I hope you enjoy...
How do we go on?
Chapter 1
"What is it?" Hermione asked Harry.
Her friend had paused, right there in the middle of the side walk, continually being shoved and bustled by the passing foot traffic. Muggles, Hermione thought. No Wizard folk dared bustle into Harry Potter.
He said nothing, gazing towards the empty shop window.
"Harry?"
The Brightest witch of their age turned to look at her boyfriend, who was equally puzzled at their friend's actions.
"Harry, Mate, you're scaring Mione."
'It's the Hogwort's sign." he breathed.
"Ha?"
But it was. Right there in the middle of Muggle London. Carved into the inside window of the shop, the proud signal of their school was barely detectable.
What sight Seekers had to have! For Harry to notice it as they passed, Hermione thought!
"Blimey! That's bold!" Ron grinned. "I bet someone at the Ministry would have something to say about that!"
"I doubt they'd care; Muggles wouldn't know what it meant anyway." Hermione sighed thinking about the million other things the Ministry had to worry about. "Did you know what Gretti Greenhill told me today-"
"That's it!' Harry crowed triumphantly.
"What is?" Ron asked, taken aback at Harry's sudden change in emotion. It'd been like that since the battle. He was a bloody manic, like a pregnant witch on Pep-Up Potion! Ron thought it was probably better to have the emotional range of teaspoon. He waited for Harry to answer, but Harry seemed to abate in some joyful thinking.
"I wonder who carved it." Ron said aloud, to fill the gap until Harry would venture the next piece of information. Bloody Hell his best friend was a bit of a nutter, but Ron loved him dearly anyway.
Mione said Harry just needed to find direction again.
Ginny hadn't noticed coz Harry was always fine when he was with her.
Neville just accepted that they'd all be a bit odd for a while.
Luna seemed to think Harry was perfectly fine, barring some odd animal infestation.
Ron just loved them all for it.
"We're buying it!" Harry announced.
"What?!"
"Well I'm buying it!"
"The window?"
"Hogworts?"
His two friends asked at the same time.
"No, the shop!'
"A shop? Why do we need a shop?"
"Well we'll open something in it, but I want the flat!"
"The Flat?"
"The Flat!" Harry grinned.
Ron wondered what to do. What would Hermione want him to do in this particular circumstance, because he had no idea himself.
"Harry, what Flat?" Hermione asked, like talking to a scarred cat.
It was the wrong tack, Ron could see that immediately. It had occurred to him, as much as he and Hermione were trying to deal with Harry, he was trying to deal with them.
As much as they were making concessions for him, he was making some for them.
So despite the fact that OBVIOUSLY Hermione didn't understand the genius of Harry at the moment, and the fact he didn't need to be talk to like a child, he wouldn't call her on it.
"The Flat, that comes with the shop!" Harry announced, as indicated the sign that indeed relayed the same information that had once been stuck to the window, but now lay on the ground, with his hand. "Look we need a place here in London. It will just be easier, close to the Ministry for Mione, and the Joke shop for Ron, and I can live anywhere, but I'd like to live somewhere where I can just be Harry. Muggle London is great for that." Harry grinned.
"Harry-"
"And we have all that money. Nothing being done with it, now that Gringotts doesn't want it, so we should get a place. Uncle Vernon always said Real Estate was the way to go for investment."
"But Mum's happy with us to stay at the Burrow."
"Yeah, but I like it, having a place to ourselves. And we can rent it out when we want something else."
"We're already renting out Black House." Hermione sighed. The hassel of turning their war time hideout to various people's temporary home, and base for a Refugee Relocation Program still gave her headaches. The paperwork...
"Yeah, but I can't stand the thought of living there again. And this place has obviously had some wizard folk there some time, so it won't be too hard to prop up the old wards on it."
"We don't even know what it will be like inside." Hermione sighed, doubting the plan, but knowing that it would happen.
"After the last year, anything is like luxury!" Harry grinned.
"Yeah, like the Burrow! it just finished getting fixed!" Ron argued. Truly, the idea wasn't that terrible, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to move out of his childhood home yet.
"Well, fine, you can stay there, Mione too if she wants; but I'm going to get it!" His face was split across in a smile. "I won't mind having a place all to myself. I can make my own library, and everything won't get eaten if I put it down!'
