AN: Anything you recognize belongs to Ms. Rowling and not to me. I'm just borrowing for fun, not profit! Also, I really am not a fan of the final two books of the series, so for me, canon ends at Order of the Pheonix. As a result, this fic is non-HBP and non-DH compliant.


Chapter One

"Hey 'Mione? Come here and look over these figures for me, will you?"

Hermione sighed and peeled her cheek off of her hand. She had been propped against the counter for so long that the skin made an audible unsticking noise.

"What is it, Gin? Please tell me there's some sort of massive crisis. I could use something, anything. I haven't had a customer all morning. I don't expect people to be pouring in like we're Harrods or something, but still..." Hermione rubbed her temples.

"Have you been standing out there that entire time? You poor thing! I know what we should do. Let's close up the shop and take a long lunch, and after that, we can do a little shopping, hmm?"

Hermione dropped her forehead against a shelf and groaned.

"Stop it, you siren, you foul temptress."

"It's not like we're going to miss anything here..."

"This is a stationery shop! People write all the time! I just don't understand. When we opened three months ago, we were making a profit. Now, it's August. School starts up again next month, so where are all the students buying parchments? Even if they share your study habits, they'll still need a few to get by." Hermione grinned at Ginny, who stuck her tongue out.

"Hey! I did get six NEWTS, you know. That's one more than your precious Ronald, at least."

"Don't even go there, Gin." The Weasley female looked suitably contrite, and Hermione sighed. "Now what did you want me to look at earlier?"

"Oh, the figures. Erm, let's go get some lunch at least. It's half one. We can shut the door against the mad rush for an hour, at least. You don't need to be seeing these on an empty stomach."

"That bad?"

Ginny gulped and nodded. She opened her mouth for a moment, and then she snapped it shut again.

"What? What were you going to say?"

"Well... Look, 'Mione, it's not my place, I know, but don't you think that it might be better in the long run to close up now? You gave it your best. You really did. It's just that people can already buy plain old parchment from Flourish and Blotts down the road. There's not much call for your specialty stuff or the muggle stuff you're trying to introduce either. The only person I've seen buying the funny yellow sideways notebooks with the lines on 'em is my dad."

"Those are legal pads! They're very handy for taking notes and... Well... I don't know. I don't want to give up. I love this shop, I really do. I've put so much into it. I've put so much of them into it. If I close up, part of me feels like I'll lose them all over again. It's silly, I know."

"Listen, your parents would be proud to see what you've done with the inheritance they left you. But some things maybe just aren't meant to be. They'd understand."

"I still have enough of the money left to keep going for about six months more, eight if we scrimp. I can't give up yet."

"Aurors don't make that much, especially not ones with a year left at the academy. What's going to happen when you and Ron get married? Don't you want to save some of your money to put toward a home or the babies, when they come?"

"Babies?" Hermione spluttered. "How did we get to babies?"

"Well, when a mummy and a daddy love each other very much..." Ginny winked, and Hermione chucked a quill at her. "There, I got a smile out of you at least. Just give what I said some thought, okay? I promise I'll drop it for now. Let's go and have a fabulous lunch. There's a little cafe that I'm just dying to try - my treat. And don't fuss. I'll get you back here in time to finish holding the counter up with your elbow for the rest of the afternoon."


Severus opened the restaurant door, and the aroma of roasting meat immediately tickled his nose. He nodded to himself, feeling his stomach rumble. Lucius may have a list of faults the length of Hogwarts' Great Hall, but the man knew how to pick out some good eats. He scanned the room, but none of the tables or booths had the distinctive silvery-blonde occupant he sought. A Malfoy head would have stood out even in the restaurant's tastefully dim lighting. As if on cue, the maitre d' appeared and seated him in a corner booth.

