Happy Springsmut, Ships_harry Author:violet_quill Recipient:ships_harry Title: In Wolf's Clothing Rating: NC-17 Pairings: Teddy/Draco, implied Harry/Draco and Fenrir/Draco, as well as: (Highlight for spoiler: Lucius/Teddy, Draco/James Jr.) Warnings: prostitution, orgasm denial, wanking, consensual D/s, whipping, light bondage, dubious consent, implied (past) non-con, implied incestuous themes, implied underage sex Summary: Teddy would do anything to help his makeshift family, including going undercover at a werewolf brothel to solve a very personal crime. Word Count: 9300 Author's Notes:ships_harry, I have to give you major props for your bravery with that open-ended list for pairings, and I hope that the ones I chose are to your liking! This whole thing was vaguely inspired by "wolves in the walls" though how it evolved from there is a whole other story. I hope you don't mind some mystery plot with your kink! A huge thank you to N for, well, doing everything but actually forcing the pen into my hand to write so to speak, and to the mods for their saintly patience.
Draco Malfoy, a whimpering, incoherent mess. He shivered naked on one side of the bed, holding a hand up to his face as if to ward off blows. Thin, red lines criss-crossed his back, mingling with pale scars that nearly disappeared into his paler skin.
The end of a leather lash trailed lovingly down his side, then traced the crack of his arse.
Draco shuddered.
"You've been such a good boy," a voice purred above him. "Maybe I'll fuck you into the mattress before you leave."
Draco said nothing.
"At the very least I'm going to see my come running down your thighs," Teddy added as he lay down the whip and began to undress, having been fully clothed during the entirety of their hour and a half session so far.
Again, Draco said nothing, but shifted his body a little, legs moving almost imperceptibly farther apart.
*
Teddy Lupin wasn't a werewolf, but he smelled like one.
The others had approached him suspiciously at first, noses twitching in confusion as the wolves inside the men smelled first prey then brethren.
He told them his name was Ted Wilkins. He had learned some lessons growing up under the wing of an Auror. One was to tell as few lies as possible. First names were easy to forget, and rarely incriminating.
He took great care to keep his appearance consistent, to remember each nuance of the change so that he could recreate it in a split second, change back as smoothly and instinctively as into his natural state. Eyes green, but not too green, like lettuce, not emeralds, still a far cry from the jewelled amber he had inherited from his father. Hair darker, much darker than natural, but close enough so that it didn't appear dyed. So brown it was almost black, the colour of espresso. Height and build basically the same, a tad leaner, a tad toner, jaw more chiselled and other features slightly more severe to add a few years to his age.
Teddy Lupin had been extremely popular with the girls in school. He was cute. He had dimples and shaggy hair and an easy smile. Ted Wilkins was not cute. He was handsome, and he was mysterious, but you wanted to fuck him, not date him. Which was exactly the look he'd intended.
The wolves accepted Ted Wilkins as one of their own, and subsequently accepted his application for employment after a tall, blond man named Craig with an angry white scar across his throat fucked him over The Howler's bar.
He'd make a killing, they said.
*
Teddy's sessions with Draco all went basically the same way. Teddy waited in whatever was the poshest available room in the establishment, and then Draco joined him there. No money exchanged hands between them; that sort of thing was taken care of by the house. Though Teddy had never actually seen Draco pay for anything - this was one thing among many that had roused his suspicions.
What had once begun as an elaborate negotiation of terms had degraded into Teddy asking, "The usual?" and now, simply a lifted eyebrow, affirmed by a nod from the other man.
Draco's clothes were always the first to go, stripping him of anything aristocratic about both his appearance and demeanour. Such a simple act shifted the power balance between them dramatically. Draco, absent his money and power, was nothing but prey in front of a werewolf. At first, Teddy had wondered if this was what Draco found appealing about this situation, the stark contrast to the rest of his life, but as their sessions continued, he realized that there was much more to it than that.
The strangest part, of course, was how he always seemed to be glancing up to the far wall of whatever room they were in, as if there was someone on the other side watching them.
And Teddy, after Draco left, always found himself staring at that same wall. As if it would have some answers, or perhaps just remind him what he was doing here with the smell of Draco Malfoy's come still sticking to his skin.
*
It had been by pure chance that Teddy was with Harry when the call from St. Mungo's came in. He imagined that it must be one of the worst things a parent can possibly hear: come as fast as you can.
James was lucky to have survived the attack at all, they said. Of course, it was hard to think that way when he was unconscious in a hospital bed with a blood-soaked bandage covering a gash on his chest that spread from collarbone to navel.
Just a touch deeper, Teddy realized, and it would have simply opened him up. He felt a little sick.
Harry pushed past Teddy in the doorway, rushing to his son's side. "James? Oh god, what have they done to you..." Then he looked up from the unconscious young man, his manner suddenly very different, eyes flashing as he turned to the healer standing to the side. "Who did this? Where was he found?"
The poor man already looked nervous, and Harry snapping at him obviously wasn't helping. Teddy couldn't say he blamed him - people tended to get nervous or starstruck around Harry on a regular basis, even outside of stressful circumstances such as these.
"Actually, not so much who as… what," the healer said, stopping from fidgeting by putting his hands in his pockets. "The laceration on his chest wasn't made by a weapon or a spell, but by claws and teeth."
Teddy froze, and he heard Harry's breath catch.
"Wild dogs?" Harry asked, a note of hopefulness in his voice even as his eyes flicked up to the window. A full moon.
