New Acquisitions
After completing another circle of the perimeter, Blaise decided that it was perfect. It was not too ostentatious in size or design, blending quite innocuously into the local area, but it was not too small for his tastes either. There would definitely be room for a small library and study inside, and he could even section part of the house off for business use.
Blaise pulled a small bundle of parchment and his quill from one of the inner pockets of his cloak and drew a small sketch of the building, circling potential weak points in its security which he would need to remedy, and making a few notes on work that would need to be conducted, before sliding the pad back into his pocket and entering his new home once more.
The old thatched house was really in remarkable condition when compared to the state of some of the surrounding buildings, he mused. Obviously there was work to be done, but it was definitely habitable and Blaise rather liked the idea of having a blank canvas. Tugging out the quill and pad again, he started to draw up a rough floor plan of the ground floor and made notes of possible uses for each room.
Yes, he thought, satisfied with his discovery as he surveyed the room that he had decided would make a fantastic art studio, should he ever decide to turn his interest into more of a hobby, this will be quite sufficient.
Tucking the pad under his arm, Blaise slipped his hand into his pocket and withdraw an engraved silver case, flipping it open and pulling out one of the meticulously rolled cigarettes that he had prepared that morning. There would still be enough rooms upstairs to house guests even if he did divide the narrower northern half of the house off for offices. With that thought, he let one shoulder drop so that he could lean casually against the architrave around the entrance in which he was stood, Blaise slid his cigarette into his mouth and reclaimed his pad and pen. He turned to a new sheet and made a note that he would require some sort of secretary at some point. Someone competent enough, and who gave a good impression, but who did not pry into places where they were unwelcome.
Turning from the room to make his way back to the main staircase, Blaise smiled as he thought of the building’s main attraction. What had once been the local library was just down the road. In fact, he could just see it from the upstairs windows at the back of the house. While Blaise had been quite disappointed to see the state of the once noble institution, he had managed to find a silver lining in its decrepitated condition - there was plenty of room around it to expand. With the right word here and there and the liquidation of some of his Muggle stocks - his mother’s latest Husband who, out of necessity and the war, had been a Muggle and had helped his new step son get into the world of Muggle investments - Blaise hoped that he could help fund not only its restoration, but its expansion to eventually incorporate an adjacent gallery and museum. All being well, this would place Blaise in an ideal position to orchestrate searches for various rare and potentially interesting historical wizarding artefacts that he fancied acquiring. Hopefully, as a benefactor, he would also be granted freer access privileges to said acquisitions. Maybe he would also arrange for himself to have a place on the research team. It would allow him a little more influence and also time to indulge in his passion.
Stepping outside, Blaise turned and cast several strong locking charms on the only entrance he had left to secure. The others he had seen to earlier after his first tour of the house. Lighting the cigarette that had been previously dangling, momentarily ignored whilst he returned to thoughts of his plans for the future, he stepped back and looked up and the building that would be the first house purely of his own. There had been no time for such moves during his time in hiding. Removing the roll up and letting it hang by his side in his left hand, he puffed out a curl of smoke and, with his right, withdrew his wand from its sheath by his hip and pointed it at the name plate above the door.
A spiral of ochre sparks shot out, coiling through the air like intricate script leaping from a page, before impacting on the slate sign. There would be no family names on this house. Blaise did not like the idea of advertising that he was living here. The short, subtler title of ‘Antiquity’ was far more agreeable in his opinion.
Tomorrow Blaise would start to move in, but now it was late and Theo was no doubt expecting a visit from him at some point. Everything else could wait for now.