my hands to learn. --Closed//Noah

[Ashton Wentworth]

The years had not been kind to one Ashton Wentworth.

At least not according to all of the papers that his face had been featured in for the past handful of them. The right and fall of a golden child. The years of success in the Magical Creatures and Registration department - running the department and implementing more than a handful of department changing things. An Auror for the ages they had called him - a true dedication to his cause. The sort of thing that the Ministry was going to need in the wake of the DeathEater resurgence and seeming disappearance. As all good things come, the papers tended to read in some fashion or another - they too must fall. Oh all the important details of his personal life had been kept shrouded in mystery. No reader of such papers would have ever known that it had been entirely by design. Those who followed such gossips saw that years of alcoholism had caught up with him. Ashton - too headstrong, becoming caustic in his actions. Pushing things out too hard - allowing himself to become reckless and finally culminating in a public showdown where he ended up losing his badge. The very things that he had been praised for were now considered breaking orders. Going against the Ministry until ultimately - he was disbarred and active warrants for his arrest were posted first and second pages for months. A danger to the Ministry. Armed and extremely lethal - wanted alive for questioning and obliviation.

Not that people in a place like this would have given a damn one way or another what a person was wanted for. Even those who checked the coats at the front of the building were wanted. Not a single soul in this establishment would have been to benefit from turning on one another. Something that Ashton was openly exploiting in requesting this place as the meeting point for his latest assignment, one Noah Eklund. Being on their territory meant that he was fully within their jurisdiction to do with as they pleased.

Ashton had been there to see them arrive, wearing the face of another and poised at the opposite end of the station as that grouping had stepped from the trains earlier this afternoon. Ashton had simply needed to see if they were going to show up - if he was going to uphold the end of his bargain. The deal that had been struck between the two of them over secret communications over the past couple weeks was an honest one. The object that had been promised to Noah existed, and Ashton was going to give him access to it. Banking - perhaps arrogantly, that he was going to remain with the upper hand in the situation. He hadn’t been expecting company to arrive with him - never even would have known that he had a family if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. Of course there was that slim chance that they were just people traveling with him - for any number of reasons. Though the way that he was interacting with them lead Ashton to believe that they were genuine to him. The man had a child - which was a rather large weakness to allow to be known. Something that Ashton could exploit at leverage should it come to it. Whether he wanted to or not. This wasn’t the sort of undercover mission that he could afford to have any lingering morals about. If things needed to happen - then so be it. Noah had been a rather difficult man to get ahold of. It had taken a good long while longer than he had been expecting it to.

So here he sat, a lone figure in the middle of a poker table where the game had long since been abandoned. Half full bottle of Jamison sat next to a glass with ice long since melted. Ashtray nearest him just as overflowing as the one in the middle of the table. Chairs all askew surrounding him with the hands that had been dealt left as if all of the people he had been entertaining had just vanished from where they had been moments before. Leaned back in his chair with a dry gaze leveled plainly at the doorway to the room. No bodies were coming or going - all those other tables surrounding his own in the center of the room had quieted signs of life. High stakes games and figures with poker faces that they had been cultivating since infancy. None passed glances in his direction - and Ashton spared not a single thought for any of them. He had spent a year in the making for this evening - missed out on milestones in his own carefully secreted children's lives. Additions to his family that he never would have expected.

Ashton had lost more than his fair share of children in his life - had assumed that would have been his destiny. To have lived this life for it’s length, however long that would turn out to be. Now to have two - and twins no less. Little boy and an equally beautiful girl. They alone had been his conditions to accepting this assignment. Their secrecy, names redacted from every birth certificate and schooling enrollment. Blacklisted like they had never even existed - and had been such a fucking long time since he had seen either one of them face to face. Following them like some bastard stalker, conversations with their mother and pictures passed back and forth was never going to be enough. Ashton had lucked out in the mother of his children. The sort of no nonsense woman that expected literally nothing but communication from him. They never should have been together - a handful of good nights together and then nine months later....they had tried for a short while to play at being a couple. It was just something that neither of them had actually gotten into. Their hearts weren’t with one another - and instead were only with the children. A custody order put in place simply for the fact that on paper, they needed something to claim them should something happen to him in the line of duty that would keep their welfare from being an issue. Paid for them, and she housed them. Something that never changed other than this past year... could have ended much worse with the two of them. If she had been anything less, or any other sort of person, things would have ended real ugly real fast. As it was - he was free to come and go from her house as he pleased and the same was extended to her. Not exactly friends, but friendly. He wanted to get back to that - the routine and his life. Tonight, he was just that much closer to finishing all of this - and being able to return back to that sparse amount of normalcy that he had been living before any of this. One step at a time.

Heavy lids lifted toward the door as it swung open - only wide enough for that female to usher in the tall frame that she had been guiding to this room. Light pin pricking his vision - room like this didn’t have natural windows. Covered lamps and magically sustained lanterns floating around their heads. Trays that came and went to make sure that everybody was well on their way to drunk more often than not. Ashton made no move to stand - he didn’t move any more than a twitch of his fingers to knock the ash from the tip of his cigarette. Nasty habit that he had never managed to quit, hadn’t ever really tried that had. He liked his vices. It seemed to take the man a moment to figure out which table he was supposed to go toward, or perhaps it was just his eyes adjusting to the lack of lighting in this room. Eyes from the other tables shooting him side glances, sizing him up - evaluating before turning back to their various games. Money being tossed around in excess, high stakes and then some. Sure that this was in fact Noah, Ashton’s shoulders rolled backward - easing himself down into that chair backing in a posture that could be described as no other way than arrogant. Shoulders relaxed and those two fingers held loosely around his cigarette sweeping in the direction of those chairs around him, and offered no other form of greeting in the slightest.

