Deceitful Happenings

Darling slinked off to a secluded corner, seeking solace away from the unsightly human,

'Revenge was oh so tiring, but nonetheless sweet as juicy mouse.' She yawned and purred in satisfaction. Her sharp canines glistened dangerously so.

As she groomed her disheveled fur, she observed the inept fool returning to his study of the map. She would be sure to deposit a hairball in his bed in further retaliation.

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Isaac leaned back on the sofa, resting his feet, clad in holey socks, on the wobbly coffee table. One side of the table tilted precariously.

Several cigarette butts rolled onto the well-worn floor, blending with the dirt and grime, likely to remain there until circumstances intervened. It could be either when Mr. Book kicked the metaphorical bucket or when the cat deemed them a delectable morsel. Isaac had witnessed the cat consuming stranger things. Thinking about tasty morsels, Isaac had a hankering for some beer.

Smacking his lips in thirst, he rummaged through the sofa cushions. Isaac brushed his hand over something metallic. His hand brushed over something metallic, and he hastily retrieved it, ringing the object.

The crisp ring of the bell startled the cat from her grooming session, eliciting an annoyed hiss from Darling.

Uncaring, Isaac yelled. "LINDY! Fetch me a nice cold beverage from the icebox. If you would do so, please." He sarcastically implored the air.

'A scene such as this would sure stump a muggle.' Isaac imagined such a hilarious scene happening. He smiled, bemused.

A small pinkish house-elf materialized. Her large floppy ears were a particular rosy shade of pink. Her big orb-like eyes were a pleasant hazel color. She hesitantly looked at her Master.

"Lindy would do as Master Isaac says...but poor Lindy would not find any. The icebox is....um....empty...Master." Lindy whined with regret, tugging at the hem of her sack-like dress.

"What do you mean 'empty'," Isaac's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "You haven't even looked yet!"

"Well... Master, Lindy was asked to check last night... but... Master... drank it all," she sheepishly admitted, casting a glance at her Master.

"So, why haven't you gone to the store to restock the icebox?" Isaac sighed, rolling his eyes. "I need something to drink!"

"Master has no money?" Squeaked Lindy.

"I thought I gave you enough Sickles to last for the next two weeks," groaned Isaac.

"I'm sorry, Master. Lindy used it all. Lindy is stupid. The beer man tricked poor, stupid Lindy. Please forgive me, Master," she groveled, bowing her head mournfully.

"Fine, fine. Just go and make yourself useful somewhere else." Isaac waved his hand in irritation.

Lindy apparated away to her closet.

Away from prying eyes, she hastily opened one of the floorboards, revealing gleaming silver Sickles and gold Galleons illuminated by the light bulb above.

She added three Sickles into her secret stash.

"My precious!" Lindy whispered, crawling under the floorboard to revel in her hidden wealth.

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"What good is a house-elf?" Isaac muttered to himself. 'Every week, it's the same excuse. The gullible elf manages to lose all the money.'

Lamenting the absence of his beer, Isaac returned to studying the map.

"Hmm... That plan could work if I had her help," Isaac pondered, immediately dismissing the idea. 'I would probably end up with nothing again, just like last time,' he thought. "What should I do? What should I do?"

Stroking his wand in thought, he frowned.

"I'll make the final decision tomorrow," Isaac sighed, rubbing his fatigued eyes.

He undressed, leaving only his nightwear, and switched off the lights.

Dragging his feet, he sluggishly made his way to bed, gradually succumbing to sleep while the bustling sounds of London's traffic lulled him into peaceful oblivion. The muted chatter of pedestrians acted as a lullaby, lulling him into blissful nothingness.

Isaac's snores reverberated through the thin apartment walls.

Darling embarked on her nightly hunt for delectable morsels. She eviscerated a mouse here and there, serenading the night with her feline cries.

Isaac awoke, irritated by the unpleasant noise, and covered his ears with a pillow.

"Shut up!" he yelled in discontent, trying his best to fall back asleep.

In a small closet near the bathroom, Lindy quietly and giddily counted her pile of money. 'Her Master was so generous.' She giggled, neatly stacking each coin in its designated pile: Knuts, Sickles, Galleons. What a delightful sight they were. 'Goodnight,, my babys.' Lindy kissed each stack goodnight before closing the floorboard.

Lindy curled up into a ball and drifted off to sleep.

Darling retired to the sofa, leaving a few more claw marks in its already tattered fabric.

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Meanwhile, an ominous shadow slithered under the creaky wooden door. Dark, inky tendrils snaked along the grimy floor. Two yellow eyes fixated upon the shabby apartment.

Its malevolent presence filled the room, saturating the air with an eerie energy. The yellow eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity, reflecting the darkness that lurked within.