Hello my rabid readers,
Me, myself and I would like to apologise for the big gap between chapter releases from my last chapter. Just wanted to clear up some concerns that this fic is going to turn into some sort of heavy bondage story. It really isn't.. I just included that part in the last chapter to show different things that witches might be into and that there was a NOMA or muggle working happening bringing things into the magical world or tailoring for maybe some magical kinks.
Anyway I won't go droning on and will let anyone here crack on with my latest offerings. I'm contemplating going back to shorter chapters again to try and get my releasing speed up again.
I'm going to get more writing time as I'm back working from home again three days a week and no longer have the second job.. So I have more writing time and an arrangement with the missus to allow me pure writing time some evenings.
So I'll let you read on and I hope you enjoy.
Mischief Managed!
Cheers
Craggle
Chapter 105 – Cocktails and Dreams
11:16hrs Saturday 3rd September, Apparition Zone 3 behind the Food Dun It Express at the Junction of Ordin Alley and Healers Avenue, Banzai Bazaar, Tokyo
As Harry stepped off the apparition pad, he was happy that he'd managed to keep his feet; he looked about him to see that Fleur and Amy were talking about something with their backs to him.
Harry couldn't help it as his eyes drifted down to Fleur's bottom encased in the grey skirt of her dress, admiring it before they slipped across to Amy's not really being able to notice anything due to the purple robes she wore like a long jacket.
He looked around where they were and recognised the back of the Food Dun It Express and the fireplaces they had floo'd to that morning with Master Kuzuko and Hermione earlier.
"Right so if we go out of here take a right and then up Gold Lane we should be able to reach Elixir Eddies without having to go along the Emperor's Road where most of the quidditch fans will be going down. I just wonder whether the bar will be packed with quidditch fans though," Fleur commented thinking about the route they should take to get to their destination.
"Wow you've certainly learned your way around quickly," Harry said, impressed that Fleur knew exactly where they were and where to go.
"Well as the goblins say Arry, time is gold no?" Fleur replied, turning to Harry and giving him a dazzling smile as her eyes met his.
"True they do say that. Although I hadn't thought that the place might be packed with the quidditch fans and we might not be able to hear ourselves think," Harry said, thinking that Fleur made a very valid point.
"It will be ok. Sabre normally closes the bar about thirty minutes before tip off to clean up, get ready to open for the end of the match, and have himself and any staff a bite of lunch." Amy said on pure instinct and looked around to see Fleur giving her that knowing look again.
"Well the match is going to start in about fifty minutes so we've plenty of time but lets get there and see how busy it is, then slip in." Harry said as the two witches agreed. Amy set off in front while Harry and Fleur followed. Harry looked down at his hand as he felt Fleur's cool and delicate hand slip into his and hold it tightly. He looked up and Fleur just gave him a little cute smile and nod of the head as if to say 'I hope you don't mind'.
He didn't but thought how Fleur would no doubt draw attention to them because of how attractive she was. As Amy led them out of the courtyard onto Healer's Avenue, Harry saw that the streets were packed with everyone walking in the same direction as Amy stopped and reached down taking Harry's other hand and said "We're best holding on to each other so that we don't get separated."
Harry was then pulled along as the middle link in the chain through the street. There were probably about one thousand people on the street, all shuffling along in the limited space available to them as they made their way up to The Emperor's Road before turning left to go to the stadium.
"Elixir Eddies is at the end of here on the left," Fleur commented moving closer to Harry putting her right hand on his bicep and moving closer until she pressed against him as she let out a yelp.
"What's the matter?" Harry asked while Fleur made another yelp and jumped.
"Zere are people pinching my bottom as we squeeze past them!" she said clearly irritated as Harry barked out a laugh.
"Well it is a very nice bottom. They are clearly just taking advantage of the opportunity Fleur, but let me know the next time someone does it and we will swap positions." Harry said seeing that Fleur clearly wasn't amused at being manhandled.
"Ohhh, stop touching me!" Fleur yelped again as Harry came to a stop pulling Amy to a sudden stop from her weaving as well.
"What's the matter?" Amy asked as best she could above the noise of the crowd that started jumping up and down on the spot singing and wondering why they were stopping as she had been making good progress as they were half way up the street.
"We're swapping positions because people keep grabbing Fleur. So I'm going to move her between us but maybe slow down. There is no rush alright," Harry said and saw Amy nodded at his instructive tone.
"Here Fleur you go in front of me." Harry said, passing Fleur's hand into Amy's and he moved to the other side putting Fleur between himself and Amy. Amy started moving them forwards again and as they pushed through the crowds Harry felt hands across his chest or darting out from between him and Fleur.
"Arry they keep grabbing me still. Someone just touched my boob!" Fleur yelled angrily and he noticed she was blushing in embarrassment. She was starting to look a little upset because in the press of people she couldn't bring her arms up to defend herself without letting the other two go.
"Right Fleur go forwards and wrap your arms around Amy's waist," Harry said as he moved forwards wrapping his arms around Fleur's waist and pulling her to him so that his chest was pressed against her back and her bottom was pressed up against him.
"Pull Amy to you like this," Harry said as Fleur nodded, pulling Amy back who gave a sudden yelp of surprise as Fleur clung to Amy as Harry clung to her.
"Right go as best you can Amy," Harry called out, and Amy nodded as the crowd swayed and jostled.
They worked their way slower now through the crowd but Harry noticed that Fleur was a lot happier moving like this and wasn't getting grabbed now that the sicko's in the crowd couldn't grab her bottom or chest easily.
They made painstakingly slow progress through the crowd and Fleur was starting to feel very flustered because the veela in her was loving being pressed against Harry and feeling him bumping constantly into her bottom while they walked. She found that she kept altering her step to cause his groin to contact her bottom as if by accident as it sent a little delightful feeling through her every time it happened.
The veela in her was also purring at having her breasts pressed up against Amy as well. Her magic was reacting to the closeness and contact and Fleur was having to press her lips together and really try and concentrate on not allowing her allure to come flooding out of her.
She assumed part of the problem was that she was sexually frustrated because she hadn't really had any time to herself the last few days. She'd spent each evening with Narcissa or Penny. If not then she'd had so much paperwork to go through with Tengu since he'd told her that Harry's account managers back in London wanted her back as quickly as possible as they had things they wanted her assistance with.
She also felt a stab of guilt about the conversation she had had with Hermione earlier where she had told her a white lie in that she had lost control over her allure. The truth was that she had been turned on massively by flirting with Harry and her magic was naturally being pulled to him.
When he had taken control of her meeting, Fleur had to clamp her legs together as her level of arousal spiked and her nature started purring for his attention as her memories of seeing Harry getting out the shower at Muriel's house came flooding into her mind.
She didn't want to stop Hermione and Harry being together and she wouldn't want to ever do anything to jeopardise Harry's and especially Hermione's happiness. Hermione had become a really good friend to Fleur and Fleur never found it easy to make friends or be accepted by other witches.
Much to Fleur's disappointment, they made it to Elixir Eddies and came to a stop outside the front door, which opened and several quidditch fans in their fifties came out and swaying on their feet as they all started firing sparks into the air as the chanting of the fans went up on seeing the sparks going into the sky like flares.
"Quick get inside before it starts raining red sparks," Amy commanded. As if on queue, lots of people in the crowd started firing red and white sparks into the air and they started exploding like fireworks creating loud bangs and whooping noises.
Harry and Fleur ducked through the doorway and into Elixir Eddies as Amy closed the door behind them as a giant firework panda flew past the window being chased by what looked like some sort of giant bird. Harry looked through the window to see what looked like red and white flares had been let off as the street filled with smoke.
"Is it always like this for a quidditch match?" Harry asked, amazed at the amount of effort the Japanese fans were making in generating an atmosphere.
"Well with international games the crowds are always like that but the Toyohashi Tengu fans tend to leave the magical fireworks and pyrotechnics for nearer the stadium." A male voice answered from behind the bar and Harry smiled to see Gigo behind the bar cleaning glasses with an amused expression on his face and Harry couldn't help chuckling when he saw that Gigo had a head band around his head that wasn't high enough to cover his shiny bald head.
"Hi Gigo," Harry greeted, straightening and turning from the window. "Is Sabre in today as I'd like to talk to him?" He added as Gigo finished putting the glasses down and putting his hands on the bar.
"He is, but he's having to go on a business trip in the morning so he doesn't have a lot of time because he's got some things to take care of before he goes." Gigo replied and Harry thought he sounded quite protective of his boss by the way he said it.
"I promise I won't take up too much of his time," Harry said, feeling Fleur and Amy move a little further into the room behind him then he remembered his manners. "Apologies, Gigo I'm sure you remember my friend Fleur Delacour," Harry said stepping aside so Gigo could see Fleur.
"C'est un plaisir de vous revoir ma chère. Tu as l'air aussi enchanteur que toujours," Gigo greeted smoothly and put his hand to his chest and bowed his head to Fleur.
"Votre français avance vraiment très bien. Merci pour le compliment Gigo," Fleur replied giving the older Japanese wizard a radiant smile and a little curtsy.
"And this is my solicitor Amy Yushiro," Harry added, indicating Amy who gave Gigo a little wave.
"Amy, great to see you. Sabre will be happy that you've come as he wanted to see you before he had to go away." Gigo greeted Amy. Harry could see that they knew each other. "So you're working for Lord Potter now, are you? That's quite a big deal and a feather in the firm's cap, isn't it?" he added as the last two customers that were in the bar put their glasses on the bar top and thanked Gigo before exiting the bar leaving the four of them in there as a waft of red and white smoke came into the room.
"Well yes I am and absolutely its an honour to be able to work with and assist Lord Potter." Amy replied, turning and giving a professional nod of the head to Harry.
"Bleeding heck I never knew you could be so professional Amy. You normally come out with some wise crack. I guess your sister didn't get all the brains after all," Gigo laughed as Amy rolled her eyes.
"Ha ha, yes Yuki didn't get all the brains, now go and get Sabre will you Egghead? We've got something important we need to discuss." Amy said playfully as Gigo, not offended in the slightest at being called Egghead it seemed, just winked at her and said he'll be here in a minute.
"I take it you know each other quite well then?" Fleur inquired, having watched the exchange between Gigo and Amy.
"Nah, probably only known each other the best part of twenty years. Amy and Yuki used to get brought her with their mum and dad when they were young and then when they started coming on Bazaar weekends this one used to be quite the party animal along with Sabre and the amount of times Amy and her friends had to sleep it off here I can't even count," Gigo answered, happily recalling the memories of the younger Yushiro twin.
"That only happened twice. Gigo don't exaggerate!" Amy replied.
"Twice my arse! I can remember at least another time when you had to sleep here and I had to clean up after you and Satomi. You had thought it a good idea to end your night with a red eye cocktail and ended up throwing up as soon as the egg yolk touched your tongue" A deep male voice said from the back of the bar as a smiling Sabre Suzuka emerged.
"Hey that was Satomi's fault and she only did that because you dared her and then she dared me" Amy said pointing an accusatory finger at Sabre who laughed. "Well besides that the only other time I can remember having to sleep here was the first weekend we came here after Yuki and I were made head girl together, and I'll admit we got carried away." Amy said, looking at Harry and Fleur with sincerity etched on her face.
"Oh yeah what about the last time before graduating and the time you won the duelling tournament for Dragon Clan," said Gigo before his face lit up "and the time you and Yuki bet that you could do more bubble bombs that the Turtle quidditch team, how about when that time Satomi got asked out by that Linton Longshadow and you and her ended up getting hammered and dancing on the bar, that's to name but a few."
"Hmmm sounds like you used to be quite the party animal Amy. Can you still hack the pace now or are your drinking days behind you?" Harry asked as Gigo and Sabre laughed at the memories.
"I never danced on the bar here Harry, don't believe them. They are just joking around at my expense." Amy replied honestly, knowing that she'd never danced on the bar in Elixir Eddies.
"Oh yeah?" Gigo inquired, laughing as he went to the end of the bar next to the window and took down a photo in a frame from the wall and slid it down the bar towards the group. "How do you explain that one then?" he asked Amy as he watched her pick up the picture and her mouth dropped open in shock as Gigo roared with laughter.
"When was this taken?" Amy asked, shocked, staring at the younger version of herself doing what looked like a NOMA line dance on the bar with one arm around Satomi and another round Maria O'Donnell who was another of her friends from school.
"My uncle Eddie took this the night you said you "weren't" dancing on the bar. He said it was one of the funniest nights he ever had here." Sabre said chuckling to himself looking over Amy's shoulder at the picture fondly.
"I honestly have no recollection of this happening at all." Amy said as Gigo pointed at the picture and said "That doesn't mean it didn't happen." Before turning to Sabre and telling him that it was actually Sabre that they had come to see as Harry wanted to speak with him.
"Oh is anything the matter Harry?" Sabre asked. He saw that he and Harry were about the same height since he hadn't really been on this side of the bar when talking with the English wizard in the past.
"Yeah everything is fine. I just thought I'd come and speak with you as I've got a proposition for you." Harry said honestly, suddenly feeling a little nervous.
"Oh right ok… Sounds a little mysterious but I'll close up and we can take a seat and discuss whatever this proposition is but I have to tell you now I'm not a wizard's wizard. So if you're wanting to ask me out on a date I'll have to gratefully decline" Sabre said laughing as Harry joined in.
Amy swatted him across the chest, "This is serious Sabre! I'm here as Harry's solicitor," she said irritably as Sabre didn't seem to be taking things seriously like he usually would have.
"Oh right. Sorry," Sabre said, pointing his wand at the sign on the door and flicking his wrist, sending it over onto displaying closed to the general public. "Why don't we all have a seat, Gigo could you make us something to drink?" Sabre asked, getting a nod from his bar manager who started busying himself behind the bar.
Sabre led them to a round circular table with six chairs around it and pulled one out for Amy who thanked him and sat down as Harry copied the action for Fleur who gave him a small smile and a 'merci' as she took her seat.
Sabre and Harry followed suit with Amy sitting on Harry's left and Fleur on her right as he sat opposite Sabre. "So Harry what is it you wanted to talk about with me?" Sabre inquired, leaning back on his chair and clasping his hands together across his chest, interlocking his fingers.
"Right well I won't take up too much of your time Sabre because Gigo said that you were going away." Harry replied calmly and leant forward resting his elbows on the table. He took a moment to gather his thoughts on how best to begin. "Sabre we haven't really known each other long at all and I can completely understand that me coming in here now saying I want to talk business with you has probably surprised you a bit." Harry explained before pausing.
"Yeah it has a little bit, but you seem like a decent guy Harry." Sabre replied, wondering where this was going as he didn't understand why Harry Potter wanted a private chat with him.
"As do you, Sabre," Harry said, grateful for the compliment. "Can I be frank?" Harry asked him.
"As long as I can still be Sabre" came his reply and a tut from Amy who rolled her eyes at the poor joke. "Sorry. Of course Harry there's no need to mince words with me." He said nodding to Harry.
"Ok well I've recently come into a large sum of money that I've inherited through the various family titles that I've had bestowed upon me and I've got ambitions to make my money work for me and to try and improve the magical world." Harry said, placing his forearms on the table.
