Ch 7 The Shampoo Business

More excellent suggestions and changes by Deb, my Beta. Thank you.

Cho Chang approached Harry the second Monday in October. "I need to take a few vacation days, Harry. Ed and I need to pick up Chloe and, well, it's …" Cho gave a great big sign, obviously trying to control her emotions.

Harry motioned Cho to come into his office. "Take your time, Cho," he counseled.

"I know that Chloe has wanted to be a boy since she was little, and that her transformation to a boy is what is best for her. It's just hard for me to accept. Ed, my husband, does not seem to have any problem with it. At least I'm not having the problem Patricia's family has had. She's not welcome home. Ed and I have agreed that when they are not in school they both can stay with us. I've just have to get used to calling Chloe Charles, and Patrick Patricia.

"We are picking up both of them from Switzerland. I understand that Muggle's cannot totally transform, but with some very advanced magic Magi can. All I know is that the transformation was painful, but both of the young people seem happy. I just wish I was happier."

"Take all the time you need," Harry told Cho.

"They will be at Hogwarts by the end of the week," Cho informed Harry as she arose and left his office.

Listening to people's personal issues was not a large part of Harry's day, he thought, but it was an important part.

The middle of October Chloe Koizumi and Patrick Lee came back from Switzerland. To be precise, the former Chloe, now fully it appeared a male Charles Koizumi, and the former Patrick, now fully it appeared a female Patricia, were back from Switzerland. James told Albus, "Koizumi is in my dorm now, and he is OK. He will be a stronger beater as a guy, which is good for the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

Albus asked, "Does he talk about what he and Patricia went through to make the changes?"

James replied, "No. He's a typical guy, and doesn't want to talk about that stuff. He says he has balls and everything, and says he should be able to father babies. He wants to be an Auror and fight the bad guys, just like before. I wouldn't want to be a girl! It just seems like it would be a whole lot harder being a girl, especially a girl Quidditch player."

It was October thirtieth, the day before Halloween, before Roxanne called together the cousins. They met right after dinner in one of the rooms right under the Gryffindor commons room. Erica Lionheart was with James. They started dancing lessons in third year, and it was surprising to the Muggle born students how many of the students started to pair up that early. Magi did seem to mature about two years earlier than the normal Muggle, but there was a wide range of when both Muggle and Magi matured.

Roxanne asked, "Are there any matters we need to discuss?"

"Albus being a traitor?" James bellowed.

"James, you are totally out of line!" Roxanne yelled, glaring at him.

Louis Weasley agreed, stressing, "We are all really tired of you bellyaching about your brother, James."

James folded his arms and sulked, but stayed quiet.

Roxanne looked around again.

Albus looked at Cleo, who gave a small nod, then turned back to the group and volunteered, "Cleo and I need help with the shampoo and perfume business. Is there anyone of you that wants to help?"

"I would love to help," Louis Weasley promptly replied, leaning forward on his chair, his expression eager and excited. "The people you really should get to help are the Middy twins. They are experts at anything to do with sex and couples."

Albus and Cleopatra joined their minds, wordlessly thinking through the situation. Louis was maybe the best looking boy in Hogwarts, blond, broad shoulders but not musclebound, small butt, the classic T shaped male without having an exaggerated figure. He was almost always smiling, with a personality that was as attractive as his physical looks. Albus knew that Louis's X chromosomes carried the Veela genes, and he was as close to a male Veela as you could be.

Rose butted in with condescension evidence in her voice, "The Middy twins? Those flighty females? They are all giggles and long curly hair and frilly female clothes. They are not stylish, just sickly cute. They look like they are empty heads."

Lucy was there with Bob Hudson. They were in the same year as the twins and knew them, and Lucy retorted, "Bob and I have been in class with the Middy twins. Mary and Maggie are as smart as they come. Their personalities are as different as they could be to your all too serious demeanor, but you can be smart without being an uptight twat. The Middy twins are just looking for something different than you are, Rose."

They are just looking for "M R S degrees," Roxanne sneered.