"Hey!" His two friends cried.
"YOu can still visit of course. I'll make you a bedroom each, but it'll be my house!" He grinned, liking that idea a lot. His. Not his aunt and uncles. not the entire school's, not the Weasleys', not something that brought heartbreaking guilt from Sirius.
Harry James Potter's house.
Yeah, he liked that.
And Ginny could come stay too.
"Shouldn't we at least check it out first?" Hermione hedged.
"Fine," Harry smiled, "Let's do that."
"No wonder its been on the market so long." Hermione shook her head. Honestly having a wizard Real Estate Company have the holding of a property in Muggle London, what a silly thing. She briefly wondered how many muggles had tried to find 'Xilow's Real Estate' in the Yellow Pages. She unlocked the shop's front door with the twist of golden keys, and heaved against the door. She had gone to get the keys from Xilows, it would have been a nightmare if Harry had tried. Someone might have bought him the property before they had even seen it (it wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to give Harry something obscenely expensive present since the end of the war)
"Alright Mione?" Ron asked.
"It won't move. Really Harry, the door won't even open, do you really think this is a good idea?"
"Move, let me try." Ron insisted, before Harry would have to defend his idea, probably getting worked up. Harry had been at a fairly good place since he'd found his place, and Ron didn't want that 'zen' to be destroyed.
Ron took his girlfriend's place, and giving it his own heave, the door did open.
"Wow."
From outside the shop looked plain, nondescript empty but inside...
It was like any typical wizard potion lab and bookstore mess they'd expect to see in any established wizardry shop.
"A muggle aversion spell. shut the door!' Hermione hissed.
"What they can see? Can they see us in here?" Ron wondered.
"They can probably see us, just not the rest." Hermione answered.
"It's brilliant." Harry grinned.
"Let's check out upstairs."
AND of course, Hermione sighed it had to be the perfect place for Harry. Too many rooms than should fit, but magically comfortable, while appearing totally muggle.
It'd need a decent clean, no one had probably been here in decades - or more accurately Hermione thought a decade, since the first Wizard War. A wizard having a shop in muggle London would not have suited Voldemolt's vision of the future.
Well, she might as well admit it. Harry had found his place, and he wouldn't be talked out of it.
"I can set the shop up, to sell wizard stuff and-"
"To who Harry? You've been trying to avoid most wizards since the war, now you're going to open a store up and cater to them?"
"It's a good point, Mate."
"Well obviously eventually it'll get out, but by then I'll have some staff to deal with them. But I'm thinking for now, it'll be a place for people like us, who want to avoid Diagonal Alley. Our friends who can't go without being mobbed. I can find a spell to keep nosy people out for now. Just for this summer and next year till I know what I want to do with the rest of my life."
"It sounds like a plan to me!" Ron grinned.
"RON!"
"What? It defiantly sounds like a plan!"
Hermione gave her boyfriend the evil eye.
"Ok, then, what are you going to sell? You've got the start of a potions lab, but no one to make anything, because I'm going to be much too busy. You've got some books, but who knows what titles they are, or if they're popular. What are you going to get in, and from where?"
"Well..." Harry thought. "Ron, what's your family always running out of?"
It sounded like an awfully awkward question. He didn't mean it like that, Hermione sighed, but sometimes he just didn't think.
Ron had that awful moment of hesitation but then gulped and tried to think of something that didn't sound too poor.
"Floo powder?"
"Right, that's on the list. I'll ask around, get a shipment in, and sell them. It's not like I need to make a profit, I've got enough money. I just need a pastime. Direction, isn't that what you said Mione."
"You're good for money now, but you may run out eventually!"
"Not likely with the bloody Black Fortune, plus the Potter one, and all the money the ministry gave us!" Ron snorted. It was nice, having money for once, and the prize money that came from Order of Merlin First class was rather enormous.
"And if it looks like I'm running out, I'll sign a couple books, or even write one. That will solve any financial issues."
"Harry..."
"Let him do it, Mione. We have customers already, my family, Luna, Nev, his Gran, Andromeda, Angelina, Katie, Susan, Lavender, Patil and Pavati, Justin, basically anyone from DA or our year. We could really corner the market in hero sales!" Ron grinned. "And I'm sure George will help out show us how to run a business, we're Family."
