DRAGONS & HORSES || [d. malfoy]

i. Gold is Nice

one.

∘₊✧─➶──𓆩𝞇𓆪──➴─✧₊∘

"I'M STILL QUITE unsure of this."

"Don't be," Hecate rolled her eyes. The two walked side by side down the street. "It's already too late for you to go back."

"I don't know... can't you just magic me back then?"

"I don't want to," The goddess deadpanned. Percy sighed dramatically. She noticed that Hecate was slowing her pace down so she looked around the street, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"Why are we—" As they approached a corner store, Percy blinked twice to make sure that the words on the sign were actually warping into something of "The bleak cauldron." Oh wait. "The Leaky Cauldron." Hecate practically shoved her inside.

The demigoddess looked up to the sight of music and the sound of chattering patrons. It looked like an old fashioned pub, the bartender busy at the counter and loud men sitting on the stools. "Let me do the talking," Hecate muttered distastefully before approaching a bearded man.

"No, why should you—"

"Ah! H! Is that really you?" She was interrupted by the man before she could argue with the goddess, "I really need to get my eyes checked! I thought you'd never come back!"

"Tom," her lips curled as she uttered the bartender and presumably, the landlord's name. "Really been such a long time."

"We have so much to speak of, H!" The man exclaimed, clapping his hands together before guiding Hecate to a free stool. He took no notice of Percy, earning him a solid glare. "Like this one time, a wizard came to the pub and—"

"Yes, very interesting," Hecate waved her hand in the air as if to dismiss him, "But I am here with business matters. You see, I have a favor to ask."

The man sighed, looking dejected, "You never have time for a proper conversation with me ever since I was officially hired, H. It's just this favor and that favor..." His excitement quickly evaporated, "Fine, what is it this time, my lady?"

Hecate instantly brightened, the direct opposite to the stranger, "I would like you to look over my ward. Perceval, meet Tom. Tom, Percy."

Percy looked at the balding man with suspicion in her eyes... but she let it go. It seemed to her that he was a servant of Hecate, meaning that he was trustworthy enough since he wouldn't dare betray her. "Good to meet you, Tom," She shifted from foot to foot awkwardly as the man lowered his narrow eyes to her.

"Perceval," he shook her hand briskly.

"Wonderful," Hecate clasped her hands together happily, "Percy will be staying here for quite a while. I trust that you can get her accustomed to the Wizarding World. She is beginning her first year at Durmstrang in September."

"Durmstrang?" Tom took another threatening step towards Percy's private space causing her to flinch back in surprise. He looked her over again, curiosity replacing the shady-ness of his eyes. "Why have you taken her to Diagon Alley?"

"I prefer Diagon Alley, that's why," The goddess shrugged, "Vihren Village is too cold. And of course, I'm not obligated to explain my reasoning to you, Tom."

"You're just lazy," Percy whispered beneath her breath, earning a glare from Hecate.

"I understand, Lady H."

"I'll leave her in your care then," she turned towards the door of the pub.

Percy paused, turning to Hecate, "Hold on. Wait a damn minute. You're just leaving like this? What the fuck. You can't just do that."