official business {Dathan}

[Deleted]

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Walking down the paved, cracked path, he felt a sort of nostalgia. He hadn’t been there since he had been a young teenager; since his father had still forced him to come along. At this time at night, Knockturn Alley was more than empty. All the shady people in the area had disappeared inside. That is to say, the only people left on the streets were the mysterious figures filled with dark purposes and leaning against dark walls and staring silently. He glowered at them, pulling his hood over his face more and more tightly. These people would not point. They would not scream. They would not run to the Ministry, but they would remember. He was no safer here than he was in a cell in Azkaban. He would not have stepped another footstep there if it hadn’t been for the owl. The owl that had him feeling as if someone had hit him with a Stupefy. He would have been perfectly happy in his office, or, especially, in the Grange knowing that Daphne would be there waiting for him.

He sneered harshly, much like he had in his Slytherin days, at a man who had come close to him; far too close to him for any sort of comfort. He yanked his hood back, eyes flashing at the vendor. He reached out and grabbed the man by the cloak and brought him close, eyes glaring down. “You will leave. You will repent. I will never catch you here again, or I will have Aurors here before you are able to breathe in.” He took a sharp intake of breath before knocking him back, not looking at him twice as he heard several pops around him. He made no attempt to hide his identity again. This Alley was entirely too familiar to him. Rolling up his sleeve, he checked to make sure that his wand was in its proper holster. It had easy access – something the wizard had learned to make absolute sure of from the moment he had stepped into his office. He kept his wand over the spot where his father had held his own Dark Mark. Once upon a time, it had been fancied that he would have had one of his own. On more than one occasion, he had been told he would have one. He had always resisted. And, it was for that reason that he had gotten the chance to help as many people as he had.

If there was one thing that he was certain, it was that he had never been a supporter of Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord, or Lord Voldemort. It didn’t matter about the name. He had hated the man from the moment his mother’s life was ripped away from him. He wasn’t too proud of it, but he had killed. He had killed before, and so he knew many things. Knew that most of the items his father held dear, he had gotten it from this location. Had known that this awful place was the reason his grandfather and his father were among the worst of all human beings. His teeth grit upon one another as he entered the Merlin forsaken shop, hands clenching in his pockets. Perhaps it was unwise that he come here alone, knowing how much he loathed this place. But, it was a place that he refused to bring Daphne into. They had worked so hard to escape the Dark path that had been set before them from the moment they were born. No, he would deal with Burke on his own, and deal with whatever dark artifact his father had left behind.

“Give me a reason why I should not have you arrested for trying to give this to me, Burke. It is not a secret that I have never cared for my father. Why should I want anything of his left in your shop?” His eyes were narrowed, and his tone was cold. His face was completely devoid of any emotion, and he felt more and more like he had in his younger years where he trusted very few people, and cared for little more.

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STATUS; complete
TAGGED; @dathan
OUTFIT; this
WORDS; 694
NOTES; i think it should be a ring, but it's up to you. i'm not good with plotting. i like to wing it.
MUSIC; nothing

[Deleted]

Dathan Burke usually saw business as business, and nothing more. However, he felt this little transaction would be more amusing than some. This was due to the fact that it involved a "high and mighty" from the Ministry, someone who could do no wrong in the eyes of wizards and witches. And that was part of the big picture after all, wasn't it? To once again get to the Ministry as it had been done before? Burke was only doing his part for the "greater good" after all.

Burke said, sipping his tea and partaking in another of his salted almonds. His wolf, Eligos, laid by his stool half asleep. But the wolf slowly rose when Theodore Nott made his way into the shop and began speaking with hostility toward Burke. Eligos growled, awaiting any command from his master to leap. But Burke simply stroked his head to calm the beast.

"Easy now, Eligos," said Burke. "Nott is an invited guest after all." The wolf did not lay back down, but he did sit. Burke then turned to Theodore. "Come now, Nott, arrest me for simply being what I am? A man of business? And here I was going to give you your father's possession free of charge." By free, he meant Nott wouldn't have to pay for it. While Burke loved gold, he was not stupid and knew Nott would not pay for it anyway. However, there was another price in Burke's mind as he removed the ring.