"I've got a big project going on in England at the moment, which is great and hopefully will come off at least in part. However I want to make a mark, albeit it a subtler one, here in Japan as well and in the Banzai Bazaar especially." Harry said honestly.
"Ok and what does this have to do with me?" Sabre asked thinking about whether Harry was going where he thought with this.
"Well truth be told I really like Elixir Eddies and I was wondering whether you'd be open to the suggestion of me investing in it and adding it to my business portfolio." Harry said honestly feeling the knot that was forming in his stomach lessen having finally gotten the worst part of it over.
Sabre watched Harry for a long time thoughtfully not saying anything as he thought about the implications of selling the bar to Harry Potter and his own plans for the future. Harry looked to Fleur who was watching Sabre and then looked at Harry and shrugged her shoulders as Sabre continued to sit there like a sphinx not showing any emotion.
Harry looked across at Amy who was watching Sabre and thankfully she said "For Budha's sake Sabre will you say something please."
"So you want to buy my bar?" Sabre asked quickly like the question had been on the tip of his tongue ready as the words had barely left Amy's mouth before he asked his question.
Sabre was looking at Harry assessing whether he was going to be truthful with him and didn't take his eyes off him.
"No I don't want to buy your bar off you Sabre. I want to invest into it to help make it better. I don't want to be in charge or anything like that but I really think that this place has the potential to be packed and really make a lot of gold. The times I've been here it's been really good, the service is great, the drinks are good and I really think with a bit of money spent that it could be a real gold mine." Harry said honestly.
"Arry doesn't want to make you feel like he is wanting to run you out of your own business Sabre but he likes you and has some ideas that could make this place more successful." Fleur said sincerely to Sabre as he seemed angry at the suggestion of Harry wanting to invest in his business as he thought Harry wanted to buy it outright and take over it.
"So you don't want to completely take it off my hands?" Sabre asked.
"No, I thought that maybe we could become business partners." Harry answered as Sabre lent forwards so that he was leaning his elbows on the table.
"What makes you think that I need or want any help with this place? My uncle left me this place and it was his life. He was an important part of the community in the Bazaar for many years and he wanted to leave me the thing he loved most in the world besides his family. What makes you think I would let anyone come in and try and cash in on his legacy?" Sabre asked emotionlessly as he stared Harry down.
Harry thought for a moment about what Sabre was saying and nodded in agreement. "I'm not saying I think you will let anyone come into your business but I'm not wanting to destroy anything especially your uncle's legacy. In fact I'm wanting to maintain it." Harry answered confidently as what he said was true.
"You told me the first time we met that you never wanted to own a business and that you took over the bar because it was what your uncle really wanted. I respect that and can understand you wanting to honour his memory and his legacy. I'm not asking to take over anything. I just think that there are certain things that could be done with Elixir Eddies to make it massively popular again." Harry said, shrugging.
"It's still a pretty popular venue." Sabre said a little defensively. "Granted I've not had the gold to spruce the place up a bit and keep it updated and stuff I admit but that's not because it's not still popular."
"Well it's not like it used to be Sabre, even I will be honest enough with you to admit that," Amy said, feeling her stomach drop at the crestfallen face of Sabre's. She would never want to upset Sabre after all he'd done for her but Harry was right in that it was never Sabre's dream to run the bar. He enjoyed working there in the summers when in school but it was a waste of his magical talents and not something Sabre would have picked to do without feeling obligated. "I'm not trying to upset you or hurt your feelings Sabre but you know it's not as busy as it used to be." Amy went on. "This place used to be bouncing all the time and people had to queue at the door for ages just to get in. Just hear Harry out and see what he has to say and you never know he might say something that you like the sound of."
Sabre looked at Amy and knew that what she and Harry had said was true. He knew he was being defensive because he felt like it was admitting failure that the bar needed help. He nodded to his friend before letting out a sigh and looking down at the table.
"You're right of course. This place used to be one of the most popular spots in the Bazaar and now we only really get loyal customers that had fond memories of the place from their time at school and even then it's rare that they come back." Sabre said honestly and felt a little dejected.
"The truth is that Gigo has been keeping this place going and the people coming back more than me. He loves people and I've had other things that have taken up my time like trying to find different suppliers that might be able to help with different drinks and things from other countries that could spruce the menu up. The menu hasn't changed and we've not sold anything new in this bar since the 80s really. We've not been able to keep up with the times I guess. I have loads of cocktail books and scrolls with recipes and things I want to try, but I've not had the gold to get certain specialist items in to try them and see if they work." Sabre said.
"Can you not get the specialised things from Liqueur Lickers? It's only a couple of streets over and that has a lot of different stuff." Harry asked, surprised as he thought that the magical alcohol suppliers had an impressive range of items in.
"I can get a lot of it from there but over the years their owner hasn't let me have a business account as well… you see… when I first took over the bar I wasn't managing it very well and I was upset about my uncle dying." Sabre said looking for the words as he remembered how hard he'd hit rock bottom at the time. "Well I basically took out a load of things on the business account and I ended up hitting the bottle myself and couldn't pay it back." Sabre said honestly not wanting to meet any of their eyes.
He knew Amy knew the story but it really wasn't his finest hour and he didn't want it common knowledge that he'd had a major drinking problem.
"So I assume that Liqueur Lickers cut off your account?" Fleur asked her French accent saying the words 'Liqueur Lickers' quite heavily and Harry thought her accent sounded particularly appealing as she let it loose.
"Yes, I basically ended up owing them thousands of Kin and it took me years to pay it back once I eventually climbed out of my drunken stupor. If it wasn't for Gigo I could have ended up a complete mess. I think that's why he sticks around because he's scared of me falling back into my old ways in my darkest times. He's a brilliant manager though and a really good friend." Sabre said fondly about his colleague who at that moment was walking along with a tray of drinks for them.
"Ok so Kappa's Head for Amy, a Cherry and Swontnut Surprise for Harry." Gigo said as he distributed the glasses in front of them as he made his way round the table. "A Bakenko Blast for the lovely Fleur and a Hibiscus and Pomegranate smoothie for you boss." Gigo said before asking if there was anything else they needed.
"You remembered my favourite drink here," Fleur said to Gigo, giving him a winning smile that would make most men go weak at the knees.
"Of course and Harry's tipple each time he's come in here and I've made Amy so many of them over the years I have lost count." Gigo said bowing to the table and then making his way back to the bar.
"You see what I mean. He's a great bartender and I really don't know what I'd do without him." Sabre said fondly as he took a drink of his glass smacking his lips appreciatively. "Plus he keeps me off the booze for the most part and keeps me on mocktails whenever I'm in here with him." He added chuckling to himself.
"Well I'm glad to hear that you turned things around Sabre. Do you still owe them Kin or have you cleared them off?" Harry asked, concerned.
"I've cleared them off but the owner has said that he'd never give me a line of credit ever again because of how long it took to pay them back and that anything I get from there now I have to pay with cash straight away and they'll deliver everything here." Sabre answered with a shrug as if not really bothered by it.
"I see. Right ok well this is something that I could possibly help out with." Harry said leaning forward and looking towards Sabre.
"Alright Harry go on I'll hear you out. What are you thinking?" Sabre asked, while the cogs in his brain started to turn as he sat back again.
"Alright well I was thinking that if you were prepared to let me invest into your business then you can use the money for new furniture, new menus and glasses for the tables, maybe do some advertising in The Rising Sun, as well as stocking whatever you want behind the bar.
If you've got any outstanding debts on the business I can pay them off and then you have a choice between owing me the money instead. Alternatively if you preferred to use the money that I invest to give me a percentage of the ownership of the business so that you didn't' have to pay it back, then we split any profits that the bar makes by that percentage also." Harry said seeing Sabre not giving anything away as his face adopted a stoney expression.
"Plus Arry could get a business account set up with Liqueur Lickers and any other supplies that you wanted in his name so that you can get whatever supplies you want and a line of credit." Fleur interjected feeling that this was a valid point to make.
"Also if you think about it by being in partnership with Harry then we could arrange for some of the media to maybe interview him or photograph him here to boost the reputation of the place and I'm sure Hermione wouldn't mind coming in here every now and again to raise the profile of the bar." Amy added thinking that this was sounding like a good idea.
Sabre looked around them all and understood and agreed with everything that they were saying. He looked at Harry knowing that he was the money and ultimately the decision maker here and asked "What about Gigo?"
"What about Gigo?" Harry asked, confused.
"I'd need assurances that his job is safe and that goes for any other member of staff as well." Sabre said.
"Do you have other staff?" Amy asked honestly not knowing the answer.
"Yes a couple of people help out in the busier periods on the weekends as waiting staff. I can't find a cook that's good enough for the money I'm offering to open the kitchen up again in order to start selling bar food again." Sabre told Amy seeing her nodding.
"I can assure you that any staff member and Gigo's jobs would be safe Sabre because you'd have the controlling interest in the bar and be in charge of day to day operations." Harry said genuinely.
"You would let me stay in control of things day to day?" Sabre asked with his eyes betraying the surprise.
"Course. I'm still studying for my NEWTs and also I'm most likely going to be living back in England anyway so it's not like I'm going to be around sticking my nose into what you decide to do on a day to day basis. I just want to help make this place great again before I go back to England." Harry said hoping that Sabre wouldn't take that as an insult.
"Hm what you're saying is making a lot of sense Harry but what happens if I go with this and you get a part of my business and we don't get along and you want your money back?" Sabre asked Harry.
"Well this is where the agreement you and Harry come to has to be mutually beneficial but Harry does need a return on the investment he makes at this point if that helps turn the fortunes of the business around." Amy said.
"Don't forget that another thing is that if you allowed Harry to invest in the business then that would also mean that I can discount the bar on the work that I do on its behalf as well." Amy added tapping her foot against Sabre's under the table.
"Look why don't you take some time to think about it and then let me, Fleur or Amy know what you decide. If you decide that it's not for you then there will be no hard feelings and I'll just keep looking for places that might need some help that I see potential in." Harry said with a shrug thinking that it's true but that he'd really like Sabre to agree to his help.
"No need to Harry. I like what you're selling and think it's a good idea. You are all right. This place really does need freshening up and I have let it all go a bit stagnant." Sabre said, slapping his hand on the table.
"What! Really? Are you sure Sabre? You can have as much time as you need to think about it." Harry enquired, to which Sabre shook his head.
"No I've made my decision Harry but I would like Gigo's input as this concerns him as well." Sabre answered as he raised himself in his seat. "GIGO! COME HERE MY FRIEND!" Sabre called out to his colleague who came over and Sabre indicated a seat next to him and asked him to sit down as he wanted his thoughts and ideas on the situation they were about to present to him.
Sabre and the others then began to tell Gigo about what had happened in their meeting so far and he listened to all the points that they made and Harry was happy to see Gigo nodding along with what they were saying.
"So I assume that I'm going to have to call you both Boss from now on," Gigo said good humouredly.
"Well technically Sabre will be the boss. I'm just more a silent partner really." Harry said with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Well I have to say I think it's a good idea. Are you both equal partners?" Gigo asked as Harry looked to Sabre.
"Well it depends on how much money Harry is wanting to invest but I'll go and get my account statements and we can start working out the specifics of the deal." Sabre replied standing from the table as Harry felt Fleur's hand touch his forearm softly as she leaned in towards him like she wanted to whisper something to him.
Harry leant forward and he could smell Fleur's perfume and the soft pressure of her hand on his arm made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "I knew you could do it Arry. I think that he will like working with you and maybe once we've finalised the deal you could show me some of those cocktails zat you told me about." Fleur said.
"I'm sure that would be fine and if not I can always pay them for a cocktail making class?" Harry suggested as Fleur pressed her full lips together and gave an enthusiastic nod.
"I would like zat very much Arry." Fleur said, patting his arm.
As Sabre came back to the table carrying two ledgers he slid the thicker of the two to Harry and the other to Fleur. "The thicker one is an inventory of this year's accounts and everything that I've paid out for and had come in from till receipts and private functions etc. The thinner book is my accounts since the business started trading so that you can see what the business is coming out with each year." He said, indicating for them both to look.
While Harry and Fleur looked through the accounts Amy, Sabre and Gigo talked amongst themselves. Harry and Fleur started noticing changes in the amounts of the year as the bar lost popularity in the book that he had handed Fleur and Harry noticed that there were some amounts that were strange in the amount and regularity.
"Sabre can I ask you what a couple of the things in here are? I don't know what they are." Harry asked looking up from the book.
"Sure fire away." Sabre said, guessing that he knew what Harry would want to know about.
"Who is this Mace's that you are using so much?" Harry asked, noticing that there were transactions every week with them.
Sabre let out a sigh and answered, "They are my importers and suppliers." He confessed trying to keep the bitterness out of his mouth.
"And what are they importing for you and supplying?" Harry asked, seeing the numbers were quite large.
"They are where I'm having to get my alcohol from because Liqueur Lickers won't extend me a line of credit anymore so I'm having to use Mace's to get items from abroad and I've an arrangement with the owner to express everything so that I can get it through customs quickly and with less hassle because I'm having to get this stuff in as quick as I can in order to keep trading." Sabre explained, hating having to give Minahara Mace money to get alcohol into the country and knowing full well that Mace was putting a huge mark up on the stock that he was getting into the country for him.
"Oh right I see. It's just that some of these amounts are pretty high." Harry said knowing the amount of alcohol he'd bought for himself, the Tigers and the Turtles in Liqueur Lickers hadn't been even half of these prices and he wondered whether the prices he was having to pay was what was crippling the business.
"They are higher than Liqueur Lickers but Mace's will give me a line of credit at least. If I got stuff from Liqueur Lickers then I have to buy it in cash at the time because they won't let me run up a bill after last time." Sabre offered, the irritation and sadness evident in his voice.
"I take it you aren't fond of this person from Maces," Fleur added, observing Sabre and he and Amy exchanged a look that Fleur and Harry didn't miss.
"No I'm not. I think he's a complete crook if I'm honest but what else can I do? I've got a business to run and even though I don't like him and feel he's ripping me off at every opportunity he gets, there's nothing I can do about it. Believe me I'd love to be able to tell him to go stick his head up his arse but I need him and he's always supplied me with what I need." Sabre said and while he'd hated to admit it the last comment was certainly true, although Sabre wouldn't tell Harry it was because he pulled rank over him and forced him into supplying his business.
Although he hadn't let Minahara know that Elixir Eddie's was his. He'd just told the Jade Dragon Lieutenant that the business was vital for the Dragon's operations and that he insisted that they supply the business as Sabre was running money through the books for the Jade Dragon and needed a legitimate front for the business.
Mace, not being the brightest spark, hadn't questioned if it was a front why they would actually need the supply of alcohol but Sabre had kept the Lieutenant on his toes and said that he would make sure that he got a cut of the money made by the bar.
In reality Sabre hadn't been doing anything illegal through the bar or its accounts but had told his superiors that he used the bar as his base of operations and they had accepted his ingenuity and with some creative accounting he'd been able to provide them with false records to keep The Jade Dragon Colonel's happy with him doing the accounts for the region.
