter said and Draco felt his skin prickle up when Potter rubbed his fingers on the ink that was drying on his skin. "I'll just leave that on for a second, alright?"
Draco didn't open his eyes but nodded. He felt Potter's eyes on him but he didn't dare open his own eyes. He wouldn't know what he'd see if he saw Potter looking at him. He wasn't sure he wanted to.
The slight buzzing sound startled him again and Draco finally opened his eyes. He saw Potter looking at him, nervous. Brilliant! Potter was nervous.
"What's the matter?" Draco asked, furrowing his brows.
"Just...this is it. After this, there's no going back," Potter said.
"I don't want to go back," Draco answered, and was surprised at how much he meant it. This was it. In so many ways.
The first time the needle touched his skin, Draco felt like he was on fire. Except, it was the fire that was cutting into his skin. He burned, but in a good way. This was nothing like the way he'd been Marked. This was different, at that moment he'd wanted to die, and now, he finally felt alive.
The irony of the matter wasn't lost on him. His first symbol on his body represented something so purely evil, and the second symbol was being given to him by none other than the Saviour. His symbol. The symbol that represented pure love.
Draco closed his eyes again and felt the needle when it pulled away. Then Potter wiped his skin with cloth, and Draco supposed he was probably bleeding. He'd seen the process done enough times to know that. He breathed in and out again and the next time the needle touched him, Draco had felt Potter relax.
"Doing okay, Potter?" Draco asked, his eyes closed and a smirk creeping up on his lips.
"Don't tease me when I have you like this under me, Malfoy," Potter said, teased, and Draco stiffened up a bit at his words. "I didn't mean...I won't ruin your skin."
"I know, it's fine," Draco replied. He didn't stiffen up because he thought Potter could harm him, but because, Draco was open, vulnerable under Potter's touch. Under Potter's touch.
A few minutes later, they were done. Draco heard Potter push his stool back and stand up. He waited for Potter to return and rub the salve on his skin. "It's done," Potter said and Draco finally opened his eyes.
Draco stood up to look in the full length mirror in Potter's studio. He examined the small flower just above his hip bone. It was simple, and the light lilac and green seemed to shimmer under the salve. Then his gaze fell upon the rest of his body. His jeans still hung low on his hips but he looked-better. Healthier, even.
"What is it?" Potter asked when Draco had clearly been quiet for too long.
"I think the diet you put me on is working," Draco answered, turning to look at Potter and smirking.
"And the tattoo?" Potter asked, his voice stern but he was grinning.
"I like it. I like the location you picked as well. Avi's is below her right shoulder blade."
"All part of the design. The way the peacock's feathers open up, the flower blends with it..."
"And my design?"
"I'm still working on it, but I have a few ideas."
"When will I see it?"
"All in good time."
Draco nearly groaned. "I really hate that phrase." It's what Kaminas had told him when Draco had inquired about the tattoo master.
Potter ignored him. "So you know what you have to do for the next few days to take care of it?" he asked, and Draco nodded. He'd heard Potter tell each of his customers, one after the other. "Brilliant."
"Why did you pick today?" Draco asked and when Potter looked confused he added, "to tattoo me. Why today?"
"Oh," Potter said, looking slightly annoyed. "The Orléans' feast is coming up in a few short days. If you'll be accompanying Avi, then you need to have my ink on you." He turned away from Draco. "If you're going to be seen in public," Potter added as an afterthought.
Draco considered Potter's words for a moment. "What's my reward?" he asked. "You said that I get a prize."
Potter's face lit up. "Alright, pick a design," he said to Draco, handing him three of his own sketches; sketches Draco had drawn up in his room at night when he couldn't sleep.
There was the dragon, the phoenix and the serpent.
"These three are my most favourite," Potter informed him. "So pick one."
"Pick one for what?" Draco asked.
"Just pick one first," Potter said. He quickly turned to tend to his tattooing supplies, lining up the colours, changing the needle, and testing the voltage.
