The odds are even (Silas and Marylin)

by **Silas Gray** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:18 am

Silas had gotten a tip from one of his underground sources that someone was making potions, both legal and illegally, in a room of from the ingredient store. The main reason why the main store owner let the smaller owner operate out of the side room was that the potion maker's stock was filled with expensive and difficult to brew potions. They made a lot of good business just by being the building that housed the potion maker.

Of course as soon as he walked into the ingredients store the man's eyes widened and he quickly whispered something to one customer. Said customer got one look of Silas before portkeying away. Must have been doing something rather illegal. Not the Silas much cared right now, the man was probably someone else's problem.

Knocking on the door, he entered the small potion 'store' and immediately noticed that the maker's reputation for difficult potions was correct. Just with a single glance he'd recognised some very difficult-to-brew potions. Some were perfectly legal, others less so. Nothing that would get the maker arrested through. Speaking of the maker, it seemed that they were in yet another back room. Thankfully he knew that they had to be in there,

"I'd ring the bell for service..." he called out with a small smirk as he assessed the wares, "But you lack a bell it seems."

by **Marylin Mason** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:26 am

Marylin had been in the back room of her little shop she had rented in Knockturn Alley, her parents of course had offered her all the monet she wanted for a more expensive venue, they didn't want her out on the streets where it was so dangerous, dealing with dangerous and dodgy customers.

But then again this wasn't their business. It was her own. And, Marylin was a lot tougher and more resourceful than people would give her credit for, she might seem young and innocent, and in some ways she was, but in others, she was more than making up for those naive qualities.

She knew that Silas Gray was in her shop, because the apothecary owner downstairs has sent her a message telling her so up the floo network chimney, and she didn't mind, she could hold her own against the gentleman. Appearing out of the back room, wearing a dark green floating taffeta dress, the locket of Salazar Slytherin at her neck, Marylin fixed him with a business like smile;

"And what can I do for you sir?" she asked happily.

by **Silas Gray** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:29 am

When he looked up to see the potion maker walking out of the back room his eyes widened slightly before he smirked faintly. Now this was more than a little bit odd now wasn't it? He looked at the potion maker, if indeed the young lady was the potion maker, and nodded slightly, mainly to himself,

"You could start by confirming something for me Miss." he told her with a small smile, "Are you really the maker of all these potions?"

He cast an eye around the store and waved his hand. The door to the store closed and locked. He really didn't want customers interrupting what they were doing here,

"Someone of your age could find activities that were much more fun surely?"

by **Marylin Mason** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:36 am

Marylin sighed and she leaned languidly on the counter, much like a cat who was bored and she looked at Silas, it seemed like this wasn't going to be a buisiness talk and she was a little dissappointed, her parents would be proud if she brewed potions for the Ministry's Armies, it would be another step up for her, and she did love to step up.

"Of course I am." she grinned, "Are you claiming you don't think that I could have the aptitude to brew all of the potions that you can see in the shop?" Marylin asked, in a slightly offended tone, she prized herself on her skills after all.

When the door to the store locked, Marylin quirked up her eyebrow and folded her arms around her chest, she didn't like the idea of being locked in a room, it would have been fine if the door had stayed open like it was before.

"On the contrary I find this very amusing." she smirked lightly "Each to their own, I believe the saying goes."

by **Silas Gray** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:40 am

Silas was wandering around the store and he regarded Marylin with a cool stare every now and then. Especially when he came across a potion of particular difficulty. He smirked slightly when he reached one in particular,

"Liquid luck." he declared, holding up the small phial, "They say it's damned near impossible to brew correctly... how many clockwise turns do you make with the silver spoon?"

Of course it was a trick question. You used a copper spoon and only did anti-clockwise turns in making the potion. It would help her to show off and confirm she was the potion maker if nothing else. He chuckled a little bit as he carefully returned the potion,

"Indeed it does. I must admit that my joy at your age was rather odd... people tend to think spending your time talking to the dead is rather strange after all." he said with a small chuckle before sitting down in a chair, "Sit Miss Mason. I believe I have a business proposal if you're willing to hear me out."

by **Marylin Mason** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:45 am

Marylin raised her eyebrows and wondered if Silas was being an idiot on purpose and honestly she was finding this a little bit insulting, of course she was only fifteen, however she knew she had more skill than most potion makers could have, and it was an art form she had spent most of her spare time embracing to become this good.

"You don't use a silver spoon, you use a copper spoon, and you make three anticlockwise turns at a time, three of course being a number of considerable good fortune." Marylin instructed with a small glare.

When he told her to sit down in her own shop Marylin felt her vein throb out of her forehead and she wondered if this guy was trying to piss her off, as a teenager it was easily done, and she could tell that he had no kids of his own.

"A business proposal?" she asked with a small smirk "Are you sure you want your potions to be brewed by a child who obviously has no idea what shes doing?" Marylin asked, innocently convaying her displeasure at his comments.

by **Silas Gray** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:52 am

Silas smirked a little bit. Oh he had just won the betting pool at work! The head of the Auror department was betting not only that the mystery potion maker was male but that he had to be in advanced years,

"Oh thank you so very much Miss Mason." he thanked her with a wide grin, "You've just won me the ministry betting pool! The aurors think you have to be a middle aged man. Glad I got it right."