[Noah Eklund]

Noah had never taken the whole crew on a business trip before. If he had learned anything in his time in this industry, it was that work and personal life were kept separate. Always. He had made too many deals with devils in the past. He had always been very aware of the risks that his line of work came with. He was aware of the digging that was done to ensure that both parties came with no baggage. And the ones that did, they got even more dug into. Nothing was off limits to an individual when their money and reputation were at stake. It’s why Noah did his best to always travel alone, well, with the exception of a guard or two. He didn’t like to gloat, but he was one of the most sought after wizarding black market dealers in the world after all. Throughout his time in the business, he had made contacts that would take years for others to even find. This world demanded the utmost confidentiality. He had no problem showing his face for dealings that were going to make him millions. The lower end stuff though, he had people to do that for him. He was proud to say that he ran a very tight ship. He knew everything there was to know about every single person working for him. He knew family member names, addresses, hideouts and even right down to their favorite color. Noah firmly believed there was no margin for error. He knew that’s what had gotten him so far in this world and how it continued to allow him to thrive. He and he alone had the ability to pick the who, when and why. The more beneficial an item was for him, the more prone he was to respond.

That was the exact reason Noah had been brought to Austria in the first place. The deal of a lifetime. It was so lucrative to him, that it almost hadn’t seemed real. In fact, he had been skeptical for months when the post had first come to his office via his assistant Mihkkal. “Sir. I have something you may want to see.” He had been in the middle of signing a contract where he was the creditor and a company from Africa was the debtor. It was a small apothecary that sold specifically black market ingredients for potions. Unicorn horns, hairs from the dead, those sorts of things. They had recently come under attack by a rogue group of thieves. Noah had agreed to provide protection with his security warlocks under the premise of a hefty fee and first dibs on any rare ingredient they happened to stumble upon. “What is it this time Mihkkal? Dark Lord childhood photos? Zombified severed hand?” he joked. He had just finished scribbling the D at the end of his name as Mihkkal set the piece of paper down in front of him. He looked down and read it. As he finished, Noah looked back up to his assistant and raised an eyebrow. “Wentworth wants what?” He knew the name but not the face. A high-ranking Ministry official who had made a downward spiral very public. He had worked with the man in the past but only by mail and assistants sent for himself. Noah was rightfully weary when it came to government officials so he always made it a point to send a representative. Wentworth was just another crooked one in his eyes but he always paid handsomely so it was enough to keep him around for the time being.

“An artifact sir. It’s called the Babi. Named after the Egyptain god of the wild baboons.” Noah furrowed his brow. “He was known to be aggressive and bloodthirsty, eating the wicked dead in the Underworld.” He leaned back in his desk chair and laced his fingers together by his head. “So he’s interested in an artifact named after a baboon god. What does this have to do with me?” His assistant smiled. “It’s your line of specialty sir. It’s a dark magic artifact that originated in Egypt but whose current whereabouts are unknown. Although I have not been able to collect information as to its exact use, it IS important enough for the Austrian Ministry of Magic to want it in its possession as Mr. Wentworth has explained.” Noah couldn’t deny that his curiosity had been triggered. “How haven’t I heard of this before Mihkkal?” Although it was not uncommon for Noah to discover wicked new evils, it was a rarity for him not to know about the objects that held powers a magical government seemed desperate to get its hands on. This had the potential to be the biggest of his life, there was no doubt about it. “Mihkkal,” he said, pushing himself back up to his desk. “Get any Egyptian magic, ancient magic and ancient dark magic books from my study.” The assistant nodded and turned around to leave. Grabbing a quill, he quickly scribbled, I’ll think about it at the bottom of his page along with his initials. Folding the paper, he stamped it with his seal and extended the envelope up and towards his right. A short, but loud whistle came through his lips, causing his Eagel owl Hajo to hoot and fly towards him. “Ashton Wentworth, Austria,” he paused. “I think.” Hajo hooted again in response as he grabbed the letter with his claws and flew out in pursuit of the troubled Auror.

Grabbing a pair of sunglasses from his black, coat pocket, Noah placed them over his eyes as he watched the group begin to huddle around a trashcan lid portkey destined for Ilfracombe. He stepped over towards his beautiful Emmeline and placed a kiss on her lips. “8 o’clock,” he promised with a wink. Leaning down, he placed a kiss on the top of Lukas’ head. “Be good for your mother. 8 o’clock,” he playfully demanded, wiping a piece of strawberry from the boy’s cheek in the process. Walking away from his family, he looked toward his head of security. “Straight to the condo and nowhere else. Have Mihkkal set up a portkey for my return from Drear Alley. I want him waiting with it for me the minute I’m done. Understood?” The man nodded. “Go.” His head of security turned towards the group containing his fiancée, son, assistant and three other security warlocks. “All hands in!” He yelled. Before they had even disappeared, Noah had turned his back and began walking with the second in command of his guards. He had to make sure to have as little public interaction with his family as he could. All it would take would be the wrong pair of eyes to know two things he kept complete secret from the world. “Security is tight? No ooglers on the premises?” he asked as he began following the man. “Yes sir. We did a sweep. We’ve also swept the shit-hole bar and have eyes as we speak. Wentworth is already there waiting. He’s about a bottle and a half of whiskey in sir.” Noah chuckled. “Must have had a hard day at work.” The guard chuckled. “Indeed sir. We have one block until your portkey.”

