I grinned and got the dessert out while she sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, finding a channel that was playing a Monty Python rerun marathon. I joined her, passing her a bowl of green ice cream with chocolate strawberries while I helped myself to some mint chocolate chip ice cream.
It was nice, spending time like this. No worries, no problems to deal with… just us.
111 &&& 111
Two days later, I was driving up to a 'bad' part of town with Remus and Sirius. We'd managed to track down Marky Fetters, or at least the place he tended to do business, rather quickly. It wasn't hard when you had magic on your side.
And, to my surprise, my bone dice had been a lot more accurate and useful than they normally were. Were they perhaps growing stronger the more I used them for divination? Perhaps picking up magical residue that improved their effects?
I didn't know, but thanks to them, I'd been able to narrow down the location of the man who'd arranged for Delilah and my kidnapping. It was the backrooms of a nightclub, which he owned and used as a place to meet with clients and launder money from different gangs.
"I am so glad I got my driver's license," I muttered as I pulled up in front of the club. "Remus, you're going to learn how to drive as well."
"Alright," the werewolf agreed.
"You too, Sirius," I said, turning to the escaped felon.
"I can drive," he retorted, a bit annoyed. "I used to own a motorcycle!"
"You owned an illegally modified flying motorcycle. That does not mean you know the first thing about the rules of the road," I retorted. Sirius just grumbled, unable to refute my logic as we strolled up to the building.
It was the middle of the afternoon, so the club wasn't open yet, but some quick Confunduscharms from my two magical companions let us in through the back.
"Nice little office you've got here, Mr. Fetters," I said strolling into his room like I owned the place. It had a desk, a potted plant, and a very racy pin-up Calander that was two years out of date.
Behind the desk was a man in his early thirties with a bald head and tattoos all over his arms. He looked up in alarm when I kicked the door open, which morphed into fury.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" Marky demanded angrily, rising from behind his desk.
"I'm Edward Rose. You sent four men to kidnap me and my girlfriend, Delilah Hunt, on Valentine's Day," I told him, and he paled.
He reached for a gun, but Remus was faster, flicking his wand out and casting a silent Expeliarmusat him. The handgun was sent flying across the room
"What the hell?! You're a wizard?!" Marky shouted in horror, scrambling backwards away from me and falling onto his ass in the process. "Nobody told me that!"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're a Squib," I guessed, and when he flinched, I knew I had my answer.
"Interesting," I muttered. "Remus? Sirius? What do you two think?"
"I know that look," Remus said as he looked over at me. "James and Sirius used to have that same expression whenever they were going to do something stupid and daring."
Sirius snorted. "Oi, I resemble that remark!"
"Please don't kill me! Or Obliviate me!" Marky begged. "I didn't know! I was only told to bring you back here! Nothing else!"
"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you," I told him. "But I have to make sure you don't try and hurt me and my own again. So how about we make a deal."
"A-a deal?" Marky stammered.
"You're going to work for me from now on," I said. "Congratulations, Mr. Fetters. You're now a contractor with Cauldron Remedies."
"I-I am?" he asked, staring up at me in bewilderment.
"Look, from one Squib to another, do you really like living like this? Working for Muggle gangs when your birthright, magic, is out of reach?" I asked him.
"Y-you're a Squib?" he uttered. "B-but what about…"
"Mr. Lupin works for me," I told Marky Fetters, causing him to blink in disbelief. "But back to the main topic. Magic. I can give it to you. No wand, unfortunately, but magic all the same."
To demonstrate, I pulled out a Paralysis Ofuda, and threw it at him. His body seized up as the spell took hold, and I let him experience it for a little bit before walking over and ripping the talisman off of him.
"W-what was that?" he whispered.
"A taste of what I can do."
"But Squibs… and the Statute of Secrecy…"
"What the Ministry doesn't know won't hurt them," I replied. "And there are plenty of ways to use magic without a wand."
I folded my arms. "However, I need you to tell me who hired you. If you don't, then this deal ends right here, right now, and my companions will wipe your memory of the last week."
"It was a guy named Thorton!" Marky shouted, quickly spilling the beans as soon as I stopped talking. "Tall bloke! Widow's peak hair!"
"Thorton, huh? What else do you know about him?" I demanded.
"Nothing! He just gave me ten grand to pinch you and your bird!" Marky revealed.
"Hmm. That's not very useful," I said. "And seriously, only ten grand? I'm worth at least ten times that!"
"I don't ask questions about my clients," Marky replied with a shake of his head. "You don't last long doing that in this business."
"Hmm. Fair enough. Inky? Could you bring me a specialcontract?"
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