The healer shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter. We've seen this sort of thing before. It was definitely a werewolf attack."
There was a long pause. "And so he's…?"
The healer nodded. "Again, I'm very sorry. But there - "
Harry held up a hand, interrupting him, but did not speak for a long moment. "First of all," Harry finally said, "the press is not to hear a word of this. If I read about this in the Prophet tomorrow I will hold you personally responsible. Second, I will need to speak to everyone who was present when he first Apparated here. And third - " He looked over at his son again. "I want to know the second he wakes up, or if there is any change in his condition."
Teddy spoke up for the first time, saving the suddenly pale healer. "Harry, I can stay with him. You need to contact Ginny, and…" Well, he had no doubt that Harry would immediately be convening a group to investigate and track down whoever was responsible. There were some advantages to being in charge of the Aurors.
Harry looked over at him as if just remembering he was there. "Yes. I should… yes. Thank you, Teddy."
"I can assure you, sir, that every precaution - " the healer began, but Harry was already walking out the door.
Teddy gave the man an apologetic look. "He tends to go into crisis mode at times like this. It's easier for him to deal if he closes off his emotions." He had always got the impression growing up that Harry hadn't always been like that, rather that it was a defence mechanism he'd developed over time.
"This must be very difficult for him," the healer said. "As if it weren't bad enough seeing a child harmed, to find out that he's going to be a… a…" His voice lowered. "Monster."
Suddenly, Teddy no longer felt sorry for the man. "The only monster," he snapped, "is the person who did this to him. And not because he was a werewolf, but because he was a person, and those make the very worst sorts of monsters."
The healer opened his mouth, then closed it again, then just nodded briskly and hurried out of the room.
Teddy looked over at James, still laying there, the slow rise and fall of his mangled chest the only sign of life. He'd just turned eighteen… what, six months ago? He was still just a kid. And now he was going to have to deal with… well, something that a lot of people weren't strong enough to handle.
Teddy sat down beside him and reached for his hand, and the room was still and silent for a very long time.
*
Even after James was released from St. Mungo's, after weeks of hearing nothing, Teddy confronted Harry in his office at home. "I want to help you with the investigation."
Harry looked up from a stack of file, blinking underneath his round glasses. "What?"
"I want to help you find out who hurt James."
Harry set down the pen he was holding and sighed. "Teddy… you're a bookstore clerk, not an Auror."
Teddy bristled slightly at that. It was true, of course. He wasn't an Auror because his grades hadn't been good enough. He hadn't been able to get into NEWT level potions at all. It was the only time that he'd ever asked Harry to pull any sorts of strings for him, and the argument was still a tense spot between them.
Why would I be the one brewing potions anyway? I can change my bloody face, isn't that worth something? You've always said that my mother was one of the best Aurors you've ever seen, and she could barely walk without tripping over her own feet!
Harry had very strict rules about not using his power or fame to bend Ministry rules.
"But I could go undercover or something," Teddy insisted. "No one would suspect! I know that there are groups of…"
"No," Harry said tersely.
"But you were so upset when James dropped out of training, I thought you'd be happy to have someone in the family - "
"End of discussion!" Harry snapped, and Teddy knew he'd hit a sore spot with that last bit.
Teddy felt himself deflate. He started to go, but then turned and said, "I don't suppose… could you at least tell me how it's going?"
Harry visibly hesitated, but then looked at Teddy for a moment before flicking his wand at the door and muttering a spell. "Sit," he said.
Teddy sat.
"I have found out something upsetting," Harry said quietly. With his hand that wasn't holding his wand, he rapped his nails nervously on the desk. "The healers found a small amount of saliva in the wound when James was first brought in. They were able to run some tests on it…" He looked down at his hands. "There were traces of Wolfsbane."
Teddy blinked. "What? But that doesn't make sense. If it was a full moon and the wolf was wild…"
"That's the thing, Teddy. The wolf wasn't wild."
Teddy's mouth dropped open. "You mean someone did this on purpose?" All this time he'd assumed that it was negligence, or just a complete disregard for others' safety. But a malicious, calculated act?
"That's right," Harry said. "Wolfsbane tames a werewolf during a full moon in that it restores the mind of the person. So most werewolves who use it - like your father did - will just sit there and wait until morning. But they don't have to. A wolf under the influence of Wolfsbane might not have the uncontrollable bloodlust, but that doesn't mean that it isn't just as powerful and dangerous. It simply has a human mind to control it."
"So you think the attack was planned?"
"James was walking the same route that he's walked a hundred times. He was jumped from behind as if they'd been lying in wait. And - " Harry sighed. "He's my son. It's not as if I lack for enemies."
"Do you have any suspects?"
Harry hesitated. "Not exactly. Though from James' account, there were at least two wolves there, maybe three. And there are very few organized groups of werewolves anymore. They tend to be either purposely solitary, or blending into normal wizarding life, in which case they don't come into contact with each other very much. So we've been looking into…" He paused. "Have you heard of a place called The Howler?"
Teddy blinked. "Isn't that some sort of… strip club?" Not that Teddy had ever had much cause to walk down Knockturn Alley, but everyone did out of curiosity eventually, and the establishment was rather difficult to miss.
"Sort of," Harry said, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "More like a… brothel, actually. And all of the employees are werewolves."
"A group of werewolf prostitutes?" Teddy blurted.