When they arrived to the raincoat behind an abandoned café, the two men stopped. His guard picked up the raincoat and grasped it. “All hands in sir.” Noah obliged and held tightly onto the piece of vinyl. Within seconds, he felt himself pulled forwards as a bang exploded in his ears. It only took seconds, but travel by portkey always felt like eons. It was rough, like getting pelted in the body with hundreds of wooden baseball bats. It was a usual method of transportation for him to new places. For anyone without the memory of the place in their head, it was nearly impossible to apparate to places one couldn’t directly imagine in the mind. His feet hit the ground hard and he practically lost his balance as to two landed in Drear Alley. Throwing the thing to his ground, Noah had the wind knocked out of him for a few moments. Hunched over, he struggled to catch his breath. Merlin he hated portkeys. “Are you alright sir?” It took another couple of seconds but eventually he responded with a raspy, “Yes.” Leaning up, he dropped his head back on his shoulders and took a deep breath. He needed something to take the edge of. Moving his hands towards the black chain nestled underneath the grey shirt sticking completely to his skin, he pulled out the small emblem of his family crest. Noah moved his head back up and began to twist the top of the silver crown atop of it off. Attached to the crown was a very tiny spoon with a generous amount of white powder on it. Bringing the spoon to his nose, he quickly inhaled in. Returning the spoon to the powder, he once again brought it to his nostril, this time the right one and repeated the motion. He sniffed forcefully as he screwed the top of the vial back onto its base and tucked it safely back underneath his shirt. His fingers moved to his nose to remove any loose trace of powder from both nostrils. Once satisfied that he looked clean, Noah spun around and clapped his hands. “Let’s go!”

The guard led them to the entrance of a worn down exterior of a pub. This brought back memories. Also fears of what was going to latch itself onto his brand new Gucci loafers as the walked over the disgusting floor. Waiting at the door was an old maiden, who smiled and was missing two teeth. He smirked as his heart began racing, not fear but from the drugs. He rubbed his hands together as the maiden opened the door from him and his guard and began following as she led them through the bar towards a room off in the corner that appeared to be dimly lit, or perhaps it was just privacy windows. As they approached, the old woman opened the door and beckoned him in. Noah, ducked through the frame. He paused for a moment, not able to see too far ahead of him. He assumed the lighting was certainly purposeful. The room was full of dirty, worn green tables that he knew all too well. As much as he hated being in these kinds of rooms now, they were reminders of the past. How he learned to win poker, blackjack and the names of magical creatures he didn’t even knew existed. Eventually finding his companion near the back, he briskly walked towards him. So there he was. The Daily Timestopper and beyond’s cover boy. He certainly didn’t look like he did back in the day. Days of devious behavior had caught up him. Noah stopped at the table. Wentworth made no movement to stand and be professional. It came as no shock to him. His days of professionalism were clearly behind him.

He took a seat across from the man and slouched back in his chair as well. His sunglasses were making things even more dark then they already were but until he felt that his pupils were at a non-suspicious dilation he would leave them on. His hand moved towards his inner coat pocket. His fingers grasped on a smooth metal and pulled it from its resting spot. His gold cigarette holder shone brightly even under the dim light of the lamp between them. Opening it at the button, eight very tightly rolled cigarettes presented themselves. He grabbed one, closed the box and stuffed it back in his coat. His hand then returned with a matching gold lighter. Bringing the clean cigarette to his lips, he brought the hand with the lighter to the stick, covered it with his other and lit the flame. He pulled at the smoke for only two or three puffs before successfully igniting the core. Keeping the stick between his lips, he snapped the lid shut with a flick of his wrist and pocketed it once more. His right hand moved back to the stick, and he grasped it between his index and middle finger as he took a deep drag. He moved his hand to the right, letting it hang off of his chair as he stared at Wentworth. The two men continued the silence. Knowing that he was going to have to be the one to break the silence, he grinned at him. “I’ve always wanted to meet a pen pal in person,” he joked. “But they've never been as cute as you. Thanks for being my first.”

[Ashton Wentworth]

The man before him stood out like a sore thumb. Money practically dripping off of Noah’s person in all of those brand name items that he was wearing over his person. Ashton wouldn’t have been able to point out all of the various items or places that they came from even if he had wanted to. His very brief introduction to designer clothing had come to an abrupt halt whenever - no, thinking about her at a time like this was only going to serve to distract him. Perfect hair - clothing all pressed and a golden cigarette holder. All of the things above were such a start contract to Ashton’s worn coat and leather boots with broken laces. Comfortable and functional - that half crunched soft pack of cigarettes resting on the table top among the various bits of littered trash from the previous patrons. Noah looked every bit the part of a high end arms dealer - but of course that wasn’t nearly all of what he did. It was just the tip of the iceberg. Trader of goods and animals, one of the very few left standing able to procure - nearly anything. Whether the methods of it were done legally or not - didn’t matter. Money could buy just about anything these days. Interested - that he moved to match his own posture. Didn’t he know that it was going to wrinkle his pretty jacket?

Ashton had been watching him for some time. Even before he was a name that had crossed his desk as a person of interest, simply because his department was so heavily involved in illegal animal trade and unlicensed uses of their various body parts. Things that with Noah being so very good at what he did - made him noticeable. Not that he had a record that Ashton or any of the others had ever been able to prove. He never got his own hands dirty in any of the events that they had caught them on - no trail ever led back to him directly. Intelligent and very craft. The sort of thing that Ashton would have admired, were they actually on the same side. Months of sending letters back and forth - usually a good amount more eloquent on Noah’s end than his own - Ashton had reserved making a personal opinion on the man until the moment that they met in person. Small items procured for a hefty price each and every time. Had been dealing together until such a point as Ashton was confidant in assuming that Noah had started to personally handle their affairs instead of outsourcing or delegating. Even better yet - that Noah had chosen to arrive in persona and so promptly to their meeting. Odd that he was refusing to remove his glasses - but not something strange enough for Ashton to comment on as of yet.

”I’ve always wanted to meet a pen pal in person, but they’ve never been as cute as you. Thanks for being my first.”

