Leveena had not been able to find Lucius when she woke up the following morning. Perhaps he had already left for his job at the Ministry of Magic. When she stepped into the parlor, however, she found a small piece of paper sitting on a table between the fireplace a black-leather recliner. She picked it up to find that she was apparently meant to find it. Her name was written on the top in neat cursive:

Leveena,

As of today, you are officially considered the servant of the Malfoy household. The strenuous work starts once you've read this. There is a list below of things I would like to see done upon my return. If I were you, I wouldn't take too many breaks.

- The three guest rooms on the second floor need cleaning. The bed sheets are down in the basement, which you may access through the door in the kitchen furthest from the dining room archway.

- When the eagle owl returns, feed him and place whatever mail he has on this table. You'll find his food in the drawer.

- Close all the windows before noon. There's a storm coming in.

- Make sure all the balconies are swept clean. Don't bother going to the third floor.

- Have a decent dinner ready by seven o' clock. I expect you know how to cook. If not, there are cookbooks on the kitchen rack.

I will see you this evening.

Lucius Malfoy

Thank heavens, no laundry was involved. Leveena looked out the window to see that no sun could be seen. The storm was rolling in faster than Lucius had anticipated. She read 9:55 on the tall, mechanical clock against the wall. Her day had just begun, and she knew it was bound to pass her like a slug. She decided she would close the windows first. She passed through every room of the first and second floor, following the instructions she had been given about not ascending to the third. She couldn't help but be curious, regardless.

A loud, indignant hoot came from just outside the last window she was about to close. The eagle owl had arrived and was aiming to fly right into the guest room. Leveena ducked as he gracefully glided in, then watched as he perched himself on the bedpost. She closed the door and looked at the large bird. He had dropped three small letters on the mattress, and his large, yellow eyes stared at Leveena, as if questioning who the hell she was and what she was doing in the manor.

"Hungry?" she asked the bird, who then spread its wings and hooted at her, as if making a demand. "Well then, come on." She cautiously took the letters and went out into the hallway. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the owl had not budged from his perch. "Are you coming or not?" she scowled a little, which then caused the winged animal to leave the post and follow her down the stairs in flight. She put the envelopes on the table along where she found the note Lucius left her, and then opened the drawer on the same table. Sure enough, there was a small container. She opened it to find that there were large, food pellets - perfect size for the eagle owl. She took four of them from the container and looked at the bird, which was now perched on the banister of the marble staircase. He was watching her intently, up until he spotted the food in her hands. He spread his wings again and emitted a more peaceful call. She walked over to him and very slowly held out her hand, offering him the food. The eagle owl looked at her face again, then back to the food, before nipping away at the pellets. Once the four bites of food were consumed, the owl flew over onto her shoulder. He appeared to be quite comfortable once he landed. He was even cute. Leveena smiled faintly as the bird nipped at her golden-blonde hair gingerly.

"You're welcome," she said with a little smile.

The balconies were next. The eagle owl hadn't accompanied her for long, however. She even washed the insides of the glass doors that led out to them. Perhaps it wasn't required, but perhaps doing a little extra would please Mr. Malfoy. By the time she had finished with the balconies and their adjacent doors and windows, Leveena checked the time. It was already three in the afternoon. She had been slacking off a little, taking her time with her projects. She returned indoors just as the first sprinkle of rain hit her head. As she made her way toward the kitchen, she spotted the eagle owl perched on the banister in the entry hall. He was giving her the same, suspicious look as before, as if he had forgotten that she fed him.

She had to see what was available in the kitchen first so that she knew she had what she needed to make a meal. She was glad to find she had the proper ingredients to make an Italian, pasta dish. She had been surprised to find the kitchen had a stove and cool storage. This was the Malfoy Manor, wasn't it? And wasn't the family very critical about 'muggle' appliances? Perhaps they never even took step into this room. Maybe it was just how the house elves did it. No wonder their last one had to be put down. He was worked so hard having to cook food without magic.

The pasta was set to simmer for the remaining time while she fixed up the guest rooms. She could hear the rain begin to fall against the windows, and a glance outside was all she needed to confirm to herself that the storm had arrived. Once she finished tucking in the black comforter behind the mattress, she made her way out of the room. As she did, she heard a voice downstairs that had caused her to halt. Lucius had already come home.

"I'm not in the mood, Goyle. Quit wasting your breath. I have business to attend to." The sound of the front door shutting echoed through the mansion, and Leveena stood at the top of the stairs, peering over the banister to see Lucius was standing in the entrance hall. He moved into the lounge and could be heard shuffling through the mail. There was the calm hooting of the eagle owl, and his yellow eyes turned up to Leveena as she descended the stairs. He flew up to perch on her shoulder again, and Lucius turned to see the pair both look at him. He grinned at the eagle owl, and then looked at Leveena. "I see you've met Leon," he spoke, "it seems you two are getting along already."

"I suppose so," Leveena murmured, glancing over at the owl to see he was once again nipping at her hair. "That's the second time he's done this today."

"It means he fancies you. Consider yourself lucky." He then paused, taking in the scent of dinner. "Smells nice," he commented.

"It should be ready by now," she answered, watching as Leon left her shoulder once again to settle on the arm of the recliner closest to Lucius.

