The Muggle Maid

Chapter One – Autumn

They are all the same.

Every single household that I have been thrown into is never any different than the last. They all treat me like I am the scum of the earth for cleaning up every single one of their dirty dishes or not picking up the right detergent that they think smells “prettier.”

Sure, some of the other men and women that I’ve worked with over the years like to remind me that I can get out whenever I would like; some think I’m in the business just because I want to travel the world, but the sad truth is that I was sold into being at the mercy of anyone with a pretty penny.

To make it even worse, I was never sold by the same individual. It was always someone new.

The older man who was sitting across from me at the moment looked like someone who belonged in an R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps episode. He was tall and lanky, like his arms and legs were made of clay that had been pulled too far away from the main base before getting limp and falling at his sides. His eyes were dark and beady and I couldn’t tell if they were black or brown. Even his facial hair was oily and pointed like the villains in the superhero comics I read as a child.

What made him the creepiest was his smile, it never quite reached his eyes. That and the fact that he kept leering at my legs in this ridiculous outfit I was forced into wearing this morning.

As I tried adjusting the skirt to stretch beyond my knees caps, the man coughed and sat up, focusing even more attention on me. “Are you ready to meet your newest family, darling?” He purred while twisting his mustache between his index finger and thumb. “I think you might find them quite interesting.”

If I could have, I would have sucker punched him for calling me darling, but I didn’t even want to know what he meant by my new “family” because in the last three years of this business, every single person who crossed my path had something fucked up about them.

The suddenly cramped car began to slow down around the same time my heart began to speed up. Even though I hated everything I stood for, it was always nerve wrecking when meeting my new masters for the first time. This would actually be my first family since I left my own.

When the car finally came to a complete stop, String Bean looked at me with a hardened look in his beady little eyes. “Stay in the car until I come back for you. If you even think about running – they will kill you.”

With a quick, fluid moment he was out of the car. I had an actual quiet moment to think about how it wasn’t the first time that I had been told to watch myself, but it was the first time I was ordered to do follow specific instructions before actually meeting the real people who I would be catering to for the next couple months.

I was not allowed the luxury of being able to sit next to the window and I think it had more to do with the fact that they most of the hagglers I have been with, don’t want to have to deal with a flight risk. All of them still get orders from the Big Man and that means if they fail to deliver the goods then they disappear. Even I knew that it would be easier to just handcuff someone to the door handle.

A couple of minutes had passed and I still couldn’t make out any voices outside of the car. In the past, my new master’s had come to the car to ensure that they could get a good look at me before really sealing the deal with the payment for my services.

Most of my new masters and mistresses don’t keep me for more than, maybe, three months before they get bored and decide to send me back, but that’s the thing about actual human beings – you don’t get to return them to where they came from.

“I’ll be right in with her Lucius,” came Mr. Bean’s raspy voice before the same leather coated door he crawled out of swung open again.

His arms and legs were the only thing visible from this point of view, but it still wasn’t something I really wanted to be staring at. He still dressed like he belonged in the 1800s, with tan breeches and a white shirt followed by the traditional tailcoat. Oh, but I can’t forget about that top hat since he kept taking it on and off for most of the ride, thoroughly inspecting it every time. His choice in clothes reminded me of the grasshopper from Pinocchio.

Before I could even appreciate my humor, the salesman bark an order to get out of the vehicle. Even I knew that it was never a good idea to disobey your auctioneer considering you never knew who could be watching the exchange. It was a live and learn type of lesson.

Quickly as I could, I scooted over in my seat towards the door, with as much dignity as I could muster in such a short skirt, and stepped out. What was splayed out before me in a glorious hues of blacks and dark greens was not what I expected in the least for my new owners.

The grounds held nothing, but art in different forms of shrubs and colorful flower beds. Grass has never looked softer nor greener. If I had to be killed on the spot, I knew that I would die happy with the blades of the heavens smothering my face. That wasn’t what made my breath catch in my throat, it was the mansion that I was being rushed towards at a frightening speed.

It was tall, dark and very daunting looking; like a castle. From the outside, it didn’t look like a single window was open and the whole building was painted with various discolorations of black, but nothing that even remotely reassembled gray. I wanted to stop and just take it all in and appreciate the artistic nature that was all around me.

“Move it or lose it,” came a hiss to my ear.

I briskly picked up the pace while adverting my eyes to my shoes. I knew that if I kept gawking around at my new home, it wouldn’t end nicely for anyone outside of this house. The scenery beyond my shoes went from grassy and green to shiny and marble.