"Such a beautiful object, and centuries old by the looks of it," he said. "I'll wager your father was planning to pass it down to you as his father did to him... until his untimely demise. Word has it Theodore Nott the Third died in the Battle of Hogwarts... by way of an unforgivable curse, a curse that could put one who chants it into Azkaban." Dathan then stared at Theodore coldly and formed a wicked smirk. "Would you know anything about that?"

THEODORE ISAAC FISCHER

[Deleted]

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He had grown up in a world he would have rather avoided. Having known the story of the Boy-Who-Lived and witnessed countless of people speak of how hard of a life he had had, he couldn’t help but wonder how people would have thought his life – Draco’s life, Daphne’s life, Pansy’s life, or Blaise’s life – to be if only they had known what had gone on in them from the beginning. Sure, he had never been locked up in a cupboard under the stairs. He couldn’t argue that. He even gave kudos to Potter for having grown up not to hate the Muggles as he probably would have done. However, he had had to take countless trips to this Alley, trailing behind his father like an obedient pup. Never to speak, always to follow and respect and learn. Since the death of his mother, it had only gotten worse for him to be in this Alley. This was the type of location he particularly wanted to be again.

He glanced down at the mutt by Burke, hardly paying it much attention. He hadn’t gotten to be in a position such as the one he had been in fearing such creatures as those. He dealt with Werewolves, Banshees, Giants and the like. Such a small creature as a wolf was hardly going to intimidate him. Much less when Burke ordered it to stand down. Rather, he let his attention filter back to the man who was the whole reason he was there. The reason he was at such an awful place. What’s more, he had the audacity to threaten him, though it may not seem like it with the words he was using. But, Theodore had been trained since his birth to pick up on the subtle threats that others would simply look over. He felt his eyes freeze, becoming colder if at all possible.

“Free of charge at the moment, sure.” He replied easily, coldly. Everything came with a price. There was nothing in this world that came of free means. If Burke honestly thought that, then he was a fool. It wasn’t something he was afraid of admitting, although, just being in that location, he knew. He knew, he knew, he knew that there was something about that ring. He had seen and committed to memory everything his father had brought here for…’safe keeping’. None of it had ever been good. The stuff had always been designed to cause someone trouble – especially if those who wore it had some sort of problem his father didn’t appreciate it. Having such a Dark item, particularly in his occupation, could bring nothing good. He’d lose his job, and, while he certainly didn’t need it what with the Nott fortune, he certainly didn’t want to lose it. He kept the distance between him and Burke the way it was, knowing that the wasn’t going to take the ring for everything. “You can keep the damn thing if you want, Burke. Keep it and pawn it. I’m sure your store could use the money it would bring – what with it be centuries old.”

The shop had always seemed pathetic to him, even as a child. It had always looked dusty and worn down, and he could understand why. Theo knew that the place was older than he was, and that even his grandfather had come here as a child. Still, he felt his blood run cold. Daphne knew what happened. Daphne knew, and he had a sinking suspicion that Draco and Blaise were aware of what happened being as they were his best friends. He had known them for as long as he remembered, but he still hadn’t brought himself to outright tell them of what had gone down that fateful night. He narrowed his eyes and scoffed, crossing his arms in front of him. “Is that the real reason you called me here, Burke? To tell you of rumors that may or may not be true? Yeah, Father died in that Battle. Don’t know if it was an Unforgivable or not, and no one knows who cast it. I was in the Dungeons with the rest of the Slytherins, if you’re trying to imply anything.”

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STATUS; complete
TAGGED; @dathan
OUTFIT; this
WORDS; 705
NOTES; ooh. good plot twist
MUSIC; a movie

[Deleted]

(I hope this works, )

Dathan listened with little intimidation as Nott tried to counter him with hostility. Wizards and witches usually did they met with him on such matters. But Dathan feared little, and seemed to find strength in his wicked heart when confronted by such negativity. He flipped the ring in his hands as Nott turned it down, then shrugged a little.