Charming - of course he was being charming. Ashton’s gaze dropped to the worn green of the table top and an easy smile graced his features. Warming that otherwise stern expression just a fraction as he nodded. “A virgin eh?” Teased with equal amounts of charm oozing into his words. “Don’t worry - I’ll be gentle with you.” Gaze lifting once more with a friend, mostly friendly smile as he lifted that tumbler to his lips. “What are you drinking?” Soft wave of his fingers to summon one of those floating silver trays to join them at their table, awaiting Noah’s order. Might as well get the pleasantries out of the way right up front. He could have produced the paperwork - could have set things out on the table and gotten straight to business but this was not the place, and as Noah was reminding him, however veiled - that he didn’t do this for just anybody. He wanted Ashton to make it worth his while - might as well at least attempt to deliver.

[Noah Eklund]

Noah had always felt that the key to his success was being able to read body language. When he had gotten heavy into gambling, Ol’ Nordy had taught him to observe people. The slightest movements; shuffling in a seat, a touch of the nose or even clearing of one’s throat could give a person away instantly. It’s why he wore sunglasses at almost every game. His poker face was good but he was always fearful of someone noticing how his left eye seemed to twitch every time he had a good hand. It was almost crazy how alike people actually were in some form of another. He had learned how to win so many games based on people inadvertently telling him their moves. He was quick on his feet, or in this case, hands. As he got older and expanded his business ventures, Noah learned that people’s mannerisms didn’t tend to change much when they were nervous or lying. He couldn’t even begin to count the numbers of times on his hands in which he immediately stopped a deal when repetitive movements made him uneasy. His time, and livelihood, were too precious to deal with bullshit. Just because he didn’t always handle his business personally didn’t mean he was one to be fucked with. He kept face-to-faces scarce because unnecessary risk didn’t benefit him.


However, when one was able to secure a meeting with him, as Ashton had been so lucky enough to do, Noah made it a point to make them feel like their effort was worth it. They had been able to do what many before them had not after all. There was no need to make others feel that he was above them. All people were at different stages in their lives, working under different stressors. Despite the amount of money he was worth and how he took pleasure in showcasing it, he never forgot his roots. He would never forget just how fucking poor his family had been for all of his childhood and teenage years. He could never forget how much his father struggled at the factory to provide for him and his mother. The man would work 12, sometimes 15 hours six days a week for measly minimum wage. The village he had grown up in was poor and the heads of the only factory in town knew that. Somehow, those sleazy bastards had gotten away for years upon years of ripping the village-folk off. His mother had been unwell for most of his life and his father could barely afford the medicine she needed to even get out of bed in the morning. Its what drove Noah constantly to make sure Emmeline and Lukas were always taken care of. Even though he knew just how fucking spoiled they were, he wanted them to be.


So, given that Ashton had made no movement to shake a hand or even nod in greeting, Noah wouldn’t do the same. If that behavior was going to be presented, then he would reciprocate. It tended to earn him more respect in the long run. Plus, to be completely honest, he preferred low-key, casual business meetings any day of the week. He hated wearing suits and ties, despite knowing how good-looking he was in them. Formalities were irritating but he knew they were required of some and again, he could respect that despite how much he hated them. They were also another reason why he didn’t handle meager transactions personally anymore. There was only so long he could use formal language or deal with a burning neck from an itchy collar. The numerous messages back and forth between them though had assured Noah that this would not be one of them. After the initial response to the post about the Babi, he had made sure to write as much as they possibly could, in their agreed upon code. That was a habit he couldn’t break. It was important to him to know that his clients trusted that he was thorough. The corresponding letters later were always very short. Granted, they could have had more questions but he appreciated that Wentworth didn’t ever question that he knew what he was doing.


As he awaited Ashton’s response to his comment, the two bumps that Noah had taken before entering the pub were really working together against him. All he wanted to do was get up and move. Cocaine was certainly helpful in keeping awake and alert but it absolutely betrayed the body in keeping still. Instead, he allowed his eyes to dart all over the room since they were still undercover of his sunglasses. He needed to be mindful of his surrounding anyways. Although it was highly unlikely that they were to be disturbed or have unwanted ears listening in on their conversation, one could never be too careful. Out of the corner of his eye, he finally caught movement from in front of him and forced his gaze over to Ashton. “A virgin eh? Don’t worry I’ll be gentle with you,” the man finally answered, with a smirk. Thank Merlin this bloke wasn’t a complete stick in the mud. Chuckling loudly, Noah pushed himself up from his chair and took another long drag from his cigarette. Pointing the stick at him, he blew out a large puff of smoke and smiled, “Mate, for the amount of money you’re about to give me, you can go just as hard or gentle as you’d like.” Noah brought the stick back to his lips and took two continuous puffs. His left eye was starting to twitch. He had at least another fifteen minutes of this before the bumps would wear off and he’d have to step outside to take two more or press his luck and his professionalism and offer some to Wentworth so he didn’t have to get up from the chair.


“What are you drinking?” Noah took his fingers away from his mouth and let his cigarette hang loosely from his lips. He woudn’t have minded a pour of Isabella’s Islay, but he knew damn well a place like that didn’t have bottles of the good stuff. Nobody could fucking afford it. “Woodford Reserve,” he settled, reaching towards the center of the table. “Three rocks.” He grabbed the pile of cards he had somehow just noticed and quickly brought them to his chest. A nice distraction for his hands. He was fairly certain Ashton knew he was a gambler so hopefully wouldn’t question the interest he had suddenly taken in shuffling them.

