nothing in this world for free | asher

[Harmony Vector]

killer queen.

march 2029

THE RESTAURANT ON DIAGON HAD WON NO fewer than four awards for exceptional service and quality of dishes. Tucked in a discreet corner of upper market, with no gaudy signage or desperate desire for patrons. It typically took no less than four weeks of advanced appointment to get a sub par back table inside, but Harmony had hosted a gallery opening for the head chefs niece at a very reasonable price. It meant that she need send nothing more than a pressed scroll of parchment via owl, with a little piece of gold or two tucked inside, to get a table at a more reasonable pace.

It was booked for the early afternoon, because no business deal should be arranged at supper time, nor rushed over a heavy breakfast. The a la carte menu rolling out just in time as Harmony strolled inside no more than eight minutes late. Her guest already seated by the front window, with a complimentary drink in front of them alongside a plate of steaming, fresh bread that looked ornamental instead of edible.

"Ah, Mr. Burke!" Harmony greeted her guest from a good distance, allowing any earwigging diners to get their fill and know that there was no great discretion in their meeting. She embraced him by the table, a delicate kiss on both cheeks before she took the seat opposite him. Her cloak draped carefully over the back of the vintage, wrought iron chair. She settled in nicely, waiting no more than sixty seconds before a martini glass was offered in a flourish, a black olive floating on a skewer inside.

"It is lovely to finally meet you in the flesh," She told him with a careful smile, taking a slow sip from her glass before setting it down. She lifted two fingers from where they lay on the table, and a muffling charm as thick as spellguarded glass draped over them in a comfortable embrace. It did not block out all sound, as rudimentary charms might do, but instead seemed to scramble any speech for those outside of their small perimeter. Discreet, but not obvious. Harmony's favourite kind of secret. 

asher rowan burke

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[asher rowan burke]

One headline, why believe it?

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD

March 3, 2029
Harmony Vector

Nearly three years later, certain aspects of Asher's life began to feel normal again. Well, as normal as one could get in his world. Foundations were as spurious as false floorboards and hollowed-out books. Business associates changed one moment to the next, and Asher handled it all with the grace and dignity expected of him and what he expected of himself. Bringing Hazel into the fold had helped matters immensely. He had to admit a certain gleam was missing from the front of the business he'd missed in past years. And why? Because, as his younger sister loved to point out, it was not 'his thing'.

While Asher certainly didn't pride himself on not being good at things, he felt comfortable leaving it in his sister's hands. Plus, it strengthened his stance in the darker corners of the world and within the pureblood community itself. Hazel's work as a Professor added that final touch of legitimacy the family needed as well, and Asher still had an honest business, of course. The random raids from Bianca Rivera had settled down. Her superiors were undoubtedly tired of her wasting resources and coming up empty. Asher felt confident about this, remembering meetings with the minister and the other department heads. And in that world, there was the law, justice, and politics where politics seldom lost.

The obfuscation process Asher meticulously followed for his funds contained several steps. And today's meeting was one of them. Still, his playbook allowed him a deterministic flexibility. There was a subtle irony. Octavian Vector had been an old associate of Asher's until his sudden demise, and now Octavian the younger worked as a colleague of his sister's. Not that Asher had personally met the man nor planned on it. Yet the name 'Vector' still presented an option as one of those deterministic paths. Without Octavian, the Elder, Asher was not keen on unknown partners. However, a trusted associate encouraged him to correspond with the curator of a local establishment—The Duchess.

He was surprised to see 'Vector' in the initial letter, but the words also dripped with the sort of false sincerity that accompanied the familiar hunger for status. Yes, this would do. Three years later, Hazel replaced Asher's 'bland' wardrobe with the most high-end brands. While the Pureblood community hesitantly allowed their best to dress in designers who also provided clothes for the muggle world—it did allow them to blend in better. So, it was the lesser evil, so to speak. Naturally, Asher's wardrobe consisted of the best (not to mention the entirety of the black and grey color spectrum) of Armani, Prada, and others.

