Despite everything, Tonks managed to return to some normalcy after the recent events. The revelation deeply shocked her; she didn't know how far my perversion could go, but now she understood.
I can't say she completely agrees with Elise and my relationship with her, but she is making an effort to cope with it. Even our sexual activities became somewhat awkward at first, as Tonks couldn't stop thinking about Elise and me at that moment. I had to resort to my skills, both practical and magical, to heat things up enough for her mind to stop wandering… or thinking about anything else.
I think that when Tonks and Lys get to know each other better, everything will be easier to overcome. I should find a way for them to talk to each other. Maybe with [message]… even though it's a bit cold, it would be a good start. At least I can acknowledge that Tonks was understanding with me when she discovered that things weren't going well, and I talked to her about the situation with Elise. Her company helped lift my spirits at that moment.
But putting that aside, let's return to the present. Tonks and I are ready to open our business. It was between early and mid-August, without a specific date, but the doors were already open, and several signs were promoting our services, in addition to the large sign at the top that read:
Flanked by two dragons: one red and the other bubblegum pink.
We opened half an hour earlier than planned to prepare ourselves. The first customers had already notified us they were coming. The business was located at the entrance of Knockturn Alley, a strategic point between two worlds. Those who didn't wish to venture into a dangerous place stayed near Diagon Alley, while those who lived in the shadows had a discreet entrance.
Inside, the place was quite spacious. The front had several tables of different sizes, some for couples or individuals, and others for larger groups. More toward the middle was the main counter for customer service, and at the other end and back, other specific counters for buying and selling items and services. There was a side staircase leading to the upper floor, although it wasn't open to the public yet; that section was reserved for more important transactions. On the walls hung chalkboards and boards with scrolls and written messages, like notices and requests. Just as Andromeda suggested, we even included a spell to open cans… or rather, two.
Tonks and I, still nervous, adjusted details for the tenth time, even though everything was already in place. Finally, our first customer arrived.
"I hope I'm not too late; it took me a while to gather those who could come," a voice called from the front door.
"Amelia, even when you arrive late, you're more punctual than others," I replied, moving closer to her to hug her, though I didn't want to too much since there were more people behind her. In reality, she had only arrived two minutes after the established time.
"You have a lovely place, kid. I think I don't have to worry about you so much anymore," a much rougher voice was heard.
"Mr. Moody," Tonks said in surprise, moving to greet our former boss.
"You look well, dear. I'm glad to see you better," said Alastor. The truth is that both Tonks and I were held in good regard by him. He regretted having lost us as his pupils, as he saw great potential in us, future Aurors who could carry on when he retired. Furthermore, he meant what he said about Tonks; the last time he had seen her was when her father passed away, and she was devastated.
"Thank you, sir," Tonks replied somewhat nervously. She had always had a lot of respect for that old, paranoid Auror, and even though we no longer worked under his command, that respect remained intact.
"I'm glad you came. Sit down; we'll offer you the best we have, all at half price for the grand opening," I said as I headed toward the bar to pick up the menus.
"That's what we expect. We brought those who wanted to see how you were doing and support the business," Amelia explained, referring to the people following her, who I found familiar; most were former colleagues from the Ministry.
"Bah… they're only here because Amelia and I were treating them to food," Moody complained as he walked toward one of the tables, his unmistakable wooden leg thumping against the floor.
Tonks accompanied the visitors to the different tables, distributing the menus I handed her while I headed to the kitchen. In reality, the food we served wasn't prepared directly on the premises unless necessary. Most of the dishes were things I had cooked beforehand and stored in the [inventory], or special orders sent to us by a Red working as a Chef from the [Restaurant] through [Gift].
Both Moody and Amelia let out some sighs of relief when they saw the prices. Everything was quite affordable, and with the grand opening discount, treating this group of Aurors and office workers wouldn't be a heavy burden, even though neither of them lacked money.
I must admit that the expressions of surprise began to become more common on the faces of those reading the menus. I smiled, knowing that the cause of their confusion was the fine print below the ingredients of each dish.
"Excuse me, Akaichi," said a young Auror with whom we had patrolled before. "What does 'restore resistance' (5%) mean?"
"Yeah, and what about 'weight reduction' (22% x 5 min)?" another added, equally confused.
"It's exactly what it says. Those are effects that the prepared meals can have," I replied, stepping out of the kitchen for a moment to clarify. "Since we just opened, the effects are still low, but trust me, they will improve over time."