"… yes. As strange as that sounds. But they're not breaking the law. They are, however, the only organized group of werewolves in the area that I know of. And for a business, they're very secretive. No one knows who owns the establishment, and we can't legally force the information out of them. But we're looking into it. I can't say it's even a very promising lead, there's no indication that any of them would have any sort of grudge against me…" Harry sighed. "I feel like I've been grasping at straws."
"Harry, please, there must be something that I - "
"No! Look, I've already told you more than I should. You just leave this to me now, okay? This is my job."
Teddy didn't see any point in arguing about it anymore. Harry obviously wasn't going to change his mind. He stood to go, but first he said, "How… how was James' first full moon?"
Harry fidgeted with the end of his wand. "It went as planned. The Wolfsbane worked as it should, though he and I were alone in a locked room just in case. He just lay there until morning. I… the hardest part was watching him change. I know he was trying not to let it show, but the process is very painful." He glanced up at the window. "There's another one in a few days."
Teddy nodded. "I… I'll be seeing you, Harry." He left him there in his office and walked out into the rest of the house. He could hear Ginny in the kitchen cooking. It was a lot quieter here with the rest of the kids away at school.
"Hey, Teddy." It was James. He'd been sitting at the foot of the stairs, and Teddy had nearly tripped over him. He looked strange. Healthy, but… depressed.
"Hey," Teddy greeted, smiling at him, and reaching out to ruffle his hair, which earned him an eye roll.
"What are you doing here? Staying for dinner?"
"Nah, I just had to talk to your dad about a few things. How are you doing?"
James shrugged, looking down at his feet for a second. "Oh, you know. I'm okay. Well, I mean, I've been better, but it's nothing to do with…" Suddenly he blinked, looking surprised. And then he leaned in closer to Teddy… and sniffed.
"Er… James?"
The younger man's cheeks flushed a little. "Uh, sorry, Teddy. It's just…" He bit his lip and in a low voice said, "This close to the full moon. Everyone kind of, um… well, everyone smells like food. Except for you."
Teddy wasn't quite sure what to make of that. But when he mulled over it as he left, that information, coupled with Harry's description of the werewolf brothel, planted the seeds of an idea.
Three days later, Craig was fucking him over the bar at The Howler.
*
Teddy had imagined that he would be able to avoid taking on clients, at least to the extent that he could avoid rousing the suspicion of the other employees. To some degree, this was true - the other blokes were practically fighting over who got the walk-ins most of the time. Usually when Teddy had a client, it was because he'd caught someone's eye.
It wasn't so bad, not really. Teddy enjoyed sex, and he enjoyed sex with men as well as women, though it was generally the former who showed up at The Howler. And the sort of men that sought out werewolves in particular… well, they were generally the sort who preferred to be dominated as opposed to doing the dominating. The only exception were those who wanted a fight with their sex, and Teddy could spot them right away - luckily they tended to gravitate towards the meaner, stronger blokes like Craig.
There was only one time when Teddy asked for a client.
"Is that Draco Malfoy?" He'd been standing by the bar, and when he saw the tall man walk in and lower the hood on his dark cloak to reveal a head of white-blond hair, he blurted the query to Owen, another of The Howler's working boys standing nearby.
"He's a regular," Owen whispered. "Or rather, he was. But he hasn't been here for ages…" He paused and added, "Don't repeat that, of course, we're on strict orders that that information isn't to leave this place."
"From who?" Teddy hissed. Because in the four or five days he'd been there, he'd been able to glean absolutely no information about who owned The Howler. Craig, the man who had "initiated" him, seemed to be in charge, but it was obviously by proxy. He wasn't smart enough to have built what was clearly a very successful business.
"Shhh," shushed Owen, then, "Go get Dominic. I think he's in the back. He was the usual for - "
"You."
Teddy had been paying so much attention to Owen that he hadn't noticed Draco glide closer to them, and he was now regarding Teddy with an expression mostly blank, bordering on suspicious if it were a touch more emotive. "You," he repeated. "Who are you?"
Teddy cleared his throat. "Ted. Sir."
Draco looked him up and down. "I see."
A moment of silence crackled with tension between them, and then Teddy blurted, "Perhaps you would allow me to assist you? Sir?"
Owen's mouth dropped open as if he couldn't believe the gall. But Draco merely waited a beat and then said smoothly, "Very well, Ted."
Owen babbled in his ear as Teddy got the keys to one of the back rooms, but he wasn't paying attention at all. This was his first break, the first opportunity he might have to learn something real about this place, to find out if they were involved in James' attack. It couldn't be a mere coincidence that Draco Malfoy was a regular patron here, not with the well-known history between his family and Harry.
Both Narcissa and Draco had spent time in Azkaban after the Battle of Hogwarts, but after a well-publicized trial they were placed under house arrest for five years instead of sent back there. The lighter sentence was largely due to Harry's testimony and request upon the court for leniency. He admitted that he reluctantly owed some debt to Narcissa due to her actions during his encounter with Voldemort.
Lucius, meanwhile, had fled after the battle, and after an exhaustive manhunt, was assumed dead. Thus, after their sentence was up, all of his assets transferred into Narcissa's name, and she subsequently named Draco head of their household. Wealth afforded them little goodwill until Draco married Astoria Greengrass, a well-liked woman of good breeding but little means. She was from a well-known Wizarding family, and it was long rumoured that she married Draco primarily for his money. But they made an attractive couple, and Draco immediately made himself known as an extraordinary philanthropist, donating large sums of money mostly to artistic endeavours. And he and Astoria were seen at every gallery and musical opening in the wizarding world. With the war over, the society pages were considered viable news again, and the real heroes - Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and the like - provided little fodder for the gossip columnists. Harry and Ginny making an appearance in the rain outside Gringotts was still enough for a photograph in the Prophet, but it simply couldn't make a splash like Draco in a suit that cost more than Harry's mortgage, with Astoria draped in diamonds on his arm, attending the opening of an exhibit by an up and coming wizard photographer that they had single-handedly plucked from obscurity and financed.