"And we'll ask everyone what they need or want and stock that. Just a small undertaking for now. Come on Mione! What's one thing you always want when you go to the shop? Books? And a cuppa - a cappuccino? We'll have to get a coffee machine, one of those ones that's really easy to use." Harry grinned.
"This is so..."
"Reckless."
"Yes."
"Well I'm 18, I'm meant to be reckless. I think I've paid enough for my opportunities, if I lose some money then I lose some!"
18. Harry was 18.
When had he had a chance to just be a teen?
When had they all had a chance?
O gosh damn it, it was only money.
"Well its not like you need my permission."
"YES!"
"- bur you're explaining it to Ginny and Mrs Weasley! AND you have to go to Diagonal Alley to do the paperwork and I'm NOT helping with that at ALL!"
Of course Hermione should have known her two small threats would be painless. Ginny admired any attempt at independence, and Mrs Weasley was too overcome with gratitude that Ronald and Hermione would be staying; and the Real Estate Agent had bent over backwards to help the Great Harry Potter. In no time at all Harry legally owned the property, for a pittance -really the Property Manager had no idea about Muggle money or the price of muggle areas. Then Harry had wanted to move in immediately. Typical.
Hermione had tried to reason with him, and Mrs Weasley had tried to talk him into staying longer at the Burrow, gradually getting his new home ready, but upon leaving him to bask in his new home one night, upon returning the next morning Hermione found Harry had readied, tidied, even washed the front curtains all in one night. He'd made a stock list, owled all their friends with request of what they needed, and found out from George how one got stock in.
It wasn't all smooth effortless sailing, there were hiccups, things Harry hadn't foreseen or readied for, (paperwork mostly - thank god for Percy!) but within a week of owning the property he stuck a sign on the front window.
The Den, Goods for Friends.
And then the friends came.
"Harry Potter, defeator of dark wizard, youngest seeker in a hundred years, future Minister of Magic - and now a shop keeper?" Justin called, upon entering the Den. There was already a good size group of people already, but he was heard over the din.
"Don't listen to him, Harry. I think its marvellous!" Susan lightly hit Justin's arm. She was a bit surprised when Harry kissed her cheek - he'd never been a affectionate person before, but he did look happier than ever.
"It's not forever, Mate, but Mione thought I needed direction, and I've got all my life to take over the world."
"Mate, don't forget Justin once thought you were the Slytherine Prince, don't get him going again. Remind the poor man you have no intention of taking over the world." Ron grinned.
"I have no intention of taking over the world." Harry laughed. "It seems like a bollocks job to me. This little place is enough hassle!" The coffee machine was much more work than he'd thought, and he still hadn't mastered it yet.
"It's brilliant!' Susan grinned.
"Yeah, I still need to paint the whole place, and work out how i'm going to organise the library - by author or by topic, and don't get me started on upstairs but for now it suits."
"Gin wants to get rid of the coaches." Ron grinned, "but I don't think they're bad for 5 pound." Op shop buys, they were the kind of thing that people slipped into and never came back out. Over stuffed, and a horrible mauve colour, that clashed with about everything, Harry liked the homey charm of them more than the their actuality, and knew sooner or later they'd be repolished with or without his permission.
"Is it a good idea to have it so close to muggles? There's a muggle hairdresser's two places over that seems packed." Susan wondered.
"Yeah, but you only can see the truth of what's in here, cause you already know about it. Barring emergencies, the only people who can see it are people who already know. muggles see an empty place, or a dark bookstore. Wizard see a muggle store; we see the Den."
The whole place had a rustic homely feel to it so far. The cauldrons had been set up in a row along one wall, self-stirring among their empty bottoms, waiting for some potion maker to come along. Harry had set the books in a bookcase that took up nearly the whole opposing wall, muddled at the moment, and only half filling the shelves. He'd set up a ] shaped bench with the new coffee machine ready, but unobident, and had numerous cups, saucers, tea spoons, and tea pots in varying shapes, shade and patterns. in front of the book cases, the mauve coaches gave ample room for customers to drink their beverages, and before them and after them, the square stand alone display tables/draws, held the increasing items that he sold. Along the back wall the counter held its retro cash register, and behind it the door to the loo and stairs.