"The serpent," Draco said, finally. He handed the sketch to Potter who took the other two from Draco's hand, but let Draco hold onto the serpent one. "What is it for, Potter?"
Potter rolled up his shirt sleeve and washed his upper arm on the basin in the corner of his studio. "It's your turn," he said.
"My turn for what?" Draco asked.
Potter sat on the tattoo chair and leaned back. He rested his arm lazily on the side table that he'd dragged near the recliner and looked at Draco. "Ink me."
"What?" Draco almost shrieked.
"It's your turn, Draco. Show me what you've learned."
"Are-are you sure?" Draco asked, now more nervous than he was while he was under the needle.
"Yes. I want to see if you paid attention. You can draw, you're good with fine quill I gave you to design with. I want you to show me how good you can be with the needle."
Draco cleared his throat, suddenly, in desperate need for some water. What was Potter on? How could he-how could he trust Draco like that? "What if I fuck it up?"
"Well, that'll show me the kind of teacher I've been," Potter answered calmly. "Now come on, before I change my mind."
Draco's hands shook as he placed the sketch of the serpent on Potter's arm. Potter grabbed his wrist and looked at him straight in the eye. "Relax. You'll do fine, Draco," he said.
"When did you start calling me Draco?"
"Oh," Potter said, thinking it over. "Today, I guess. It is your name isn't it?"
Draco didn't say anything but glared at Potter before returning to the task at hand. He took Potter's wand and pressed it on the parchment and watched the ink leak onto Potter's skin. The dark green serpent swivelled around Potter's bicep until the silver lines that Draco had drawn on emanated through.
Draco had seen Potter do this the Muggle way when he would stencil the design on the skin rather than use magic. He was so nervous that he'd almost asked Potter if he could try it the same way, too. Yet he refrained; the need to impress was bigger than his anxiety.
He waited for Potter to examine the serpent design on his arm before proceeding. Potter lifted his right arm and examined it. "Looks good," he said and returned it to rest on the table.
Draco turned on the machine that was connected to the needle and started. His hand shook a little before the needle touched the skin, but as he started to outline the serpent on Potter's arm, he was more relaxed. He knew that he could do this. The designs that he'd spent hours on were not a waste of time as he'd originally thought. If Harry Potter, the supposed famous ink master, was trusting him with this: he would not fail. Because he couldn't fail. He couldn't fail. Not when he had something to show Potter.
Draco decided not to dwell on the fact his need to show off to Potter had returned again as it had when he was a child, and instead decided to focus on the task at hand. Literally.
Drawing on skin was definitely harder than on a parchment. Potter's muscle twitched under his touch and Draco stopped to glare at him. "The amounts of times you've told your clients to stop moving, Potter-" Potter gave him a grin, like Draco had just said something incredible, which had Draco flabbergasted. "Just stop moving," he said.
Potter nodded then relaxed his head back and closed his eyes. Draco continued. He was becoming more confident by the minute. He knew exactly how to angle his wrist, and at what speed to move the needle on the skin. It was like the notion of tattooing was speaking to him. He knew what he was doing, and he didn't doubt it.
He could see how Potter worked the way he did.
When he paused and looked up at Potter, Potter was staring at him. His eyes looked like they were full of wonder, as if he was shocked to see Draco be so confident.
"What?" Draco asked, immediately feeling self-conscious.
"Nothing," Potter answered and blinked away. "How much longer?"
"Just about done," Draco replied and returned to work.
A few minutes later, they were done, and Draco followed Potter's procedural steps. He pushed the stool back, and went fetching for the salve. He returned a few moments later, wiped the tattoo one last time and applied the aftercare treatment.
"It's ready," he announced and Potter turned to look at his tattooed bicep for the first time.
"Looks great," Potter said and walked up to the mirror. "Really good. I'm glad you picked a simple design. I always wondered how a snake would look on me."
"It suits you."
"Said the Slytherin," Potter said and wrapped his arm with some gauze and tape before pulling his sleeve down. "Alright. Let's go home, I'm starving."
READ CHAPTER THREE