And of course, no news story could make mention of the two of them - Harry and Draco - without some reference to "school day rivals" or "Harry Potter, a constant reminder of the Malfoy family's former fall from grace" or "the spitting image of his aristocratic though ultimately deranged father." Teddy for one could never help but notice the way Harry always tensed at the name Malfoy.
The news of Draco and Astoria's divorce several years ago had been exceptionally newsworthy, mostly because no one could suss it out. Rumours abounded, from financial difficulties to an illegitimate child to Draco's sexuality.
Given all that, Teddy could certainly understand why Owen had implored upon him the importance of secrecy in this matter. He couldn't even imagine the splash if it somehow got out that Draco Malfoy enjoyed the company of young male werewolves.
When he got to the back, he realized that getting a key had been unnecessary. Draco was waiting for him (did he have a master key?), sitting on the bed still wearing the heavy black cloak.
Teddy closed the door behind him. He smiled, purposely letting a hint of his nervousness show through, hoping that he would appear starstruck or simply green rather than…well, whatever he actually was. Equal parts terrified and anxious and excitable.
He really wished that he could just pull his wand and threaten the man, demand he spill everything he knew. More than once Teddy had wondered what would happen if he ever did find out anything, how he would explain it to Harry. To admit that he hadn't sleuthed or tricked his way into the secret, but fucked it out of someone.
"Are you just going to stand there?" came the cool liquid voice from the bed.
"My apologies," said Teddy, smiling again and approaching him. "So I understand that you've been here a few times before. I hope that I'm up to your usual standards."
"My usual standards include a distinct lack of small talk," Draco said. He slipped his cloak off his shoulders, revealing an impeccably tailored suit underneath. "Ted, I am sure that you remember the contract you signed when you gained employment here. If you should breathe word of my presence here to anyone, or anything about what happens in this room, you will live to regret it. Is that understood?"
Teddy nodded, and suppressed a twitch of fear. He tensed as he saw Draco reach for his wand. He was frozen to the spot.
But Draco simply held the wand out to Teddy. "I will not be needing this," he said.
And then he began to explain, in no uncertain terms, exactly what it was that he wanted.
No, he emphasized as he began to undress, that he needed.
*
Naked and trembling on the bed, Draco whispered, "Please."
"Wrong answer," Teddy said, and let the whip fall across Draco's back again. "Really, little Malfoy, I would expect you to be more creative than that."
"Please, sir!" the older man gasped, though in this place, in his position with his head curled into himself, he could easily be mistaken for much, much younger.
"Do you really think I care for pleasantries?" Teddy sighed as he cracked the whip again. "Do you think I care about please and thank you?"
"N-n-n-o…"
"Tell me what you want if you want it so badly," Teddy said, tossing the whip to the side and adding as an afterthought, "Whore."
"I want to come," Draco ground out between gritted teeth.
"Want?"
"Need," he cried out, and began to rut against the mattress. This was useless, of course, since his erection was strapped into a tight cock ring. All tied up like a Christmas bow.
"And why do you need to come, Draco?" Teddy asked, leaning over and running a hand almost lovingly down Draco's back. Of course, his fingertips grazed the angry red lacerations on his skin as they went.
"Because I…"
"Because you…?"
"Because I like it," Draco whimpered.
"Because you're nothing but a wanton little slut, yes?" Teddy purred as he pulled off his own trousers.
"Yes."
"And because…?"
"Because I like it when you f-f-fuck me."
"No," Teddy corrected as he positioned himself behind Draco, having used no lubrication spells or any other sort of preparation whatsoever, and added a well-scripted statement: "Because you like it when I hurt you."
*
After Teddy's first session with Draco, after Draco left, Teddy had sat there for a long time staring at the wall.
Then he'd vomited on the floor, and used magic to clean it up before anyone noticed.
*
Only once did Draco break character.
He was tied to the bed with gold cords, wrists chaffed with rope burns. His cock was hard and insistent within the cock ring as usual, as he was never allowed release until the end of the session, never unless Teddy's cock was inside him.
Teddy stood next to the bed, looking down at him, turning the whip over in his hands, and he said, "Oh, if only your daddy could see you now."
Draco's face had gone white, an impressive feat against his already pale skin. "Incantatum," he said.
It was a magical safe word. Immediately all of the bonds holding him disappeared, along with the whip in Teddy's hand.
Draco dressed without a word and then said before leaving, "Reconsider your script for next time."
*
Over three weeks of this, and Teddy still hadn't learned anything of any use whatsoever. He was fairly convinced by now that none of the werewolves working at The Howler knew anything, as surely as he was convinced that there really was something amiss. Though James' attack had been hushed up and wasn't common knowledge in the media so he couldn't bring it up directly, he had made casual inquiries with nearly everyone about their whereabouts on the night of the attack, as well as other related questions, and there were a few of them - Craig included - who always had answers that seemed not quite right. Not that they were lying, but that they were filling in holes they didn't realize were there. If he could have, Teddy would have put money on memory charms. But he had no proof, and in any case, if they were the attackers, then it was clear that they were nothing more than pawns, and he didn't know who was pulling the strings. What he did know was nothing more than Harry and the other Aurors could have found out simply by interrogating his co-workers.