"Well if we're going into business together I don't want to be dealing with a crook or a rip off merchant so you might get your chance quicker than you think." Harry said, with an evil grin on his face as Sabre's face took on a smile at this similar to Harry's and he nodded along with what Harry was saying.
"The only other thing I'd like to know is what this…" Harry asked while looking down at the ledger "ProtJD is?" as he looked back up at Sabre.
"Well that's a necessary business cost that we have to meet each month or else we wouldn't have a business to run." Sabre explained knowing what was coming as he saw Fleur lean into Harry and put her hand on his thigh as she leant across looking at the ledger and where Harry's finger was pointing.
Sabre watched Harry look at Fleur's hand and then her and he could only imagine how Harry might be having a hard time keeping his composure with the attractive French witch's hand on his thigh.
"But it is almost three times as expensive as your rent here and comes out every month?" Fleur asked curious as to what it could be.
"Well it's not really something that can be negotiated." He replied, looking at Gigo and Harry thought he looked a little guilty as he looked at the older wizard.
"What is it then?" Harry asked, feeling a little flustered but relieved as Fleur leant back in her seat and took her hand from his thigh.
"It's protection money to make sure that nothing happens to the bar." Gigo answered for Sabre who looked at him and getting an unapologetic shrug back, "What it's not like he's not going to find out eventually is it?" Gigo asked firmly.
"Find out what? Protection money from who?" Harry asked before the penny dropped. "So this is money you are having to give the Jade Dragon to leave your business alone and not damage things?" he asked appalled.
Harry saw Sabre and surprisingly Amy both look down at the table dejected, their heads bowed. "Yes Harry but all the businesses in the Bazaar have to pay the same thing otherwise they will have their property, stock, and building damaged or their staff attacked." Amy said quietly.
"So you pay this as well?" Harry asked, getting a nod of the head from Amy.
"Everyone does Harry as its part and parcel of owning a business in the Bazaar and that's why getting customers is so important." Sabre explained.
"But it's four thousand kin a month Sabre." Harry looked at the ledger, "The rent of the bar and the land tax isn't that much each month combined." He added, appalled that so much money was being lost to a bunch of thugs.
"Why hasn't the ministry put a stop to this?" Fleur asked, equally appalled.
"They've tried," Amy said thinking back to a few years ago. "No they really have, they stationed an auror at every single business in the Bazaar so that when Jade Dragon members came to collect the money they could stop them." She explained as Sabre took over.
"They were successful in getting them out of the shops and onto the streets but when the amount of aurors getting injured and attacked started to increase it stretched the auror office to breaking point and they had to pull the aurors out for their own safety." Sabre said retelling the story as he remembered the amount of violence at the time and that the auror office had been stretched to breaking point due to the amount of aurors that were injured.
"What so the ministry just let the Jade Dragon have free reign throughout the Bazaar now?" Harry asked the Japanese witch and wizards.
"Not at all. They just realised quickly that stationing Aurors around the place or patrolling constantly was a better way of policing the Bazaar and that it allowed them to have a number of Aurors waiting in support at the first sign of trouble but could also go about their other tasks and doing investigations." Gigo said as he tapped his fingers on the table looking a little nervous.
"So they just patrol and react?" Fleur asked the Japanese three. "Do they not know how these Jade Dragon people are to arrest zem?" she added, wondering why Jade Dragon members were allowed to wander around the Bazaar unchecked as she'd spotted a couple of them hanging around every now and again but not in great numbers.
"Well they don't normally identify themselves for the most part especially the people higher up in the organisation and I even heard rumours that certain shop and business owners in the Bazaar might be part of them as well, so they might work to hide them." Gigo said as Amy and Sabre nodded.
"Well I've spotted some of them around the place. They were wearing black robes edged in a dark green and granted they had their faces covered but it wouldn't be hard to identify some of them as one the blokes I saw who lifted a guy in Liqueur Lickers up by the throat from behind the counter. He'd be easy to recognise as he was a massive bloke and you don't see many men like him walking about." Harry said remembering the Jade Dragon members coming into Liqueur Lickers when he went in with Hero and the Turtles.
Sabre and Amy exchanged a quick look thinking that Harry had possibly just described Celsun Hammer as they knew he liked to work over Liqueur Lickers with Mace and a couple of their cronies. Fox had told them it was one of their longest running spots for protection money.
"Well they were most likely the lower ranks and they are the ones the Aurors normally look out for. It's the Hit Wizards and Witches that tend to be the major threat and are harder to identify." Sabre explained. "They are normally the ones going after the higher ranked people in the Jade Dragon since they want to collect the bounties on any identifiable targets."
"Hit Wizards?" Harry asked as Amy leant forward to explain.
"Do you not have Hit Wizards in Britain?" she asked as Harry shrugged and said that he didn't know.
"Well a hit wizard is a bit like a bounty hunter of criminals or wanted people. They try to capture them and turn them into the ministry for a reward." Amy explained looking at Harry and seeing that he understood.
"Right ok so what makes them more of a threat than a Ministry sanctioned Auror?" Harry asked the three Japanese nationals.
"Well they aren't limited to stunning wanted people in order to apprehend them, like the Aurors tend to be, so they have more spells in their arsenal and can use them without fear of being prosecuted as they are all registered and licenced with the ICW." Sabre explained thinking about some of the battles he'd had with Hit Wizards over the last few years.
"So they can use more powerful spells like what?" Harry asked curiously as it made better sense to be able to use any means necessary to apprehend a dangerous or wanted person as they weren't firing stunners back but sometimes killing curses and blood boiling hexes.
"Well no one complains if they use things like bone breakers for example." Amy answered thinking about spells that she knew Jade Dragon members had been hit with.
"Or slashing hex to detach a limb" Gigo said before adding "so long as they reattach the limb before they turn the suspect in for questioning."
"There's a multitude of things that they are allowed to do especially if they are having unforgivable curses thrown at them." Sabre added.
"What do they look like, these Hit Wizards?" Fleur asked, trying to think about anyone she might have seen that would look like a hit wizard.
"No one knows. They could look just completely normal to everyone else as they don't need to identify themselves except when they are making an arrest." Amy replied, recalling how there was frustratingly no identifiable clothing or uniforms for Hit Wizards from the ones that she'd encountered.
"Why not just have Hit Wizards instead of Aurors everywhere then? It makes more sense for them to be able to do what's necessary to capture someone without the restriction." Harry questioned out loud as he was thinking on the point he just made.
"Well there's the cost of them for one thing, because the rewards they collect are very high. Also getting licenced by the ICW takes time as they have to show that they aren't just going to go off chasing down criminals or that they are mentally sound. Plus they need to pass certain tests because you have to be a really skilled and powerful witch or wizard to be able to become a Hit Wizard." Gigo explained.
"So why don't all the shop owners club together the money that they are paying in protection each month and hire some Hit Wizards to take out members of the Jade Dragon that are giving them problems?" Harry asked as Fleur nodded leaning forwards interested in hearing the answer to that.
"Well no one knows how many members the Jade Dragon has and how many they have around the Bazaar for one thing, plus if the shop owners were to do that there are no guarantees that they would be able to overcome the Jade Dragon's numbers. Say it didn't work and then the Jade Dragon found out you had a hand in hiring the Hit Wizards? It would endanger their families and people they cared about from retaliation that would occur," Sabre said by way of explanation.
"But if people do not stand up for what is right against these tyrants then they are due to live a life where they will be pushed around and exploited." Fleur said passionately. "Arry, Hermione, Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix proved that in England, zat if you stand up against evil you can win. The situation in England is now improving massively compared to what it was like. The ministry is getting rid of any corrupting element in it now and they have a strong minister and people like Arry who are making positive changes there." She added seeing Sabre and the other two looking at her.
"Well we've heard bits about what happened in England but this is a problem that we've had for hundreds of years and it's being managed as best as it can be. There is a group called the Grey Lions who are trying to fight the Jade Dragon. They are like a bunch of vigilantes I suppose but they are made up of volunteers and most of them keep their identity confidential as well as they could be made up of anyone.
Be it shopkeepers and workers, aurors or anything, but they aren't restrained by being a government official organisation or anything," Gigo said as there was a knock on the door to the bar. They all turned around in their chairs seeing a large number of quidditch fans crowded around the entrance looking through the door and window trying to see if they were open. Gigo got up and opened the door and they asked if they could come in as there was a group of twenty of them and they wanted a quick drink before the match started.
"Just let them in Gigo as they are a large group." Sabre called out as Gigo let them in and then the bar was suddenly full of life. While the quidditch fans were talking excitedly about the game Harry deliberately kept his back to them in case they recognised him and suddenly wanted autographs and pictures.
While they were having their drinks Sabre and Amy asked more about how Harry was finding Mahoutokoro and talked about which Clan he was in. They had been shocked to hear that Harry and Hermione had been selected by all of the Clan's guardians and questioned Harry about what all the Clan territories were like.
After fifteen minutes there was a loud gong that seemed to vibrate throughout the whole of the Bazaar and the quidditch fans all necked whatever was left of their drinks and all quickly made their way out of the bar as Gigo closed and locked the door after them.
"What was that?" Fleur asked in regards to the gong.
"That's the Quidditch stadium announcing that they are open and the sound is magically amplified to send a wave of sound and vibration through the Bazaar to let everyone know that the match will start in the next ten minutes." Amy answered.
"So Harry," Sabre interjected, wanting to get the conversation back on track to the purpose of Harry's visit. "Given what you've seen in the books and what we've said, do you still feel like you want to invest in the bar?" he asked Harry, thinking that the conversation would most likely have turned the English wizard off investing in the bar. Sabre braced himself for the upcoming disappointment as the injection of cash would be just what Sabre needed in order to meet his own plans for the future.
Harry sat there and thought for a moment about what had been said and weighed up the options. "Well while I don't like that you have to pay protection money to these crooks for basically just keeping them away from the business, I still think that with some financial help and some help this place can really become 'the' place to be seen in the Bazaar, so I'm still willing to invest." Harry said seeing Sabre and Amy visually relax a little.
"That's really great news." Sabre said smiling widely as the relief started to wash over him.
"The question is how you want to go about sorting out the problems that we've got going on here?" Harry asked.
"How do you mean?" Sabre replied, his brow furrowing.
"Well do you want to do this like a business loan where I invest so much money for a return on profit and the loan repayments." Harry looked at Sabre and spoke with more confidence than he was feeling. "Or would you prefer me to invest for a percentage of the business and the money I invest only comes out of the profits that we make?" he asked, seeing Sabre sit back and think for a moment.
"I haven't really thought about it but I was thinking that if we can get Liqueur Lickers back on board to maybe set up a credit facility we can maximise profits by having money owed to them and not use business money until we are back in profit" Sabre said seeing Harry start to shake his head.
"Sabre you don't need to worry about a credit facility with Liqueur Lickers anymore as I've got enough funds to stock up the bar with what we need and then we can just buy it from the profits. I don't think using credit unless necessary is the way to go as we don't need to." Harry said shrugging his shoulders and Harry could see that Sabre was sceptical.
"Believe me Sabre Arry has enough money to not even worry about profit, but he's right in what he is saying. Yes a credit facility is useful if you need it in an emergency but I think that Arry is right in that you restock with the investment he makes, clear any debtors you have and then restock from the profits that the bar makes." Fleur said, giving Harry a nod as he looked at her happy that she got his point.
"But we can make more profit if we have the account and credit facility in place and we can use the investment for other things that we need to do and change around here." Sabre argued.
"I agree with Harry, boss. I mean I don't think using credit is the best way to start off your working relationship together. Plus you'd have to convince the guy that owns Liqueur Lickers to give you credit as well and do you really want the first thing you suggest to them when you go into business with Harry here is ask to borrow?" Gigo reasoned, shrugging to Sabre.
"He's got a point Sabre. I get that you want to maximise profit straight away, but why have owing money hanging over you constantly when there is no need. I think it would be better for you to be able to run the business without having the thought of owing money hanging over you." Harry pointed out.
"Alright fair enough." Sabre said feeling a little defeated but realised they made sense.
"So how do you want to go about this then Sabre?" Harry asked, looking down at this year's ledger and flicking through the pages until he got to the balance sheet of the business in its current state. "It's showing on here that you've got a delivery coming from Mace's that's going to cost three thousand Kin and you've got the protection payment due in a few days' time. Other than that I can't see anything else outstanding as you've no business loan but you've only got five thousand Kin and sixteen Gin in your account, so you'll be short potentially of making both payments." Harry pointed out.
"Well that's not including the money that we make this weekend and what's already in the cash drawer." Gigo pointed out before adding, "We normally do quite well when there is a quidditch match since we're on a major route to the stadium."
"Alright well I'm happy to invest, but again we go back to what you want or how much you want from me and what terms you want to set. Knowing Amy is friends with you is good as well as I know she won't let either of us make a bad deal." Harry said getting an affirmative from Amy but that ultimately as her client she had to prioritise his interests over her friendship with Sabre.
Sabre looked at Gigo and said "What are your thoughts on this Gigo?"
The older wizard looked at Sabre and Harry could see the affection that the older wizard had for Sabre.
"Eddie was my friend and you're my friend now Sabre and I would never advise anything that I thought would be bad for you. It isn't my place to say as this is your business and your uncle left it for you. He loved you and wanted you to have a living no matter what you chose to do with your life." Gigo replied, folding his arms across his broad chest.
"Gigo you've been my friend, confidante and advisor all my adult life. Tell me what you think? I have my own idea of things but I want your thoughts on this. You always give me sound advice and I want to know." Sabre said affectionately and placed a strong hand on the bald wizard's shoulder giving it a firm affectionate squeeze.
Gigo nodded and thought for a few moments looking at his drink and taking the occasional sip as the others did the same and Fleur and Harry kept looking at each other feeling a little awkward as the minutes stretched by with no one saying anything.
Harry leaned into Fleur and she leant forward offering her ear as her nostrils flared and her eyelashes fluttered on smelling Harry's aftershave, and her allure slipped a little letting off her veela pheromones as she waited for Harry to speak.
As Harry leant in to Fleur and her perfume caught his nostrils again he found himself feeling a little light headed and really turned on suddenly as he whispered "How long do you think we should leave him thinking?" And then for a reason he couldn't fathom and unable to stop himself he took Fleur's earlobe into his mouth and seductively sucked on it feeling the small diamond against his tongue.
Fleur gave a violent shiver and felt herself flood as Harry sucked on her earlobe and she felt her nipples harden as hard as diamonds. Her inner veela roared approval. She just wanted to turn and take Harry's lips with hers. She disappointingly felt his mouth leave her ear and she turned looking at Harry, her eyes and his locked as he shook his head apparently trying to clear it.
He looked like he'd just slapped her or something and he said "I'm really sorry Fleur I don't know what came over me then." And his cheeks coloured and Fleur just wanted to straddle him there and then.
It took every fibre of her being to restrain herself as she quickly looked at Sabre and Amy. Who, she was happy to see, were writing each other notes on Amy's pad leaving Gigo to his thoughts.
Fleur put her hand on Harry's forearm as she felt her heart start racing as she leaned into him seeing him tense as she whispered in his ear "Mmmm you don't need to apologise Arry. Let him take as long as he takes. I'm sure we can entertain each other until he is finished, non?" The voice her head screamed at her not to but she found her lips on Harry's cheek and kissed it slowly then turned her head leaning her cheek against his loving the feeling of his skin against her.
