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2021-08-15
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The Last Black

Chapter 15: Venus' Bracelets

Chapter Text

Arianna sat in the window sill of her small suite in Vienna, smoking and glancing down at the alley that led to the building's entrance, expecting to see a blond head coming in. She had been waiting for Draco anxiously since she had gotten an ambiguous owl at dawn from Wilkinson, merely saying that there was a slight change of plans.

It was her fifth morning in Austria; she had attended conferences, assisting Yao Chang and Robert Vane during the week. However, today was different, as there was only a gala in the evening to celebrate the ending of the General Assembly meetings of the International Confederation of Wizards. And it was there where she would do her mission for the Investigation Department. 

Putting off her cigarette, she went inside. The room looked as if it had been decorated by a blind Dolores Umbridge, for every surface was pink, and there were cat paintings and ceramics everywhere. 

And after deciding she couldn't wait any more, she grabbed her purse and glanced at the mirror; a blonde young woman with a button-up white dress and a long pearl necklace looked back at her. She put on an oversized pair of sunglasses and left her room on the fifth floor, heading into the tiny lift and to the ground level. 

She stepped out into the small cosy lobby, and someone called her name. 

 "Vitelli?" said a familiar man's voice.

Arianna's heart skipped a beat and followed the voice. Draco leaned casually on the reception desk with a brown leather suitcase at his feet. As always, he looked impeccable, wearing grey trousers and a white shirt. A lock of blond hair rested charmingly on his forehead. And she noticed a silver watch on his left wrist she hadn't seen before.

"How did you know it was me?" asked Arianna, slightly offended, and removing her sunglasses.

"It's not your best disguise," he said, grinning. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"It has worked so far," she argued, approaching him. 

"Who are you hiding from?" he asked, standing straight.

"The press," whispered Arianna, looking around as if some reporter would jump from behind a sofa at any given moment. 

"I'll take a wild guess and assume that your new boyfriend has something to do with that," he said, teasing. "But seriously, you look terrible with that shade."

Arianna huffed. "I pull off blond better than you do," she argued confidently. "And yes, that absurd article by Romilda Vane has been causing me a lot of headaches lately," she said and wondered for the millionth time if Harry and Ginny had really broken up. "Anyway… I got the owl from Wilkinson. What changed?" 

"I'll tell you soon," said Draco, leaning on the desk again, searching for the receptionist. "Just give me a couple of minutes."

She agreed and waited in the small lonely alley outside the hotel. It was a hot day, so she put up her hair in a ponytail and then took her cigarette case from her purse and opened it. To her disappointment, there were only seven smokes left from the New York package. Deciding it was better to save them for later, she closed the case and began walking in circles.

Draco came out ten minutes later, putting on a pair of sunglasses and smirking at her. 

"Tell me," demanded Arianna immediately. 

"Calm down, Vitelli," said Draco, chuckling. "Nothing involving your part. You just need to be aware of certain things... But first–" He twisted his silver watch's crown and pushed a small button on the side, and instantly the surrounding noises softened like it happened every time they used the egg timer in the pub. "It's a little toy Kron gave me for our mission today," explained Draco, his voice sounding loud and clear. "Others can't hear what we say or see our lips moving, as long as you stay close enough. And I can communicate with the rest of the team."

"The rest of the team?" repeated Arianna. "What do you mean?"

"Let's walk– I need to run an errand, and we can try the watch," he said, and they started strolling down the alley into a pedestrian street flooded with people. "The Austrian authorities believe that there might be a High Regime riot tonight. So the security at the gala has been increased, and they are sending Nuttely, Johnson and Potter as backups."

"But they are not attending the gala?" she asked, dodging a distracted tourist.

"Nope," replied Draco, grabbing Arianna by the arm and pulling her closer. "They'll be in the palace surroundings." He turned around on the next corner, and she followed him. "So you don't get to dance with the boyfriend tonight."

"Where are we going?" asked Arianna, ignoring his last remark. 