"Don't want it, eh?" he asked. "Hmm, very well." He was about to place it back when he turned. "Are you certain? I mean, you haven't even heard about what makes the ring so extraordinary, have you?" Dathan then drew closer. "One of the many strange abilities of this ring was that the one who wears it can see anything and everything of the life of the previous wearer. When I acquired it, I fear my curiosity overwhelmed me and I tried it on... and you'll never guess what I saw."

Dathan then placed the ring in his pocket and he sat down.

"Do you enjoy your job at the Ministry, Nott?" he asked. "Wouldn't want anything to place a black mark on it, would you? No nasty memory that you are trying to conceal being revealed. It would be a true shame." Dathan stared at Nott coldly. "I want to make something clear, Nott. I do not deal in rumors. I deal in reality. And the reality is you have walked into quite the predicament this night.... and you'll find the only way out of it is to do business."

THEODORE ISAAC FISCHER

[Deleted]

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He knew what it was like to take the life of a man. He had done it before, and he was certain he could do it again if the situation arose. That was while, though he was hostile to Burke, he wasn’t the least bit intimidated by him. He had been raised in a circle of Death Eaters – had been exposed to that sort since he had been a child. Before he ever had the aspirations of being free from that sort of life; before he had the likelihood of having a wife and children; before he ever had the opportunity to live past his teens. Dealing with Dark Wizards was something he did on a daily basis; he saw them in court, he saw them in other nations. They were all after one thing: Power. Theodore Nott had witnessed his father struggle to span his control and influence over others and their actions. He had seen it until the faithful day where a properly aimed course had freed him of the life he had been fated to have.

That fight had stayed with him over the years. If he had to be honest, it was his source of strength and comfort; knowing that that man could not take away his family like he had done in the past. It had been ten minutes. It was an eternity in dueling, particularly with capable wizards. No one was going to take away his right to kill that monster; no one was going to deny him the thing he had sought after the most since the moment his mother took her last breath. It had been a dark curse that had killed the elder Nott. Theirs was a rich and powerful family. They might not have been as old as the Malfoys, but they were very nearly there. So they didn’t descend from the time of Merlin and Morgana – but they very nearly had. This was the history that Theo had grown up hearing; had forced himself to learn when he had been younger. “Do you think your threats frighten me, Burke? Do you honestly believe I don’t hear worse from those I work with?” The brunette scoffed, amused that this was the best he could do.

“I enjoy my job; I dare say I enjoy it more than you do yours.” He sneered and glanced at the shop around him, as if to reassure himself that everything he did was better than anything Dathan Burke could hope to accomplish. “Concealed of what? You said it yourself, Burke. The one who wears it can see anything and everything of the life of the previous wearer.” His smile became bright, but bitter. “You are the last owner, Burke. That means that anything anyone sees after it shall be of your life. And, if I were to demand it back and have Potter look at your past deeds, I can assure you that whatever shady business you have done is worse than anything I could have ever hoped to accomplish.” Theodore Nott had not become the Supreme Mugwump – the youngest in history – by being an idiot and giving all of his playing cards away. That Burke would assume he would be so easily blackmailed almost made him want to turn on his heel and walk out of the shop, owl both Malfoy and Zabini and let them know just how amused he truly was. “Let me tell you what happened here, shall I? You owled me here assuming I would cave under your pathetic attempt to extort me without realizing that there is nothing you could do or say that would have me bend to your pitiable whim.”

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STATUS; complete
TAGGED; @dathan
OUTFIT; this
WORDS; 619
NOTES;
MUSIC; Disney on Pandora

[Deleted]

Dathan was loving this. The fact that the man in front of him rambled on in his defense and made threats of his own made the situation even more amusing. Dathan worked for one who had the power to bring the entire mystery down whenever she wished, or so he assumed. But for now, Dathan would continue to play the little game.

"Note you said the last wearer," he said. "I've never worn the ring. The last wearer was still your father, and therefore if someone should wear it again, his life is what they will see. As for my own deeds, well this is Knockturn Alley and the Ministry isn't stupid. Draco Malfoy himself had conducted some rather foul business here... in this very store. So I conduct some rather questionable deals with my clients? What's the difference between that and what your precious Minister of Magic did when my uncle ran the store?" Dathan popped an almond in his mouth. "But I am straying from the subject at hand. Anyway, I merely sent an owl to bring you here for a fine business opportunity, and if you don't wish to conduct business, then so be it."

