Crispy Ben is crispy.

That took far longer than I had hoped, but I believe all of my accounting books are balanced. If all my calculations are correct - and they always are - I seem to have made quite a profit this quarter. Perhaps it is time to open some new investments. Or simply put it in my vault for now.

In my vault, for the moment, I think. And I shall keep keep an ear open for new opportunities. It does no good to invest if there is nothing of interest to invest in, after all.

Things have been very quiet as of late. I suppose that should be considered a good thing.

I remain suspicious.

I am sure you are quite busy, cousin, but I was rather wondering if you had time for a drink or two perhaps Sunday night? I feel as though it has been far too long.

I feel as though I have taken a rather long hiatus from my duties as a businessman. It simply seemed to be one thing after another and now everything has simply piled up. This is not a feeling I am used to. I do not like it. I do not even want to think about how many opportunities I've missed in the past few weeks. There is so much to catch up. And still the wedding. Always the wedding. We are still months away, yes, but things are slowly starting to take shape and make sense. Soon. And then... well, whatever follows.

I have so much to do. I haven't looked at my accounting books in weeks. I do not like simply trusting that everyone else will do their job.

To work, then. At least until dinner time.

• Defensive spells other than protego
  
• Accuracy
  
• Speed
  
• Concentration

To start.

Are you terribly busy tonight? I am rather in the mood for alcohol, perhaps after dinner.

I feel I have been neglecting my duties as both a good godfather and cousin. Do let me know if you are free this weekend.

I've been discharged. Can I be of use at Hogwarts?

You're not funny.

Yo u have to g et me out o f here

theyre dri ving me mad

I'm afraid I'm rather in need of your assistance. Do bring your healing supplies.

I suppose things have been incrementally better since speaking properly to Walden. I did not expect to be so forward with him, nor did I expect him to actually apologise. In the end, I suppose it did some good. It would not have been proper for Eva's husband and brother to not be speaking, even if we were to disregard him being my mentor. And that would have been absolutely impossible anyway. My service to my Lord must always be in the forefront. There is still so much to do. And all the while, I am entertaining former business partners and replying to owl after owl about what flowers should sit on the tables, what to serve as an appetizer at the reception or the lining of the table clothes. I just want to skip this part, which is ridiculous in itself. I've never wanted to skip anything in my life. But in all honesty, I would much rather have already done this and be married. I suppose, at the very least, Eva has been doing her part in placating her mother. Even I can only be tolerant for so long.

The subject of marriage itself does not perturb me. Beyond simply being my duty as the heir of my family, I find myself almost looking forward to it. The world will be a much cleaner and more proper place for children in the coming years. And Eva is... I suppose I may have to be more firm with her role in the future. But I could not have asked for a better match.

I never anticipated how much work being engaged was.

Oh my, how positively heartbreaking.

Only animals come from animals, no matter what sort of unhappy chance it was that they somehow inherit our gifts. Putting on the costume of our kind does not give you license to the same rights as those of us that have been properly born in raised in this world. If you will not be scared away, you will be forcibly put in your place. You should not be allowed to walk our streets, buy from our stores, eat our food, or attend our schools. Your money is dirty and worthless and you are lucky to have gotten away with it for so long.

And you, Salazar I feel filthy for having shared a room with you for so long. Salazar himself would never have accepted you. What little gift you may have actually inherited you've squandered and wasted. You are worse than that thing you prefer to call wife. You're a fool.

I suppose on a less...sensitive note, brunch with Mrs Macnair went well today. Or at least as well as I could have hoped for. The woman talks enough for both of us. I hardly have to say anything at all. She is... tolerable, at the least. I have stumbled upon more irritating women over the years. She could be worse, I think. At the very least, she seems to approve of me, which is all I need bother with. She is less accommodating than my mother is was, but I needn't be around her often. An hour or two a week is quite more than enough.

Walden is

I do hope your documents reached you and were found satisfactory.

I do so hate to disturb either of you, but I'm afraid I've found a mudblood trying to escape via the southern most apparition point. I, obviously, have no access to the Ministry, so he will have to be fetched.

I am, put simply, officially engaged.

I can't sleep.

I can't sleep. It is after one o'clock in the morning and I am sitting in my study doing... nothing. Everyone is getting married. Marius is married. Walden is married. I had never planned to rush a courtship. I never had any desire to run so quickly to a marriage. There are far too many things to juggle without having to help plan a wedding. But I have attended so many weddings and engagement parties this year already and it is not even a quarter of the way through. I can all but feel Grandfather turning in his grave and badgering me along.

It isn't that I don't want to. I have a duty to fulfil to the family and to the bloodline. There are expectations that must be accommodated and I have already waited much longer than is orthodox, at least in regards to my family. Even Father was married by the time he was my age. Beyond that, Eva is far more than adequate for me. Her bloodline alone makes her a perfect choice, even if I didn't find myself thinking of her at the most inappropriate of times.

It has been roughly five weeks. It is not as long as I would like to wait, as I had planned on waiting. But a summer wedding is best in England and I do not want to trudge through another winter as an unmarried man. Societal rules demand six months of courtship and engagement. If I can do this soon, then we can still have a proper wedding before the chill of fall is in the air.