"Biermann & Stauss– it's a famous jewellery store," answered Draco. Arianna instantly knew they were going gift shopping for Astoria and felt slightly sick. "It's around the corner."

A few minutes later, they walked into an empty, dusty muggle bookstore and headed to the end where the bust of a bald man stood. Draco touched the sculpture with the tip of his wand, and the marble figure stood aside, uncovering a narrow passage that led towards an elegant circular room.

They both took off their sunglasses, and Arianna forgot to breathe for a moment. It was a well-lit store with walls and counters filled with precious stones and magnificent jewels that sparkled under the candle lights. 

A well-dressed old man approached them. He had his grey hair slicked back, a pair of delicate rectangle glasses framed his blue eyes and a well-tailored suit outlined his slim and tall figure. 

Guten Tag,” he said, smiling. “Willkommen bei Biermann & Stauss.” 

"Danke," said Draco. "Ich bin Draco Malfoy."

"Oh, of course, Mr Malfoy. We have been expecting you," said the man with a gentle nod. "I'm Diederick Stauss. I believe we have exactly what you're looking for. Please follow me."

Draco went with Stauss to a counter on the left, and Arianna stayed behind. She didn't want to see what he was buying Astoria, so she inspected the place instead. A vertical showcase that stood to the right caught her attention and approached. Inside there was a pair of black hand mannequins wearing a couple of divine bracelets. 

It was love at first sight. The bracelets were made of five strings of pearls connected to a ring through a medallion with diamond encrustations. It was unique, elegant and classic. And for the first time, she thought of something she would buy if the Black inheritance was hers. 

"Excuse me," said Arianna to a tall young blond witch wearing a name tag. "Could you tell me more about these bracelets?"

She looked at Arianna from head to toe with a snooty expression.

"Of course," she said, smiling fakely. "What would you like to know?"

"A bit of its history, its magical properties and the cost," said Arianna.

"It's not for sale," said the witch unpleasantly. "And if it was, you couldn't afford it."

Arianna’s mouth dropped in indignation, and before she could reply, someone talked behind her. 

"Herr Stauss," said Draco coldly, glaring at the blond woman with a stern look and standing next to Arianna. 

"Would you please assist my friend? It seems your employee it's doing a lousy job at it."

"Of course, Mr Malfoy," said Stauss, giving the witch a rugged look. She seemed slightly scared and left to the other side of the room. "Please forgive my niece's behaviour, Miss…."

"Vitelli," answered Arianna. 

"Vitelli ?" repeated Stauss, frowning slightly. "Are you by any chance related to Orsola and Ambrogio Vitelli?"

"Yes, they are my grandparents," replied Arianna, praying he didn't ask more questions. She had met them twice in her life.

"Ah! I see the resemblance now," said Stauss, moving closer to her. "Please send my regards next time you see them. How can I help you, Miss Vitelli?"

"I was wondering about those bracelets," said Arianna pointing at the showcase.

Stauss looked at the vitrine and smiled politely. "I'm afraid my niece was right," he said. "The Venus' Bracelets are not for sale."

Draco lifted an eyebrow and moved forward, curious about the jewels.

"I'm sure I couldn’t afford them even if they were," said Arianna. "I'm just curious to know more about them. The craftsmanship is impeccable."

"It's an invaluable and unique piece of jewellery, indeed," said Stauss, proudly. "Its history goes back seven hundred years, and it's the only remaining piece we have from the first Biermann & Stauss jewellers."

"The design is clearly from the 20s, though," pointed out Arianna, getting closer to the bracelets. "But I imagine it has been modified over time. If it's that old, perhaps the first design was a necklace?" 

Stauss arched his eyebrows. "That's correct," he said. "It has been modified five times over the centuries and been cursed several occasions."

"Ten points to Ravenclaw," whispered Draco, teasing, and she rolled her eyes. 

Arianna leaned as close as she could, her forehead almost touching the glass. "The pearls are from the Red Sea, aren't they?" she asked, squinting her eyes.

