Business partners

Lily knew it was a bit of a cliche to choose the Shrieking Shack as the site for illegal activities, but as it was their first work day, she wanted a neutral location. She had no intentions of being alone with a stranger and criminal, and she did not want to invite that same person into her own place. She had told Echo that she would really rather him find a secure location, since she was just the potioneer in all this, but for now the Shack could do.

She had set up shop in the second floor sitting room. She would have worried about a collapse, but since the Shack had been rebuilt in its former glory, she was certain everything had been magical reinforced to stay sturdy. This way, though, if someone entered the shack, they had some time while the intruder made their way upstairs to get rid of the evidence and climb out the window. And the sitting room had less flammable things to catch on fire, so there was that.

Lily knew this wasn't a sustainable lifestyle. Since graduation, she had made her money being the potioneer for this drug and that drug, this slightly illegal potion and then this very legal wolfsbane. The work was steady enough to keep her living but it was not a luxurious nor a comfortable life. Not that she deserved any better.

They were coming upon another Hogwarts graduation. And then students would be on the train. And then she would have no excuse to not be in contact with the Zabini boys.

So if she could take another job on that could keep her distracted, that would be great.

Echo wasn't here yet, but she had arrived early and was setting up all of her equipment, having cleared off a dresser to turn into a mini store for all of her own must-have ingredients. She began to sharpen her paring knife while she waited.

((If I set it too far back in the past, let me know. I just figured this could make it so they've been doing it awhile))

Echo looked at his reflection in the mirror as he prepared for the first day with his new partner.
It was a bit unusual, he is accustomed to working with Katrien, that was their thing, but after she left he had to look for someone else who could help him.
Simply, there is too much orders and the drug is supposed to constantly improve in order to be sure that there is no competition.
As long as you offer new or better thing you will rule the market.

As a girl, he spent most of his time thinking about what to wear.
Working with potions can be unpredictable and somewhat dangerous, and he really didn't want to sacrifice his good clothes. But on the other hand, he didn't know if Lily expected him to be in good clothes as for a meeting.
In the end, he put on his faded jeans and a white T-shirt, and then took his bag with ingredients and apparated in front of the Shrieking Shack.

When he arrived at the location suggested by his new partner, he couldn't help himself but laughed. A bit cliche.
Of course, he told her that he has a lab but she very politely declined the offer, probably out of fear of what might happen if she is alone with him.
It was needlessly, Echo is not meant to hurt her because if it should happen, he would again have to look for a new partner, a waste of time.

He climbed the stairs to the second floor, and there he found Lily sharp one of her knives.
"I hope you're not planning to kill me with that, it looks so sharply that it could halve the bones" he raised an eyebrow quizzically and then laughed and walked over to her.
"Nice to see you Lily" he stretched his hand because everything else, including the hug simply was too much for him.