Lucy continued, "Look at Lavender Brown Blackburn. She was as flighty as they come, and she was part of Dumbledore's Army. She was an Auror, and is still in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Have you met the Middy's dad? He makes bra's and women's clothes, and comes across as, as anything but a strong guy, but he is still a qualified Auror, and he led the operation that rescued his family from captivity in Asia after the War. And Mrs. Middy helped Aunt Hermione write books on raising magical children."

"You are engaged to Frank Longbottom, Roxanne!" Louis retorted, exasperated at his female cousins. "Don't criticize them because it looks like they are going to marry right out of Hogwarts! Albus has asked for help, and I've agreed. That's it! We do not have to talk any more about it, please."

The rest of the meeting was an overview by each of the students of their schedules and classes, as much as each wanted to reveal. When the meeting was finished, Cleopatra and Albus approached Louis. They spent some time explaining what they did, and how they used spells and samples of scents to determine the best shampoo, soap, and perfume. They also touched his wand with their wands, to share some of the power and knowledge that they had accumulated since the previous Christmas.

"I'm going to approach the Middy twins tomorrow," Louis told Albus and Cleo as they parted.

Louis went over to the Ravenclaw table after dinner the next day, to talk to the Middy twins. He was going to be doing two of his favorite things, talk about business and talk to two pretty girls. The Middy twins were a little heavy, like their mother, but like their mother most of the weight went to nice places. Henry Edington was dating Mary. Louis knew they were a couple. Henry was starting studies to be a toolmaker, and he would, Louis guessed, end up working for Dursley, Potter and Weasley, making a very good living making tools using Muggle CNC machines with more than a little magic thrown in. He had two and a half years before he graduated, but he was studying Computer Aided Design, using computers in the building you used the magical shortcut to get to. Mary seemed to want to work with her mother in the child care business, although she had plenty of time to change her mind.

Maggie was dating Ernest Colin Macmillan. The Macmillan family was wealthy, and if she wanted to Maggie could probably never have a paying job. Louis was always surprised at how quickly some of the Magi paired up. Louis knew that some of the Pure Blood families still tried to arrange marriages, and often married right out of Hogwarts.

"Would you like to help with Al and Cleo's shampoo, soap and perfume business?" Louis asked the twins after taking a seat at the table. "They want to teach others how to make the scents. You will earn money if you help."

"I would love to help," Mary replied happily. "Is that something I can do after I graduate?" Mary looked up to Henry with love in her eyes. "Henry is going to be making an adequate living as an apprentice toolmaker, but we could use a second income, something I could do while I am pregnant or nursing."

"Isn't it a little early to be thinking about having children?" Louis countered, shocked at Mary's words. "You are only, what, fifteen?"

"I'm from a poor Muggle family," Henry explained with a shrug. "I want a better life for Mary and me and our children. I will help Mary or you."

Maggie looked at Ernest. You could tell they were communicating just by the expressions going back and forth. Finally she told Louis, "I don't mind helping some while I am at school, but I don't think I am going to do much after I graduate. EC, the family calls Ernest EC, and I will probably be traveling learning the business after we marry, and once we have children I'm not going to have to work. I can, but with the Macmillan business interests I have to be very careful with what I do."

Louis was frustrated at Maggie's pairing up so early, and not even wanting to help, but understood that it was her prerogative. "We will start with Mary, then," Louis told Maggie. He turned to Mary, explaining, "I would tell you more, but it is Halloween. I will see you at the Ball tonight, and we can talk more this weekend."

After Dinner people left the hall so it could be magically arranged for the annual Halloween Ball. Most of the young Magi rushed to their rooms to change into their finest. At 8:00 PM the Great Hall was opened, with a band on the raised area in front, and small tables and seating areas around the outside. The ghosts were all there at the entrance, welcoming all the people coming to the Ball.

Albus was wearing a Muggle suit, what his mother would call a 'Bankers Suit,' navy blue that was almost black, with fine striping. He wore a white shirt and a red striped tie, and looked very proper. He waited at the staircase for the girls to come down from the Gryffindor dorm.

Cleo wore her white dress with the big roses, with green vines growing up the dress. Last Christmas the dress showed the start of breasts, but over the last year she had developed, and there was no question that she was one of the more mature second year students. The vines, flowers, and detailing highlighted her shape. The dress came down well below her knees, three-quarters length.