"Then go ahead and get changed into something elegant," he ordered, making a hand motion that indicated for her to take her leave. She did so, and he followed. They took their separate ways in the hall, and she closed her door to get changed. As she did so, she remembered she had left open one of the balcony doors. In a panic, she hurried down the hall in an indigo-blue evening gown, holding her heels in her hand as she entered the room. Thankfully, the wind was blowing away from the doors, so the rain was not interfering with the floor yet. She quickly closed the glass doors, looking out through it at the pouring rain. Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled.

She put on her heels and left the room, glancing around in other rooms to ensure there were no other open doors or windows. She was quite certain there were no more. She had glanced into a room to see Lucius. It was a good thing his back was turned to her, otherwise she would have been highly embarrassed. Oh, regardless, she was embarrassed. The man was shirtless, and the perfect formation of his curves had stolen her breath for a few seconds. His complexion: flawless. She could feel the familiar heat rising to her cheeks, and she hurried away from the doorway and down the stairs. In her frenzy, it was a wonder how she managed to keep her balance with those same shoes. She fixed her hair up, passing the snoozing Leon on the couch as she made her way into the kitchen. She took two green bowls (Malfoys were obviously dead-serious about their Slytherin pride, weren't they?) and began to transfer equal amounts of pasta smothered in white sauce into the dishes. She carried them into the dining room, set them on the table, and then took her seat at the same place she had the night before. She was left to her thoughts for only half a minute or so, giving the opportunity to mentally vent about the beauty of Lucius's upper body. She was straightened by reflex as she saw him cross the threshold into the dining room. He looked quite high-spirited, perhaps in a better mood than he had been yesterday.

"You did well today, I can tell," he complimented. The lightning outside of the windows was the only source of light, which had led Lucius to draw his wand and light the chandelier above them. It was dim, not meant to really hurt the eyes. In fact, it was quite soothing. It almost gave the room a mysterious glow.

"Thank you, sir." She watched anxiously as he took a bite of the pasta before him. She could almost see a pleased gleam in his gaze.

"Better than I expected. You are an exceptionally talented cook."

"It's an Italian dish," she clarified with a timid smile, "that's my expertise."

"I see." It was silent for a moment as the two of them ate. She couldn't quite find the courage to look up at him anymore. Not yet, at least. She was still a bit flustered and at a loss for words. She was glad that he had eventually broken the silence, as well as answered several questions that lingered through her mind. "Perhaps you're curious about my early arrival. I excused myself from the Ministry for the day. There's something we must do."

"What is it?" she asked, her interest peaking.

"We must to return to your home just long enough to gather those objects that the Dark Lord is searching for," he announced. "I must attend a short meeting with the Death Eaters in an hour or so just long enough to get a list of what those items are, exactly."

"There's more than one?" Leveena muttered bitterly. "I thought it was just a ring."

"As did I. The Ministry is out looking for them now. Turns out one of my affiliates at work discovered their existence; he's also a Death Eater, and as such, is bent on getting them for the Dark Lord. I'm bent on getting it away from all hands. I have a vault we can keep them in."

"Would that work?"

"We can only try to find out. They certainly aren't safe sitting around in your house."

As Leveena cleaned up, Lucius had left to his meeting. She had been given an order to change again, into something more easier to walk around in - maybe even run. She went into the bedroom and changed into a pair of black pants and a white blouse. It sort of made her feel like a secretary of sorts, though she wouldn't complain. It was better than those tight dresses she was forced to wear at dinner. Did Narcissa have to dress like that every night? Poor woman.

Once he returned and they were ready to depart, Lucius had used Apparation to arrive at the two-story home of Leveena's. There were several chandeliers scattered about various rooms, though none of them provided light. Not wanting to take any chances of bringing attention to the residence, Lucius helped her investigate by searching the first floor. She took care of the second floor. Her brother's room was the first she searched through. She tore everything apart. She hated it, but she knew she hardly had a choice. The list Lucius had written was held between her lips, and so far, she found nothing. The items included a chalice, a pendant in the shape of a crystal shard, a quill, a small figurine (that had been left quite vague), a dagger, a hand-held mirror, and of course, the ring that had been previously mentioned. The next room Leveena had searched through was the guest room closest to Artemis's. She had been glad to find two of the listed items: the mirror and the quill. Touching them automatically sent a pulsating feeling to her fingertips, which was why she had supposed they were the items they were looking for.

Her own room was next. While she was here, she figured she'd gather some of her own clothes when she was working around the house. Several simple skirts, pants, tops, and shoes. And undergarments, of course. She held a large bag filled with the clothes, finding it easier to dig through the room with them out of the way. The closet was the biggest struggle. It was dark, and there was no light source inside of it. She had yet to find her wand.

After thirty more minutes of tearing apart the second floor, Leveena hadn't found anything else. She surrendered and returned downstairs to find Lucius was slowly pacing the living room, his wand out. He was holding a small, silver goblet in his other hand. "Is that the one?" she asked quietly.

"Perhaps. What have you found?"

Leveena held up the mirror and quill that were in her left hand. "I also gathered some of my clothes." She indicated to the bag she held, hoping he had no objection.

"If you insist," he responded, "though eventually, I expect you to pay a visit to Knockturn Alley under supervision to get some new attire."

"I...alright..." Leveena went into the living room, having remembered where she last put her wand: on the piano in the corner. However, it was not there. She panicked a little up until she felt Lucius's arm slip around her waist.

"We're leaving."