"But there are also things like poison relief, magical power recovery, enhanced regeneration, curse mitigation, prolonged hydration, stealth enhancement, strength increase, defense..." Amelia began to list with surprise and concern. "How is this possible...? Is this enchanted food?" she asked. That food could have magic was not unusual, but that it offered magical effects to those who consumed it was uncommon. But those effects at these prices... that was unheard of.
"That's right," I confirmed with a confident smile. "This place is special, which is why we are so sure of our success."
"But... these prices are only for today, right?" Amelia seemed to be searching for an explanation.
"No, these are our regular prices," I replied.
"How do you plan to keep the business with these prices?" Amelia was starting to seriously worry.
"Don't joke around, kid!" Moody shouted, who had also examined one of the menus with his magical eye. "I don't know what you put in your food, but you can't play with money like this. You'll end up in ruin before the month is over." His tone was scolding, but it was clear it came from genuine concern. He knew that we could no longer be Aurors, and this business had become our future.
"Don't worry, I never do anything without having it all under control. We're not losing money; we just aren't making as much... but we're still in the black," I replied with a calm smile.
"Well then, bring me the food. I want to see what these things are," said Moody, annoyed by what he perceived as a lack of seriousness. He was determined to find some flaw in the food, convinced that something must be wrong. He hoped to do so to ensure that our opening day would fail, giving us a lesson and allowing us to correct our course.
Amelia was also worried, though she chose to wait. Perhaps she planned to speak with me privately to avoid a public scene.
Tonks took care of taking all the orders. She had been practicing to do it skillfully, and I must say she did quite well. Then I returned to the kitchen, where I was organizing some things. Upon receiving the orders, she began to work. She prepared the simple dishes on the spot, while the more elaborate ones came from the [Restaurant].
Meanwhile, Tonks handled serving the drinks, which she retrieved from our storage or that I passed to her from my [inventory]. We had a wide variety: some we produced ourselves, while others we bought from Merk.
Our customers were surprised to see the variety of rare drinks we offered. Some could hardly be found in one or two specific places and in minimal quantities, while others were more common outside of Great Britain. At first, they could hardly believe it. They decided to order some to check if they were imitations or something similar. The price of these drinks, especially those we had to buy through Merk, was still high, even with the 50% discount. Although they weren't paying, they didn't want to waste their superiors' money, but thought that if they turned out to be fake, they could complain later.
They were very wrong. The rare and expensive drinks, like "Bermella Wine" or "Fairy Tears," were not exactly cheap, but their authenticity became clear when they tried them. The problem was that, having ordered several exotic drinks, they realized too late the cost, and now they were terrified. Moody, calmly drinking his fire whiskey, watched them as if they were already corpses, reminding them that they wouldn't have a good day when they returned to work. Hopefully, if they survived, they would surely end up as slaves in the office.
The next customers to arrive were Andromeda and a couple of colleagues from St. Mungo. They also came to support us, and she was glad to see that the place was already quite full, easily recognizing Amelia, Moody, and other familiar faces. I couldn't help but approach to hug Tonks and myself before guiding her colleagues to their tables.
Minutes later, Arthur and Molly Weasley arrived, enjoying a kind of romantic dinner. Their son Red had gotten them a coupon for a free meal for couples at our place. Arthur was surprised to see Amelia and began chatting with her until his wife reminded him that they were on a romantic date. Tonks, upon seeing them, appeared somewhat nervous, but did her best to attend to them better than the other guests. Andromeda also watched my parents from a distance and, at some point, approached to exchange a few casual words.
That wasn't the only special coupon I handed out. Eileen and Andra's couple also arrived, both hooded as if they were criminals, which caught the attention of the present Aurors.
Later, Hermione arrived with her parents, curious about this new place. Red had given her a coupon for a family dinner as an apology for a previous incident, and although she was intrigued, the fact that the place was so close to Knockturn Alley, an area she had been advised to avoid, made her somewhat uncomfortable. Still, I found the atmosphere quite pleasant. If the place turned out to be good, I thought I could return with Red or even with all her friends.
Later, Hagrid arrived, personally invited by me. His imposing size caught immediate attention. I had recommended the place as a spot to relax and buy some 'special items.' Although at first, he wanted to explore the shopping section, Tenebrius suggested he order something to eat first, as we were a bit crowded and had little staff available.
Another notable group that arrived were the werewolves, particularly those who had survived and were recovering from the last mission. We had invited them to get to know the place and celebrate the victory. Although they felt somewhat shy about being among so many people after spending so long isolated, this was their boss's place, and the food would be free for them, which encouraged them to attend, at least for those who were willing or able to do so.
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3rd Additional Chapter