Dathan stepped over to the door and opened it. He turned to Nott with eyes of ice and his wicked smirk.

"If there is nothing further, my friend, then please take your exit," he said. "I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to here and entertaining guests, even one as important as yourself, would interfere in said matters. Good night."

The thing with Dathan is he loved to toy with people like Nott. Nott rejected the ring so Dathan would keep it, but whether or not he used it against Nott he would decide, and in his own mind, he assumed it would make his guest very paranoid in the days to come.

THEODORE ISAAC FISCHER

[Deleted]

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Considering who he had been raised with all of his life, he found the petty games that people like Dathan played to be particularly…wasteful. It had been a waste of his time to come here that night. And, if people knew what he had done to his father, than they would know. He highly doubted it would affect his career to the degree that Burke was implying. After all, if Draco Malfoy could rise to the position of Minister of Magic, surely he could keep his position? Theodore knew was what morally correct, and what had been correct in that moment. His entire being had been telling him that everything his father had done had been too cruel and too vicious – too without a point. He was all for going for what you believed in, doing that which would better help the future, but none of that had come in to play when he was staring down his father, wand in hand.

He wasn’t ashamed of what he had done – not to the public. To himself, he couldn’t help but feel a tad bit of remorse for the part of himself that he had lost in making sure that that man could never bring harm to another mother and child again. Sometimes, when his coworkers asked him vague questions about his children visiting their grandparents, he would politely tell them that the Greengrass’ enjoyed their grandchildren immensely, but he never gave them the truth about his own. It wasn’t public knowledge how his mother had died, only that she had when he had been younger. People had learned to stop asking about it by the time he had hit his sixth year – of course, there was the questionable moment in which he saw those stupid creatures, but the Gryffindors left him alone for it. “If you had not worn the ring, Burke, then how would you know anything about what my father did in his spare time?” he countered coolly, quite enjoying watching the whole man’s charade fall through. “I don’t pretend to know what business that man got himself into; it wasn’t my concern as a child, and it isn’t my concern now.”

He could have laughed whenever his brother, for all intents and purposes, was brought into the conversation. He had known that Draco had been dragged to this store as well, just as he had. Their fathers had almost been as close as the two of them were, regardless of the fact that his father had never seen Lucius Malfoy as an equal. If Burke thought that that mention was going to have him fearing him in any sort of way, then he was mistaken and a fool. “The difference, Burke, is that this isn’t that time. The Ministry isn’t as idiotic as people would still like to believe – Malfoy and I have made sure of that, as has Potter and his merry band of do-gooders. The difference is that Malfoy and I are not our fathers, and we will never be anything like them. Sending me that owl might prove to be the worst thing you could have done, or it might not. I am not a Seer, and I cannot predict the future, but you can imagine I am a very busy man.”

Theodore’s lips curled into a disdainful snarl, directing it towards him with the ease and practice that had come to him over the years. He wasn’t sure where Dathan was getting at, but he had messed with the wrong wizard. The Supreme Mugwump wasn’t someone to be taken lightly – he was skilled with all aspects of magic, and could take on anyone in a fair duel. And, if it wasn’t fair, well then he had been trained for those, too. “If your “guest” deals with matters such as these, you should let them know that we have dealt with Dark Wizards before, and we do not fear them.” He had to stop the smile from spreading to his face. “We have the knowledge of how, not necessarily who, but I don’t think I’m breaking any laws in telling you we’re close to finding them.” He let that smile overtake his face, thinking of the future he was sure to supply for Cole and Thalia and any children they might have while he and Daphne took care of them when they could. “From an…old family friend, don’t get yourself involved in the losing side. My father did that once, and look where he is.”

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STATUS; complete
TAGGED; @dathan
OUTFIT; this
WORDS; 757
NOTES;is that good? let me know if I need to edit..
MUSIC; nothing

[Deleted]

Dathan wanted to laugh, yes laugh, at how the man was trying to outwit. But Dathan spoke the truth when he said he hadn't worn it. Information on Nott's father came through other means.