Asher adjusted the cufflink on his dark grey shirt for this business meeting. One of his favorite shirts, if he had to pick one. From a distance, one might mistake the grey for a dark green of sorts. The sort of illusion Asher preferred. The rest of the suit was a simple but elegant black. His vest was buttoned with dark buttons in contrast to his jacket's light grey patterned pocket square. Asher had been seated quickly at the agreed-upon time. The restaurant didn't blink at his name or his purpose for being there. But life had moved on for many since the Hogwarts incident. Most days, Asher was happy to remain just a face in the crowd as people worried about the mundane again.

Sipping on the brandy he'd requested, Asher ignored the breadbasket. This meeting was not about food, but it was customary at these things. Finally, his host arrived. Suffice it to say no photographs did the woman justice. But Asher was unsurprised. From what he had been told, the woman was part veela and the late wife of Octavian the Elder. Standing, Asher's movements were natural and fluid, even if he felt robotic with all the pleasantries one had to go through, including the usual greetings. Asher sat down once the woman was seated. " I assure you, the pleasure is all mine." The words were fluidly spoken, and the hint of his South African roots was never far away. " Ava Carrow speaks very highly of you." He began, icy and piercing blue eyes never leaving his host. Ava Carrow's re-entry into his life was still a maze Asher navigated carefully despite their origins as childhood friends.

[ asher's look inspired by click ]

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[Harmony Vector]

killer queen.

march 2029

HARMONY CATALOGUED VARIOUS IMPRESSIONS all at once, from the moment she'd spied Burke from outside the restaurant, to the second she sat across from him at their table. He appeared almost too comfortable in his position, not a hint of restless energy visible barring the slight fiddling with the designer cufflinks on his starched suit. Dressed well, dressed expensively, without being ostentatious. It was a perfectly acceptable appearance for two acquaintances discussing a possible business venture. He had done this before, she reminded herself, sitting down at the table and taking an introductory sip of her glass as she cast the appropriate privacy charms.

"Mm, I'm sure." She said quietly in return, her smile edging into the realm of flirtatious. Just enough to keep it interesting, to appear less of a threat and more of a sweetened type of woman. "Carrow had an exceptional collection of Pureblood portraits that almost cursed the ears off of my poor elf." Harmony retorted with an admiring little smirk on her mouth. Midge had been livid, refusing to step foot into the main atrium of The Duchess until the 'evil' was ousted. After which she had saged the room so often that Harmony had had to pay her two galleons just to clear off for the afternoon so that she could breathe clean air.

"She made a few comments that you might have something even better for me." Harmony broached the topic with an almost tentative shyness that did not come entirely natural to her. She reached up to deliberately curl a lock of hair around one finger, her glass still perched in her other hand, wand conduit a brass and cherry wood shackle around her right wrist. "I assured her that would by near impossible." Harmony leaned back, dropping her hair and crossing her legs primly under the table as she gave Asher the full affect of her undivided attention. 'Prove me wrong', her expression dared. 

asher rowan burke

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[asher rowan burke]

One headline, why believe it?

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD

March 3, 2029
Harmony Vector

One must appear stoic. Asher knew this but not statuesque. Regardless of what Hazel thought of his approach to business, it worked. Her dramatic flair worked on his side of the underworld if only due to the real threat of the Burke wrath. The ruthlessness of doing what needed to be done. And that was why Ivy couldn’t cut it in the end, but Asher seldom thought of his former sister these days. And certainly not when business was good. ”No doubt inherited from her father.” Asher could only imagine the ire caused in the Carrow family at the thought of Ava receiving even a sickle of their father’s holdings.

Every so often, a whisper of Ava’s lineage was spoken but quickly whisked away into the wind by the next scandal in their social circles. Times were changing. Illegitimate children? They were not as commonplace as one thought. As long as one didn’t breed a litter of puppies like the upstart Fenrir Greyback, people hardly batted an eye anymore. While Asher doubted such notions in his family, it would not surprise him at all should that be one of his father’s many secrets. But Asher had taken the family business far further than Caradoc Burke could have ever imagined.