"Indeed," said Stauss enthusiastically. "Just like your necklace, if I'm not mistaken. A wonderful piece of jewellery, I have to say."

Draco was now leaning next to Arianna with his head slightly tilted. 

"How do you know about the pearls?" asked Draco to Arianna.

"The coating it's slightly more yellowish, and the reflection it's bluer," she explained, pointing at the pearls, excited. "Originally, they were produced on a kind of oyster only found on the Red Sea." She stood up straight and smiled broadly at Stauss. "Thank you very much for your time, Herr Stauss. It's a magnificent piece of art, truly. I absolutely love them."

"No, thank you, Miss Vitelli. It's always a pleasure to meet people who appreciate the craft over the precious stones and metals. Please visit next time you're in Vienna, and ask for me personally."

Draco and Arianna left the store a few minutes later. She felt content and thought about Narcissa and the heirloom lessons and how much she had learned about jewellery in the last month.

"Thank you for… backing me up," said Arianna when they were back on the street, the sun higher and more intense than before.

"Not a problem, Vitelli," said Draco with a smirk and put his sunglasses back on. "It's always a pleasure putting people in their place."

Arianna shook her head, suppressing a grin and feeling thankful to walk by his side with this face of him that was familiar to her. 

"So, who did you kill for that pearl necklace?" asked Draco playfully.

"It's a Vitelli heirloom," explained Arianna. "One of the few things my mother had when she ran away and gave it to me when I graduated from Hogwarts. I love it," she touched her necklace, feeling the round and smooth pearls between her fingers. "Somehow, I feel it connects me to them, to something larger, like a constellation… a family."

"I thought you would hate them," said Draco, looking her way. "They disinherited your mother after all."

"Well, I don't," replied Arianna lowly. "They are just victims of a rotten system and ideologies. Nevertheless, they love my mother… She still has contact with them. They just don't talk about it."

Draco remained quiet. He had grown up in that system, and to some extent, he still followed it. After all, all his closest friends and girlfriend were purebloods. 

They reached a busy pedestrian street flanked with stores and walked on the shady side. Along the way, Arianna rambled about the history of Vienna in the 17th hundreds when she saw a record store and stopped dead.

A large modern stereo was displayed on the window, and she thought it would be an excellent gift for Blair. Draco took a few more steps before realising she wasn't next to him and turned around to meet her.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked, slightly annoyed . His fair skin reddened by the heat.

"I'm considering buying that," said Arianna pointing at the stereo.

"What's that muggle thing for?" he asked disgustingly. "It's hideous."

"Muggles listen to music with it," explained Arianna.

"How?" he asked, frowning at the device. "And how do you know what is it? You never took Muggle Studies."

"I like muggle music," she explained, wondering how he knew that. But in all fairness, she also knew all the subjects he had taken. 

"I thought your favourite band were the Weird Sisters," said Draco reproachfully. 

"Yeah… they're awesome, but that doesn't mean I don't like other bands. Let's go inside."

Without hesitation, Arianna pushed the door open. The store was pretty filled with customers browsing around CD's and inspecting stereos and headphones. Quickly she searched for the vinyl records and found them in the far corner of the store. 

"So you're telling me you have never ever listened to muggle music?" she asked while heading towards the LP section. 

"Nope," answered Draco, glancing around cautiously.

Arianna looked back at him in utter disbelief. "I think a part of my soul just died," she said and instantly discovered her next mission in life. "That has to be fixed right away. Not even classical music?"

"What do you mean?" asked Draco, and Arianna thought she might faint. 

"Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Wagner?" she asked, almost scared.

"Well," said Draco, taking the closest record mindlessly and flipping it. "Everyone knows Wagner was a wizard."

"No, he wasn't," said Arianna, rolling her eyes.

"And I'm pretty sure Mozart was a squib," continued Draco, smirking. 

"You're delusional," she said, taking the LP from his hand and putting it back in its place. "So you know them?"

