35 Starting a Business

Lucas was waiting for Narcissa in the same bar they had met. No one was paying attention to him as if his mere presence alone eluded their minds. He was currently sitting at the counter mentally going over his two Knockturn Alley visits and introspected on what he had done. 

The first one was a total disaster, from the unsuccessful negotiation to the awful way he handled the responce afterward. Even the fight was a lot worse than he would have expected of himself. He didn't respond to the chaos nearly as well as he would have liked.

It was just savage.

Now that he thought about it, he could have done it so much better. Sneakier with maybe less death, but it is what it is and he had to live with it now. It wasn't the first time he had seen someone die or killed. The lives he had copied last summer had numerious people from all kinds of walks of life. They ranged from murderers and drug addicts to doctors and university professors.

Yet none could prepare him for the frailty of life when it came to magic. One spell was all it took. Just one moment of carelessness and you are gone. It reinforced his trust in Legilimency, because if he was less hesitant to use it on everyone, then he could have avoided it all. He would have known that there was practically a shoot on sight policy towards Legilimens and who was going to do what inside the bar. They were beginners in Occlumency without formal training, they would have never figured it out that he was inside their heads.

A lesson learned is a problem avoided in the future, which proofed his second visit.

It went perfectly, no one noticed anything out of the ordinary and once he was alone in that backroom it was already too late for Narcissa to do anything against him. He also was slower and more sensitive with his approach, instead of basically destroying her brain.

However, he was still not cautious enough as the alarm went off, which was better back then than in an actual life or death situation. Nonetheless he would learn from this and next time expect not only Occlumency as defence, but also artifacts. It only now came up as a problem, because there were some restrictions on what students were allowed to wear in Hogwarts and the fact that he refused to outright use Legilimency on the heirs to noble houses, who were the most likely to wear some. He only needed to know how exactly Mrs. Malfoy's worked, but that would come with their second meeting, which was soon.

The sound of the shabby bar door opening brought him out of his revery. 'Finally.'

----

Narcissa Malfoy opened the door to the usual sight of delinquents drinking what she could only describe as rat piss. The smell alone made her nauseous and she would have loved nothing more than to sit alone at home in front of the fireplace with a wonderful french wine and a smutty romance book in hand. 

Instead she had to come here again. The last time she was forced to come here was because she wanted some dubious jewelry disenchanted and subsequently reenchanted, which she had gotten from her husband. She knew an excellent enchantress specialising in that sort of thing.

She made her way through the bar with the disguise of "Alistair" back up, dragging a motionless house elf behind her. Surveilling the room and the hooded figures drinking around, she looked for her client, but she didn't find him anywhere. Thinking that she was early she sat down at the counter.

Narcissa's now rough and calloused fingers tapped rhythmically on the splintered wooden surface of the dimly lit bar table. Her thoughts were a tumultuous sea of conflicting emotions; anticipation, anxiety, and a lingering thread of fear that she refused to acknowledge.

The encounter with the mysterious, most likely disguised, wizard during their initial meeting had left her shaken. She had underestimated the depths of his abilities, and the memory of his cold, indifferent eyes, probing her mind effortlessly, haunted her. And the nickname he had said at the end was the straw that broke the camel's back.

To get the memories out of her head she went on one of her worst shopping sprees. Yet, the new underwear she was wearing under her robe and the dresses hanging in her wardrobe back home comforted her. She had become a rather frustrated woman ever since the dark lord was defeated. The sight of her husband cowering in front of the ministry and begging them to believe that he was under the Imperius Curse extinguished any sexual feelings she had for the man. She endured anytime Lucius wanted sex for the sake of her lovely son.

"Mrs. Malfoy." Lucas' cold voice rang from the seat next to her, giving her the fright of her life. If it weren't for her Occlumency she would have screamed at the top of her lungs. Before she could calm herself down he continued, "I see you have spent my money well."

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Narcissa instinctively covered her body with her hands, totally overwhelmed with the situation. 'When did you? How did you?'

"Does it matter?"

Now her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach and her Occlumency threatened to break apart. 'How?'

"Please. With your laughable defence, I wouldn't be surprised if a third rate Legilimens could break in. You are lucky there are none in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but I guess that is thanks to your husband." Lucas said. "But I do have to say, whoever came up with that alarm was truly ingenious."

From Lucas' perspective, inside Narcissa's head right behind the door to her mind was the alarm, which would automatically be triggered when the door opens. In that way it didn't matter what kind of defences you had, it would work regardless. Unfortunately for her that wasn't the only way inside her head, only the easiest. And she wasn't particularly skilled in the mind arts.

She felt exposed, vulnerable.