His best lead was Draco, but he still had no proof that he was anything more than a regular customer, and all he'd learned from Draco during their sessions was that he obviously had some major issues, not the least of which were wrapped up in his father somehow.
He'd told himself that he would give it a month, and so he was on the verge of throwing in the towel and leaving The Howler and Ted Wilkins and his time with Draco Malfoy behind. To be honest, it was the latter that bothered him most of all. Not because he was disturbed by what went on, but because he wasn't as disturbed as he should be. Because he realized that there was some dark place inside of him that enjoyed it far more than he should. He didn't have to fantasize and detach himself in order to fuck Draco. Granted, it wasn't inflicting pain that sparked Teddy's arousal… but something about the situation certainly did. Hearing him beg, maybe. The control. A sort of control that was sorely lacking in most parts of his life these days.
Still, there was at least one avenue that he wanted to explore, and it didn't involve taking his clothes off. It was, however, risky - though at this point, if Harry found out what he was doing he'd be angry enough, so Teddy didn't see much harm in risking his ire further. So on a Friday night, when he knew that Harry and Ginny and James had gone to spend the weekend with the Weasleys, he used his spare key to let himself into their house.
Harry kept his Pensieve in his office, and everyone knew that it was absolutely off limits, under penalty of something… really bad. Teddy had seen it once, when he was much younger, just before starting Hogwarts. Harry had shown him a set of memories involving his parents. Remus and Tonks as Harry had known them. It was one of the kindest things he had ever done for Teddy.
Now, Teddy felt incredibly guilty knowing that he was betraying Harry's trust. But it wasn't as if he was looking at anything personal. There were probably Pensieve archives of major trials at the Ministry. This was just the one that Teddy knew how to get to - because he knew that Harry had been there, and that it was something he would want to collect here.
It was just a hunch, that Draco had something to do with all of this, and that there might be a clue somewhere in Draco's past. Or maybe it was just Teddy's own curiosity for personal reasons. Either way, he really wanted to see this.
So he looked into Harry's Pensieve and fell into a Ministry courtroom of over twenty years ago.
Draco sat in the witness chair, looking young and small and frightened. He was wearing black robes, but his sleeve was yanked up to reveal the Dark Mark on his forearm. Teddy had seen the imprint many times before, now faded into a lighter scar. Draco always winced when he touched it.
"… and you took the Mark willingly, Mr. Malfoy?" one of the members of the Wizengamot asked.
"Y-y-yes."
"You were not forced?"
"N-n-no."
"And it is your testimony that you were charged with and did indeed attempt to kill Albus Dumbledore?"
"Y-y-yes."
Another voice, kinder than the last, broke in. "Though to clarify, it has been this court's finding that Severus Snape did indeed kill Albus Dumbledore. Mr. Malfoy, even if you were not forced, were you under some coercion to take the Mark?"
Draco hesitated. "From my father."
"And tell us, please, how you were treated when He Who Must Not Be Named was using your family's estate as his headquarters."
Draco was silent for a long moment, until someone else insisted, "Answer the question, Mr. Malfoy."
"Poorly," he said.
"Please elaborate."
Draco hesitated, but finally said, "The Dark Lord was extremely unhappy with both my father and me. He took my father's wand. And me… he… he gave me to Fenrir Greyback."
The courtroom erupted into noises of surprise from those assembled. Someone banged a gavel, and it quieted.
"Again, please elaborate," someone finally said.
Draco winced visibly. "Fenrir had a… sexual appetite for children. Apparently I was close enough."
There was a long pause, then one of the Wizengamot said, "Is it your testimony that the werewolf Fenrir Greyback raped you?"
Another hesitation, though this time Draco was obviously holding back tears. "I - I don't know. He said it wasn't rape because I was… because I would…" He hung his head. "He would force me to become aroused and then make me tell him that I liked it when he hurt me."
Teddy had been practically holding his breath as he watched all of this, but now he thought he felt his dinner starting to come up. Oh, god. This whole time… what was Draco doing? Why was he forcing himself to relive something so horrible?
Teddy wasn't the only one who was upset. Beside him, the spectre of a very young Harry also looked like he was about to throw up. It wasn't quite the reaction that Teddy had expected. It was beyond disgust or pity, but… something else entirely, and he couldn't put his finger on it.
Finally, one of the Wizengamot blurted, "And your parents did nothing about this?"
"My mother didn't know," Draco said flatly. "And my father… sometimes they made my father watch."
Teddy couldn't take it anymore. He leapt out of the memory and immediately sank to the floor in Harry's office, taking deep breaths. He suddenly understood even more how Draco and his mother had gotten out of Azkaban. And he felt extremely good about the fact that Fenrir Greyback was still rotting away there.
What he didn't understand was what was going on with Draco. Could it be that Fenrir had fucked with his head so badly that he became convinced that he actually liked that sort of treatment? If it had been his first real sexual contact… And no wonder he'd reacted so strongly to the comment about his father.
Teddy shuddered, feeling a pang of pity for Draco. It did lend some credibility to the theory that Draco was the one in charge of The Howler, though. Could he be so hung up on the idea of a werewolf as a sexual partner that he'd formed the brothel for his own use?
But if that was the case, did it follow that Draco was the one who ordered the attack on James? If so, what was his motive? Could his dislike for Harry really be so strong after all these years? And if so, why now?