Severus ordered a bottle of the house wine for the table, a cabernet sauvignon, as per Lucius' recommendation. He was surprised to see that the bottle was not the most expensive one on the menu, but Lucius knew his wines better than he knew his food, which was certainly saying something. When the waiter poured a few sips in the bottom of Severus' glass for his approval, Severus nodded. The Malfoy patriarch had earned Severus' trust again. The wine bloomed with notes of blackcurrant and caramel, and Severus settled back into the plush cushion and nursed his glass contentedly. He scanned his surroundings out of leftover instincts. The dark wood paneling and hunter green tablecloths suited his tastes nicely, and he didn't spot anyone he recognized. He didn't even need to look at the menu. His mouth watered for whatever meat he had smelled upon his entry, and he was confident the server would know just to what he was referring. And perhaps some roasted new potatoes on the side, glistening with olive oil and rosemary leaves... Where was Lucius? Severus was ready to eat!

Severus closed his eyes as he took another sip of his wine as he savored not only the taste. It was a precious privilege to him, to be able to let his guard down in a public place like this. He wasn't completely relaxed —- that he feared he would never be able to accomplish outside of his home. Some lessons took hold too deeply. At the slightest sign of danger, he would still have his wand in his hand faster than most people could blink. But he would have never dared appearing in a restaurant, let alone closing his eyes in one, during the War.

Opening his eyes, Severus let his gaze fix itself on the top of the empty seat in front of him as his mind wandered. It was a few minutes before the heads visible over the back of the seat snapped him back to the present. One was surprisingly bushy, a crown of springy brown curls, and the other on the far side was a coppery red. Severus allowed himself the tiniest of eye-rolls. This was just perfect. Just when he thought he was free of the most famous know-it-all in the land. Hell, he thought he had finally worked his way through all those damned Weasleys for good too.

"Gin, are you sure you can afford a meal here? It's plush!" that all-too-familiar voice said. Severus' eyebrows drew together of their own accord. He was surprised he couldn't see her hand already waving above the tooled mahogany of the bench out of sheer force of nature.

"Haha, I forget sometimes that you don't follow Quidditch. Oliver's team is doing well enough that each match is packed, a full house. Not a spot on the stands doesn't have an arse on it these days. Oliver hasn't let a quaffle through for weeks! His manager just cut the players a big bonus."

"So that explains why you've been so happy lately! Honestly, Ginny, you've been positively glowing. Tell Oliver congratulations from me."

So Ginevra ended up with Oliver Wood... Severus snorted. He had definitely not seen that one coming! Minerva must have been chuffed, that's for sure.

"Well..." Ginny hesitated. "That's not the only thing. I feel bad for sharing this when your shop isn't going so well, but I figured I'd better tell you sooner rather than later. I wanted you to be the first to know. Well, the second, counting Oliver of course!"

Ah yes, Albus did say something about Miss Granger opening up some sort of business in Diagon Alley, although Severus couldn't remember what she sold. Something bookish, that was for sure. At least she was doing something somewhat productive while she wasted the majority of her potential on the Weasley sod. Honestly, Severus was willing to start a betting pool on how fast after they tied the knot that she would end up barefoot and pregnant. So her entrepreneurial efforts weren't going so well... Severus was surprised. With the practical way she planned out her potions, he would have pegged her as a keen mind for business.

"What is it, Gin? You aren't — No!"

"Yes!" The redhead squealed loudly enough that Severus was sure it was illegal. "I'm going to have a baby! It's a girl, according to the Healer at St. Mungo's."

"Congratulations! That's wonderful news. I'm so happy for you!"

Well, Severus was sure as hell not surprised at that. Ginevra got the Weasley brood mare gene, that was for sure. He could only hope that the offspring was a squib. He should have known that there would only be a brief respite before he'd have to see incompetent redheads bobbing over his cauldrons once more.

"Thank you, Aunty 'Mione! I'm sure you'll have her swimming in books before she can even sit up on her own."

"You can count on it!"

"But... I wanted to tell you this as soon as I found out. I'm about two months along. That gives you seven months to find a new assistant for the shop. I'm really sorry..."

"Don't worry, Gin. I knew that you would only be here for a little while. I appreciate you helping me get things started. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone else to fill your place."

"Thanks, 'Mione. So I was thinking of a few names. What do you think of..."

"Oh, thank the gods," Severus muttered, as Lucius arrived.