"Anyway, I see that you have brought the merchandise." he remarked, as he examined the motionless house elf, dressed in a simple piece of fabric that resembled a tunic. A weathered pillowcase-like garment, crudely fastened with a makeshift belt, barely covering his thin frame. He looked fairly young with a healthy complexion. 'Do they all come with this... cloth?'

Still not getting any remarks from Narcissa he looked back up into her ashen face. "What is it, has the cat got your tongue? Did I scare you too much?"

Narcissa, in a state of disarray, managed a practiced but weak smile. "Not at all. I hope he is to your liking. And if you don't mind I have an appointment I need to attend."

Lucas eyed the house elf once more before returning his attention to Narcissa. "He'll do. You've done well. But don't think you can just leave, not with that awful excuse that we both know is a lie and we still have unfinished business."

Narcissa's forced smile faltered slightly. "What more is there to discuss? You have what you wanted."

Lucas leaned in, his eyes piercing. "I want to ensure our dealings remain discreet. You might have some secrets you wouldn't want the world to know, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa's eyes widened, a mixture of fear and defiance in her gaze. "What are you implying?"

He chuckled darkly. "I think you know. Let's just say, I could make things very uncomfortable for you if your or your husbands little secrets become public knowledge."

Narcissa's composure wavered. "You can't—"

"I can do a lot more than you think," Lucas interrupted, his tone colder than before. "You're in this deeper than you realize, Cissy. So, let's make a deal. You provide me with information when I need it, and I'll ensure your secrets remain hidden."

Narcissa, realizing the precarious position she was in, nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But once this is over, I want you to leave me and my family alone."

Lucas smirked. "We'll see how it goes. Now, run along. But remember, I'm always watching."

As Narcissa hurriedly left the bar, Lucas turned his attention back to the house elf. "Time to put you to work."

He had no intention of ever notifying her, he just wanted to mess with her. 'Maybe in the future. You never know.'

The house elf, who had been under the effects of Arresto Momentum, slowly regained his bodily functions and awareness. His large, round eyes blinked, adjusting to the dim lighting of the bar. Confusion and fear flickered across his face as he realized the change in his surroundings.

Lucas leaned back, observing the creature. "Hello. Do you understand me?"

The house elf nodded hesitantly. "Yes, sir. How can Pippin be of service?"

"Pippin, is it? Interesting name. Well, Pippin, as Mrs. Malfoy already told you, she has agreed to release you into my service. You're my elf now."

His eyes widened with disbelief. "You are Pippin's new master?"

"Indeed. But let's get out of here before talking some more." Lucas told Pippin, while removing the last few minutes from everyone's mind currently present.

The house elf nodded vigorously, a newfound energy coursing through him. "Yes, sir! Pippin will serve you faithfully."

----

Now back at home Lucas was explaining what Pippin's functions were as an integral part of the business. "Pippin, listen well! I plan to open up a little enchanting shop, basically a cart, where our customer can request anything they want to be enchanted. They will have to supply the needed materials in addition to a note that describes what they want. Accept their requests, whatever it is. This is important, accept everything. Leave the materials by the cart, but bring their note to me. Always apparate. If I need further clarification I will give you another note to deliver to the client, otherwise they will receve a time and place, where they can fetch their finished product. Only after you have given them the final note are you allowed to teleport the materials to me. Everything from our side will be written by a standart enchanted pen. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir! Pippin understands." the house elf said with a broad smile, glad to be getting work assigned to him.

"Good. Your role is crucial, Pippin. You'll be the face of our business. Always be polite and discreet. Our success depends on our reputation. Now, let's get you some adequate clothes." Lucas said with a no-nonsense voice.

Pippin nodded eagerly, still wearing his weathered pillowcase-like garment. Lucas summoned a set of clothes, he had prepared beforehand, more befitting the role Pippin was about to play. It was a neat and clean ensemble, subtly enchanted to resist stains and wrinkles.

"These should do. Remember, appearances matter. Now, let's discuss how we'll handle payments. I will write the price on the same paper that has the drop point on. When you deliver the finished product, collect the payment, and bring it directly to me. If under any circumstances they are unable to pay or don't want to, just let me know I will handle it. Don't do anything youself. Understood?"

Lucas noticed Pippin's hesitation and furrowed his brow. "Is there a problem, Pippin?"

Pippin shuffled uncomfortably, tugging at the edge of the rag he was wearing. "Pippin's used to this, sir. These clothes are too... too fancy for Pippin."

"Pippin! As I said, appearances matter. Do you want our business to fail?"

"No sir. Pippin would never." he cried out as if he had gravely insulted his master.

"Then you will wear the clothes?" Lucas repeated, his tone firm.

Pippin replied eagerly. "Yes, sir. Pippin will wear the clothes."

Lucas nodded, satisfied. "That's the spirit, Pippin. Trust me, it'll make a difference."