Hermione Granger was multi-tasking. She was ringing up customers in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes while she was mentally making notes of books she needed to go through to aid in the hunt and destruction of Horcruxes. This had been her typical day since agreeing to help the twins. She was considered the brightest witch of her age. She still had yet to complete her N.E.W.T.s, but her knowledge of Potions and Charms was very advanced. This, combined with the twins' imagination, had yielded a variety of much needed weapons. It had been the routine since Hermione came to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. They would come up with a brilliant idea, and she would make it work.
She was still reeling from Professor Dumbledore's death. She had lost a mentor and a friend. Of course her loss was nothing to how Harry felt. By the time the train had pulled in to King's Cross, Harry had introverted. Yet again he was blaming himself for something he didn't do. It was the same way after Sirius died.
Hermione sat behind the counter ringing up the latest customer. After two weeks, she was still surprised at the amount of customers that were still coming in.
"Guess everyone needs to laugh," Hermione mused.
"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." Hermione looked to the source of the voice and saw one of her two best friends. Harry was standing in the doorway with his trademark tousled hair and emerald green eyes. The difference was clothing in his actual size. He also looked better fed.
"Freedom agrees with you Harry." Hermione smiled to her friend. She popped a sweet in her mouth.
"Clearly the insane part was right. Hermione, I thought you of all people would not eat anything the two miscreants of mayhem created." Harry gave his friend a look of surprise.
"Hey!"
"Yeah, you can't insult us with such a cool nickname."
The twins made their appearance in their typical fashion. All boldness and speaking in their alternating way.
"I'm not worried. I've been eating Breath-Effects for two weeks now." As Hermione said, this purple bubbles came out of her mouth. "Besides, I'm the one to verify their work. I know what's in everything."
"Hermione's been…"
"Invaluable."
"Have you managed to get used to them finishing each other's sentences?" Harry questioned Hermione.
She nodded and she chewed another sweet. This time her hair looked like it caught fire. "I also have learned to tell them apart. George is the one closest the office, and Fred is the one next to you."
Both twins looked miffed, confirming her analysis.
"Looks like the sample jar is empty." This observation came from the twins' first employee, Verity. This garnered chuckles from the twins.
"At this rate, Hermione, we won't have any left for our customers." George walked behind the counter and slung an arm around Hermione.
Fred picked up the empty jar. "Hey, Brent, bring us another bag of Breath-Effects, will you?" he shouted toward the storage room. Then to the group in a lower voice, "He can't screw that up."
"Brent is our newest employee. He tries really hard," George supplied to Harry.
"After that, we all have to follow that Muggle saying about not having anything nice to say," Verity said.
Brent came out with bag of the requested sweets. He had mousy brown hair and dull eyes. He had a shyness about him. He quickly filled the jar as the others chatted about their time apart. Then he left to go back to the storage area.
"Thanks, Brent." Hermione smiled at her fellow employee. He smiled back, but quickly dropped it and left.
"Brent's just a little shy," Hermione offered to Harry.
"That's an understatement," George said.
"Well, you and Fred are always yelling at him."
"Because he's always messing things up," Fred countered Verity.
"Why do you still employee him?" Harry asked.
"Because of the sensitive items, it was thought best to have only members of the Order or associates. Brent is Tonks's brother," Hermione explained the logic.
"Yeah he got the clumsiness and that's all," George said.
"Perhaps you pressure him too much," Hermione said, but before he could continue the argument, she turned to Harry. "Try one." She held up the jar of Breath-Effects.
Harry looked at the little sweets dubiously. "I don't know, Hermione."
"Now, Harry, is that anyway to treat your business partners?" Fred said
"Don't you trust us?" George added with an exaggerated look of innocence.
Harry laughed. "Well, I do know you two. What exactly to they do? I mean bubbles and fire-hair?"
"It's a randomization potion added. The effects are set to give you various breaths or hair charms. Like color changes or, in my case, a faux fire for example. They only last as long as the sweet. Once dissolved, the effect goes away. While leaving you minty fresh."
"And Hermione shows once again she knows everything," Fred said. He joined her and George behind the counter. Both twins gave Hermione a huge hug.
"I like to breathe," Hermione croaked.
The twins instantly released her. Brent came from the back. He hesitated near the group until Hermione noticed him.
"Oh, Brent, what do you need?"
"There's a Floo-Call for either Fred or George. It's Kingsley Shacklebolt," Brent barely said. He quickly left.
"Best not keep the new Director of Aurors waiting," Fred said.
"Yeah. He gets really tetchy," George said. They both departed. Verity went off to assist a customer with some Pygmy Puffs. Harry was still eyeing the latest creation.
"Could it be that the Chosen One is scared of a candy?"
"You don't see Voldemort readily submitting to use the twins' products," Harry shot back. He picked out a blue colored one. "Though this little thing could be my secret power. He obviously doesn't know about it." Harry grinned.
"I guess you're staying with the Weasleys. Ron will be excited. I've been going through the Black library as you suggested. There are few books that have what we need in them." Hermione lowered her voice with her last sentences. "Sirius kept them in his private cabinet."
Harry was still toying with the blue sweet. "Has Remus been too much of a problem? I hate asking you to lie, but I still feel that this is something best kept between Ron, you, and me."
"I understand, Harry. Actually, I haven't had to lie to Remus. He went on assignment once he got you settled. He only came back a few days ago. He's mostly been sullen and withdrawn. He won't even talk to Tonks."
"Maybe I should talk to him. Are you staying at the Burrow?"
"No. I'm at Tonks'. Once we made sure my parents were safe, she asked me to stay with her. She needs help. She is no housekeeper. Plus she lives only a few blocks away from here in Muggle London. The convenience couldn't be overlooked."
Harry nodded at her logic. "I'm going to stay at Grimauld Place. Maybe Ron and you could stay with me. I was going to ask Mrs. Weasley tonight. Guess I need to include Tonks too."
"No, Harry. Both Ron and I are of age, so we can decide. Though I will let Tonks know."
"Excellent. Can we go get Ron?" He popped the sweet in his mouth.
"Let me get my purse." Hermione left and went to the office. The twins were at facing desks playing with another new item: The Everlasting Bouncing Ball of Light.
"I'm leaving. I probably won't be back for a few days at least."
"You can't just demand time-off."
"How true. We'll have to dock your pay."
"Zero from zero is zero. You don't pay me, remember?"
"Oh yeah!" they said in unison.
Hermione headed back into the store, but Harry seemed to have left without her. She headed for the front, looked down aisles, and even outside.
"Verity, did Harry say I was to meet him somewhere?"
"No, Hermione. He didn't say anything," she called from the ladder she was on, stocking some upper shelves.
When she went back to the counter, she found a little boy. He was scared, but trying to be brave. Hermione was seething inside at the fact that this poor boy's parents could be so negligent. She knelt down to his eye level.
"Hello, there. My name is Hermione. Would you like me to help you find your parents?"
The boy looked at her and smiled, his initial fear forgotten.
"Money? You name Money?"
Hermione just smiled at the boy attempting her name. She really couldn't blame him, he looked about two. "That'll work. What's your name?"
"Harry." It was then that Hermione took in his clothes. They were the exact same as her friend's--only now sized for a toddler.
"Fred! George! We have a huge problem!"
Must give all my thanks to my Beta RobinsRocket.