He appeared politely amused at the comment of her house elf. He was reminded of his family’s house elf, who was still with his parents in South Africa. Such banter was always required, unfortunately, for such business dealings, but Asher needed to acquire more legitimate paths for his Galleons to come through. While Rivera’s constant raids had ceased, he wasn’t keen on providing the mudblood with any ammunition, especially since she had absolutely nothing on him since his release. ”Yes, well, Ava is quite interested in a few pieces in my family’s collection.” Asher responded, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. It was partly true, but the interest was there no less.

”I must confess, the search for a reputable and legitimate gallery has taken time.” Asher lamented, sipping his brandy and returning the glass to the table. ”I’ve no doubt you’ve had Aurors at your doorstep as much as mine. Rumors are a terrible thing, aren’t they?” Almost three years had passed since Asher’s name had last been traced elegantly across The Daily Prophet, and he was happy to return to his comfortable corner in the background. Not to mention, many establishments used to clean the gold of the underworld had fallen with Elaine—and with the information he had secretly traded for his freedom. But Harmony Vector seemed to have survived, and Asher had no reason not to trust Ava Carrow.

”I’m hoping we can come to an arrangement, a mutually beneficial one, of course.” Asher reached into his jacket’s inner pocket, retrieving an expensive-looking piece of parchment. When retrieved, the small paper seemed to unfold without a hint of a single crease. The writing was elegant but not distracting. The collection included Pureblood portraits, as any family like his own. As well as pieces from some of their history’s greatest. Merlin knew Asher’s ancestors had collected what they could as Pureblood families liquidated when the gold in their vaults ran low or wars at their doorsteps left them scrambling to hide their assets. He placed the paper on the table and gently pushed it toward the widow.

”An auction, private.” Asher paused, locking eyes with Harmony on that point. Unfortunately, his name still brought unwanted attention. An unnamed seller also brought more curious eyes from the intrigue. Of course, Asher didn’t care about the fees she demanded as much as making the scheme work. Merlin knew her late husband had been after his art for years, but Asher could hardly work with a man, no matter how crafty he was, who didn’t properly appreciate the art for what it was. Asher knew the art appraisals were current, but he’d indulge the widow if he had to.

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[Harmony Vector]

killer queen.

march 2029

PUREBLOOD SOCIETY HAD A FEAST OF RARE AND magical artefacts. All just daring to be displayed, drawing in even the most astute of viewers, eager to witness the sheer force of dark magic, without ever sullying their good name to do so. It had been one of Harmony's most successful shows. What came along with it was mostly a bonus. "No doubt," Harmony agreed with a slight tilt of her chin, uncaring of where the artefacts came from, as long as they were genuine. Prestige was a made-up concept in her eyes, but it mattered so greatly to these old money witches and wizards.

Appearing almost entirely unmoved despite her best efforts, Harmony had to admit Asher was a tough man to crack. He displayed all the right expressions, but they were almost watered down. As if he were a bit of a showman himself. It was intriguing, if a little off-putting, as Harmony couldn't ensure her control of the situation if she couldn't break down the man in front of her into small, manageable bites. "She is?" Harmony tilted her head, intrigued by the insinuation. "It must be very interesting if it's caught her attention." Which meant that Harmony was interested.

Running her finger up the stem of her glass, Harmony listened with a keen little smile and sharp eyes. Asher laid his intention flat on the table in front of them, he did not speak around the subject so much as he articulated it with an almost emotionless manner. "Once or twice," Harmony admitted with a slight lift of one shoulder, cradling her martini glass and lifting it to sip very carefully from the bitter rim. "Expected, considering I am the unsuspecting widow of a man who made no great effort to conceal his dealings." She blinked large, gleaming eyes that reflected a pool of grieving innocence. "A poor match, so they tell me." And the corner of her mouth twitched just a little.