"Of course I do, Vitelli."

"Good," she said, relaxing. "So we can jump right into Britain in the 1970s. So many things you need to listen to. Where do we begin?" 

Her well-trained eyes located the rock section rapidly and marched that way with Draco following her closely.

"I don't have muggle money," said Draco.

"Oh, no!" said Arianna, skimming quickly through the assortment. "This is on me. I can't allow you to live in the dark any longer." Draco chuckled. "You like the Weird Sisters too, isn't it?"

"Who doesn't?" 

"Is it true they played at your fourteen birthday party?" she asked, glancing back at him. Draco merely stared back, smirking. "I'll take that as a yes."

She went back to her task and spotted what she had been looking for. "Very well," she said, taking an LP and handing it to Draco. "You desperately need some Pink Floyd. We'll start with 'The Wall'. I hope it's not too subversive for you," she moved towards the "J" and grabbed a second one. "'Aqualung' by Jethro Tull," she said, giving it to Draco. "And we need some Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin," she fetched a couple more albums from them and gave them to him. "We can start with these."

Draco browsed through to the records and laughed. "You're completely mental, Vitelli," he said.

"I'm just trying to save your soul," she said, heading to the counter.

"Excuse me," said a tiny old woman that looked more English than a Yorkshire pudding. "Would you by any chance have some spare euros you can exchange with me? I'm afraid I don't have enough to buy my granddaughter one of these CD's."

A girl around eleven years old came from behind her grandmother, carrying a Britney Spears CD, and stared at Draco attentively, blushing and hiding again. 

"Of course," said Arianna and fetched her wallet. The woman gave her seven pounds, and Arianna gave her the equivalent in euros. 

"Oh! Thank you so much," said the woman smiling broadly, and looking at both of them. "You make a lovely couple if you don't mind me saying."

Arianna repressed a nervous giggle and was about to clarify, but Draco beat her to it. 

"Thank you," he said, smiling and standing closer to Arianna. "We're on our honeymoon."

"Oh! It's that so?" asked the woman, thrilled. "Lovely, lovely indeed. Enjoy your holidays and the nice weather. We certainly don't have this often in our little island, isn't it right?"

After a few more minutes of Draco explaining an incredibly detailed plan trip of their supposed honeymoon through Switzerland and Northern Italy, they paid and headed to the hotel. 

"Pathological liar," said Arianna, when stepping out of the store, and Draco laughed.

Almost melting, they finally reached the hotel, finding shelter from the scorching sun. They walked towards the lift, removing their sunglasses.

"I really need a cold shower," said Arianna, wiping the tiny pearls of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand while reaching for the lift button. 

Draco grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, slightly shocked. 

"Not yet. I have something for you," said Draco, looking at her. "But I want you to take it from me using the spell you have to use today."

He pressed the button, and the lift doors opened instantly, he stepped in, and she followed him. They barely fit inside.

"All right, where is it?" she asked, slightly confused but ready for the challenge. It was a tricky spell designed to move objects that were hidden with powerful charms.

"In my right pocket," he answered. "You have until we reach level two to retrieve it. It's around the same amount of time you will have tonight."

"Level two?" Uttered Arianna, alarmed. The door of the lift closed behind her.

"Time is ticking, Vitelli," said Draco calmly. "Don't forget to do it as a non-verbal spell."

Arianna took out her wand from her bag, and her left hand went directly to his right shirt pocket. She touched it from the outside, feeling his hot skin underneath the fabric, and tried to focus on the imperceptible object. "Transire," she thought, but nothing happened and tried again. This time feeling something icy beneath her fingers and the weight of an object appearing on her dress pocket. 

"Level two," said Draco with a low voice, looking into her eyes. "Wear it tonight. It's connected to my watch, so you can talk to me across the room and vice versa; just hold it and speak."

The lift opened, and he left. She checked her pocket. It was a thin diamond bracelet.