"So" Gigo suddenly said, giving them all a start and Fleur shot back into her seat fully turning and wondering whether anyone saw how close and intimately she and Harry had been sitting together.
No one appeared to have noticed and Fleur had to cross her legs as her centre was throbbing with want as she crossed her arms and rubbed her arms as if warming them to disguise that her nipples needed some attention as the friction of her arms pressing them into her chest.
She was so horny she felt almost drunk with lust and she needed to do something to put out the fire between her legs in order to help her concentrate. She could feel the magic coming off Harry after her contact. She had always been able to feel a wizard's power especially after physical and especially intimate contact.
"Fleur are you alright? Are you cold?" Harry asked, seeing Fleur rubbing her outer arms with her arms across her chest as she looked just as flustered as he was. She nodded as if without hearing him and Harry took off his jacket and draped it over the back of her shoulders.
Harry was feeling horny after Fleur had kissed his cheek and he assumed that he sucked on her ear lobe because he'd been affected by her allure. He couldn't deny that Fleur was absolutely stunning and a really nice person but he never would have just done something like under normal circumstances and was confused why he had then.
"You two ok?" Gigo asked, his voice a little concerned.
"Yes sorry Gigo please continue," Harry replied apologetically, feeling his cheeks burn as in the corner of his eye he saw Fleur lean back pushing her chest forward and it took everything he had not to look as he focused on Gigo. He was focusing when he sensed Fleur covering the movement with a stretch and then she took her normal seat position except she crossed her legs and Harry felt the tip of her shoe on the outside of his calf.
"Ok so my thoughts on the matter is that you should sell a stake in the bar to Harry in order to generate enough money to re-decorate and also so that you can get stuff from anywhere other than Mace's. I think you should sell a stake rather than taking it as a business loan as that way Harry will be more invested into making sure the business is a success rather than just getting his money back and then pulling out." Gigo explained while Sabre and the others listened to him.
"Plus I like Harry. He's a nice guy and if he is willing to help the business as well as allowing Amy to be the magical solicitor for the bar. I fail to see the negative. Plus if the bar is more successful then maybe Harry will let you buy the stake in it back?" Gigo added as he looked at Harry speculatively and the English wizard shrugged and said that he could be prepared to do that and would at least discuss it if that arises.
Sabre clapped his friend on his back and nodded at him. "This is why I love you so much Gigo you think exactly like me" he said affectionately as he looked up to Gigo like a favourite uncle. "Right then Harry, what I would like to do if you are willing is make a proposal."
"Sure I'm all ears." Harry replied, curious to see what Sabre suggested.
"Well I would like to propose that you buy a fifty percent stake in my bar for a two hundred and fifty thousand Kin investment." Sabre said watching Harry's reaction to the figure he threw out there but the English wizard wasn't giving much away so he pressed on sure that the rest of his proposal would at least cause a raised eyebrow. "So that would mean that we both own fifty percent of the bar. However I would like us to be equal partners but I believe that we need to have someone to break any stalemate when it comes to making decisions about the bar."
Again Harry didn't say anything but just gestured for Sabre to continue with his proposal. "Right so then I would like you to agree that both yourself and I give five percent of our stakes to Gigo so that he has ten percent of the bar. He's looked after me and been my friend for most of my life but he doesn't automatically side with me and I believe that he would be fair and wouldn't just automatically side with me. He is as much a part of Elixir Eddies as anyone else and cares about the business and is devoted to it. So I would like for him to be a part in helping shape and guide its future." Sabre said to Harry, not breaking eye contact with each other.
"Now look here Sabre you don't ha…" Gigo started to say before Harry interrupted him.
"Done. I think that would be a very wise decision as well and will prevent us having a stalemate and I think Gigo will be fair as well. I personally don't think that we would have many things we don't agree on or couldn't work out. Plus I'm sure Amy would help keep everything going smoothly." Harry said, smiling at the Japanese witch who smiled back and nodded.
"Sure I have been known to bang two heads together from time to time." Amy commented with a grin at Sabre and Harry could only wonder whether that was literally or figuratively.
"Look here you two, you can't just give away part of your business to me like that." Gigo said, looking a little flustered.
"Sure we can," Harry and Sabre said at the same time before grinning at each other like naughty boys pulling one over on their dad.
"I want you to be a part of this Gigo. You've more than earned it and if it wasn't for you looking out for me during those dark years there wouldn't be an Elixir Eddies left. You deserve to help shape its future, enjoy and reap the rewards for its success," Sabre added, getting a reluctant nod of the head from Gigo who Harry could see was getting a little emotional.
"Thank you. I never had children of my own Sabre and I've always looked at you as if you were my own son and I promise to do everything I can to help this place do well." Gigo said as he put a fatherly hand on Sabre's shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze.
"Your very welcome old man. You know I care about you too," Sabre replied, getting a boyish smile from Gigo. "I was thinking then that if we plough any profit we get for a certain amount of time back into the business to try and build up cash reserves then it would help the business in the long run." He added to Harry who looked at Fleur and it appeared this is something that they had already discussed.
"We can do that if you like as I agree the bar needs to become self-sufficient and be able to spend what it earns and support itself. Fleur and I had discussed it and thought that we could maybe do maybe a twenty, twenty, ten and fifty split. Keep half of the profits back in the bar and then you and I take twenty percent of the profits each, and then Gigo takes the other ten. Obviously there isn't any point doing that until the bar is turning a profit and an adequate one at that before we take anything out. I just mean in the future when it's becoming more profitable every month to give us the chance to see some rewards for our efforts." Harry said to the table seeing nods around it.
"That sounds like a good idea Harry, although any profit I receive from the ten percent you've both given me I'd probably just reinvest in the business anyway, so I suppose I'll set up an account and we can use that so we have a little money put aside for a rainy day incase something happens." Gigo said, getting nods of agreement from Harry and Sabre while Amy was scribbling on her notepad.
"Alright then I think that's a good idea and we're all agreed on it." Sabre said, getting agreement from around the table. "So what do we do now?" he asked the table.
"Well I will get the official contracts drawn up when I get back to the office on Monday and bring you both a copy to sign so that we can get things finalised quickly." Amy said to the table.
"I can ave the funds moved at Gringotts with written permission from Arry either by letter or by banking a beseecher slip into your personal account Sabre." Fleur said before adding "Although you might want to discuss this with the goblins and your account manager as to what you want to do with the funds."
"I don't have a business account manager anymore at Gringotts. I was told that the account wasn't earning enough to warrant one." Sabre said honestly.
"Well I shall ave a word with Tengu and see if we can't get that rectified." Fleur said smiling at Sabre and seeing him smile in return.
"So once we've got the money moved over then what do you want to do Harry?" Gigo asked. Curious to see what the young English wizard had been thinking about the bar. Since he'd first met Harry, he had thought that he had calculating eyes.
"Well… I was thinking that maybe we go to Liqueur Lickers and have a word with them there about possibly opening a payment account and if they aren't willing to do that for Sabre, then maybe we should all go down. If need be we can put a large deposit in as a show of good faith that can be repaid to me over the next few months as we become profitable. " Harry suggested.
"I think it would be nice for maybe Sabre to be able rub their faces in it a little bit Arry and that you should go there with him and after they maybe have refused him then step in and say that you are his business partner and then drop the beseecher slip onto them and watch them start to kiss Sabre's ass a little." Fleur said flashing a mischievous smile and wink at Harry.
"I like how she thinks." Sabre said grinning and turning to Amy.
"What do you think Amy?" he asked his friend.
"I think Harry is right, get the supplies that you want in and then maybe get working on creating a new menu with drinks that the three of you want on them. I'm sure Fleur and I wouldn't mind sampling your concoctions, and telling you what does and doesn't work." Amy answered, getting a smirk from the French witch.
"That's fine by me Amy, but I'll warn you now that I've quite the tolerance for alcohol." Fleur commented as Harry uttered "that's an understatement" under his breath.
"Well I can assure you Fleur that Amy can more than handle herself." Sabre countered then laughing at Amy's innocent expression.
"Ok shall we all get going then?" Harry suggested standing up as Sabre waved him down.
"Sorry Harry but I've had an idea. How about if Amy and I go to Liqueur Lickers now with a Beseecher slip, just in case they don't believe me and then If you wanted to you and Fleur can have full run on the bar and have a go at making some cocktails behind the bar before we reopen after the match and see what you can create for when we get back?" Sabre explained as Harry retook his seat.
"Well sure if you want to do that, but are you sure you don't want me to come with you? You know just in case they don't believe you that we're in business together." Harry asked thinking it might be best if they all went.
"It will be fine Harry. I will be able to get the point across that yourself and Sabre are now partners to the manager at Liqueur Lickers. I know that he'll believe me as I represent them on some matters every now and again." Amy said, running her hand through her hair.
"Alright well if you're sure. You up for a little cocktail experimentation Fleur?" Harry asked the French witch turning towards her as her face took on a sultry smirk as she replied "I'm always up for experimentation Arry."
Harry felt tingles all over as Fleur dropped that little innuendo out there and he felt the others all shift in their seats and turned to see Sabre whisper into Gigo's ear as he nodded and said 'he would' to Sabre as Amy and Sabre got up from the table.
Harry pulled out his beseecher book for his personal account and wrote out a slip to Liqueur Lickers for six thousand kin and handed it to Amy. "Take that just in case. It should be enough to at least take you both seriously if they don't believe you. If you don't need to use it then just destroy it." Harry said knowing from having seen the books that the supplies that they were purchasing had been costing that.
"No problem Harry. We won't be long and Gigo is here if you need him." Amy said as she slipped the slip into her back pocket and she made her goodbyes with Sabre before they both left the bar pulling the door closed behind them.
"Right then boss. You've got the place to yourself for the next hour at least I think because there is always a bit of a show before the International matches." Gigo said while getting up and Harry and Fleur followed him behind the bar as he went to the end near the window where there was a stack of about nine books at the end and he selected one of them.
He flicked through the pages and found them a page with four cocktails on it and said that he would show them how to make one of them and then they could give it a go themselves and then if they did alright with it they could have a go at creating their own signature cocktail.
Harry grinned at this and acted humbly when Gigo said it wasn't as easy as he thought because just adding loads of things together doesn't necessarily mean that the balance of the drink would be correct as it needed to taste good.
Harry didn't mention that Spike at the Spiny Serpent or Brian at the White Wyvern pub had taught him all about cocktails and alcohol and explained the fundamentals to him because it was a lot like creating a potion and really did take a good base of knowledge to get it to work.
Fleur was clearly interested and Harry smiled at seeing her focused and he imagined that in school Fleur must have hung on her teachers' every word. Gigo started showing them the different pieces of equipment to make the drinks and then he started to explain what each of the bottles were in the tray in front of him under the bar and then pointed out the more exotic liqueurs and mixers behind them.
Gigo then took to making a cocktail called a Rising Sun and Harry watched him move with an impressive and relaxed manner as he poured different bottles contents into the cocktail shaker with his hands, flicking his wrist as the bottles moved around him in a dancing somersaulting display that Harry knew he wouldn't be able to do.
Fleur was watching Gigo's movements and where he caught the bottles and whether he put a spin onto the bottle or twisted it to control the weight of the bottle as it moved through the air.
After a few moments Gigo took his wand from a quick release holster on his lower back in his right hand while in his left hand he reached into a compartment under the bar and pulled out an orange, a pineapple and a red fruit with green spikes on that Harry didn't recognise.
Gigo took the fruits one by one throwing them into the air as he hit them with a levitating spell causing the three fruits to hold their positions. He then did a very quick spin on the spot and the three fruits spun around him before hovering above the cocktail shaker that Gigo had placed on the bar.
Harry and Fleur then watched the three fruits form into a tight circle above the shaker and then started to rotate pressing against each other fast and faster as Gigo did a corkscrew motion with his wand and Harry watched as if invisible hands were squeezing the juice out of the fruits as there was a downpour of liquid that landed in the shaker perfectly as Gigo flicked his wrist behind him and the flap on a bin at the end of the bar opened and the fruit skins and unneeded flesh flew into the bin.
Gigo with his left hand flicked up the glass lid that landed perfectly in the shaker covering the liquid. "Shaken cocktails are always best but sometimes it's good to blend them as well." Gigo said as he levitated the shaker and it started flipping over on itself in mid air and the liquid was spinning and Harry could see the different liquids sloshing together until it had created a nice blood orange coloured liquid.
As the shaker landed Gigo tapped the side and there was a whirring noise and he motioned them both forwards as they lent forwards, looking through the shaker glass they could see the liquid was like a whirlpool.
Gigo taped the shaker again and it stopped whirling the liquid. Gigo then took a cocktail glass and applied a freezing charm making it frosted before the glass on the shaker lifted off and started washing itself in the water in the sink before plopping upside down onto a metal copper drainage grid on the bar.
Gigo grabbed the glass and poured the liquid into the cocktail glass, almost filling it. He then reached behind him for a small red bottle in the shape of a star and poured a thick almost syrupy liquid into the glass and Harry saw it pool around the bottom of the glass.
Gigo then pointed his wand at the glass as the empty shaker cleaned itself before plonking down on the counter next to the shaker glass. There was an orange glow around the glass with whatever spell Gigo had used before it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
"Here look closely" he said leaning down and Fleur and Harry following his example and they looked to see the red liquid slowly start to spread through the orange liquid before looking like a sunrise. The liquid then sunk again and repeated the process. "It's meant to represent the sun rising in the east and the land of the rising sun. Have a try," he said encouragingly.
Harry gestured for Fleur to take a sip first as she took the glass and raised it to her full lips and took a sip. "Mmmm that's delicious. It's' like a really rich orange and rose?" she said the last sounding unsure.
"Close. You try Harry and see if you can taste what that is," Gigo replied, putting the star shaped bottle back the wrong way so Harry couldn't read the label.
Harry took the glass from Fleur and their eyes met as his hand contacted hers and they both looked away. He brought the glass to his lips and took a drink. He immediately got the lovely almost burnt taste of orange in his mouth and then as he swallowed the liquid there was a floral taste that reached his mouth and it started off as rose but ended more deep and fruit like to his pallet.
"Is it Cherry Blossom?" Harry asked thinking that for some reason the taste reminded him of the Cherry Blossom smell in Tiger Land.
"Yes it is." Gigo said his eyes wide in surprise. "I'm impressed. I never would have thought you'd get that. Yes, it is concentrated cherry blossom and ginseng. Right well have a look through the recipes and pick one of these four to give it a go and don't worry about doing the incantations and wand work if you think they're a bit tricky." Gigo said as he laughed at the determined look on both Harry and Fleur's faces.
"Don't think that Arry and I can't handle our own Gigo" Fleur said as she and Harry moved forwards together and leant forward looking through the recipe. Fleur found herself linking arms with Harry and was feeling the pulse between her legs as the outside of his arm was pressed against her breast as she looked through the recipes.
