Meanwhile at Malfoy Manor
Lucius spent the whole day at his office. He hated himself for letting Kass go, for giving up. He couldn't even drink fire whiskey. He was just sitting and looking at his full glass not taking a sip.
It was getting dark. Lucius turned his head and looked at the window. The sunset oainted the sky into pink with a shadow of crimson. Kass liked this time of the day a lot. She loved sitting with Lucius on the sofa at the library and watching the sunset. He put his head on her knees. She ran her fingers through his platinum blonde hair and he looked at her, admiring her gorgeous features.
"Kassie, what have I done" Lucius said quietly.
There wasn't happiness in his grey eyes anymore. There wasn't arrogance or cold in them either. Now his look was epmty and desperate.
The door at Lucius office was opened suddenly.
"What the..." he started speaking in outrage.
But Lucius didn't finish his sentence about nobody dares coming into his office without invitation. When he turned his head, he noticed a familiar black figure wearing a black mantle.
"Oh, it's you, Sev. Come in" Lucius said, looking at his glass again.
"Well-well. What do we have there? I have tons of questions to you, my friend" professor Snape said.
"Well. Come in, sit down" Lucius said.
The wizard waved his hand, calling another glass for Severus. One more waving - and the glass was full of fire whiskey. It stood itself on the table next to potion master.
"Thank you" Severus said. "Well, what's happening with you?"
"I guess, Draco has told you everything?" Lucius asked indifferently.
"Yes, he has. He told you fell out because of ex-Gryffindor you got mixed up with. Now I wonder to hear your version. I suppose quarrel with Draco isn't the only thing bothering you, is it?" Severus said.
"Why have you decided something bothering me?" Lucius said raising his chin up.
Severus gave Lucius a strict look of his black eyes leaning his head aside.
"Lucius Malfoy. Don't lie to me. I've known you for years. And I see your mood" he said.
"You're right. It's useless to hide anything from you" Lucius agreed.
Severus kept looking at Lucius waiting for his answer.
"This Gryffindor is Kassandra Jones. Do you remember her?" Lucius started speaking.
Severus's face fell from surprise.
"Kassandra? Don't you confuse anything, my friend? Jones would rather bite off her elbows than getting mixed up with Slytherin, moreover, with Deatheater. You...and Gryffindor? I have a feeling I have hallucinations" Severus said.
"No, it's true. We didn't expect that. As you know, at first she came here to put me on the feet after Azkaban. And then everything started. I thought that after having sex with her I'll calm down. Five years without a woman, you see. But no. I fell in love with this girl with all my soul. And she loves me too. But now we broke up" Lucius said.
"Wait. If you love each other, why did you break up?" Severus asked in confusion. "Is something wrong with her?"
"Something is wrong with me. Everything is wrong, Sev. I understood she won't be happy with me. She fell out with her friends when told them about us. She didn't get the job because of that shitty article in "Daily Prophet". I told her everything is over between us. She was offended a lot. She left. I understand it's better" Lucius said.
"Better for whom? For you? Or maybe for her? Luc, I think you're telling bullshit. Yes, there's logic in your words. But will she be happy having a job, friends, reputation, but not having love? And will you be happy knowing you've pushed away your beloved person? I don't think so" Severus replied.
"Sev, but you gave up on Lily" Lucius said.
"And I've been regretting about this every damn day. I wanted to improve everything and tell her about my feelings. But she and James had Harry. I couldn't destroy their family. And you have all chances for redemption, making the woman you love happy and being happy yourself. I remember Jones. I believe she would spit to the opinion of society for you" Severus said taking a sip of fire whiskey.
"It's impossible, Sev, She left to the world of muggles. I have no idea how to find her now" Lucius replied.
Severus frowned his eyebrows looking at one point.
"It's more difficult. But there is no problems without a solution. I think I have one idea how to help you. I'll go to Dumbledore tomorrow" Severus said.
"Why?" Lucius asked arching his eyebrow.
"If my plan works, you'll find out" Severus said mysteriously.
"Severus Snape. You're too mysterious tonight. It's not typical for you" Lucius said with a smirk.
"Let's have a drink for our plan come true" Severus said raising his glass.
"For plans coming true" Lucius supported.
***
Morning at Ester's appartment
Early in the morning Kass rushed into Ester's bedroom excitedly.
"Kass, what time is it?" Ester murmured sleepy.
"Half past seven" Kass replied.
"Why don't you sleep? Let me sleep" Ester said, covering her head with a blanket.
"What about Google for a job?" Kass asked impationately.
"Listen. The job won't run away. Let me sleep for an hour, please. I have a damn day off today!" Ester said in irritation, turning her face to the wall.
"Ok, sorry" Kass said.
She understood waking Ester uo was useless now. Kass couldn't sleep. She decided to make a breakfast. She opened the fridge.
"Eggs, ham, cheese, tomatoes.Great. We'll have an omelette" she decided.
She wahted to wave her hand like she used to and the breakfast would be cooked. But Kass understood that if she use magic in muggle's world, firstly, she will be finded out and secondly, she would have to carry a response at Ministry for illegal usage of Magic. So, she'll have to do everything herself.
Kass went to the gas stove.