"I'm surprised that its not decorated in red and yellow, where's your lion pride?" Justin mocked.
"Watch it short stuff, you're in a lion dominated room!" George cautioned.
"Nah, its not a lion Den, its a place for everyone." Harry smiled. "I'm thinking neutral is better suited." So far, barring the awful mauve the whole place was an off-white, with dark chocolate brown accents, and bit of black represented by the cauldrons, making the place feel bigger, and more wholesome.
"A place for everyone, ha?"
"Yep."
Justin was cynical, Harry could tell, but that was ok. He wasn't trying to prove himself here, it was as much as being a place for him, as it was for everyone else.
"Check this out, a whole row of books, and not one of them has your face on it Harry." Justin grinned. "You can't go into a bookstore and NOT see your face at the moment."
"Well I'm only stocking what Hermione recommends." Harry said, "and that's what she says are the best buys at the moment."
Susan had to admit, all of the books that Harry had were good reads, and upon investigations she saw that he had a couple rare and extremely sought after books, which she pointed out to him.
"O they came with the shop. They've probably been here a while. How much do you think they're worth?"
"Gosh, I don't know. Do you want me to check?"
"That'd be awesome. I better put them behind the counter till we find out how much, but when you find out you'll be the first to take your pick."
Susan was delighted by his delight and went back to previewing the books, and eventually ended up on the coaches, sipping tea.
Hermione slipped on her coat, wishing everyone goodbye, and braving the weather outside. Inside had seemed so warm, and Harry had really made a environment that made everyone inside feel some inner warmth, and like they were home. As a girl between multiple homes, she respected what Harry had done with the place. It almost made her heart sick to leave, but she was already late for her lunch break. It was just that everyone ended up turning up at the Den. There was a constant stream of people coming and going, all familiar warm people, with ideas and discussion. Mrs Weasley had just appeared with brownies and pea and ham soup, still warm and was getting a crash course on the coffeemachine as Hermione had left. Far from being just a shop, the Den had become like a drop in centre for the war wearied and friend. They were debating what potions to make this morning; Patil had thought someone should be making Moonsbane potion for the werewolves, and Harry was happy to chip in and help and keep one of the unused cauldrons for the potion, but they didn't know any potions master who was available.
She wrapped her scarf around her neck and made her way back the short journey to one of the new ministry's entrance. The weather was really shocking today, she thought crossly.
"Hello Granger." A co-worker called. "A nice lunch?"
"Warm enough. I think the weather's getting worse."
"Certainly. Corr, its cold. Where'd you lunch, you could have come with me."
"O, a friend has a place nearby, had some lovely pea and ham soup."
"Lucky duffer, I'd kill for some good pea and ham soup. I had watery chicken sloop, and those dy-hydrated veggies. It was woeful!"
Hermione nodded, and took her place in the line.
"So what friend?"
"Pardon?"
"Who lives nearby?"
"O, a friend bought a place recently. Still getting settled."
"You're avoiding the question."
"Sorry, force of habit."
"Understandable. I'll stop asking questions then." He wasn't being particularly nosy, but Hermione had noticed some people just wanted to know everything about her. Even people twice her age were intrigued with the idea of her, even around the ministry.
"So what do you have for the rest of the day?"
"Paperwork." Hermione answered as she moved one closer to the portkey. "Same as everyday."
"I suppose you're not use to all the sitting. Must be hard to get back to that after being on the run."
"O, I'm fine with the stillness, but i'll have to get glasses like Harry's with all the small atrocious hand writing."
"Eye drops are the key. Get a good potion master, and they'll knock it up in a jiffy."
"I don't suppose you know any good potion masters, who are semi-retired that wouldn't mind doing an odd job a couple times a month?"
"Corr, Granger, you won't need that many eye drops!"
"O, not for me, a friend is thinking of setting up a potion drop for the less fortunate. But we can't think of any decent masters."
"They're in short supply now. All the best ones are scarred, some were killed by Him, others worked for him and are now under constant watch." Hermione pursed her lips, as a werewolf right's activists, she was determined to get some potion out there as soon as possible so people could start living their lives again, not in constant agony for days before and after the full moon. "I can ask around." He shrugged and was rewarded by a smile from the girl, younger than his daughter.
"What do you have for the rest of the day?"