"Try and get a hold of yourself. You promised Hermione this morning that you weren't going after him and now you're deliberately trying to make contact with him!" Fleur thought in her head feeling a small well of guilt in her stomach.
Fleur knew that it was the veela in her wanting to pursue him and that his magic as well as his appearance and the control he had against her allure was driving her veela nature crazy and she reluctantly let go of his arm as the witch in her chastised herself for being like this towards him.
As she looked at the recipes without really seeing she couldn't help the thought that Harry was technically her boss. She found the thought of flirting with her boss incredibly arousing especially as Harry was so powerful and rich. The veela and submissive side in her was naturally drawn to the dominant side of him, wanting; No, willing Harry to completely own her.
Plus she had seen Harry naked as well and that was often the source of her recent masturbation sessions that she had. Recalling seeing his body and privates in all their glory when getting into the shower as he was getting out.
The throbbing between her legs was getting ridiculous and she knew that she was going to have to do something about it or else she was likely to completely break her word and just mount Harry there and then.
"Fleur are you ok?" Harry asked her looking concerned and her blue eyes met his green and she couldn't stop her eyes going to his lips.
"Erm yes Arry I'm fine." She answered quietly.
"You sure? You seemed a million miles away then." putting his hand on her shoulder not realising that this was activating the butterflies in her stomach and turning her on even more. She could practically feel his magic in his fingertips and it was sending her crazy.
"Sorry. I think I need the bathroom." Fleur replied, not meeting Harry's eyes as Gigo told her it was to the end of the room on the right hand side past the jukebox.
Fleur didn't hear what Harry and Gigo said after that as they started talking, she assumed, about the cocktail that Harry was going to try and make and Fleur had to try and walk as normally as possible on her shaky legs to the bathroom.
She didn't know how she was going to be able to keep working with Harry as just him touching her was enough to make her so turned on that she almost orgasmed.
She managed to make it to the door and looked back to see Harry starting to move a bottle into his hand and she couldn't take it anymore. She ducked into the bathroom and made the three quick steps down the corridor to the ladies bathroom.
She pushed the door open going through it and was disappointed to see that there was no lock on the main door.
The bathroom had three cubicles built into the wall with heavy brown wooden doors on them. Opposite the cubicles were three mirrors set into ornate picture frames and they were over three dark green marble sinks.
Unable to wait any longer Fleur made three quick steps across to the first open cubicle door, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor as she went. She pirouetted on the point of her toes and fell back first against the hard and cold wooden door.
She turned her head to the left, seeing herself in the mirror and happy that she could also see the door and if needed she could slip into the cubicle fully and close the door if anyone came in.
She could see that she had a slight flushed pink tinge to her cheeks as her hands went to her stomach. Her brain started fantasizing thinking that they were Harry's hands as they found their way up over her stomach and onto her breasts. She squeezed her nipples through her dress, happy that she wasn't wearing a bra that day as the silky material of her dress was a delicious pressure against her sensitive nipples.
She bit her lower lip and a purr of pleasure escaped her lips as she pictured Harry's handsome face looking at her and his hands on her breasts squeezing them sending pleasure through her body like fire in her veins.
She imagined Harry kissing her neck and ear as one of her hands left her breast and ran up her neck imaging her fingertips to be his lips. She imagined his body pressed against her, his thigh pressing between her legs causing them to part.
Fleur opened her eyes, looking into the mirror, seeing her chest heaving as her arousal spiked and letting out a guttural roar as she quickly undid the buttons holding the front of her dress together, arching her back and pulling the material aside exposing her large breasts.
Her hands found them again squeezing them and causing a pleasure filled moan to escape her lips as she rolled her stiff buds with her thumbs before giving them a pinch.
Her right hand left her breast and she started to quickly pull the tight skirt up over her buttocks and hips until the material was pooled around her waist. Her skimpy silver grey thong barely covering her modesty came into view and Fleur pushed off the door with her back until she was facing the mirror.
She could see the lust in her reflection in the mirror, almost like she was having an out of body experience. She watched herself playing with her breasts and noticed the crotch of her panties was a touch darker because of her wetness.
She turned slowly observing herself in the mirror until her round bottom was staring back at her. The thin sliver of material in the crack of her arse as her right hand ran up the outside of her thigh from her knee and onto the soft smooth skin of her buttock as she pictured Harry's hand completing the action.
Fleur turned towards the door pressing her breasts against the cool wood feeling her pussy flood at the cold feeling against her sensitive nipples. She imagined Harry's strong hand on the back of her neck pressing her cheek against the wood and holding her in place.
Fleur leant against the door her breathing getting shallower and deeper as the burning itch between her legs demanded attention from her. She pushed her backside out, imagining Harry stood behind her. His hand gliding over her bottom squeezing it as her own hand was doing.
Without warning she landed a hard slap on her bottom causing it to jiggle from the blow as she let out a moan imagining that it was Harry who had spanked her bottom. She bit her lip in pleasure as she felt the satisfying pain and sting on her skin and pressed her nipples and breasts harder into the wood. She bent more at the waist thrusting her bottom out as she landed another hard slap to the same buttock causing another moan to escape her lips and a sadistic smile to reach her face.
She opened her half lidded eyes and saw her reflection in the mirror seeing her bum pointing towards the mirror, a rosey red handprint where she had spanked herself and the wet patch of her panties more visible.
She watched as her hand almost of its own violation rub across her bottom the fabric of her underwear feeling so soft under her fingertips as her middle fingertip moved slowly, painstakingly slowly down the fabric of her bum crack and down over her arsehole.
Fleur sucked in a breath as she felt the fingertip press against her rosebud, causing her eyes to close and her mouth to open. Her breath coming raggedly as she made a little circle with her fingertip.
She had only touched herself there a couple of times before and normally when she was so horny she would push her limits to the max to see how things felt. She imagined it was the tip of Harry's cock pressing against her anus and felt her left hand on the cold wooden door pushing her back against her digit.
"Ohhhhh Mon Dieuuuuu" Fleur moaned as she felt the tip of her finger press harder against her anus and she felt her legs start to shake as the pleasure shot through her body… "oui donne le moi Arry" she moaned as she lifted her bum feeling her finger slide down the gusset of her panties and onto the wet spot of her pussy lips.
She felt the wet silk press between the outer lips of her pussy and she let out a long pleasure filled moan as she pressed harder and with her index finger joining the middle finger as she pushed against her lips feeling the wetness soaking through as her nimble slender fingers touched against her clit and her thumb rub against her anus.
"Oh merde!" she moaned as her fingers started turning circles against her clit as she envisioned the head of Harry's cock rubbing in circles against her clit through her panties and she felt more horny and alive than she had in years.
She knew deep down that she shouldn't be thinking about him in this way but the fantasy was fully taking her over. Her pussy was starting to feel really good and Fleur decided that if she was going to cum she needed to do it properly as a big orgasm was building inside her. She really needed to let it out and she didn't want to be in here too long to get Harry or Gigo worrying or give them cause to investigate.
She opened her eyes again looking in the mirror watching herself as she turned around again the cold wood against her back and bottom as she reached down and slide her fingertips into the leg of her panties exposing her smooth bald sex to the cool air in the bathroom.
Fleur was surprised that steam wasn't coming off her. She was so turned on and her pussy felt on fire and she needed to put the flames out. Watching herself in the mirror she brought her right hand up to her mouth as her left hand held her panties to one side.
She watched, completely turned on, as her mouth opened and her tongue lapped against her hand in one slow lick from the base of her palm all the way up to the tip of her middle finger as she sucked the digit into her mouth.
The thought that it was Harry's cock flooded her mind as she thrust first a second finger and then a third into her mouth watching herself sucking on them hungrily. As she rolled her tongue around her fingers. She looked in the mirror and thought that she looked really naughty and whispered "Sale Fille", dirty girl, as she watched her tongue seductively wetting her fingers.
Her eyes followed her hand leaving her mouth as she placed it between her legs rubbing her clit and stirring the sensations in her pussy to new heights as she pressed and circled her clit quicker her breath catching in her chest as she pictured it was Harry's mouth making the waves of pleasure flowing through her centre happen. Unable to wait much longer she thrust her middle inside herself letting out a moan as she penetrated as deep as she could go. The fire inside her seemed to intensify as she started to pleasure herself thrusting her finger in hearing and feeling her wetness.
She looked at herself in the mirror with half lidded eyes as a second finger found its way inside her. Her mouth fell open and she started to thrust the two fingers inside her quickly. As she felt her orgasm building, she started to move her fingers faster, imagining it was Harry pinning her up against the wall and taking her harder. She pictured his slim body pressed against her, his lips on her neck as he thrust harder and harder. Her hand matching his pace that he was setting.
She moved her hand holding her panties across and started using two of her fingers to rub in circles on her clit as her other hand fucked her wet cavern as hard as she could until it happened.
One of the most powerful orgasms Fleur had had in ages washed over her as she clenched on her fingers soaking them as her legs clamped together trapping her hand in place as her body convulsed. Her orgasm shook its way through her violently.
"OHHHHHHH FFFUUUCCCKKK ARRY!" Fleur moaned out loudly in pleasure, which turned into a squeal of delight as she wiggled her fingers inside herself pressing against her g spot as a smaller orgasm ran through her.
After a few moments Fleur managed to calm her breathing down and looked at herself in the mirror again. She giggled a little as she extracted her fingers from her pussy. Feeling really naughty, she raised them to her mouth and began sucking on them hungrily as her other hand did a couple of slow and lazy circles on her clit as her panties fell back into place over herself.
She was so turned on tasting herself she was caught in between getting back out of the bathroom to Harry and going for another orgasm as she always had a more intense orgasm if she kept going.
"What to do? I could go again hee hee" she thought to herself feeling naughty when she suddenly heard a knock on the door and Harry's voice asking 'if she was ok as he'd heard a noise'.
Fleur cursed herself for not casting a silencing charm on the door and wondering whether he and Gigo had heard her moans. "Everything is fine Arry I'll be there in a minute. I'm… err just freshening up my makeup." Fleur lied as he called back that he'd see her in a minute.
Harry walked away from the door feeling more at ease that there was nothing wrong but quite sure that he'd heard the door and that it couldn't take that long to go to the toilet and do make up. But then again he had noticed over the years the likes of Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil always used to disappear into the bathroom for about twenty minutes whenever they went.
"Everything alright?" Gigo asked as Harry re-entered the main bar area.
"Yeah she said she is fine just doing her makeup." Harry replied as he moved back behind the bar.
"She's been a while… And the er noise?" Gigo asked, trying to keep the knowing smile off his face as he could suspect what the noise had meant. He'd seen the French witch's looks towards the English wizard while they were sitting at the table and he could practically smell the pheromones coming off the pair when they were seated close together.
"Dunno she didn't say. She's alright that's the main thing." Harry said refocusing on the finished cocktail on the bar counter. "So you think that tastes alright?" he asked, gesturing towards the glass.
"Oh yeah, absolutely. Just as good as the guys make here. I reckon you could try something a little more technical as you got the spells for things down really fast" Gigo said honestly, clearly impressed.
"Well I'll be honest I have had a little teaching in making cocktails from a place in England and they helped me develop a few signature cocktails that I created for me and my friends. I was just goofing around and having a bit of a laugh making them but they really liked them and wanted to start selling them." Harry said modestly with a shrug.
"Oh really. Your own signature cocktails?" Gigo asked, surprised, "You're clearly no novice as you managed to create your own cocktail recipes. You've been a sneaky boy and playing me," Gigo said good naturedly as he wagged a finger at Harry telling him off.
Harry couldn't help but laugh and could understand why Sabre thought of Gigo so highly. "Well I found a load of books on it in my parents' old pub room at home and I found it all quite fun and then I tried a couple of things. I couldn't get them right, so when I had a free afternoon I went to a club some of my friends took me to and started talking with the owner. He invited me around the other side of the bar to teach and help me perfect them."
"You've got a pub room and a bar at home? How much money do you have?" Gigo asked laughing as Harry joined in.
"Enough," Harry said, not wanting or feeling Gigo really expected him to answer.
"Well lets see one of these cocktails that you've created then. Have a look around and see if you've got all the things you need for them." Gigo said pulling up a bar stool and plonking himself down curious to find out what the young English wizard had created that a club owner thought worth selling.
"Alright," Harry said with a grin as he turned and started looking through the bottles at the back of the bar on the counter top and shelving. While he was looking Fleur came out of the bathroom corridor looking pristine as usual. She walked towards the bar, her hips swaying seductively from side to side as she watched Harry.
"Everything alright Fleur? You were gone a while." Gigo asked as Fleur approached the bar, her attention diverted from Harry as she looked at him.
"Erm yes everything is fine thanks." Fleur replied. Keeping a straight face, hoping that Gigo wouldn't keep asking about it.
"Well that's good. We heard a noise through the wall and Harry was concerned you might have hurt yourself. It sounded like you shouted but we couldn't quite make out what you said." Gigo explained and Fleur felt that he knew exactly what she had shouted out.
"Yes I just stumped my toe on the door frame of the toilet cubicle and shouted out in frustration." Fleur lied, not wanting the interrogation to continue. "This looks good." Fleur said pointing at the bar and the cocktail that Harry had made.
"It is good. This is Harry's first attempt, try it." Gigo said, picking up and offering the glass to Fleur who raised it to her full lips and took a long sip allowing the drink to coat her mouth.
"Mmmm lovely" she agreed. It was a nice drink and she felt the alcohol at the end start to warm her throat as it made its way down. "Seems you have a hidden talent that you've been keeping from me Arry." Fleur said teasingly.
"Well it's just something I've been messing about with" Harry said, still looking through the bottles.
Fleur looked to Gigo who explained that Harry was going to make a cocktail for them that he'd created already. "My, my, a man of many hidden talents." She said as she took the stool next to Gigo and sat at the bar as Harry grabbed a couple of bottles and turned to face them.
"Well you both might not think so when I'm done. This is called a Long Stab and I made this in honour of my mate Neville. Or Neville Longbottom-Gryffindor in honour of him pulling the sword of Gryffindor out of the sorting hat during the battle of Hogwarts." Harry explained to Gigo as he started going through the motions of making the drink as he remembered Spike teaching him, while Fleur and Gigo watched on with interest.
Harry concentrated, remembering what Spike had said he started to take the different bottles and started to pour in bits of them into the cocktail shaker. First he put in a measure of something called Unicorn blood brandy that was the silver liquid that would penetrate the rest of the cocktail. Next he put in two measures of pomegranate juice, two of blood orange and kumquat juice, a squirt of strawberry puree and topped it off with some Elf made gin and a muggle liqueur called Sambuca.
He threw the shaker glass high up into the air and watched it fall. He caught it while picking up the cocktail shaker and in one swift movement slammed it into position covering the top of the shaker, which he grasped with his other hand and gave three hard shakes.
He then put the shaker on the bar and got a martini glass and put it on the bar counter. He fired his holly wand into his hand and cast a freezing charm on the glass causing it to frost up nicely. Satisfied, he knocked the shaker glass and washed it by hand putting it back onto the draining board. He then looked at Gigo and Fleur who were watching what he was doing with his hands as he grabbed a small copper coloured sieve holding it over the glass. Harry picked up the shaker and he started to slowly pour the liquid through the sieve.