Teddy pulled himself shakily to his feet and glanced at the Pensieve on the table again. There were still memories related to the trial bobbing at the surface.
Though he had intended to simply put it away, one image caught his eye. A dark corner, two bodies, one with pale hair…
He fell into the memory without even intending to, and suddenly there he was beside a young Draco and a young Harry. Younger than they had been in the trial, though not by much. Both wearing school uniforms. And they were locked in a tight embrace.
Teddy couldn't have been more shocked. He would never have suspected… never. Not only Harry and Draco, of all people, but… Harry had never even given off the slightest hint that he liked men. Not a hint.
Teddy watched with utter fascination - and not a small amount of arousal - as the two of them groped at each other, frantically snogging in an almost violent manner, as if they were trying to devour each other. Suddenly, Harry's reaction in the Pensieve made a lot more sense.
The memory ended there, to Teddy's slight disappointment, but he had the good grace not to look into the Pensieve any further. Instead, he put it away, pondering this new bit of information and trying to figure out how the hell it fit into the puzzle. Could it provide a motive for Draco? Jilted love? Getting back at Harry after all these years? Could they possibly been carrying on an affair this whole time and it only recently ended? Teddy couldn't believe that. If there was one thing he was sure he knew, no matter what he'd just seen, it was that Harry and Ginny were happy together. There were some things that you just couldn't fake.
Still, though he was wary of doing so, he at least knew some new buttons to push to try to get some information out of Draco.
*
It was four days until Teddy could return to the brothel - until after the full moon. The werewolves all seemed a bit worn around the edges, but at least he hadn't heard news of any attacks.
He wasn't surprised when Draco showed up and nodded at him.
It wasn't long before they were into their usual routine - Draco naked on the bed, wrists bound at the posts, Teddy fully clothed, above him with the whip. He tried not to imagine this situation with Fenrir Greyback in his shoes. He just needed to get through this, at least this one more time.
The fact that by now he got immediately hard just from seeing Draco naked was somewhat troubling.
"How nice to see my darling slut again," Teddy purred, trailing the whip lightly over Draco's bare skin. "Tell me, who else have you been letting fuck that tight little arse of yours?"
This was definitely off-script, but it wasn't unprecedented. Draco wanted to be humiliated by being forced to describe things, to admit things.
Draco hesitated. "N-n-no one, sir."
"Liar," said Teddy, and cracked the whip down onto his thighs. Draco bit his lip to keep himself from crying out.
"Tell me the truth," Teddy insisted, raising the whip again. "I know you're too much of a greedy little slut to be satisfied by just my cock."
"A young man," Draco blurted, closing his eyes. "Younger than you. Not much older than my son."
Now that hadn't been what Teddy was expecting. "You like them young, do you?"
"Not usually," Draco said, swallowing. "But he reminds me of someone."
"And you let him fuck you?"
"Not since before you started fucking me." Draco opened his eyes again. "Sir."
So that was why Draco hadn't been to the brothel in so long. Owen had said that when he'd come in that first time he'd taken a long break from being there. He'd had a boyfriend.
"And were you a bad boy?" Teddy asked, getting a hunch.
"…yes."
"That's why you're here now, isn't it." Teddy laid down the whip and sat down on the bed beside Draco, leaning over him. "You think you need to be punished. You want me to punish you."
Teddy reached over and released Draco's erection from the cock ring. This was completely against protocol, but he just couldn't bring himself to do what he'd done before. Not after seeing what was in that Pensieve.
And somehow he didn't think Draco would stop him, not when he was stroking his cock with deft movements, not when Draco's breathing was getting heavier and heavier.
When Draco came, he cried out, louder than he usually did, his entire body tensing as he spilled warm and sticky over Teddy's fingers. Teddy wiped his hand on the inside of Draco's thighs and then pulled away. He wasn't really sure what to do.
Draco looked at him for a long moment, and then muttered, "Incantatum," and the bonds on his hands disappeared. He dressed in silence. It was only when he had the heavy black cloak on again, and was standing in the doorway, that he looked back at Teddy still sitting on the bed. Then he left without a word.
Teddy continued to sit there for a long time, mulling over what had just happened and trying to decide what the hell to do now. What had he learned, aside from the fact that he was probably right about Draco and Harry not having a recent affair? Well, and a little more about Draco's psyche, for all the good that did…
He sighed and turned away from the wall to dress.
And seconds later, he felt a hand clapped over his mouth and breath hot in his ear.
"What. Are. You."
Panic gripped him as Teddy struggled, trying to get free, but the man behind him had twisted his arm behind his back hard as well. He couldn't answer even if he wanted to, with the man's hand over his mouth.
"I know what a werewolf looks like after a full moon," the man said. "And you, boy, are not any worse for the wear. Not to mention that I've just never quite liked the look of you."
"Mmmph."
"You work for me," the man continued. "Time you earned your keep. Get down on your knees."
And Teddy realized that the man he'd been looking for, the owner of this place, and probably the person who had ordered the attack on James, was staring him in the face. Well, not literally. Especially when he got down on his knees and the man grabbed him by his hair and spun him around so that there was suddenly a cock in his face.
Teddy tried to look up, but the man had a tight grip on his hair and he couldn't move his neck at all. "Go ahead," the man said.
Immediately Teddy thought that the best way to handle this was to get it over with as quickly as possible, so he closed his lips around the man's cock and set about sucking him straight away as best he could. He felt something clank against his teeth at some point and realized that it was a piercing.