After a cold shower, a nap and room service, Arianna got ready for the gala. She put on a strapless black ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and her black hair up in a bun. Shortly before leaving, she took the diamond bracelet and fastened it around her left wrist.  

Wondering if Draco could hear her three floors below, she held it and said, "Malfoy?"

A moment later, she heard his voice as if he was standing next to her. 

"I hope you've got rid of that ridiculous blond hair," said Draco. 

She laughed, "I hope yours is not sleek back."

He chuckled. "I'll see you soon, Vitelli."

Then she double-checked she had the antidotes on her purse and left the dagger, as it would probably be confiscated at the entrance. Feeling unprotected without it, she headed downstairs to take the Floo to the gala.

She began thinking about the mission. The plan was simple: she would mingle for a while and then ask Robert Vane to introduce her to Székely Kálmán, their Hungarian spy. Székely was supposed to spill his drink over his jacket, and Arianna would help clean it and use the Transire Spell, moving the object into her purse. The gadget supposedly held vital information regarding the High Regime plans. 

Meanwhile, Draco was not supposed to approach her but watch her from a safe distance. He was the only undercover Auror who knew Arianna's intentions, so she needed to go unnoticed. 

And if everything went well, she thought, perhaps they could finally sit down and talk about them.

The night was warm, and even if the weather was ideal for a garden party, they were hosting inside the palace for security reasons. As soon as she arrived, two wizards scanned her person and belongings with Secrecy Sensors, searching for Dark artefacts and poisons. 

Then she went out of the fireplace room and marvelled at the magnificent baroque building with tall ceilings and polished marble floors. She followed the crowd and arrived into an opulent ballroom with several windows overlooking the lit gardens and the starry night. The atmosphere was pleasant, piano music played in the background, everyone wore a smile on their face and laughter was heard from every corner. The room was packed with prominent members of the International Confederation of Wizards, political figures and a dozen Aurors inspecting the area.

Arianna decided to search immediately for Robert Vane and locate Székely Kálmán. She walked next to the dancing floor when she wondered where Draco was and stopped, looking around and a second later, a deep voice said "Looking for me? Turn a bit more to your right." She jumped, surprised by the sound of his voice and glanced slightly to her right, and found Draco standing across the dance floor, holding his watch. "There you go," he said, but his lips didn't move. 

Draco had a dinner suit on him, and his hair wasn't sleek back, looking dazzling. He was with a couple of wizards and gazed at her from top to bottom, giving her a placid grin. They held their gaze for a moment longer, and she kept going. 

Near a window, she found Mrs Chang and Mr Vane talking with a couple of wizards from Argentina, and she joined them. She remained quiet most of the time, searching with her eyes for Székely in the crowded room. 

The heat, the tight dress and the noise began to smother her, and she thought of going out for fresh air, as she usually did at parties, but decided to stay put until she found her target.

After an hour of bad jokes from Mrs Chang, countless glances from Mr Vane to her cleavage and three cigarettes, she saw him. Székely was standing not far away from them, surrounded by four grim men. He wore a military dress uniform covered in medals. He was bald with a black imperial moustache and had a haughty expression.

She smiled, satisfied and glanced around, hoping to find Draco; she hadn't seen him for a while. Her hand was on her bracelet, ready to speak when Draco beat her to it.

"It seems like Vane can't take his eyes off you," said Draco's voice. "But who can blame him?" 

Arianna suppressed a smile; she rather enjoyed the idea of him watching and following her around the ballroom all night but never getting close. It was like playing cat and mouse. Then another thought followed: he will marry soon. She didn't say anything to him and lit another smoke.

After the first drag, she felt pressure on her chest and a cold sweat on her neck. And looking for fresh air, she excused herself to the restrooms and headed towards the entrance. 

Arianna was making her way through the crowded room when suddenly, all the noises dropped to a whisper. She looked around, noticing that everyone kept behaving normally. And then, an ethereal, deep dark voice sang in an unknown language. 