Fleur watched fascinated as the red liquid trickled through the sieve first completely separate from the other liquids. She lent down and felt Gigo do the same so that their faces was practically level with the sieve as they then saw the orange liquid come out and settle perfectly onto top of the red and then almost like a thick glue type liquid came what looked like liquid silver that formed a thick band on top of the yellow orange liquid creating three stripes in the glass.
"Ow did you manage to make the layers and the liquid's stay separate from each other Arry?" Fleur asked, fascinated.
"Well the muggle liqueur called Sambuca latches onto the orange and kumquat juice and doesn't want to mix with any of the other flavours. I don't know why but Spike said it was something to do with the chemicals combining during the shake. The red liquids get stuck to the elf made gin and the unicorn blood brandy doesn't want to combine with anything. It's not finished yet though," Harry said as he smiled to himself. He was interested to see Gigo's reaction especially to one of Sirius's spells that he'd adapted after several attempts at the Potters Arms.
Harry pointed his wand at the glass and quietly said "Bottonious Locopsicus" and was happy to see that the silver liquid started sinking down in the glass pushing the orange liquid down into the red.
As the weight of the orange liquid pushed down into the red they all watched as the red liquid with nowhere to go through the orange liquid squeezed up the sides of the glass and reformed with the red layer at the top, the silver in the middle and the orange at the bottom.
The silver unicorn blood brandy wasn't finished yet as it continued pushing down into the orange liquid causing it to squeeze around the sides of the glass forming on top of the unicorn blood but not able to penetrate above the red liquid, effectively reversing the top and bottom liquids.
"Wow impressive Harry. I've never seen that before by using the liquid's natural reactions. Although I've got a similar spell but its in Japanese called Kongi Burbelsjin to cast the liquids downwards." Gigo said, very impressed as it was a spell he'd learnt years ago and hadn't seen used by competitors much.
"Thanks Gigo. This is where the stabbing part comes in though and I got this idea from a muggle or NOMA story about an English King named King Arthur." Harry said as he pointed his wand at the glass again and said "Claid Urram Togahatmh".
"Magnifique!" Fleur exclaimed and clapped her hands excitedly looking a lot younger than her years and reminded Harry of a little girl as she bounced up and down on her bottom with a playful smile on her face. "It's like ze lady of the lake," she said beaming at him. "I always loved that story as a child with all the sword fighting and romance in it."
"I have heard of King Arthur, but I'll be honest I'm not overly familiar with the story." Gigo confessed as he watched the glass. Every now and then what looked like a little silver sword would stab it's way out of the red liquid, like Excalibur coming out of the lake, before disappearing below the red liquid surface again.
Fleur and Harry gave Gigo a shortened version of the tales of King Arthur as Gigo tasted the cocktail. "Hmm a very unusual combination of strawberry and liquorice. I don't know if I like it or not." He said, taking another sip before passing the glass to Fleur.
"I cannot stand Liquorice normally as it leaves a horrible aftertaste, but as you made it Arry and I love the story I will try it." Fleur commented, taking a sip of the drink and rolling it around her mouth. "I actually quite like it. Since it's mainly strawberry but with a hint of liquorice that isn't too strong" she said giving an approving nod.
"I'm still on the fence but still I admire the skill and we will maybe put that to one side for Sabre to try unless you want to make a fresh one when they come in." Gigo said as Fleur picked up the glass and replied "Yes make a fresh one. I'll give this a good home," as she upended the glass and finished the drink in three long gulps.
Gigo's mouth fell open as he checked his watch. "This could get messy" he laughed, thinking that Fleur would drink everything they made.
Over the next thirty minutes Harry and Fleur experimented with making different drinks and Fleur managed to drink her way through about five cocktails. She was feeling very tipsy and was finding that her control on her allure kept slipping.
She knew that she was being really flirty with Harry and while she was just having a joke with him the little voice inside her head kept telling her to stop as this was someone that her friend was madly in love with.
The other voice inside her head who was winning the argument at that moment was telling her that Harry was still available, could have four wives if he wanted to and that it liked what she saw.
Gigo watched as the young French witch got more and more drunk as the cocktails that Harry was making all had about three shots of booze in them and after he'd tried them to find that they were in fact made very well, the French witch would knock them back or sip away at them until they were finished.
He saw Fleur was becoming a little flushed and he had moved behind the bar at one point to start showing off his cocktail making skills bottle juggling skills. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why he was trying to impress the pretty young witch. She was young enough to be his granddaughter almost and he'd had to check himself several times from doing something that would have looked extremely foolish.
Eventually Fleur went behind the bar with Harry, and Gigo watched as a flushed looking Harry started showing Fleur how to make cocktails and showing her how to do things. Gigo helped out as well but he could see that the witch was completely focused on everything Harry did and was breaking the touch barrier at every opportunity and had even noticed at one point that Fleur had squeezed past Harry pressing her bottom into his crotch.
"Right I need the bathroom again." Fleur said holding her hand up and wafting her face as she was feeling all hot and bothered again. Harry and Gigo watched her going on slightly unsteady feet this time and soon as Fleur had gone through the door to the bathroom Harry let out a breath and put his hands on the bar leaning down.
"You alright Harry?" Gigo asked, getting off the bar stool.
"Are you not happy to have the relief as well?" Harry asked Gigo, feeling exhausted.
"Relief?" Gigo asked, curious. "What do you mean relief? Relief from what?"
"From Fleur," Harry answered, motioning towards the bathroom.
"What? She's a lovely young lady Harry and she's clearly fond of you. I thought that you liked her?" Gigo asked, completely shocked that Harry was bad mouthing a woman he'd spent most of the morning flirting with.
"I do like her. I don't mean from Fleur as in it's a relief to get away from her I just meant from the allure. It was taking everything I had to not let it affect me at one point there when she brushed up against me." Harry explained wanting to clarify.
"Allure?" Gigo asked, having heard the term before.
"Yeah Fleur is part Veela. Her grandmother was one apparently. Don't tell me you didn't notice it as I was practically breathing it in for the last half an hour." Harry said as he watched the penny drop in Gigo's eyes.
"Ah so that's why I suddenly felt the need to start impressing her." Gigo said barking out a laugh. "Well that's a relief then as I was beginning to worry about myself. Don't get me wrong she's a real beauty but she's young enough to be my granddaughter and from looking at the pair of you I reckon she'd eat me alive and you might stand more of a chance."
"You reckon she was aiming her allure at me then?" Harry asked.
"Definitely but you like her so it's all good isn't it?" Gigo asked, seeing the uncertainty in Harry's eyes.
"Well I like her as a friend and she's gorgeous but I'm in love with someone else." Harry replied honestly, feeling a swelling of guilt in his stomach from playing up to Fleur's playful banter. 'Am I encouraging her by joking about and being flirty?" Harry thought to himself thinking that it might be a good idea to just stop being like that with Fleur as he didn't want to give her the wrong impression.
"Ah I see. Well I read you can be with more than one woman if you wish Harry so maybe don't start beating yourself up about it. Maybe you need to tell Fleur about this other girl you've feelings for and that might cause her to back off a little or at least not come on as strong." Gigo suggested as Harry nodded along agreeing with what Gigo said.
"Yeah maybe you're right and that could help. It might just be that she's getting drunk and her allure is slipping. I don't really want to embarrass her by asking about her allure if it's just slipping because she's relaxed and having a drink." Harry said as Gigo chuckled. "What's so funny?" he asked the older wizard.
"Well I just thought that could work. Or it could spur her on and make her more determined to ensnare you." Gigo replied seeing the look of horror touch Harry's features. "Don't worry I'll run interference for you while you try and figure out what you want to do."
"Thanks Gigo. Maybe we don't give her any more to drink for the time being just in case yeah." Harry suggested as he came around from behind the bar and Gigo took his place.
Harry turned at hearing the bathroom door open and Fleur emerged looking pristine as always. "Right then what are we making next?" she called out laughing.
"Well you join me behind the bar Fleur and I'll show you how it's done by a pro. Harry's very good for an amateur but let me show you what an experienced hand can do." Gigo said, giving a subtle wink to Harry.
"Go on Fleur let the master teach you how it's done." Harry said to Fleur who grinned and moved behind the bar and stood ready.
"Alright then let's begin, shall we?" Fleur asked as Gigo started to show Fleur how to make a cocktail called "The Scorpion Sting" as Harry looked through the cocktail menu on the bar leaving them to it as he thought about how Sabre and Amy might be getting on.
"There, try that." Gigo suggested as he put a martini glass with an almost brown plum coloured liquid inside it in front of him. Harry looked at the glass and picked it up as he saw a scorpion's tail emerge from the liquid. Before Harry could react the tail whipped forwards with the sting hitting Harry's wrist and leaving what looked like bright orange coloured grains of salt flakes on his skin in a little pile.
"What do I do with this?" Harry said realising that there was no pain where the sting had touched him.
"You lick it and then you take a drink." Gigo explained as Harry licked the orange coloured grains and it was like orange popping candy in his mouth and he raised the drink to his lips and took a sip.
"Mmmmmmm" Harry said as the liquid rolled around his mouth before he swallowed it. "Wow it's like a cold chocolate orange drink." Harry said as Fleur, to Harry and Gigo's surprise, didn't reach for the drink.
"Would you like to try it, Fleur?" Harry asked, holding out the glass.
"No thank you Arry. I feel like I've had a little too much for the time being and I don't want to make a complete embarrassment of myself." Fleur said knowing that she was making the right choice.
She'd stopped listening to the evil little veela voice in her head and was listening now to the witch who explained that this is her boss technically and that it was also the man her friend was in love with and that if Hermione and Harry did ever get together then it could be dangerous to have anything between them as Fleur would never want to hurt her friend.
"Alright no problem. All more for me." Harry grinned and went to take another drink as the scorpion tail popped up again and Harry continued with it until he'd got a third of the way down and realised that the sting wasn't coming out anymore. "Why isn't the sting coming out now?" he asked Gigo.
"Well there is only so much liquid that can be used for the sting and then the magic wears off when over half of it is gone." Gigo said seeing that Fleur's demeanour had really changed as she seemed to have sobered up quite well.
"You feeling alright Fleur?" Gigo asked.
"Yes I'm fine. I just don't want to be drunk before two o'clock in the afternoon." Fleur explained.
"Well how about you tell us a little more about Sabre and Amy and what they got up to here while we wait for them to get back from Liqueur Lickers?" Harry suggested.
"Sure. That's a good idea, how about we have a butterbeer and go to one of the booths and I'll tell you some stories that neither of them would want me disclosing." Gigo replied, getting a laugh from Harry and Fleur who made their way to an empty booth that had a large circular table and a semi circular seat.
They slid in on the opposite side and Harry leant back into the squashy and comfortable back rest. "You sure that you're alright Fleur? You seem to have gone very quiet." He asked her.
Fleur looked at the table for a few moments looking a little sad before she looked at him, her eyes a little watery. "Arry I'm sorry about how I've been today." She replied, feeling awful.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, not understanding what she was saying.
"I mean about being really flirty and things with you today. I shouldn't be doing that as you're my friend, my boss and I know zat you aren't interested in me in that way." Fleur said apologetically, her shoulders slumping a little bit.
Harry had never seen her looking so dejected as Fleur Delacour was the epitome of self-confidence. He'd never seen her looking so down on herself. He reached across and put his hand on top of hers.
"You don't need to apologise Fleur. I started all this off by sucking on your earlobe. I guess I must have had a couple of moments and your allure and how beautiful you are just got the better of me." He said kindly, "I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry." He added genuinely stroking the back of her hand with his thumb and causing her to look at him.
"You think I'm beautiful?" Fleur asked, looking at him.
Harry looked at her like she was being stupid. "How could I or anyone else not? I mean you're gorgeous and always have been. Next to you almost every other girl looks like a hag." Harry replied, causing them both to laugh and Fleur to giggle.
"Almost every girl." Fleur said knowing full well who he was talking about. Harry just shrugged at her to suggest he wasn't going to divulge anymore.
"I think I can imagine who you might be talking about. Although I have to admit that you wouldn't have been able to control yourself as my allure has never been so aggressive to a wizard before. Even Bill…" Fleur said crossing her legs as the pulse between them was starting up again.
"Really? But you guys were married and…" Harry started to say as that was a very big surprise to him. He had to be honest, it gave his ego a massive shot of adrenaline to hear Fleur say that her allure towards him was aggressive.
"Yes it's true. I'll be honest I'm having trouble these days keeping it contained around you. After seeing you at Muriel's and being around you... Just know that I'm sorry and that I will try not to be like that with you again." She said. She was upset with herself for having to admit the weakness but more so as she knew it wasn't completely the truth, but she would try. She just couldn't promise that she would always succeed.
"It's alright Fleur. I told you it's my fault and I shouldn't have done th…." Harry started to say before Fleur cut him off.
"It's my fault Arry. I shouldn't have allowed my allure to slip, I shouldn't have allowed it to get away from me and I shouldn't have wanted you to touch me." Fleur said the last quietly.
"What do you mean wanted me to touch you?" Harry asked shocked as Fleur looked away embarrassed or what he assumed was embarrassed.
"Right well let's get these stories started shall we" Gigo said causing them to jump and move their hands quickly
Meanwhile outside Liqueur Lickers
"So in business with Harry Potter then Sabre?" Amy queried, grinning as she couldn't believe that Sabre was now in business with Harry.
"Yeah I know it's kind of crazy, isn't it? Thanks for helping set it all up Amy. I have to be honest, I didn't think that you'd be able to convince him to even think about possibly investing in the bar. Let alone actually get him to come this soon and propose it to me." Sabre said, smiling at her.
"To be honest Sabre, I didn't set anything up. He just told me that the first place he wanted to invest in was Elixir Eddies. I had to try and contain my excitement that he wanted to do that, straight off the bat." Amy confessed.
"Well the Colonel will be delighted that you've managed to get him as a client, and now he's invested in the bar. We can really get to know him and see what we can do regarding the mission the Colonel has set for you." Sabre replied as he looked up and down the street to make sure that they weren't being followed. Without the quidditch crowd it was a lot easier to navigate the Bazaar and also a lot easier to see whether you were being followed.
"I'm not going to be able to tell the Colonel that he's my client though. She doesn't know, or can't know, who I am. I've got to think of a way of letting her know that I've managed to establish contact and a way of getting close to him but not give away who I am." Amy commented, thinking about how best to go about it.
"Well yes I know that, but I know that brilliant mind of yours will think of something. I'm sure once we know Fox and Midnight better and establish whether they are hardcore supporters of the Jade Dragon and its beliefs then they might be able to help with that as well. I'd say for the time being to report that attempts are being made and that you are trying to befriend him or have someone befriend him to try and get close to him." Sabre said as he and Amy turned left and on instinct they moved into an alcove between two of the shops and it allowed them to watch the street in both directions.
"Hmmm I suppose you're right. It's going to be a really tricky exercise, but hopefully if we get information and other things she wants she won't look too closely at how we are doing it. I have a good feeling that Fox will be like us regarding his beliefs, but I don't know anything about Midnight. The fact that the Colonel recommended her unsettles me a bit." Amy said as she looked down the street watching for any signs of Aurors or Hit Wizards ahead of them as Sabre looked at the other side of the street in the opposite direction to see if they were being followed.