The man made little noise, only soft grunts, keeping an iron grip on Teddy's hair the entire time. When he came, Teddy nearly gagged, but managed to swallow, and then finally the grip loosened enough for him to pull away. There was suddenly a hand under his chin, forcing his head up, but he still couldn't see the man's face. Just… a glimpse of white-blonde hair beneath a hood.
And then suddenly he felt a searing pain, a blow he hadn't expected, a backhand to his face. He felt his vision start to go black, and the last thing he heard was, "Maybe you can explain to me how you just fellated me without pain when I have a silver ring in my cock, werewolf."
*
When Teddy regained consciousness, he was in a bed in an unfamiliar bedroom, and Draco Malfoy was sitting in a chair beside it. He did not look happy.
"Good morning, Ted," he said. "Or should I say Teddy?"
Teddy felt himself go cold.
"Apparently it becomes difficult for a Metamorphmagus to maintain an appearance when knocked unconscious."
Teddy reached up and felt for his hair. It was longer again, his usual haircut instead of the way he kept it short when he was Ted. "Where am I?"
"You're in my flat. And you owe me your life, so you're welcome."
"It was your father," Teddy croaked out, his voice hoarse. "Lucius. He owns the brothel."
Draco's face was expressionless. "I would be more impressed if it hadn't taken his cock in your mouth for you to work that out."
Teddy felt his face flush. "Why didn't he kill me?"
"He didn't recognize you. Trust me, if he'd even suspected that you had a connection to Harry Potter, he would have killed you on the spot. As it is, he just thinks you're some random bloke who used a particularly good glamour to trick the werewolves into thinking you were one. He also thinks you're a reporter, or someone looking into smearing the Malfoy name. Still bad enough to kill you, but not himself. He left you to me in case I wanted to extract my revenge personally."
"But you're not going to?" The knot in Teddy's stomach hadn't subsided, but started to get a little looser.
"I haven't decided yet," Draco said. "First I want to know what you were doing. What you want."
"I wanted to find out who was responsible for James Potter's attack," said Teddy, not seeing any reason to lie at this point.
Draco did not look surprised by this in the least.
"It was your father," Teddy said. Even through his splitting headache, the pieces were starting to click into places. "Revenge against Harry? But why now?"
Draco said nothing, but something flickered across his face. Something like guilt.
Teddy blinked. "Something to do with you? Did he suddenly find out about you and Harry?'
Now that got a reaction. A look of surprise from Draco. "How do you know about that? Harry told you? But - "
Teddy shook his head quickly. "No, I just sort of… found out, but that's not important. How could he just have found out now? And why didn't he go after Harry directly? Why did…"
And then suddenly, the very last piece of the puzzle popped into place. Teddy's eyes widened. "Oh my god. It wasn't Harry he found out about. It was James."
Draco's expression was completely transparent. Teddy had hit it on the nose.
"The young man," Teddy blurted. "The young man who reminded you of someone. My god, you and James? How… when…"
"I met him at an art gallery," Draco said quietly. "I had no idea who he was at first. I think he wanted to talk to me just to get a rise out of his father. It was right after he dropped out of Auror training, after he told his father that he wanted to be a photographer instead. We just started talking… and met to talk some more… and one thing led to another. I already know you must think I'm some sort of degenerate. But I did not prey on him. It's not…"
"I don't think you're a degenerate," Teddy said honestly. He was still trying to wrap his head around the idea of James… god, Teddy hadn't even realized that he was having sex with anyone yet, let alone something like this. "But James isn't… I mean, your tastes are…"
"I'm not always like that," Draco said quickly. "Look, I hadn't been to The Howler in over a year before James was attacked. I knew immediately what had happened, when I heard about it. I broke things off with him. I spiralled into self loathing, slipped back into old habits." His hands curled into fists at his sides. "My father knew this would happen. He knows exactly how to control me."
"That's why he started the brothel in the first place," Teddy said. "For you. Or for… god, he was… he was watching us. The whole time, wasn't he? Through the wall?"
Draco looked away, then nodded once. "My marriage was a sham. Astoria just wanted my money, just wanted the notoriety. When she got enough of it, she left. Do you have any idea how jealous I've been of Harry all these years? What he's had is so bloody normal. He's the war hero, and he gets the perfect wife and the perfect family, and I get… James was the first person I've been able to have a normal sexual relationship with in years. I don't know what it is about him, but I…"
"You love him," Teddy finished quietly. "Like you loved Harry."
"And it's my fault, what happened to him!" Draco dropped his head into his hands. "My father isn't evil. It isn't entirely his fault. The Dark Lord fucked him up as well as he fucked me up. I've been practically the only person that my father has had contact with for all these years, since he's too afraid of anyone finding him and sending him to Azkaban. He even communicates with the werewolves through letters. Uses an invisibility cloak even in the brothel. And he just couldn't stand the thought of someone taking me away from him, especially someone… well, especially someone connected to Harry. He probably thought it was poetic justice, turning James into what I fear the most. He knew it would turn me away from him. I don't trust myself around werewolves."
Teddy swallowed hard, digesting all of this. Finally he said, "So now what?"
Draco shook his head. "Contact Harry. Tell him everything. I don't care if I go to Azkaban. I just want the brothel shut down. I want my father out of my life. I just want away from it all." Then Draco looked up at him. "But I sent my father an owl right before you woke up. He'll already be on his way out of the country now. I might not want to see him anymore, but I can't be responsible for his being caught."
… damnit. How was it fair for Draco to be punished for harbouring Lucius while Lucius got away? Teddy groaned, trying to think. Remembering James' face the last time he'd seen him. That heartbroken look.