[Ashton Wentworth]

The temptation was there - this was a rather seedy bar - it wasn’t any surprise there. It was still, perfectly accessible. His mission was to bring this one in - dead or alive, and have him questioned. There were still plenty of ways to make the dead talk. Being that this was in fact, without a doubt, Noah in front of him at this very moment - the best course of option would have been to call a stop to this entire thing. To signal for backup - to arrest him on the spot. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple - and despite it being his operative...Ashton had no desire to do so just this quickly. He had spent far too long, investing far too many hours into this man and people around him to just...end it all like that. Besides - he wanted that artifact in his own hands. Would have been - a real hefty bonus in it for himself should he return it to the Austiran ministry. He still had - a long way to go with Noah and their business partnership before the Babi was going to be anywhere near his person. If in fact, Noah could find it in the first place.


Ashton was curious to know if Noah was the type of man to enjoy a challenge. One would assume that just because of the line of work that he was in a struggle wasn’t something that he shied away from - but that didn’t mean that he took any personal satisfaction in a job well done, or if in fact he was the sort of man that just nothing was ever good enough for him no matter what the end result was. Was Noah the sort of person who was happy with what he had? Was the sort of person on a never ending quest to find something bigger and better? Time would certainly tell.


He had studied his background extensively, watching the previous contacts that he took - the answers that those who worked for or with him gave when questioned about him directly. Had yet to find anybody in his inner circle - but given that now Ashton knew that he had a family - he wasn’t above pressing that angle at a later date to get closer to the information he wanted, should he actually need to go there. Wasn’t something he liked to do - but he had this nagging, gut feeling that Noah’s family was something that Ashton really needed to look into further.

“Mate, for the amount of money you’re about to give me, you can go just as hard or gentle as you’d like.”
Ashton returned the smile with an easy expression of his own, face held carefully neutral but enough to appear genuine. “I’ll be sure to hold you to that later on,” Winking for effect before taking a long drag from his cigarette. Of course, the very thing that they were insinuating was a fully preposterous thing to suggest, no doubt just as insane for Noah as it would have been for Ashton himself. “Woodford Reserve, three rocks.” One of Ash’s brow arched in question. “A bourbon man?” That was one thing that they almost had in common, if nothing else - that silver tray whizzing away from their table to go and fetch the requested drink. Shuffling in his own seat about the same time that Noah moved for those cards - Ashton gathering those that were scattered across his side of the table and tossing them in Noah’s direction. “So,” he started, pulling his half finished cigarette from his lips and he moved to set those chip stacks to their default setting, letting the rest sit toward the side of the table. Not that Ashton had any intention of betting the man a single knut - because as Noah had already pointed out, Ashton was already signed on to be paying him a rather embarrassingly large sum of money. “How are you liking our fair country? Not that you’ve been here over long.” Ashton eased back into his chair once more to allow Noah to finish shuffling and dealing. “Remind me - is this your first time here?”

[Noah Eklund]

If Noah had to admit to any fault of his own, it was that at times he was over-confident. His business was so tightly ran and organized, that often he felt invincible. His mere presence commanded respect. He was difficult to get ahold of, as he had purposely made it. He was guarded 24/7. With the amount of money he had, the almost invaluable items he had a knack for being able to track down or possess and the connections he had, security was an absolute necessity. Noah knew that at the snap of his fingers, one of his men could be next to him instantly and apparate them both to a safe location. Not to say that he didn’t know how to fight if push came to shove but it just seemed pointless given the amount of money he spent monthly to employ others to do it for him. He worked hard but he didn’t go beyond what was expected of him unless the occasion was a special one. He had been doing this for a very long time. He had met with hundreds of random witches and wizards and even the occasional muggles. Noah had done his time and was ready to take a break. Not permanently of course, but long enough to buy his island, marry Emmeline and keep a tan all year round. He knew he had earned that much and Merlin knew his fiancée and son did with all the time he had been away.

Due to his over-confidence, Noah at times risked unprofessionalism. Little slips here and there that the non-trained eye may not have noticed but to him, could cost everything. Like now. The bumps of coke weren’t necessary but he felt as if they were since he had been exhausted and Portkey travelling had put him on edge. While he loved travelling, he hated going to new places on the sole purpose of business. His security always cleared the area before he even stepped foot in whatever new country it was. When it came to shady holes-in-the-wall like this one though, it somehow gave him a little bit of ease. So Noah had found it acceptable to take the bumps. Now that he had reached his peak however, he silently cursed himself. He could feel his body getting fidgety so he shuffled harder at the deck. “A bourbon man?” Briefly, he forgot what Wentworth was even talking about. He forced himself to take another puff from his cigarette. Ah, that’s right, bourbon. He had just ordered one. Noah grunted in response, flipping cards over then reintegrating them back into the black deck. “Father,” he added. “Drank a glass or two every night after work for 20 years. Always said it got him ready for the next day.” That would be all he mentioned about any aspect of his family history. Everything was always vague.


His eyes flickered to the edge of the table as he heard the familiar sound of poker chips. Noah became extremely interested as watched Ashton stack them. Did he mean to play a game? If so, how much money was the man willing to add to his wallet? Fidgety, yes, but the thought of a few extra galleons lining the pocket of his jacket very quickly focused him into the green table. He would have to ask once he got his drink. “So,” Noah looked back towards the man. “How are you liking our fair country? Not that you’ve been here over long.” He could hear the sarcasm dripping from his lips. Given the articles he had read on the man, it seemed warranted. Government good boy gone bad. Caught for doing shit he wasn’t supposed to. He wondered if the man was actually surprised by what had come to him. Though, if he could admit, it didn’t appear as if it were the case. He was haggard. It looked as if he hadn’t slept in days and that his last meal of anything that wasn’t cigarettes or bourbon couldn’t have been any recently than yesterday. Secretly, Noah could understand him. He had been in the same position once but only when he was a teenager, dealing with his first tastes of the cruel realities of the world around him. He had just been fortunate enough for that stage to not be publicized.