"O same as always, working on the DE cases?"
"Pardon?"
"I work with low level Death Eaters, working with Law enforcement members to make sure they're keeping their noses clean, checking out for possible work for them, keeping to the bail arrangements. they're all ones who've been helping the state build cases for the big fish. No one you'd be too scarred of course, well,... that most people would even know the name of." He had to back pedal there when he realised he was talking to a war hero who'd probably battled them and up.
"O." Hermione murmured, suddenly wishing the line would hurry up.
"I... I'm sorry."
"No, not at all. it's your job." Hermione straightened her shoulders. "And not all of them are rotten to the core. Some have good points." Snape, Regulas came to mind.
"Would you like to come see my office?"
"I'm not sure I'd be,... that I am quite..."
"Comfortable?"
"Ready."
"Right."
"It's Harry. The friend who wants to start the potions."
"Really?"
"Yes. If that helps, ...if you think that anyone will be more willing to work if they know...he has quite a lot of money. And he's willing to pay top notch for this."
"Well I'll see what I can find out."
"Thank you...I'm sorry I don't know your first name. I can't go around calling you 'Wellington', if you are doing me a favour."
"Eddie."
"Well I'm Hermione, so I think we better call each other by our first names, and I'd very much appreciate any help with the potion master."
And then it was Hermione's turn, and she whizzed away, not seeing the touched look on Eddie Wellington's face.
Over the next couple of hours Hermione worked diligently on her paperwork, quite proud of herself when she saw how the 'to-do' pile shortened, and the 'done' pile grow.
But she couldn't get Eddie's offer out of her head. What did she have to fear from those who came to Eddie's office anymore? She had won. She had been on the winning side.
Maybe tomorrow she'd visit his office. Then again, maybe not.
It was a week before Hermione even thought of Eddie's offer again, and that was when she received the message from him.
I think I have something that may work. But you'd better check it out first. Eddie.
Well that sounded intriguing.
"Draco Malfoy?!"
"He comes in every week. We confiscated his entire potion room when we raided his home. Took even the measurements. He points out, quite rightly, his parole only allows him to leave his house if he has a job, but the only thing he's qualified for is potion making, and we have all his stuff."
"He's a qualified potion master?!"
"Apparently he studied when he was stuck - well, anyway he's qualified and as he never finished his schooling that's all he's qualified for."
"I never finished either."
"But you were given a apprenticeship here, on your merits."
"...how good is he? It will be hard to get those who need it to take the potion if he's the one making it, so we'll need to be able to say with a 100% conviction that he will get it right."
"His score is almost perfect."
"So wolvesbane?"
"Well, I wondered which charity Harry Potter was getting behind! O Malfoy will be fine with that."
"It'd only be a causal job." Hermione warned.
"As long as he has a job that he reports to, he's qualified for his parole restrictions. It'd be a huge favour for me!"
"Will he work for us then, that will be the thing." Hermione sighed.
"He needs a job."
"He and Harry have hated each other since we were children, irrationally and steadfastly. It's overrode their needs many times before."
"Well let's see. Hello Mr. Malfoy."
"What is she doing here?"
"Miss Granger thinks she can help yo- ME out, by getting your case off my desk. She thinks she has a job."
"I don't want it."
"It's a potions gig. Casual."
"I don't need a job, I need my parole restriction re-seen."
"If I have them re-seen to, they won't be lessened, if anything you'll be thrown in with the other Death Eaters." Eddie warned.
Draco scoffed.
"So, if Miss Granger can get you the job will you be smart enough to take it?"
Draco glared.
"That's Malfoy for yes." Hermione translated.
"Excellent."
"'ullo Mione. You're finished early!" Harry grinned, dressed casually in a Henley t-shirt in black, and jeans, with a tea cloth thrown over his shoulder. He stood behind his coffee machine, which now worked a treat (Mr Weasley might have done something to it, but due to her position Hermione didn't want to know.) As always a group of their friends milled around, some reading the books from the shelves (some even kept book marks in various books, picked them off the shelf as they arrived and replace them when they were left), other just chatting on the new furbished coco brown couches and sharing whatever treat Mrs Weasley had brought this week. Harry charged for Mrs Weasleys treats only sometimes, so he could pass on the profits, but he rarely remembered to charge for refills, and people only paid for the book if they spilt something on it, (or they were the books that Susan prized, kept away from most people on a high shelf, till Hannah, Susan or Hermione worked up the spare cash to buy them first.)
