Strategic Planning

Lorcan was not a jack of all trades. He was good at just a few things. Potions, money, women, power, oh and yes, having children--apparently. He had been working with Zada Forbes on his financial portfolio, and it was amassing great wealth for the family. Good. That was just what he wanted.

He wasn't sure how his non-Slytherin children were going to like or dislike his latest financial plans. He had spent many long days and nights now with Forbes, plottingk planning, investing. It looked good. Very good. He was a Slytherin through and through, and this was going to go a long way to stopping Slytherins from being a laughing stock in the wizarding world--the lowly post that Lucius Malfoy had allowed the Slytherins to fall to. That was about to end..

He leaned back in the leather desk chair and laughed, Satisfied.

He hadn't had a woman this long in, well, a long time now. He was used to one night stands, but Zada was lasting longer than he'd expected, and he liked it. He liked that there were no fluffy expectations. Business and perks. That was all it was. And it was turning out to be a much more satisfying relationship than those silly little women who wanted hearts and flowers and love. The willowy ice queen upstairs in his room was much more to his likings--even if the kids didnt seem to like her much.

Lily was hungry and in the mood for a snack seeing how she been in her room doing her homework basically all day. Lilian Avery D'Eath was a Ravenclaw through and through although she had some Slytherin in her that she wasn't afraid to hide. Walking downstairs Lily went to the kitchen and seen one of maids set some cookies down on the counter. "Why hello Miss Lily you want some cookies?"the maid asked her smiling. "Oh yes, thankyou!"said Lily as she took a cookie and blew it before eating it. "Now don't spoil your dinner Miss Lily."said the maid as she got her a glass of milk and set it down in front of her.

"Oh no ma'am I won't."said Lily softly as dipped her chocolate chip cookie in her milk before taking a bite of it. Hearing her father laugh Lily looked for the source of her father laughs were coming from. "Father, what are you laughing at?"Lily asked him curiously. As she finished her mile and cookies she gotten up and walked over towards where he was at. Lily was a very curious person at times, she wondered what her father was up to this time.

Lily knew business was blooming due to the fact that they took over Slugs and redid and remodel the whole place. "Oh father, I got the summer house all finished it looks really nice I think you will like it very much."said Lily. Lily was always the one that tried to please her father as much as she could, she always made sure she lived up to his expectations.

Lorcan looked up to see Lily there. She had a loyalty about her all her own. She wasn't Slytherin, but she was devoted to him. And that pleased him. He smiled at her.

"Feel free to spoil your dinner," he said. "The chef is making calamari tonight and I know that isn't one of your favorites. I was laughing because we are financially much better off than we were a few months ago. And that is important for what I am planning for this family. Money is power, Lily. He who has the money has the power. And, we're getting enough money to just about have all the power we want.

"I very much want to see what you've done with the country house for summer. You already know my tastes, so I feel very confident that it looks great. And--you came in under budget. Nice work. But I don't know that you're done designing yet. I soon have another place for you to redecorate. A perfectly morbid, foul place that deserves to have some elegance and life put into it. A place built for greater things than it has ever been allowed to be. If I have my way, it will soon be ours," he smiled.

The idea of the acquisition he was working on was something he wanted badly. He wanted it not just for himself. But, oddly enough, he wanted this for his children too. For his family. It wasn't a familiar role for him--to want something for his children, but there was always a first time for everything.

Damitrius had locked herself up in her room basically the entire day. She hadn't wanted to come out, because she didn't want to start a fight with Alexis. She's had enough of looking like a fool in front of her father, Alexis always win in every fight they had. She laid down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she so often did when she was there. Alexis probably wasn't in the house right now, but she doubted that would last long. She always came home whenever Damitrius was about to do something, which always started their fights.

The sixteen year old sighed softly and sat up straight on her bed. Her hair was a mess from being thrown around as she turned on the bed for a while. She felt herself giggle softly as she saw her hair move around randomly as she got up from the bed. Humming, Damitrius combed her hair gently before she put it in a ponytail to the side. A strand of loose hair came out of it and fell on the other side of her face and she tucked it behind her ear. She glanced over at a headband on the dresser and she grabbed it, putting it on her head slowly. Damitrius tilted her head to the side and shrugged, deciding it looked good enough to keep on. She didn't really like it though, she thought she looked all cutsie and girl.

Slowly, the Gryffindor girl opened her door and she heard her father and her sister Lily talking. Biting her lip a little, Damitrius came out of her room and she walked to the kitchen. She smiled at the maids who were in there, and when they offered her a cookie she said no. She walked over to where she saw Lily's figure standing and she stopped behind her sister. "Hello father." she smiled at him. "Hey Lily.". she said softly, looking up at her sister.

"Good afternoon, Damitrius," Lorcan smiled. "You're just in time. I am in the process of the purchase of a very large estate. It is a business venture, but if it goes well, our lives will be much more prosperous than it has ever been.

"It might make you a bit uncomfortable, Damitrius, but it is a necessary step," he continued. "It is a time honored property, steeped in tradition. If we are going to fit in with 'old money' and power, we do need to have some links to it. Will I require that you live there? No. However, accompanying me once or twice for a show of solidarity might be something I might ask of you." For Damitrius to go there without her father to shield her from the Death Eaters who might well kill her simply because of her Hogwarts house. Lorcan was a lot of things, but he was not going to allow his daughter to walk into a trap either. "It will require you to go with me when you do go there. You will not be able to go alone," he added.

Damitrius sighed softly as she listened to her father explain something that she really wasn't interested in. Of course she wouldn't say anything, no objection to whatever he said, and she just looked up at Lily with a worried look. She shook her head to what he said, and she just smiled at him. "Don't worry father. It won't make me uncomfortable." she told him. Of course she was lying but there was no harm in keeping her father happy, which was also why she put up with that woman who was living with him, more than with the others. He seemed to really like her, and if she made him 'happy' then she would deal with whatever he did.

"Don't worry. I won't go there alone. I am well aware of what could happen." she muttered softly. She knew what could happen if she was seen without her father somewhere, not only because of her House, but also because she was sure the Death Eaters knew that even though she was a D'Eath and most of them, including Damien and Alistair, were Dark Followers or Death Eaters, they also most likely knew that she was in Potter's Army. Or that she just wasn't 'evil' as they would expect from those of her family. So, they wouldn't hesitate in trying to kill her, which was something that she didn't want to happen. "I'll do whatever you need me to do." Damitrius told her father. " ... and I won't object." she sighed.