Maybe it was the modest belly, or the way she carried herself, or just some magic that was part of her nature, but Cleopatra projected a maternal sexiness. The big pockets in the dress probably contributed to it being less 'young person' sexy and more 'maternal' sexy, as did the oversized flowers on the dress. It was very strange.

Rose wore a modest, fashionable dress. It had a high neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and was full length. There was beautiful detailing on the dress, if you looked at it up close. From further away the mat finish on the fabric, and the dark blue color, allowed you to almost disappear.

"Where is Scorpius," asked Rose, looking around for her friend.

"He is taking Cassiopeia Starkey to the dance," Albus explained, nodding to where the two were chatting. "She wanted to go with him. I understand that you made it clear that you think you are too young to go to a dance with anybody."

"Witches want to pair up too early," Rose grumbled. "I don't see why we have to start to learn to dance third year." She followed Albus and Cleopatra to the Great Hall.

Louis was dressed in a Muggle suit as well, but his was more flamboyant. Louis could wear bracelets and a little flash, his hair in a ponytail, and look as masculine as any male in the Great Hall. He had a girl on his arm, as usual for these dances, since he was a good date. None of them were serious girlfriends.

Maggie's dress was a little subdued compared to years past, and EC wore an obviously expensive suit. Mary, however, was showing just about as much bust and cleavage as you could get away with at Hogwarts, with a dress that was every bit as colorful and floozy as any in the Great Hall. Maggie's hair had been recently cut and styled, coming down to her shoulders, but Mary's hair was wildly curled and free and came half way down her back. Henry Edington wore a well-worn suit, probably purchased second hand.

Cleo glommed on to Louis, and dragged him over to Mary, Albus and Louis's date following along. "I hear you are going to help us with the shampoo and soap business!" she exclaimed.

"I would like to," Mary replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Mum and dad are going to help us rent an apartment on Joy Street, right off Diagon Alley, when we marry, and Henry is going to be making some money as an apprentice as soon as we graduate, but money is still going to be tight. I'm going to save most of the money I make."

The group sat at a table together and agreed that Mary and Cleo would meet most Saturday mornings until Christmas, working on designing the scents. Saturday mornings were one time Cleo was free and Albus was often busy, usually practicing Quidditch. Louis was going to meet with them, learning both how to design the scents and how to record the formula and arrange for payment. Louis was the only one of the three real concerned about the details of the business, but Mary wanted to make money.

Albus and Cleo said were going to try to have Mary over to Grimmauld Place to work on the actual making of the scents over Christmas, and to have Louis there as well. It took about twenty minutes to finalize arrangements before Albus and Cleo left to see other people.

Rose sat at a table with Dis and Frerin, as Albus and Cleopatra circulated, talked to other people, and even awkwardly danced a little. Professor McGonagall caught sight of Rose and had to cover a smile as she wondered if the girl was aware of how much she looked like her father with that scowl that discouraged anyone from approaching her. Unaware of her Professor's amusement, she watched as Cassiopeia Starkey tried to teach Scorpius how to dance. During a couple of slow dances Rose thought Cassiopeia was trying to see if she could merge her body with Scorpius. The Weasley family were huggers, but this was different. It was too much like somebody feeling all your feminine parts, something she wanted no part of, at least until she was much older.

The frustrating thing is that she liked all the things about being a stupid housewife. She liked clothes. She liked decorating a house. Cooking was all right, but what she really liked was planning a menu. She had read somewhere about a Muggle job of being a party planner. 'My mother is going to be the Minister of Magic, and I'll just be a party planner,' she thought. What a comedown.

She didn't think she would mind being pregnant and nursing a baby, and she liked little children. It was just that compared to her mother it was so insignificant, and besides it was still hard to think about some guy pawing her body. Scorpius could just feel up Cassiopeia, and next year learn to dance with her, and she and Scorpius could just be friends.

The Saturday after Halloween Cleo met with Louis Weasley and Mary Middy in the portrait room next to the Great Hall. The students knew that Cleo was there most Saturday mornings, and that is where to meet her to arrange to order personalized soap, shampoo, and perfume.