"Okay," he said quietly, looking up at Draco. "I've got a deal for you."
*
When Teddy finished telling his story to Harry, he waited for the hammer to fall. For the screaming to start. Hell, maybe even a backhand to the face.
But none came. Instead, Harry said, "Teddy, do you think I'm an idiot?"
Teddy blinked at him. "Um. No sir?"
"You knew that I was tracking The Howler as part of my investigation. Did you really think I wouldn't notice a new recruit showing up? And did you think I wouldn't check up on him? And did you think it wouldn't take me about two seconds to figure out it was you?"
To be honest, Teddy hadn't really considered that. "Um," he said. "Then why didn't you…"
"Because," Harry said with a sigh, "you were right. You were able to do what we couldn't. But god, did it drive me crazy. I kept thinking how your parents would kill me if they knew I was letting you do that."
"I'm an adult," Teddy said. "I made a conscious decision."
"And it paid off," Harry added quietly. "I can't believe… I mean, after all these years, Lucius Malfoy, of all people."
Teddy nodded solemnly.
"What I don't understand," said Harry, "is why he waited all this time to retaliate against me."
Teddy was quiet at that. The version of the story that he'd told Harry had conveniently left out all mention of Draco. As far as Harry knew, Teddy had simply discovered from the inside that Lucius was the owner of the brothel and that he'd ordered the attack on James. And then Lucius had discovered him undercover, tried to kill him, and Teddy had escaped. But by the time he did, Lucius had already fled.
"If I ever find him, I'm going to kill the son of a bitch," Harry muttered.
"What's going to happen to the werewolves?" Teddy asked.
"Craig, Dominic, and Richard are all going to Azkaban," said Harry coldly. "Well, after a trial anyway. But the experts at St. Mungo's will be able to restore enough of their memory to tell whether they were acting under their own free will under Lucius' orders or under Imperius when they attacked James."
Teddy suspected that it was the former as well. "So I guess The Howler is no more."
"Torn down as soon as possible," Harry said. He hesitated, then added, "Teddy, you didn't… do anything that you regret, did you?"
Teddy shook his head. "No. I only wish that we'd caught him, but…"
"But sometimes it's almost as good just to know," Harry finished for him.
They just looked at each other for a long moment, and Teddy was trying to decide what to say next when Harry beat him to it. "You know, Teddy, there's a vacancy in the current class of Auror trainees since my son dropped out."
Teddy felt his chest tighten. "I suppose there would be…"
"And the girl left without a partner is an exceptional potions student."
"Harry…"
"I don't agree with what you did, Teddy. And I swear to Merlin if you go around me like that again I will skewer your bollocks. But you've proven yourself. And we'd be lucky to have you."
Teddy sensed something else in his voice, too. Pride. Despite the horrible circumstances, Teddy could tell that Harry was proud of him. And that he was happy to have someone to mentor after all.
Harry shrugged. "After all, with you on board I can stop badgering James and he can go back to taking pictures."
Teddy grinned, and then practically leapt across the desk to hug Harry. "You have no idea how happy I am. I swear, I'll listen to every word you say from now on. You just have to say jump. Really. Honestly."
Harry chuckled and patted his back. "I believe you, Teddy. Now, go. This is your last few days of freedom, as I expect you to report to the Ministry bright and early on Monday morning."
Teddy was still beaming as he walked out of Harry's office and into their living room. He'd never anticipated that when he'd started. He'd just wanted to help James, but now… even though Lucius had gotten away, he felt like it had all been worth it.
And then James came down the stairs, looking nervous, giving Teddy a look that obviously mean, how did it go? Teddy nodded, and then James started grinning like a mad man, and Teddy realized that there was another reason it had been worth it.
He pulled Teddy to the side, near the front door, and spoke in a low voice. "Thank you."
Teddy patted his arm, a serious expression on his face. "Are you sure you know what you're getting into, James?"
James nodded. "I know you think I'm only a kid, but… I know about love. Sometimes it happens like that. And we talked. About everything. He told me about…" He bit his lip and waved his hand a little towards Teddy.
Teddy flushed. "James, I hope you don't - "
"No, it's okay," he said quickly. "He's scared. I am too. But I think… I think it's going to work out."
"And you remember our deal," Teddy said.
James nodded, biting his lip. "We'll tell dad. I swear."
"You do realize that he'll probably work it out from there. At least part of it. That Lucius found out about the two of you. He might blame Draco because of that, even if he never finds out that Draco knew about Lucius' whereabouts."
"I can handle my dad," James said, and he looked more confident than Teddy had ever seen him. More grown up. He paused, then added, "I'm interviewing at the Daily Prophet tomorrow. Draco said he's going to let me take a few pictures of him and Scorpius somewhere. They might give me a job just to snap those up for the society pages."
Teddy smiled. "That's great." He reached out and ruffled James' hair. "Good luck, okay?"
James nodded, and took a deep breath before heading into the office to speak to his father.
Teddy started for the door, but paused to look in the mirror hanging there on the wall. It felt reassuring to see his own reflection there. He was cute. He had dimples and shaggy hair and an easy smile. He was Teddy Lupin, and he was the sort of boy you wanted to date, not the sort you wanted to just fuck.
Ted Wilkins was someone totally different. Teddy might need him again later, but now… as far as he was concerned, Ted was gone. And he'd stay there, somewhere in the back of his mind along with the part of him that had enjoyed sexually degrading Draco Malfoy.