He could see that his attitude was starting to have an effect on her temper but what the teenager didn't understand was simple. This may be her shop but this was his country. The army was at his beck and call. The Auror Department would follow. She wasn't the one with even half the cards, let alone holding all of them,

"Yes a business proposal Miss Mason." he agreed before raising an eyebrow with a small smirk, "I want my potions supplied by someone who knows how to brew liquid luck properly. However if you're not that person then I'm sure I can find someone else to supply the entire British Army and half of St Mungos. If that's what you want."

by **Marylin Mason** Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:57 am

Marylin raised her eyebrows and shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose, the Ministry spent all their time trying to advance the skills of young people but then they didn't expect them to actually be able to do anything with the help that they were given? That was so typical of them, and it annoyed her a little.

"How pedestrian a thought." she sighed "Who did you say the person brewing these potions would be like, please do not say something insulting if that's what it was." Marylin smirked a little bit, and her advanced maturity was definately coming out to play here, this was a big client.

With a small chuckle Marylin shook her head and took out a small pair of glasses from her pocket, placing them on her eyes she took out a pad and pen from the desk they were sat at and folded her hands over each other.

"Good luck finding someone who will brew that potion at a reasonable price at the quantities that you're going to demand, besides, brewing liquid luck is cheating, Mr. Gray." she grinned cheekily "But tell me what you want brewing, I'll cook up some figures."

by **Silas Gray** Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:02 am

Silas chuckled a little bit. Oh he could tell she was getting rather annoyed at him right now. How was he going to live with that knowledge? Easily. He smirked slightly,

"Oh it was nothing insulting." he told her with a small smile, "I just said that you could have been either a boy or a girl. The important thing was your age. You were below the age of maturity. Your unofficial business hours fit too neatly into the school day."

He smirked a little bit,

"No it's only cheating if the other guy uses it. While my guys use it, it's could a boost. But I don't want the liquid luck itself. Just someone with the skill to brew that would have the skill to brew anything else I could ask." he told her with a small smirk, "Brewing word play? Cute. What is the strongest poison you brew?"

by **Marylin Mason** Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:08 am

Marylin sighed a little bit, although it was maddenning that he had managed to figure this out, it was something that she couldn't deny, that she definately was operating outside the school hours because that was the only times that she had available to her to actually try and do anything around her business.

"Not just a pretty face are you?" she grinned, before shrugging her shoulders "I guess there's nothing I could really do about that, I'm not allowed to drop out of Hogwarts, despite having my own business..." she sighed.

When he asked her about what was the strongest poison she brewed, Maryling raised her eyebrow and she wondered if the ministry was going into poison weaponry, although it was interesting, she didn't pry, customer confidentiality and all of that jazz, unless of course, he offered to tell her.

"I've brewed various levels of poisons but the strongest someone has commissioned was Rosenstein poison, but thats not how I work. I brew on commission, if you want stronger, just ask, if you want weaker, just ask."

by **Silas Gray** Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:15 am

Silas shrugged a little bit at her compliment, his small smirk never leaving his face. He had figured it out awhile back but back then there'd been much higher rebel activity so he'd shealved it until he had time to track her down,

"Thank you, I try to earn my keep." he replied with a casual smile, "You could if you wanted to actually. Well... if I or the Minister approved you could at least."

It spoke well of her that she wasn't going to be asking too many questions about why he wanted the potions he wanted. But he was going to tell her a little bit about them just so she didn't get curious and try to find out for herself,

"Mmm very well then. I would like to place an order for three hundred phials of Rosenstein poison. Every month. Indefinately." he told her with a small smile, "I'm going to assume that an intelligent young lady such as yourself knows that the government isn't all nice just because Minister Rubin is in charge. We have wet-work teams around the world for spying and assassination missions. If you agree, you will be their sole supplier. This could prove very profitable for you."

by **Marylin Mason** Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:31 am

Marylin raised her eyebrow, she was tempted but her parents were the ones who wanted her to finish her education, someone who hadn't gotten all of their qualifications would surely be looked down upon by the rest of the society, and she did not want to be looked down on by the rest of the pure bloods that she would be mixing and mingling with.

"My parents are the ones pushing me to finish my education, I respect and understand their desires and so, I will be passing on that very generous offer." Marylin stated, with a small nod of her head towards Silas as she did so, she really did appreciate it.

When Silas explained what it was that he was going to be doing with the potion she was brewing for him, Marylin blinked a little and she tilted her head to one side, the military supplier for potions, wow, that sounded impressive, and she was certain she would be up for the task of bulk brewing potions.

All she would need was a bigger cauldron and a bigger room.

"I do agree, but I assume you know that I can't brew such large amounts in that time frame in a room like this with the current equipment I have, I will need some upgrades." Marylin stated, she had enough money for them, however why pay for something when you can get it for free?