My paperwork going through so quickly and smoothly was thanks entirely to Delilah. I had no delusions about it being otherwise. Without her father's connections, it wouldn't have been possible. Her father owed me big time for rescuing her, and I'd only met the man once in a face-to-face meeting, but that was enough, and Delilah had also ended up clinging to me afterwards.
Perhaps it was because she felt safe around me. Maybe it was due to the fact I was the closest connection she had to her magical side, now that she knew the circumstances behind her birth. I didn't know, and I didn't care.
Delilah had killed a man to save my life. I couldn't – wouldn't! – simply abandon her after that. And, I would admit, I liked her company. She was smart with a biting tongue. Plus, she had a dry wit and her business savvy exceeded my own by leaps and bounds. We were using each other for our own benefits, and I could care less.
And so, after that fateful Christmas eve where we first met, we started to work together. We were going to take the world by storm! And the first step was getting my potion business up and running. And I needed Delilah's father for that.
My 'old fashioned' medicine was superior to anything else boasting the same effects on the mundane markets. I knew this. To get my creations through what would normally be years of close scrutiny and testing had cost me a few hefty concessions, such as binding myself to Delilah's father, Michael Hunt, and Sir Jonah Briar, the aging oligarch who owned British Chemical Concerns via the massive investment corporation of Gladstone Financial.
Sure, they owned my business and several of my intellectual properties, but it'd been a necessary sacrifice to speed up my plans so they'd actually be viable within a few years. And while it was a bit annoying to have so many 'claims' tying me down, that was just the way of things. Small stores and businesses were always bought up by bigger, more successful ones. I knew that. And of course I had plans to ensure that I would be moving up the corporate ladder in the parent companies so that nobody would be able to tell me how to run my businesses in the future.
But those could wait. Right now, ensuring Cauldron Remedies was up and running before the year was out was paramount. Voldemort was returning, and I had to start spinning my web and laying down traps as soon as I could. I wouldn't let the Death Eaters have their way ever again.
Banishing my darker thoughts to the back of my mind with a flex of Occlumency, I looked at the two women.
"Let's discuss ways to bring in some attention once we open for business," I suggested. "I was thinking we use Dawson's Marketing for some of that."
"The advertising firm Sam's mother works at?" Delilah asked, and I nodded.
"Yup. I felt I owed it to her for her earlier help with my marketing plans."
"Fair enough. I have no complaints with Dawsons. They are a competent and efficient group," Josephine replied. "I will book a meeting with them to see what they are willing to offer."
"Great! Now, I had some ideas for how to do this. I was thinking of making a website so people could order things online, as well as some well-timed radio and TV ads," I suggested.
"The internet? You think it's wise to invest in that?" Josephine inquired. It took a tremendous effort on the part of my Occlumency not to burst into laughter at her question.
"I honestly believe the internet is going to be very important in the future," I said with a straight face. Delilah and Josephine both shared a look, then shrugged and accepted my prediction.
We got down to the nitty-gritty after that. It was boring, but had to be done if I wanted my products to become a household name.
All the while, though, I couldn't help but wonder if I shouldn't have done more to help Harry and his friends with their problem on the 3rd floor.
'I'm sure they'll be alright,' I thought. I wished I could believe myself.
...
....
Join my P*atreon for 100 premium chapters ahead of the public release.
Link: pa*treon.com/MysticVerse (Remove the *)
Free members also get 2 advanced chapters for free.