I need a ring.

I need to tell Walden.

I know that it is absurdly late, but there is a matter that I must discuss with you soon. Likely, you will not see this until the morning, but I must speak with you the moment you are available.

I bought a house elf this morning. As little as I'd have liked to spend the money on such a service, I do rather need one for this manor. It's...name is Gobbo. And it has already set to reorganising the kitchen. I suppose if nothing else, it will ensure that the manor is never left unattended. I have other things to do without worrying about that. Another may be needed at some point when I marry. But until then, I think this is sufficient.

There is little I must worry about now, beyond my own training. Business will take care of itself so long as I keep a close watch on it. For now, there is little to have to guide. The best business, after all, is one that runs itself. So long as this continues, I shall have more time for the more important things in life. Grandfather would be absolutely appalled at my behaviour over the past few weeks. And while I'm sure he'd agree that some of my superiors are unqualified, they are still superiors. I do not like regretting my actions, certainly not when it comes to matters of the Cause. But it was a mistake and a large one. I must do better. Not out of fear of my mentor, but because it is absolutely unacceptable to act so poorly.

I will not be my father.

I would like to resume training whenever it is remotely convenient for you.

Salazar help me, I'm going to spend an hour in a bath today. She's a halfblood. I've never felt so dirty in my life.

I suppose at least lunch wasn't a total waste, despite her dirty blood. Confirmation on things we more or less knew anyway, but we can stop chasing other contacts. And if not, we certainly know where they are or where to find them. I suppose that's something. And more than Travers provided.

I have confirmation on McCormack and Parkin. According to Templer, it seemed to be a bit of an ongoing fling. Romantic, if not something either of them intended to follow through with.

The rest of her team-mates are a dead end. She wasn't close to any of the others.

Going to work after running through a burning building is, in general, inadvisable. Note to self: Do not do that again.

In any case, rescheduling this afternoon was not difficult, considering most of my business was in Hogsmeade this week anyway. I vaguely fear falling apart right now. I have never broken so many bones in a single week, nor the same bone twice (though the first time was not my f.

How are you healing?

Never in my life did I ever think I would spend an entire morning buying furniture, destroying old furniture and arranging new furniture. As it is, here I am. None of it was too expensive, though. I only need to ensure that the rooms are acceptably full. After a marriage - if there is to be one, anyway, Merlin knows what Walden wishes to speak with me about - Eva and I can look for more permanent surroundings.

Salazar. I'm going to need house elves.

It has been a very long handful of days.

You know I hate to assume anything, but I've just finished moving into my manor and I mysteriously ended up with a few bottles of what looks to be very potent alcohol. Would you join me?

I can't believe that I didn't deserve such a I shouldn't ha This is such a m Eva can't find out Grandfather would be so di

Never mind. I am going to climb until that whelp is crushed under my shoe and I can send him on a suicide run. This can not affect business tomorrow. I have too much to do to worry about it right now. And perhaps get out of this flat. I will have to refurnish the manor, except for the more tradition items that have been passed down. Anything Father bought has to go. Not that I suspect there is much left.

Salazar, I have so much to do. I haven't balanced my accounting books in a week. I have to make rounds and make sure everything is up to code. That alone will take all day. I shall have to make it a weekend, or it will disrupt the rest of my schedule, and there's simply no time to move things around. None.

I should think about expanding my efforts. Or liquidating. I would have more time to devote to the Cause if I weren't so busy all the time. I am rather curious as to what sort of money I could sell it all for. Would it be enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life and still have a substantial sum to pass down to an heir?

No, I suspect not. There is quite a lot of time left. I am twenty-four. There is still much to be had and much to restore.




Note to Self: Dearborn

I'm sure you've been following the investigation on McCormack, but the lack of information on her whereabouts has lead to more messy means of communication. I understand that you're the new under-secretary to the Law Enforcement department. If there are any reports of body limbs sent via owl, I must ask you to... disregard them?

I've just returned from investigating the McCormack address that was on file at the Ministry. It's empty except for furniture and doesn't look as if it's been lived in for months. I suppose that's about what we were expecting. More irritating is the lack of paperwork in the house. Nothing suggests she left in a hurry.

I'm going to go back to the Library in the morning and see if she's been in the public eye at all in the past year. Specifically, if she has any family left after Ms Carrow's work last July. I trust Mr Travers will keep us informed of any new information her manager might bring regarding her whereabouts.

The manor is ready. I decided to just do hardwood floors in the sitting room. The furniture shall need to be replaced. There isn't much in there that I much like. Perhaps, I will just leave it to Eva.

Father's body was found, finally. Unidentified, of course. If they've made anything of it, I don't think they will be able to search for long. There's no evidence of anything, except that he's head. Obviously. I have no desire to hear anything about mother. She shall be well out of the way.

What is next?

A little bit of searching has provided us with a face. This is from April of last year.



I've duplicated this and sent it to a few people who might recognise her or know where she is now. It's been ten months, so it's quite possible that she's changed appearance since then. Has there been any discoveries as far as an address? She may not be there, but I we can speak to neighbours who might know where she might have gone.