Before he could answer, the silver tray with his requested drink had returned. Noah shifted the deck of cards to his right hand while he extended the left to grab the glass. Placing it on the table, he quickly pulled a galleon out of his jean pocket and placed it on the tray. A generous tip to nothingness. Replacing his hand around the glass, he brought it to his lips and took a small sip just to ensure its authenticity. The meager sip was still enough to expose the notes of rye, ground ginger and espresso beans on his palate. Thank Merlin a bit of sunshine in this dark pit of despair. “Remind me – is this your first time here.” Noah placed his glass back down on the table and resumed his shuffling. “It is. You know, I’ve been alive 33 years and I’m only just now stepping foot in Vienna. Why do you think that is?” He didn’t necessary expect Ashton to answer as he didn’t have one for himself. There had just never seemed anything significant about Austria. Sure it was full of history and culturally refined, but it never had anything he wanted. A fact that was strange given the presence of dark magic years ago. It was the country where the late Darrin Morgan had presented himself to the world. A majority of his cult had based themselves here. The market had been flooding with trades and secrets and Noah had several opportunities but never jumped on there. He wasn’t a good man through and through but he did draw his limits at any potential dealings or associations with the Dark Lord himself. He had lost himself a good deal of money by refusing to work in the country at the time but that likely the only risk he had ever taken when it came to finances.

“The landscape is exquisite,” Noah said threw his cigarette. “I’m a man who can appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature and through my train windows I was not disappointed, Wentworth. It’s a shame that not everything beautiful on the outside is the same on the inside, eh?” He glanced up to the man with a smirk, wondering if he would take it as a dig at him or the country for discretely involving itself in the very hush hush talks of the Babi. “Were you born here?” Personal, but he was intrigued. Noah himself was a lifer, or so up until the other day, of Sweden. He had travelled far and wide but nothing had been able to surpass the beauty of the sunrise over the various mountain ranges. His hand moved to his coat pocket again, pulling out another galleon and laying it on the table. He then rested his cigarette on top of the coin, very careful not to get it contaminated by the mold growing near the center. Nodding over towards the deck still in his hand, he reached for his drink. “Gentlemen’s game? Or would you like me to show you a few magic tricks?” 

[Ashton Wentworth]

Ashton couldn’t be sure - but he was nearly positive that Noah was fidgeting. Just slight ticks of his hand - a knee bouncing one too many times before he caught it - making those sunglasses on his face all that much more suspect. Out of reflex - Ashton’s attention diverted once more to the doorway. Still secure with that needless man standing just to the side of it. All trimmed suit and overly large muscles. Never understood that sort of man. Couldn’t find it within himself to respect it. All bulk for the purpose of looking bulky, of wanting to look intimidating but those weren’t functional muscles. Weren’t the sort that one got from running and jumping, wasn’t the sort that was formed from a lifetime of fighting. They were just to look a certain way. No doubt, the man at the door was paid very handsomely for the fact that he looked as ‘intimidating’ as he did - but Ashton would have gone for the slim guy with the crazy eyes. The sort of guy that Ashton wouldn’t have put anything past should push come to shove. The sort of men that Ashton liked to have around him were those that were tightly controlled - but with the capacity to be reckless. Then again, perhaps that was why Ashton wasn’t often surrounded by anybody that wasn’t himself. . “Father, drank a glass or two every night after work for 20 years. Always said it got him ready for the next day.” Pulling focus back to the conversation at hand, Ashton nodded. “A man after my own heart.” Certainly was known to spike his coffee - or just to skip the coffee entirely in the morning in favor of a little hair of the dog. In truth, he wasn’t sure the last time that he had been sober himself for more than a short stretch of time. Didn’t like how he was able to feel his body when he was sober anymore. Those little aches and pains - years of a hard job had won him not much price in that aspect. He didn’t suppose that the comment was made with the opportunity for any follow up questions - so he let the subject die.


Funny choice of a tip for a person who wasn’t a person. More information to keep stored away. Was a large tip - for bottles that were enchanted and a flying, faceless tray. He might not have even been aware that he had done it, or he was simply choosing to flaunt the money on his person - time would tell. “It is. You know, I’ve been alive 33 years and I’m only just now stepping foot in Vienna. Why do you think that is?” Ashton’s gaze was trained on the cards, unsure if that was a rhetorical or not, he helped himself to more of his drink. “The landscape is exquisite,” In fact, it was a bonus that Noah was smoking at all. A man with vises was much easier to get along with, particularly in a setting like this. Were he to sit there with nothing in front of him? He would have been getting a lot more side eye glances than they were already getting. “I’m a man who can appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature and through my train windows I was not disappointed, Wentworth. It’s a shame that not everything beautiful on the outside is the same on the inside, eh?” There, they were starting to get to the heart of things. Would have been so very simple to take that bait - to pick up the conversation and make any sort of comment about how he didn’t know Austria - he would have been able to make comments to further his cover story about how it was a truly corrupt place that no person could thrive in. He could have chosen to make comments about the black market that it had come to be known for - or simply muse about the salt mines that there were so many of in this country. Instead, “Well you know, I’m pretty dead inside, Eklund - so I’ll have to leave the judgement of any beauty to the experts.” He lifted the two fingers holding his nearly finished cigarette in the direction of the man that had just been speaking with an easy half smile.


“Were you born here?” Ashton shook his head - already readying the replacement cigarette for the one he was finishing. “Was it my accent that gave it away?” He teased, speaking on his inhale. “American born friend, long time transplant though.” He could have returned the question - but he already knew the answer. Born and raised in the country his own accent marked so clearly. Curious that he felt the need to ask Ashton - was it simply polite conversation or had he actually not managed to dig up that much about Ashton’s past? Granted there was very little left in public record about him, he was curious nonetheless. Could have been testing him - which seemed a little pointless, or at the very least premature. Watching those carefully kept hands as they split the deck - the production of another Galleon - just coin to burn, but it was seeming far more like it was coin for show. “With as much of my money as you’re already promised - I think a gentleman’s game suits just fine.” Ashton leaned forward, one elbow resting on the edge the table, “And magic jokes? Really?” good natured as that smirk deepened.