"I want to talk to you about something."
"Alright. Come in from the door though, its bloody cold out there!" Harry smiled, despite his confusion. He did that a lot these days. Smiling.
The reality never really pieced their life inside these walls. The reality of their history. Hermione so didn't want to be the one who ruined that.
"Alright Mione?"
"I think I have found us a potion master, the only thing is,…. well Eddie found him."
"Eddie?"
"Someone I work with...well we both work for the ministry. He actually works in...He works with former Death Eaters."
"Hermione...?"
"The Full moon is two weeks away, and it takes at least that long for the potion, so if we want a batch ready for this moon, we need to get started!"
"I get the need, Mione; just not the reason why we're talking about Eddie who works with former Death Eaters."
"Don't freak out, - in fact give me your wand."
"He's a fool if he gives you his wand. Then again he IS Potter."
"Malfoy!"
The hiss was so like those months, it was like the whole thing hits her again, the camping, the hiding, the running, the fighting.
And everyone reacted the same. 9 wands are pointed at Malfoy, and therefore her in seconds.
"No, Please!" She urged, and stepped more in front of him.
"We need him!"
"For target practice!" George hissed.
"Harry!" She whimpered. "You said it was a home for all! You say it all the time!"
"I'm not sure he meant Death Eater Scum!" Susan snarled. Susan who lost her aunt.
"Then think of Lavender, and Remus! Remember how long it took Remus to recover without the potion. We will be helping so many."
"Like he'll help the likes of us!"
"He needs us too." Hermione promised. "He'll never admit it, but he need us more than we need him, We're his last chance." Hermione pleaded. "Please Harry."
"She's right." Patil murmured. "I'll put up with Malfoy to help Lavender." She dropped her wand.
"Bloody hell!' Seamus hissed, he had to, for his girl, but he bloody well wanted to punch the blitter.
"Harry?"
"What's your idea, Mione. tell me the idea."
"He works here to make the potion. We provide the cauldron's and the experiment. We... I'll pay him what's necessary and he takes that. If he wants to do other work - he can...rent the cauldrons from us, and we will make sure no one bothers it. we don't have to tell anyone he's making it..."
"No, there should be total discloser." Patil argued.
"Fine we tell them, and let them choose."
"Will you do it?" Harry asked, not even looking at him.
"My Parole restrictions say I need a job. I don't need to be paid, I'll work for free - as long as I can use another cauldron for my own personal work. No charge."
"We need as much Wolfbane as possible before the next full moon. We will pay for the ingredients."
"Very well."
"The second Cauldron, it can't have anything lethal in it." Harry seemed to be making his list up as he went along. 'And you can't use any ingredients that we bought."
"Very well."
"And you can't tell anyone about this place."
"Who would I tell?"
"Bloody hell, Ron is going to have a cow when he comes back." Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Better leave that one to Hermione to explain.
To say Ron was upset was an unfair understatement. For Ron's anger had been so violent and magnificent it deserved to be fully appreciated.
It would forever go down as the Orange Cat incident, and would remain in Weasley memory forever.
Hermione was just thankful that Malfoy wasn't there when it had happened, and she never even gave a whimper about the paperwork that was required.
Poor Eddie, if he had to deal with this amount of paperwork, every time he had to see a DE. Far from complaining about the paperwork, Eddie was happy enough to deal with all the work Hermione submitted. After all the names of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy being linked, would raise eyebrows all over the place.
And the Den's address would definitely get out.
Even Eddie had raised an eyebrow when Hermione informed him, Harry didn't yet have a floo-connected Fireplace.
Eddie had come for a visit, and been a bit be-fumbled by the teens in the room. It was like getting smacked in the face by the big names of the rebel force! And, the future leaders of the wizard world. It was after work-hours, and Harry had magic-ed all the display cases out of the middle of the room, hosting his first ever Dinner at the Den.
Hermione had made sure to check that it was ok Eddie that was coming, and Harry had only agreed if Eddie kept Mrs Weasley busy.
I really don't know where this is going, but I hoped you enjoyed.
Thanks
R/R