"Well. Turn the burner and press the button with the light" she said.
She turned the burner and pressed the buton. That's it! Gas was lit. Then Kass took the pan, poured some oil into it, cut ham and tomatoes, beat eggs, greezed chees on top. In a couple of minutes omelette was ready. And it looked pretty good. Kass put the breakfast on the plate, decorated it with some vegetables and greens. Everything was perfect.
Now it was time for making coffee. Kass saw Ester turning on the coffee machine in the evening. She repeated her actions, not forgetting to put a cup under the place from which coffee was pouring. She made a cup of cappuchino.
Kass sat at the table and was about to start eating. Sleepy Ester wearing pyjama appeared at the doorway.
"I thought you wasn't going to get up yet" Kass said turning around.
"I can't sleep feeling all these tasty smells from the kitchen" Ester said with a sleepy smile.
"Sorry. I didn't want to wake you up" Kass said. "By the way, the food is still warm. Sit down."
"Well, ok. At least I won't sleep till lunch time" Ester replied. "Let's try your breakfast. And after that we'll look for a job."
"Deal" Kass said happily.
After breakfast Kass washed the dishes as an excuse for waking Ester up. Then girls went to the living room where the black machine was standing on the table. It seemed, it's name was laptop. Ester opened the laptop and pressed the button. The screen of the laptop lit and beautiful picture with lavender field appeared in it.
"Wow, what a beauty" Kass said in awe.
Ester smirked and looked at Kass in surprise.
"Interesting. I have an impression it's the first time you see a laptob" Ester said.
"I just like the picture. It's beautiful" Kass said.
"Yeah. I like it too. Let's look for lobs" Ester replied.
"How will we do that?" Kass asked.
"You're really something. In Internet, of course" Ester said with a smirk.
Ester precced a round icon with "GOOGLE" sign. Then she wrote the text into the line and pressed the button again.
'GOOGLE - to google. "To google" means "to search". Sounds logically' Kass thought.
On the screen appeared lots of signs with different jobs.
'It looks like a "Prophet". But on the screen' Kass thought.
Ester wrote the word "provisor". The list on the screen became smaller. Kass watched Ester's actions like it was a miracle. It was a real miracle for Kass. But she tried not showing this.
"That's it. Chemist's "Global Trend". It's not far away. And the salary is good here. I'd go there. But it's your choice. Choose what you like" Ester said.
"No, I trust you. I don't know anything here" Kass agreed.
"Great. Then we should send a curriculum vitae. Do you have a CV?" Ester asked.
"A recommendation letter?" Kass asked.
"A letter isn't bad too. But CV is more important. I suppose you don't have any. Well, it's a list of your achievements, your education, skills and abilities" Ester explained.
Ester looked at Kass arching her eyebrow. It was the first time she met such a weird girl. But she liked Kass.
"Well, ok. Let's make up your CV. I'll open mine and we'll make something similar for you" Ester said.
"Ok. What should we write?" Kass asked.
Ester asked Kass questions about her education, job, skills. Now Kass was glad she has read a lot of books on Muggle Studies and didn't miss this subject at Hogwarts. She could coherently answer the questions. Ester wrote all the information into the CV.
"Got it. Now we need your photo" she said.
"Coldography?" Kass asked.
"If you call it so" Ester smirked. "Sit straight. I'll take a picture of you."
Ester took her cell phone and switched on camera. Kass knew it. She sat and smiled looking at camera. Ester took a couple of pictures. They have chosen one, and Ester connected her phone with a laptop with the help of a wire. She pressed some more buttons and added the pic to the CV.
"That's all. Now we'll be waiting for an answer. By the way, do you have email?" Ester asked.
Kass shook her head.
"We'll make it now" Ester said.
Ester created the email for Kass and sent her CV to the Chemist's.
"Everything is finished. Now we'll wait. If they want to invite you for the interview, they'll send their reply to your mail.
"Thank you, Ester. I owe you one" Kass said.
"Come on. It wasn't difficult" Ester replied. "Would you like to watch a movie?"
"I'd like to. What did you promise? Chronicles...or something like that" Kass agreed.
"That's it. "The chronicals of Narnia" Ester replied.
She switched on the movie. Kass has heard about muggle's movies, but she has never seen them. It was funny and exciting. When the movie was almost over, something squeaked in the laptop.
"It's a notification to your mail" Ester said.
"Let's look at it" Kass said exciting.
Ester opened the message in the mail.
"What's that?" Kass asked impatiently.
"You've been invited to the interview" Ester replied looking at Kass with a smile.
"Really? Let's go!" Kass said.
"You keep surprising me. Not now. Tomorrow at nine a.m." Ester replied. "I can go with you if you want. Or you have a risk to get lost."
Ester laughed.
"Come on" Kass said. "But I won't refuse from your support."
***
The next day ester and Kass went to the chemist's. It reminded Kass of potion store. But there were no herbs on the shelves. And bottles differed from magic ones. The interview went sucsessfully. Kass was hired from the next day.
"Well, congratulations. I knew you'll get it!" Ester said hugging Kass.
"Thank you. I'm beginning the new life" Kass replied.
Everything seemed unreal to Kass. She has a feeling she was in a dream. She started liking muggle's world.