"I've a good feeling about Fox and he seems to be cautious and professional but I think he will see things as we do but I agree about Midnight. Until we know more we've got to be really careful with what we say in front of her." Sabre agreed as he held out his arm for Amy to take. She did and they started making their way down the street towards Liqueur Lickers.
"Absolutely. Although the bigger problem might be that with you going into business with Harry. The media could very well catch wind of it and then you'll be exposed and anyone reading The Rising Sun will then potentially know your real identity including the Colonel. I don't think that the press or the reporters will not start trying to dig into who you are when they find out." Amy explained quietly with her eyes on a swivel looking at the people walking around.
"That's a good point. I mean it's not a major concern for the short term because I'm not going to be in the country but maybe I need to..." Sabre started saying as Amy came to a stop suddenly tightening her arm on his and causing him to stop as well.
"What do you mean you're going to be out of the country? Where are you going?" she asked him thinking that he was just going to do something in a different province or something.
Sabre let out a sigh. "Well I was going to drop mail to you before I went but I'm having to go and check up on Hammer and Mace to make sure that they get to their destination and to make sure that they are setting everything up properly. The Colonel said that she knows that I will know what she expects of them and that she wants me to observe what they do and then step in if needed before reporting back." Sabre said, looking at Amy who was looking at him, her face full of concern.
"But how long are you going to be away?" she asked him with worry in her voice and her eyes starting to well up a little. She'd never had Sabre leaving Japan since she'd joined the Jade Dragon.
"I don't know. Probably a couple of weeks," Sabre replied sadly. He didn't want to leave her now and he didn't want to have to spend his time in another country away from her or his real life in the Bazaar.
"Weeks," Amy repeated, horrified.
"Depending on how they do as they are having to get everything set up from scratch so I really don't know. But I've got to go Amy because if I don't then I'll lose the Colonel's trust like Mace and Hammer did. I need to make sure that my cover stays intact but also that I don't allow them to do too much damage. Once they are there alone without anyone watching Buddha knows what they will get up to." Sabre said seeing Amy look down clearly upset.
"I've not said anything before now because I didn't want you to worry and I know that you'd either try to talk me out of it or convince me to stay." He said, reaching up and gently wiping away a single tear that spilled down Amy's perfect cheek.
She looked up to him and their eyes connected. Sabre spent his time studying those eyes and that face he knew so well. Making sure that every detail was locked in his memory.
"What about if they know you're there. They could try to kill you and I wouldn't be there to have your back." Amy said seriously feeling her stomach tighten into knots at the thought of Sabre being in danger. Her stomach doing somersaults as Sabre's warm hand touched her face and she found herself unconsciously leaning into it enjoying its warmth against her skin.
"You think I can't take care of myself without having the Red Dragon to back me up?" He asked in mock offence.
"I know you can take care of yourself, but they are animals, Sabre. We both know they wouldn't think twice about trying to take you out in another country where the Dragon isn't established. They would do it as well so that you wouldn't be a problem when you come back to Japan. Hammer hates you more than anything as you constantly make him look like a fool." Amy started to quickly explain. The words tumbling out of her as Sabre moved his index finger over her lips and forcing her to stop talking.
"shhhh Amy I'll be fine." He said softly like he was talking to a scared puppy as he moved to encircle her in his arms and he felt the warmth of Amy press up against him as she stepped into his embrace and hugged him tightly.
"You know I'll look after myself and I promise you I'll be back as soon as I can. If I can somehow get Hammer and Mace to do something really stupid, like take me out, then I might be able to get them thrown out of the Dragon all together." Sabre said thoughtfully as he gently and soothingly rubbed Amy's back.
He felt Amy lean her head back and she locked eyes on him again. "Promise me that if you think you are in danger from those two or anyone else that you'll run. Don't try and fight Sabre, just run and come back home." Amy said pleadingly.
They looked at each other for a long time, the shoppers and other people moving around them as they held each other in the street. Amy in her peripheral vision could see the odd person smile as they passed the two of them.
"Alright I will." Sabre replied.
"Say I promise." Amy demanded seriously.
"I just did." Sabre replied grinning.
"Say the words 'I promise' Sabre or I'll just come along as well." Amy added while staring him down. He'd never broken a promise to her before and it was a little thing that they had.
"You're impossible, you know Amy?" He teased, knowing that she wouldn't let him get away with it. "Alright Amy Yushiro I promise that at the first sign of trouble I'll step back, not get involved, and will come back." He said seeing a satisfied smirk cross her face.
"Good! Where are you going anyway?" she asked him realising that he'd not said.
"I can't say." He answered seriously.
"Oh don't give me that you know you can trust me." Amy retorted.
"No it's' not that I don't want to tell you. I just really don't know where I'm going. Chi is giving me the location in a sealed and waxed envelope before I go and I'm not allowed to open it until I'm out of Japan." Sabre explained.
"Its Chi, is it now?" Amy questioned, her eyebrow arched.
"What? Yeah Colonel Oren, she said that I can call her Chi when we are alone." Sabre said, feeling his cheeks burn.
"Oh yeah and what else does she say you can do when you are alone together huh?" Amy asked, hating how jealous she sounded.
"What? Nothing. Amy what's the matter?" Sabre asked her not recognising why Amy was being like this.
"Because she fancies you Sabre, that's why. She's a good looking witch but she's a bleeding psychopath and I can see she's trying to sink her claws into you." Amy replied.
"It's not going to happen Amy, seriously. I think she just is one of those people that is naturally flirtatious." Sabre said without conviction.
"That's bullshit Sabre as she doesn't flirt with anyone else." Amy retorted knowing that the comment was true.
"Well she's hardly going to go flirt with Hammer or Mace is she? I mean they are a pair of trolls and if she's naturally flirtatious she's not really got anyone other than Fox to flirt with." Sabre retorted, wanting to move away from the subject. "The fact is even if she did fancy me that doesn't mean anything would happen Amy. I don't know what's got into you." He said surprised but secretly happy that she appeared so jealous.
"I just don't trust her, that's all." Amy said looking away and avoiding Sabre's eyes.
"Nor do I, but you know the saying, keep your friends close," he said giving her a little shift in his arms to emphasise his point drawing a roll of the eyes and a smile from Amy, "and your enemies closer." he finished as the smile momentarily slipped from Amy's face.
"Well I'm sure she'd love nothing more that to be closer that this with you." Amy flirted while pouting a little.
"Shit. Fox and Midnight have just spotted me." Sabre suddenly said, tensing up. "Don't turn around but they have just walked up the street past us and Fox caught my eye and indicated that he wants to talk to me." Sabre said acting completely casual and un-phased.
"Shit did they see my face?" Amy asked, feeling a little panicky as she didn't want Fox or Midnight to see her face until she knew she could trust them. She needed to keep her identity secret for the time being.
"No they didn't. They've got their back to me. They've just moved into one of the alcoves next to Mizuno Micks and I reckon I'm going to have to go and speak with them." Sabre said.
"What should we do?" Amy asked not wanting to have to speak with Fox or Midnight incase they recognised her voice.
"Well I suppose I'm going to have to go and speak with them. You go on to Liqueur Lickers and I'll join you shortly once I've spoken with them." Sabre answered, getting a small nod of agreement from Amy.
"And when they ask who I am?" Amy asked looking down at them still holding each other.
"I'll just tell them that you're my girlfriend or someone I spent the night with," Sabre replied seriously.
"What?!" Amy yelped, her eyes bulging. "I'm someone you just spent the night with. Like I'm some sort of one night stand you mean?" She asked, horrified.
"Well if you would prefer me to say we're in a relationship and have them possibly look into you more, if we have judged Fox wrong, then I can say that. Otherwise how would you explain us standing like this." Sabre asked her.
"That's a good point. Although I don't like the thought of them thinking I'm some tart that has had a one night stand with you." Amy pulled a face.
"Right well they won't think that, I'll make sure of it. Look you get to Liqueur Lickers and I'll get rid of them quickly and meet you there alright?" Sabre asked, getting agreement from Amy.
"Ok, well don't take too long, alright? It would be nice to spend a little time with you before you go." Amy replied clearly sad and she removed her hands from Sabre's arms. "I'll see you in a little bit, ok?" She added as Sabre removed his arms and she turned and started walking away from him.
She suddenly felt Sabre's hand grip her wrist and he caught her by surprise. He pulled her back quickly causing her to fall against him putting her hands on his chest to stop herself from falling.
She felt Sabre's hand move from her wrist to her lower back pulling her against him. Butterflies started in Amy's tummy at their close proximity as she felt her breasts pressed up against Sabre's toned chest. "What are you doing?" she asked him looking up at him.
"Thanking you for a fabulous evening and telling you I can't wait to see you again." Sabre said smiling at her, a happy grin on his face.
"Huh?" Amy asked, confused. She felt herself shaking a little as Sabre's other hand tilted her head up slowly as he leant forwards slowly and pressed his lips to hers.
She pulled her head sharply, her hands pressed against his chest "What are you doing?" she asked again a little more forcefully. Sabre just stared at her and moved in and kissed her again but more passionately this time.
Amy's eyes bulged as she felt him press his lips to hers as he started giving little kisses against her lips. "I just told you what I was doing silly," he replied between the small kisses as he flicked his tongue out against Amy's lip causing them to part. She tried to say something and Sabre didn't give her the opportunity as he surged forwards pressing his tongue into her mouth and started French kissing her.
Amy was shocked but, having fancied Sabre for so long, she wasn't going to waste this amazing opportunity and started kissing him back with much enthusiasm . She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down and into the kiss more. Sabre didn't give her any resistance.
Amy gave a delightful shudder as she felt Sabre's hand on her back start to rub it, doing little circles on it. A little 'oh' escaped her throat into their mouths as their heads switched sides and their tongues entwined again wrestling for dominance against each other.
Amy thought she could feel Sabre shaking against her but it could have been that she was shaking with excitement and desire against him. Reluctantly and with much disappointment she felt him start to move his head away from her. She reluctantly complied and ended their kiss.
They stood there slightly breathless looking at each other for a moment just staring into each other's eyes.
"I've wondered how good a kisser you'd be for ages and it was good that I finally got the opportunity to find out." Sabre said smiling at her in that casual cocky way that he did.
"Yeah and what did you think?" Amy asked. Acting a little coy as she tried to distract herself from how aroused she was and how much she wanted another kiss with him.
"Better than I ever imagined." Sabre replied with so much intensity in his eyes that Amy almost felt her legs go from under her. "You best get going though as you need to appear that you're going somewhere." He added seeing what he hoped was disappointment on her face.
He was kicking himself mentally as he had wanted to kiss Amy for so long and it was good that he'd been able to use the situation as an excuse to, but didn't want her thinking that it was just because of keeping up appearances and that's the only reason he wanted to kiss her.
"Right fine." She said feeling a little hurt as she realised that he was just acting and that he hadn't wanted to kiss her at all. Confused that he had kissed her so passionately and it was all an act. "I'll get going then," she said as she pushed off his chest and started to pull away.
Sabre, quick as a snake, grabbed her wrists causing her head to whip around to face him. "I thought you just told me to go?" she asked, her eyes hardened not wanting to show how hurt she was feeling.
Sabre placed her hands back on his chest feeling the intensity of the moment going as he could see she was angry. "I was just saying what we needed to do. I pulled you back because I wanted to say that I wanted to kiss you for ages. I didn't just do that for an act or anything. Truth be told I was more worried about you slapping me or hexing my balls off if I tried to kiss you. I didn't think you'd kiss me back." he explained, deciding to just be honest with her about it as he didn't know when he would be back or what dangers or issues lay ahead where he was going.
The softness returned to Amy's eyes at hearing those words from Sabre. "So you wanted to kiss me for real?" she asked, trying to contain her smile and failing.
"Just a little bit," Sabre said to her, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. Movement caught his eye and he looked up to see Fox step out of the darkness of the alcove and give him a 'come here' gesture quite aggressively.
"Fox is getting impatient. I'm going to go." He said happier to see her smiling.
"Go on then, hurry up." She said going onto her tip toes and placing a quick kiss on his lips before turning from him and making sure to look away from Fox and Midnight and even went to the extent of running her hand through her hair to block their view of her face before she moved quickly out of their field of view. She felt like skipping. She was so happy with what Sabre had said and the toe curling kiss they had shared.
Meanwhile Sabre looking left and right up the street made his way quickly to the alcove and turned, watching Amy disappear around the corner before stepping into the darkness of the alcove.
"Sorry for interrupting Major," Midnight apologized leaning against the wall looking out onto the street. Her intelligent eyes looking at faces and looking for anything suspicious.
"Yes apologies Major, I didn't mean to interrupt but we're glad that we saw you because we needed to report something important to Captain Chikka but she didn't meet us at the required time and we wanted to see whether you'd heard anything? We are starting to worry." Fuzaki explained feeling bad for interrupting the Major's intimate moment.
"Captain Chikka was meant to be meeting with you? I was led to believe that she'd messaged you to cancel the meeting?" Sabre asked knowing that Amy wouldn't have not sent word to Fuzaki and Midnight to cancel since she would have been held up because of meeting her with Harry and Fleur.
"Well we haven't heard from her via the normal means of communication." Fuzaki explained.
"Have you looked at the dead letter drop site that she recommended you check?" Sabre asked Fuzaki who looked at Midnight.
"Apologies Major but I was unable to get access to it. There were aurors stationed near the lockers at the station and I felt I was being observed so didn't want to draw attention to the letter drop. I apologise to the Major. I should have risked it and checked rather than not make sure that I had the correct orders in place" Midnight said, feeling foolish about being called out by the Major and having to admit her error.
She knew that she would be punished for not having checked the letter drop and carrying on with the mission they'd been assigned anyway in case they had been compromised.
Sabre saw the dejection in the younger witch and put his hand on her shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze causing her to look up at him. "You did the right thing in my opinion. Better to protect the letter drop location and not get caught by the aurors or give away a valuable communication spot than just surge on and expose the letter drop." Sabre said giving her shoulder a pat before moving her arm.
He turned and looked at Fuzaki and saw the young man was surprised with Sabre's actions as Midnight voiced his own thoughts.
"So I'm not going to be punished for not following protocol?" Midnight asked shocked as her previous commander would have punished her for not following protocol to the letter.
"No, I don't think so." Sabre said looking between the pair of them seeing they were surprised and couldn't help laughing. "You both seem surprised."
"Well I am. Not that I want Midnight and I to be punished but Hammer and Mace… I mean Captain Hammer and Lieutenant Mace would have probably given me a beating for what has happened today." Fuzaki said honestly.
"Lieutenant Hoang would have done something to me as well." Midnight said not wanting to divulge what her former Lieutenant would have probably done to her and tried and failed to hide the disgusted shiver at the memories of it.
"Well I don't see why punishment would be necessary. You both had your mission, you went to try and establish contact with the Captain through the usual methods and when they were unsuccessful you went to the letter drop location to check for any messages and found the location potentially compromised by aurors.