"Of course," Harmony agreed, setting her glass back down and folding her hands delicately on the table in front of them. She was entertained, if nothing else, with the way that Asher handled himself. With all the gold and tailoring of a performer, and the mouth of a con-artist who used his time like it was always running out. He was nothing like her late husband, which surprised her as she had expected to meet a man who reminded her of him in the very worst of ways.

The piece of parchment was heavy, and articulate. Harmony half expected to find Asher's family name stamped in wax, but instead found a very detailed list of items offered for this preposed private auction. She took a moment to ruminate over it, her interest more than piqued by the sheer volume of suspected ancient artefacts. All likely steeped in dark magic, and enough intrigue to interest the highest of society. Her foot began to gently tap under the tap as she handed the parchment back with a blank expression.

"The Duchess is more than capable of selling these pieces." Harmony said with an introductory curl of her mouth, but she wasn't quite as warm as she could've been. "My history of previous exhibits have surely shown you the level of interest I can garner with only a few weeks of advertising." Harmony began, pitching herself as much as he was pitching his dodgy items. "However, what interests me," Harmony added, her smile sharpening at the corners. "Is what I'll really be selling for you, Mr. Burke." 

asher rowan burke

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[asher rowan burke]

One headline, why believe it?

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD

March 3, 2029
Harmony Vector

There was an unshakeable poise and ease in which the woman before Asher conducted herself. Nothing like her late husband, who Asher had dealt with on occasion. Although only when necessary, as he was as devious as a leprechaun. The man clearly had the ambition of a niffler after a Galleon but hid it about as well as a Graphorn in a china shop. His widow, however, clearly had mastered the art of subtlety—perhaps Asher could encourage Hazel to spend some time with this new possible business acquaintance and learn something. But Asher did fear what might happen to his younger sister if she were not in someone’s spotlight.

Despite the years, Asher never had reason to doubt Ava or the words she spoke or wrote him. One might think him foolish or naïve, but the agendas of others had separated them in the first place. But he didn’t think of that at the moment. Asher figured if his collection was of interest to an existing customer, he might earn more interest from Harmony Vector. Of course, Asher was a patient man—but a man of limited patience as well. At some point, he needed to talk business before they became lost down a path of indiscernible innuendos.

The law was Asher’s problem and, hopefully, one that Harmony Vector could help him solve. And if she had business with the Carrows, there was no doubt she hardly walked the saintly path. While Asher was not keen on repeating the entire ordeal with The Purifiers, especially with all the publicity, he still had his business to worry about. ”Yes, unfortunately, Octavian had built quite a…reputation for himself.” That was the understatement of the conversation thus far. He vaguely recalled Hazel mentioning that Octavian Junior was on the Hogwarts staff, and he was curious how much he was like his father. But his presence at the school would likely bring Rivera and the entire ministry on top of him.

Asher couldn’t tell how much Octavian’s widow knew of his business or background. Perhaps she had gotten caught up in his net, much like his previous wives. And Harmony was undoubtedly beautiful and charming in her own right. While he was here on business, Asher was still a man and not blind, but he always did his best to remain grounded when it counted, such as now. While Asher waited for Harmony to review the parchment, he sipped more from his glass. Never too much, but not so little to show weakness. What businessman in his world ever discussed details over a glass of water? ”Indeed.” Asher agreed. Naturally, he had researched The Duchess’s previous exhibits and patrons; otherwise, he would not have sought her out.

But, she continued to intrigue him. The corner of his moved just slightly at her question. Finally, they were getting to the root of it all, weren’t they? ”Ava has informed me you offer services of the utmost discretion—for a price.” What Asher needed was anonymity and a path to clean the profits of some of his businesses. And a cover in which to conduct other business. Items and gold needed legitimate paths to move between himself and his partners. What Asher needed was a facilitator for those paths. ”Your price won’t be a problem. But I can offer you something even more valuable than gold.” Asher observed his counterpart intently. Would she bite or accept the gold?

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