They were sitting around a table that had six chairs. Cleo arranged fifty bottles of various sizes and colors on the table. "How do you choose from all those scents?" Mary asked.

"These bottles are male scents," Cleo explained as she motioned to the bottles on her left. Mary noticed that their labels were outlined in blue. "These bottles are female scents," she said as she motioned to the bottles on the right. The labels were outlined in red. "These can be either." She pointed to the grouping in the middle, whose labels were outlined in greens, yellows and black. "They are arranged in order of age or if you are in a relationship or not. Albus has written down something about each of the scents." Cleo brought out a several page printout, handing them to both Louis and Mary.

"Is that a spreadsheet?" Louis asked as he puzzled over the columns and colors and noticed that they pertained to the labels.

"Albus does it on his tablet," Cleo agreed with a nod, "and has told me that is what it is. I seem to have too much magic to work the tablet. I cannot even use some of the Magi/Muggle Mobiles, and if I get too close to anything electrical or electronic it may not work."

"The lights in the New Burrow don't flicker when you are there," Louis countered.

"They did when I first visited last year," Cleo replied. "It is hard to control the magic."

Cleo had posted on the door that they were not going to be meeting with anyone until ten, because they were training new people. At ten Charles Koizumi and Patricia Lee appeared, peeking around the door.

"Patricia says we need new scents," Charles announced, looking at Patricia with an 'I'm putting up with this' sigh. "I don't want to smell like a girl, not after going through all the work to become a boy."

"Girls can wear pretty scents," Patricia proclaimed, smiling an 'isn't this great' smile. Patricia was wearing a dress that was tight enough to show that her body had changed over the months when she was in Switzerland. She wore a subtle lipstick, and her nails were painted. Charles was sloppily wearing a shirt and trousers, looking like a typical boy who was not all that concerned about his appearance.

Cleo looked at Charles, and pointed out several scents for Charles to try. She waved her wand over Charles, and then had Louis and Mary do the same. Within fifteen minutes they had picked out a rather conventional scent for Charles.

Cleo then waved her wand over Patricia, and had Louis and Mary do the same. She pointed out several scents to try. It took about half an hour to finalize scents for her, including perfume.

When they were finished, Louis asked, "What was the hardest part about going through the transition?"

"Parents," grumbled Patricia with a pained look. "Mine don't really approve."

"Dad doesn't mind," Charles explained. "He's kidded me about wanting to be a boy for years. Mum puts up with it, but secretly she is having a harder time with it. They accept Patricia better than her parents do, but Mum doesn't really understand her."

"What was the hardest part about actually going through it?" Louis wanted to know.

"The bones," Patricia looked at Charles than back at Louis and volunteered. "Soft body parts are not so hard. My boy parts just became smaller and then disappeared, and the female parts slowly appeared. I guess the part that made me fertile was real tricky, but it wasn't hard on me. Female hips and knees are different, and when the bones changed it hurts. They need to be different so your hips can be flexible enough to have children."

"My knees are stronger, as are my muscles!" Charles exclaimed happily. "I'm strong like a man!"

Patricia rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure when we can have the soap, shampoo, and perfume, but it will be before Christmas," Cleo announced as she finished completing the order paperwork and bill.

Once the two had left Cleo asked, "Did you understand how I picked out and will be making the scents?"

"I can learn," Louis answered with a casual shrug. "I do not thing any person could. You have to be willing to really try and understand the other person."

"Learning is going to be fun," Mary exclaimed happily clapping her hands than leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. "Are those two going to get married?"

"Probably," Cleo replied. "It is not a sure thing, but I'm getting the feeling that they are heading in that direction.

"You need to be very careful about what you tell people, especially if you can sense people are not a good pair. Once in a while you can use the scents to force people apart, but Albus tells me we should not normally be doing it. The biggest problem I have is with a few people, mostly boys but occasionally a girl, who I can tell is an abuser or someone that should not marry anyone. I don't know what to do about it, and Albus does not have any good answers either."