Upon seeing the aurors rather than exposing yourself or the letter drop location you carried on with your mission and have continued trying to locate the captain to give her your report." Sabre said watching the two of them for a reaction.
"Well say something," he said to them as they both stood there looking at him and to Sabre's opinion like a pair of children being told off by a Master or Sensei at school.
"I'm just really surprised but thank you Major." Midnight said with Fuzaki agreeing.
"Fox, myself and Captain Chikka have been trying to get you working with us for months and thankfully Colonel Ichi took over the province and actually listened to me. We wanted you working with us as we felt your talents and your intelligence were wasted with Hammer and Mace." Sabre explained to the younger wizard as he turned to Midnight.
"Midnight even though Colonel Ichi brought you to the province I could see from our first meeting that were highly talented and bright as well as being very creative. I pushed the Colonel to recommend you to Fox as his Ensign because I think you would be a valuable member of the team. I want you and Fox to work closely together, get to know one another like myself and Captain Chikka did to the point where you feel secure in trusting the other with your lives." Sabre explained seeing the two of them hanging onto every word.
"We will, Major," Fuzaki said, giving a firm nod.
"It's going well so far Major. I find Fox to be very talented at surveillance and counter surveillance and looking forward to seeing his spell work as well." Midnight confessed as she had heard that Fox was a talented combatant and was very fast at casting as well as being tactically astute.
"I'm glad to hear it. Now in regards to Captain Chikka I can confirm that everything is fine. She's perfectly safe and I am going to be meeting her shortly as I need to brief her on something I need her to do while I go on a mission out of the country. It's important to me personally that while I'm away that you both continue to support the Captain as you have thus far.
The Captain is one of the most talented witches I have ever met and if you are loyal to her she will be loyal and protective of you and look after you both as well as teach you things from her experience." Sabre explained to them wanting to make sure that they would look after Amy while he was out of the country.
"We will support the Captain in any way we can sir and thank you for the compliment. I have to say personally that I was always wanting to work with yourself and Captain Chikka. I know you are both talented and I believe are much better people in character and talent than Captain Hammer and Lieutenant Mace. If I may speak out of line. I just never respected them as they were basically bullies and I'm glad to be under your and the Captain's command." Fuzaki said honestly as it was a massive relief to not be under Hammer and Mace's command now.
"Well I agree with your assessment of Hammer and Mace, Lieutenant but we should keep that opinion between the three of us and the Captain." Sabre said, smiling. "So do you want to give me your report on the task assigned by the Captain and I can relay the information?"
"Certainly. Midnight, do you want to brief the Major or should I?" Fuzaki asked his colleague.
"You can if you wish Lieutenant," Midnight replied, wondering why Fox didn't want to give the report himself but assumed it was because it hadn't been a success.
"I'll report then, Major." Fuzaki said seeing the look from Midnight who he assumed thought he was trying to pass the book. "The Captain tasked us to observe and follow a member of a solicitors firm who she believes, according to intelligence that we received from one of our contacts in Gringotts, was meeting with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger today but didn't know the location for the meeting." Fuzaki started explaining as Midnight took a step to her left and looked up and down the street to see whether there was anyone watching their alcove.
"As we didn't know the location of the meeting and the Captain wasn't able to tell us where it was because according to the source apparently some special assistant to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger at Gringotts was arranging the location at the last minute. As a result of this and knowing that the meeting was happening today we started trying to locate the solicitors this morning which we believe is a firm called Yushiro & Yushiro in order to follow them to the meeting." Fuzaki continued and Sabre was surprised that Amy had put the two Jade Dragon members onto a mission to observe her.
"And did you manage to follow them?" Sabre asked, still trying to figure out what Amy was doing assigning Fox this task.
"Well we don't know who was going to the meeting or anything about them since First Avenue has always been on the Captain's and your protection money route. As I have been with Hammer and Mace for so long it's not a street of businesses which I am familiar with." Fox admitted.
"Well that is understandable. So did you manage to locate the solicitors then?" Sabre asked curious as to whether they know what Amy and Yuki look like.
"Well we don't know who we were meant to follow but we were told that there are two witches that apparently are the partners and one of them has a distinctive streak of red hair." Fuzaki admitted. "We didn't manage to locate them leaving their offices so we could follow them to the meeting. We decided to split up and try and search for possible meeting locations but the Bazaar was full of quidditch fans. So, we decided to stick together instead and cover the Bazaar as best we could with two sets of eyes."
"Probably a wise choice given the amount of people in the Bazaar for the quidditch match. So you were unable to find them then? That's disappointing as it would have been good to know whether they were successful in landing Potter and Granger as clients. We might be able to get a source inside the solicitor's office to see what information they can find out." Sabre said trying to not show his delight that Fox and Midnight hadn't been successful.
"Well we were making our way down the Emperor's Road going towards the place we had originally arranged to meet with the Captain, feeling a little disappointed at our failure, when suddenly out of nowhere a witch matching the description of one of the Yushiro's appeared in the road as if she'd apparated there.
So we started following her and I have to admit that she was very good at keeping us on our toes and if there hadn't been two of us I think she would have lost one of us as she went on a really long route to wherever she was going.
As we turned the corner following her into Second Avenue, keeping a suitable distance, she just seemed to vanish again near Liqueur Lickers as if into thin air. We split up and went looking through the shops on both sides of the street trying to find her but she somehow managed to disappear on us again." Fuzaki explained. Even to himself it made his and Midnights pursuit of the magical solicitors sound anything but impressive.
"I see," Sabre said, putting his finger to his mouth thinking "Why did the Captain ask you to follow this magical solicitor when not with Potter or Granger?" he asked wondering why Amy would have them follow her sister.
"Well it was more that she wanted us to observe whether anyone else was following her, I think. The Captain said that the solicitor could be a possible connection to Potter and Granger and that she wanted to make sure that the auror office wasn't following her as well." Fuzaki explained.
"Right I see." Sabre said understanding why Amy wouldn't want Yuki being followed by the auror office as it would make observing her all the more difficult. "And was anyone following her?" he asked the pair.
"Not that we saw but soon after we lost track of her I could have swore I saw Shiro Shinobi on the same street that we were looking for a moment before he disappeared." Fuzaki replied knowing that the Major wouldn't be happy to hear that one of the most skilled hit wizards in Asia was back in the Bazaar.
"Shinobi. Damn, his appearance couldn't be any worse in regards to timing. I'm leaving to go on a mission out of the country for a while." Sabre explained, annoyed that Shiro Shinobi had returned to the Bazaar as the man was a complete menace for capturing Jade Dragon members and squeezing information out of them.
"What do you want us to do, Major?" Fuzaki asked, wondering how the appearance of Shinobi might change things.
Sabre thought for a moment. "If Shinobi has returned to Tokyo then I can't imagine he's here to just observe and there will be action soon enough. Midnight how skilled are you in combat?" Sabre asked, turning to Midnight.
"Erm I'm alright but it's not my strongest skill." Midnight replied hesitantly. What she said was true as combat wasn't really her forte as she normally tried to avoid any sort of contact.
"I understand. You've other skills that you focus on. Well I would suggest that you both find somewhere to practice with each other and I'll ask Captain Chikka to join you as often as she can in order to make sure that she's got your skill up to a level where we know that you will be safe operationally, Midnight." Sabre said to the young witch seeing her nod her head with a steely determination. "Keep your heads on a swivel and remember to make sure you do counter surveillance as well when moving around and don't get complacent."
"We won't Major, and I'll work with Midnight. See how good she is and help her in any way I can since I want her safe." Fuzaki said to the Major who nodded.
"Very good and you look after him as well Midnight, alright? You're both very important for the future and what we are wanting to achieve." Sabre said.
"I will Major." Midnight replied, her lime green eyes fixing onto Sabre as she gave a firm nod. "When can we expect your return?" she asked.
"At the moment it is unclear, but I'll let the Captain know as soon as I can and the Colonel obviously will be able to tell you as it's her discretion whether I stay or return." Sabre said not wanting to show any emotion about how he felt about being at the Colonel's beck and call. "You two get on and I'll give your report to the Captain and I'll see you soon." Sabre said, getting nods of ascent from his two colleagues.
"I'll make my move first and you wait a moment and follow me out. Go different directions and then meet up together before leaving the Bazaar." Sabre commanded, getting another set of nods and wished them both luck. He moved out of the alcove looking around as he walked and went through the motions of making sure no one was following him out of habit. He took a series of turns left and right until he arrived in Water Square.
He came to a stop next to Scribes and Scribblers and looked around to make sure that no one was looking in his direction as he cast a silent fog release spell from his wand enveloping him in smoke and obscuring him from anyone's looking view. He took advantage of his camouflage and quickly tapped the sequence of bricks on the outer wall of the shop until a doorway appeared and Sabre stepped through it pulling the lever on the inside of the wall as he stepped in. He saw the wall reseal itself just as the smoke was beginning to thin.
Sabre suddenly felt the floor disappear from under his feet as he was dropped down a short chute before his feet touched down in a small three foot by three foot room. Not liking the confined space but appreciating its sanctuary he ran his fingertips on the wall in front of him until he felt the little metal hoop built into the wall.
Sabre grit his teeth and pulled the hoop to the left exposing an eye slit in the wall that allows light to spill in through the short slits. Sabre leant forwards and looked around seeing no one currently coming out of the Food Dun It Express floo fireplace and no one on the apparition floor pad. He reached with his right hand in the semi darkness and felt the lever which he pushed down causing a doorway to appear instantly in the wall in front of him.
Sabre stepped out into the Japanese sunshine and started making his way to Liqueur Lickers confident that he had thrown off anyone possibly following him and thanking his Uncle Eddie in his head for showing him some of the quick access sneak points that were built into the Bazaar to help get around it quicker and more importantly undetected.
Sabre quickly made his way to Liqueur Lickers happy to see that Amy was already there and completely not fussed about the amount of time it had taken Sabre to arrive.
Sabre approached her from behind to hear Amy telling the manager of the store that Sabre was now in partnership with her client and that they would like to start using Liqueur Lickers as the bars main supplier.
"I can appreciate that Miss Yushiro and I don't mean to offer any offence to Eddie, but unless I can know who he's in business with I can't set up an account with credit just on your word because how would my employer Mr. Linklater know that Eddie hasn't just put you up to this." Francis explained apologetically.
"Francis, I can appreciate the position it puts you in but I honestly can say that Eddie is no longer a sole trader and is in partnership. My client however doesn't really want to make it public in his involvement in the business just now and the agreement he and Eddie have in place will be ratified shortly." Amy explained.
"I'm sorry Miss Yushiro but unless I know and have heard of the person he's gone into partnership with then I know Mr. Linklater won't authorise any credit facility that I put forward to him to sign off." Francis said apologetically not noticing Sabre coming up behind Amy.
"Francis I can assure you that she's very much telling you the truth but I understand that you don't want to get in trouble with your boss. I know we've not had a smooth relationship the last few years." Sabre said making Francis jump at Sabre's sudden appearance and Sabre thought how the Japanese wizard always seemed so on edge and how Leonard Linklater must run a very tight ship.
"Ah Eddie. I didn't see you there. It's not that I don't want to give you what Miss Yushiro is asking for in regards to an account with us and a credit facility, but you know how my employer is and he is ultimately the one who comes to the decisions about credit accounts and gives everything the stamp of approval." Francis explained, giving a small bow of the head to Sabre.
"It's fine. So as a show of my and my new business partner's good faith we have decided that until Mr. Linklater is happy to set up a new credit facility that we will leave a deposit in order to keep things in the black so that we can start trading." Sabre explained to Francis loving the look of surprise on his face as he said that he'd be leaving a deposit.
"You're leaving a deposit?" Francis asked, completely shocked. The times he'd dealt with the wizard in front of him had actually gotten to the stage where it had become a little embarrassing with Sabre's pleading with him to allow him certain items in order to run his business and Francis had always felt guilty about having to decline his requests.
"Yes that's right, we're leaving a deposit as there will be certain things we need in order to get up and running. Amy do you mind giving him the slip?" Sabre asked, grinning at his friend. He watched as Amy started moving to her pocket to get to Harry's beseecher slip.
"For the time being Francis. My business partner and I would very much appreciate you and your employees keeping mine and his business relationship private. If word of it leaks out then you may find my solicitor here could be back issuing you with a lawsuit as we value our privacy very highly." Sabre said quietly into Francis' ear as he leant forward to talk quietly to the manager.
Sabre leant back and Francis looked at him quizzically as Amy reached forwards and handed over the beseecher slip that Harry had written out to Francis. Sabre could feel the anxiety washing off Francis as he took the beseecher slip and opened it up and looked at it, his eyes widening as he saw the signature.
"Is this real?" Francis asked without thinking and looked up at them both.
"Oh very much so. You know that the goblins don't let people have an easy time making fraudulent versions of their gold and now there beseecher books." Amy replied smoothly, crossing her arms over her chest and trying not to smile.
"Yes I guess you're right. They don't take too kindly to that, no." Francis said before looking down at the slip again and running his finger over the signer's name printed in the book. "Well Eddie and Miss Yushiro, I'll get this banked today and send a message to Mr. Linklater. Hopefully we can get everything set up and you just need to owl us your first order whenever you are ready." Francis said, giving them both a bow and looking forward to getting to write to his boss to tell them that Harry Potter was now one of their clients.
Of course when Francis told his boss the story of how it came to be it would only be right to maybe embellish the truth regarding his role in landing such a potentially huge client. Saying that Harry Potter just fell into their lap wasn't going to win him much credit or reward with Mr. Linklater after all.
Francis wasn't green around the gills though and knew that it wouldn't be wise to let word of Harry Potter's involvement with them become common knowledge as the Jade Dragon would probably come around wanting more money.
"I look forward to it Francis and I'll get the next order in via my bar manager Gigo in the next couple of days." Sabre said happily as he held his arm out to Amy and nodded to Francis, he led Amy away, after she had linked her arm through his, towards the exit.
As they made their way through the exit Amy looked at Sabre and said "I thought you'd have rubbed Francis' face in it a bit more than you did."
"No, I wouldn't do that to Francis. He's alright and was always nice to me. Now if Leonard Linklater was there then I would have really turned up the smugness. As it is, I like Francis and this is a time to try and build bridges and form a good relationship with them again." Sabre confessed and smiled at Amy's puzzled look and grin. "What?" he asked.
"Who are you and what have you done with my friend? You'd never normally be so mature about things." Amy joked, her heart fluttering as she remembered the kiss that they had shared before they had departed.
"Ha, well I've got to show you I can be a grown up now, so you don't worry while I'm away." Sabre said, placing his other hand on Amy's. "So I spoke to Fox and Midnight about the mission you assigned them." He added, looking at her and causing Amy to stop suddenly.
"Ah shit I forgot to message them that I couldn't meet up with them." Amy said face palming her forehead with her free hand.
"Well luckily for you they couldn't get close to the message drop sight because of the auror's being in the area so I managed to blag them that you'd have left a message there." Sabre explained.
"Thanks Sabre. I can't believe I forgot to contact them." Amy said.
"It's fine. So… do you want to tell me why you have them following your sister?" Sabre asked, extremely curious of the answer.