"Well, Severus, I know I'm incredibly handsome and terribly suave, but normally you don't seem that pleased to see me," Lucius drawled as he slipped behind the opposite side of the table and reached for a wine glass.

"Don't flatter yourself." Severus leaned in and lowered his voice. "You just saved me from being subjected to overhearing the Weasley chit natter on about a baby."

"I am your savior then for sure!" He quirked his eyebrow and jerked his head slightly toward the two women behind him. Severus nodded and smirked.

"Pay up, Lucius!"

"Oh come on, Severus. That year's crop of dunderheads has been out of school for a year and two months. That averages down to a year."

"Don't try to out-Slytherin a Slytherin, Lucius. Pay up. You bet ten galleons that the Weasley girl would be knocked up within the year, and she wasn't."

Lucius pouted, but he dug in the pocket of his robe and counted out the heavy coins. The two men ordered and soon tucked in, deep in conversation enough to drown out the two witches behind them.

After the ravenous face-stuffing phase of the meal had passed, Lucius laid down his fork and primly dabbed his napkin at the already-clean corners of his mouth. Severus quirked an eyebrow, but Lucius settled back into the cushions and sighed contentedly.

"I haven't had pork shoulder spiced that delicately since last year's holiday in Cordoba!"

"Indeed." Severus tried to keep the impatience from dripping from his voice. "A most excellent repast. Now, I believe you had a business proposition for me."

"I did. I'm sure you've heard that Arthur Weasley's of a mind to mount a campaign for Minister of Magic next year." Lucius' lip curled in a snarl. "I, of course, have offered to the nominating committee a more than qualified alternative that will be sending him back to his brood and their glorified chicken coop with his political wings neatly clipped in no time."

"Who did you suggest? Weasley's a buffoon, sure, but after the War, he's a very well-loved buffoon."

Lucius chuckled.

"You always were a funny one, old boy. I meant me, of course. With you as my right-hand man, if you'll take me up on my offer."

"You?" Severus snorted against the rim of his wine glass. "You know it takes more than money to win over the hearts and minds of the unwashed masses, especially when your opponent's a war hero and you are most definitely not. Buying votes is powerful, but hero-worship trumps all. On the subject of all things preposterous, what use do you expect me to be? You know I despise politics, and with the start of term next month, I'll have my hands full trying to keep the dunderheads from incinerating the castle all over again."

"I don't know why you insist on staying on at the school. There are other potions masters in the world, you know, and you're no longer beholden to the old man."

"Hogwarts is my home, Lucius. You know this."

"Alright, alright, spare me the Gryffindorish sentiments. I just can't help but remember, back in the salad days of our youth, when you spoke of research. Your face used to light up at the thought, and with your complexion, that's saying something!"

Severus felt the honeyed tendrils of the patented Malfoy manipulation technique weave their way around him, but he couldn't help but lean in a little bit closer.

"Come on, Lucius, spit it out. What are you getting at?"

"Just think, my old friend. How much would you accomplish at the helm of the Department of Magical Research and Development? A damn sight more than herding children like cats around cauldrons, I'd say. Any decent potionmaker could do that. You were always destined for higher things."

Lucius smiled, letting the idea percolate through Severus' mind. Severus would provide the perfect counter to Weasley's war record. When Severus' history of risking life and limb as a spy for Dumbledore for years and the fact that he saved Saint Potter himself a couple of times during the Final Battle finally reached the public, the floodgates opened. People were enchanted with their newest dark and brooding misunderstood hero. As insufferable as that was, it would be a welcome bolster to Lucius' own less-than-admirable last minute loyalty swap after his much-checkered past.

"Damn you Lucius... I'll think about it, alright?"

"Wonderful, old friend. Wonderful!" Lucius rose, placed a stack of galleons on the table, and clapped Severus on the shoulder. "I see good fortune in the future for us, you and me." With that, he left like a king departing from his throne room.

Severus rolled his eyes and reached for the wine bottle. Leave it to Lucius to sweep in just when he thought he finally had his life settled.