[Noah Eklund]

The bourbon burned down his throat but he was grateful for the temperature drop the rocks provided to not make it so overwhelming. Two sips in and he was already almost done with his first glass. Using the same motion Ashton had made earlier, the silver tray he was certain from earlier had come whizzing to him. “Another. With the bottle,” he demanded. While he awaited the drink, he took his cigarette to his lips once more. His heart rate was slowly lowering. The anxiety receding. His hands taking his shuffling down a notch while his muscles didn’t feed the need to work as quickly anymore. Noah could probably take his glasses off soon as well now but he’d give that one another few minutes. He was grateful to have the dark surrounding them as to make any dilation size common for the lack of light. The next drag was a longer one. Allowing the smoke to billow in the back of his throat for a few seconds, he slowly released and enjoyed the remnants of his quick high. He would refrain from pulling out his emblem vial for the duration of the meeting. He didn’t much feel like sharing the quality of his product with the man.

“Well you know, I’m pretty dead inside, Eklund – so I’ll have to leave the judgment of any beauty to the experts." Noah chuckled. He enjoyed the conversation so far. Silly and improper but he did enjoy the bit of normalcy that wasn’t common of business dealings. He straightened out his left arm and moved his deck hand in a circular motion. “Then allow me to ensure you that your country is the top of the class.” The sound of the tray entering the room once more hit his ear. It came into sight not too long after with his two requests. He retrieved both items with his free hand and placed them near the other whiskey glass. Once more letting his cigarette hang from his lips, Noah grabbed the first glass and downed the rest of it. He sighed, placing the glass on the tray and using his index and middle finger to tap twice on tray, signaling it to go away for now. As the talk resumed to his birth place, he furrowed his brow as Wentworth mentioned coming from America. Now that it had been brought up, his accent wasn’t heavily German as other Austrians he had associated with in the past. “I mean no insult by this,” he began, reaching to his new glass and pulling it to his chest, but your American stock market is shit. Perhaps one of the most volatile in the world.” His abhorrence of the financial district came within good reason though. Once upon a time he had invested heavily in a stock from Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities and wound up being part of a $50 billion dupe. Since them, Noah had always refused to return to it.

Nearing the butt of the cigarette, Noah took one final drag before quickly exhaling and rubbing the end in the shared ashtray. “With as much of money as you’re already promised – I think a gentleman’s game suits just fine.” He chuckled. Smart man. He had already been going through house tricks in his head of how to maneuver the deck in his favor. He wanted to make an impression and assure Ashton that if needed he knew how to cheat the system. “And magic jokes? Really?” He shrugged, engaging the deck in yet another vigorous shuffle. Noah wondered if Wentworth had been impressed with his hand movements. He got satisfaction in deal shuffling, though not sure if it were from the sounds of the cards clipping each other or the feel of a card’s fibers being soften by the constant wear and tear. “Again, with as much money being promised I want to make sure you are thoroughly entertained.” He stopped briefly and smiled. “However that source of entertainment is found. So what’s your poison Wentworth? Poker, Rummy or Blackjack?” He gave the man no time to respond as he found the perfect leeway into their meeting. “You look like a Blackjack man.” Another quick shuffle before he finally dealt Ashton two cards, face up his were a seven of hearts and a 6 of clubs. Interesting. Bringing his arms back in, he did the same for himself, though making sure his cards were also facing Ashton but one up and one down. His face card was a Queen. Rough. Extending his hand towards his second whiskey glass, Noah made it a point to graze the back of his card with his hand though making sure it appeared as if it had simply been in the way. Feeling the familiar bump in the middle of the card, he brought the glass up and took a sip. The house was not lucky for Ashton on this first round. “Hit or Double Down?” He wouldn’t give Wentworth the option of standing. It was too early for that.

[Ashton Wentworth]

It suited him just fine that Noah seemed to have that easy ability to roll with the punches. All of their communications before now were strictly through transcript or owl - never would have even known where he had been from if they had never ended up meeting in person. All records had it as one of a small handful of places, he was a man that was very careful at covering all of his tracks. Ashton found himself needed to remind himself that there was no way to know if this was his actual personality or the act that he felt would most please Ashton. Any intelligent businessman would have a happy mixture of the both of them together. Just enough of their actual self to make the lie believable. Anybody with even the most basic training would have been able to tell that. Was going to have to eventually piss him off royally just to know for himself, just who Noah actually was. Things tended to be harder to fake while lying. Perhaps that was just him. With his temper - Ashton tended to be angry more often than he wasn’t. There was this odd part inside of him that wanted to just, drink. To just sit here, across the table from another human and to just - drink. He hadn’t been allowed to go back to his own home in quite some time now. He hadn’t been able to make contacts or be in contact with any of the people in his previous life without risking the integrity of his entire assignment. Which meant that literally the only person here that he was allowed to, and encouraged to speak with - was Noah.