In a matter of seconds, her chest felt confined as if someone was tightening and pulling her corset to its limit; her vision began narrowing. The twisted morbid lullaby was the only thing she could hear besides her breathing. And immediately, she knew that Rudenshöld was there.

Following her instinct, she rushed between the guests with a clear objective in her mind– Székely.

From a floating tray a few steps away from him, she took a glass of red wine and decisively, she stumbled on him, splashing the liquid in both their clothing.

The man looked at her outraged, and his mouth began moving, but there was no sound she could hear. 

"I'm sorry!" uttered Arianna, breathing heavily. "I'm so stupid! Let me help you."

Without waiting for a response, she took out her wand, holding it weakly. She cleaned his uniform with a trembling hand and touched his chest briefly, "Transire," she thought and felt something cold beneath her fingers– It had worked.

"I- I apologise again …sir," mumbled Arianna, her voice weakening. "I'm…so– so sorry." 

Almost staggering, she left and stumbled on a marble column and leaned there, closing her eyes. Rudenschöld's voice kept stabbing her mind with his song, and with a shaky hand, she grasped the diamond bracelet and said, "Draco–" 

Two hands held her head, and she opened her eyes. Draco was there, his expression of concern. His lips moved, but she could hear what they said.

"He's… here…" said Arianna between breaths. "He… cursed… me." 

His grey eyes bulged even more, and he grabbed her by the waist, leading her outside the ballroom and pushing everyone on their way unapologetically. 

Everything was becoming darker and blurrier. She closed her eyes and let him guide her. 

Arianna felt divided between reality and illusion. Rudenschöld's voice was gone, but the ticking clocks were there with the smell of books, wine and lemonade. She heard his dead son talking and felt the pressure of his body on her. The metallic smell of blood and the warm liquid dripping on her chest. She saw the sun going down and green eyes dying in front of her. A big black book on a wooden desk. A sadistic laugh.

Feeling sick, she opened her eyes just in time to see the lift doors closing, and she fell to her knees, vomiting on the floor. Draco lifted her and carried her out into a hallway; she seized his jacket. And they went into a suite. 

He left her on a sofa, but she immediately stood up, and staggering, she searched for the bathroom. 

Arianna fell on her hands and knees on the white tiled floor. Her skin was burning, and she had lost most of her sight. "Calming Draught… m' purse…" she uttered and tried to breathe as deep as she could, but there was no air coming in. Her chest was confined. 

Her mind kept on bringing memories she couldn't stop, the taste of blood on her lips, her dress sliding from her body, an unwelcome hand touching her. She tried to scream, but nothing came out.

"Can't... breathe," she gasped, collapsing on the ground. 

Draco sat her up and leaned her against his chest, putting a small glass bottle on her lips. She smelt Calming Draught and drank it eagerly, but as soon as the liquid touched her lips, it became ashes, making her cough violently. Arianna bent on the floor in despair, gasping for air. 

"Take it off," she begged, trying to pull down her dress. 

She felt his hands on her burning skin as if they were of ice, and he tore her dress from the back. 

Arianna exhaled sharply, her rib cage expanding freely, filling her lungs with air. Searching to turn down the fever, she crawled to the shower and opened the cold water. She pressed her bare chest against the cool tiles and felt the icy water falling over her.

She tasted rotten lemonade and heard Alaric's voice telling her she couldn't leave. Arianna howled and began banging her head hard against the wall. 

Draco grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. Arianna turned and hugged him desperately. 

"Stun me, please!" cried Arianna in agony, clenching his soaking wet jacket. "Make it stop!" 

Draco held her tighter. She felt his chest vibrating, speaking to her, but no words came to her ears. 

The bathroom door opened violently, slamming hard against the wall, and a blurry figure dressed in black burst in. Arianna held Draco tighter. 

The darkness was winning. Arianna was drifting further and further into a memory she didn't want to remember. She gathered air in her lungs and freed the words that had been tormenting her for the last six years.

"I KILLED ALARIC RUDENSCHÖLD!”