With a hard grip on my shoulders, I heard Mr. Bean licked his lips in what I assumed to be a nervous tick of his. “Here she is sir.”

A light shove was given and I knew it was the signal to take a step forward and briefly meet the gaze of the people who will soon rule my life. Before taking my steps, I took squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, as much as I wanted to savor this moment in my mind – I knew that I had to look forward.

Upon opening my eyes, I wanted nothing more than to clamp them shut once more. I was pretty sure that I was standing in front of a family of Gods who could condemn me at their will. There was an older looking gentlemen with long blond hair, a light appearance of a five o’clock shadow with longer features like his nose and chin. He was also holding the hand of a woman who only appeared to be a couple years younger than him, but with more gray hair and misty blue eyes. They clearly were not related, but shared somewhat of a similar attribute between them; more than likely they were married and for quite some time.

She met my gaze with such scrutiny that I had no choice, but to look away.

When my eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, I think we were in something similar to a foyer, I noted that there was one other person lurking in the shadows closest to the fireplace. The only thing I could make out was that it was a younger boy leaning against the mantle with his arms crossed.

A cough came from behind me, “What do you think of her?” Mr. Bean asked very timidly. It’s very rare that the salesmen who pawn me off are actually afraid of their buyers.

My attention was no longer within the shadows, but now at the husband and wife before me. I watched as they exchanged a brief glance, but gave way to no known facial expressions.

“Derek,” the man spoke with such deep authority, it made me stand up a little straighter, but he still didn’t take his eyes off the woman next to him. “Is this the best you can offer me?”

I heard ‘Derek’ take a heavy gulp and his shoes shuffle as he took a step closer to me. “Yes sir. She does fabulous work.”

My eyes wouldn’t leave the faces before me. I knew that they either were going to choose me or because I was a disgrace to their presence, they would more than likely kill me. For once, I wanted to be picked. I wanted to be able to live in this castle and figure out what was so terrifying about these people besides the fact that they clearly had a way too much money.

This time the husband took a step forward, giving me a better look at him. As he did a full circle around my position, I noticed something unusual about him. His eyes were something you don’t see in an everyday person; they were a striking ice blue which respectfully enough caused a shiver run down my spine.

“Lucius?” The woman inquired.

The older man whose name I just learned was Lucius, gave a quick look up and down the length of my body before wandering back to his wife and directing his attention to the man behind me. “She is a muggle then?”

I’ve heard that word before, I thought to myself.

“Yes sir.”

“Is there anything wrong with her?”

Another hard swallowed from Derek, “Well, you see, the girl doesn’t talk.”

This seemed to peak the attention of the wife causing her to lean over and whisper something into her husband’s ear. The corners of Lucius mouth perked up briefly before he spoke, “Narcissa inquires about why the young muggle will not speak?”

“No one knows, sir. Every salesmen that I have spoken too, just says that she barely makes a sound.”

“Hm,” a light hum came from the shadows. With a few long strides, a boy who was maybe only a year or two older than me stepped forward. His hair looked like a healthier, glossier version of Lucius’s, but he kept it shorter. There was no doubt in my mind that this was their son.

He did nothing, but sneer in my direction while he strolled up beside his parents before turning on his heel, giving me a view of the stitching in his well-tailored suit. “She is a muggle and she can’t speak, what is the point in having her being here then?”

Narcissa smirked, before patting her son on the shoulder. “We need the help my child. She may not be able to do what we can, but we can’t afford to lose any more servants or else you will have to start doing the housework.”

That seemed shut him up quick.

Derek was now standing next to me with a smile on his face, “Does this mean you will take her then?”

Lucius simply nodded his head while throwing a pouch in our direction. I didn’t even get as much as a goodbye out of the slimy salesman before he was bolting for the door. These people really seemed to scare the shit out of him.

The door slamming seemed to echo through the house as the four of us continued to stare at one another. Narcissa sighed before speaking, “I’ll go find Katherine and have her get this one settled.”
Her husband just nodded in agreement, never taking his eyes off me. The son was just kind of there and I was half expecting him to just melt back into the darkness, but instead he turned his attention to me as well.

Lucius mouth opened, “Draco, you will behave yourself. Correct?”

The boy replied with a curt yes, still mumbling about how I was a muggle or something. Seeming to be satisfied with his sons answer, both of them turned at the exact same time and headed in different directions of the large room.

This was going to be interesting.