"Isn't that what Lavender Brown Blackburn and their group in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement does, deal with people who are abusers?" Louis asked.

"I do not know anything about that," Cleopatra confessed. "Ask Albus, or your Uncle Harry."

Louis watched as Cleopatra went off with Albus, Rose and Scorpius. He went into the Great Hall, and saw the headmistress sitting at a table talking to a small group of students. He waited until she was free, and then approached her.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall. May I ask you a question?"

The professor kindly responded, "You may, and I will even try to answer, Mr. Weasley." She motioned to a chair inviting him to sit.

"Why do Magi seem to pair up so early?" Louis asked as he sat down.

"There are several reasons," Professor McGonagall sighed and thought for several moments before continuing her response. "Physically we mature a little earlier, which is one reason the age of majority for Magi is seventeen instead of eighteen or twenty-one as it is in many Muggle societies. In addition the British Magi society is very old fashion. One hundred and more years ago many people married much earlier than they do today in the Muggle world. I had hoped that giving the students the chance to study for an extra year or two, and having Muggle subjects taught the last four years, would encourage our students to put off marriage for a few more years. It has worked for some of our students, but not for as many as I would like."

She tilted her head and asked, "Why are you asking?"

Louis answered, "I want to work with my father in the businesses he manages. I know I need to learn Muggle finance and business as well as magic. I'm working with Cleo and Albus on the soap and perfume business, and I just see too many of us trying to grow up too fast."

"And you wonder if there will be anyone left for you if you wait…" she gave him a knowing smile and a pat on his hand, "Your parents, aunts and uncles all had to grow up too fast," the headmistress confessed. "Today's students are not being forced to grow up like your parents. You don't have to worry about anyone else, Mr. Weasley. Take your time growing up."

"I'm not really worried about myself," Louis elaborated. "I have never had any problem relating to girls. Some of the other guys complain that I could probably convince any girl at Hogwarts to go out with me."

"The staff has noticed," Minerva laughed. "We always are curious which girl will be on your arm when you go to dances."

"I just try to ask a girl that is not going with some other wizard," Louis elaborated. "I am not ready to settle down. I am going to be helping Albus and Cleo in their scent business, and I can already see that Cleo gets insights into people, and couples, and who should and should not pair up. I want to learn about business, not be a psychologist."

"If you are going to manage people, Louis, learning some psychology will come in handy," Minerva confided. "Personnel issues can be some of the hardest management issues you deal with. Please feel free to talk to me if you have any questions."

"Thank you, Professor. I will," Louis agreed as he took his leave.

The Saturday night after Halloween was one of the weeks without a church service. Instead Rabbi Sloan explained about Bar and Bas Mitzvah ceremonies, and how important they were to the Jewish community. Jean-Louis Felion and Gabrielle DuMond were Jewish, and there were two other Jewish students at Hogwarts. Jacob Cohen was a fifth year student. His sister Martha was in third year. Both of their Hebrew studies had been interrupted when they started at Hogwarts, and they were studying Hebrew with the Rabbi so they could read from the scrolls at services.

When the meeting was over, Sarah Sloan approached Cleopatra. "I understand that you helped one of the prophetesses become pregnant," Sarah said with hope and a question in her tone. "We've been married twenty-five years, and I've not been able to bear a child."

"I just prayed at the fountain, and examined her with my wand," Cleo protested, feeling a bit pressured at the sudden request. "I'll try." Cleo then examined Sarah with her wand. For a moment it looked like Cleo was going to go into a trance, as she waved the wand back and forth. The rings on Cleo and Albus' hands became visible, and began to glow. Albus went over to Cleo, and took out his wand, not knowing what he was doing. Albus had no idea what he was doing, but it felt right. Then, Cleo with her wand in her left hand, Albus with his wand in his right hand, held up the wands.

Cleo prayed, her face earnest and reverent, "God, I don't understand this. Help me. Help Sarah and Jacob fulfill the first commandment, to be fruitful and multiply."

Jacob came over and held Sarah's hand, and a soft glow settled on them.

"Thank you," Sarah mumbled as she felt the magic flow through her.

"Have fun!" Cleo exclaimed. "That's more important."

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