“Then allow me to ensure you that your country is the top of the class.” Ashton laughed easily. “Well shit, that sure is good to know.” Ashton never even considered it an option - he had felt no loss by leaving America behind. He hadn’t thought twice about that citizenship that was offered to him from the time he graduated - and the easy lead in to the career field that he had chosen. Was a simple choice, and had been given to him pretty quickly. Of course he could have tried for dual citizenship, but he didn’t feel the need to have it. Might have made some of the aspects of work related things a little easier - but he didn’t want it. “I mean no insult by this,” he began, reaching to his new glass and pulling it to his chest, but your American stock market is shit. Perhaps one of the most volatile in the world.” Ash wasn’t a stock man - he didn’t look into it too much, wasn’t a stock holder - wasn’t anything he felt the need to wake up early for in the morning. Lifting his shoulders into an easy shrug. He was very likely correct on that. Despite being raised in a muggle environment, the moment that he had gotten his acceptance into Galaxia - he hadn’t really turned back. Apart from the vices, and his passion for older american build muscle cars - he didn’t find much use for those muggle things that once entertained him.


“Again, with as much money being promised I want to make sure you are thoroughly entertained. However that source of entertainment is found. So what’s your poison Wentworth? Poker, Rummy or Blackjack?” Ashton didn’t bother answering, it didn’t seem to be an actual question. It felt far closer to being sized up than it did anything else - so instead of answering he sat, taking the time to fill in the silence. Of course he was a blackjack man - to the point, and quick results. “You look like a Blackjack man.” Fascinating. Leaning off to one arm of the chair, Ashton brought the brim of his glass to his lips, only he didn’t lower it whenever he was done, instead letting the brim rest against his mouth - the smoke leaving in front of him in a thin white line. Seven and a six. Which, was a slightly higher total than he would have otherwise liked - but he wasn’t going to take any issue with it. Fairly fortunate so far anyway. “Double down.”

[Noah Eklund]

Noah was grateful to have almost been completely rid of the effects from his temporary high. Though with the high alcohol content of the bourbon that so easily flowed down his throat, he knew it was only a matter of time before the lightheadedness came back; just in a different form. A strong whiskey and a good game of cards always relaxed him. Too often nowadays he felt like he didn’t have enough time for himself. Truthfully, it didn’t bother him much. Noah knew he had workaholic tendencies. He knew he had to be to be as successful and wealthy as he was. He also knew that because of his workload it took a significant amount of time away from his family, which always bothered him. He and his parents had always been tight-knit in his younger days. They really had no choice but to have been back then. It was he and them against the world. Literally. Now that he was older and so were they, he didn’t feel as much guilt as he did with his own family. His parents were living the life of luxury retired in Costa Rica all on his dime. The warmth of the island was doing his mother well. Her chronic muscle and joint pain was immensely better than it had been back home in Sweden. Noah had a feeling that the monthly phone call just to check-in seemed to suit them fine.

His own family, on the other hand, was a much different story. Granted, Emmeline and Lukas were able to function independently of him. For that Noah was grateful. Emmeline had always had an ability to keep herself occupied. In fact, he had always been intrigued as to how she could go for weeks without any sort of outside human contact. Although he was a very private man himself, Noah still enjoyed being able to link up with old friends every so often for dinner or a few drinks at a swanky bar. It appeared that the ability had been passed on to their son as well. Adding to the guilt was Lukas’ lack of friends. He got along well with the house-elves and could keep himself busy in his room for hours with his wizarding cards and incantation practices, but Noah was concerned that loneliness at a young age could be early signs of trouble for the future. He still had another few years before it was time to enroll him in school. Emmeline had been against it in the beginning. She was always so peculiar with strangers. The argument had been one he had refused to back down from though. In the end, they both agreed that the children of the security warlocks would be welcome at the house. She agreed that Lukas needed social interaction with others who didn’t work there. However, Noah always found it amusing that his fiancée watched their son’s playdates like a hawk. She was every amount of a mama bear if he had ever seen one.

As his thoughts trailed to his family, Noah felt wrong for being here now. He was, dare he say, enjoying himself while they unpacked and got settled into the condo he had rented for them and the staff. He should have been helping them, making sure that they were comfortable and organizing things in various dressers since they were going to be here long enough to not live from suitcases. However, he did feel slight relief knowing that Emmeline wouldn’t have allowed him to unpack his own bag and just put things where he saw fit. She was anal as hell about that. Always had to have things in specific order and in places. Even when they had first started dating, she had redone his entire room on his first business trip away from her. Noah could have argued, but considering she was pregnant at the time he had just let it slide. Though he did have to get her credit, she played the role of a housewife extraordinarily well. Things were always kept nice, tidy and unbelievably clean. Chuckling to himself, he reached again for his glass of whiskey while Wentworth decided how he wanted to approach the hand he had been dealt. At least he got to see them tonight for a few hours before they all went to bed. His day would start early tomorrow morning so he would utilize as much time with them as he could, especially in the bedroom with Emmeline.

“Double down.” Noah placed his glass on the table and watched Ashton as he put down an identical yellow chip to the one he had already placed. “A betting man,” he commented. “Confidence and good looks. You’re covering my eyes with a veil to whatever bad habits you may have Wentworth. Shame on you.” His hand moved to the cards next to him, picking up the first card and moving it face up towards Ashton. A six. He did his very best not to smile as he knew the house had been in his favor. An additional queen was resting comfortably face down. “Hit or Stand?” His total equaled 19. It would have been a stupid decision to chance that he would get an ace or a two. With his glass still on his lips, the man used his free hand to motion that he would stand. Noah nodded, taking a puff of his cigarette and exhaling as he used his queen to flip over the other queen. “House wins,” he announced. He leaned forward, grabbing Ashton’s cards and $40 chip bet. He placed the chips next to his own and discarded all current cards into a separate pile. His fingers quickly grabbed the edges of four more cards and laid them in the same positions as its formers had been. This time, Wentworth had been dealt a five of aces and a seven of hearts. Total one less than his first hand. Interesting. Noah had a three of spades and if he had felt correctly, a King. He would have to hope that the man busted on this round. “Hit or stand Wentworth?” He raised his glass in Ashton’s direction. “May the odds be ever in your favor,” he said, tilting his back and finishing what was left.