"Sir, when I come by an item, I eventually am supplied a certain amount of information on said item," he said. "Did you think no one witnessed your father's deeds that night? It was a war after all. Lots of people were present."

Dathan then listened to the little speech of one so sure of himself and the precious Ministry he worked for. Burke almost wanted to sarcastically applaud him when it was over, but along with laughing that wasn't Burke's style.

"Spoken like a true politician trying to defend himself and his friends," said Burke. "And I'll say it again, should anyone read what I sent you, they will interpret it as nothing more than a business deal. And right now the ring is legally mine and I have the documentation to prove it. If you won't take it, I am allowed, by law, to sell it to someone who is willing to buy it."

When Nott said his last part, Dathan drew in close and looked at him like a vicious animal. And speaking of, his wolf Eligos was nearby growling.

"I do not take kindly to being threatened, sir, even by some high ranked official in the Ministry," he said. "There is no proof that I have done anything deserving of a stay in Azkaban, and I will not be put on a mock trial by you. I asked you politely to leave my shop, and now I am telling you. And... by law... as owner of this shop, I do have a right to physically remove you from it should I see fit."

THEODORE ISAAC FISCHER

[Deleted]

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Theodore had long since given up on trying to turn those set in their ways towards a better lifestyle. He didn’t pretend to be Potter. He didn’t pretend to try to see the good in everyone because he didn’t. He was a realist. He understood that some people were shit; were born shit and had the probability of dying that same way, too. It was what his father was. It was what his grandfather was. Hell, it went back to whoever it was that started believing in all the Pureblood nonsense and passing it down to his children. That wasn’t to say that this Pureblood didn’t believe that he was superior. He didn’t need to believe in it because even he knew that he was. The thing was it wasn’t his blood that gave him that advantage. It had helped; with the blood came the money that helped him in his intern days. It was his ambition that had led him towards greatness; an ambition that his father had lost along his path, somehow, in a world where Theodore hardly cared. What Dathan Burke said was true – his father was a pathetic man who didn’t know how to cover his tracks. It had been part of the reason he had been sent down to the Slytherin common room with the rest of them. What no one saw was the moment afterwards when he had escaped and confronted his father himself.

His father had made his life hell. From the moment he was born that very moment. It was like nothing he did would ever help him escape from the net cast out for him. He had long ago gave up on trying. What he had learned was that he had to live with it. He came up with arguments that protected him from the bias that came at him naturally. He had gotten his position because he worked hard for it – not because he bought his way into it. Anyone who was in his department could attest to it. He often showed up before he was told and was usually the last one to leave. He put in more hours than anyone else, despite the fact that he had had a family. He didn’t have to defend Malfoy, Zabini, or even his own wife. He was confident enough in their abilities to defend themselves. In fact, if anyone messed with Daphne Nott, he pitied them deeply because if there was one person he would never mess with, it was his wife. He pulled his coat tighter around himself and nodded as if it hadn’t been Burke who had threatened him. It wasn’t as if he were threatened in the slightest. No one had threatened him or inspired any real fear in himself in a long time. Not for himself, anyway; it was a different matter entirely for his family. “By all means, sell it. Merlin himself knows I’ve sold everything else by that man.”

He rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, not caring that Burke was glaring daggers at him. Not caring that the mutt was growling after him. If he attacked him, then Theodore would have the animal put down, and Burke interrogated for attacking him. Right as he stepped outside, and definitely before he apparated, he glanced over his shoulder with a grim look. “I don’t ‘threaten’, Burke. I swear. I may be an official, but giving those deserving of a trial one isn’t my jurisdiction, nor would I want it to be. All I am suggesting is that you learn from the mistakes of our ancestors and learn that the world is changing, and those in charge less forgiving. Good night.” And with a pop, he was gone.

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STATUS; complete
TAGGED; @dathan
OUTFIT; this
WORDS; 623
NOTES; it's ended now, yes?
MUSIC; a movie